FLOWER STANDS, VASES, ETC.
The rustic-work flower stand (Fig. 17) may be 3 ft. high by 3 ft. 6 in.
long by 9 in. wide. For the legs, select four curved saplings 3 ft. 3
in. long by 2-1/2 in. in diameter; and as some difficulty may be
experienced in obtaining them with the natural curves sufficiently
alike, artificial methods of bending must be resorted to. Therefore get
the saplings from 2 ft. to 3 ft. longer than the finished length, and
bend them to shape by means of the Spanish windlass as shown in Fig. 18.
Flexible six-strand fixing wire or stout hemp cord can be used; or a
straining screw and link, as employed for tightening fencing wire, will
answer equally well; keep the tension on till the wood is curved
permanently, the time varying with the nature and condition of the wood,
and the strain being applied gradually at intervals. The rails are
tenoned to fit mortises in the legs, and battens are nailed to the lower
long rails, to support the flower pots (see Fig. 19). The rustic work is
then fixed diagonally to the rails. The ends that abut against the legs
and centre-piece are pared away so as to make a neat joint, and angle
boards are fitted to the under side of the lower rails to support the
rustic work where it curves downwards.
[Illustration: Fig. 17.--Flower-pot Stand.]
The vase shown by Fig. 20 is hexagonal in shape, with vandyked sides
fixed to a base supported upon tripod legs, and stands about 3 ft. 3 in.
high. Elm boards are suitable for the sides and bottom; they are 1 ft. 3
in. high by 9 in. wide at the top end, and 6-1/2 in. wide at the bottom
by 1 in. thick. Shoot the edges of the boards to a bevel of 60°, and fix
them with nails driven as shown at Fig. 21. When the six sides are
completed, prepare the hexagon baseboard to suit. Bore holes in it for
drainage, and also bore three equidistant holes, 1-1/4 in. in diameter,
at an angle of about 60°, for the tenons of the legs to enter (see Fig.
22). Next screw the base to the sides, and fix on the barked rustic
work. The twigs for this should be seasoned at least one year before
using. They are sawn in halves, straight twigs being selected for the
purpose. If necessary, shoot the edges slightly, so as to obtain a
closer fit when fixing them in parallel. Begin by attaching the lower
border to the hexagonal base, then the upright pieces over the angles,
hollowed as shown at Fig. 23; next fix the top sloping pieces, and
finally the horizontal twigs. The legs are nailed at the base of the
vase (see Fig. 22); and at the centre, where they cross, they are
further secured with twigs, which do the duty of rungs, as shown in Fig.
20.
[Illustration: Fig. 18.--Method of Bending Saplings.]
[Illustration: Fig. 19.--Fixing Rails, etc., to Posts.]
[Illustration: Fig. 20.--Vase on Tripod Stand.]
[Illustration: Fig. 21.--Joint of Hexagon Sides of Vase.]
[Illustration: Fig. 22.--Securing Sides and Legs of Vase to Base.]
[Illustration: Fig. 23.--Section of Twigs at Angles of Vase.]
[Illustration: Figs. 24 and 25.--Side and End Elevations of Flower-pot
Stand.]
[Illustration: Fig. 26.--Joining Rails of Flower-pot Stand to Uprights.]
[Illustration: Fig. 27.--Method of Supporting End Shelves of Flower-pot
Stand at A and B (Fig. 24).]
[Illustration: Fig. 28.--Fixing Centre Shelves of Flower-pot Stand.]
The flower stand shown in front and end view by Figs. 24 and 25 has
accommodation for sixteen pots. The two uprights are 2 ft. 8 in. high by
about 2-1/2 in. in diameter. The three rails are 2 ft. 9 in. long, and
are tenoned to the posts as shown by Fig. 26; the posts are also tenoned
and nailed to the sills (bottom rails), and strutted, as shown in Fig.
25. The method of fixing the shelves A and B (Fig. 24) is shown in Fig.
27, which is an under-side view; struts are also fitted, as shown in
Fig. 25. The method of fixing the centre shelves is indicated at Fig.
28. The shelf, and also the struts C, D, E, and E^1 (Figs. 24 and 25),
are fixed to the centre rail; then the top diagonal braces are nailed to
both the shelf and the top rail, thus keeping the whole secure. The
remainder of the work calls for no special instructions. Split twigs are
used for the fencing around the shelves.
[Illustration: Fig. 29.--Large Square Vase.]
[Illustration: Fig. 30.--Large Hexagonal Vase.]
Fig. 29 shows a square vase constructed from elm boards 1-1/4 in. thick.
A fair size for the sides will be 1 ft. 8 in. at the top and 1 ft. 5
in. at the base by 2 ft. high, including the 2-1/2-in. plinth. The split
twigs forming the decoration are 1-1/2 in. wide, and spaced about 2 in.
apart edge to edge.
[Illustration: Fig. 31.--Large Plant Vase with Claw Foot.]
The vase shown by Fig. 30 is hexagonal in shape, the sides being 1 ft. 8
in. high by 1 ft. 2 in. wide at the top edge, and 1 ft. 0-1/2 in. at the
base. The sides and bottom of both vases are connected as in Figs. 21
and 22. Five 1-in. holes are bored for drainage. The short feet having
been secured with screws driven from the inside, the split rustic work
is bradded on in the same order as that described for Fig. 20.
The stands and vases should be given two coats of oil varnish, allowing
the first coat to dry before applying the second.
[Illustration: Fig. 32.--Foot of Rustic Table.]
A big plant vase made from half a paraffin cask is illustrated by Fig.
31. An ordinary 40-gal. cask stands, roughly, some 3 ft. high, has a
diameter of some 2 ft., and is made of good stout oak. Sawn through the
middle, the paraffin barrel makes two admirable tubs. One such half is
shown in Fig. 31. This it is proposed to render suitable for some large
bushy plant, so it will have to be mounted on legs. The legs shown are
simply so many pieces cut from rough branches. From a heap of stuff one
can generally choose pieces sufficiently adapted to the purpose, though
their exact contours will, of course, vary. Oak branches, technically
known as "bangles," from which the bark has been taken to make tan, will
do well; or if the bark is liked, apple-tree or elm boughs will be
suitable. That these sticks should be rough and gnarled and knotted
adds to their effect. As the tub will be only partly covered with
rustic mosaic work, it will be well before nailing anything upon it to
paint it. A good dark brown or chocolate will go well with the natural
bark. The rustic pieces will have to be cut through with the saw, the
lengths being too great to be safely split with the hatchet--that is,
with the exception of those round the lip, which are of thicker rod than
the zig-zags; say, 1-1/2 in. as compared with 1 in. In the zig-zags the
light central strip is supposed to be of peeled withy, the darker ones
on each side having the bark on, and being probably of hazel. Generally
speaking, wrought brads are to be recommended for fixing rustic mosaic,
but where, as in the present case, the strips have to be bent over a
curved surface, small wire nails will be found more secure. Groups of
fir cones, as shown, will prettily ornament the triangular spaces.
A style of foot suitable for a one-leg flower stand or table is
illustrated in plan and part section by Fig. 32.
[Illustration: Fig. 33.--Garden Plant Tub.]
Fig. 33 shows the other half of the cask arranged for, say, a dwarf
shrub, an orange-tree, or the like. In small town or suburban premises,
such tubs are specially useful where there is a back court into which
anything green cannot otherwise be introduced. In this, it will be seen
that by way of variety the tops of the staves have been sawn to a
zig-zag line, which is followed a little below by a moulding of split
rods. Alternative styles of moulding are shown by Figs. 34 and 35.
Half-way between this and the bottom a band of mosaic is arranged in
light and dark strips of withy and hazel. The bits filling the
diamond-shaped centres of this pattern are cut from thicker stuff than
the rest, so that they may project as bosses beyond the general level.
Over the unavoidable iron hoop at bottom, from which place short strips
would, if nailed, be often detached, a rough "dry-cask" wooden hoop has
been fixed. At the sides two pieces of rough branch stuff have been
placed to serve as handles, and to resist strain these should be secured
from within by strong screws.
[Illustration: Figs. 34 and 35.--Alternative Mouldings.]
[Illustration: Fig. 36.--Ornamental Plant Vase.]
The vase shown by Fig. 36 is intended for a somewhat low-growing
flowering plant--say, a large bushy geranium. In its original character
it is an American lard pail. As in the last tub, the staves have been
sawn to a more ornamental outline, and they have also been perforated.
The ornamental strips of split rod have been arranged in straight
vertical lines, to avoid the difficulty of bending and keeping them in
place if bent round so small a vessel. The bottom of the pail is screwed
down to an octagonal slab of wood, to the under side of which four short
bits of rough bough are nailed as feet. As neither this nor the last tub
is wholly covered with mosaic, they should, of course, first be painted.
The slab at bottom will look very well rough, as shown, but if painted
it will be improved by strips of split rod nailed round its edges.
[Illustration: Fig. 37.--Rectangular Garden Plant Stand.]
A garden plant stand, made from a soap box and mounted on legs is shown
by Fig. 37. The easiest way to fix one of these legs on is to saw the
piece of stuff in half to a distance from the top equal to the depth of
the box, and then to cross-cut and remove one half. The corner of the
box will be brought to the middle of the cross-cut, and the leg nailed
on to the side of the box. The piece which has been sawn off will then
be cut through (quartered), and the proper quarter replaced and nailed
to the end of the box. Frets, such as those shown in these two examples,
are patterns of a kind well adapted to be worked out in rustic mosaic.
[Illustration: Figs. 38 to 40.--Elevation, Section, and Horizontal
Section of Rustic Pedestal.]
A pedestal for a sundial or flower vase is shown by Figs. 38 to 40. It
is a box of 1-in. elm boards, the top being a 2-in. thick slab.
Suitable dimensions are 3 ft. 6 in. high, and 1 ft. square, the top
being 16 in. square.
[Illustration: Fig. 41.--Rustic Flower-pot Stand in Imitation of
Bamboo.]
A design for a rustic flower-pot stand in imitation of bamboo is
represented by Fig. 41. The height should be about 2 ft. 6 in. to the
top, and the length from 3 ft. to 3 ft. 6 in. The box at the top may be
about 9 in. wide and 8 in. deep. Care must be taken when putting the
work together to get the frames true and square. Slovenliness in
construction will completely spoil the appearance of the finished
article. The box at the top is made to fit inside, and should be lined
with a zinc tray. The outside may be covered with glue and brown
sawdust.