924 



Popular Science Monthly 



Constructing a Convenient Table 

 for the Porch 



PORCH furniture to be worthy of a 

 place on the bungalow porch should 



Pleasing design of a porch 

 table that can be made of 

 any sound wood and coat- 

 ed with white enamel 



possess individuality 

 of type. The table de- 

 scribed here is different 

 from the conventional 

 porch table and has a 

 distinction of its own. 

 The following bill of 

 material gives the re- 

 quired pieces in lengths 

 to make a cutting fit. 



Details of the parts for 

 making the porch table 

 in a convenient size 



4 legs 27 in. long by 2 in. square. 



2 lower pieces 25 in. long, 2% in. wide and 2 in. 



thick. 

 2 cross-pieces 22' 2 i"- long by 2J4 in. wide and 



134 in. thick. 

 4 top pieces 25 in. long by 6j^ in. wide and l^g 



in. thick. 

 12 J/^-in dowels 3 in long. 

 4 No. 8 flat head screws 1 in. long. 

 8 No. 14 flat head screws 23^2 in long. 

 4 No. 12 flat head .screws 2 in. long with wa.shers. 

 4 casters. 

 Small qiuintity of 2j/2 in. finishing nails. 



Saw out the two lower cross-pieces first 

 and fit them together in the center with a 

 cross lap joint, fastening them with two 

 No. 10 screws. Next proceed to cut out 

 the legs by squaring them up to size and 

 cutting the ends to the correct angle. 

 This can be found by drawing the table 

 full size on a piece of wrapping paper and 



then obtaining the angle with a bevel. 



The top pieces should also be cut and 

 fitted together with a cross lap joint. 

 Fasten these together with the two No. 8 

 flat head screws. It is best to glue the top 

 up, using about four pieces to 

 overcome any tendency to warp- 

 ing. Join the edges with glue 

 and dowels, using about four 

 dowels to each joint. While 

 the glue in the top is drying, 

 assemble the supporting part. 

 Bore }i-\n. holes in the top and 

 bottom cross-pieces where the 

 legs are to be fastened, and 

 countersink the holes. Before 

 fastening the legs with screws 

 nail them in place with the 

 finishing nails and then insert 

 the screws. Draw the screws 

 up as tight as possible, and the 

 table parts will be held together 

 solidly. 



The top should be planed and 

 then scraped and cut out to 

 size on a band-saw. Smooth 

 up the edges and surfaces care- 

 fully with sandpaper. The top 

 is then fastened to the table 

 with screws run up through the 

 cross-pieces. The holes for the 

 screws had better be slotted and 

 a washer put under the screw 

 heads so that the top can shrink 

 and expand readily. After the 

 entire surfaces of all parts have 

 been well smoothed with sandpaper it is 

 ready for finishing. White enamel makes 

 a very fine finish for porch furniture. It 

 is applied as follows: First put on two 

 coats as a base, allowing time for drying 

 thoroughly between coats; then apply the 

 finishing coat. Allow three days for the 

 last coat to dry. Then the table is ready 

 for use on the porch. As the wood used 

 in its construction may be of any soft 

 variety it is not difficult to make and join 

 the parts snugly together so that there 

 will be no seam to show after the surface 

 is coated with the enamel. The same 

 table can be made in quartered oak and 

 stained to match furniture for a room, 

 or constructed of mahogany or birch 

 stained mahogany and used with other 

 furniture to match for the home. The 

 design is such that it will adapt itself for 

 use in either case. Haury W. Anderson. 



