The Shelf

Square the stock and prepare the shelf, which is to serve as a stretcher, and brace the lower end of the legs. This shelf is set into the cross rails, and is fastened to them with screws from the lower side. Be sure that the legs stand perfectly square with the top rail when these screws are inserted.

The Top

Remove the clamps from the top and plane it perfectly smooth. Finishing the top is the most important part of this piece of work; it must be done perfectly. Use the steel scraper to make sure all plane marks, and rough places are removed. It will be observed that notches are cut in the corners to allow the legs to extend through slightly; this must be done with great care, for these joints will be exposed. The top ends of the legs should be rounded, or chamfered, and perfectly smoothed before the top is fastened on. When the top is perfectly fitted, it should be fastened in position with screws.

The Drawer

Prepare the drawer front so it will fit snugly into the opening left for the drawer. Rabbet the ends to receive the side rails, as shown in the detail in the drawing. Prepare the back and side rails. The side rails are to be plowed to receive the 1/4" three-ply bottom.

Assembling The Drawer

The drawer should be assembled with nails. The side pieces, are to be nailed into the rabbet formed at each end of the drawer front. Test to make sure that it is perfectly square, when the bottom is nailed in.

Drawer Carrier

The drawer carriers are rabbeted strips nailed entirely across the lower side of the table top; small strips nailed on the sides of the drawer slide in these rabbets. Adjust these carriers so the drawer will work smoothly.

The Knobs

The knobs are to be made of wood, shaped to suit your taste.

Finishing

When the work is entirely assembled, go pver it with a sharp steel scraper and finish with very fine sandpaper. Stain it the desired color; give it a coat of filler, or shellac and finish with rub varnish.

Optional and Home Projects Employing Similar Principles.

1. School Cooking Table.

2. Laboratory Table.

3. Sewing Table.

Suggestions For Community Research

No. 1. Examine the methods of hanging porch swings in your community and see what advantages and disadvantages you observe in each.

No. 2. Examine the finish on the furniture in your home. Can you determine how it was made? Call at a local furniture store and ask the clerk to show you some waxed furniture and some that has a rub varnish finish. Ask him to explain the advantages of each.

No. 3. In designing any piece of furniture, the most important point to consider is, that it shall be useful for the purpose for which it is intended, and second that it shall be pleasing in appearance. Ask your local furniture dealer to show you the points of advantage in different styles of chairs, tables and other furniture. Examine the furniture in your home and see whether it is all well designed.

No. 4. What will be the result if a wide board is laid flat upon the ground and left for some time? Which way will it warp? You will find it interesting to experiment with a worthless board in this manner, noticing which way it warps; turn it over and note the results after a few days. This may help you to understand the action which often takes place if you stain or shellac only one side of a thin board.

No. 5. Perhaps you can find some piece of construction work about the school, or at home, in which the joints have opened slightly. What does this indicate regarding the condition of the lumber when the piece of work was constructed?

No. 6. Do you know of any batten doors about the buildings of your neighborhood? Examine these doors to see whether or not they are properly braced. What remedy can you suggest for a batten door that is beginning to sag? Have you tried it?

No. 7. For what purposes have you seen cedar wood used? Examine as many wood fence posts as you can find and see what sort of timber they are. Remove some of the dirt from around the post and scratch the post with your pocketknife to determine how deeply it has rotted. What kind of timber shows the greatest endurance? It may be necessary for you to inquire how long some of these posts have been in the ground.