For the internal heart shape, first drill through the wood and then enlarge the hole with a fret saw or coping saw. Finish off with a file and sandpaper.
5: Clean off all tool marks on the sawed edges. Check that everything is cut to size and that the side pieces are a matching pair.
6: Assemble the back, front, and side pieces without using glue. Check the alignment of the matching edges of the shaped pieces. Make any necessary adjustments.
7: Mark out and cut a .25 in. (6 mm) chamfer on the front and side top edges of the bottom piece of wood.
8: Clean up all the component pieces ready for assembly.
9: Glue and nail all the box components together. Use small panel pins or finishing nails and take care not to split the wood when nailing, especially if you have used a hardwood to make the box ((see Tools & Techniques chapter for advice on nailing).
10: Begin by fixing the back to the sides, then add the front. Check that everything is square before fixing the bottom in place. Remove any surplus glue and leave to dry thoroughly.
11: Punch the nail heads below the surface and fill the indentations with woodfiller or with a mixture of glue and sawdust.
12: Apply a suitable indoor finish. A traditional beeswax polish will give a warm glow to the wood, especially after a number of applications; varnish will give a tougher, more protective finish. If you want to give your box a well-aged appearance, try one of the special techniques such as distressing the wood, applying an “antique” wood stain, or painting the box and then distressing the paintwork (see Finishing chapter for details).
13: The box can be hung on a wall using two nails, hooks, or small pegs through the heart-shaped cut-out, or you can use a standard mirror plate that screws onto the back of the box. The candle box can also be freestanding and be placed on a table or perhaps a window ledge.
Milking Stool
For centuries, there was no way of milking a cow other than by hand. A milker’s stool would be low and sturdy (the example below is relatively tall), with three legs in a tripod arrangement—stable on rough and uneven floors and allowing the sitter to lean forward on two legs, “into” the cow. Even if never used for this purpose, such stools are today collectively known as milking stools. The majority of milking stools have circular seats, although some have a straight front edge. A Scandinavian specialty has only one leg. Today, a milking stool makes a positive contribution to a living room fireside or a country-style kitchen. Children also love them because they don’t stand too high.
ABILITY LEVEL
Novice/Intermediate
SIZE
10 x 10 x 8 in. (254 x 254 x 203 mm)
MATERIALS
(Top)
Elm, Oak, Pine
(Legs)
Ash, Beech, Maple, Oak
CUTTING LIST
1 top
10 x 10 x 2 in. (254 x 254 x 51 mm)
3 legs
8 x 2 x 2 in. (203 x 51 x 51 mm)
1: Using a pair of compasses, mark out the top piece to a 10 in. (254 mm) diameter circle and cut to shape.
2: Choose the best surface to be the top and, with the compasses still set to give a 5 in. (127 mm) radius, mark off six equal points around the circumference of the top piece. Join these six points with pencil lines and, on these, mark the three leg positions for drilling, 1.75 in. (44 mm) in from the edge.
3: These three holes are drilled at a compound angle of 20° from the vertical. This can be done by eye, but only if you are very experienced. There are various techniques to help you get this angle right. A simple way is to use a carpenter’s sliding bevel set at 20° as a guide when drilling.
4: However, a more accurate method of working is to construct a pre-drilled guide block, as shown here. When correctly made and clamped to the work, all you need to do is drill into the stool seat through the hole in the guide block.
5: Where a pillar drill is available, it is best to tilt the stool top and drill vertically into it. To do this, tilt the stool top up at the prescribed angle by raising one end on a block. Another, more secure, method is to make a tilting-table arrangement, as shown. Use a protractor to measure the angle of the table top, which is fixed by means of a supporting block. By aligning each pencil line on the stool top with a center reference line drawn on the tilting table, consistently angled holes for the stool legs are assured.
6: Drill three 1 in. (25 mm) diameter holes through the top. A saw-toothed bit is recommended (see Tools & Techniques chapter for advice on drills).
7: Clean up the sawed edges of the top and bevel the edges for comfort.
8: Now turn your attention to the stool legs. These can be turned on a lathe, if one is available, using the dimensions given. However, stool legs were frequently shaped using a drawknife or spokeshave, either to a roughly round section or an approximately hexagonal shape. You could also use a plane.
9: No matteer which technique you use, the legs must be tapered at the top to form carefully made round tenon joints 1 in. (25 mm) in diameter and about 2 in. (51 mm) in length. This is best done with a spokeshave, but you can also use a rasp or file.
10: Form each joint individually and try it frequently for size in the appropriate socket in the stool top. Bear in mind that although the joint should be a good fit, it
