Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 91.djvu/145

 Popular Science Monthly

��129

���fefr=

��|9TP

��^ ^::?^g jy

���n-6

��m

��j,^.-^WI<sU

��jL^

���M

��FRONT ELEVATION

I 1 I [ 1

��TRAHSVE.RSL

SECTio Hat-

A.

��Diagrammatic drawing showing dimensions and plan. The entire structure is built up of wood for the framework and covered with concrete, the bird-houses on top being covered with tiles

��The inside compartments, including the floor, are built independent of the side wall and top, so that they can be let down from below for cleaning. These are held in place at each end -with a metal chain which runs over a suitable pulley on the inside of the column and down to a point opposite open- ing 4 ft. from the ground and suitably secured in place. The opening for access to the above chain has a suitably hinged door. All woodwork is painted a light gray color and finished in sand.

��A Printing Process for Imitating Hard Woods

THE art and practice of graining dates back about 150 years, the exact period not being known; hence imitating hard- woods is by no means a modern idea. An expert grainer to do his best, uses only his best; whereas Nature, always variable, gives us her best and her worst, and the result is seen in poor cabinet work. In other words, the woodworker in making

��up a piece of work will often use pieces of natural wood that are not beautiful and often not matched so that the finished job will not compare with that of the expert grainer.

For some time past there has been a serious shortage of fine hardwoods suitable for cabinet work and, to help out, veneers have been used. For this the wood is sliced into extremely thin pieces or sheets which are glued to a baser wood; or plain woods are stained to make them look like the finer hardwoods. Various methods other than graining have been adopted for imitating hardwoods. About 25 years ago, a Pittsburgh painter invented a machine for filling a board with punctures so that when it was stained the surface resembled oak. The board could be sawed and cut in the ordinary manner and finished in perfect imitation of oak.

The most modern method of graining employs a printing roller. The roller is made of a strong light wood, well seasoned. This may be in the form of a segment of

�� �