by Ira S. Griffith
ADVANCED PROJECTS IN WOODWORK is a collection of projects designed
to meet the needs of classes in high school woodworking. These projects
presuppose familiarity with woodworking processes, tools, and the two
simple joints required in the making of projects contained in the
author's Projects in Beginning Woodwork and Mechanical Drawing.
The drawings are complete only as to their general dimensions.
The working out of details, such as the sizes of mortises and tenons
and their locations, is left for the pupil in his work in drawing and
design.
It is expected that the projects will afford suitable basic
material for classes in woodworking design. It remains for the
instructor to point out the manner in which this material may be used.
For illustration, many beginning students are slow in appreciation of
possible modifications in structure or decoration. Circular tops may be
used instead of square or octagonal, and vice versa. Modification of the
manner of filling side spaces with slats offers variety in initiative.
Vertical posts may be made tapering and vice versa. Rails and stretchers
may be variously employed. There is almost always a choice in the
matter of joints,—keyed or thru or blind tenon. Fig. 1 is suggestive as
to possible modifications of a type.
In addition to the possible structural modifications, the
plates suggest variation in the matter of decorative ornament such as
pierced and carved forms and simple inlay. Such ornament will, of
course, be kept subordinate to the structural design.
The upholstering of stool tops and seats for chairs provides another problem in variation.
Little, if any, use is made of dowels as substitutes for the
mortise-and-tenon. While it is true that modern commercial practice
makes much use of dowels in this way, the author feels that such
practice is too often contrary to the principles of good construction.
Its genesis lies in economy of material rather than in any superiority
as a fastening device.
In the designing of these projects the author has had in mind at all times the thought that most of the students using them would have access only to a band-saw or
jig-saw and a miter-box in addition to the regular hand tool
equipment. For this reason such projects as hall clocks, mission beds,
etc., have been excluded. The exceptional student will find projects of
sufficient size to tax his ability and muscle. Easier projects and lighter projects have
been provided for the weaker members of the class while the use of
slats or their omission will provide additional variation in time of
execution.