Cathy Baker - Building Simple Furniture: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-06

by Cathy Baker Look over the wood furniture projects in this bulletin. See something you need? A small table for the hallway, perhaps, or the Adirondack chair or picnic set for enjoyable outdoor living. Heres a surprise for you. You dont need a basement full of power tools to build them. Just the simple hand tools listed below. And you dont have to be a master carpenter, either.

Just follow the step-by-step instructions, and the illustrations. Its simple. Youll enjoy the furniture you build, and get even deeper satisfaction from having built it yourself.

Hammer Crosscut saw, back saw Coping saw Pencil Measuring tape Try-square Smooth or block plane Router Plane Chisel Screw Driver Two C-clamps Brace or hand drill Drill bits, numbered 1/8, 9/64, 7/32, 3/8, , 23/64, 5/16, , 5/8 and 1 inch. (Materials for these projects may be purchased at hardware stores, lumberyards and building supply stores.) Whenever there is a common stock name of the measure of an article it will be given in parentheses after the listing of the actual measurement of that article. For example, a piece of wood with the thickness of one and one-half inches commonly called a two-by-four.

If you ask for an article by its common stock name, you will save time and avoid confusion.

Need a place for those little, breakable items youve collected, or those spice jars? Here it is, and its a snap to build. Bill of Materials

Pieces	Use
	sides
	top
	upper shelf
	middle shelf
	lower shelf
4-penny finish nails
cardboard for patterns

Dimensions:
thickness	width	length
5/8

fig. 1Procedure Cut, plane and square the boards to the sizes given in the bill of materials. Make a full-sized cardboard pattern of the shelf side. Lay it out on the boards as shown in .

Saw the sides to shape with a coping saw. Start with the upper curve, then saw the two middle curves and finish with the lower end. fig. 2fig. 3 Sand all rough surfaces. On both surfaces of the sides draw two light lines where each shelf is to be fastened.

Refer to the side view of . Start the nails through the outside of the shelf side until the points just come through on the inside. See . Press the first shelf against the nail points.. fig. 4 .

Continue in this manner with the other shelves. fig. 5fig. 6 When all of the shelves have been nailed to one side, turn the nailed side down so that it is resting on a flat area and nail the second side on. Be sure to keep it square.. .

Lay it out and saw to shape. Drill a hole in the diamond, insert the coping blade and saw the diamond to shape. Sand. Refer to . Nail the top to the sides and top shelf. Top of SidesTop PiecePatternsfig. 7Bottom of Sides

Or call it a side table if thats what you need. 7Bottom of SidesOr call it a side table if thats what you need.

Its sturdy, handy and decorative. Bill of Materials

Pieces	Use
	seat
	rails
	legs
	dowel
8-penny finishing nails
8 2#8 flat-head screws

Dimensions:
thickness	width	length
		18(2 6)
		(2 2)
		21(2 3)
5/8 round 171/4 long

fig. 1Procedure Cut all stock to the sizes given in the Bill of materials. Nail the rails (B), to the underside of the seat pieces (A) as shown in . Lay out and cut the parallel angles on the ends of each leg. fig. 2fig. 3fig. 4afig. 4bfig. 5