By way of preface it seems unnecessary to say much beyond stating that the intention is to supply amateurs and young professional cabinet-makers with a reliable guide to the construction of cabinet furniture. No attempt has been made to teach the thoroughly experienced artisan, and no new fads are advocated either in style or processes. The ordinary reliable methods of the workshop and nothing more are explained, and on this account the book will, no doubt, be of greater use to those for whom it is intended than if new theories, of construction as it ought to be, according to many of those who presume to teach the skilled mechanic, had been advocated. It will, no doubt, have been observed by those who are interested in the subject that cabinet making as distinguished from joinery has received scant attention, as with scarcely an exception the books professedly treating of the former only, have included much that pertains to the latter. Those who are practically acquainted with the manufacture of furniture will understand the reasons, which, however, it is unnecessary to explain here.

Those who may wish to have a further acquaintance with the construction of furniture, other than cabinet work, may be interested to know that it is in contemplation to treat of upholstery, fret-sawing, marquetry cutting, French and other polishing, &c., in other volumes.

CHAPTER XVIII. - BEDROOM FURNITURE.

The furniture of the bedroom consists principally of wardrobes, dressing-tables, washstands, chests of drawers, and pedestal cupboards. Some may be inclined to think that the piece of furniture which gives its name to the room, viz., the bedstead should have been included in this list, and it may be well to explain that brass and iron bedsteads are now so much used that those of wood are practically obsolete. The construction of those of metal, of course, does not concern the cabinet-maker, so that, for present purposes, it is not necessary to consider them. The bedding, of course, so far as mattresses are concerned, comes under the upholsterer's hands, and, consequently, will not be described here. Following the course adopted in the last chapter, typical examples of the principal furniture will be given, details of design being left to the skill and discretion of the maker.

Chief among the things constructed by the cabinet-maker is the wardrobe, of which many varieties are found in size and arrangement. In most of them the leading features are a cupboard for hanging things in, with, when size permits, drawers, shelves, and sliding trays, and it is generally, invariably when ladies are concerned, considered that a large looking-glass is an essential feature. This, of course, is introduced as a door panel. As even a small wardrobe is a somewhat cumbersome piece of furniture, which it would be difficult to move to or from a room, while a large one could hardly be removed entire, it may be as well to say at the outset that wardrobes like other big articles of furniture are built up of separate parts which are fastened up together. The smallest wardrobe is the plain hanging variety shown in Fig. 194. It consists of three parts, the main or cupboard portion, plinth, and cornice, and requires few remarks. The width seldom exceeds 3 ft, height and depth from back to front being regulated according to ideas of convenience. The door is shown with a comparatively small glass, as to have one to the bottom would, on account of the weight, be rather a strain on such a small carcase, though, if this is made sufficiently heavy and deep from back to front, there is no reason why it could not carry a much heavier door. This, it will be noticed, does not extend the whole width of the front. The remainder is taken up with solid pieces, to which something of the appearance of framing and panelling is given by mouldings. Of course, these pieces may be actually framed and panelled, but the width is so trifling that it is hardly worth while doing so, while, on the other hand, the mouldings may be omitted, and the parts left plain, or be relieved by scratched headings. The ends are connected by solid top and bottom lapdovetailed into them. Plinth and cornice are secured by means of square blocks fastened to the top and bottom, and fitting into the corners. Thus, to fit up the parts, the plinth is laid on the ground, the carcase placed on top with the blocks fitting into the corners of the plinth, and, finally, the cornice is laid on. The back is munted and let into a rabbet in the ends, and lies over the edges of top and bottom in ordinary work, while if something better is wanted it maybe panelled. Fig. 195 represents a hanging wardrobe with drawer at bottom, and is available for sizes up to 4 ft. or even 4 ft. 6 ins. wide. It is made in four parts, viz., the lower portion containing the drawer, the cupboard, and, of course, cornice and plinth, though this latter, if it is considered preferable, may be fastened to the drawer carcase. In the main the construction is the same as before. The lower portion is merely a case to contain the drawer, which usually does not work direct against the ends, the thickness of which in front is apparently increased by pilasters of say, 2 ins. to 3 ins. in width, the space behind them, of course, being vacant except for the guides which are necessary for the drawer. The upper carcase is made as before, but the fixed pieces of the front may as well be framed up and panelled. The top and bottom, it will be noticed, are covered by the door, which may be either hung with butts or with centre hinges. In the latter case either the door must be rounded at the back edges by the top and bottom, or a small space must be cut in these to allow the door to hang. If centre hinges are used, a beading strip may be fastened on to the fixed portion similar to the one on the edge of the door. These pieces being fastened with one edge projecting serve to cover the joint of the door. A wardrobe of somewhat different construction, inasmuch as it has three drawers in the lower portion and has straight sides, is shown in Fig. 196. Owing to the absence of projecting plinth and cornice, this form is admirably adapted for fitting into a recess, as the sides fit close against the walls, and no space is wasted. When this method is adopted, the cornice, of course with straight sides, may be made separately, but it is usual not to do so, the moulding in front being simply let in between the two ends. The top cannot be dovetailed unless it is above the cornice, an unusual form of construction but one which gives additional height within the cupboard, and must be fastened by tenon or other joint into the ends.

The plinth may also be made separately, but it will occur to any one that it will entail less work if formed like the cornice. Screws are used to fasten the two main portions of the wardrobes together.

Fig. 197 represents a popular form of wardrobe known as the 'Beaconsfield.' On the left-hand side it has a hanging cupboard enclosed by door with glass panel; on the other are drawers below and a small cupboard above. In this may be either sliding trays or fixed shelves. Immediately above the plinth is a long drawer. Such a wardrobe may be made in three or two carcases according to size. If made without the long drawer at the bottom, two will be sufficient.

The ordinary form of three-door wardrobe is shown in Fig. 198. Two-thirds of the inside space, that is, a portion enclosed by two doors, is usually occupied with drawers below and sliding trays above, the remaining portion being a hanging compartment. As this form of wardrobe may almost be said to be the standard, a little more space may be devoted to it and its fittings than has been to the others. Of course any of the fittings, when circumstances allow, can be modified to suit to any of the wardrobes of smaller size or different shape. The three carcases in which such a wardrobe is made are sufficiently shown in Fig. 199. The lower left-hand one is practically a plain chest of drawers without the ornamental adjuncts of plinth, finished top, &c., and if the doors are hinged to cover the ends the drawers run against these. As has been stated, in such constructions as this the top and bottom of the carcase should be a trifle longer at the back than in the front in order that the drawers may run easily. The carcase above the drawers contains the sliding trays. These are in reality nothing but a modified form of drawer, being comparatively shallow, and usually having the front much narrower than the back and sides. They may also be compared to sliding shelves, with a rim round them to prevent things falling off. Necessarily from their formation a different arrangement from that of drawers is necessary for the carcase arrangements for fitting them in, bearers, runners, and guides being dispensed with, or rather they take a different form. The trays may simply rest on ledges fixed to the carcase ends, but in this case there is the obvious disadvantage that there is nothing to prevent them tipping up when partly drawn out. This mishap may be obviated by ploughing a groove in each tray side, and fixing a slip of wood to correspond into the carcase ends, as shown in Fig. 192. The strips are best secured with screws, the heads of which should be well sunk. The groove in the tray sides may come right through to the front, but this being fastened with the lap-dovetail joint, it will look better to stop them short just behind the tray front. Additional strips may if desired be fastened on the ends for the bottom edges of the trays to run on, but as a rule they are not necessary.

Another method of securing the trays, but a somewhat clumsy one, is to fasten strips above as well as below them. Its chief merit is simplicity.

The fittings of the right hand or hanging compartment vary considerably, according to the ideas of the maker or of the user of the wardrobe. Hooks, of course, to hang things on are naturally essential, and may be looked upon as the principal fittings, to which the others are subordinate. Special wardrobe hooks are among the articles made and sold by the cabinet brass-founder. They are usually fastened, not direct on to the ends and back of the carcase, but to rails, which are then screwed on. These afford support for a shelf to be laid on them if one is considered desirable, and in this case they must be fixed sufficiently low down to allow the required space above.

Instead of the hooks being on fixed rails, they may be fastened on to the insides of a sliding frame. The advantage of this is that in a large compartment a fourth row of hooks may be used instead of only three, as there is now a front rail available. The frame is made like a drawer or sliding tray, but of course has no bottom.

Instead of, or in addition to, the ordinary hooks, a cluster of revolving hooks may be hung from the top, but these are not often used.

Another method, and often a very convenient one, as by it great economy of space is secured, is by brass rods from side to side, and having sliding hooks on them. These hooks are very much like those often used to hang pictures to rods with, but are lighter, especially on the hook portion below the ring.

Very often at the bottom of a hanging compartment is a deep covered- in receptacle, commonly known as a bonnet-box or drawer, according to its formation. The maker must use his discretion whether there is sufficient space left for hanging purposes if both shelf at top and drawer below are fitted. It may be observed that it is comparatively seldom that both are required.

When a drawer is made it is only necessary to say that it must be sufficiently deep, and that immediately above it and covering it is a shelf or top fitted into the carcase ends. From their size such drawers are somewhat unwieldy, and it is no uncommon thing to find them dispensed with in favour of a fall down front. This is simply a door hinged to the bottom of the carcase, and fastening by a lock or spring bolt into the shelf above. To prevent its casting, such a front should be either framed and panelled or clamped at the ends, this latter being the more ordinary form.

Another method is to fasten the front in, and have a sliding tray above it to give access to the interior.

A variety of large wardrobe (6 ft.) precisely similar in external appearance to the one last described is somewhat differently fitted inside, though it also has drawers and trays. These, however, are short, the wardrobe being formed of three upright carcases, two of which, generally those at the ends, are hanging, and the other contains the drawers and trays.

Many fancy forms of wardrobes have been made, especially of late years, but the essential differences of construction are principally in design, however much they may vary in shape and general arrangement. It may be said that the insides of hanging compartments of wardrobes are generally lined with striped and glazed lining, so that the objectionable ochre colouring so often put on by London trade makers who sell principally in the white or in an unfinished state should be omitted, as otherwise it must be washed off before lining. In superior wardrobes the covering of the glass behind is usually framed and panelled, but in the commoner kinds thin wood, either running from top to bottom, or if the size is considerable with a munting across, is generally deemed sufficient.