Rustic Carpentry Part 4

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 93.--Entrance to Rosery Walk.]

Over the middle of the entrance is a rough knot or a piece of root.

The filling-in of the sides of the rosery is plainly shown in the elevation, Fig. 91. For its better preservation from damp, this work is kept 4 in. from the ground.

Supposing that, as was suggested above, the design is to be utilised for a dry path with a covering of metal or other light material, it will be well to keep the whole roof to the level of the pyramidal portions--a ridge-piece will have to be used--and the rafters, instead of following the present arrangement, will meet in pairs opposite to the pillars.

Instead of round stuff, also, use halved stuff for the rafters and purlins, the sawn side being uppermost. The s.p.a.ce between ridge-piece and purlin can then be filled in the same manner as that between purlin and wall-plate.

CHAPTER VII.

PORCHES.

The rustic porch shown in front elevation by Fig. 94 and in vertical section by Fig. 95 is constructed from straight, well-seasoned saplings and twigs, from which, in each case, the bark has been removed. The design is eminently suitable for a farmhouse or a country cottage. The porch is of large dimensions, and is provided with seating accommodation on each side. The seats do not appear in the elevations, but one side is shown in the part plan (Fig. 96).

The seats are 1 ft. 6 in. high by 1 ft. 2 in. wide. The battens are 1-3/4 in. wide by 1-1/2 in. thick, and are supported on cross-pieces fixed to the front posts and wall; a centre batten being fixed to the centre panel, and supported by a diagonal bracket running from the front down to the sill-piece. The floor s.p.a.ce is 7 ft. wide, and stands out 5 ft. from the walls.

The posts are 7 ft. 6 in. long by 4 in. in diameter. The front posts are preferably dropped over metal dowels leaded into the stone floor, at 1 ft. 2 in. centres, while the side posts are at 10-1/2 in. centres, and of smaller section--say about 3 in. in diameter. One post, 5 in. in diameter, sawn longitudinally through the centre, does duty for the two wall-posts, the flat portion being, of course, scribed to the wall, the latter having been previously plugged for the reception of the fixing nails.

The rails are tenoned to the posts, and 1-1/4 in. diameter holes are bored in the posts, and also in the ends of the rails, for the reception of the inserted tenons. The ends of the rails are also hollowed to fit roughly the posts (see Fig. 97). The lower rail is 10 in. up from the floor, while the centre rail is 3 ft. 4 in. up. The rail immediately below (Fig. 95) is 10 in. below the centre rail.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 94.--Front Elevation of Cottage Porch.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 95.--Vertical Section of Cottage Porch.]

The top ends of the front posts are hollowed, and fitted with inserted dowels for the reception of the front rail. The six side-posts are finished off square, and have tenons which fit into the plates. The front ends of the plates are notched to the front top rail. The rafters are 5 ft. 7 in. long by 3 in. deep and 2 in. wide, wrought and chamfered and birdsmouthed to the plates as shown at Fig. 98. The ridge piece, 4 in. deep by 1-1/2 in. thick, projects 5 ft. 2 in. from the wall. On the front end of the ridge is fixed the finial, which is 2 in.

square. The rafters are covered with 1-in. V-jointed, wrought, grooved and tongued boarding, cut in 5-ft. 4-in. lengths, and laid horizontally or at right angles to the rafters.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 96.--Part Plan of Seat and Floor of Cottage Porch.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 97.--Section of Cottage Porch at Gable.]

The roof may be covered with slates, with Broseley tiles, with wood s.h.i.+ngles, or with thatch. A part plan of the roof is shown in Fig. 99.

An enlarged section of the front angle of the gable is given in Fig.

100. Two boards, each 1 ft. 1 in. wide by 1-1/4 in. thick, are fixed to the outer rafters and run parallel with them; the heels of the two boards ab.u.t.ting on the front top rail, to which they are nailed. The split-twig herringbone ornament is also nailed to these boards. On the inner edges of the boards are secured twigs of about 1-3/4-in. in diameter, which are rebated to fit to the edges as shown in Fig. 100.

The front projecting ends of the roofing boards are concealed by split twigs of about 2-1/2-in. or 3-in. diameter, which do duty as bargeboards. The method is shown at A (Fig. 100).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 98.--Enlarged Detail of Cottage Porch at Eaves.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 99.--Part Plan of Roof for Cottage Porch.]

The panels have now to be filled with stuff ranging from 1-1/2 in. to 2-1/4 in. in diameter. The vertically placed twigs between the posts and rails should be fitted in place before the rails are finally jointed up to the posts. The ends are roughly hollowed, and are secured with cut nails. Alternatively, the vertical members could be fitted so that their inner edges coincided with the centre of the rails. The major portion of the twigs being on the outer side, the smaller diameter of the twigs will thus bring their front edges flush with the larger diameter edges of the rails. The herringbone and the diagonally placed twigs are quite easy to fit, the ends being simply pared off till they are sufficiently shortened to a.s.sume their correct position in the panels.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 100.--Section of Gable for Cottage Porch.]

The decorative effect of the porch will be greatly improved by the addition of a suitable door, as shown in the front elevation (Fig. 94).

The cost of manufacture of such a door is but slightly more than that of an ordinary six-panel door. The bottle ends in the top glazed panel form a quaint and pleasing feature of the general scheme.

CHAPTER VIII.

CANOPY FOR A SWING.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 101.--General View of Rustic Canopy for Swing.]

Fig. 101 is a general view of the canopy and swing, and Fig. 102 a side elevation slightly more elaborate in design than Fig. 101, the chief members, however, being exactly the same. The material used is stripped fir saplings. Six of these are required for the uprights.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 102.--Side Elevation of Canopy for Swing (Alternative Design).]

The middle posts are slightly larger in section, as they have to carry the cross rail supporting the swing; a good size for these is 6-in.

diameter at the base by 10 ft. or 12 ft. high. The outer posts may be 4-3/4-in. to 5-in. diameter at the base. The posts are sub-tenoned (see Fig. 103) to elm sills 10 ft. 6 in. long by 8 in. diameter. Tenons are formed on both ends of the posts, and seatings and mortices at 4-ft.

centres are made in both the sills (bottom rails) and plates (top rails) to receive them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 103.--Fixing Middle Post of Canopy to Sill.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 104.--Details of Joints of Rails, Struts, and Posts for Canopy.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 105.--Securing Cross Rails to Plates and Posts of Canopy.]

The short rails are 4 in. in diameter by 3 ft. 6 in. long, and are stub-tenoned and pinned to the posts at a height of 3 ft. 9 in. from the ground line. The struts also are tenoned and pinned to the middle posts and sills, as shown in Fig. 104, where, it will be noticed, the struts are in one piece and the braces in two, the latter being hollowed to fit in the angles and over the struts.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figs. 106 and 107.--Hook and Thimble for Canopy.]

When all the members are ready for the final drive home, the tenons of the rails should be just entered to the posts; the struts and braces are next placed in position and driven up, then the sill and plate are entered and driven home, and finally the several joints are secured with oak pins. This operation will be carried out better with the work in a horizontal position. When the two sides are so far completed, they may be erected in position and fixed with temporary battens, at a distance apart of 7 ft. 9 in. centres, while the top cross rails are being fitted.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 108.--Front View of Fenced Seat for Canopy.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 109.--End View of Fenced Seat for Canopy.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 110.--Fixing Rope to Eyelet.]

The middle cross rail which carries the swing is 6 in. in diameter and 8 ft. 6 in. long. A seating is formed on the plates, and a shallow one upon the rails, which are secured with long 3/4-in. diameter bolts and nuts; the latter are let into the posts at a distance of 8 in. from the top, as shown in Fig. 105, which is a cross section through the plate near the middle rail. Short struts may also be fixed between the posts and cross rail, as in Fig. 105; they are not shown in Fig. 101. A floor is formed of saplings, connected to the sills, thus preventing them from spreading. The trellis-work, both on the roof and sides, is now fixed.

This is composed of 1-3/4-in. and 2-in. twigs.

The swing hooks (Fig. 106) pa.s.s right through the rails, and are secured with nuts and washers. Collars should be forged on the shanks to prevent the hooks being drawn too far into the wood when s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up the nuts.

The shank is screwed 3/4-in. Whitworth pitch thread, and the hook is 1-1/4 in. in diameter at the thickest part. The hemp rope is spliced around galvanised iron thimbles (see Fig. 107), which take the wear on the hooks. The rope is usually secured to the seat by simply knotting the ends.

Should the swing be used for very young children, a seat provided with a fence will be necessary, as shown at Figs. 108 and 109, which are front and end views respectively. The back rail and the two side rails are fixed to the seat with the bal.u.s.ters; but the front rail is tenoned to open-ended mortices in the side rails, and thus made to hinge, to facilitate the lifting of the children on and off the seat, the rail being secured in its closed position with a bra.s.s pin and retaining chain. The suspending rope in this case is pa.s.sed through the end rails and knotted to the seat. Fig. 110 shows the rope pa.s.sed around and whipped to an eyelet.