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(X>PirKJGHT DEPOSIT
THE BOYCMFTSMAN
THE BOY CMFcTSMAN
Practical andProfitable Ideas for a Bqyi Leisure Hour^
BY
ANeelyHall
A\^tli more tlian fotirlitinire J ill-iistr a- lions ty the aiitlior andNorma-nPH all
BOSTON
LEEANDSHEPARD
LiSRARY of OONSRESsf
mH 1 1905 I Jouyriiirii uiiry |
L
CQ^Y e/
Copyright, 1905, by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company.
Published, August, 1905,
A!/ rights reserved.
The Boy Craftsman.
Nortooali ^xt<i><&
J. S. Gushing & Co. — Berwick & Smith Co.
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.
Cdorh bard — play bard
— Theodore Roosevelt.
NOTE TO THE READER
The boy of to-day is ever on the lookout for new ideas which can be adopted for his work and recreation, schemes which are practical and which are thoroughly up-to-date. They must be helpful in suggesting ways of earning money, as well as enter- taining, for what boy of the present day does not feel the need of such suggestions to aid him in raising the funds necessary to carry on his work ?
In none of the books pubhshed on boy's handicraft has the question entered into consideration as to how he is to obtain the means with which to buy such materials and apparatus as the work requires. A boy should not expect to draw upon his father's purse for everything his fancy desires. It is important that he learn to earn his spending money, for in doing so he becomes independent and more careful as to how he invests it. Having had the experience of working, the average boy learns to so appreciate the value of hard-earned money that it is pretty certain he will spend it only for something with which he can earn more or which will prove useful to him in his work and play.
'* The Boy Craftsman" has been undertaken with a view of helping boys with their problems of earning money, as well as furnishing recreative and entertaining work, and to this end the first portion has been devoted to suggestions for the carrying on of a number of small business enterprises, and the second
iv NOTE TO THE READER
and third parts to outdoor and indoor pastimes for all seasons of the year.
In '' Profitable Pastimes " a boy will find work that will make easy the matter of earning money with which to buy such materials as he needs to carry out the suggestions offered in the book, while the practical knowledge acquired and the handiness developed in pursuing the several lines of work is certain to be helpful to him in later years.
The tools and apparatus used are such as a boy of average ability can procure with a little husthng, and can be purchased singly, or two or three at a time, as his money permits. The materials at hand can be used in thousands of different ways, and in preparing the chapters this has been taken into con- sideration, these odds and ends being utilized whenever it has been possible to do so.
Carpenter work is something with which every boy must familiarize himself to a certain extent in order to do anything in the line of construction, so the fitting up of a workshop and the proper handling of tools have been described in the first two chapters, in view of making it a simple matter to perform the work embodied in the rest of the book.
Technical terms and phrases have been eliminated from the text as far as possible, and where it has been deemed necessary to include them, to describe certain operations for which a boy should know the proper terms or expressions, they have gen- erally been explained in the first chapter in which they occur. To simplify the matter of referring to the definitions of these, they have been arranged alphabetically in Chapter XXIX.
Some of the material contained in this book was originally written by the author in the form of magazine articles for TJie American Boy and TJie Boys' World, and thanks are due the
NOTE TO THE READER v
publishers, The Sprague Publishing Company and The David C. Cook Publishing Company, for permission to reprint it. This material has been revised and enlarged upon, and is presented with new and additional illustrations.
The author is always glad to hear from his young readers, and to be of assistance to them in answering any questions they wish to ask regarding their work.
A. N. H.
Chicago, Illinois, May 31, 1905.
|
CONT^ |
i>E N T S |
|
WPHAbL '-<_— ^ 1/-/-—^ |
^ |
PART I
PROFITABLE PASTIMES CHAPTER I
PAGE
A Boy's Workshop 3
Value of a Knowledge of Carpenter Work — Location of Shop
— A Solid Work-bench — The Vise — Bench-stops — Carpenter's Horses — A Bench-hook — A Mitre-box — A Sand-paper Block — A Strop — A Plumb — Purchasing Tools — Tool-cabinets — Racks for Tools — A Carpenter's Carrying-box — A Nail-box — Receptacles for Supplies — Workshop Clothes — Care of Oily Rags and Waste.
CHAPTER H
The Proper Handling of Tools 20
Care of Tools — The Cross-cut Saw and Rip-saw — Sawing — The Back-saw, Compass-saw, and Gig-saw — Kerfs — The Jack- plane, Fore-plane, and Smoothing-plane — Planing — Testing Work
— The Firmer-chisel — Paring — The Framing-chisel — Chamfering and Bevelling — The Gouge — The Draw-knife — Boring — An Automatic-drill — Hatchet and Hammer — Driving Nails — With- drawing Nails — Toe-nailing — Blind-nailing — Clinching — The Nail-set — Nails — Screw-driver for Bit-stock — Screws — The Countersink.
CONTENTS
Sharpening Tools 37
Grinding Cliisels, Gouges, Draw-knives, Knives and Hatchets — The Washita Oil-stone — Whetting — Stropping — Sharpening Saws.
Laying out Work 42
Use of the Try-square — Gauging with Rule and Pencil — A Marking-gauge — A Mitred Try-square — The Bevel — To Divide a Board.
CHAPTER HI
The Boy about the House 47
Opportunities for Work — Outfit for Jobbing — The Hinge-lock
— Clothes-line Reel — A Broom and Dust-pan Rack — The Fly- killer — An Ash-sifter — A Bread-board — A Plate-rack
CHAPTER IV
Suggestions for a Boy's Room 57
Simple and Inexpensive Furnishings — What the Room should Contain — A Cosey-corner — Pennants — Small Posters — Picture- frames — A Writing-desk — Another Style of Desk — An Ink-stand and Pen-tray — A Couch — A Window-seat — A Curio-cabinet — Book-shelves — A Blacking-case — A Towel-rack.
CHAPTER V
How TO MAKE A DOLL-HOUSE 7I
Store Doll-houses — Profit from making Doll-houses — The Mate- rials Required — The Base — The Floors — Partitions and Walls
— Stairways — Balustrades — Front and Rear Steps — The Gambrel Roof — The Gable-ends — The Doors and Windows — Outside Trimmings — Casters — The Chimneys — A Mantel and Fire-place
— Andirons — The Interior Woodwork — Painting the House.
CHAPTER VI
Another Doll-house and a Stable 91
Packing-cases and Other Material — The Floor Plans — The Par- titions and Walls — The Elevator-shaft — The Windows —The Roof — The Chimney — An Elevator — The Gable-ends — The Stairway — A Balustrade — Other Details.
CONTENTS ix
How TO MAKE THE STABLE lOO
Dimensions of Stable — The First Story — The Roof — The Gable-ends — The Stall Partitions and Feed-troughs — Windows
— Ladder to Hay-loft — Feed-hoist — The Drop-front — A Stable Door — Painting.
CHAPTER VII
Furnishing the Doll-house 105
The Walls and Ceiling — Hardwood Floors — Carpets and Rugs
— Window-shades and Curtains — Portieres — Pictures — A Cosey- corner — Buying Furnishings.
CHAPTER VIII
Doll-furniture ^°9
Metal Furniture — Miniature Mission Furniture — Material — Drawing the Patterns — The Chairs — The Settee — Tables — A Side-board— A Mirror — The Grandfather's Clock — Kitchen Fur- niture—The Beds — The Dresser — A Wash-stand — Finishing.
Other Cigar-box Furniture 122
A Folding-bed — The Dresser — A Wardrobe.
126
CHAPTER IX
A Boy's Printing-shop
Location of Printing-shop — Equipment — Selection of Type — Type-cases — A Rack for Type-cases — A Composing-stick — A Composing-rule — Justifying — A Home-made Galley — " Pieing "
— Proofs — The Imposing-stone — The Chase — Furniture — Locking-up a Form— Distribution — The Tympan — Overlaying — Underlaying — Gauge-pins — Inking the Press — Care of Rollers
— Neatness — Receptacles for Materials — Care of Waste Paper and Oily Rags.
CHAPTER X
Amateur Journalism ^ • .142
A Collection of Amateur Papers — Amateur Press Associations — Some Methods of Printing Papers — Examples of Amateur Papers
— The Character of a Paper — Naming — The Frequency of Publi- cation—The Size of Page — A Stereotyped Heading — The Choice of Type — A Cover— Binding— Advertisements — The Advertisers' Dummy — Second-class Matter.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XI
PAGE
A Boy's Dark-room 153
Profit in Photography — The Necessary Equipment — The Bed- room as a Dark-room — The Bath-room as a Dark-room — Another Scheme for a Dark-room — A Work-table — Running Water — A Water-tank — A Sink — A Washing-box — A Drying-rack — An- other Scheme for a Drying-rack — A Cabinet — A Ruby-Hght — A Home-made Lantern — A Plate-lifter — Classifying and Preserving Negatives — Manila Envelopes — A Negative-case.
CHAPTER XII
A Winter Enterprise 169
An Opportunity for Making Money — A Snow Plough — A Scraper — A Snow Shovel.
PART II
OUTDOOR PASTIMES
CHAPTER XIII
A Back-yard Club-house 175
How Some Boys Built a Club-house — A Mysterious Letter — Drawing the Plan of a Club-house — The Material — Fishing Studs
— Staking out the Building — The Studs — Boarding up the Sides
— The Roof — The Floor — A Window-sash — A Batten Door — Wooden Latch — Calking up Cracks.
CHAPTER XIV
How TO BUILD A LOG-CABIN 1 86
The Pioneer Cabin — The Cabin of To-day — Selection of a Site ^Design and Size — The Material — Staking out the Cabin — The Lock-joint — The Sills — Construction of Roof — Ridge Boards — A Log Chimney and Fire-place — Calking — A Mud Floor — The Windows — The Cabin Door — Wooden Hinges — Wooden Latch
— The Latch-string — A Mantel-shelf — Provision Cupboard — Rustic Seats — Bunks — A Camp-table — A Few Pointers about Camping — Utensils — Other Necessities — Provisions.
CONTENTS xi
CHAPTER XV
PAGE
How TO BUILD A CANVAS CaNOE 201
Canoeing as a Sport — Popularity of Canvas Canoes— Materials
— The Bow and Stern Pieces — The Keelson — The Mould — Put- ting the Framework Together — The Gunwales — The Ribbands
— The Deck Beams — The Ridge Pieces — The Deck Braces — The Cock-pit — The Canvas Covering — The Deck — Painting — The Cock-pit Coaming — The Keel — The Bilge-keels — Outside Gunwales — A Seat — How to mend Punctures — A Single Paddle.
CHAPTER XVI
Home-made Traps 218
Trapping as a Pastime — The City Boy and his Country Cousin
— The Figure-four Trap — A Box Trap — The Dead Fall — The Sieve Trap — The Coop Trap — A Rabbit Snare — A Twitch-up — The Professional Trapper — Wolves and Coyotes — Story of a Trapped Indian.
CHAPTER XVII
Toy Guns, Targets, and Bows and Arrows 229
Ancient War Engines — New Idea for a Cross-bow — Shingle Arrows — A Toy Pistol — Cardboard Bullets — A Shot-gun — An Elastic Sling — A Boy's Barrel-hoop Target — A Simpler Target — How Points are Scored — The Bow and Arrow — Length of Bow — The Bow-string — The Arrow-shafts — Preparing Arrow-heads — Feathering — A Quiver — Proper Position for Shooting with Bow
— The Indian's Bow — How his Arrows were made and Feathered
— The Preparation of his Arrow-heads.
CHAPTER XVIII
An Outdoor Gymnasium . . . . . . " . • • 243
Location for Gymnasium — A Horizontal Bar — Tumbling Mat — Parallel Bars — The Punching-bag Platform — A Pair of Jump Standards — A Vaulting Pole — A Spring-board — Hurdles — A Running Track — Method of Starting for Short Sprints — Mark for Broad Jumping— An Athletic Club — Athletic Meets.
xii CONTENTS
CHAPTER XIX
PAGE
A Back-yard Circus 255
The Ancient Roman Circus — The Circus of To-day — How Sev- eral Boys gave a Circus — Preparing the Yard for a Circus — Mak- ing the Ring — Good Circus Seats — A Tent — Decorating the Tent
— A Ticket Office — A Turnstile — The Side Show — Cages for Side Show — Animated Animals — The Elephant — The Giraffe — The Two-legged Wild Horse — The Wild Man of Borneo — A Monkey's Make-up — The Ring Master — The Clown's Suit — The Attendants — Ideas for a Performance — A Slapper — Looping the Hoop on a Giraffe — A Chariot — Parades — The Advertising Signs.
CHAPTER XX
Suggestions for Fourth of July 272
The First Fourth of July Celebration — Pyrotechnics Costly and Dangerous to Make — The Making of Harmless and Inexpensive Fireworks — A Fire-cracker Cannon — To fire the Cannon — A Fire-cracker Mortar — Mimic Battles with Paper Soldiers — Another Toy Cannon — To fire the Cannon — Firing Fireworks from Kites
— Firing a Pack of Fire-crackers from a Kite — Shooting Nigger- chasers — Japanese Lanterns hung from Kite-strings — A Shooting- torch — A Final Set-piece.
CHAPTER XXI
Halloween 281
Ancient Superstitions and Origin of Halloween — A Magazine Bean-blower — A New Style of Tick-tack — A Clockwork Tick- tack — The Goblin-man — The Disappearing Rope.
CHAPTER XXII
A Back-yard Toboggan-slide 291
One Advantage of a Small Slide — Location — Length — The Platform — Framework — Railing around Platform — A Ladder — Making a Swift Slide — A Home-made Sled — The Runners — Reenforcing the Runners.
CONTENTS
PART III
INDOOR PASTIMES
CHAPTER XXIII A Miniature Theatre
An Interesting Entertainment — A Picture-frame Proscenium — The Stage Framework — The Gridiron — The Stage Floor— The Drop-curtain — Lighting the Theatre — The Footlights — Flood- lights — Colored Lights — Spotlights — Admission Tickets and Programmes.
CHAPTER XXIV Scenery, Properties, and Mechanical Effects .... Materials for Scenery— An Ocean Scene — Additional Waves — Frames for Drops — A Mid-ocean Scene — A Seashore Scene — A Field Scene — The Trees — A Blockhouse Scene — Pine Boughs for Trees and Shrubbery — Moss for Mounds and Hills — Rustic Bridges — A Pond or Lake — A Street Scene — An Interior — A War Drama — Paper Soldiers- Scheme for Marching Soldiers — Separate Standards — A Jointed Figure — Stage Properties — Tents — An Indian Teepee — Battleships — Trains and Wagons — Mechanical Effects — Thunder — Rain — Wind — Lightning— The Roar of Cannon.
CHAPTER XXV
Making a Toy Railway
The Trolley-line — Supports for Trolley-line — Power for Operat- ing Railway — Tracks -The Cars - A Gondola Car — A Street Car— Other Cars — Operation of Railway — A Station.
CHAPTER XXVI
Clockwork Automobiles
Procuring a Set of Clockworks — An Automobile Touring-car — The Frame — Preparation of Clockworks — The Belt — Testing the Machine- The Cardboard Sides- Wheels -Mud-guards- Lamps — The Steering-wheel — A Horn — The Brake — The Chauffeur —
Xlll
303
311
331
343
xiv CONTENTS
PAGE
Painting the Machine — An Automobile Delivery Wagon — The Cardboard Sides — The Wheels — Other Portions — Painting the Wagon — A Clockwork Railway.
CHAPTER XXVII
Work to do with a Knife 356
How Boots were Marked in a Penitentiary — A Home-made Fountain Pen — The Magic Pin-wheel — To Operate the Pin-wheel — A Wooden Chain and Rattle — The Chain — The Rattle — Finishing the Chain and Rattle.
CHAPTER XXVIII
Cork Toys 363
Materials Required — Cork Animals — A Pig — A Horse — The Elephant — The Giraffe — A Porcupine — Other Animals — The Korka-bird — A Duck — Canoes — Small Sail-boats — Cork Furni- ture—A Chair — The Sofa — A Small Tabouret — A Toy Log- cabin.
CHAPTER XXIX Definitions of Terms and Phrases 371
Index 385
LIST OF HALF-TONE ILLUSTRATIONS
(In addition to more than four hundred text illustrations.)
PART I A Boy's Workshop Frontispiece
OPPOSITE PAGE
Treatment of a Boy's Room 58
Fig. 64. — A Colonial Doll-house 78
Fig. 96. — Another Style of Doll-house ) Fig. 97. — Interior View of Doll-house \
An Amateur's Outfit 128
A Group of Amateur Papers . . . . . . . .142
Fig. 168. — A Handy Dark-room
Fig. 172. — A Washing-box and Drying-rack
PART II
[ 154
In Camp for the Summer 175
A Boys' Log-cabin 188
Two Simple Cabins 198
Caught at Last 226
The Back-yard Circus 268
PART III
A Miniature Theatre 303
I^ig- 330- — A Field Scene ) ^
f^ig- 338- — A Blockhouse Scene f
^H- 339 — A Street Scene 320
f^'g- 375- — The Car completed )
V. •••••• 344
Fig. 376. — The Framework j
XV
BANKING H0UR5
lO A>t TO 3 p >£
PART I
Profit aMe Pa6i:imevS
CHAPTER I
A BOY'S WORKSHOP
Carpenter work should be encouraged in a boy from the time he first becomes interested in it, for besides being something with which to keep him busy, the ex- perience gained by its practice will be useful to him all his life, no matter what branch of industry he may follow later on.
When a boy has learned the proper care and use of tools, and is able to turn out neatly executed work, he will find the occupation a profitable one, there being an unlimited number of things he can make in his shop.
Doll-houses for girl relatives, toys for brothers and cousins, and articles for the household, such as are described in following chapters, are a few of the many things he can construct. Many of these are salable articles, besides being suitable for birthday and Christ- mas gifts, and should bring a neat sum of money to the young carpenter.
A knowledge of carpenter work also develops in a boy a handiness for devising and putting together articles and apparatus for his own use.
3
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
A boy should really have a shop where he can keep his tools and unfinished work with no danger of them being disturbed, and where he need not be afraid of littering the floor with shavings or of making too much noise.
The Workshop may be fitted up by the boy himself, and a suitable place can probably be found in the base- ment, barn, or woodshed. Here a corner large enough to contain a work-bench, carpenter's horses, and tool-cabinets, besides plenty of room to work in, should be partitioned off, and a window that will admit a good supply of light made in one side of the room, if one has not already been provided.
A Solid Work-bench, six feet long, thirty inches wide, and thirty-two inches high,
should be con- structed beneath the window. It is a good idea to build this on to the wall if possible, as it is easier to make a solid bench by doing so, and the firmer it is, the better.
First cut a two-
■Wiodov^
i
!
i'X4." C-oee^aJeoe
-2'X4"
mratmsmmms
m
Fig. I. — End View of Work-bench.
A BOY'S WORKSHOP
by-four four feet long, and spike it to the wall below the window, twenty-eight inches above the floor. Then saw two pieces of two-by-four, twenty-eight inches long, for the legs, and two pieces, thirty inches long, for cross- pieces. Spike the crosspieces on to the legs and on to the piece nailed to the wall, as shown in F'ig. i. Cut three ten-inch planks, six feet long, and spike them to the crosspieces so that they project twelve inches over the ends, but are flush with the framework in front. Then cut a ten-inch board, six feet long, for an apron, and, after cutting the ends as shown in Fig. 4, nail it across the front of the bench.
For fifty cents a fifteen-inch iron or wooden bench- screw, similar to those in Figs. 2 and 3, can be purchased at a hardware store, and the rest of
The Vise is simple to make. Figures i, 4, and 5 show the details for this.
Take a board thirty inches long by six inches wide for the jaw, and bore a hole a little larger than the screw, six inches from one end. Bore another hole the same size through the apron and table-leg, six inches below the
Fig
Iron Bench-screw.
Fig. 3. — Wooden Bench-screw.
6 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
bench-top (see A in Figs. 4 and 5). The portion of the iron screw marked B in Fig. 2 should be set into the hole bored in the bench-leg and screwed at E (Fig. i), while the portion D is to be screwed to the jaw. If a
I O" Apron. A'-^(^-^ /ioles for Bench 3crew
tin
J
I
X
CM
O'
nortlse
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Details of Bench-vise.
wooden screw is used, the portion C in the drawing (Fig. 3) is nailed to the inside of the bench-leg.
In order to guide the bottom of the jaw, an arrange- ment similar to F in Fig. 5 should be made. Make a mortise two inches long by one inch wide near the
A BOY'S WORKSHOP 7
bottom of the bench-leg and cut a strip of wood fifteen inches long to fit loosely in it. Then shut the vise and mark upon the inside of the jaw the place where the mortise comes in the leg. Nail one end of the fifteen- inch strip to the jaw at this point, being careful to get it in such a position that the other end will slide into the mortise. Bore several holes in the strip and cut a peg to fit in them. The jaw can now be kept parallel with the side of the bench by adjusting the peg, which is very necessary in order to have the vise grip a piece of work squarely.
When you have a long board to work upon, it cannot be held steady by the vise alone. One end should be placed in the vise and the other rested upon a peg stuck in a hole bored in the side of the bench. For boards of different lengths, several holes should be bored, as shown in the illustration of the finished bench (see frontispiece), and a movable peg cut to fit in them.
A Bench-stop of some sort fastened to the top of the bench will be found useful to push work against while planing it, when it is not convenient to use the vise. Figures 6, 7, and 8 show the forms of stops most commonly used by carpenters. Of these the metal stop shown in Fig. 6 is the most satisfactory, as it can be adjusted to different heights. It costs but little and is easily put in place. A mortise is made in the top of the bench to receive the lower portion of the stop, and the plate A is set flush with the bench-top and held in
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
place with screws driven into the holes in the corners. The centre of this plate {B) is detached from the rest and mounted upon a small post, which can be adjusted
■Bird5_ Plouvh" Cut
Fig. 7.
Fig. 8.
Some Forms of Bench-stops.
to the desired height by giving the screw at C a few turns with the screw-driver. The teeth in the edge of B help to hold the work in position.
One of the simplest forms of stops is shown in Fig. 7. It consists of two screws placed in the top of the bench, which can be raised or lowered with the screw- driver to the height you desire.
The stop shown in Fig. 8 is made out of a block of wood with a " bird's mouth " cut in one side. It should be nailed to one end of the bench in such a position that the end of the work can be placed in the " bird's mouth."
While most of your work will be done on the bench, and a good portion of sawing done with the wood in the vise, large pieces, especially long boards, are gener- ally sawn while placed across horses.
A BOY'S WORKSHOP
Fig. 9.
Two Carpenter's Horses will be required. A good
scheme for these is shown in Fig. 9. The top is made
out of a piece of two-by-four with bevelled mortises cut
in two sides of each
end as in Fig. 10.
These mortises are
made to receive the
legs, and the angle
of the bevel will
of course determine
the angle at which
the legs will spread.
Cut the legs out of four-inch boards, and bevel the
lower ends to make them set solidly upon the floor.
Nail the legs firmly in place and brace them with two boards cut and fitted in place, as in the illustration. When ^iG. 10. the pieces have been nailed
together, plane off the tops of the legs to make them
flush with the top of the horse, and trim the lower ends
if they require it until the horse is solid.
Boring, paring, and nailing on the bench will soon
make the surface uneven, unless something is placed
beneath the work during such operations. You should
therefore make and use
A Bench-hook, such as shown in Fig. 11. A good
size is ten by twelve inches, but it may be made
lO
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
larger or smaller if desired. Nail a strip along one edge of the under face and another strip along the
opposite edge of the upper face. The latter strip should
Fig. II. — A Bench-hook.
have three kerfs cut in it as shown in the drawing, one at right angles and the other two at forty-five degrees. These may be laid off with a try-square, as shown in Figs. 38 and 39 (Chapter II), or with the bevel, as shown in Fig. 42. Be careful to keep the saw on the line and in a perfectly perpendicular position in making these kerfs. The upper strip on the bench-hook serves the purpose of a
stop, and the kerfs make it possible to use the bench- hook for mitring with the back-saw. Further description of the uses of this handy article will be found in the following chapter.
You will need
A Mitre-box for cutting mitres in large work, and
Fig. 12. — A Mitre-box.
A BOY'S WORKSHOP
II
this may be made as shown in Fig. 12. Cut two pieces of seven-eighths inch maple, or other hard wood, twenty inches long by six inches wide, and one piece twenty inches long by four inches wide. Nail the six-inch pieces to the edges of the four-inch piece as shown in the drawing, after which you are ready to cut the mitres. These should be laid out similar to those on the bench- hook, by means of the mitred try-square or the bevel. With the blade of the try-square or bevel extending across the top edges of the side-pieces, mark off forty-five degree lines at A and B, and a ninety degree line at C, after which square the lines down both inner and outer face of the side-pieces. When the lines have been accurately drawn, it is a simple matter to make the kerfs, if you have had any practice in sawing and can keep to a line.
No matter how skilful a carpenter is with his tools, he generally depends upon his mitre-box in making mitres, for not only accu- racy is obtained by its use, but time is also saved. In usinor one be careful not to let the saw cut into the sides of the kerfs, or the box will soon be rendered useless for making accu- rate mitres.
Before putting the finish upon a piece of work, the wood should be thoroughly sand-papered. In many
Fig. 13. — Sand-paper Block.
12 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
cases certain portions cannot be reached by the hand, and so
A Sand-paper Block similar to Fig. 13 should be made. Cut a block of wood five inches long, two and one- half inches wide, and seven-eighths of an inch thick. Then place it in the vise, and bevel one end and round the other as shown in the drawing. An inch and one- half from each end cut " rabbets " one inch wide across the block, and make two blocks to fit them. When this has been done, cut a strip of sand-paper two and one-half inches wide and stretch it around the block, holding it in place by driving the small blocks into the rabbets. You will find this sand-paper block very handy, as some portion of it can be got into almost every corner you will ever have occasion to sand-paper. The paper may be quickly replaced with a fresh piece when worn out.
A Strop for putting keen edges on tools may be made out of a block of wood, with a piece of shoe-leather, or section of an old razor-strop, glued to one side of it.
A Plumb, similar to Fig. 14, is a handy article to have for outdoor work, such as erecting posts in perpendicular positions. You will have need of it in putting up such buildings as the back-yard club-house, the log-cabin, and the erection of apparatus for the outdoor gymnasium, the construction of which will be found in following chapters.
A BOY'S WORKSHOP 13
It consists of a stick, the sides of which have been planed up true and parallel, with a notch in one end and a cord with a weight attached fastened to the other end. The notch should be cut in the exact centre of the end of the stick, and the nail placed in the other end directly in line with the centre of the notch. An iron nut, or some such weight, should be attached to the lower end of the cord.
By placing this stick at the side of an object, you can determine whether or not it is plumb by the position of the string, which should hang in the centre of the notch when the object is plumb. The length of the stick may be made to suit the size of the work it is to be used upon. Four or five feet is a good length for ,. ordinary outside work.
In purchasing Tools for your workshop it is not ^^^' ^'^' advisable to buy them in chests, for they are almost always made of cheap material, and poor tools are of no use to the boy who intends to do good work. It is a much better plan to buy a few tools at a time, getting a good quality of steel, and to gradually increase your outfit as your money permits. Then if you really want a chest you can make it yourself. A hatchet, hammer, saw, plane, chisel, jack-knife, bit and bit-stock, screw-driver, and square are the principal tools you will require, and need be all you have to start out with. Others
14
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
may be got as you have need of them, and may be selected from the following list, which includes probably all the tools a boy would ever have occasion to use.
LIST OF TOOLS FROM WHICH TO MAKE YOUR SELECTIONS
|
I 14-inch Jack-plane. |
Draw-knife. |
|
|
I 18-inch Fore-plane. |
Jack-knife. |
|
|
I 9-inch Smoothing- plane. |
Hatchet. |
|
|
I 2 2 -inch Rip-saw. |
Hammer. |
|
|
I 20-inch Cross-cut saw. |
Tack Hammer. |
|
|
I 12-inch Back-saw. |
Mallet. |
|
|
T 12-inch Compass-saw. |
Nail-sets (large and small) |
|
|
I Gig- or Bracket-saw. |
Hand Screw-driver. |
|
|
I Ratchet Brace. |
Wood Rasp. |
|
|
5 Anger-bits, ^-inch, f -inch, |^-inch, |
Metal File. |
|
|
|-inch, and i-inch. |
Pair Cutting Nippers. |
|
|
I Expansive-bit. |
Pair Pincers. |
|
|
Several Gimlet Bits. |
Grind- stone. |
|
|
I Screw-driver Bit. |
Oil-stone and oil-can. |
|
|
I Counter-sink. |
Strop. |
|
|
I Brad-awl. |
2-foot Folding Rule. |
|
|
2 Hand Gimlets. |
Large Steel Square. |
|
|
I Automatic-drill. |
7-inch Try-square. |
|
|
4 Chisels, ^-inch, i-inch, |-inch, |
Bevel. |
|
|
and i-inch. |
Marking-gauge. |
|
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2 Gouges, |-inch and J-inch. |
Compass. |
The proper care and handling of these tools is fully described and illustrated in the following chapter. These directions should be carefully read before you attempt to use the tools, especially the edge tools.
A Cabinet will be found much better for an outfit of tools than a tool-chest, as it can be more easily got
A BOY'S WORKSHOP
15
at than a chest, where it is necessary to lift several trays before you can reach a tool which has been put in the bottom.
The cabinet shown in Fig. 15 is made out of a box about three feet long, two feet wide, and nine inches
Fig. 15. — Tool-cabinet.
deep. Make a door from the box-cover, fastening the boards together by means of two battens placed at the top and bottom (see illustration). Nail a cleat on
i6
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
each side of the cabinet six inches from the bottom, and make a shelf to fit upon them.
Racks for Bits and Chisels should be made similar to Fig. 1 6, and fastened side by side to the inside of the cabinet.
Cut a strip of wood about the size of the battens, and make two slots in it, one for the end of the saw to
fit in and the other
for the blade of the try-square (see Fig. 15). This strip is fastened to the cabinet door a few inches above the bottom batten.
Fig. 16. — Bit and Chisel Racks.
Hang up the other tools on brass hooks.
After completing the cabinet, paint it inside and out, and fasten either a hook or lock to the door.
When this cabinet becomes too small for your in- crease in tools, you can keep those you use the most in it, and make
Another Cabinet for the special and less used tools. Either screw the cabinets to the wall or support them upon brackets.
Racks may be made for any tools you wish to hang on the wall. A piece of grooved siding nailed above the bench will do nicely for the large square.
When you do outside work you will want something
A BOY'S WORKSHOP
17
in which to carry such tools as will be required to com- plete the job.
A Carpenter s Carrying-box should be made. Such a box is shown in Fig. 17. The box should be about twenty- seven inches long, to accommodate the saws, and it would be well to make the width eight inches and the
Fig. 17. — A Carpenters Carrying-box.
height sixteen inches. First prepare the end-pieces, making them six by sixteen inches and rounding the tops with the compass-saw, as shown in the illustration. Then cut a board twenty-five inches long by six inches wide for the bottom and nail the end-pieces to the ends of it. Make the side-pieces twenty-seven by eight inches, and nail them to the end-pieces and to the edges of the bottom board. The handle consists of a broom-stick fitted into holes bored near the tops of the end-pieces.
This box should be used for tools only, and not have
i8
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
nails, screws, and bolts mixed up with them, for these supplies should be kept in a special
Nail-box, with compartments for the different sizes of nails, screws, hooks, screw-eyes, hinges, etc. One of the best kinds of boxes for this purpose is a knife-box such as can be bought for ten or fifteen cents. This is divided in two and has a handle attached (see Fig. i8). The two compartments should be sub-divided into smaller boxes, either with pieces of cigar-boxes, or with pieces of
Fig. 1 8. — Nail-box.
tin bent at the ends and fastened to the sides of the box, as shown in the illustration.
Supplies of nails, brads, etc., should be kept in cans and cigar-boxes of different sizes, and it is a good idea to letter these receptacles that you may be able to put your hands upon what you want without having to hunt for it.
Shelves will be handy to keep paint-cans and these boxes on.
Workshop Clothes. — Old clothes should be worn in the shop, as carpenter work is rather hard upon them, espe-
A BOY'S WORKSHOP 19
cially the trousers. Better than these is a pair of over- alls and perhaps a jumper. They are easy to work in and wear better than anything else.
A Fev> Hooks should be placed on the wall for hats and coats, and for your working clothes, if you chano-e them in the shop before and after work.
To prevent your tools from being carried off, and your work from being disturbed, it is advisable to have a lock upon the door and keep your shop locked up when you are away.
To avoid danger of fire, keep combustible articles, such as oily waste and rags, in covered tin cans, and do not allow shavings and rubbish to accumulate.
|
if |
ft |
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fc |
1 |
CHAPTER II THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS |
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ffi |
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Before using a tool be sure you understand the proper handling of it, for there is probably nothing more easily injured than an edge tool in a sharpened condi- tion. An inexperienced person is very apt to dull or nick a tool by striking its edge against nails or by using it for purposes other than what it was made for. For this reason a carpenter is very apt to refuse a boy, or any amateur for that matter, the use of his tools, and he is right in doing so. Just imagine the amount of work it makes for him to put the tools in shape after they have been returned in all sorts of conditions. A little rubbing on the oil-stone, with an occasional grinding, is all his tools require when he is using them, but to re- move nicks made by his young friends wastes too much of his valuable time.
A good rule to observe, boys, is never to lend tools to any of your friends, for though they may be as careful in handling them as you are, the chances are they will not be. You had better be a little " grouchy " in this respect, than to have tools which are unfit to do good work with.
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS 21
The following directions, together with the illustra- tions, should make the handling of your tools perfectly clear, and you will find among these a number of hints as to the care of tools that should be carefully adhered to in order that you may keep them in good condition.
Saws. — A boy can get along with two saws, a cross- cut saw for general use and a compass-saw for finer work, such as circular sawing, and cutting thin wood where a large saw would be too coarse and apt to split the work. But you will often have need of a rip-saw, back-saw, and bracket-saw. They were therefore in- cluded in the list of tools on page 14, and you can add them to your outfit as your money permits.
The Cross-cut Saw is, of course, intended for cutting across the grain, while the rip-saw is for cutting with the grain, or ripping. The former saw can be used for rip- sawing, but the operation is much slower, and when you have much of it to do, as in ripping a six-foot board, for instance, you will find the w^ork tedious.
The Rip-saw is not fit for cross-cutting, as it leaves the cut fibres in a very rough condition.
The difference in these two saws lies in the shape of their teeth. This can be seen by picking them up and examining their cutting edges. You will find the teeth are bent out of line, the first to the right side and the next to the left. This is known as the " set " of the teeth, and the quality of your work will depend largely
22
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Edge- of Saw Fig. 19. — Teeth of Cross-cut Saw.
upon the care with which the teeth have been sharpened and set. At first you may confuse these two saws, but if you will notice that the teeth of the cross-cut saw
come to sharp points and are bevelled on the sides, while those of the rip-saw are not sharpened on the sides, and instead of being pointed on the ends are chisel-shaped (see Figs. 19 and 20), you will have little trouble in distinguishing them.
Sawing. — Small pieces may be sawn while held in the vise, but, as a rule, large work is placed across a couple of horses. It is generally the most convenient way. Grasp the saw in
,1 •111 1 1 -i-=^ handle ~ EodofBLQde-^
the right hand, and
take the position
shown in Fig. 21,
with the left knee
upon the work to
hold it in place,
and the left hand
at the edge of the board. The thumb should be
pressed against the saw-blade to guide it until the cut
has been well started, as shown in Fig. 22. Without
the aid of the thumb the saw is liable to slip off the
mark and make an ugly cut in the wood. First use
■znsL
U'/I'ling
' ■■.iiiiima-
MSjp
Edge-of-3aw. Fig. 20. — Teeth of Rip Saw.
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS 23
a few short strokes until the saw has started to cut. Then use a long, steady stroke, putting all of the
Fig. 21. — Position for Sawing.
pressure upon the down stroke. Be careful to keep the saw to the line and in a perpendicular position, so that the cut will be square on all sides. If it starts
24
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
to run away from the line, a slight twist of the blade will return it.
When a board has been sawn nearly in two, remove
the weight of your knee from it, and hold the board
with the left hand to prevent it from splitting off.
Fig. 23 shows the correct position for using
The Back-saw, which is intended for more delicate
work than the larger saw, such as can be sawn on the
bench-hook or in the mitre-box. It makes a finer cut, its teeth being smaller and more closely set. The blades of The Compass- and Gig-saws are small and narrow, the former being used for circular cutting, as the name would imply, while the latter is employed in cutting very thin wood and in making delicate curves. The blades of these saws, especially the latter, are easily broken, and must be handled with care. The teeth are arranged so as to cut with and against the grain.
The slot made by removing the fibre of the wood in sawing is known as
Fig. 23. — Position for using the Back-saw.
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS
25
A Kerf. The term is used a good deal in carpenter work, so it is well to know its meaning.
The carpenter of to-day is generally supplied with all manner of planes, — rabbeting-planes, beading-planes, circular-planes, ploughs, etc., — besides the more com- monly used jack-plane, fore-plane, and smoothing-plane. Each of these planes has a special form of work to do, but ordinarily a boy will have occasion to use but the last three named, and many get along with but a jack- and a smoothing-plane.
The Jack-plane is the plane you will first need to remove the rough surface of undressed lumber, and also to reduce quickly the thickness of wood. The cutting edge of the blade is ground so as to gouge the wood, removing thick shavings, but leaving ridges and hollows which must afterward be removed by a fore-plane or smoothing-plane. There is one trouble in using the smoothing-plane for this operation, however, and that lies in the danger of it following the hollows formed by the jack-plane, making a smooth but uneven surface.
The Fore-plane, on the other hand, has a long enough stock to prevent the blade from cutting the lower portions until the high portions have been removed. Although a fore-plane can be used alone for smoothing large work, it is more convenient to finish up with
The Smoothing-plane.
The Stanley iron plane, shown in Fig. 24, is a great improvement over the old-style wooden ones, and is the
26
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Plane-iron. Plane-iron Cap. Wedge or Clamp Adjusting Screw. Adjusting Lever, Stock.
most popular plane used to-day. It is more easily han- dled, as its iron is quickly put in place and adjusted. The illustration gives the names of the various parts. The cap {B) is screwed to the plane-iron {A\ and both
are held in the stock {F) by means of the clamp on the end of the wedge (C). The thumb -screw {D) regulates the de- grees of fineness of
Fig. 24. -Stanley Iron Plane. ^1^^ plane-iron, while
the lever {E\ which moves from side to side, straightens the position of the iron. The base of the stock is known as the sole, or face.
The Bailey plane is somewhat similar to the Stanley, the upper portion being of iron with screw adjustment, but the base being of wood. Its cost is much less than that of the entire iron plane, and you will probably find it as satisfactory if you do not care to spend the additional amount for the Stanley plane.
For Planing, take the position shown in Fig. 25, with the left foot a little in advance of the right, the right hand grasping the handle of the plane and the left hold- ing the knob on the fore part of the stock. Use a long, steady sweep, and bear with equal pressure from the be- ginning of a stroke to the end, to avoid the hollows that are so easily made by taking shavings of different thick-
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS
27
nesses. Do not drag the plane-iron over the work in returning it for another stroke, as it will dull its edge.
You will often come across wood with a crooked grain, which runs diagonally through the piece, terminat- ing at the surface. There is a right way and a wrong way in planing this, just as there are two ways of strok- ing a cat's back, one smoothing the surface, while the other roughens it. When you find a piece of wood with this kind of uncer- tain grain, you will probably have to change the direc- tion of your plan- ing a number of times before finishing the surface, in order to plane with the grain.
In planing end-wood, you will have trouble in prevent- ing the corners of the piece from splitting off unless it is placed in the vise in front of another block of wood, the planing being done toward the block. Or one
Fig. 25. — Take this Position for Planing.
28 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
corner may be chamfered with the chisel, as shown in Fig. 29.
Testing Work. — It is necessary to test work frequently while planing, in order to locate the high places and avoid taking off too much on the low places. This may be done by squinting one eye and holding the board on a level with the other eye, so that you can look down the length of it as in sighting a gun. The uneven places show up very plainly in this way.
Work is also tested by means of the try-square. Place the handle of the square against the edge of the work with the blade of the square extending across the planed surface, and move it the length of the board. Any irregularities in the surface will show themselves as the blade passes over them. In planing up a block of wood, plane up one side and, after proving it to be true, use it for the " tried edge," testing the other sides with the handle of the square pressed against its surface.
There are a number of forms of
Chisels, but the only two classes you will probably ever be in need of are the firmer- and framing-chisels. The former are intended for hand use only, while the latter are used for heavier work, such as mortising, where it becomes necessary to use the mallet.
In Using a Firmer-chisel, the work should be placed in the vise or be otherwise held in position, that both hands may be kept upon the tool, the right hand grasping the upper end of the handle and doing the pushing, while
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS
29
Fig. 26.
the left hand holds the lower part of the handle and acts as a guide in working it.
Paring with the chisel consists in trimming a piece of wood to a given line. It is an operation very often resorted to in finishing the end of a piece of work in- stead of planing, and in trimming up a curved edge such as is shown in Fig. 26. Here the line -^^ represents the line of the finished end of a piece of work. The board is first placed in a vise and the wood re- moved to about one- quarter inch of AB with a compass-saw, following the curve of the line as nearly as possible. Then lay the piece upon the bench-hook (Fig. 11, Chap. I), and pare to the line with the chisel, as shown in F'ig. 26.
The chisel is often used to pare down the surface of a piece of work to a given line, as shown in Fig. 27.
The Framing-chisel should be held in the left hand, and the blows dealt upon the handle with the mallet in the right hand. In handling the framing-chisel the bevel of the blade should be toward the work, which is just the opposite from that shown in Figs. 26 and 27. Unless this is done the chisel will not cut down squarely
Fig. 27.
Figs. 26 and 27.
Parine.
30
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Fig. 28.
but will cut in under, as it cannot be guided as easily as the firmer-chisel can, with both hands to hold it.
Chamfering and Bevelling are somewhat similar opera- tions. They consist in cutting the edges of a piece of
wood, as shown in Figs. 28 and 29.
The corner of a block of wood is very often cham- , fered, when planing end-
wood, to prevent the wood from splintering. It can only be done, of course, before the adjoining side has been planed up, that a square corner can be obtained again when the work is finished.
The Gouge is a chisel with a curved section, its use being for cutting grooves and curvatures in a piece of work where the chisel cannot be employed.
A Draw-knife is very handy for quickly reducing the size of material and in rounding sticks. The blade is drawn toward you instead of being pushed as in the case of a plane or chisel.
Boring. — Probably the only trouble you will have with the bit and bit-stock will be in holding the brace in a perfectly vertical position so as to bore a straight hole.
Fig. 29. — Chamfering.
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS 31
The centre of the hole should first be located upon the work. Then, after selecting the right size of bit and securing it in the clutches of the bit-stock, grasp the handle of the stock with the right hand and place the left hand on the top knob. Set the point of the bit against the work and bore steadily until the point ap- pears upon the opposite side. The bit should then be withdrawn and the rest of the hole bored from the other side. This prevents the fibre around the hole from splintering off, as it is likely to do when a hole is bored all the way through from one side. To bore a hole in a piece of work held in the vise, clamp a waste piece of wood in the vise with it, and bore straight through the work into the waste piece.
When boring hard wood or using large bits increased pressure is necessary to operate the brace and at the same time steady the bit. This can be obtained by allowing the chest to bear upon the top knob.
Holes two inches or more in diameter do not require a bit that size, for smaller holes can be bored and these trimmed to the required opening with a chisel or with the keyhole-saw. Whatever style of bit-stock you buy, get one with a fair length of arm, as a good leverage cannot be obtained with a short one.
An Automatic-drill is a handy tool to have in the shop, although not a necessity. You have probably seen car- penters use it in drilling holes in hard wood, before driv- ing in finishing nails or screws. It beats the awl and
32 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
gimlet for speed, and is a tool which can be used in places where neither of these could be operated. The handle of the tool contains a number of sizes of drills.
This tool must be used with care, as the drills snap off very easily when the tool is handled roughly or twisted from side to side while boring a hole.
The Hatchet is an indispensable tool, for it can be used for a good deal of your rough work, such as splitting and paring. It requires practice to handle one successfully, however. A misplaced blow will sometimes ruin your work, either by cutting into it or striking grain which runs off into the portion to be finished. With straight grained wood it is not so difficult to pare to a line with the hatchet. The wood should be removed to within less than an eighth of an inch of the line, as the work must be dressed up afterward with the plane. ^ It is well to have
A Hammer with a fairly heavy head for large work, and a lighter one with which to drive small nails.
Driving Nails. — The nail should first be held in position with the thumb and first two fingers, and given a few light raps with the hammer to start it. Then remove the fingers, and drive the nail home with steady blows, being careful to hit the head squarely so it will not bend.
Although a bent nail can be driven home with the proper stroke, it is generally easier and quicker to withdraw it and either hammer it out straight or use another.
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS
33
A pair of pincers are handy for
Withdrawing Nails, especially nails whose heads are too small to be gripped with a claw hammer; but for
removing
large nails a
Fig. 30. — Withdrawing Nails.
stronger leverage is neces- sary. This can be obtained
as shown in Fig. 30. The
head of the nail is gripped
in the claw of the hammer
and a block of wood placed
beneath the head. The
handle of the hammer is
then pulled toward you, as
shown in the illustration.
The block, besides increas- ing the leverage, prevents
the hammer-head from injuring the surface of your work, and makes it possible to with- draw the nail in a fairly straight condition.
Toe-nailing consists in driving nails diagonally into a piece of wood. It is used in fastening the ends of uprights, as shown in Fig. 31, where the nails cannot be driven in any other way, and also where there is danger of a board springing. You
will often find it convenient to use this form of nailinor
Fig. 31. — loe-nailing.
34 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
when the nails are too long to be driven straight into
the work.
Blind-nailing is a form of toe-nailing used on tongue
and grooved boards in which the heads of the nails are
concealed below the surface, as shown in Fig. 32.
Clinching. — When nails come through a piece of wood
their ends should be clinched. This is done by having some one hold a hard surface, such as the head or blade of a hatchet, against the under side of the work, or by laying the hatchet down and resting the work upon it, while you
Fig. 32. — Blind-nailing. , . . .. _^, . . , ..
drive the nail. 1 he point of the nail will bend over when it strikes the hard surface and sink into the wood. This is the best method to use in fasten- ing boards together with battens, in rough work, as the clinched nails act as rivets, preventing any possibility of the boards pulling apart.
Do not drive the head of a nail into a finished surface with the hammer, as you are likely to mar the wood in doing so. Leave this — the " setting " of the nails — until the piece of work has been put together. Then go over it and drive the heads below the surface with
The Nail-set, holding the tool as shown in Fig. 2>3' The holes made by the heads should be filled up with putty before the finish is put upon the wood.
Before driving nails into hard wood, holes should be made with the brad-awl or drill, to prevent them from
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS
35
splitting the wood, and to make it easier to drive them in without bending. The holes should be a trifle smaller than the nails. Always drill a hole before driving a nail into thin wood or near the edge of a piece.
A nail can be driven more easily if its point is rubbed over a piece of soap. This is something you should remember to do when nailing hard wood.
Nails. — Iron, gal- vanized-iron, wire, and copper nails are manufactured, but of these the wire nail is the most commonly used for all kinds of work, it being more easily handled, not so liable to snap off, and there being less danger of splitting your work with it than with the iron nails.
You will notice the iron nails have two smooth sides and two rough ones. In using these it is necessary to drive them with the smooth sides parallel with the grain, otherwise they are sure to split the work.
Nails are classified according to their shape and gauge. The only kinds you will probably ever have
Fig. 33. — Setting Nails.
2>^
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
occasion to use are the Common, or nail for all ordinary work ; the Finishing-nail, with the small head used on finish work; and the Brad, or small-sized finishing-nail. You can buy these by calling for the length you require, but it is more businesslike to use the standard terms by which all carpenters know them.
The following table gives these terms, together with the length in inches : —
2-Penny Nails (i inch long), (i^ inches long
|
3 |
(( |
(H |
|
|
4 |
a |
(4 |
|
|
5 |
i( |
(If |
|
|
6 |
(( |
(2 |
|
|
7 |
(( |
(4 |
|
|
8 |
(( |
(4 |
|
|
9 |
(I |
(2| |
lo-Penny Nails (3 inches long"
|
(3i " |
I \ |
|
(3i " |
i( \ |
|
(4 " |
i \ |
|
(4| " |
I \ |
|
(5 " |
( \ |
|
isi " |
( \ |
|
(6 " " ). |
|
|
inches (20c |
to |
12 16 20
30 40
50 60
All nails longer than three and a hali 6od inclusive) are known as spikes.
It is desirable to have
A Screw-driver which will set in the clutches of your bit-stock, besides the ordinary kind, for it is more quickly operated, and screws can be driven in hard wood easier on account of the greater amount of leverage you get with it.
Holes should be drilled in hard wood before driving screws into it.
Screws are made with round and flat heads. The round-headed screw is a finishing screw, and its head is left exposed on the surface of the wood ; but the flat-
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS 37
headed screw should be countersunk, that is, sunk below the surface. To do this you must drill a hole before driving in the screw with
The Countersink, which is a drill made to fit in the bit-stock, and bores a hole the shape and depth of the screw-head.
Sharpening Tools
Be sure you understand the process of sharpening tools before you undertake to use the oil- and grind-stones.
All tools are not sharpened alike, and you will need to know the different ways in order to get their cutting edges the right shape to serve their different purposes.
Grinding is the most difficult part of the work, and most boys have trouble with it. One fault lies in using the grind-stone too frequently, grinding the edge of a tool when it requires only a little rubbing upon the oil- stone to put it in shape, and thus wearing down the tool unnecessarily. Again, by not keeping the stone suffi- ciently wet, the heat produced by the friction takes the temper out of the steel, making it soft and useless until retempered.
If you have a stone with a crank arrangement, it will be necessary to have some one turn it while you control the tool. The stone should be turned toward the grinder and the tools held upward so the stone grinds against the edge instead of from it. Move the tools sidew^ays across the stone so as to wear it down evenly and help prevent
38
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
the formation of ridges in the stone, which are very easily
produced.
Figure 34 shows the position to take in grinding Chisels. Hold the handle of the tool in the right hand
and rest the palm of the left hand upon its blade. Then
lower the edge upon the stone until the bevel strikes it
Fig. 34. — Grinding the Chisel.
flatly, and bear down upon the blade with your left hand. Continue the grinding until the bright line of the dull edge has disappeared and an invisible edge has been obtained. Stop when this point is reached or the edge will become feathery and break off, necessitating regrind- ing. Grind upon the bevelled edge only, and hold the tool in the same relative position, to prevent the bevel from becoming rounded. The angle of the bevel should be
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS 39
about twenty-five degrees. To keep this angle the same, it is desirable to have a rest, consisting of a board nailed to the frame of the stone, upon which to support the handle of the chisel.
Gouges and Draw-knives are ground similarly, the former being rocked from side to side, in order to grind the curved bevel uniformly.
Plane-irons are held with both hands, as shown in Fig. 35, and ground the same, except that the corners
Fig. 35. — Grinding the Plane-iron.
of the smoothing- and fore-plane irons are slightly rounded, while the edge of the jack-plane iron is a little higher at the corners than in the centre, to give it the qualities for removing thick shavings. It is more difficult to keep the line between the bevel and upper part of the iron straight than in grinding chisels, on account of the wider blade.
40
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Knives and Hatchets are ground upon both sides of the blade.
Of course, the edge of a tool is left in a very rough condition by the grind-stone, and must be rubbed up on an oil-stone before it is fit to cut with.
There are many makes of whetstones, many good ones and many worthless ones. Above all things, don't
Produced By Grindstone
Fig. 37.
buy a cheap one, for it will be impossible to obtain keen edges upon it.
One of the best stones upon the market is The Washita Oil-stone, a Kansas stone of medium hard- ness, free from grit and lumps, and of good quality through and through.
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS 41
In rubbing up a plane-iron, grasp the end between the thumb and fingers of the right hand and place the palm of the left hand across the iron to bring the necessary pressure upon it (see Fig. 36).
Instead of holding the blade on the stone at the angle of the bevel, tip it to an angle of about thirty-five degrees, or ten degrees more than that of the bevel. With it held in this position, rub it back and forth upon the stone with a rotary motion, making a second narrow bevel along the edge of the tool (see Fig. 2)7)- ^^ careful to keep the blade in the same position, to prevent the bevels from becoming rounded. By exerting a steady upward pressure against the end of the tool with the right hand, and an equal downward pressure in the centre of the blade with the left hand, this is easily accomplished.
The rough edge which appears on the back of the blade is removed by rubbing the flat side of the iron over the stone a few times. Care must be taken to keep the iron perfectly flat or a bevel will be formed.
A Strop, consisting of a piece of leather fastened to a block of wood as described in the foregoing chapter, should be used after the oil-stone, to put a fine edge upon the tool. The tool is stropped in the same way as a razor is done.
Saws require sharpening but once in a great while if proper care is taken of them. When they do become dull, or need to be set, it is advisable for you to pay an
42
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
experienced person to do the work rather than attempt
it yourself.
Laying out Work
A two-foot carpenter's folding-rule should generally be used in laying off measurements and a sharp-pointed
pencil or brad-awl to locate the points. To connect the points it is necessary to have a straight- edge— a steel framing-square (Fig. 42) for large boards and a small try-square (Fig. 38) for smaller pieces — and a pencil or knife.
A pencil may be used in con- necting points upon rough work, but for greater accuracy a knife should be used, as it makes a thinner and cleaner-cut line. In making knife lines, the square must be held very firmly, to pre- vent it from slipping and allowing the knife to run out of its course.
To draw lines across a board at right angles to one edge (which should be the straight or " tried edge " of the board) with the steel-square, place one arm of the square parallel with the tried edge and mark along the other arm. To perform the same operation with the try- square, place the handle against the tried edge, as shown in Fig. 38.
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS
43
Oftentimes it becomes necessary to draw a line paral- lel to the tried edge. This may be done roughly with the rule and pencil, as shown in Fig. 40. Grasp the rule in the left hand, with the first finger touching the tried edge of the board, and hold the pencil point against the end of the rule with the right hand. Keeping this posi-
FiG. 40. — Gauging with Rule and Pencil.
tion, with a steady hold on the rule and pencil, move your hands along the board. The result will be a line parallel to the tried edge.
At first you may have trouble in making a straight line, but with practice you will be able to hold the rule and pencil steadily.
For particular work, where it is necessary to get a perfectly straight and parallel line,
A Marking-gauge should be used. This is nothing
44
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
more than the above principles combined in a tool. It consists of a graduated shaft, or rule, with a small needle or spur in one end, which slides through a mortise made in a block of wood known as the head.
To operate the gauge, set the adjustable head at the required division on the shaft, and then grasp the head and shaft with the fingers of the right hand, as shown in
Fig. 41. — Using the Marking-gauge.
Fig. 41. Place the outer face of the head against the tried edge of your work, and then, pressing the spur into the wood, move the gauge along the board, at the same time keeping the face of the head firmly against the edge of the board. The gauge is much more conven- ient than the other method of drawing parallel lines, for you can repeat the measurement as often as you wish,
THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS
45
iriiiiiiiriiiiiiiriiiiiiii'iiii
steel-square, as in Fig. 42, with
having once adjusted the head, without having to lay it off again.
A Try-square with a mitred handle costs but little more than the ordinary make, and is much handier, in- asmuch as it can be employed in making mitres, by placing the bevelled end against the side of the work instead of the straight side (see Figs. 38 and 39).
The Bevel is in reality a try-square which can be ad- justed to any desired angle. To set it at an angle of
forty-five degrees, place it on the shown
the handle against the inner edge of one arm of the square and the blade resting on both arms. Move the blade until it strikes equal distances on the arms (this is shown at four inches in the drawing) and tighten the screw while it is in this position. Other angles may be drawn out upon a piece of wood and the bevel adjusted to them so these angles can be laid off upon other pieces. You will find the bevel handy for repro- ducing angles. However, if you are supplied with a mitred try-square you can easily dispense with it for ordinary work.
There will be times when you wish To Divide a Board into a number of equal parts, which may be found to be fractions of an inch that cannot be
Fig. 42.
46
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
easily laid off with the rule in the ordinary way. It can be accomplished with a pair of compasses, but until you become practised in their use, it will take some little time in setting them, dividing, resetting, and redividing, until the exact divisor is obtained. A much quicker method is that performed with the rule, as shown in
Fig. 43.
Suppose you wish to divide a board four and three- quarters inches long into five equal parts. Place your
Fig. 43. — Dividing a Board Equally.
rule across the board, as shown in the illustration, one end at one edge and the " five-inch " division at the op- posite edge. Mark off the five divisions and then square the lines across the board at these points with the try- square. This will give you the required five equal parts. In the same way longer boards may be divided up by using two- and three-inch divisions on the rule instead of one-inch, and smaller pieces by using half- and quarter- inch divisions.
CHAPTER III
THE BOY ABOUT THE HOUSE
There are generally repairs of some kind to be made about the house — such as mending screens, renewing window-ropes, repairing wooden walks, patching fences, etc. — which a boy can do, besides many ingenious arti- cles for the house which he can make in his workshop. Ideas for labor-saving devices which cannot be bought upon the market present themselves now and then, and if there is a boy in the neighborhood to carry them out, the housekeeper will be only too glad to pay him for doing the work.
For general jobbing you will require a carpenter's carrying-box (Fig. 17, Chap. I) in which to carry your tools, and a nail-box (Fig. 18) for nails, screws, hinges, and such hardware as you will need upon the job. With these you will have a complete outfit.
A few suggestions as to what you can do and what you can make are described and illustrated in this chap- ter, and should give you plenty of material to work upon when you open up your carpenter-shop. Besides these ideas, you will find most of the articles in the following
47
48.
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
ScT-ew Minge to Upper Sash- •Like-tbis-
chapter suitable for the house and pieces of furniture for which it will be easy to secure orders.
The Hinge-lock, in Fig. 44, is one of the most service- able window-locks that can be had, for it can be so placed as to allow the window to be opened a few inches for ventilation, and at the same time prevent further opening. The hinge is screwed to the upper sash-frame several inches above the centre sash-bar, according to the dis- tance the window is to be opened (see illustration).
It will be seen that when the hinge is opened, as in the drawing, neither sash can be opened past the hinge ; but when the hinge is folded flat it will not interfere with the opening of either sash.
This lock would prob- ably be more extensively used if people knew how simple and satisfactory it is. As the hinges cost but a few cents a pair, and are put on very quickly, a boy should realize a fair sum of money in a short time supplying these locks.
A Clothes-line Reel, such as shown in Fig. 45, is an article no housekeeper should be without. Its use does away with twisted, tangled, and knotted clothes-lines.
Fig. 44. — The Hinge Window Lock.
THE BOY ABOUT THE HOUSE
49
As they require but little material, and the cost of that amounts to almost nothing, the manufacture of these
C
CD
m
D
Fig. 45. — A Clothes-line Reel.
time-saving devices, for the neighbors, should prove profitable.
The reel consists of two strips of wood sixteen inches
50
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
long by three inches wide for the sides, and two pieces of broom-handles sixteen inches long for the horizontal rods (see Fig. 45). Five inches from each end of the side-pieces, bore a hole the size of the broom-handle.
With the pieces thus prepared it is a simple matter to fit them together, as in the illustration, placing the
Fig. 46. — Broom and Dust-pan Rack.
broom-handles in the holes bored for them, and fasten- ing them so the side-pieces are nine inches apart and a handle five inches long projects on either side. It is probably needless to say that the ends of the broom- sticks are held in the hands when operating the reel. A Broom and Dust-pan Rack is a handy article for the
THE BOY ABOUT THE HOUSE 51
kitchen or broom-closet, and can be made as shown In Fig. 46.
A rack to hold a large and small broom, dust-pan, and brush, should measure three feet long, three inches wide, and be made out of a seven-eighths-inch board. Bevel the edges and place four brass hooks in the front, as shown In the drawing, from which to hang the broom, dust-pan, etc.
Brooms should always be dampened and put away, handle down, according to the advice of an old broom- maker, who claims that by so doing the straws are kept from becoming brittle and the broom lasts much longer.
'^UtjLry^nd of stick Fig. 47. — a Fly-killer.
The brooms should therefore have screw-eyes placed in the handle, just above the tin binding, to hang upon the hooks, as shown in the illustration.
The rack should be screwed to the wall.
Fly-papers and poisons are deadly enemies to the house-fly, but none are as effectual or as quick acting as
The Fly-killer, shown in Fig. 47. This simple device consists of a piece of screen-wire, about four by five inches, stuck into a slot made in the end of a stick, and fastened in place with tacks driven through the end of the handle and clinched upon the under side.
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
If possible, cut the wire with a selvage along the front edge, and trim the roughness from the other edges to
prevent scratching.
The fly-killer is hung up by a screw-eye placed m the
end of the handle.
Fig. 48. — An Ash-sifter.
With the fly-killer a person can strike at a %_with almost a certainty of killing it. As the scree-v^e .s not easily seen by the fly, and the mesh allows the arr to pass through, there is nothing to alarm him.
THE BOY ABOUT THE HOUSE
53
These little things are quickly made, and when you show your customer how effective they are, you will find no trouble in disposing of them.
An Ash-sifter that is dust-proof and very satisfactory is shown in Fig. 48. It is made out of a packing-case about three feet long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty- four inches deep.
Set the box upon two-by-four stilts in the shed or yard (braced as shown in the illustration), in such a position that the bottom of the box w^ill be on a level with the top of the alley ash-box. Then cut an opening through the shed wall and end of the box, as shown at AB, for the removal of ashes. Two strips are nailed to the sides of the box (seven inches below the top) for tracks for the sifter to run upon, and below this, at C, a board slide is placed to dump the ashes, which shake through the sifter, out of the opening in the end of the box into the ash-box. Nail one half of the cover to the top of the box and hinge the other half to it.
Fig. 49. — The Sifter.
Make the sifter eighteen inches square by six inches deep, using six-inch boards for the frame and one-third or one-half inch wire-mesh for the bottom (see Fig. 49).
54
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Fasten four trunk-casters, such as are shown in Fig. 50, to the bottom of the frame, and fit a broom-stick in one ft ^-^ fi side for a handle. A slot must be cut in ^^^^^ the end of the box for the handle to fit in.
Fig. 50. A Bread-board may be made out of a
Trunk-caster, geven-eighths inch maple board about ten by
eighteen inches, with the surface planed perfectly smooth
and the edges bevelled or rounded. A hole should be
bored near one edge, so it may be hung up in the pantry.
The dining-room is not complete without
A Plate-rack for the display of pretty pieces of china. Figures 51 and 52 show the details for the construc- tion of a rack of three shelves, and in size three feet long and two feet ten inches high. Although the de- sign is very simple in outline, it is such as will make a pleasing piece of furniture when neatly carried out.
Prepare the two side-pieces the shape and size shown in Fig. 52, and cut the shelves two feet ten inches long
THE BOY ABOUT THE HOUSE
55
by the widths given in the drawing (Fig. 52). One groove should be made in shelf A and two in shelves B and C, for the edges of plates to stand in. These grooves are cut with a chisel, and should be made V- shaped as shown. Narrow strips of wood may be nailed along the shelves as substitutes for the grooves if you wish, but the work required to plane up the strips will amount to about as much,
K-4H
w:mM
and they do not present as neat an appearance.
Having cut out the shelves and side-pieces, you are ready to put the rack together. For this purpose you should use finishing-nails so their heads will not make very large holes in the surface of the wood. Fasten the bottom shelf (C) between
the side-pieces seven inches above the bottom, the middle shelf {B) ten inches above that, and the top shelf {A) nine inches above the middle shelf. The inner edofes of the shelves should be fastened flush with the edges of the sides. In the bottom shelf place a row of brass hooks for cups to hang upon.
It is necessary to fasten three strips two inches wide between the sides in the back of the rack (as shown in
Fig.
J
56 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
the drawing) for the tops of the plates to rest against. Two holes should be bored in the top strip, by which to hang the rack on nails or hooks fastened in the wall.
After completing the carpenter-work, finish the rack with a stain which will harmonize with the color scheme of the room in which it is to hang.
CHAPTER IV
SUGGESTIONS FOR A BOY'S ROOM
It is far better for a boy to spend his evenings in the house than out upon the street. He need not be with- out his friends there, for if he has an attractive room, with books to read, games to play, and puzzles to solve, the boys of the neighborhood will soon find it out and be only too glad to have a chance to visit him, knowing they will be sure of finding plenty of things to interest them.
The simpler the furnishings of a boy's room are the better. Plain and substantial furniture which will stand perhaps a little rougher usage than that in other rooms of the house, and handy places for storing away his traps, are what are needed.
The room should be his den where he can keep what he pleases, and arrange the fittings to suit his individual tastes. Shelves for his books and magazines, a cabinet for various collections, boxes for miscellaneous articles, and a desk at which he can study and keep his accounts, are a few of the things the room should contain. These pieces can easily be constructed in the workshop, by following the directions given in this chapter.
57
58 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
On the opposite page is shown a scheme for a boy's room suggestive of his sports, games, and handicraft, and while everything is simple and inexpensive in the furnishings, it makes a room that will strike the fancy of the average boy.
Nothing appears more attractive than
A Cosey-corner, such as shown in the illustration, and it is a simple matter to fit one up. A home-made couch, box, or seat of some sort should be constructed to set in the corner, a shelf fastened to one wall a foot or more above it, and several shelves hung on the adjoining wall, as shown in the drawing.
Purchase several yards of a dark shade of green denim, and enclose the corner with three strips (see illustration). The upper strip is stretched across the corner at the ceiling, and the other two attached to its ends and allowed to hang to the floor. It is a good idea to make also a dado of the same material within the corner from the baseboard to the under side of the shelves.
Pennants representative of the various colleges can be made out of cheese-cloth, and a string of these hung across the corner at the ceiling will produce a pretty effect.
The walls of the room may be brightened with
Small Posters, which it is an easy matter to obtain nowadays, and small pictures mounted upon colored mats and fastened behind glass by means of passe- partout paper are always attractive.
SUGGESTIONS FOR A BOY'S ROOM
59
Picture-frames can be made out of narrow mouldine, the corners of which have been mitred in the mitre-box to make them join neatly.
A frame which has proven satisfactory for small posters and pictures not requiring glass is one made out of common laths. The ends of the laths are not mitred as is usually the case in making frames, but are fastened together with what is known as a *' butt-joint " ; that is, the ends of each piece are set against the ends of the adjoining pieces. The simplest way of fastening them together is by means of small strips of wood nailed across the corners on the back of the frame.
Although this frame might be expected to have a clumsy appear- ance, it has not, and when thor-
FiG. 53. — A Writing-desk.
oughly sand-papered and finished with a dull green stain is very pretty.
The Writing-desk shown in Fig. 53 is constructed out of a box, and makes a pretty piece of furniture when completed.
Procure a box as free from defects as possible, and with
6o
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
fairly wide boards, so there will be but few cracks. The cover should be in not more than two pieces, as it forms the drop-front of the desk, and it would be difficult to fasten more together. The boards must be fastened with " dowels " and cleats on the edges, as shown in
Fig. 54, as cleats upon the inside of the drop would be in the way.
Dowelling consists in boring holes along
the edge of each board and fitting pegs in them. Of course the holes must be bored in exactly the same rela- tive positions in each piece so that the end and sides of the boards wnll be flush with each other when the pegs have been put in place. To get the holes correctly bored, place the boards together in the vise with two edges flush and uppermost, and square lines six inches apart across the edges, after which locate the centres of the holes on these lines. Be careful to bore the holes straight, and make them a little longer than the pegs. Cut the pegs out of hard wood and make them large enough to fit tightly in the holes.
The pegs as well as the two edges of the boards
Fig. 54.
SUGGESTIONS FOR A BOY'S ROOM 6i
should be smeared with glue before being put together. Then, after driving in the dowels, clamp the pieces together and lay them aside until the glue has thor- oughly dried. In order to make a neat joint between the two boards, it is very necessary to have the two edges planed perfectly true and square.
While the boards of the drop-front are drying, you can prepare the inside of the box. A boy's desk should be supplied with plenty of pigeon-holes and drawers. They are as necessary as pockets are in his clothes. Split-up cigar-boxes may be used for these divisions, and, by making the upper ones of the right size, cigar- boxes may be fitted in them for drawers. The paper should be removed from the boxes as described in Chapter VIII. Fasten small silk-spools to the front of the drawers for knobs.
When the dowelled pieces have dried, nail a small moulding around the two end edges and one side edge, mitring the ends so as to fit together as shown at A (Fig. 54).
The drop-front should be hinged to the box with two hinges placed on the inside, as shown in Fig. 53, and brass chains attached to screw-eyes screwed into it and the inside of the box.
For the top of the box, purchase a moulding a little larger than that used around the edges of the drop-front and mitre it at the corners, as shown in the illustration.
Before putting any finish upon the desk, sand-paper
62
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
the wood, set the nails with a nail-set, and fill all holes and cracks with putty. A couple of coats of white enamel applied to the outside will produce a very pretty effect, and the inside may be finished with linseed oil, which makes a beautiful finish for the cigar-boxes.
The desk should be supported on two iron brackets (enamelled to match the desk), screwed to the wall and under side of the desk. In Fig. 55 will be found
Another Style of Desk, which, though not as simple to make, may be preferred to the first design.
Cut two boards fifteen inches long by twelve inches wide for the sides, and taper each from twelve inches at
one end to eight inches at the other end. Cut a board twelve by thirty inches for the bot- tom and another eight by thirty for the top, and nail them to the end
Fig. 55. - Another Style of Desk. ^ ^j^^^^^ ^f ^^^ ^^j^|^
saw the boards for the back and drop-front. Dowel and glue the drop-front boards together, nail a mould- ing around three edges, and hinge the piece to the desk, as in the case of the other design.
Partition off the inside of the desk as shown in the
SUGGESTIONS FOR A BOY'S ROOM
^3
illustration, and nail a moulding around the top. Finish the wood in the manner described for the other desk.
An Ink-stand and Pen-tray, suitable for your desk, can be made out of a cigar-box, as shown in Fig. 56. Slope the edges with your jack-knife and cut several notches in them for pens and pencils to fit in. The wood should then be sand- papered and oiled.
A Couch for the
Fig. 56.
Ink-stand and Pen-tray.
cosey-corner of your room can be made out of two boxes about three feet long, two feet wide, and eighteen inches deep.
Remove one side of each box and nail the covers on, after which place the two boxes end to end and fasten
Fig. 57. — A Couch.
them together with strips nailed across them at A, B, and C (Fig. 57). An incline about eighteen inches long should be fastened to one end, as shown in the drawing.
64
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
The inside of the boxes may be partitioned off and used for storing away magazines and pamphlets.
For the covering of the couch procure several yards of cretonne, some cotton batting or an old quilt to pad the top, a box of upholstering-tacks, and several dozen brass-
A Window-seat.
headed tacks. After spreading the padding over the couch, cut a piece of cretonne large enough to cover it and tack it to the edge of the boxes, using the upholstering-tacks for the purpose. Make a valance of the same material, gathering the cretonne so as to form a heading at the top, and tack it around the box. Then place the brass tacks along the top of the valance about two inches apart.
SUGGESTIONS FOR A BOY'S ROOM
65
If a couch is too large for your room you can make A Window-seat, such as is shown in Fig. 58. Cut the
arms the shape shown in the illustration and fasten them
to the ends of the box.
Batten the boards forming
the box-cover on the under
side. Then tack cretonne
on to the cover, arms, and
outside of the box, placing
padding underneath the
cretonne to make it soft,
and line the inside of the
box with some dainty col- ored goods. When this
has been done, hinge the
cover to the box with large
fancy brass hinges.
The appearance of the
seat will be greatly im- proved by placing brass |||ffP'^^^^°'"~^3^-^^^l..
tacks along the edges of ^^
Fig. 59. — A Curio-cabinet.
the arms and seat, about
two inches apart. The
inside of the box will make a handy receptacle for
clothes and linen.
For those interested in making collections of stamps, coins, stones, insects, etc.,
A Curio-cabinet, similar to Fig. 59, wall make it possible
66 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
to keep all specimens arranged in order, each set of curios occupying a shelf by itself.
Such a cabinet should be made of bass or whitewood, as these can generally be obtained in greater widths, are cheaper, and less defective than other material. If you make your cabinet five feet high, two feet wide (inside measurement), and twelve inches deep, purchase twelve- inch boards, as these make it possible to have the sides in one piece and the back in two, a great advantage, as there will then be but one crack, and that up through the centre of the back.
After cutting the side-pieces the correct length, finish their edges as in the drawing. Then cut nine boards two feet long for the shelves, which are to be placed six inches apart.
Commencing at the top of each side-piece, lay off the thickness of a shelf, which will be about seven-eighths of an inch, and square the lines across the boards ; then lay off the next shelf six inches below, and so on down to the bottom. Cut along these lines to a depth of three-eighths of an inch with a saw, and remove the wood between with a chisel. When all the grooves have been cut, slip the shelves into them one by one, and nail them to the side-pieces. After fastening the shelves, cut the two twelve-inch boards for the back and nail them in place.
While it is customary to put sash-doors on cabinets, this will be too difiicult a job for you to attempt. A
SUGGESTIONS FOR A BOY'S ROOM 67
very pretty and inexpensive door may be made as in the illustration. Make a frame out of two-inch strips to fit the opening, and stretch some green denim over it, tack- ing it to the inside of the frame. The ends of the strips forming the frame should be mitred and either nailed together or fastened with dowels and glue, as described in the construction of the desk (see Fig. 54). Hinge the frame to the cabinet.
To finish the cabinet, rub it down with sand-paper, set the nails with a nail-set, and putty up all holes, after which stain the wood green, a shade darker than the denim panel in the front.
Although the shelves may be simply stained, they will be much nicer for holding curios if covered w4th felt.
It might be well to suggest that you number each curio, and make a catalogue of these, together with the names and any data you have concerning them. The catalogue may be hung on a hook upon the inside of the door, where it can always be found.
A pretty set of ■ Book-shelves to hang upon the wall can be made with three boards twenty-four inches long by eight inches wide, four dozen spools all of the same size, and two pieces of rope about four feet long and small enough to fit in the holes of the spools. By saving the empty spools from your mother's work-basket, and having your friends save their spools for you, it will not be very long until you have the required number.
68
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Spools upon which number thirty-six cotton thread comes are of the best length.
Bore holes in the four corners of each board. Then, beeinnino- with the board which is to form the bottom
shelf, pass the ropes down through the holes on one side, across under the shelf, and up through the holes on the opposite side. String six spools on each rope and put the ropes through the holes in the next shelf ; then string six more spools on each rope and run the ropes throuo'h the next or top shelf. Tie the ropes together about a foot above the top shelf, fring- ing the ends to form tassels. Figure 60 shows the shelves completed.
A Blacking-case made similar to Fig. 61 is a handy article for a boy to have in his room. As the friction
Fig. 60. — Spool Book-shelves.
SUGGESTIONS FOR A BOY'S ROOM
69
from a rag rubbed over the shoe produces a finer polisli than a brush when polishing paste is used, the 1)().\ is i)i()- vided with an arrangement by which a rag can be rul^bed over the shoe without much effort (see illustration).
Procure a box about the size of a soap or cracker- box, and fasten a board in it for a foot-rest, as shown at A in the drawing. On each side of this place a piece of a broom-handle a little shorter than the inside width of the box, and pivot them at the ends with wire nails driven through the sides of the box, as shown in the illustration. Gimlet holes should be made in the sides of the box so the nails will fit loosely in them. Procure a strip of canton- flannel twenty-four inches long by six inches wide, and, after sewing two brass rings to each end, pass the cloth under the rollers and over the foot-rest, as shown in the illustration.
The lower part of the box will hold your boxes of blacking and the brushes. To have access to this, a board should be removed from the side of the box and hinged as at B and C in the illustration. Place a button-
FiG. 61. — A Blackino;-case.
70
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
catch just above it to keep it shut. Fasten together the boards forming the box-cover with battens, and hinge them to the end of the box. The outside of the case will be improved greatly if covered with denim.
After applying the paste to the shoe, the foot should be slipped under the cloth which passes over the foot- rest. Two fingers of each hand should then be placed in the rings and the cloth pulled back and forth over the rollers until the shoe is polished.
A Towel-rack, such as is shown in Fig. 62, is made in four pieces, — a board about eighteen inches long for
the back, two arms six inches long, and a piece of broom-handle eigh- teen inches long. After cutting out the arms the shape shown in Fig. 63, bore a hole large enough for a broom-handle to fit in in each. Bevel the edges of the eighteen-inch board, and then nail it to the arms, driving the nails through this piece into the arms. Fit the piece of
broom-handle into the holes bored for ^
them, and trim off the ends so that about ^^^- ^3- one inch projects beyond the face of each arm.
Sand-paper the wood, and either paint or varnish it. Attach screw-eyes to the top of the back board and hang the rack by these to hooks placed in the wall.
Fig. 62. — A Towel-rack.
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CHAPTER V HOW TO MAKE A DOLL-HOUSE |
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The average store doll-house is made of thin wood, which is full of defects and likely to warp, besides being put together in such a flimsy manner as to soon fall apart. The majority of these are imported houses, designed and planned in foreign styles, the exteriors being covered with clumsy ornament and gaudily painted, while the interiors are very poorly planned and propor- tioned. Americanized doll-houses are seldom seen in the market, and the few there are will generally be found very expensive.
There is probably nothing more interesting for a boy to make than a doll-house. It is like building your own house on a small scale, the details and proportions hav- ing to be just as carefully worked out to make a good- appearing house. Try the construction of a house for one of your girl relatives and see how much she will appreciate it. Then having completed one and learned the many little tricks there are in doing this work, you will find it quicker and easier to turn out others to sell. Neatly made houses are always salable, and it should
71
72 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
be an easy matter for you to make arrangements with a toy dealer in your town, to place some of your work in his store to sell on commission.
The doll-house designed and detailed in this chapter is easily constructed and
The Materials Required do not amount to very much. Boards ten inches wide and one-half inch thick are pref- erable for the general construction, with a few four-inch boards one inch thick for the base and a few other details. Basswood probably will be found the easiest wood to work with, as it is soft, straight-grained, and free from knots. Packing-cases may be used to advan- tage when they are of the right size, but they are gen- erally made of a cheap grade of pine, full of knots and other defects that make it difficult to do a good job.
Cigar-boxes make the nicest material for the interior finish, and a number of all sizes should be procured for this purpose. Prepare the boxes for use as described in Chapter VIII.
Fourpenny nails should be purchased for the rough carpenter work, and brads and glue for attaching finish- ing-strips and all light wood. Paints and other material are specified as required.
As shown on the plans (Figs. 65, 66, and 67), the house described in this chapter is of three floors, con- taining nine rooms, and is in size, thirty inches wide, twenty inches deep, and three feet high.
The Base, or false basement, should be made first. It
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Figs. 65-70. — Plans of Doll-house and Patterns for the Partitions.
73
74 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
consists of two four-by-one inch boards thirty inches long and two twenty inches long, with the ends mitred and fastened together in the form of a frame. Upon this
Lay the First Floor, allowing but one-half inch of the boards to bear on the frame on all sides. Then lay off the first-floor plan (Fig. 65) upon this floor with a pencil and square, locating the partitions by means of the dimensions given on the plan.
Make the Partitions A, B, and C, the shape and size shown in Fig. 68, and nail them to the places marked out for them on the floor.
The Stairs from first to second floors (Fig. 71) should now be constructed as described later under the head of " Stairways," as it would be difficult to set them in place after the walls are up.
Make the Front and Rear Walls twenty-nine inches wide and twenty inches high, and nail them to the edges of the floor. The outside surface of the walls should now be in line with the base. Leave the cutting of the windows until the rest of the house has been put together. The walls may be prevented from spreading by means of temporary braces nailed across the tops.
Lay the Second Floor, cutting a three by ten inch stair opening in the place indicated on the plan (Fig. 66), and fasten the boards to the front and rear walls. Draw upon this the second-floor plan, and
Cut Out Partitions D, E, F, and G, as shown in Fig. 69.
■OPE r^ir^O iPH Tn.RD Fl.OO« 3*7
SiOtS Cut in
Eage of Floor for -Tops o/. Stringers CO Fu^n
RearWaLL
3 '<'0 0'='£ri'r-'G l rn SECOiND FLOOR
^Floor- Made of Cigar Boxes
Fig. 71. — Details of Inside Stairs. 75
76 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
After nailing these partitions to the places marked out for them, and building in the stairs,
Lay the Third Floor (Fig. 67), cutting a three by seven inch stair opening, and fastening the boards in place as you did those of the second floor.
Stairways. — While each stairway should be built before the floor above is laid, in order that the work can more easily be done, they have been left for description here, that they might be spoken of in a general way. In Figs. 71, 72, 73, 74, and 75 will be found complete details for these.
The first things to prepare are
The Stair Stringers, or supports for the steps (treads and risers). Cut from a piece of cardboard what is known as
The Pitch-board, the pattern by which to lay out the steps (Fig. 73). Then draw a line lengthwise upon a thin strip of wood {AB in Fig. 72), and lay off the pitch- board on this as shown in Fig. 72 — sixteen times for the first to second story stairs and fifteen times for the second to third story stairs. Draw the line DE parallel to AB, and the lines CD and ^/^as shown. Then cut out the stringer along the lines CDEF, being careful in doing so not to split off the corners. Prepare two stringers for each flight of stairs.
The Treads and Risers should be cut as shown in Fig. 74, and the
Newel-posts and Hand-rails as shown in Fig. 75. Make a small groove in the bottom of the hand-rail
HOW TO MAKE A DOLL-HOUSE
77
as shown in the drawing. Toothpicks are of just the
right size for
The Balusters. — As brads are hkely to spht the thin cigar-box wood, the staircases should be put together with glue. First fasten the stringers in place, cutting
.Second Floor
FirstrFLooK
D E
First- TO -SecoKid Storv Strimgers to be. Laid out Like This
■Second Floor-
'^-c?
TThird Floor-
Groove-
Se; COMD -TO ■ "Third Story Strimgers
Fig. 12
Hand Rail
^Cap £' Square Q'Thick-
^riewel Post Made- of Three -Strips J x-^-GLued Together
FiG.7 5
Balustrade
Delt-ails.
Tooth -PICK Bai-usters.
PIG 73 PiTCM- Board-
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/,<^7?isers 3g xg
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Fig. 74
Treads ArsDRiSEiRs-
Figs. 72-75. — Details of Inside Stairs.
a slot in the edge of the floors for the tops to set in, as shown in Fig. 71. Then glue on the treads and risers, and cut the bottom of the newel-post to fit over the second step. The lower end of the toothpick balusters are set into slits cut with a knife in the treads, and the upper ends fit in the groove cut in the hand-rail.
78
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
The Balustrades around the stair openings on the second and third floors are made in the same way (see Fig. 71). As finished floors are to be laid in the halls, as described later, it will be well at this point to fasten a strip from a cigar-box around the stair openings, upon which to fasten the newels and in which to stick the ends of the balusters.
The drawings give every detail and measurement necessary for the making of these stairs, and everything
n a tform Z-k" x 4 j' , / 5
— 2-
'Balu^trade 1 " SNude
Strinpers, Treads-and Risers Sarne-as forJnside Stams, except length o f- Treads and Risers
Fig. 76. — The Front Steps.
will work out correctly if the directions are closely followed.
The Front Steps are made as shown in Fig. 76. Cut out two balustrades the shape and size shown in the drawing. Then prepare two stringers of five steps, cutting them exactly the same as for the other stairs,
HOW TO MAKE A DOLL-HOUSE
79
and glue them to the inner faces of the balustrades. The treads and risers are the same as for the other stairs, except that they are four inches in length. Cut the top platform two and one-half inches wide.
The Rear Steps may be built similar to the front, or may be made simpler by leaving off the risers and balustrade.
The Ends of the House should measure twenty inches square. Fasten the boards together with battens at top and bottom, and hinge them to the rear wall (see plans and Fig. 64). Small hooks on the ends of the house will make it possible to fasten them shut.
The roof is what is known as
The Gambrel or Oc- tagonal Roof, and con- sists of two eight and two nine inch boards
Fig. ']']. — Make Gable-ends like This.
thirty-four inches long. Before fastening these in place, it will be necessary to make
The Gable-ends, w^hich are cut out as shown in Fig. "]"]. Make the partition between the nursery and ball-room {H) in the same way, with a door cut in it, as shown in Fig. 70.
So PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Fasten the partition and gable-ends in place, after which nail the roof boards B and C (Fig. 70) to the top, allowing them to project over each gable. The lower boards A and D should be hinged to these, so they may be raised to get at the upper story. The edges of the boards must be bevelled in order to make perfect joints.
When the work has proceeded thus far, cut The Door and Window Openings in the places indicated upon the plans and Fig. 64, first boring holes in the four corners of each window and door space ; and then con- necting them with a compass-saw. With the exception of the front and rear door, and the windows in the base- ment and gable-ends, make all openings three by five inches, and two inches above the floor. The casement window openings in the gable-ends are to be four by five inches and extend to the floor. Cut three-by- seven-inch openings for the doors, and make the base- ment window openings two by three inches.
Figs. 78, 79, 80, 81, and 82 show the construction of The Dormer Windows. These are made from cigar- boxes. For the three dormers, you will require six pieces the shape of A for the sides, three of B for the gable-ends, and six of C for the roof (see Figs. 80, 81, and 82). With the different parts cut out, it is a simple matter to fasten them together on the roof, by means of glue and small brads. The glass is bound to the ends of the side-pieces at JJ and £ with strips of
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82 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
linen, as shown in Figs. y8 and 79, and the gable-end sets on the top edge. The dormers should be placed directly over the lower windows and in line with the front wall (see Fig. 79).
Old four-by-five camera plates may be used for
The Window Glass, by cutting them down to the required dimensions — three by five inches for the first and second stories, and two by three inches for the dormer and basement windows. Four-by-five plates are the right size for the casement windows.
As the basement is to represent stone, there will be no finish around the openings, and the glass will have to be held in place with cigar-box strips on the inside and putty on the outside, as shown in Figs. 83 and 84.
The glass should be fastened in the first and second story windows by means of putty and strips of cigar- boxes (see Figs. 85, 86, and 8y). We will make the inside and outside trim the same to simplify matters; so cut two sets of strips for each window, making them the shape and size shown in Figs. 85 and Sy, Fasten the outside strips in place first, then slip the ends of the glass into the centre of the wall and nail on the inside strips. Fill in the spaces between the glass and strips with putty to hold the glass firmly in place.
The Casement Windows (Fig. 88) are made similarly, with the addition of a quarter of an inch strip of a cigar-box glued up the centre of the glass, to give the appearance of double windows hinged to swing in.
per St
Glass- 3 xs' - Show-By Dotted Linel^\^
First-sUp Sill Din Place Then rest ends of A and-B on Sill. Set Cap C on- jznds of A and B
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WiMDOw Trim First amd Secomd Story
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Fig 86
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Fig. 87 WirHDow Silus
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Fig 91
Door Sill
strip.
riG 83
Daseme/nt Windows
?-Po«y Fig. 8 4.
Fig. 88 Casement Windows Pla/^
Figs. 83-91. — Details of Windows.
83
84 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Narrow strips of paper glued to the glass, as shown in Figs, j^, ^:^, 85, and ^d>, will produce the effect of
Divided Glass and upper and lower sash.
The Door Trim (Figs. 89, 90, and 91) is put in place the same as the window trim, but instead of placing the door in the centre of the wall, it should be set flush with the inside trim (see K, Z, and Mm plan, Fig. 90), and is hinged by means of a linen strip glued to the edge of the door y]/and strip L. The door-jambs are cased with strips / and /.
The rear door may be made simpler than this by using a plain strip for a cap.
Make the Door out of a piece of cigar-box.
The drawings give all the necessary measurements for door and window strips, and you will find it a simple matter to cut them out with a sharp knife.
After putting the trim upon all of the windows and the doors, cut a number of strips of wood an eighth of an inch thick and half an inch wide for
Outside Trimmings, and nail them to each corner of the house, around the edges of each gable-end, and around the top of the basement. Purchase some narrow moulding for the cornice and nail it to the edges of the roof boards, being careful to make neat mitres at the corners.
The house can more easily be moved about if mounted upon
Casters. To put these on, cut four pieces of two-
HOW TO MAKE A DOLL-HOUSE
85
by-four about three inches long, fasten a caster to each, and nail one block inside each corner of the foundation frame.
The exterior of the house is now complete with the exception of
The Chimneys. These should be made up of four pieces, two of which should have bird's-mouth cuts made in the end, as shown in Fig. 92, to make the chimney fit over the top ridge of the roof. The side edges of the pieces should be mitred and fitted together. Nail a strip of ^"x^" wood, half an inch wide, around the tops of the chimneys for caps. You will find it easier to
Paint the Chimneys be- fore fastening them to the roof. Make the brickwork red and the caps white, and with a small brush and ruler stripe off the mortar joints. When the paint has thoroughly dried, nail the chimneys on to the ridge of the roof in line with the front windows (see illustration of completed house).
Bird's Mouth Cut-- TO PixHiDGE OF Roof- Fig. 92. — Construction of Chimneys.
86
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
You will want
A Mantel and Fire-place in the living-room of the house, and it had better be built in at this point. Figure 93 shows about the simplest form of mantel you can make, and one that presents a very neat appear- ance. It is made out of cigar-box strips painted to
Fig. 93. — The Living-room Mantel.
represent brick, with stone hearth and mantel-shelf. It measures seven inches wide, four and five-eighths inches from the base to the top of the shelf, and has a fire-place opening four inches wide and two and one-half inches high.
Figure 94 shows the patterns for the cutting of the various pieces required to make up the mantel. A,
HOW TO MAKE A DOLL-HOUSE
87
the front piece, has an opening cut in it for the fire- place, as shown in the drawing. Cut two strips similar to B for the ends of the mantel, one the size of C for the back of the fire-place, two of D for the sides of the fire-
i-
— 4-"—
I
i
B
X
Fig. 94. — Construction of Mantel.
88 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
place, and one of E for the mantel-shelf. These pieces, with the exception of E, should be painted red, and striped off, when dry, with white paint to represent brick. It will be much easier to do the painting before fastening the pieces in their proper places. First divide the length and breadth of the pieces into about the number of spaces shown in Fig. 93 with a lead pencil. Then with a small brush, and straight-edge for a guide, trace over the pencil lines with white lead. Be careful in striping the brick to get the courses the same upon each piece so they will correspond when the pieces are put together.
The Hearth is made out of a strip seven inches long by two inches wide. Upon this the mantel should be put together with the pieces prepared. Figure 93 shows the location of each piece, and with the aid of glue and some small brads it will be a simple matter to complete the mantel. The edges of the strips had best be mitred to make neat joints. Paint the hearth and mantel-shelf white.
The mantel should be fastened to the centre of par- tition B in the living-room (see plan. Fig. 65).
Andirons should, of course, accompany the fire-place. These may be made as shown in Fig. 95. They consist of two pieces of cigar-boxes cut the shape of A and B {A an inch and one-half by an inch and one-quarter, and B an inch and one-half long), with the end of B glued in a slot cut in the lower part of A. The feet and the
HOW TO MAKE A DOLL-HOUSE
89
top of A and the foot of B are small brass-headed upholstering-tacks driven into the wood, which give the andirons a trim appearance. Paint the strips black.
Set the andirons upon the hearth with the ends project- ing into the fire-place, and pile several nicely shaped twigs upon them for logs.
The Interior Woodwork re- mains to be put on. Cigar- boxes make excellent imitation hardwood floors, for the halls, the ball-room, and nursery. Select as large pieces as pos- sible, and fit them on the floors with close joints. Nail them down with small brads.
Make the door casings from the same material, cutting the strips the shape and size of those used for the outside doors (Fig. 89). It is not advisable to hang inside doors, as they are easily broken off, and seldom work satisfactorily.
A chair-rail should be made in the dining-room of quarter-inch strips fastened to the walls three inches above the floor.
Make baseboards in each room out of three-quarter inch strips, and picture mouldings out of strips an eighth of an inch wide.
Fig. 95. — Andiron.
90 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
After completing the carpenter work of the house,
Set all Nail-heads with your nail-set, putty these holes and all others resulting from cracks and defects, and sand-paper the rough surfaces. If the woodwork is to be finished in its natural color, by varnishing or oiling its surface, color the putty to match the wood.
Paint the House a cream color, with white trimmings and a green roof, using yellow-ochre and white lead (mixed) for the walls ; white lead for the trimmings, bal- ustrade of front steps, chimney-caps, and striping of brickwork ; dark olive green for the roof, and treads and risers of the front steps ; and lamp-black for striping the stonework of the basement. The painting of the chim- neys and fire-place has been described.
Paint the front door on both sides with white enamel or white lead, with the exception of a panel in the centre, which should be oiled as shown in Fig. 89. This will give the appearance of a white enamelled door with a mahogany panel set in it.
CHAPTER VI
ANOTHER DOLL-HOUSE AND STABLE
Photographs of another style of doll-house are shown in Figs. 96 and 97. This house was built by the author for a little relative some ten years ago, and is still in perfect condition, as the photographs show.
Packing-cases were used for its construction, with cut-up cigar-boxes for window-casings, door-jambs, fin- ished floors, etc., and small mouldings for the outside trimmings.
The inside arrangement and the general construction of the house is so nearly like the design in the preced- ing chapter, that most of the details and the mode of construction may be followed in building it. If boxes are used, the dimensions will have to be figured out to suit, unless the boxes are pulled apart and the boards cut to the sizes shown in the illustrations of this chapter.
The Floor Plans, which will be found in Figs. 98, 99, and 100, give the sizes of the rooms, and the patterns for the making of
The Partitions are shown in Figs. 10 1 and 102. In cutting out the second-floor partitions (Fig. 102), mitre
91
92 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
one edge of E and F to allow for the bedroom door opening, shown upon the plan, and mitre the edges of G to fit between them above the door. The mitring is shown in the drawings (Fig. 102).
Besides cutting a stair opening in the second floor, make an opening three by five inches in the second and third floors for
The Elevator-shaft. Care must be taken to have these openings exactly over one another. Make the opening in the second floor six by eight inches in the place indi- cated upon the plan. This will allow for the elevator shaft and stairway. No stairway has been built to the third story, as the elevator serves the purpose, and one would take up too much of the ball-room space.
The Side Walls should measure nineteen inches wide by twenty-four inches high, and the other two walls thirty inches wide by twenty-four inches high. That portion of
The Rear Wall enclosing the kitchen and bath-room is hinged to open (see Fig. 98), and
The Front Wall is made in two sections, each hinged to a strip of wood an inch and one-half wide nailed to the two edges of the house, as shown in Fig. 96.
The Windows are four by five inches, so four-by-five camera plates can be used for the glass.
The Roof had best be made in two sections, each meas- uring twenty-eight inches long by twenty-four inches wide. Fasten the boards together with battens on the under side and, after mitring the upper edge of each,
LivirsiG' Room
D
Kn-CME:M
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Room
— "-' -itsr^p"""
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Fi G 98 riRST • rtJoo^ Pla/n
4"-+- 4" 4- 5" -4- A-" -4 — 5"—i- A-"-i- A"-J
Fig. 99. Second Floor PLArs
Ume of roof
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Fig I 101 i
First Flook PAETixior^s
19" —
Pig. 102. Seicomd Floor Par-tjtioins
Fig 100 Tmii^d ri^ooR PlaK
Figs. 98-102. — Plans of Doll-house and Patterns for Partitions.
93
94
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
nail them to the house so that the ridge is fifteen inches above the third floor. Then nail a board nineteen inches long by ten inches wide in the peak of the roof {D in Fig. 104), and a narrow strip three inches from each side
wall {K and L in Fig. 100). These cut off the triangular shape of the ball-room and give it a better appearance.
The Chimney is made the same as those for the other house, with the exception of the cap, which is built up of strips of cigar-boxes to represent corbelled brick (see Fig. 103). These strips should be three-sixteenths of an inch wide, and fastened in place by means of small brads.
An Elevator is something which is found in but few doll-houses. It was built in this house, think- ing it might please the young mistress, and proved such a suc- cess that the scheme has been worked out carefully in Figs. 104, 105, 106, 107, and 108, that you may include it in the house you build.
The cutting of the elevator-shaft has already been described. For material, procure two small pulleys, such
Fig. 103.
Fig. 105.
tiaU
Fig. 107.
ouble Potoi'ed' Tack,
Fig. 108.
Fig. 104. — Front View of Elevator-shaft and Stairs.
Figs.
[04- 1 08. — Details of the Elevator. 95
96 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
as are shown in Fig. io6, four feet of brass chain, six feet of No. 12 wire, half a dozen double-pointed tacks or very small screw-eyes, a short piece of lead pipe, and a cigar-box. Make
The Car out of the cigar-box, cutting it down to two and one-quarter inches wide, three and three-quarters inches deep, and seven inches high (see Fig. 107). Place two of the double-pointed tacks or screw-eyes in each side of the car for the guide-wires to run through and another in the centre of the top from which to attach the brass chain.
The Guide-wires are made of very heavy wire that will not easily bend. Cut two of a length to reach from the first floor to the ball-room ceiling, and after running them through the tacks in the sides of the car, stick their ends into small holes bored at E, F, G, and H (Fig. 104). The upper holes should be bored through the ball-room ceiling, while the lower ones need be bored but part way through the first floor. Care must be taken to have these holes in the correct position, so the elevator will run up and down upon the wires without striking the sides of the shaft. The easiest way of fastening the wires in place is to run the upper ends through the holes, until the lower ends can be set into their sockets, and then drive two double-pointed tacks over the top of each wire, as shown at E and i^in Fig. 104.
Now run the elevator up to the top of the shaft, and mark upon the ceiling where the screw-eye in the top of
ANOTHER DOLL-HOUSE AND A STABLE 97
the car strikes. At this point bore a hole through the ceiHng and two inches back of it bore another hole, through which to run the weight-chain. When this has been done, cut a short block of wood to fit the peak of the roof and
Screw the Pulleys to it two inches apart (Fig. 105). Fit the block in the peak of the roof, centring the front pulley over the top of the car as nearly as possible, and drive a couple of nails through the roof boards into it to hold it in place temporarily. Then
Attach the Chain to the tack in the top of the car, slip a piece of lead pipe about an inch long over the chain, allowing it to set on the top of the car to make the latter heavier (Fig. 107), and run the chain up through the first hole in the ceiling, over the pulleys, and down through the second hole. To the end of the chain attach a piece of lead pipe for
The Elevator-weight (see Fig. 108). — This should be just heavy enough to make a perfect balance between it and the car, which can be obtained by whittling off the end of the pipe until the weight of the two is the same. Make the chain of sufficient length so the weight will rest upon the first floor when the car is at the third floor. You can now tell whether or not the pulleys are in the right positions. When they have been adjusted properly, nail the block firmly in place.
The Gable-ends. — The front gable-end consists of four pieces {A, B, C, and D, in Fig. 109), the dimensions for
98
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
the cutting of which are given in the illustration. After preparing these, nail A, B, and Cin their proper positions in the gable of the roof, and trim the edges of D, if they need be, to fit between. To prevent the movable section from pushing in too far, it will be necessary to nail a
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Fig. 109. — The Front Gable-end.
narrow strip of wood to the roof and third floor just inside of it. The rear gable is made in one piece, and is fastened in place permanently.
The movable gable and all hinged portions should have
Spring-catches with which to shut up and lock the house (see the illustrations).
The Stairway is shown in Fig. 104, and the details for its construction will be found in Figs, no, in, 112, 113. This stairway is made in two parts, with a platform between. Cut a block of wood the shape and size shown in Fig. no for the platform, with notches at A and B for the tops of the lower stringers to fit in. Then
ANOTHER DOLL-HOUSE AND A STABLE
99
Prepare Two String- ers of thirteen risers similar to Fig. 1 1 1 and two stringers of five risers similar to Fig. 1 1 2, laying them off as described in the preceding chapter by means of a pitch- board similar to Fig. 113. After cutting out these pieces, fas- ten the tops of the lower stringers in the notches A and B in the platform, and nail the platform in its proper position in the corner of the hall. When this has been done, nail the bottoms of the upper stringers ^E in Fig. 112) to the sides of the platform at C and D, and set the tops in notches cut in the edge of the second floor.
3"-
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Stair -Platform
3" S<?UARE.
■^Notches- forStrlngers-
B |C
HA
PJTCH -BoATeD
Fig. 112. Opfei2 Stri/ngers Figs. 110-113. — Details of Stairs.
lOO
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
The Treads and Risers are made the same as in Fig. 74 (Chap. V), except that the depth of the risers is in- creased to five-eighths of an inch. Cut another platform from a cigar-box to fit over the rough one.
Build a Balustrade up the side of the stairs and around the elevator enclosures, using the scheme shown in Chapter V (Figs. 71 and 75).
All Other Details not mentioned here will be the same as described in Chapter V, including the painting and finishing of the house.
How TO MAKE THE StABLE
The stable shown in Figs. 114 and 115, and in the background of Fig. 96, will go nicely with the house described in this or the preceding chapter. Its con-
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Fig. 114. — Exterior of Stable.
ANOTHER DOLL-HOUSE AND A STABLE loi
struction is very simple. The dimensions are twenty- four inches wide, twelve inches deep, and twenty-two inches high, and the barn contains five stalls on the ground floor and a hay-loft above.
Fig. 115. — Interior of Stable.
To build the stable according to the drawings, a box ten by twelve by twenty-four inches should be procured for
The First Story. — If you have a box of different pro- portions it will be a simple matter to make such altera- tions in the details as it will require.
The Roof is made in two sections, each fifteen by eigh- teen inches, and is fastened to the top of the box so that the peak is twenty-two inches above the bottom.
102
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
The Gable-end is made in four pieces, as shown in Fig. 1 1 6, A, B, and C, to be nailed in place, and D to be
Fig. 1 1 6. — Front Gable-end.
movable as in the case of the doll-house. Make a three- by-five-inch window in the centre of D, and fasten the
glass in place with strips cut as de- scribed in Chapter V. Strips should be nailed to the roof just inside of the movable sec- tion to prevent the latter from setting in too far, and a spring catch fastened to C and D as shown, to hold the movable section in place.
Figure 117 gives the patterns and measurements for The Stall Partitions, four of which should be cut out and fastened to the floor of the stable four inches apart, or so they will divide the inside width into five equal stalls.
Fig. 117. — Stall Partitions.
ANOTHER DOLL-HOUSE AND A STABLE
103
The Feed-troughs are made out of two strips of cigar- boxes fitted between the stalls, as shown in Figs. 1 1 5 and 117, and are fastened in
place by means of brads and glue. Above the stalls cut
Small Windows an inch and one-half square in the rear wall. These are the ventilating windows for the stalls, and may be left open.
Figure 1 1 8 shows the construction of
A Ladder to the hay- loft. This is made out of two sticks twelve inches long, with strips of cigar-boxes two inches long glued to them half an inch apart, as shown in the drawing. Cut away a section of the hay-loft floor two inches square
Fig. 118.
Ladder to Hay-loft.
and stick the end of the ladder up through the open- ing, fastening the uprights to the edge of the floor (see Fig. 118).
A stick about three inches long, with a very small
104 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
pulley attached near the end, should be fastened in the peak of the roof for a
Feed-hoist (see Fig. 114).
The first story has
A Drop-front, as shown in Figs. 114 and 115. This is made from the box-cover. Fasten the boards together with battens placed upon the inside, and hinge it to the bottom of the stable. Nail two cleats to the under side of the floor (see Fig. 114) to lift it off the ground, just enough to allow the front to drop without springing its hinges.
When the front is down it forms an incline upon which to run the horses into the stable. For this reason it is not advisable to cut an opening in it, but merely
Represent a Stable Door on the outside (see Fig. 114). This is done with paint and a fine brush. First paint a green panel in the centre of the front, and then mark oE a couple of panels within this space with black paint, and stripe them diagonally to represent beaded-boards.
With strips of wood half an inch wide make
A Simple Trim around the door, the sides of the stable, and around the gable, as shown in the illustration.
When the cai-penter work has been finished.
Paint the Inside of the stable white, and the outside the same colors as used for the doll-houses (see descrip- tion on page 90, Chap. V).
CHAPTER VII
FURNISHING THE DOLL-HOUSE
With the carpenter work of a doll-house completed, the finishing of the inside, — wall papering and painting, — and the selection of furniture for the various rooms, remain to be done. This requires as much care as the building of the house, and while any boy can do the work, the help of a sister will perhaps simplify matters and give to the rooms a daintier appearance.
The Walls and Ceiling of the kitchen and bath-room should be painted with white lead or white enamel. For the other rooms select paper having a small design, such as is to be found on most ceiling papers. If you have ever watched the paper-hanger at work, you have noticed he puts on the ceiling first, allowing the paper to run down the walls a little way all around instead of trim- ming it off. Then he hangs the wall paper, and if there is no border to cover the joints of the ceiling and wall papers he carries the wall paper up to the ceiling. Use flour paste to stick on the paper, and a cloth or photo- graph-print roller to smooth out the wrinkles. The din- ing-room should have a wainscot of dark paper below
105
io6 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
the chair-rail, and a paper with Httle or no figure upon it above.
All Hardwood Floors, the stairs, door and window casings, baseboards, and picture mouldings should be varnished thoroughly or given several coats of boiled linseed-oil.
All floors, with the exception of the kitchen, bath-' room, and hardwood floors, should be fitted with
Carpets. — If you do not happen to have suitable scraps on hand, they can be procured at almost any fur- nishing store where they make up carpets. Select pieces with as small patterns as possible. The floors of the bath- room and kitchen should be covered with oilcloth.
Rugs for the hardwood floors may be made out of scraps of carpet.
Window-shades may be made for each window out of linen, and tacked to the top casing so that the bottom of the curtain reaches just above the centre of the opening. Each window should also have
Lace Curtains made out of scraps of lace. They should either be tacked above the windows or hung upon poles made out of No. 12 wire, cut in lengths to fit the windows. Screw small brass hooks into the top window-casings for the poles -to hang upon.
Handsome Portieres for the doorways can be made with beads and with the small hollow straws sold for use in kindergartens. For the
Bead Portieres, cut threads as long as the height of the door and string the beads upon them, alternating the
FURNISHING THE DOLL-HOUSE 107
colors in such a way as to produce patterns. Then tie the strings together to a piece of wire the width of the doorway, and fasten the wire in the opening. The
Straw Portieres are made similarly.
From magazine illustrations you can select
Suitable Pictures for each room, but if you are handy with brush and pencil you may prefer to make the pictures yourself. These may be mounted upon card- board and have their edges bound with passe-partout paper to give the effect of frames, or frames may be cut out of cardboard and pasted to them. Hang the pictures to the picture moulding with thread.
A Cosey-corner may be fitted up in the ball-room by fastening a strip of a cigar-box in one corner an inch and one-half above the floor for the seat, and hanging draperies on each side of it. Pillows may be made for it out of scraps of silk stuffed with cotton.
A doll-house properly proportioned in every detail, including the selection of its furniture, is pleasing to look at, and is to be desired much more than some of the specimens to be found in the stores. These very often have parlor chairs larger than the mantel, beds that either fill two-thirds of the bedroom space or are so small they are hidden from view by the chairs, and other furniture accordingly, all having been selected without any thought as to size or fitness.
Care must be taken, in buying the furniture, to have the pieces suitable to the rooms. It will no doubt
io8 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
require more time than to purchase the first sets you come across, but when you have completed the selec- tions, the result will be a much better appearing doll- house.
By carefully searching the toy-shops you are almost certain of finding what you want for the various rooms, as about everything imaginable in furniture has been manufactured. Porcelain bath-tubs, wash-basins with real faucets and running water, gilt furniture, chande- liers, and such articles are tempting to buy. But it is rather expensive to fit up a house in this way, for, though each piece may not amount to very much, they count up very quickly.
The suggestions for the making of cigar-box furniture in the following chapter, and the cork furniture in Chapter XXVIII, should give you plenty of material for furniture and save you the expense of buying this part of the furnishings for your house.
CHAPTER VIII
DOLL-FURNITURE
The metal furniture which you can buy is very pretty when it is new, but this new appearance does not last long after it has come into a youngster's possession, for the pieces are very slender and delicate, and thus easily broken.
Wooden furniture is the most durable kind, and plain and simple pieces will generally outlast the fancy ones. The designs illustrated in this chapter make very sub- stantial pieces, as there are no spindle legs or fancy arms to break off. They follow the lines of the mission furniture, that simple style used in the early American mission schools, and which is to-day being extensively made in handsome pieces for the furnishings of modern homes. You will find the
Miniature Mission Furniture, illustrated and described in this chapter, simple to make and something which is easy to sell, for there is nothing like it at present upon the market.
Cigar-boxes furnish the nicest material for making
109
no PROFITABLE PASTIMES
this furniture, and the various parts can be cut to the right shape and size with
A Gig- or Scroll-saw. Procure small brads and glue with which to fasten the pieces together.
To prepare the Cigar-boxes for use, place them in a tub of boiling water and let them remain there until the paper labels readily pull off. Do not use a knife in removing the paper, as it is liable to roughen the wood. The paper will come off by allowing it to soak long enough. When the boxes are clean, set them in the sun to dr}', after binding the covers to the backs to prevent them from warping. Pull the boxes apart when they are thoroughly dry, and throw out such pieces as have printing upon them, for these would spoil the appearance of the furniture if used.
In order to simplify the matter of cutting the parts that make the furniture, the cun^ed pieces have been drawn out carefully on page iii,so they can be laid off upon the strips of cigar-boxes without any trouble, by the process of
Enlarging by Squares. — These drawings are shown one-quarter of their full size (half their width and half their height). To enlarge them procure a piece of cardboard nine by thirteen inches, or a little larger than twice the size of the drawing each way, and divide it into squares just twice the size of those on page iii. That will make sixteen squares in the width of the card- board and twenty-four in the length, each half an inch
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Figs, i 19-126. — Patterns for Furniture.
112 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
square. In order to get the squares spaced equally, it is best to lay off the points first with a ruler along the top, bottom, and two sides of the sheet of cardboard, and then connect the points with the ruler and a sharp lead-pencil. Then number the squares as in the illus- tration, using the figures along the sides and letters across the top and bottom of the sheet.
With the sheet of cardboard thus prepared it is a simple matter to
Reproduce the Drawings of Figs. 119 to 126 by locating the points of the curves and corners of the pieces, as shown in the illustrations, in corresponding positions in the squares on your cardboard sheet. The curves may be drawn in by eye, after locating them with reference to their surrounding squares, but the surest way of enlarging them accurately is by laying off the points where the curve strikes each horizontal and vertical line in the illustration, upon the enlarged draw- ing. These points can then be connected with a curved line.
Make all of the lines heavy so they can be distin- guished from your guide lines, and after carefully going over the drawing, comparing it with that on page in to see that no mistake has been made in locating the points in enlarging, cut the various pieces apart. These give you
The Patterns with which to mark out the pieces on the wood.
DOLL-FURNITURE
113
We will first note the construction of
The Chairs shown in Figs. 127 and 128. These are four and one-half inches high, two inches wide, and an inch and one-half deep. Cut the back for the chair in Fig. 127 four and three-eighths inches high and an inch and three-quarters wide, the sides by the pattern in Fig. 119, and the seat an inch and one-quarter by
Fig. 127.
Chairs.
Fig. 12
an inch and three-quarters. With the pieces cut out, fasten them together with brads and glue, placing the seat between the arms and back so that it is an inch and one-half above the base.
Cut the back for the other chair (Fig. 128) four and one-half inches high by two inches wide, the seat an inch and a quarter by an inch and three-quarters, and
114
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
the sides an inch and three-eighths wide by two and one-half high. To get the curve in the bottom edge of the side-pieces, use the pattern in Fig. 119.
The Settee (Fig. 129) should have its sides cut by the pattern of Fig. 1 20. Make the back-piece three and three-quarters inches wide and three and one- quarter inches high, and the seat three and three- quarters inches by an inch and one-half. Fasten the seat against the back an inch and one-half above the base.
Tables for the living-room, dining-room, bedroom, ball- room, and nursery of a doll- house may be patterned after the designs of Figs. 1 30 and 131. These should be two and one-half inches high to be of proper pro- portion for the chairs.
The pieces necessary to fig. 130. — a Table.
Fig. 129. — a Settee.
DOLI^FURNITURE
115
make Fig. 130 are a top two inches square, two sides an inch and one-half wide by two and one-half inches high, and a shelf an inch and one-quarter square. Fasten the pieces together as in the illustration, placing the shelf between the side-pieces an inch from the bottom. The other design (Fig. '131) will do nicely for A Dining-room Table, or table for the centre of the living-room. The top of this should be five inches long and three inches wide. Cut the side- pieces by the pattern in Fig. 121 and, after fastening them to the under side of the table- top four inches apart, brace them with a strip three and three- quarters inches long by half an inch wide, as shown in Fig. 131.
A Side-board similar to Fig. 132 should be made for the dining-room. The pattern for the side pieces is shown in Fig. 122. After sawing these out, cut a piece seven inches long by three inches wide for the back and fasten the side-pieces to the edges of it. The location of the shelves can be obtained best by referring to Fig. 132 and the pattern in Fig. 122. Cut the bottom shelf {A in Fig. 132) three inches long by an inch and one-quarter wide and fasten it to the side-pieces
Fig. 131. — Another Design.
ii6
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
half an Inch above the base (line 24 on pattern, Fig. 122).
Make shelf B three by one inches and place it at line 22.
C should be three and three-quarters inches long by an
inch and one-half wide, with a small notch cut near each end with your knife, to make it fit over the side-pieces (see illus- tration). Cut shelf D three inches long by half an inch wide, fastening it in place at line No. 17, ^ three inches long by seven-sixteenths of an inch wide, fastening it at line No. 15, and F three inches long by three-eighths of an inch wide, fastening it at line No. 13. The top shelf (G) is three and three-quarters inches long and half an inch wide and is fastened to the tops of the side-pieces as shown in the drawing.
The lower portion of the side-board is enclosed with
Fig. 132. — A Side-board.
two doors two inches high by an inch and one-half wide. Small pieces of cloth may be used for hinges, but it is better to use pins, running them through the shelf above and below i^A and C, Fig. 132) into the doors. Stick
DOLL-FURNITURE
117
the pins near the edge of the doors and see that they are straight, so the doors will open easily. A small mirror attached to the back between shelves C and D will complete this piece of furniture.
A Mirror in a frame should be made for the living- room of the doll-house. A neat and suitable design for one of these will be seen in Fig. 133. For its construction cut two sides by means of the pattern in Fig. 123, a piece five inches long by three inches wide for the back, and a strip three inches long by three-eighths of an inch wide for a shelf. Fasten the sides to the edges of the back-piece, and the shelf between the sides about three-quarters of an inch above the base. Now procure a mirror such as you can buy in a toy-shop for five or ten cents (or a piece of a broken mirror cut down to the right ^'''- ^33- -A Mirror, size will do very nicely), and attach it to the centre of the back.
The Grandfather's Clock (Fig. 134) makes an effective piece of furniture for the hall or living-room, and is easily made. Figure 124 shows the pattern for the front of this clock. The back is made the same, with the omission of the square opening cut in the front frame for the clock-face. Cut a block of wood two by two by three-
ii8
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
quarters inches to fit between the frames at the top. After nailing the pieces together, procure a face from a toy watch, and fasten it in the opening made for it in
the front frame. A button sus- pended by means of a piece of thread from a tack placed in the bottom of the block forms the pendulum.
It will be unnecessary to give any suggestions for
Kitchen Furniture, such as chairs and tables, for these can also be made out of cigar-box wood along the same schemes illustrated in this chapter, with perhaps a few modifications which will make them simpler. Now for the making of some pieces of bedroom furniture. You will find in Figs. 135 and 136 two designs that are easily carried out, one or both of which may be used for
The Beds of a doll-house. To make Fig. 135, cut the head and foot by means of the pat- tern in Fig. 125, and cut the two sides by means of the pattern
Fig. 134. A Grandfather's Clock.
DOLI^FURNITURE
119
In Fig. 126. After preparing these pieces and fastening them together as shown in the illustration (Fig. 135),
Fig. 135. — A Bed.
cut a few strips a quarter of an inch wide for slats and fasten them between the sides of the bed. It is
Fig. 136. — Another Design.
I20
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
advisable to fasten these in place to prevent them from being lost.
The side-pieces for the other bed (Fig. 136) are cut out with the same pattern (Fig. 126). Make the head-
and foot-pieces three by four and one-half inches, cutting a piece two by an inch and one-quarter out of the top of each as shown in the drawing (Fig. 136), and using the pattern of the other bed for cutting the curve in the bottom edge. Nail the pieces together in their proper places, after which cut some slats and fasten them in the bottom.
The Dresser (Fig. 137) is made somewhat similar to the side- board. Cut the sides by the same pattern (Fig. 122) and fasten them to the edges of the back- piece, which should be six and one-half inches high by three inches wide. Cut shelf A three by one and one-quarter inches, B and C three by one and one- eighth, D three by one and three-sixteenths, and E and F one-half by one and one-quarter inches. Fasten shelf A between the sides at line No. 24 (see Fig. 122),
Fig. 137. — A Dresser.
DOLL-FURNITURE
121
B at line No. 23, Cat line No. 22, Z^ at line No. 21, and notch the ends of E and /^ to fit over the side-pieces at line No. 20.
Drawers to fit the lower shelves of the dresser may be made out of small strips of cigar-boxes or pieces of card- board, glued together. A small mirror fastened in the position shown in the drawing w^ill complete the work upon this piece of furniture.
A Wash-stand can be made for the bath-room and each of the bed- rooms similar to Fig. 138. The sides for this should be five inches high by an inch and one-quarter wide, and the shelves one by three inches. Fasten the lower shelf three-quarters of an inch above the base, and the top shelf at a height of two and one-half inches. When the stand has been put together, fit a round stick, about an eighth of an inch in diameter, in holes made in the sides with a gimlet (see illustration). This forms the towel-rack. Hang a small drapery over the lower portion of the stand.
Finishing. — When the pieces of furniture have been completed, they should be rubbed dow^n with emery- paper to remove the rough edges, and also any rough places that may have been caused by soaking the boxes
Fig. 138.— a Wash-stand.
122
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
in water. Then give the wood several coats of Hnseed- oil. This makes a beautiful finish for this kind of wood. If desired, the bedroom furniture may be painted with white enamel. The little hearts may be painted upon the pieces as shown in the illustration, with a small brush and red paint, or may be cut out of red paper and glued to the wood.
Other Cigar-box Furniture
In Figs. 139 and 142 will be found some pieces of furniture that are simpler to make than that just
described, and although they may not be so pretty, they present a very good appearance when neatly made.
The author con- structed many pieces of this furniture when a boy, and found them suitable as presents, be- sides being something that was always easy to sell.
The cost of making a
set amounts to but a few
cents, cigar-boxes being
Fig. 139. — A DoiPs Folding-bed. the principal material.
DOLL-FURNITURE
123
They are also very quickly made, as the boxes require
but little cutting.
For the construction of
A Folding-bed, such as is shown in Figs. 139 and 140, select two cigar-boxes, one of which will fit inside the
Fig. 141. — Foot.
Fig. 140. — Folding-bed (open).
other. The smaller box should be a little shorter than the inside opening of the larger box. After removing the paper from each, place the smaller box inside the
124
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
larger one, as shown in Fig. 139, so that the bottom of the inner box is flush with the edge of the outer box. Then drive a brad through both boxes on each side, about three-quarters of an inch from the end as shown at A (Fig. 139). These brads should run through the outer box into the bottom of the inner box, and should be driven in carefully so as not to split the wood. The inner box should now fold down as shown in Fig. 140,
moving upon the brad pivots. Purchase a five or ten cent mirror and fasten it to the front of the bed, after which cut two wooden feet similar to Fig. 141 and glue the pegs on the ends of these in gimlet holes made above the mirror. Finish the wood the same as described for the other cigar- box furniture.
The Dresser shown in Fig. 142 is made out of a box the same size as the larger one used for the folding-bed. Saw the sides of the box in half, crosswise, and remove the upper half and the end-piece. Then nail the end across the tops of the remaining halves of the sides. When this has been done, divide up the lower portion of the box into compartments as shown in the drawing
Fig. 142. — Dresser completed.
DOLL-FURNITURE
125
(Fig. 143). This should have a small drapery hung over it. The upper portion of the dresser should have a mirror attached to it, and some lace draped over the top and sides will add greatly to its appearance.
All you will have to do in making
A Wardrobe will be to fasten some small hooks inside of a cigar-box, attach the cover with a strip of linen — the same way it was attached before you soaked it off — and hang a mirror on the front.
These pieces of furniture were designed for separate sets, and would not do for doll-houses the size of those in the preceding chapters, unless the boxes were cut down to smaller proportions.
^B"
Fig. 143. — A DolPs Dresser.
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CHAPTER IX A BOY'S PRINTING-SHOP |
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Since the manufacture of printing-presses in small sizes, printing has become so popular among boys that it is now hard to find a neighborhood in which there is not a press.
Printing is one of the best methods of mastering spelling and punctuation, and is thus a great help to a boy in his studies, besides being a pleasant occupation at which he can earn money.
If you cannot afford a large press, be satisfied with a small one for the time being at least. Get to work, learn to print neatly and accurately, and when your friends find your work is of good quality, they will gladly patronize you. Your profits should soon net you enough with which to buy a larger press and increase your equipment.
After securing a press, it will be necessary to find a place in which to keep and use it, where there will be a good light to work by and where things are not likely to be disturbed. If you have a workshop, you may be able to make room in it for your outfit.
126
127
128 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
When the author became the proud owner of a machine, he found it convenient to keep it in his room with his type-cases and material beneath the press-stand. But in the course of several years the printing-shop re- quired more space than the room afforded, and a new office had to be secured. This was found in the wood- shed, where a corner was partitioned off, a double sashed window placed in the wall, and the interior fitted up with a case-rack, imposing-table, stock-stand, and all the necessities for an enlargement of business. Figure 144 shows the arrangement of our shop a few years later, when it again became necessary to increase our floor space by adding a " mezzanine " story above, extending to the roof of the shed. This half-story was reached by means of a ladder, as shown in the drawing.
The principal equipment of a boy's shop should con- sist of a number of cases in which to keep the fonts of type ; a rack in which these cases can be kept and at which the typesetting can be done ; a work-bench, one end of which may be used for an imposing-table and the other for the press to stand upon ; and two cabinets, one for stock and the other for ink, tools, and general supplies. The other materials required are : a composing-stick, composing-rule, pair of tweezers, galley, leads, rules, fur- niture, mitre-box, imposing-stone, quoins, shooting-stick, mallet, planer, hand-roller, and gauge-pins, besides a can of ink, an oil-can, a bottle of machine-oil for washing roll- ers, benzine for cleaning type, and a good supply of rags.
An Amateur's Outfit.
A BOY'S PRINTING-SHOP 129
Small presses are usually accompanied by a few fonts of type, which are sufficient for printing small business- cards, etc., but are of so few letters as to make an ordi- nary job of printing impossible. With an increase of capital.
Type should be the first addition to your outfit. In making selections bear in mind the amount of money you have to spend, and buy only styles which will go together nicely and which can be used for the greatest variety of work. If possible, secure the advice of a printer in purchasing, as by his experience he can tell what you will most require better than you. You can probably obtain a specimen type-book from the type foundry in your city from which to make your selections.
Type-cases divided into small compartments for the various letters and characters, which can be bought for seventy-five cents or a dollar, provide the only satisfac- tory means of keeping fonts. It is advisable to spend the money for these neatly made boxes rather than attempt to make them, for the work will amount to more than what you can buy them for.
Figures 145 and 146 show the upper and lower news- cases with the systems of " laying " generally employed in printing establishments. It will be seen that by this method the principal letters are grouped in the cen- tral portions of the case where they are easily reached, while the less important letters are scattered around the sides. The central boxes of the lower case are also
130
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
made larger than the others, " e " being allotted the largest box as it is used more than any other letter in the alphabet.
As the lettering of the spaces and quads in Fig. 145 may be confusing to the beginner, it is perhaps well to
SCHEME FOR LAYING CASES.
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Fig. 145. — Lower Case.
Fig. 146. — Uppercase.
explain that these are based upon the " m " quads which present a square end, the " 2m " and " 3m " quads being two and three "m" quads in width, and an "n" quad one-half an " m." Likewise spaces are known by the fraction they represent of an " m " quad, viz. " 3m,"
" 4m," " 5m," and " 8m " (more commonly known as hair-space).
The upper and lower cases provide for about every character included in a complete font of type. For smaller fonts you will find the Yankee job-case very convenient, the letters being arranged the same in the lower portion, and the capitals being placed in the upper boxes (see Fig. 147).
Fig. 147. — The Yankee Job-case.
A BOY'S PRINTING-SHOP
131
It will be unnecessary to have
A Rack for the Type-cases until you have added several styles of type to your outfit. Then you will find a rack such as is shown in Fig. 148 one of the best methods of keeping the type away from the dust and at the same time in an accessible place.
This rack should be four feet in height, the width of a type-case, and twenty-eight inches deep, which is large enough for twelve cases. It is best made out of four-inch boards.
Cut the uprights A and E three feet six inches long, and B and F ioMX feet long. The
top-pieces C and G should be ^^^- 148. -A Type-case Rack.
cut similar to Fig. 149. First lay out these pieces on four-inch boards, using the dimensions given on the drawing and being careful to get both pieces the same.
Fig. 149.
132
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Having properly marked the pieces, they remain to be cut out with the rip and cross-cut saws. Cut the bottom- pieces D and H twenty-eight inches long, and prepare twenty-two inch-strips of the same length for cleats.
One of the most particular points to be looked after in making a rack of this kind is the attaching of the cleats, for unless they are perfectly hori- zontal and those on one side are on a level with those on the other side, the cases will not slide in satis- factorily and will be continually caus- ing trouble. Plenty of space should also be left between the cleats to prevent the cases from sticking by the cleats swelling or warping.
In order to get the cleats in the right position, the heights should be laid off on the uprights as shown in Fig. 150 and lines squared across them. You will then have the same heights on each upright.
Having prepared the pieces above described, we are ready to put them Lay uprights A and B upon the ground, twenty inches apart, and with the lower ends on a line with one another. Then fasten board D to them as shown in Fig. 151, the upper edge being even with the first divisions on the upright. Drive but one nail in
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B |
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Fig. 150.
together,
A BOY'S PRINTING-SHOP
133
each end of D until the other end of the frame is fastened together. Strip C should be placed as shown in Fig. 151, so that the upper edge of one end is even with the top of upright A, and the upper edge of the other end three inches above the top of upright B. This gives the proper pitch to the top of the rack. Then, after measuring the distance between uprights A and B to see that it is no more or less than twenty- inches, nail C firmly to them, after which drive several more nails into the ends of D,
When this has been done, fasten the cleats in place, so that the top of each is even with the line squared across the uprights. This completes the frame. The opposite frame is made similarly.
When both frames have been made, they should be ^^^' ^^^"
fastened together by means of the crosspieces shown in Fig. 148. Measure the width of your cases, w^hich varies somewhat with different makes, and set the frames about half an inch farther apart than this width. Then cut the boards /, /, K, and L the correct length and nail them to the places shown upon the drawing. Strips
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3" |
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A 1 |
3 |
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134
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
M and N should be fitted between C and G to help support the top.
The top of the rack is made to hold two cases at a time, the lower case on the front part and the upper case back of it.
Cases should be kept out of the dust as much as possible, as dirt accumulates in the boxes very quickly, and is hard to clean out. It is therefore a good plan to tack cloth or heavy wrapping-paper to the back, sides, and below the top of the rack, and provide a curtain to hang over the front when the cases are not in use. When the boxes do become dirty, the dust should be removed by means of a pair of bellows. In composing, or setting type,
A Composing-stick is necessary. This should be held in the left hand, as shown in Fig. 152, while the right
hand picks up the type one by one and drops them into the stick, where the left thumb shoves them into place. It will
Fig. 152. — How to Hold the Composing-stick, j^^ g^^^ |^ looking
at the illustration that the type are set upside down and read from left to right. This may seem awkward at first, but with practice you will soon become accustomed to reading the letters in this position.
A Composing-rule, similar to Fig. 153, should be cut out
A BOY'S PRINTING-SHOP
135
Fig. 153. — A Composing-rule.
of a piece of brass rule. In typesetting, the rule is first placed in the stick, and the type then placed against it
When a line has been set and there still remains a space too small for another word, it is necessary to either place wider spaces between the words to fill out the line, or reduce the space sufficiently to make it pos- sible to add the word. This operation, which is known as
Justifying, should be performed after each line has been set. Then place a lead against the type, lift out the composing-rule from behind the first line, and place it in front of the lead preparatory to setting a new line. After composing a stick full of type, it should be emptied into
A Galley. Figure 154 shows a galley made of half- inch stuff. Cut the pieces as shown, and fasten them
together so the bottom- piece is tilted sufficient to keep the lines from
" Pieing " — or falling out of line — without tying them together. Emptying a stick may prove difficult at first, but if the lines have been properly justified and are gripped at the ends with the thumb and first finger of each hand, there is but little danger of making pie.
Fig. 154. — A Home-made Galley.
136 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
The beginner will, however, doubtless pie his type a number of times, until by experience he learns the proper handling of it.
Proofs are struck while the type is in the galley, by running an ink-roller over the matter, then placing a damp sheet of paper on the type and running a dry hand-roller over the paper. The print thus obtained is known as the " first proof." It should be fully cor- rected by means of proof-reader's marks, which can be found in the appendix of any dictionary, after which the corrections should be made in the type and a second proof struck off.
When the matter has been fully corrected, it should be placed upon
The Imposing-stone — a piece of marble or other flat stone set upon the work table. After properly leading the type,
The Chase — an iron frame cast to hold the type for printing — should be placed over it. The space between the type and chase should then be filled out with
Furniture. — Metal furniture consists of hollow metal blocks of various sizes, while wooden furniture comes in strips of different widths, which may be cut up into the lengths required. Use a mitre-box similar to the one described in Chapter I in cutting the wooden furniture.
Locking-up a Form. — The type is locked-up by means of iron wedges known as " quoins." There are two
A BOY'S PRINTING-SHOP
137
forms of these, those driven together by means of a "shooting-stick" and mallet, as shown in Fig. 155, and those locked by means of an iron key, such as is shown in Fig. 156. The latter kind is probably the most comm.only used to-day. Before locking ^ the form, the type should be levelled with a planer, which is noth- ing more than a block of hardwood with a smooth, even surface. The planer should be
set upon the type and ^^^- i55--Locking-up a Form.
given a few light raps on the top with the hammer, until the face of the type is even. Then lock the form
securely, being careful to have as equal pressure as possible on all sides, to prevent the type from springing. The form is then ready for the press.
Distribution consists in re- placing the types in their respective boxes after the form has been printed, and is no longer desired. The matter should first be thor-
Key and Quoins.
138 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
oughly washed, then unlocked. The distributer lifts out several lines of the type, holding them in his left hand, with the nicks uppermost and the letters facing him. One or more words are picked from the top line with the right hand, and each letter is dropped into its box, after which several more words are picked up and similarly distributed.
A few pointers in regard to presswork may be helpful to the beginner.
The Tympan, or metal bed upon which the paper to be printed is placed, should be padded well with paper to make a firm impression, the number of sheets required depending upon the character of the form. These sheets are held in place by means of the iron clamps which slip over the ends of the tympan (see Fig. 160).
The first print struck off probably will be imperfect, that is, some portions will be lighter than others, due to uneven impression. This is overcome by what is known as
Overlaying the form. Make several impressions, in- cluding one on the top tympan-sheet. Then cut out the light portions of a print and paste them directly over the corresponding printing on the tympan-sheet (see Fig. 160). Thin tissue-paper will be found good for building up portions requiring but little increase in pressure.
Underlaying consists in pasting strips of paper to the back of type or cuts which print unevenly, to make the low portions higher.
A BOY'S PRINTING-SHOP
139
When the form prints satisfactorily, you must prepare the marginal lines before running off the job. The margins can easily be marked off upon the tympan-sheet, as you have the impression upon it for a guide (see Fig. 160). When this has been done,
Gauge-pins of some sort should be stuck into the tympan-sheet along the marginal lines as guides for plac- ing the paper in the press for printing. Two forms of these pins, which can be bought for twenty- five or thirty cents a pair, are shown in Fig. 157. These pins must be so placed that there will be no danger of them mashing the type.
There are several forms of home-made gauges which may be used, three of which are shown in Figs. 158, 159,
Gauge-plowith- Spring-tongue •
Brass • Gauge-pio.
Fig. 157. — Two Forms of Gauge-pins.
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(D |
||
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mmim |
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Fig. 158.
J ^
Fig. 161.
Fig. 160.
Figs. 158-161,
Fig. 159.
Home-made Gauges.
and 161. The first (Fig. 158) consists of an ordinary pin bent into the shape shown. The second (Fig. 159) is made out of a strip of cardboard scored and bent as
I40 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
in the drawing. It must be pasted in place and held in position until dry, to prevent it from slipping (see Fig. 1 60). The third form of home-made gauge-pin consists of a quad (Fig. 161), or thin piece of furniture, pasted to the tympan-sheet.
In Inking the Press be careful to spread the ink evenly over the disk, and apply just enough to make a clear, clean copy. Too much ink will clog the type and produce a smeared print.
Ink should not be left upon the form after the latter has been removed from the press, but should be washed off immediately with benzine. The disk and rollers should also be washed after use, as the ink will not be good when hard and will become dirty.
The Life of a Roller is greatly increased by using machine-oil rather than benzine for washing it. Ben- zine is too drying for the composition of a roller (which is glue and molasses) and takes the elasticity out of it, causing it to crack. Keep the rollers in a cool place in the summer and not in too cold a place in the winter, for extremes in temperature also affect the composition.
Neatness is absolutely necessary in printing, and to secure this you must keep your hands clean so as not to finger-mark your prints. Care must be taken in throwing off printed sheets to see that they do not fall upon freshly printed ones if these are wet enough to mark them.
Materials should be put away in their proper places
A BOY'S PRINTING-SHOP 141
after use. Do not throw type, leads, and furniture carelessly about, as they are likely to be lost or broken by doing so. Cigar-boxes make handy receptacles for pied type, until you have an opportunity to sort out and distribute it. These are useful also for keeping leads, furniture, and rules in, and a cabinet similar to that described in Chapter I (Fig. 15), or the curio- cabinet described in Chapter IV (Fig. 59), should be made to hold them.
The young printer should see to it that
Proofs and Scraps of Paper are thrown into a waste basket and not scattered about, as they accumulate rapidly, and not only make a shop look very untidy, but increase the danger of fire.
Oily Rags should be kept in a covered tin can, for they are liable to ignite spontaneously when exposed to the air ; and of course oils, gasoline, and benzine should be handled away from fire and corked up after use.
CHAPTER X
AMATEUR JOURNALISM
Amateur journalism is by no means a new pastime, but probably at no time in its long history has it been thought as much of as at present.
It would be a difficult matter to even roughly estimate the number of papers which have been issued in the amateur world. Mr. Edwin Hadley Smith of New York City has the largest collection now in existence. This at present consists of 22,600 amateur papers, 500 amateur books, 800 photographs of amateur journalists, 800 professional clippings, and 2,500 miscellaneous printed relics dating as far back as 1845. The collec- tion, which is the result of many years' work, is sorted and catalogued, and will soon be placed in one of our large libraries, where the public may inspect the work that has been turned out by amateurs for the past half century.
It is said Benjamin Franklin published an amateur paper in 1723, when a lad of seventeen years; and in tracing the history of amateur journalism down to the present time, a person would be surprised to find what
142
THE GOLDEN
STATE ffhc llnlional gimatmn*.
y^rv^m'^cs. ._^
MTt-n ^^^\ln
•^«E BLUE PEIVQL...
THK INI AND AMATEUR. _ , ^^NR
Tilt HOBO, y,l,i« lHiv5tin-u Auiatrui>
TH
' f!
j Tilt PfcNNANr
THE ILLINOIS AMAVEDR.
fj THE RANDOM AMA7 EL
The Dr-eamer ^
^^1^' CLARIS ^^ OPIMONS
i
r'7^"^ i
mot
SANS GENE MWINALIA
3Nv- .f,s . -
"' p.-
THE PERIPATETIC if
ADVANCE.
The Qiiarteriy Review.
e fi^ Eag!
HON
The^Metropole. TRINITY
The ShilULih.
IBE SE^Ri H-Lir,Hl
(The IJcdoer
fHfc rRANSCtJiPi. J[!^ American Amatour.
A Giioup OF Amateur Papers.
AMATEUR JOURNALISM
143
a large number of the most successful statesmen, writers, and scientific men this country has had were amateur journalists in their younger days.
There are at present in the neighborhood of two hundred amateur papers published in the United States. A few of these papers, representative of amateurs from all parts of the country, have been grouped together and reproduced opposite page
i42,andseveralothersare C HEMISTRY NEW5. shown in Figs. 162, 163, ED)TOR\AX-
164, 165, and 166. It is ^"
to be regretted that lack ^o^* <^ /w-^rvub "U/vwju 1^
of space forbids a larger G<f^^Xo^>^ uo-U^V oJ^^^Jionji^ display of these papers, f*^ '"'^^^ c^aA^-^ Cw ul^^a^oU^ many of which are quite t^ IfW^' Jtt U:> AUT'\iji^ unique and reflect credit "ttx^ o^XjOvyvju uAJiJL a-wvo cowt*.
upon their publishers.
During the centennial at Philadelphia in 1876, the National Amateur Press Association was formed for the purpose of spreading amateur journalism and bringing amateurs into closer relations with one another. The United Amateur Press Associa- tion was formed in 1897, and, while it is a younger organization than the National Amateur Press Associa- tion, has a large membership of amateurs.
Fig. 162. — A School Paper. 32 pages. Size 2{" x 2|".
144 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Every boy aspirant to the field of journalism should join one of these associations as soon as he has the proper credential — a copy of his own paper, or an orig- inal article of his published in an amateur paper. By becoming a member and getting acquainted with other amateurs through exchange of papers, a boy is greatly benefited. He has a chance to see what other ama- teurs are doing, finds out through the other papers what the members think of his work, and learns through these friendly criticisms wherein he can improve his publication. He also has a chance to enter his writ- ings for the prizes awarded annually by the associa- tions for the best poems, sketches, essays, histories, and editorials.
A great number of the members of these two associa- tions are interested in smaller organizations, among which are the Interstate Association — consisting of the members of the East — and the Western. Again, a large number of amateurs have formed state organi- zations, and in large cities, where there are enough members to do so, local clubs have been formed. The city clubs hold frequent meetings, at which it is cus- tomary for the members to take part in literary pro- grammes. The state and other organizations generally hold semi-annual meetings, and the National Amateur Press Association and the United Amateur Press Asso- ciation meet annually in some city chosen the pre- ceding year, and at this convention elect their officers,
AMATEUR JOURNALISM 145
make awards of prizes for the year, and have a general good time.
The boy who is owner of a printing-press is almost certain to get the publishing fever and commence the publishing of a small paper. If his press is too small for such an undertaking, it will of course be necessary for him to do such job printing as he can get to do until he has earned sufficient money to buy a larger press and such materials as he will need in publishing a paper.
But it is not always the boy who has had a taste of printing who becomes interested in amateur journalism. There are few boys nowadays who pass through their school life without devoting some of their time to this interesting and instructive work. A paper started by one boy is generally followed by several more, and in
I this way the number of amateur papers sent out in a
] town very rapidly increases.
Nothing daunts the ambitious boy. If he has not a press, and there are no prospects of him earning one
, for some time, he will not allow this to interfere with
\ his plans. It only means he must devise some other way of printing. Many boys have already proven that a press is not an absolute necessity, by issuing papers printed with rubber type, written by pen and on type- writers, and printed by the mimeograph and such dupli- cating machines. These are all more or less tiresome operations, but ways in which the boy determined to
146 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
publish a paper may start. A few examples of papers printed by these methods are shown in Figs. 162, 163, and 164.
It might be interesting to know a little something about how these papers were run. The one shown in Fig. 162 was lettered by hand, and while only one copy of an issue was made, and that passed about in the
school at which the publish- fo'ii: ers attended, there was a
L k z z h:cb school dailt.
701. I. Cfclcago Bov., 7, 1904. Mo 2
For Lake High Athletic*. 1 1 1 r 1 ' ^
y,...!^^eSLrci:f:':t ?.vs:i?fr:it^rs?i2o^i?;; ^rV"' Sfood deal of work required
IntereBtlns. It eeecs thot there are nore toll men In thla <-? ■■■
year'o claee than In class heretofore In the Unlverolty. .
Some very fUie strength tests hove been made. The average iT\ CTf^T 1 'f' 1 IT^ lirilng strength of the back Is 300 iba. and that of the HJ iiC L IL UIJ * lees between 500 and 600 lbs. One man lifted 7S0 lbs. with *-' *■
hlfi lege. The average lung capacity Is 240 cu. In. Twenty student: have ever 300, and one man has 360 cu. In. This iB, however, an uouacal number of cases of unequal should- «ra and crooked aplnea. This deformity 1» , It seems, be- coDlng more and more prevalent In the Dnlverslty. It la du« to Incorrect habits of sitting and standing, especlaily dur- ing the growing age. If taken In hand early, such defects may be easily corrected, but If long neglected they are al- most Impossible to cure.
The Dewey School la about to give an entertainment which according to the report of the puplla, will be very good.
The French claea Is the owner of two young men who »re ' ^
kind enough to give the rest a good laugh oocaslonally. One, of them deolareo very decldedly-or aa decidedly as he can In French-that he does not like the other. But the second Is of a kind and forgiving spirit, and when asKed about his attitude, ha returns good for evil by liking first one. But perhaps It was not only this ) aplrlt of his that makes hla answer thus, for heard the French teacher say that she would not 11 first youn< man If he did not say he liked the other. And we're also afraid the other speaker did not understand the French, or he would not have persisted In disliking the oth- er, and thus forfeiting the Instructor&a regarda.
Has Klso Tolman ever read the story of Ulyasest Ack her; perhaps she will answer you as gravely as aha did a Preahniaa vho asked her this qussllon.
The paper shown in Fig. 163 is also a school paper, published at the Lake High School, Chicago. The copy for this was first written off hi^iust on a wax sheet by means
Ike the J
of a typewriter, and this sheet placed on the cylin- ' der of a machine known
Fig. 163. — Another School Paper. i ^j i
as a " neostyle, the cylm- der then being revolved and the papers printed from the wax sheet.
The paper shown in Fig. 164 was the writer's first attempt in the publishing line, and was indeed a sorry specimen of typography. A box of rubber type, a four line holder, and ink-pad constituted the printing outfit. The paper was a twelve-paged two-column affair, requir-
AMATEUR JOURNALISM
THE MIMOE.
147
Vol.1.
Chicago June 1894
No. 2.
MY PETS.
Chapter 2. Her kitten grew up to be
ED HER 'Tabby."
STAIRS TO OUR BED -ROOM AND
scratch at our door until
it was opened.
Then she would jump into
VERY PRETTY, AND WE NAM -OUR BED AND CUDDLE UP TO
GO TO SLEEP, BUT OUT SHE
She kept her- self so nicecame again when we did, and clean that we let hefand when we sat down on come into the house whenthe floor to put our shoes
EVER SHE WANTED TO.
She SOON grew as fond
OF MY BROTHER AND I, AS
WE WERE OF HER, AND EVERY
MOF^NING BEFORE WE WERE
OUT Of bed she came to
THE KITCHEN DOOR AND CRIED UNTIL THE GIRL LEI HER COME IN, AND THEN WOULD RUN RIGHT UP
ON SHE WOULD CATCH THE BUTTON- HOOK AND TRY TO PULL IT AWAY AND LOOK AT US AS MUCH AS TO SAY * 'don't GET DRESSED, oust
play with me. "
One day she got very sick
AND WE did every- thing WEC^ULD FOR HER, BUT SHE BEGAN TO SUFFER SO
Fig. 164. — Printed with Rubber Type.
ing six Impressions of four lines each to the column. The column ruling was done with a pen, and, after print-
148
PROFITABLE PASTIMES
ing the copies, each had to be gone over and retouched with pen and ink. It was a long and tedious job, and so wearing upon the type that they were practically use- less by the time the second issue had been printed. But by this time the publishers became owners of a
press with which they were
GRATZ PARK NEWS
Editoi^ln-Chief; — Brownell Berrymart, Associate Editors:— Irving and Ed Mc> Clure« Goodloe McDoweili Fred Leonard, Russell des Cognets, Lu- cien Fishback, Roger Williams, Ed- die Morgan and Jas Wm Craig.
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY. 14, 1?03.
GEORGE WASHINGTON. His father said: "Who cut my cherry
tree?" f, with my little hatchet, see'." Wait till I take off my shoe. You'll see what I'll' do for you." But Georgie wouldn't tell a lie. So he deserved a piece of pie.
JAMES WILLIAM CRAIG.
TOWN TALK.
Did you send your girl a valentine.
The Trust Company is thinking of building a sky scraper.
The candy at the Gleaners' valentine party was iine
able to turn out more satis- factory work.
The first thing for a boy to consider is
The Character of his paper — whether it shall contain news of the ath- letic field, the school, or the neighborhood, entirely, or be devoted to amateur jour- nalism entirely, or be made up of a little of each.
The schoolroom presents so much of interest to those in and out of it, that papers managed and edited by several pupils, with the articles written by the different classes, are generally successful. Athletic news is always interesting to boys, and to have at least a portion of your paper given up to this subject might be a good plan. The paper shown in Fig. 165 is an example of a small paper, the size of the sheet being three by four and one-
(Courtesy of Strand Magazine.)
Fig. 165.
sm
AMATEUR JOURNALISM 149
half inches. It was published a few years ago by six boys living in Lexington, Kentucky. The staff, the oldest of whom was but ten years of age, consisted of the editor-in-chief, who attended to the general manage- ment, editing, and printing of the paper, and five other boys, known as the associate editors, who gathered the news and did the hustling. This paper contained mostly neighborhood news, and had a large local circulation. 3[^|t^ J^cdg^r
The paper shown in Fig. 166 consists of twelve pages printed upon a press with a form capac- ity four by six inches, and is given up entirely to the publica- tion of original stories and poems.
Some boys who do not own presses have the printing done by professionals, but simply to edit a paper gives them but half
the pleasure and experience derived from executing all the work themselves, — editing, printing, binding, mail- ing, etc.
In Naming a paper be sure to select a suitable title for it, a name with a meaning, such as will denote the char- acter of the publication, being desirable.
The Frequency of Publication will depend largely upon the size of sheet, number of pages, the amount of time that can be devoted to the work, and the facilities for
|
VOL. 2. |
MARCH & APRIL, 1896. NO. 2. |
|
A WEEK'S DIARY |
|
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WMFLE VISITING AT TWIN LAKES WIS.. JULY 1896. |
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B, A. N..I, M.ll. |
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CHAPTEH 3. |
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The Ar„..l. |
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T>.. pl>c |
-her. we were go. »e lo c-p w„ oh ih. .op o |
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a h.ll Ihll ro |
e Irom the lake .0 -e cirr.ed s.ch .. ihe a'ih«.h( |
|
whtrc the su |
n would hot get It them ahd Iheh o^ught up tha |
|
th« g'ouno |
hd hammered the st.kes down oh ohe SKle. and |
|
while Rossr. |
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kei down on the other s.de. Then we la<d the |
|
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b.g-iisdow |
on the 6'oond On the Inside of the lent and were |
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cows IhJl w |
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ed to be .n too much ol a hurry to go w,lh the res |
|
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"'"'"• •" |
d ....bout to it.ck them dow„ hill ..M« RoH |
|
Fig. 1 66. |
I50 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
printing. Whether weekly, monthly, semi-monthly — twice a month, bi-monthly — once in two months, or quarterly, try to place each issue in the hands of sub- scribers as nearly on time as possible.
The Size of Page will depend largely upon your press. However, a small sheet is most desirable for an amateur paper.
The first page should be headed with the name of the paper set up in rather large type. You will find
A Stereotyped Heading cheaper to buy than a font of large type, and easier to handle on account of its being in a solid block. Below the heading should appear the volume number, date, and number of issue, on one line, followed by the title of the article and body of type.
The Choice of Type may be made by examining the sheets shown opposite page 142 and in Figs. 165 and 166, many of which are good specimens of typography. These should also help you to formulate your ideas as to the style of your paper.
The second page should be headed with the page number and name of paper — or title of story — in small caps, this line to be separated from the body of type by means of a pica brass rule.
Great care should be used in publishing a paper to have the proof thoroughly corrected before the form is printed, for typographical errors spoil the appearance of the paper and are always disgusting to the reader. Also see to it that the marginal lines correspond on each
I
AMATEUR JOURNALISM 151
sheet, and try to get uniform impressions throughout the paper.
A Cover is desirable for a small paper, as it adds to its appearance and size. If you have one, set it up in some- what the same style as those shown opposite page 142. The cover sheets should be cut a little larger than the inside sheets, so they will cover the latter when they are bound together.
With the printing of an issue completed, the sheets are ready for
Binding. — They may be fastened together by means of wire staples, paste, or thread.
Figure 167 shows a scheme of stitching much employed in printing-offices and which is simple for an amateur to do. The sheets are first folded inside one another, as in the drawing. Then, starting at A with a needle and thread, run the needle
throueh the sheets
•£>
carry
the thread underneath the
sheets from A to B, from
B to C above, from C to ^ beneath, and up through the
sheets at A. Then tie the two ends of D and E in
a hard knot, with the portion of the thread marked F
between them.
The cover may be bound with the rest of the sheets, or pasted to them after the sheets have been stitched.
152 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
Few amateurs bother with
Advertisements, probably because it is hard to find merchants who have confidence in results from maga- zines with small circulations ; but with cheap rates you should be able to secure enough ads. to more than defray the expenses of publishing a paper.
Before soliciting these, cut a sheet of paper the size of a page and divide it into small spaces with a pencil and ruler, making what is known as
The Advertisers' Dummy. — Show this to your prospec- tive advertisers and let them pick out the space they wish, charging so much per inch, the rate varying accord- ing to the position the ad. will occupy.
With at least four regular issues a year, and not less than fifty per cent of the circulation paid subscriptions, you will be able to enter your paper in the post-of^ce of your city as
Second-class Matter, which makes it possible for you to mail your papers to out-of-town subscribers at the rate of one cent per pound.
To secure these privileges write to the third assistant postmaster-general of your city for an entry blank, together with full particulars concerning second-class matter. Return the application with a copy of your paper; and when it has been passed upon, the postmaster will issue you a certificate entitling you to these rates and author- izing you to print upon your paper " Entered at the post- of^ce at (name of town) as second-class matter."
CHAPTER XI
A BOY'S DARK-ROOM
There is no reason why an industrious boy cannot do a profitable business with a camera, when he has learned to operate it successfully, does careful and neat work, and charges a reasonable price for his pictures. The many monthly photographic competitions in the maga- zines should be a great help in showing where his faults lie, and when he has overcome these he should be able to make considerable money from the cash prizes offered.
An amateur should master as much of the work as possible. One of the most interesting parts is missed if you pay a professional to develop your plates, and you never know where your faults have been made in taking the pictures, by not seeing the manner in which the image appears on the negative during the development. Even though you spoil one or two plates in your first attempts at developing, your results on the whole will probably be as good as those obtained by a professional, who is very often careless with amateurs' work.
No discussion of photography has been included in
153
154 PROFITABLE PASTIMES
this book, as a complete treatise would be too lengthy, and a condensed description impractical. There are a number of excellent publications which describe the subject in detail, making it so clear