TABLES.
[Illustration: Fig. 42.--Square Table.]
A small rustic table which may, if desired, be used as a flower-pot
stand, is illustrated by Fig. 42. The top may be made of 3/4-in. stuff,
and should have two ledges nailed underneath to prevent twisting. The
table may be 1 ft. 10 in. high, with the top 15 in. square, or, if a
larger size is required, 2 ft. 1 in. high, with the top 18 in. square.
The design is not suitable for tables of a larger size.
[Illustration: Fig. 43.--Hexagonal Table.]
The legs may be secured to the top by boring holes in the ledges and
driving them in. The cross bars must be firmly secured to the legs, and,
for the joints, the mortise and tenon shown at Fig. 6 (see p. 14) would
be suitable. If the sticks used to form the legs are rather small, it
will be better if the cross bars are kept a little higher on two of the
sides, so that the mortises do not meet each other.
The top is covered with a Swiss overlay pattern, made of split sticks.
The design may be set out by drawing lines from corner to corner on the
top, and across the top in the centre of each side. A smaller square is
then drawn in the centre of the top, with diagonals at right angles to
the sides of the top. Lines drawn from the corners of the small square
to the corners of the top will form a four-pointed star. The pattern
should be clearly outlined with a pencil. In nailing on the sticks,
those round the outer edge of the top should be put on first and mitred
at the corners. Next the outside sticks of the small square should be
nailed on, then the eight pieces from the corners of the small square to
the corners of the top.
[Illustration: Fig. 44.--Part Vertical Section of Top of Hexagonal
Table.]
In working up patterns of the above description, always nail on the
sticks that follow the outline of the design first. The filling-in
pieces may be put on afterwards. Variety may be given to the patterns by
using sticks of different colours; for instance, the design may be
outlined in hazel or blackthorn, and filled in with hawthorn or peeled
willow. The edges of the table top are concealed by nailing on an edging
of short sticks or cones.
[Illustration: Fig. 45.--Half Plans of Top of Hexagonal Table.]
Fig. 43 shows a small hexagon-top table for use in a summer-house or on
the lawn. The following dimensions are suitable: Height 2 ft. 6 in., and
diameter of circle for the hexagon top 2 ft. 9 in. The top is made from
two or three 7/8-in. boards cramped together to the required width and
fixed underneath with two battens 3-1/2 in. wide by 1 in. thick. The
four legs are dowelled and nailed to these battens and further stiffened
by the rungs and the diagonal braces which are nailed to the legs. A
corona is fixed around the edges of the table top, and the method of
securing the board is shown in Fig. 44. In Fig. 45 the half plans show
two ways of ornamenting the top. The twigs should be sawn so that in
section they are less than a semicircle, and it will be an advantage to
shoot their edges slightly, as then they will fit closer and cover the
rough boards that form the table top.