122 



Popular Science Monthly 



The larger portions of each piece of furniture consist of disks of wood sawed from a large tree 

 trunk, the other parts being made up of tamarack poles with their ends smoothed and oiled 



No mortising, as in ordinary furniture 

 making, is needed. The lapping of one 

 piece over the other, leaving the sawed 

 ends exposed, is more in keeping with the 

 nature of the work. These ends should be 

 smoothed, oiled and varnished, the same 

 as the disks. Some bolts were put in to 

 fasten the arm pieces to back and seat of 

 chair, and the legs to set supports. Smaller 

 braces and rustic trimmings were nailed in 

 position. 



In the construction of a chair or settee 

 the four most important pieces should be 

 selected first — the rear legs, which also 

 form the back, and the front legs. If pos- 

 sible these should have slight curves. Plan 

 and build the back first, arriving at the 

 size and putting the cross-pieces in position. 

 The front section should then be made. 



Nailing the arm-rests and braces into their 

 respective positions will complete a solid, 

 rigid chair. 



Tables are easier to build than chairs or 

 settees. Careful measurements and simple 

 tools are all that are required, and a great 

 variety of chairs, tables, settees, desks, 

 rustic baskets, and other useful articles 

 may be made. The material, in most cases, 

 may be gathered during a tramp through 

 the woods in vacation-time, or it may be 

 purchased at little cost. 



Branches from the wood lot, limbs 

 pruned from fruit orchard or shade trees, 

 small tamarack or birch trees and the 

 ordinary willow from some swampy spot 

 may all be used to good advantage. The 

 making of the furniture is more of a pleas- 

 ure than a task. — J. E. Whitehouse. 



Dimensions of each piece of furniture shown in the halftone illustration above. These dimen- 

 sions are not arbitrary but merely give an idea of about the right proportions for comfort 



