Handicraft for handy girls; practical plans for work and play

Front matter

Class

CfiPXRrGHT DEPOSm

HANDICRAFT

Chapter I Page

Driving Nails — Use a Hammer that is not too Heavy — Pointers about Nailing — Sizes of Nails to -Use — When Driving Nails into Thin Wood — Holes should be Started in Hard Wood — To Support Short Nails — When a Nail Bends — Withdrawing a Nail — Right and Wrong Nailing — Clinching Nails — Toe- Nailing — Blind-Nailing — Driving Screws — To Withdraw a Rusted Screw — Sawing — The Principal Tools that a Girl will Use — Cutting Large Holes — Cutting Slots — You must have a Work-Bench — A Table Work-Bench — An Improvised Vise — A Bench-Stop — A Packing-Box Work-Bench — The Bench-Vise — Ways to Improve the Work-Bench — A Bench with an Iron Vise — The Bench- Vise — Fastening the Bench to the Floor — An Excellent Tool-Cabinet — A Good Rack for Bits and Chisels — An Excellent Nail-Box — To Divide a Board into a Number of Equal Parts — Gauging with a Rule and Pencil — When Marking out Work.

CHAPTER II Small Gifts Made of Wood 22

Materials — Methods of Finishing — A Thermometer-Board — A Key-Board — A Spool-Holder — A Spool-Rack — A Simpler Spool-Rack — A Paper-Spindle.

ix

X CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER III Household Gifts 28

A Tool-Rack — A Bottle- Rack — A Milk-Card Rack — A Handy Safety-Match Holder — A Scrub-Pail Platform — A Flat-Iron Rest — A Winter Window Refrigerator — Finishing.

CHAPTER IV Spool Gifts 37

Materials Required — A Candle-Stick — Finishing — A Desk Calendar — A Stationery- Rack — A Pen-Rack — A Desk Blotter

— A Paper-Knife — A Paper-Spindle — A Toothpick Holder — A Ripper — A Hatpin-Holder — A Necktie- Rack.

CHAPTER V Gifts Made of Paper and Cardboard. ..... 45

Inexpensive Materials — If you Want to Earn Pocket-Money — A Football Calendar — A Blotter-Pad — A Japanese Pin-Cushion

— A Heart-Shaped Needle-Book — A Book-Marker — A Corner Book-Marker — A Pin-Case — A Black-Cat Match-Scratcher — Candle-Sticks — A Simple Candle-Stick — Another Design for a Candle-Stick — A Candle-Stick with a Shade — A Candle Shade — Decorating the Cardboard — A Desk Calendar — A Perpetual Calendar — Another Form of Perpetual Calendar — A Recipe Cabinet

— Indexed Guide-Cards,

CHAPTER VI Cretonne Gifts 67

A Pair of Book-Ends — For the Covering — A Twine-Holder — A Hanging Work-Box — A Dainty Telephone-Book — A Music- Case — A Dresser Set — A Hatpin-Holder — A Pin-Cushion — A Hanging Pin-Cushion — A Glove-Box — A Brush-and-Comb Tray — A Dainty Trinket Chest — A Home Utility-Box — A Twine-Box.

CONTENTS xi

PACE

CHAPTER VII Cretonne-Covered Carpentry 81

A Fancywork Box — Covering — A Cloth Pocket and Elastic Tapes — A Spool-Rack — A Fancywork-Box with Legs — Putting on the Cretonne — A More Elaborate Fancywork-Box — Putting on the Cretonne — A Portable Writing-Desk — A Rack for Stationery — Pen and Pencil Racks — An Ink-Bottle Pocket — The Drop-Leaf — A Handle for Carrying — A Waste- Basket — The Outside Cretonne Covering — A Shirt-Waist Box — Covering the Box — Handles and Castors — A Shoe-Blacking Case — An Attractive Footstool — Covering the Case — A Set of Book-Shelves — How the Spools are Strung — Covering with Cretonne — A Bolster-Roll — Covering the Framework.

CHAPTER VIII Home-Made Frames for Small Pictures 99

A Frame Made from a Candy-Box Cover — A Frame Made from a Pill-Box — A Double Cardboard Frame — A Cretonne-Covered Frame — A Unique Glass Frame — Other Ideas for Home-made Frames.

CHAPTER IX Basket Making 105

Prairie-Grass Baskets — To Prepare the Grass Rope — To Begin the Basket — Making the Handle — Other Forms of Grass Baskets — A Basket with a Forked Handle — A Raffia Basket — The Handles — Another Raffia Basket — A Hat- Braid and Reed Basket — Making Things of Paper Rope — Cardboard Boxes for Foundations — Strands of Paper Rope — To Prepare the Rope Strands — A Paper- Rope Serving-Tray — Putting on the Paper- Rope Covering — The Inside of the Tray Bottom — The Wire Handles — A Paper-Rope Jewel-Box — A Paper- Rope Basket — The Same Basket with a Different Handle — A Pretty Hanging- Basket — A Woven Paper- Rope Basket — Shellacking the Paper- Rope Baskets.

xii CONTENTS

PACE

CHAPTER X Corn-Starch Jewelry 119

Materials — To Color the Materials — Mixing the Corn-Starch with Water — Fancy Hatpins — A Bracelet — A Watch-fob — A Pendant — A Lavalliere.

CHAPTER XI Home-Made Pottery 124

Modeling Clay — A Board to Work Upon — A Jar — A Candle Stick — A Cardboard "Templet" — A Candle-Stick with a Handle — The Handle — A Bowl — Three Other Shapes of Bowls — A Jug — Two Vases — A Table Lamp — Ornamenting Pottery — Glazing and Firing — Waterproofing Potterj' — Keeping Unfinished Pottery.

CHAPTER Xn Home China-Painting 132

China Painting Easy to Learn at Home — Conv^entional China Decoration — The Equipment Necessary for Painting — China Firing — A Beginner's Course in China-Painting — A Bud-Holder and its Decoration — Copying the Design — To Divide the Circumference — A Careful Tracing — Transfering the Design — The Outline Correctly Transferred — Trace the Design upon the Other Divisions — Rubbing the Lines with Emery-Paper — Outlining — Ready for the First Firing — Mixing the Colors — Painting — A Plate — Using the Brass Gauge — Laying out the Design — Putting on Gold — Burnishing the Gold — Tinting — Patting the Tint — Wiping — Painting the Flowers and Leaves — A Vase — Colors to Use — A Small Bowl — A Bowl with Feet — A Cup and Saucer — Adapting Designs.

CHAPTER XHI

How TO Copy Pictures ........ 148

A Glass Reflecting-Frame — To Make a Copy of a Picture — Enlarging and Reducing by Squares.

CONTENTS xiii

CHAPTER XIV

Home-Made Rubber-Stamps 153

Flat Pieces of Rubber are Needed — Material Required in Addition to the Rubber — A "Letter" Rubber-Stamp — Carving out the Letter — Making a Proof of the Letter — To Complete the Rubber-Stamp — A "Word" Rubber- Stamp — Picture Rubber- Stamps — "Mule" Rubber-Stamps — Rubber-Stamp Holders — A "Little Girl" Rubber-Stamps — Other Sets of Rubber-Stamps.

CHAPTER XV

ScRAP-BooKS, Book- Jackets and Other Ideas .... 158 Home-Made Scrap-Books — The Covers — The Scrap-Book Leaves — Preparing the Front Cover — The Back Cover — Punching the Leaves — Indexing the Pages — Lacing Together the Covers and Leaves — Finishing the Covers — A Scrap-Book Made Like a Letter-File — Book-Jackets — Paper Jackets — Cloth Jackets — Lettering the Book Title — A Canvas Jacket — Cloth Pencil-Cases — Another Style of Case — A Pen- Wiper — A Drawing-Instrument Protector.

CHAPTER XVI

The Hat-Box — How to Prepare the Box — Reinforcing the Corner — The Dining- Room — The Bedroom — The Living- Room

— Locating and Marking out Doors and Windows — The Dining- Room Woodwork — A Wainscoting — A Buffet — The Bedroom Walls — A Picture-Molding — Pictures — Curtains — The Living- Room Walls — Doll Furniture — Chairs — A Living- Room Table

— A Dining- Room Table — A Bedroom Table — A Four- Poster Bed — Rugs.

CHAPTER XVII

Cardboard-Box Doll Furniture . . . . . .179

A Doll- Bed — A Table — A Table of More Elaborate Design — An Arm-Chair — A Straight-Back Chair.

xiv CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER XVIII A Dancing Doll 184

The Materials — Preparing the Parts of the Doll — Assembling the Parts — The Standard — Dressing the Doll — Making the Doll Dance — A Doll's Dancing Party.

CHAPTER XIX

Toy Whirligigs .......... 188

A Paddle Whirligig — To Operate the Toy — A Speeding Automobile — A Buzz- Saw Whirligig ■ — A Magic Pinwheel Whirligig.

CHAPTER XX A Postcard Colorscope 193

The Colorscope Case — The Holder for Postcards — The Color Screen — Mounting the Color Screen Disk — Operating the Colorscope.

CHAPTER XXI A Home Moving-Picture Show 198

The Support for the Picture Screen — Picture-Rollers — Picture Strips — Selection of Pictures — To Complete the Picture Theater — Reeling the Pictures from One Roller onto the Other.

CHAPTER XXII A Home-Made Telephone 203

Not the Kind of Telephone the Boys Make — The Telephone Instruments — Preparing them out of Tin Cans — The Telephone Wire — An Excellent Telephone Booth — Making it Like a Real Telephone Booth.

CONTENTS XV

TAGK

CHAPTER XXIII

An Invitation — Jack Pumpkinhead — The Pumpkin Jack- O'Lantern Head — The Framework — Jack's Blouse — Buttons — A Pleated Collar — A Staff — A Ghost — The Head — The Body Framework — The Ghost's Gown — The Hood — A Witch — A Witch to Tell Fortunes — A Witch's Wigwam — A Make-Believe- Fire — A Moonlight Effect — A Witch's Caldron — A Witch's Cavern — Stunts for the Evening's Entertainment — Fortune- Telling — Another Idea for Fortune-Telling — Other Ways of Telling Fortunes — The Twirling Pumpkin — Ghost-Story Telling

— Pinning the Tail upon the Witch's Cat — The Tails — A Doughnut-Eating Contest — Choosing Partners for Supper — Invisible Ink — Table Favors.

CHAPTER XXIV A Handicraft Booth for a Fair ...... 222

A New Idea for a Class of Girls — How to Construct the Booth — The Counter Boards — The Canopy Framework — Covering the Framework — Cardboard Lanterns — Covering the Counter.

CHAPTER XXV

A Japanese Garden 227

The Bake-Pan Foundation — A Number of Arrangements — A Good Plan — A Pond — Planting the Japanese Grass-Seed — A Japanese House — A Japanese Bridge — Lamps — A Bird-House

— Ducks — Other Garden Accessories.

CHAPTER XXVI Holiday Table Decoration 233

A Pilgrim's Homestead — The Cabin — The Cabin Walls — Door and Window Openings — Laying up the Wall Logs — The Stick Chimney — The Roof — A Foundation for the Homestead — A Pond — Planting the Trees — A Rail Fence — Adding a Wintry Effect to the Scene — The Pilgrim Father — A Santa Claus Castle x^i CONTENTS

PAGB

— The Mountain — The Lower Portion of the Castle — The Lower Tower — The Upper Tower — Windows — A Flag-Pole — The Mountain-side — A Snow Effect — A Trail — Making the Snow Sparkle — Trees — Santa Claus' Aeroplane — A Pattern for Santa Claus — An Orange Basket — A Water Lily — A Cinnamon Bear — A Hound — A Turtle — Candy Jim — Baskets for Candy Dainties — An Eight-Corner Basket — A Heart-Shaped Basket — A Basket with Pinched Corners.

CHAPTER XXVn Home- Made Ornaments for the Christmas- Tree. . . . 249

A Base for the Tree — Material Required — Pocket to Receive the End of the Tree — Another Pocket — Slanting the Sides — Covering the Base — A Spear Ornament — A Star Ornament — Ornamental Chains — Popcorn Strung on Thread — Strings of Bits of Colored Paper on Thread — Strings of Cranberries and Glass Beads — A Rubber-Ball Ornament — An Egg-Shell Ornament — A Home-Made Candle-Holder — Santa Claus Dolls — An Airship Ornament — Tarlatan Stockings — Cornicopias — Goblins.

PART II SPRING AND SUMMER HANDICRAFT CHAPTER XXVni

Bird-House Building Campaigns — What you Can Do for the Birds — The American Bird-House League — Houses that Attract Tenants — The Right Dimensions to Use — A Chart of Correct Dimensions — Materials for Bird-House Building — A Bird Temple — A Box Bird-House — Another Box Bird-House — A Bird Tower — A Tin-Can Bird Tower — A Bird Castle — A Bird Ark — A Wall Bracket Bird Ark — A House and Swing — A Hanging House — A Shelter — A Bird Bath — Miscellaneous Notes — Where to Set Tin-Can Bird-Houses — Preventing Drafts — Ventilation — Water-tight Roofs — Finishing — Protection for Houses.

CONTENTS xvii

CHAPTER XXIX

Miniature Greenhouses — A Greenhouse with a Lean-to Roof — A Greenhouse with a Gable Roof — A Cake-Tin to Catch Drippings

— Painting — FilHng — Planting Seeds — Garden Ideas — A Dibble — Protection of Transplantings — A Paper-Funnel Shield — A Flower-Pot .Shield — A Basket Shield — Garden Markers — A Small Sprinkler — An Umbrella Bower — A Barrel-hoop Bower

— Putting up Strings for Vines — A Trellis — A More Elaborate Trellis — A Sweet Peas Trellis — A Weeding Stool — A Weed Receptacle — A Set of Garden Steps.

CHAPTER XXX

A Tin-Funnel Basket — Painting the Tin — A Colander Basket — A Rustic Basket — An Egg-Basket Flower Basket — A Flower- Pot Basket — A Two-Pot Basket — A Box Basket — Another Box Basket — A Rustic Basket — A Window Flower-Box — A Window or Porch Balustrade Box — A Corner Box for a Porch Railing — A Plant-Box — Painting Flower-Boxes.

CHAPTER XXXI May-Baskets 309

Distributing May-Baskets — A Cornucopia Basket — A Basket Made of a Writing-Paper Box — A Hooded Basket — A Cylindrical Holder — Filling May-Baskets.

CHAPTER XXXII

Vacation Notes — A Loose-Leaf Record-Book — The Loose Leaves — A Shoe-String Lacing — Making a Diary of the First Parti

— Field Notes — Spatterwork Leaf Records — How to Make a Spatterwork Picture — Leaf Impressions — Making Impressions — Inpressions of Flowers — Impressions in Color — Lettering the Names — A Record of Bird-House Tenants — A Wild-Bird Record

— A Bird Chart.

xviii CONTENTS

PAGB

CHAPTER XXXIII A Herbarium . . . . . . . . . . 322

Gathering Wild Flowers — A Letter-File for Specimens — A Press — Material for Placing Specimens between for Pressing — Transferring Specimens to the Herbarium Sheets — Filing Specimens — Index Tabs.

CHAPTER XXXIV Camp Fire Girls Camp Craft ....... 327

The Camp Fire Girls Organization — The Law of the Council Fire — The Watchword — To Become a Camp Fire Girl — Wood Gatherer — Fire Maker — The Seven Crafts of Camp Fire — Torch Bearer — Blue Birds — Guardian of the Fire — Hiking and Camping — Light-Weight Clothing — Keeping the Feet in Good Condition — A Home-Made Knapsack — Material — Duffle Bags

— Knife-Sheaths — Packing the Knapsack — Losing One's Way — Blazing a Trail — A Wrist-Watch as a Compass — The Stars as Guides — How to Fold a Paper Cup — Making an "A" Tent — The Ridge-Pole and Uprights — Tent-Stakes — Where to Pitch the Tent — A Tent Ground-Cloth — A Pine-Bough Mattress — A Sleeping- Bag — A Wall-Tent — An Open Fire — A Backwoodsman's Fireplace — Pot-Hooks — A Camp-fire Crane — A Sheet iron Camp Stove — A Camp Fireless-Cooker — A Wash-Shelf — A Camp Broom — A Camp Shovel — A Camp Candle-Stick — A Mosquito Head-Net.

CHAPTER XXXV Knots and Hitches 348

The Importance of Knowing How to Tie Knots — The Three Parts of a Rope — The Overhand Knot — The Square Knot — The Granny Knot — The Figure Eight Knot — The Fisherman's Knot — The Bowline — The Sheet Bend — The Blackwall Hitch — The Catspaw — The Half-Hitch — The Timber Hitch — The Timber Hitch and Half-Hitch — The Clove Hitch — The Marling Hitch

— The Sheepshank.

CONTENTS xix

PAGE

CHAPTER XXXVI A Home-Made American Flag 354

The Pride One Takes in One's Home-made Flag — Standardized Proportions — Red, White and Blue Bunting — The Seams between the Stripes — Joining the Blue Field — Canvas Binding for the Staff Edge — Grommets — Cutting the Stars — A Pattern for the Five-Pointed Stars — Sewing the Stars in Place — The Flag-Pole

— Fastening the Pole to a Window-Sill — Stays,

CHAPTER XXXVH Play Stores 361

Playing Store — An Attractive Lemonade-Stand — How to Build the Stand — The Umbrella Top — Decorating the Top — Covering the Counter — Neatness — A Play Store — A Board Counter — The Canopy — The Canopy Covering — Enclosing the Front and Ends — A Set of Scale-Balances — Weighing-Tray — Weights.

CHAPTER XXXVni

An Umbrella Play-Tent — Attaching the Umbrella-Handle to a Chair-Back — Twine Braces — The Cloth Covering — A Cupboard — Tepees for an Indian Encampment — The Tepee Framework — Paper Poles — A Kettle Tripod — A Kettle — The Make- Believe Camp Fire — Other Things which can be Built with Paper Tubes — A Brush-Hut — The Framework — To Begin the Framework — The Door-Frame — Window-Frames — The Framework Strings — Covering Material — The Weaving — The Roof Covering — Stuffing up Openings.

CHAPTER XXXIX Berry-Box and Basket Toys 383

The Working Materials — A Cradle — A Table — A Chair — A Dresser — A Swinging Seat — A Sofa — Another Style of Chair

— A Footstool — A Rocker — Another Style of Table — A Wagon

— A Doll Carriage — A Swing — The Swing Seat.

XX CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER XL A Fly-trap 392

A Fly-Exterminating Campaign — An Excellent Trap — The Outer Cage — The Inner Conical Cage — How to Fit the Inner Cage Inside the Outer Cage — A Bait Tray — Baiting the Trap.

Index 399

LIST OF HALF-TONE ILLUSTRATIONS

(In addition to more than 700 text illustrations.)

PART I

A Camp Fire Girl Working at her Handicraft

Frofitispiece

OPPOSITE PAGE

Fig. 17. — You Must Have a Work-Bench if that Bench be Nothing

more Than a Kitchen Table Fig. 18. — A Kitchen Table with Its Improvised Top Clamped on Fig. 32. — A Thermometer Board Fig. 33. — A Key- Board Fig. 34. — A Spool Holder Fig. 35. — A Spool- Rack

Fig. 36. — The Three Parts of the Spool Rack Fig. 53. — A Candle-Stick Fig. 54. — A Desk Calendar Fig. 55. — A Stationery- Rack Fig. 56. — A Pen- Rack Fig. 57. — A Desk Blotter Fig. 58. — A Paper- Knife Fig. 206. — A Grass Basket Fig. 207. — A Raffia Basket Fig. 208. — A Raffia Basket Fig. 209. — A Hat-Braid Basket Fig. 210. — A Paper-Rope Basket Fig. 211. — A Woven Paper Rope Basket Fig. 235. — A Jar Fig. 236. — A Candle-Stick Fig. 237. — A Bowl ;•

Fig. 238. — A Jug Fig. 239. — A Table Lamp

12 ^ xxii LIST OF HALF-TONE ILLUSTRATIONS

OPPOSITE PAGE

Fig. 253. — A Bud Holder y '

Fig. 255. — A Bowl [ Fig. 256. —A Bowl ^ Fig. 257. —A Plate \ 144 v-

172^

Fig. 258. — A Cup and Saucer

Fig. 315. — The Open Halves of the Hat Box Showing One Half Furnished as a Dining-Room, and the Other Half as a Bedroom Fig. 316. — View Opposite to that in Fig. 315, Showing the Space

Between the Halves Furnished as a Living-Room. Fig. 317. — After Playtime the Halves are Folded into their Original

Box Form, and the Cover Put on to Hold them Together. Fig. 370. — Jack Pumpkinhead ]

Fig. 371. —Witch Hazel [ 208

Fig. 372. — Make no Two of Your Pumpkin-Head Lanterns Alike j Fig. 373. — The Witch's Wigwam, Caldron, and Make-believe Fire . 212

PART n

Bird Houses Built by Pupils of the Hawthorne School, Waterloo, Iowa . 263

Bird Houses Entered in a Contest Held by the Pittsburgh Public Schools 264

Fig. 493. — A Bird Tower

Fig. 494. — A Bird Castle

Fig. 495. — A Bird Ark

Fig. 496. — A House and Swing

Robin Photos, from Mr. Hall's Vacation Record-Book . . . 320

Camp Fire Girls' Grand Council

An Indoor Camp Fire Council

Saluting the Dawn

Making Fire Without Matches

A Wall Tent, Eight Feet by Ten Feet, with Fly

A Wooden Floor Adds to the Comforts of the Tent

A Nature Lesson

Camp Fire Girls Gathering Fagots

Fig. 668. — A Play Indian Village with Newspaper Tepees and Kettle

Tripod 374

Fig. 682. — A Cradle Fig. 683. — A Table

Fig. 685. — A Dresser

Fig. 686. — A Swinging Seat

328 334 3 40

PART I

Autumn an(lA/\^nicr Handicraft

It is a mistaken idea that girls cannot drive a nail straight. I have seen a girl "drive home" a nail as expertly as any mechanic can, and the success with which girls are competing with boys in some of our manual-training schools is proof enough that with practical application and proper guidance any girl can become efficient in wood-working. The main reason for a girl's not succeeding in driving nails straight is lack of confidence, the result of having failed in her first attempts and, possibly, having pounded her fingers. Just as long as this distrust of one's self exists will the nails drive crooked, bend over, and fingers be mashed. The difficulty will be entirely eliminated if these simple directions are followed.

Use a Hammer That is Not Too Heavy for your wrist muscles to control, hold it well out toward the end of the handle and swing it with a long, free stroke. And what is most important of all, keep your eyes riveted upon the head of the nail you are driving, from the instant 3^ou start to drive until the last stroke has been delivered. Do this and you will find that your hammer will strike the nail-head squarely with every blow; if you let your gaze become a bit unsteady, you will run art excellent chance of bruising some fingers. Never mind the hammer, watch the nail-head. Now, while we are on the subject, I am going to give you a few more

Pointers about Nailing, which, besides making it possible for you to drive a nail straight, will enable you so to place it that it will not split the material into which it is driven. A bent nail is easily withdrawn, but a board split as the result of improper nailing seldom can be made to look "as good as new". The magic power of putty is limited, and too much dependence should not be placed on its concealing cracks which may be avoided with care. Nearly every time you split a piece of wood while nailing it is the result of one of three conditions — too large a nail, the wrong position for the nail, or carelessness in driving.

Sizes of Nails to Use. The size of nail to use always depends upon the working material. Thin wood is more easily split than thick wood, soft wood more easily than hard wood, and very dry wood than wood which is not thoroughly seasoned; because there is not so strong a bond between the wood fiber of thin, soft, and very dry wood as between that of thick, hard, and "green" wood.

When Driving Nails Into Thin "Wood, or close to the edges of boards, holes should first be started with an awl to lessen the danger of splitting. The holes should be smaller than the nails so that the nails will drive in securely, and it is a good plan, when the wood is very thin and delicate, to run the end of the awl into a bar of soap, to make it drill easily, without wedging the grain apart so as to split the wood.

Holes Should be Started in Hard Wood, also, when slender nails such as brads are used, so that the nails will not have to be driven with force enough to make them bend over. The holes must be smaller than the nails.

Figure 1 shows a good way

To Support Short Nails with a pair of pincers while driving them, so as to prevent bending. This is also

Fig. 2.

How to Withdraw Nails.

Fig. I.

How to Support Short Slender Nails while

Driving Them.

a handy method of supporting nails too short to hold between the fingers.

When a Nail Bends, after it has been driven part way in, it is quickest to withdraw it at once, and either hammer it out straight or replace it with another nail. If another nail driven across its path, or a knot has caused the nail to bend, shift the position of the second nail. By striking just right, a nail that bends can be driven in, but the point of the nail is likely to break out of the side of the board, making its withdrawal necessary anyway, so it is best to withdraw it in the first place.

When a nail breaks out of the side of a piece of work, it must be removed by driving back its point until the head can be gripped with the claw of a hammer. Figure 2 shows how to protect the surface of a piece of work, when

Withdrawing a Nail, by slipping a block of wood beneath the hammer head; this block gives you better leverage, also. For a long nail, start with a thin block, and then substitute thicker blocks as the nail withdraws.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show examples of

Right and Wrong Nailing. To avoid splitting a board when driving a series of nails through it, do not place the nails in rows lengthwise of the grain. A nail acts as a wedge, and its tendency is to wedge apart the grain. Under favorable conditions, one nail will simply compress the grain sufficiently to make room for its passage; but if you drive two or more nails in a row between the same wood fibers, the probability is that the wood will split.

If you use flat-sided nails, do not drive them broadsides against the grain, but with the grain (Fig. 4).

Figs. 3-12. — Right and Wrong Methods of Nailing.

You must consider the lower board as well as the upper one. Taking the case shown in Fig. 3, for example, the nails would not split the upper piece if placed in a row, as shown, because they extend across the grain; but there would be a strong tendency for the lower piece to split, because the nails drive down between the same wood fibers. By staggering, or zig-zagging the nails as indicated in the right method, the trouble is entirely obviated.

Figure 5 shows one of the worst possible forms of nailing — a tit-tat-toe arrangement, with the nails wedging apart the grain of both upper and lower pieces of wood. Any girl who has learned exactness is inclined to drive nails in this fashion. Notice how the nails are staggered in the right method, so that no two in rotation follow the same grain.

There is a great tendency among girls to use too many nails in one place, which is a fault to overcome, because too many in one spot are as bad as too few, since they separate so many wood fibers that the wood becomes weakened.

Clinching Nails. Nails should never be so long that their points will protrude from the under side of a piece of work, unless you wish to clinch them for the purpose of riveting the piece together, so to speak. Clinching should not be done on parts of nice work which will be exposed to view; instead, if there is any possibility of nails not holding, use screws. The ends of the nails can be clinched by laying the work upon the side of a hatchet, and then driving the nail so that the point will strike its hard surface (Fig. 6). The points will then bend over and drive tight up against the wood.

Figure 7 shows the right and the wrong way of dinching. When you cHnch nails in the direction of the grain, the ends will drive into the wood; when you clinch them across the grain, the ends will not lie flat. If you clinch a nail by hammering over its end, bend it over a nail as shown in Fig. 8. In this way the point will sink into the wood. If you do not do this, the middle portion of the nail will drive in, and the point will stick up (Fig. 9).

Figures 10 and 11 show two examples of Toe-Nailing. This form of nailing consists in driving nails diagonally into pieces of work. In Fig. 10 is shown an instance where toe-nailing is the only possible way to nail the ends of two uprights to a horizontal piece, while Fig. 11 shows how toe-nailing is done to drive one board up against another. It is sometimes convenient to toe-nail when the nails at hand are too long for a piece of work.

Blind- Nailing is a form of toe-nailing generally used upon tongued-and- grooved boards, in which the nail-heads are concealed upon the edges of the boards, as shown in Fig. 12.

Most of the rules given for nailing apply also to Driving Screws. When driving into hard wood or very thin wood, drill holes for the screws. It makes easier driving and eliminates the danger of splitting. The hole in the upper board should be a trifle larger than the diameter of the screw, so that the screw will not bind in it; and the hole in the lower board should be a trifle smaller than the screw, so that the screw will thread its way Into the wood and take a good hold.

Screws will drive more easily If they are soaped, that is, pushed into a piece of soap so as to coat the threads with grease.

To Withdraw a Rusted Screw. When a screw has become rusted, to strike its head a few blows with a hammer will help to loosen it. A red-hot iron held to the screw-head for a few seconds will also help.