Give all project parts a final sanding and apply a coat of penetrating oil to all nonglued surfaces. After wiping off the excess oil, begin assembly by gluing and clamping the two sides and the shelf. In order to keep the assembly square, cut a filler block to occupy the opening the drawer will sit in. Set the assembly aside until the glue is fully cured. To attach the bottom, drill and countersink the holes for brass screws.
To allow for cross-grain movement between the back and the drawer/bin assembly, there should only be one screw through the bottom into the back, at the centre. The other screws should all go into just the sides. I found it easiest to lay the back on my workbench and clamp the shelf/side assembly to it. Then it's a simple matter to push the bottom panel into place, drill pilot holes and drive screws. Do the one in the centre of the back first. Once that screw is set, drill the others.
Mounting holes
While everything is still clamped in place, mark the top and bottom faces of the shelf, then remove the project from the clamps and drill mounting holes. The two outer holes must be elongated to allow for the seasonal expansion and contraction of the back. Mount the spoon holders in a similar manner, with elongated screw holes and no glue.
Run a bead of glue in the rabbet that receives the bin front, then set this part in place. Glue the drawer front to the drawer box now as well.
Make it easy to hang up the spoon rack by routing a slot across the back face of the project with a keyhole router bit. This will carry the weight of the rack, but to keep it from swinging, drill a countersunk hole through the back, behind the drawer. When it comes time to mount the project on the wall, drive a screw here, into the wall.
With all the assembly work complete, rub the entire project with fine steel wool (#000) and apply another coat of oil to even out the finish. One final rub-down with more steel wool, followed by a few coats of wax, and your new family heirloom is ready to assume a prominent place on your kitchen wall, complete with your best collection of spoons.
How'd ya get that hue?
Much of the appeal of old Canadian country furniture comes from the bold, rich paint colours that builders often applied. When most of your furniture is constructed of the same species of a relatively plain wood such as pine, your home might look a bit bland, so it's no surprise that a lot of antique Canadian country furniture was painted or stained. Rich dark reds, dark blue-greens, deep yellows and emerald greens were popular in many styles of furniture, although other colours were also used.
While natural pigments were often used to make paint, the blending of these pigments from a wide variety of chemical compounds could clearly be called chemistry by the 1600s. When Europeans landed in the New World, however, special pigment mixes were not always available or affordable.
Milk paint, in a variety of forms, has been around since ancient times. It is relatively easy to make: it's simply a mix of water, milk protein (casein), lime and pigment to give it colour. The protein helps the mixture penetrate the surface of the wood and bind to it. The result is long-lasting colour that is permeable, so it allows the wood to breathe without cracks in the paint layer. Pigments were often the product of a chemist, but there were natural options as well. —Jessica Ross
Colour pigment
Yellow.....Ochre (impure iron ore)
Red.....Red clay
Maroon.....Staghorn sumac berries
Black.....Coal, soot
Green.....A mix of yellow and blue pigments
Blue.....Indigo (a plant in the pea family)
White.....Chalk or zinc
Brown stain.....Oil from butternut tree husks.
Visit the originals
Here are a few of the best museums to see original antique Canadian furniture and get information on woodworking in Canada:
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec
Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
MacLachlan Woodworking Museum, Kingston, Ontario
McCord Museum, Montreal, Quebec
Museums in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Newfoundland Museum, St. John's, Newfoundland
Royal B.C. Museum Cultural Precinct, Victoria, British Columbia
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario
Upper Canada Village, Morrisburg, Ontario
Yorkton Western Development Museum, Yorkton, Saskatchewan.
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