Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-03-22
HOMEMADE NAH GANY
How Articles Of Pine Wood = be Made
10 Resemble MahogaAJ.


LIVE @A~tItA ohAaAHa
Among the objects that are most easily
made, aud that afford the greatest con-
venience, are book-shelves. When a
family possesses a hundred volumes or so
and most families own as many as this
the books are a source Of constant
annoyance. When they are allowed to lie
IN their sides on tables, II we wish TO con-
suit one we are frequently obliged to toss
lver the whole OF them they accumulate |
dust, and get shaken, soiled, and injured |
generally, all which might be avoided by |
the use Of few simple shelves, and these |
may be easily made of very cheap ma. |
terial and very simple construction. The |
best material Ia pine, since ii is cheap and |
easily worked. Il Is not generally known \
that plain pine board, If stained and
vanished, may be made 10 look very like
mahogany, rosewood, or black walnut,
aud the process Of staining is so simple
that any housewife can perform II. We
know lady who has stained and Vanished
dozens Of piTe shelves that her husband
has fitted up during his leisure moments,
and to-dsv they look as If they were
mahogany.
10 stain shelves a mahogany color take
pound or two Of logwood chips and boil
them In water, 30 as to make a strong
better results than can be obtained by
using extract OF logwood. Wet the board
| thoroughly with this decoetion when dry
II will have a reddlsh-yellow color, and
must then be varnished with what is
known as spirit or shellac varnlsh. This
varnsh can be bought ready.made at the
paint-shops, but we prefer TO make 1t BY
| dissolvlng good shellac In alcohol. Put
quantity of good shellac Into a wide
mouthed bottle, cover Il with alcohol,
cork the bottle tightly, and let stand until
the shellac Is dissolved. No skill IL re.
| quired in the application OF this varnlsh,
which dries very rapidly, and forms a hard
glossy coating on the surface of the board
When dry, the shelf must be carefully
smoothed of with sand paper and again
vanished. The second coat will give a
very bright appearance 10 the shelf, but II
we sand-paper II before applying the flrst
coat the staining will probably be removed
In spots and the shelf will not look well.
An application of the sand-paper after the
second coat will still further improve the
finish Of the wood but this, of course,
involves third coat Of varnish. By add
ing the least quantity OF alkali, such as
washing soda, to the logwood decoction,
the pine will be made TO resemble rose
wood. In all cases, however, the shelves
do not acquire their proper tone for some
months but If well done-that Is, the de-
coction be strong, the yarnish thoroughly
applied, and all roughness removed by
: means Of the sand-paper at the end Of a
year nine PERSONS out Of ten will Ike
them for mahogany or rosewood, as the
case may be. Every fibre of the pine
howa So that the grain Is as apparent as
| II the shelves were made of hard wood
and polished. The appearance Is, there
fore, greatly superior " that of any ordi.
nary painted work, and the process is sc
= simple that no Intelligent housekespeI
need dread a failure. We have now IL
mind set Of shelves prepared in this way
ny lady whose husband, although not q
mechanic, iitttd mp the wood work as AT
Amusement duing the winter evenings
] and they coupe fayorlbly with much o
= the cablnut-wOrk that we hud la thu
market.
Having prepared our shelves, the mex
step Is TO put them up, although In actua
8 practice the best pan Is to fit the shelve
f 10 their places, and then take them dow
for staining aud vanishing, RETURNING
=, them after this process is finished.
ID there should happen TO be n recess IN tn
J. room, the shelves may be cut to III IL, an,
8 cleats to support thoin may easily b
II nailed up. Cast iron brackets, which ar
very cheap, and may be- obtained at an
. hardware store, form very neat and ei
7. hclent support When they are to b
n attached To wooden partition, all that !
10 necessary Is to screw them directly 10 IL
but when they are to he fastened TO brio
or plaster wall, it is hest to take two strip
d of wood, about two inches wide and, say
=. seven Fights of an inch thick. and sore,
p. them TO the wall by means of uumerou
stout screws, after which the bracket
NAV he screwed to these strips screw
readily penetrate plaster, and even sol
brick, and when they enter tue lalh the
w hold with great power. We must remem
is Der, however, that the strain caused b
N the weight Of the books does not tend {
draw the screws out, but to press theT
" down, and brick, plaster or lath will hea
le q very heavy strain in this direction
IN After the strips have been fastened 10 tn
a wall, take board with a straight edg
and mark of the places where the shelyt
u should come, and he careful to allow r0ol
Sc for the thickness Of the shelves in additio
I'd to the height Of the books. Then sore
on the brackets, arrange the shelves upo
: them, and fasten each with a couple
% screws TO prevent their slipping, AMI SO
in will have a set of boOk-shelYes that WI
IL be quiieas useful and nearly rs ornamen
-, al az one for which the cAbinet-mak
:" would charge a good round sum.
IS, order to exclude dust, aud add to the al
er Tearance of the arrangement, tho upI'
ee shelf may be made little wider than Il
-, resi-, and to the edge Of II may be fastent
SC wide moulding, which may be obtain,
H. from any dealer in picture frames. II
moulding should be Of pine, and il may
best to have 1t attached to the shelf by
workman who can mitre the corners 50
.is to make a neat job. After this II may
stained and vanished like the rest of Il
To- shelving, aud to ii may be attached
as transparent curtain, which will not on
se protect the books from flies and dust, b
a will add greatly to the general apes
ance of the shelves.
Is When u still simpler and more portal
be arrangem, is desired, the shelves mi
ST be merely strung upon cords and euspen
ell from hook or stout nail. I'll
method is too simple and well known
need description but even in this case
knowledge Of easy and reliable methods
'rt staining and vanishing prove Of great us