The back is hinged to the rear rail of the chair by means of ordinary strap-hinges, and is adjusted by means of a cross-rod which fits into notches cut out of the inner edges of the arms.
Tenons should be thoroughly pinned to the mortises, as well as glued.
Cushions may be bought at almost any fur niture store. Good denim- or burlap-covered cushions will cost from six to nine dollars, de pending on whether they are cotton- or hair filled. Cushions covered with art leather such as Spanish roan, will cost from sixteen to twenty dollars. Cushions could be made by the home craftsman, if he so desired. Leather stores, however, will not sell part of a hide; and to buy more than one might happen to need would be a poor proposition, with the cost of leather as high as it is.
The bottom of the Morris chair might be fin ished by merely putting slats across at frequent intervals. A much more satisfactory way is to put in webbing and springs, upholstering over them with some cheap but strong material.
The construction of the foot or leg rest shows plainly in the sketch (Fig. 129). The sides should be made twenty-one inches high, ten inches wide, and of one-inch stock. The top and stretchers should be twenty inches long, with a thickness of one and one-eighth inches.
The sides are mortised, and the top stretchers tenoned into them and keyed in the usual manner.
The top may be left bare, but a more attractive appearance is obtained by covering it with art leather to match that of the cushions. It should be padded to make a comfortable place for the feet to rest upon. Ornamental-headed nails are used to fasten the leather to the edges of the top. These may be obtained in colors to har monize with that of the leather.
The (Fig. 129) would make a suitable piece of furniture for almost any room of the house, but is especially appropriate for the den, where it is desired to have the light close at hand. The drawers furnish an excellent place for keeping materials necessary for the pleasure of- a quiet evening at home.
The top of such a stand should be about eighteen inches square. The legs should be
thirty inches long and two inches square. The drawer-fronts should each be three inches wide. A one-inch rail under each drawer would there fore necessitate side and back rails of a width equal to eight inches. These rails should be thoroughly mortised into the legs, and, like the top and drawer-fronts, should have a thickness of seven-eighths of an inch.
On small drawer construction, such as for these, too much care cannot be taken. The parts should bye as thoroughly prepared and fit ted together as are the legs or top. No better evidence of a good workman exists than the manner in which he makes and finishes the drawers. A slovenly workman thinks it does not matter whether he is careful or not, since the work is to be concealed most of the time. Not so with the gdod workman—blind-dovetail joints are not too expensive for him, even if they do not show all the time.
The bookcase and table of Fig. 130 should be made of the same kind of wood, and finished in a manner similar to those pieces just described.
Quarter-sawed white oak, well seasoned and especially selected, can, in the writer's estima tion, be finished into as pretty pieces as many of the higher-priced woods. Plain-sawed oak takes mission finishes nicely, and is liked even better by some people whose tastes are too con servative to enjoy the striking "figures" of the oak when quarter-sawed.
The bookcase is of what might be called "shell" construction. The ends are single boards eleven inches wide and seven-eighths of an inch thick. The shelves are of the same thick ness. There are four shelves, including the bot tom, and these are fastened firmly to the end pieces by nails. They are not adjustable.
The front is of one and one-quarter-inch stock, framed together, and nailed to the shelves.
The doors are of one and one-eighth-inch stock, and have the rails placed so that each covers the edge of a shelf. Double-strength glass is used for filling the panels. This glass should be "bedded" by placing soft putty in the rabbets and between the fillet and glass.