Carpentry for Boys

J >> J. S. Zerbe >> Carpentry for Boys

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

In this type the bow receives the entire compression thrust, and the
chords act merely as suspending members.

FUNDAMENTAL TRUSS FORM.--In every form of truss, whether for building or
for bridge work, the principles of the famous A-truss must be employed
in some form or other; and the boy who is experimentally inclined will
readily evolve means to determine what degree of strength the upper and
the lower members must have for a given length of truss to sustain a
specified weight.

There are rules for all these problems, some of them very intricate, but
all of them intensely interesting. It will be a valuable addition to
your knowledge to give this subject earnest study.

CHAPTER XIII

THE BEST WOODS FOR THE BEGINNER

In this place consideration will be given to some of the features
relating to the materials to be employed, particularly with reference to
the manner in which they can be worked to the best advantage, rather
than to their uses.

THE BEST WOODS.--The prime wood, and the one with which most boys are
familiar, is white pine. It has an even texture throughout, is generally
straight grained, and is soft and easily worked. White pine is a wood
requiring a very sharp tool. It is, therefore, the best material for the
beginner, as it will at the outset teach him the important lesson of
keeping the tools in a good, sharp condition.

SOFT WOODS.--It is also well for the novice to do his initial work with
a soft wood, because in joining the parts together inaccuracies may be
easily corrected. If, for instance, in mortising and tenoning, the edge
of the mortised member is not true, or, rather, is not "square," the
shoulder of the tenon on one side will abut before the other side does,
and thus leave a crack, if the wood is hard. If the wood is soft there
is always enough yield to enable the workman to spring it together.
Therefore, until you have learned how to make a true joint, use soft
wood.

Poplar is another good wood for the beginner, as well as redwood, a
western product.

HARD WOODS.--Of the hard woods, cherry is the most desirable for the
carpenter's tool. For working purposes it has all the advantages of a
soft wood, and none of its disadvantages. It is not apt to warp, like
poplar or birch, and its shrinking unit is less than that of any other
wood, excepting redwood. There is practically no shrinkage in redwood.

THE MOST DIFFICULT WOODS.--Ash is by far the most difficult wood to
work. While not as hard as oak, it has the disadvantage that the entire
board is seamed with growth ribs which are extremely hard, while the
intervening layers between these ribs are soft, and have open pores, so
that, for instance, in making a mortise, the chisel is liable to follow
the hard ribs, if the grain runs at an angle to the course of the
mortise.

THE HARD-RIBBED GRAIN IN WOOD.--This peculiarity of the grain in ash
makes it a beautiful wood when finished. Of the light-colored woods, oak
only excels it, because in this latter wood each year's growth shows a
wider band, and the interstices between the ribs have stronger
contrasting colors than ash; so that in filling the surface, before
finishing it, the grain of the wood is brought out with most effective
clearness and with a beautifully blended contrast.

THE EASIEST WORKING WOODS.--The same thing may be said, relatively,
concerning cherry and walnut. While cherry has a beautiful finishing
surface, the blending contrasts of colors are not so effective as in
walnut.

Oregon pine is extremely hard to work, owing to the same difficulties
experienced in handling ash; but the finished Oregon pine surface makes
it a most desirable material for certain articles of furniture.

Do not attempt to employ this nor ash until you have mastered the trade.
Confine yourself to pine, poplar, cherry and walnut. These woods are all
easily obtainable everywhere, and from them you can make a most
creditable variety of useful articles.

Sugar and maple are two hard woods which may be added to the list.
Sugar, particularly, is a good-working wood, but maple is more
difficult. Spruce, on the other hand, is the strongest and toughest
wood, considering its weight, which is but a little more than that of
pine.

DIFFERENCES IN THE WORKING OF WOODS.--Different woods are not worked
with equal facility by all the tools. Oak is an easy wood to handle
with a saw, but is, probably, aside from ash, the most difficult wood
known to plane.

Ash is hard for the saw or the plane. On the other hand, there is no
wood so easy to manipulate with the saw or plane as cherry. Pine is
easily worked with a plane, but difficult to saw; not on account of
hardness, but because it is so soft that the saw is liable to tear it.

FORCING SAWS IN WOOD.--One of the reasons why the forcing of saws is
such a bad practice will be observed in cutting white or yellow pine.
For cross-cutting, the saw should have fine teeth, not heavily set, and
evenly filed. To do a good job of cross-cutting, the saw must be held at
a greater angle, or should lay down flatter than in ripping, as by so
doing the lower side of the board will not break away as much as if the
saw should be held more nearly vertical.

These general observations are made in the hope that they will serve as
a guide to enable you to select your lumber with some degree of
intelligence before you commence work.

CHAPTER XIV

WOOD TURNING

ADVANTAGES OF WOOD TURNING.--This is not, strictly, in the carpenter's
domain; but a knowledge of its use will be of great service in the
trade, and particularly in cabinet making. I urge the ingenious youth to
rig up a wood-turning lathe, for the reason that it is a tool easily
made and one which may be readily turned by foot, if other power is not
available.

SIMPLE TURNING LATHE.--A very simple turning lathe may be made by
following these instructions:

THE RAILS.--Procure two straight 2" x 4" scantling (A), four feet long,
and planed on all sides. Bore four 3/8-inch holes at each end, as shown,
and 10 inches from one end four more holes. A plan of these holes is
shown in B, where the exact spacing is indicated. Then prepare two
pieces 2" x 4" scantling (C), planed, 42 inches long, one end of each
being chamfered off, as at 2, and provided with four bolt holes. Ten
inches down, and on the same side, with the chamfer (2) is a cross gain
(3), the same angle as the chamfer. Midway between the cross gain (3)
and the lower end of the leg is a gain (4) in the edge, at right angles
to the cross gain (3).

THE LEGS.--Now prepare two legs (D) for the tail end of the frame, each
32 inches long, with a chamfer (5) at one end, and provided with four
bolt holes. At the lower end bore a bolt hole for the cross base piece.
This piece (E) is 4" x 4", 21 inches long, and has a bolt hole at each
end and one near the middle. The next piece (F) is 2" x 4", 14-1/2
inches long, provided with a rebate (6) at each end, to fit the cross
gains (4) of the legs (C). Near the middle is a journal block (7).

[Illustration: _Fig. 241. Frame details._]

CENTERING BLOCKS.--Next provide a 4" x 4" piece (G), 40 inches long,
through which bore a 3/4-inch hole (8), 2 inches from the upper end,
and four bolt holes at right angles to the shaft hole (8). Then, with a
saw split down this bearing, as shown at 9, to a point 4 inches from the
end. Ten inches below the upper end prepare two cross gains (10), each
an inch deep and four inches wide. In these gains are placed the top
rails (A), so the bolt holes in the gains (10) will coincide with the
bolt holes (11) in the piece A. Below the gains (10) this post has a
journal block (12), intended to be in line with the journal block (7) of
the piece F.

[Illustration: _Fig. 242. Tail Stock._]

Then make a block (H) 2" x 4", and 6 inches long. This also must have a
shaft hole (B), and a saw kerf (14), similar to the arrangement on the
upper end of the post (G); also bore four bolt holes, as shown. This
block rests between the upper ends of the lugs (C).

Another block (I), 2" x 4", and 6 feet long, with four bolt holes, will
be required for the tail end of the frame, to keep the rails (A) two
inches apart at that end.

THE TAIL STOCK.--This part of the structure is made of the following
described material:

Procure a scantling (J), planed, 4" x 4", 24 inches long, the upper end
of which is to be provided with four bolt holes, and a centering hole
(15). At the lower end of the piece is a slot (16) 8 inches long and
1-1/2 inches wide, and there are also two bolt holes bored transversely
through the piece to receive bolts for reinforcing the end.

A pair of cheekpieces (K), 2" x 4", and each 12 inches long, are mitered
at the ends, and each has four bolt holes by means of which the ends may
be bolted to the upright (J).

Then a step wedge (L) is made of 1-3/8" x 2" material, 10 inches long.
This has at least four steps (17), each step being 2 inches long. A
wedge 1-3/8 inches thick, 10 inches long, and tapering from 2 inches to
1-3/8 inches, completes the tail-stock.

THE TOOL REST.--This is the most difficult part of the whole lathe, as
it must be rigid, and so constructed that it has a revolvable motion as
well as being capable of a movement to and from the material in the
lathe.

Select a good 4" x 4" scantling (M), 14 inches long, as shown in Fig.
243. Two inches from one end cut a cross gain (I), 1-1/2 inches deep and
1 inch wide, and round off the upper edge, as at 2.

Then prepare a piece (N), 1 inch thick, 8 inches wide, and 10 inches
long. Round off the upper edge to form a nose, and midway between its
ends cut a cross gain 4 inches wide and 1-1/2 inches deep. The lower
margin may be cut away, at an angle on each side of the gain. All that
is necessary now is to make a block (O), 8 inches long, rounded on one
edge, and a wedge (P).

[Illustration: _Fig 243. Tool Rest._]

A leather belt or strap (Q), 1-1/2 inches wide, formed into a loop, as
shown in the perspective view (R), serves as a means for holding the
rest rigidly when the wedge is driven in.

MATERIALS.--Then procure the following bolts:

4-3/8" bolts, 10" long.
8-3/8" '' 6" ''
20-3/8" '' 5" ''
5-3/8" '' 9" ''

THE MANDREL.--A piece of steel tubing (S), No. 10 gage, 3/4 inch in
diameter, 11-1/2 inches long, will be required for the mandrel. Get a
blacksmith, if a machine shop is not convenient, to put a fixed center
(1) in one end, and a removable centering member (2) in the other end.

On this mandrel place a collar (3), held by a set screw, and alongside
of it a pair of pulleys, each 1-1/2 inches wide, one of them, being,
say, 2 inches in diameter, and the other 3 inches. This mandrel is held
in position by means of the posts of the frame which carry the split
journal bearings. This form of bearing will make a durable lathe, free
from chattering, as the bolts can be used for tightening the mandrel
whenever they wear.

[Illustration: _Fig. 244. Mandrel._]

The center point (1) is designed to rest against a metal plate (4)
bolted to the wooden post, as shown in the large drawing.

FLY-WHEEL.--It now remains only to provide a fly-wheel and treadle with
the communicating belt. The fly-wheel may be of any convenient size, or
it may be some discarded pulley or wheel. Suppose it is two feet in
diameter; then, as your small pulley is 2 inches in diameter, each
revolution of the large wheel makes twelve revolutions in the mandrel,
and you can readily turn the wheel eighty times a minute. In that case
your mandrel will revolve 960 revolutions per minute, which is ample
speed for your purposes.

The wheel should be mounted on a piece of 3/4-inch steel tubing, one end
having a crank 3 inches long. This crank is connected up by a pitman
rod, with the triangularly shaped treadle frame.

Such a lathe is easily made, as it requires but little metal or machine
work, and it is here described because it will be a pleasure for a boy
to make such a useful tool. What he needs is the proper plan and the
right dimensions to carry out the work, and his own ingenuity will make
the modifications suitable to his purpose.

The illustration (Fig. 245) shows such a lathe assembled ready for work.

THE TOOLS REQUIRED.--A few simple tools will complete an outfit capable
of doing a great variety of work. The illustration (Fig. 246) shows five
chisels, of which all other chisels are modifications.

A and B are both oblique firmer chisels, A being ground with a bevel on
one side only, and B with a bevel on each side.

C is a broad gage, with a hollow blade, and a curved cutting edge,
ground with a taper on the rounded side only.

D is a narrow gage similarly ground, and E is a V-shaped gage.

[Illustration: _Fig. 245._]

[Illustration: _Fig. 246._]

It may be observed that in wood-turning sharp tools are absolutely
necessary, hence a good oil stone, or several small, round and V-shaped
stones should be used.

CHAPTER XV

ON THE USE OF STAINS

As this subject properly belongs to the painter and decorator, it is not
necessary to go into details concerning the methods used to finish off
your work. As you may not be able to afford the luxury of having your
productions painted or stained, enough information will be given to
enable you, if the character of the wood justifies it, to do the work
yourself to a limited extent.

SOFT WOOD.--As, presumably, most of your first work will be done with
pine, poplar, or other light-colored material, and, as many people
prefer the furniture to be dark in color, you should be prepared to
accommodate them.

USE OF STAINS.--Our subject has nothing to do with the technique of
staining, but has reference, solely, to the use of stains. I recommend,
therefore, that, since all kinds of stains are now kept in stock, and
for sale everywhere, you would better rely upon the manufactured goods
rather than to endeavor to mix up the paints yourself.

STAINS AS IMITATIONS.--It will be well to remember one thing as to
stains. Never attempt to stain anything unless that stain is intended
to produce an imitation of some real wood. There are stains made up
which, when applied, do not imitate any known wood. This is bad taste
and should be avoided. Again you should know that the same stain tint
will not produce like effects on the different light-colored woods. Try
the cherry stain on pieces of pine, poplar, and birch, and you will
readily see that while pine gives a brilliant red, comparatively
speaking, pine or birch will be much darker, and the effect on poplar
will be that of a muddy color. In fact, poplar does not stain cherry to
good advantage; and for birch the ordinary stain should have a small
addition of vermilion.

By making trials of your stains before applying them to the furniture,
you will readily see the value of this suggestion.

GOOD TASTE IN STAINING.--Oak, mahogany, cherry, black walnut, and like
imitations are always good in an artistic sense, but imitations of
unfamiliar woods mean nothing to the average person. The too common
mistake is to try to imitate oak by staining pine or poplar or birch. It
may, with good effect, be stained to imitate cherry.

Oregon pine, or some light-colored wood, with a strong contrasting grain
may be used for staining in imitation of oak.

GREAT CONTRASTS BAD.--Violent contrasts in furniture staining have the
effect of cheapness, unless the contrasting outlines are artistically
distributed throughout the article, from base to top finish.

STAINING CONTRASTING WOODS.--Then, again, do not stain a piece of
furniture so that one part represents a cheap, soft wood, and the other
part a dark or costly wood. Imagine, for instance, a cabinet with the
stiles, rails and mullions of mahogany, and the panels of pine or
poplar, or the reverse, and you can understand how incongruous would be
the result produced.

On the other hand, it would not be a very artistic job to make the
panels of cherry and the mullions and stiles of mahogany, because the
two woods do not harmonize, although frequently wrongly combined.

HARD WOOD IMITATIONS.--It would be better to use, for instance, ash or
oak for one portion of the work, and a dark wood, like cherry or walnut,
for the other part; but usually a cherry cabinet should be made of
cherry throughout; while a curly maple chiffonier could not be improved
by having the legs of some other material.

These considerations should determine for you whether or not you can
safely use stains to represent different woods in the same article.

NATURAL EFFECTS.--If effects are wanted, the skilled workman will
properly rely upon the natural grain of the wood; hence, in staining,
you should try to imitate nature, because in staining you will depend
for contrast on the natural grain of the wood to help you out in
producing pleasing effects.

NATURAL WOOD STAINS.--It should be said, in general, however, that a
stain is, at best, a poor makeshift. There is nothing so pleasing as the
natural wood. It always has an appearance of cleanliness and openness.
To stain the wood shows an attempt to cover up cheapness by a cheap
contrivance. The exception to this rule is mahogany, which is generally
enriched by the application of a ruby tint which serves principally to
emphasize the beautiful markings of the wood.

POLISHING STAINED SURFACES.--If, on the other hand, you wish to go to
the labor of polishing the furniture to a high degree, staining becomes
an art, and will add to the beauty and durability of any soft or cheap
wood, excepting poplar.

When the article is highly polished, so a good, smooth surface is
provided, staining does not cheapen, but, on the other hand, serves to
embellish the article.

As a rule, therefore, it is well to inculcate this lesson: Do not stain
unless you polish; otherwise, it is far better to preserve the natural
color of the wood. One of the most beautiful sideboards I ever saw was
made of Oregon pine, and the natural wood, well filled and highly
polished. That finish gave it an effect which enhanced its value to a
price which equaled any cherry or mahogany product.

CHAPTER XVI

THE CARPENTER AND THE ARCHITECT

A carpenter has a trade; the architect a profession. It is not to be
assumed that one vocation is more honorable than the other. A
_profession_ is defined as a calling, or occupation, "if not mechanical,
agricultural, or the like," to which one devotes himself and his
energies. A _trade_ is defined as an occupation "which a person has
learned and engages in, especially mechanical employment, as
distinguished from the liberal arts," or the learned professions.

_Opportunity_ is the great boon in life. To the ambitious young man the
carpenter's trade offers a field for venturing into the learned
professions by a route which cannot be equaled in any other pursuit. In
his work he daily enters into contact with problems which require
mathematics of the highest order, geometry, the methods of calculating
strains and stresses, as well as laying out angles and curves.

This is a trade wherein he must keep in mind many calculations as to
materials, number, size, and methods of joining; he must remember all
the small details which go to make up the entire structure. This
exercise necessitates a mental picture of the finished product. His
imagination is thus directed to concrete objects. As the mind develops,
it becomes creative in its character, and the foundation is laid for a
higher sphere of usefulness in what is called the professional field.

A good carpenter naturally develops into an architect, and the best
architect is he who knows the trade. It is a profession which requires
not only the artistic taste, but a technical knowledge of details, of
how practically to carry out the work, how to superintend construction,
and what the different methods are for doing things.

The architect must have a scientific education, which gives him a
knowledge of the strength of materials, and of structural forms; of the
durability of materials; of the price, quality, and use of everything
which goes into a structure; of labor conditions; and of the laws
pertaining to buildings.

Many of these questions will naturally present themselves to the
carpenter. They are in the sphere of his employment, but it depends upon
himself to make the proper use of the material thus daily brought to
him.

It is with a view to instil that desire and ambition in every young man,
to make the brain do what the hand has heretofore done, that I suggest
this course. The learned profession is yours if you deserve it, and you
can deserve it only through study, application, and perseverance.

Do well that which you attempt to do. _Don't_ do it in that manner
because some one has done it in that way before you. If, in the trade,
the experience of ages has taught the craftsman that some particular way
of doing things is correct, there is no law to prevent you from
combating that method. Your way may be better. But you must remember
that in every plan for doing a thing there is some particular reason, or
reasons, why it is carried out in that way. Study and learn to apply
those reasons.

So in your leisure or in your active moments, if you wish to advance,
you must be alert. _Know for yourself the reasons for things_, and you
will thereby form the stepping stones that will lead you upward and
contribute to your success.

CHAPTER XVII

USEFUL ARTICLES TO MAKE

As stated in the Introductory, the purpose of this book is to show _how
to do the things_, and not to draw a picture in order to write a
description of it. Merely in the line of suggestion, we give in this
chapter views and brief descriptions of useful household articles, all
of which may be made by the boy who has carefully studied the preceding
pages.

[Illustration: _Fig. 247._]

This figure shows a common bench wholly made of material 1 inch thick,
the top being 12 inches wide and 4 feet long. The legs are 14 inches
high and 13 inches wide; and the side supporting rails are 3 inches
wide. These proportions may, of course, be varied. You will note that
the sides of the top or seat have an overhang of 1/2 inch on each
margin.

[Illustration: _Fig. 248._]

[Illustration: _Fig. 249._]

This is a common, square-top stool, the seat being 12" x 12", and the
legs 14 inches high. Two of the pieces forming the legs are 10 inches
wide and the other two 8 inches wide, so that when the wide pieces are
nailed to the edges of the narrow pieces the leg body will be 10" x 10"
and thus give the seat an overhang of 1 inch around the margins.

[Illustration: _Fig. 250._]

A most useful article is shown in Fig. 249. It is a blacking-box with a
lid, a folding shoe rest and three compartments. The detached figure
shows a vertical cross-section of the body of the box, and illustrates
how the shoe rest is hinged to the sides of the box. The box itself is
14" x 16" in dimensions; the sides are 6 inches wide and the legs 5
inches in height. In order to give strength to the legs, the bottom has
its corners cut out, to permit the upper ends of the legs to rest in
the recesses thus formed.

[Illustration: _Fig. 251._]

This is a convenient form of easel, made of four uprights. The main
front uprights are of strips 5/8" x 1-1/4", and the rear uprights are of
1/2" x 1" material. A thin broomstick will serve as the pivot bar for
the upper end. The rest is made of two strips, each 1/2" x 1", nailed
together to form an L, and nails or wooden pins will serve to hold the
rest in any desired position. The front uprights should be at least 5
feet long.

A simple hanging book-rack is illustrated in Fig. 251. The two vertical
strips are each 4 inches wide, 1 inch thick and 4 feet long. Four
shelves are provided, each 3/4 inch thick, 9 inches wide and 4 feet
long. Each shelf is secured to the uprights by hinges on the upper side,
so as to permit it to be swung upwardly, or folded; and below each hinge
is a triangular block or bracket, fixed to the shelf, to support it in a
horizontal position.

[Illustration: _Fig. 252._]

A sad-iron holder, or bookcase, shown in Fig. 252, is another simple
form of structure. It may be sufficiently large to serve as a standing
case by having the uprights at the ends serve as legs, or the uprights
may have holes at their upper ends, by means of which it can be
suspended on a wall. As shown, it is 30 inches long from bottom to top,
and 20 inches wide. The shelves are 8 inches wide. All the material is,
preferably, 3/4-inch stock.

[Illustration: _Fig. 253._]

Fig. 253 shows a wood-box, or it may readily be adapted for coal. For
wood it should be 2 feet long, 1 foot 8 inches wide and 1 foot 10 inches
high. It will, of course, be made of such dimensions as to suit the wood
to be stored in it, and both the flat-top as well as the sloping portion
of the top should be hinged, so that the entire top can be opened for
filling purposes.

[Illustration: _Fig. 254._]

[Illustration: _Fig. 255._]

A pair of parallel bars is shown in Fig. 254. The dimensions of this
will vary, and be dependent on the size of the boy intending to use it;
but a size best adapted is to make the posts 3 feet high, and the
distance between the bars 16 inches. This gives ample room for the
exercises required. The length between the posts along the bars should
be at least 5 feet. The entire structure can be made of soft wood,
except the bars, which should be of hard, rigid wood. The posts can be
made of 2" x 2" material, and the braces 2" x 1". The base pieces, both
longitudinal and transverse, should also be of 2" x 2" material.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10