Chapter V: , including the painting and finishing of the house

HOW TO MAKE THE STABLE

The stable shown in Figs. 114 and 115, and in the background of Fig. 96, will go nicely with the house described in this or the preceding chapter. Its construction is very simple. The dimensions are twenty-four inches wide, twelve inches deep, and twenty-two inches high, and the barn contains five stalls on the ground floor and a hay-loft above.

To build the stable according to the drawings, a box ten by twelve by twenty-four inches should be procured for

=The First Story=.--If you have a box of different proportions it will be a simple matter to make such alterations in the details as it will require.

=The Roof= is made in two sections, each fifteen by eighteen inches, and is fastened to the top of the box so that the peak is twenty-two inches above the bottom.

=The Gable-end= is made in four pieces, as shown in Fig. 116, _A_, _B_, and _C_, to be nailed in place, and _D_ to be movable as in the case of the doll-house. Make a three-by-five-inch window in the centre of _D_, and fasten the glass in place with strips cut as described in Chapter V. Strips should be nailed to the roof just inside of the movable section to prevent the latter from setting in too far, and a spring catch fastened to _C_ and _D_ as shown, to hold the movable section in place.

Figure 117 gives the patterns and measurements for

=The Stall Partitions=, four of which should be cut out and fastened to the floor of the stable four inches apart, or so they will divide the inside width into five equal stalls.

=The Feed-troughs= are made out of two strips of cigar-boxes fitted between the stalls, as shown in Figs. 115 and 117, and are fastened in place by means of brads and glue. Above the stalls cut

=Small Windows= an inch and one-half square in the rear wall. These are the ventilating windows for the stalls, and may be left open.

Figure 118 shows the construction of

=A Ladder= to the hay-loft. This is made out of two sticks twelve inches long, with strips of cigar-boxes two inches long glued to them half an inch apart, as shown in the drawing. Cut away a section of the hay-loft floor two inches square and stick the end of the ladder up through the opening, fastening the uprights to the edge of the floor (see Fig. 118).

A stick about three inches long, with a very small pulley attached near the end, should be fastened in the peak of the roof for a

=Feed-hoist= (see Fig. 114).

The first story has

=A Drop-front=, as shown in Figs. 114 and 115. This is made from the box-cover. Fasten the boards together with battens placed upon the inside, and hinge it to the bottom of the stable. Nail two cleats to the under side of the floor (see Fig. 114) to lift it off the ground, just enough to allow the front to drop without springing its hinges.

When the front is down it forms an incline upon which to run the horses into the stable. For this reason it is not advisable to cut an opening in it, but merely

=Represent a Stable Door= on the outside (see Fig. 114). This is done with paint and a fine brush. First paint a green panel in the centre of the front, and then mark off a couple of panels within this space with black paint, and stripe them diagonally to represent beaded-boards.

With strips of wood half an inch wide make

=A Simple Trim= around the door, the sides of the stable, and around the gable, as shown in the illustration.

When the carpenter work has been finished,

=Paint the Inside= of the stable white, and the outside the same colors as used for the doll-houses (see description on page 90, Chap. V).