Carpentry and Woodwork. Edwin W. Foster
80 was comparatively easy after making paper knives. The bevelling of the curves at the ends was the only new feature of the knife work.
Fig. 82. Method of using the spokeshave
The making of presents went rapidly onward from this time. The next article to engage our woodworkers' attention was the blotting pad, made of two pieces of black walnut fastened together with the screw handle. (Fig. 81.) The blotter is bent around the curved face of the lower part, and the ends gripped between the two parts by tightening the screw. These handles with screw attached are of brass, and can be obtained at any hardware store.
The upper piece was bevelled, and a circular space in the centre left plain to provide for the handle, the rest of the space being carved.
The making of the curved face on the bottom was too difficult for the knife, so the boy worked it out with the plane and spokeshave shown in (Fig. 82).
When these blotter pads are finished with the brass handle, coloured blotter and hand-carved top, they are very attractive, and make acceptable presents.
Toilet boxes were next in order, and there seemed no end to them; glove boxes, collar boxes, handkerchief boxes, boxes for storing away photographs, etc. Those for collars were square, viewed from the top, while glove boxes were made long and narrow.
The construction of these called for the use of carpenters' tools, and Ralph was not ready to start his pupil on this branch of woodwork yet, for several reasons.
In the first place, it meant a halt in the fascinating work of carving, and they had not yet exhausted the possibilities of knife work. So they tried the plan of buying ready-made boxes from the stores. This was not entirely satisfactory, as most of them were of basswood, soft, and easily carved, but so white that it became soiled too readily. This difficulty finally led to a unique scheme. They stained the wood a dull ebony, and found that the design showed very clearly in gray pencil lines, easily carved.
The carving came out white on a black background, and proved quite satisfactory for the coarser designs. The finer work, however, did not show to advantage, and the method was adopted of leaving certain portions of the surface plain.
One of the glove box designs is shown in Fig. 83.
The lines made in this black and white carving by the veining tool are very effective.
Fig. 83. Design for glove box
The boys had just gotten nicely at work one afternoon when Harry remarked very seriously: "On what subject shall our lecture be this afternoon, professor?"
A block of white pine hurtled across the shop, but Harry ducked and no one was hurt.
"No," said Ralph, "you can't start a discussion to-day. I've been thinking that you will have to take up the use of bench tools pretty soon, because you are really doing this work backward."
"What do you mean?"
"Why, you should never decorate anything which you haven't actually made."
"Well, haven't I made everything we have carved so far?"
Fig. 84. Double photo frame
"All except the boxes. When we bought those boxes, that was a signal that it was time for you to begin constructive work. It has been a big problem to give you carving to do on articles in the flat that you could make with the knife. We will make a few picture frames, carve them, and then leave our carving until you can construct anything in wood. You will always be able now to design carved work for any given space; one of these picture frames, however, is going to be a rather severe test of your skill."
Fig. 84 shows the first photograph frame they took up, a simple design in one piece.
The openings for the pictures were cut out with coping saw and knife and bevelled. The bevels on the outer edges of the frame were planed.
Fig. 85. Carved picture frame
Fig. 85 shows a problem in designing for irregular spaces, and the design is a typical Swedish form. In both of these frames it was necessary to provide a method of holding the photo on the back.
This was accomplished by tacking on two strips of 1⁄8-inch basswood on each side, and the bottom as shown in Fig. 85, the narrow strip being 1⁄4 inch wide, and the top one 1⁄2 inch wide, making a groove 1⁄8 inch deep to receive the picture. If it is designed to have glass in front of the photo, the narrow strip must be 1⁄4 inch thick in place of 1⁄8 inch.
The problem of polishing carved work is rather a difficult one. Ordinary varnish or shellac cannot be used to advantage, as on flat surfaces, because it fills up the spaces and ruins the effect. Perhaps the best method is to dissolve a small quantity of beeswax in turpentine, and rub in with an old tooth or nail brush, which is comparatively soft. This will not injure the carving, and will protect it from dampness and dust, as the wax hardens. It should be put on when about the consistency of soft putty.
Fig. 86. Palette photograph frame
The photo frame shown (Fig. 86) was the last form our boys attempted in the flat.
It has the advantage of simplicity, only one kind of cut being used; but the long flowing lines, which must be first drawn on the wood free-hand, require all the patience and skill one can command.
The form in outline is the artist's palette, and the opening for the picture an ellipse.
All the lines in the carving converge to a point to the left of the centre of the opening.
XIV
THE SHOP
The man who is most successful is the one who is best prepared for his work. In beginning to learn how to use woodworking tools, the average boy is very often hampered by the lack of facilities. The place he is to use for his shop should at least have good light. Many of the lines he uses are knife lines, which are harder to see than pencil lines, so that light at least is an essential.
The tools should be as good as he can obtain. This does not mean that it is necessary to have elaborate sets of chisels, gouges, etc., but the cutting tools should be of well tempered steel. It is far better to have a few very good tools than an elaborate equipment of poor ones, such as the boy's ready-made tool chest often contains.
A good workman is one who can do a large variety of good work with a few well-selected tools.
One