Cabinetwork and joinery

Cabinetwork and Joinery is a natural outcome of, and sequel to, Cassell's Carpentry and Joinery, with which work it is uniform in style and price. Whilst the chief object of that work was to explain constructive principles adopted in the related crafts of carpentry and joinery, the present purpose is to give some hundreds of examples showing further how these principles are applied in everyday practice.

The reader is here assumed to be acquainted with hand tools and appliances - their shapes, care, and uses; with timber - its qualities, varieties, and selection; with the different forms of joints and their adaptability to various conditions; with the setting out of work - including the preparation of rods; and with the principles of construction in woodwork; all these matters are fully dealt with in Woodworking and in Carpentry and Joinery, the earlier volumes in this series The present book devotes but little space to the rudiments of cabinetwork and joinery, but makes a direct and immediate appeal to the constructive instinct of the craftsman by presenting him with an extensive and varied range of designs of completed articles, accompanied by full explanatory notes.

In almost every case the objects here illustrated have been made by their designers, who also contributed the original drawings and descriptions either to Work or to Building World, and it is from the columns of those two weekly journals that this volume has been compiled The thoroughly practical character of the work is thus assured, the contributors including the foremost
master-craftsmen of the day.

Emphasis is laid on the fact that the book is concerned with actual practice only. In every case the designs are workmanlike, and the host of detail illustrations - of which this book certainly contains more than any other of its kind, if any other exists - will be welcomed by all craftsmen who seek for thoroughness and sound constructional practice.
 

This book is uniform in style, size, and price with "Cassell's Carpentry and Joinery" and whilst the chief object of that work was to describe constructive principles, the present purpose is to provide a wide range of designs and working drawings. Information on first principles, tools, materials, and processes is quite outside the present scope: for these subjects the reader should refer to a companion volume, "Woodworking" (Cassell k Co., 98.), which fully describes the manipulation of tools and materials, and devotes much space to the discussion of elementary exercises and simple examples; and he should consult, also, "Casseirs Carpentryand Joinery," already mentioned. which constitutes a reliable treatise on the technology of the two related crafts. The present purpose being chiefly to illustrate and describe typical examples of work, all other matters are but minor considerations here.


Kitchen Table with Turned Legs.

With regard to kitchen tables, a turned leg generally gives more satisfaction than the ordinary plain tapered leg, common to cheap tables, and costs but little more. Fig. 1 is a section through part of a kitchen table, showing one of the legs as well as the general construction. Into this table is introduced a slide for a drawing-board, or it may be utilised for a baking-board. There is also a drawer below. Fig. 2 shows the appearance of the front of the table. Part of the front rail is cut away to allow for the thickness of the board, and then stretchers are dovetailed down to it as shown in Fig. 3. The size of the drawer is next decided on the necessary amount of stuff is taken out and rebated stretchers are inserted between front and back rails. The drawer (Fig. 4) has pieces screwed to the sides to travel along the rebate in the stretcher, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The bottom of the drawer is checked in square, and blocked with square fillets. This kitchen table may be made of good yellow pine throughout, with pins inserted through the legs into the tenons.
Blocks may also be glued in at the back of the leg and rail. Bottom stretchers may be dispensed with when the rails and legs are well bound together.


Rectangular Side Table.

The next table to be considered is a side or hall table. Fig. o is a half elevation of the front of such a table. The legs are checked to receive the rails, which are carried all round, mitered at the corners, and screwed from the back through the legs. They are also blocked at the back, similarly to those in the previous example. A fielded channel is cut down the rail, finishing in a diamond pattern at the centre. A narrow rail is also carried along the front, and channelled out in a similar manner. A small moulding (see Fig. 6) is carried along the rails immediately under the table top, and this top is secured as shown in Fig. 7.