Rustic Carpentry Part 3

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig 73.--Detail of Closing Stile.]

Cut the closing and hingeing stiles 6 ft. long out of stuff 6 in. wide by 2-1/2 in. thick. The three rails are of the same dimensions, and can be halved and dovetailed to the stiles or, better, mortised, tenoned, and wedged and braced, as shown in Figs. 68, 69, and 70. Separate pieces of stuff are fixed up the centre to form a muntin for supporting the rustic work; the necessity is obvious from Fig. 66, where it will be noticed the twigs are outlined on the frame. Each twig has a bearing on the frame, and can thus be nailed individually.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figs. 74 and 75.--Designs for Rustic Gates.]

Two stout gate hinges and hooks are required, and they can be bolted on with 7/16-in. Whitworth bolts and nuts, or secured from the back with square-headed coach screws. Now commence fixing on the unbarked twigs; they should be as straight as possible and used in their natural shape, without being split in halves.

The terminations of the joints for circular stuff are slightly different from the ends of the half-round stuff; see Figs. 71 and 72. Start by fixing the outside square, then the two inner squares, and finally the diagonal filling.

The posts are 9 in. or 10 in. in diameter by 9 ft. long, 3 ft. being underground. Cut three mortises in the posts to receive the rails for the side fencing. These rails are nailed flush to the secondary posts, nails also being driven through each mortise in the gate posts. Next dig the holes for the posts, these being kept at correct distances apart by nailing battens to the top and at the ground line while ramming in the posts. Two parts of old brickwork and one part of Portland cement will make a good concrete for the posts.

A week or more should elapse before the gate is hung to the posts. This may then be propped up fair between the two posts, and the positions should be marked for the staple of the latch, and hooks for the hinges.

A rebate is formed for the gate on the posts by nailing on split sapling; see Figs. 67 and 73. Finally, a short post can be driven in the ground and fitted with a hook for retaining the gate when open wide.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figs. 76 and 77.--Designs for Rustic Gates.]

Suitable designs for small rustic gates are given by Figs. 74 to 77. The wood for making gates to the two designs (Figs. 76 and 77) should have the bark removed. The chief rails and posts are about 2 in. thick, filled in with 1-1/2-in. or 1-in. pieces, halved and nailed together where they cross. The joints may be hidden by bosses of planed wood (see Fig. 77). If the gate is to be removable, fix a hook on the hanging stile to engage with a staple in the joint, and a pin in the bottom to turn round in a socket. The gate is then easily taken out of its hangings. Varnish the wood on completion.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figs. 78 and 79.--Designs for Fences.]

Rustic fences can be constructed as shown in Figs. 78 to 80.

The garden trellis ill.u.s.trated at Fig. 81 will form an attractive addition to the grounds of a suburban or country villa residence. In the case of new houses, the existence of such a trellis, with creepers ready planted, will often prove a deciding factor in effecting a quick sale or letting. The structure extends to a length of about 20 ft., but the dimensions may readily be altered to suit requirements. The material may be fir or other straight unbarked saplings and twigs. The posts are 12 ft. long; the four for the arch being 4 in. in diameter, and the others 3 in. or 3-1/2 in. The rails are 2-1/2 in. in diameter, and the twigs for the trellis, etc., 1-3/4 in. or 2 in. The bay seat with canopy is 6 ft. long by 1 ft. 4 in. wide.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 80.--Design for Fence.]

The position of the seats and posts and of the sh.o.r.es A, B, and C is clearly shown in the plan (Fig. 82). The arrangement of the double posts adds materially to the stiffness of the framework, making long sh.o.r.es unnecessary. The sh.o.r.es are placed 3 ft. 6 in. above the ground line, and are inclined at an angle of 50. The posts are sunk into the ground a distance of 3 ft., and well rammed in; rubble stones being mixed with the earth, as shown in the vertical section (Fig. 83).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figs. 81 and 82.--General View and Ground Plan of Rustic Trellis with Seats and Gate.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 83.--Vertical Section of Trellis.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 84.--Section through End Post and Trellis.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 85.--Detail of Back of Seat for Trellis.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 86.--Alternative Design for Gate.]

The arch may with advantage be entirely fitted together before being put in position, as a better job can thus be made of the joints of the short rails and struts. The joints in the remainder of the work, with the exception of the gate, are of the simplest description. The rail ends are bevelled and notched to the posts, and secured with nails as shown in the sectional view of the trellis at Fig. 84.

Having erected the framework in position, next sink and well ram the sh.o.r.es deep into the ground, and splay and nail the top ends to the uprights. Also fix the shorter posts for the seats, letting them into the ground about 1 ft. 6 in. The end seat bearers are fixed to the end posts, and the centre bearers to the front and back central posts. The seat battens are saplings split in two, the flat portion being laid downwards and nailed to the bearers (see Fig. 83). Fig. 85 is an enlarged section through the seat back, showing the method of securing the smaller twigs to the rails. The fixing of the vertical pieces in the lower part, and the inclined lengths above, will complete this portion of the screen.

The gate, shown enlarged at Fig. 86, which gives an alternative design, is 3 ft. 9 in. wide by 4 ft. 6 in. high. The stiles are 4 ft. 9 in. long and about 2-1/2 in. in diameter, and should be as straight as possible, with the twigs neatly trimmed on; the rails should be at least 2-1/4 in.

in diameter, trimmed to fit the stiles, and secured with inserted hardwood dowels 1 in. in diameter, as shown at Fig. 26, p. 27.

The diagonal struts in the top panel should be fitted and in place before the rails and stiles are finally secured; the vertical twigs in the lower panel should be similarly fitted and nailed before the rails are secured to the stiles. Ordinary forged hooks and eyes are used for hanging the gate; these are secured to the stile and post with nuts and washers, as shown in the enlarged horizontal section (Fig. 87).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 87.--Method of Hanging and Latching Gate.]

A mortice is cut in the closing stile to receive the latch, the catch for the latter being a simple forging (see Fig. 88) with a pointed tang for driving into the post.

A rustic carriage entrance is shown by Fig. 89. The intention is, of course, that the rustic archway above the gates shall be more or less clothed with climbing plants. It is for roses that the structure will be best adapted, though clematis or honeysuckle will look well upon it. Ivy would look too heavy, and, if neglected, might even prove too heavy in other respects. Light as the arch may appear, the four posts grouped to form the turret on either side are so tied and braced together as to be, to all intents and purposes, a solid pillar, 30 in. square, and fully equal to resisting any outward thrust of the rafters. In the elevation (Fig. 89), to avoid confusion, no indication is given of the work forming the farther side of the arch, though something of it would necessarily be seen from the front; the two sides will be alike. Figs.

89 and 90 are drawn to a scale of 1/2 in. to the foot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 88.--Catch for Gate.]

The posts, and at least all the more important straight pieces, should be of larch. The wood chosen for filling-in should have picturesque forks and contortions. Small oak bangles will, perhaps, be most appropriate.

In the ground plan of the left-hand turret (Fig. 90) it will be seen that the posts used--four at each end--are some 5 in. or 6 in. in diameter, and that the largest is selected as hanging-post for the gate.

From centre to centre they are set 2 ft. 3 in. apart. They are 13 ft.

long--that is, 10 ft. 4 in. above ground and 2 ft. 8 in. below. The rafters of the arch spring from them 7 ft. from the ground, and at this point each post is surrounded by a cap, formed of four pieces of quartered stuff nailed upon it. The rafters are not mortised into the post, but if, instead of being merely nailed, they are attached by a bolt and nut, a stronger joint will be made.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig 89.--Elevation of Rustic Carriage Entrance.]

The upper rafters, back and front, are connected by five straight cross-pieces, whose ends show in Fig. 89. The s.p.a.ces between these are filled up very much at random with crooked stuff.

The four posts of each turret are bound together close beneath their tops by cross-pieces nailed outside them, whilst from their tops, and nailed down to them, slant four short rafters, which meet pyramid-wise in the centre. The filling up of the upper parts of the turrets, as well as of the front and back of the arch, is with a mixture of straight and crooked stuff, the arrangement of which is clearly shown in the elevation (Fig. 89).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 90.--Plan of Left Side of Carriage Entrance.]

The lower parts of the turrets and the gates must be constructed in such a way as to exclude animals; the palings are so arranged as not to leave a s.p.a.ce between them wider than 3 in. The rails of the gates should, of course, be mortised into the heads and hinge-trees.

CHAPTER VI.

ROSERY WALK.

The rustic construction here ill.u.s.trated is intended primarily as a trellis over which to train roses, and to form a shady and fragrant walk, and generally to contribute to the adornment of the flower garden.

It can readily be adapted so as to form a roofed-in track from a door to the public roadway; and the means of so adapting it will be explained later.

The materials will be entirely rough wood in its natural bark. For the posts fir poles of some kind should be chosen, and larch is especially to be preferred both as regards durability and appearance. All the smaller pieces which show as straight stuff may well be of the same kind of wood as the posts, though hazel is best for the finer rods. It will be seen that in the mere filling-in much crooked stuff is used, and for this apple branches, or indeed almost anything that comes to hand, will answer.

The rosery walk (Fig. 91) is 4 ft. wide, and the rustic erection is carried on two rows of pillars or collar-posts ranged at intervals of 3 ft. These posts should be let into the ground 2 ft., and well rammed in.

They should have an average diameter of 3 in. or 3-1/2 in., except in the case of each third one, as that which in Fig. 91 is seen standing in the middle of the portion with the lower roof; such pillars may be smaller as having little weight to bear, and will look better than they would do if equal in size to the others. Resting on the line of posts lies the wall-plate (A A, Fig. 92), the top of which is 5 ft. 6 in. from the ground line.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 91.--Elevation of Rosery Walk.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 92.--Plan of Roof of Rosery Walk.]

From each group of four large collar-posts rise four rafters (B, B, Fig.

92), meeting at top pyramid-wise. They rise to a height from the ground of 7 ft. 6 in., and have, therefore, to be 3 ft. 4 in. long. Half-way up them--that is, 6 ft. 6 in. from the ground line--the purlins (C, C, Fig.

92) are nailed upon them. Figs. 91 and 92 alike show how the s.p.a.ce between wall-plate and purlin is filled in, and Fig. 92 shows how the s.p.a.ce, 7 ft. 3 in. long, stretching from one pyramidal portion to the next, is covered with a flat roof of open rustic work lying upon the purlins. This s.p.a.ce, it will be observed, is chiefly filled in with crooked stuff.

Fig. 93 shows how the upper part of the rosery would appear at one of its ends, and explains how the roof would be in section--the shaded parts give the form of the roof in its lower portions; whilst if the cross-piece, D (which is on a level with the purlins), is supposed to be removed, there is presented with the dotted lines, B, B, a section through the middle of one of the higher pyramidal portions.