There are so many ways in which a box may be made that it would be out
of place here to enumerate them all. The joints used here are known as
butt joints.
Fig. 113 is the working drawing; the details of the work are shown in
Fig. 114.
The first step to be taken in making this exercise is to make out a
bill of lumber. By the drawing we find the length of the box to be
12 inches, the width to be 7 inches, and the height to be 5 inches,
allowing ⅛ inch on each end of the sides for finishing. The side pieces
would be 12¼ inches. The thickness of the sides is ½ inch and the ends
are let into the sides ¼ inch as shown in Fig. 114, A; this would
make the length of the ends 6½ inches finished; one end being ½ inch
narrower than the other to let the top slide over it in the groove on
the sides. The width of one end would be 5 inches, and of the other 4½
inches. The bottom is to be let into the sides and ends in a groove
which is ¼ inch deep. This would make the bottom 11½ inches long, 6½
inches wide, and ½ inch thick. The top slides in the groove shown in
the section at B, Fig. 114, which is ¼ inch deep, and the end of the
top goes into the groove in the end of the box, which is ¼ inch deep.
This would make the length of the top 11¾ inches, the width 6½ inches,
and the thickness ½ inch. The bill of lumber would be as follows:
Bill of Sides, 2 pieces 12¼ in × ½ in.
Lumber Top, 1 piece 11¾ in × 6½ in × ½ in. Finished
Cherry or End, 1 piece 6½ in × 5 in × ½ in.
Birch End, 1 piece 6½ in × 4½ in × ½ in. Size.
Bottom, 1 piece 11½ in × 6½ in × ½ in.
[Illustration: FIG. 113.]
[Illustration: FIG. 114.]
The material used in this exercise will be planed nearly to the
thickness by the planing machine, enough being left to smooth the work.
Select and lay out on a board the pieces required (allowing enough for
the work on the edges). Saw out the pieces; then plane the edges by the
methods given, omitting the planing of the face side and the back, but
select and mark the sides for the working faces.
The extremities of the end pieces are to be planed perfectly square to
insure a close fit against the sides. The method of planing the ends
is to plane half way through from the edge, then plane from the other
edge, being careful not to let the plane go all the way across, as the
corner will be liable to break off.
It will not be necessary to plane the ends of the sides until the box
is glued together, when they can be finished off even with the end.
To lay out and prepare the sides, place the pieces together, faces out
and edges up, draw a line across the edges at the ends for the full
length of the box, then measure back the thickness of the ends. From
these lines mark across the faces of each piece. It will be noticed
that one end of each side can be sawed across, but the other end where
the top enters the grooves will have to be cut partly with a saw and
the rest of the way with a chisel. Prepare the ends the same as the
shoulders of the tenon, being careful not to cut the groove all the way
across where the top enters.
Gauge the depth to which the ends go into the sides, and after sawing
across remove the pieces from the corners with a chisel. It will be
necessary only to have the end pieces the correct length, as there will
be no lines to be drawn on them.
Take the plow plane and put a ¼ inch iron into it, and set it for the
grooves that are cut out of the sides and the ends.
The grooves are all the same distance in from the edges and are all
the same depth. To protect the bench while using the plow, get a piece
of board and on it fasten pieces to hold the work while running the
groove. This is done by sawing out three or four pieces as shown in
Fig. 115, and fastening them to the board as shown in Fig. 116.
[Illustration: FIG. 115.]
[Illustration: FIG. 116.]
[Illustration: FIG. 117.]
The tongue on the edges of the top and the bottom can be made with the
plow by fastening the pieces in the vise and rabbeting out the corners
as shown in C, Fig. 114.
After all cutting and fitting has been done smooth the inside of each
piece with the plane; then take the steel scraper (shown in Fig. 117),
and scrape the surfaces; then finish with sand paper; glue the corners;
put the bottom in place and fasten together with hand screws and let
dry. There are no nails used in the construction of this exercise.
Finish the outside of the box in the same way that the inside was done.
After finishing the outside and the top, use filler or stain to color
the wood. The filler is a mixture of fine whiting and linseed oil with
a little turpentine to act as a dryer, colored with any of the pigments
desired. A little experience is necessary in using the colors to obtain
the desired shade.
The filler comes already prepared, of a cream color, and must be
colored as required. Apply the filler with a brush, and let it stand on
the wood for a short time; then rub it off with cotton waste or a rag;
then set the work aside until the surfaces are perfectly hard; then
give a coat of shellac varnish and let it dry. Repeat the operation two
or three times, using sand paper to smooth each coat of varnish.
After the varnish is thoroughly hard, take powdered pumice and oil or
water, using a soft rag, and rub the surfaces until they are smooth;
then take rotten stone and oil and rub until it has a fairly bright
gloss. Rub with a soft dry cloth, then finish with the palm of the hand
until a bright glossy surface is obtained.
For polishing see note.