Any girl will find use for a small chest of drawers in her room; it will conveniently hold many of her smaller articles of clothing. The one I have designed is simple and inexpensive to make, since old packing case lumber, which is often knotty pine, will serve very well.

There is no definite size you must make this model. You will however, find the following dimensions good to use—28" for the height, 10" for the depth and 16" for the width. Use lumber about 3/4" thick for the sides, top, division pieces and drawer fronts. The back can be made out of fibre board and the drawers out of 3/8" or 1/2" wood.

Method Of Procedure

Step No. 1: Cut two side pieces 10" wide and to the correct length; then cut four division pieces of 93/4" width and correct length (this allows for the backing material).

Step No. 2: Securely nail the sides to the division pieces with 13/4" brads or finishing nails (nails with small heads). Put four nails to each joint. Now nail the back in place with 1" common nails; then the base boards and the top pieces are fastened in place. Be sure that the job is square and true.

Step No. 3: Make the drawers and fit them to slide freely. You can purchase drawer knobs in the five and ten cent store. Fibre board or plywood are good materials to use for drawer bottoms. As a matter of fact, the entire drawer, except the front can be satisfactorily made of these materials if you so desire.

Step No. 4: Thoroughly sandpaper all parts, first with No. 1/2 sandpaper and then with No. 00 sandpaper. Fold the sandpaper over a scrap block of wood so as to insure flat surfaces, free from waves. Always rub with the grain. Slightly round all sharp corners by holding the paper in the palm of the hand. Clean off all sawdust with a soft brush before applying the finish.

Step No. 5: A very pleasing finish can be obtained on knotty pine by applying a coat of diluted oil walnut stain (dilute with turpentine in the proportion of one part stain and three parts turpentine). Apply freely and wipe off the surplus stain with a cloth. Allow eight hours to dry and then apply two thin coats of white shellac and follow with wax. The shellac is thinned with alcohol.

If you prefer to make this chest of drawers out of some other wood, so as to imitate mahogany, walnut, etc., then use either white wood, bass wood, maple, birch or any fairly close grained wood, and proceed as follows:

Apply a coat of the stain you prefer (either mahogany, walnut, etc.) and allow at least eight hours for this to dry. Follow this with a thin coat of white shellac. When dry, lightly rub down with No. 00 sandpaper and follow with at least two additional coats of white shellac, fairly thin. Rub the final coat when dry, with steel wool or fine sandpaper, and wax. (Use a prepared wax.)