Produced by Chris Curnow, Brian Wilcox and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) Transcriber's Notes: Italic text is marked _thus_; bold text is shown =thus=. Apparent typographical errors have been corrected and hyphenation standardised. Unusual punctuation and original spelling have been retained. Fig. numbers do not follow in strict numerical order. [Illustration: Front Cover.] THE BOY CRAFTSMAN HANDICRAFT BOOKS BY A. NEELY HALL _8vo. Cloth. Illustrated with hundreds of photographs and working drawings by the author and Norman P. Hall_ THE BOY CRAFTSMAN HANDICRAFT FOR HANDY BOYS (_Revised Edition_) THE HANDY BOY (_Revised Edition_) HOME-MADE TOYS FOR GIRLS AND BOYS HANDICRAFT FOR HANDY GIRLS CARPENTRY AND MECHANICS FOR BOYS HOME-MADE GAMES AND GAME EQUIPMENT (_Revised Edition_) OUTDOOR BOY CRAFTSMEN BIG BOOK OF BOYS' HOBBIES LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD COMPANY BOSTON NEW YORK [Illustration: A BOY'S WORKSHOP.] THE BOY CRAFTSMAN Practical and Profitable Ideas for a Boy's Leisure Hours BY A. Neely Hall With more than four hundred illustrations by the author and Norman P. Hall [Illustration: Page Decoration.] BOSTON LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. COPYRIGHT, 1905, BY LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD COMPANY. Published, August, 1905. _All rights reserved._ THE BOY CRAFTSMAN. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. Work hard--Play hard. --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 entertaining, 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 published 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 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 hustling, 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 consideration, 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 generally 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 _The American Boy_ and _The Boys' World_, and thanks are due the 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. CONTENTS [Illustration: Boy 'Fixing' Clock with a Hammer.] 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 II 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--Withdrawing Nails--Toe-nailing --Blind-nailing--Clinching--The Nail-set--Nails--Screw-driver for Bit-stock--Screws--The Countersink. SHARPENING TOOLS 37 Grinding Chisels, 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 III 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 71 Store Doll-houses--Profit from making Doll-houses--The Materials 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 Partitions and Walls--The Elevator-shaft--The Windows--The Roof--The Chimney--An Elevator--The Gable-ends--The Stairway--A Balustrade --Other Details. HOW TO MAKE THE STABLE 100 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 109 Metal Furniture--Miniature Mission Furniture--Material--Drawing the Patterns--The Chairs--The Settee--Tables--A Side-board--A Mirror--The Grandfather's Clock--Kitchen Furniture--The Beds-- The Dresser--A Wash-stand--Finishing. OTHER CIGAR-BOX FURNITURE 122 A Folding-bed--The Dresser--A Wardrobe. CHAPTER IX A BOY'S PRINTING-SHOP 126 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 Publication--The Size of Page--A Stereotyped Heading--The Choice of Type--A Cover --Binding--Advertisements--The Advertisers' Dummy--Second-class Matter. CHAPTER XI A BOY'S DARK-ROOM 153 Profit in Photography--The Necessary Equipment--The Bedroom 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--Another Scheme for a Drying-rack--A Cabinet--A Ruby-light--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 186 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. CHAPTER XV 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--Putting the Framework Together--The Gunwales--The Ribbands--The Deck Beams-- The Ridge Pieces--The Deck Braces--The Cockpit--The Canvas Covering--The Deck--Painting--The Cockpit 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. CHAPTER XIX A BACK-YARD CIRCUS 255 The Ancient Roman Circus--The Circus of To-day--How Several Boys gave a Circus--Preparing the Yard for a Circus--Making 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--Reënforcing the Runners. PART III _INDOOR PASTIMES_ CHAPTER XXIII A MINIATURE THEATRE 303 An Interesting Entertainment--A Picture-frame Proscenium--The Stage Framework--The Gridiron--The Stage Floor--The Drop-curtain-- Lighting the Theatre--The Footlights--Floodlights--Colored Lights --Spotlights--Admission Tickets and Programmes. CHAPTER XXIV SCENERY, PROPERTIES, AND MECHANICAL EFFECTS 311 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 331 The Trolley-line--Supports for Trolley-line--Power for Operating Railway--Tracks--The Cars--A Gondola Car--A Street Car--Other Cars--Operation of Railway--A Station. CHAPTER XXVI CLOCKWORK AUTOMOBILES 343 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--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 Furniture--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} 90 Fig. 97.--Interior View of Doll-house} An Amateur's Outfit 128 A Group of Amateur Papers 142 Fig. 168.--A Handy Dark-room} 154 Fig. 172.--A Washing-box and Drying-rack} PART II 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 Fig. 330.--A Field Scene } 316 Fig. 338.--A Blockhouse Scene} Fig. 339.--A Street Scene 320 Fig. 375.--The Car completed} 344 Fig. 376.--The Framework } [Illustration: Boys at the Bank.] [Illustration: Page Decoration.] PART I Profitable Pastimes CHAPTER I A BOY'S WORKSHOP [Illustration: Boy with Box-kite and Boy at Work-bench.] 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 experience 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 Christmas 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. 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 basement, 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. [Illustration: FIG. 1.--End View of Work-bench.] =A Solid Work-bench=, six feet long, thirty inches wide, and thirty-two inches high, should be constructed 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-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 crosspieces. Spike the crosspieces on to the legs and on to the piece nailed to the wall, as shown in Fig. 1. 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. [Illustration: FIG. 2.--Iron Bench-screw.] [Illustration: FIG. 3.--Wooden Bench-screw.] 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 1, 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 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. 1), while the portion _D_ is to be screwed to the jaw. If a wooden screw is used, the portion _C_ in the drawing (Fig. 3) is nailed to the inside of the bench-leg. [Illustration: FIG. 4. FIG. 5. Details of Bench-vise.] In order to guide the bottom of the jaw, an arrangement similar to _F_ in Fig. 5 should be made. Make a mortise two inches long by one inch wide near the 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 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 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. [Illustration: FIG. 6. FIG. 7. FIG. 8. Some Forms of Bench-stops.] 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 generally sawn while placed across horses. =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 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. [Illustration: FIG. 9.] [Illustration: FIG. 10.] 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 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 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. [Illustration: FIG. 11.--A Bench-hook.] [Illustration: FIG. 12.--A Mitre-box.] You will need =A Mitre-box= for cutting mitres in large work, and 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 accuracy is obtained by its use, but time is also saved. In using 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 accurate mitres. [Illustration: FIG. 13.--Sand-paper Block.] Before putting the finish upon a piece of work, the wood should be thoroughly sand-papered. In many 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. 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. [Illustration: FIG. 14.] =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 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= 1 14-inch Jack-plane. 1 18-inch Fore-plane. 1 9-inch Smoothing-plane. 1 22-inch Rip-saw. 1 20-inch Cross-cut saw. 1 12-inch Back-saw. 1 12-inch Compass-saw. 1 Gig-or Bracket-saw. 1 Ratchet Brace. 5 Auger-bits, 1/4-inch, 3/8-inch, 1/2-inch, 3/4-inch, and 1-inch. 1 Expansive-bit. Several Gimlet Bits. 1 Screw-driver Bit. 1 Countersink. 1 Brad-awl. 2 Hand Gimlets. 1 Automatic-drill. 4 Chisels, 1/4-inch, 1/2-inch, 3/4-inch, and 1-inch. 2 Gouges, 3/8-inch and 3/4-inch. 1 Draw-knife. 1 Jack-knife. 1 Hatchet. 1 Hammer. 1 Tack Hammer. 1 Mallet. 2 Nail-sets (large and small). 1 Hand Screw-driver. 1 Wood Rasp. 1 Metal File. 1 Pair Cutting Nippers. 1 Pair Pincers. 1 Grind-stone. 1 Oil-stone and oil-can. 1 Strop. 1 2-foot Folding Rule. 1 Large Steel Square. 1 7-inch Try-square. 1 Bevel. 1 Marking-gauge. 1 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 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. [Illustration: FIG. 15.--Tool-cabinet.] The cabinet shown in Fig. 15 is made out of a box about three feet long, two feet wide, and nine inches 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 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. 16, 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. [Illustration: 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 increase 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 in which to carry such tools as will be required to complete the job. [Illustration: FIG. 17.--A Carpenter's Carrying-box.] =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 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 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. 18). The two compartments should be sub-divided into smaller boxes, either with pieces of cigar-boxes, or with pieces of tin bent at the ends and fastened to the sides of the box, as shown in the illustration. [Illustration: FIG. 18.--Nail-box.] =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, especially the trousers. Better than these is a pair of overalls and perhaps a jumper. They are easy to work in and wear better than anything else. =A Few Hooks= should be placed on the wall for hats and coats, and for your working clothes, if you change 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. CHAPTER II THE PROPER HANDLING OF TOOLS [Illustration: Boy at Grind-stone and Boy with Bit-stock.] 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 condition. 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 remove 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 following directions, together with the illustrations, 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 included 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 work 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 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. [Illustration: FIG. 19.--Teeth of Cross-cut Saw.] [Illustration: FIG. 20.--Teeth of Rip Saw.] [Illustration: FIG. 21.--Position for Sawing. FIG. 22.] =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 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 a few short strokes until the saw has started to cut. Then use a long, steady stroke, putting all of the 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 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. [Illustration: FIG. 23.--Position for using the Back-saw.] 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 =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 commonly 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 most popular plane used to-day. It is more easily handled, 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 degrees of fineness of the 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. [Illustration: FIG. 24.--Stanley Iron Plane. _A._ Plane-iron. _B._ Plane-iron Cap. _C._ Wedge or Clamp. _D._ Adjusting Screw. _E._ Adjusting Lever. _F._ Stock.] 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 holding the knob on the fore part of the stock. Use a long, steady sweep, and bear with equal pressure from the beginning of a stroke to the end, to avoid the hollows that are so easily made by taking shavings of different thicknesses. 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, terminating at the surface. There is a right way and a wrong way in planing this, just as there are two ways of stroking a cat's back, one smoothing the surface, while the other roughens it. When you find a piece of wood with this kind of uncertain grain, you will probably have to change the direction of your planing a number of times before finishing the surface, in order to plane with the grain. [Illustration: FIG. 25.--Take this Position for Planing.] In planing end-wood, you will have trouble in preventing 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 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 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 instead of planing, and in trimming up a curved edge such as is shown in Fig. 26. Here the line _AB_ represents the line of the finished end of a piece of work. The board is first placed in a vise and the wood removed 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 Fig. 26. [Illustration: FIGS. 26 AND 27.--Paring.] 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 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 operations. They consist in cutting the edges of a piece of wood, as shown in Figs. 28 and 29. [Illustration: FIG. 28.--Bevel.] [Illustration: FIG. 29.--Chamfering.] The corner of a block of wood is very often chamfered, 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. 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 appears 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 carpenters use it in drilling holes in hard wood, before driving in finishing nails or screws. It beats the awl and 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
{'title': 'The Boy Craftsman by A. Neely Hall', 'source': 'Project Gutenberg', 'lang': 'en'}