Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/330

 306 COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. 593 595 the joints. There ought to be four fillets, b h, nailed along the under side of each edge of the cover, so as to keep it exactly in its place when on. Deal, beech, sycamore, and ash are good woods for the trough and cover of this table, because they are light in colour, and have a clean appearance. No part of them should be painted, because both the trough and cover, when used for making bread, will require frequent scouring to keep them clean ; and, if the board should be used for an ironing-board, the heat of the irons would blister the paint, and make it stick to the cloth or blanket used to cover it. Fig. 594, p. 313, to a scale of half an inch to a foot, is a kitchen table on four fixed legs, which, by means of two portable legs in addition, can be extended at each end, so as to make a table of double its original length. Thus, suppose the table, fig. 594, when folded up, to be three feet long, and two feet six inches wide, it may, in two minutes, by screwing in the two portable legs, be made six feet long ; and, instead of being only large enough for two persons, it may dine several, or be used as an ironing-board, which, in narrow rooms, must obviously be a great convenience. There is a drawer under the centre of this table, in which the portable legs may be kept ; or they may be set elsewhere, and the drawer used for other purposes. This Design might be varied by having lopers to support the end leaves, instead of portable legs ; or the leaves might hang down, like those of a common dining-table, and be supported by draw-out feet. In the construction, care must be taken to have the wood of the hinged leaves very dry and well-seasoned, otherwise they will warp ; and the ends of these leaves should be clamped at each end, by a piece of wood the reverse way to the grain of the leaf or flap. The term clamping is applied by cabinet-makers, when a piece of wood is grooved, and another tongued into it, as in fig, 595. This table will cost in London from ^ Q to £ 4. Fig. 596, to a scale of half an inch to a foot is a fold-up kitchen table, chiefly valuable because it will take up little room when not in use, as in fig. 597. The top consists of two leaves hinged together 59g 597 at the ends ; and, when the table is opened, it is prevented from fall- ing down in the middle by the wooden button, c, being locked into the notched piece, d, figs. 598 and 599. The for- mer figurerepresentsthe under side of the table. The tops and feet of the standards, e e, and the rails, ff, must be beveled, to admit of their free action. The legs may be fastened together, when shut, by a hook and eye at each end, as shown at g, otherwise it would be apt to warp. This table will be found very convenient for carrying out to a cottage lawn or arbour, or for using under a veranda. Where, however, the veranda is narrow,