Garden Accessories: With Instructions and Illustrations on Constructing Various Accessories Including Sheds, Hutches, Trellises, Gates, Dovecotes and More - The Handyman's Book of Woodworking

By Paul N. Hasluck

“Garden Accessories” is a guide to hand making a variety of interesting structures to transform your garden. From sheds and hutches to beautiful trellises, ornate gates, and beyond, this easy-to-follow handbook will appeal to gardeners and DIY enthusiasts alike. Containing simple instructions coupled with helpful diagrams and expert tips, this guide is perfect for those with little woodworking experience. Paul Nooncree Hasluck (1854 – 1916) was an Australian engineer and editor. He was a master of technical writing and father of the 'do-it-yourself' book, producing many books on subjects including engineering, handicrafts, woodwork, and more. Other notable works by this author include: “Treatise on the Tools Employed in the Art of Turning” (1881), “The Wrath-Jobber's Handy Book” (1887), and “Screw-Threads and Methods of Producing Them” (1887). Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Old Hand Books
• Release date: Sep 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781528766609

Paul N. Hasluck

Paul Hasluck (1854–1931) was an Australian-born writer and engineer, who moved to the United Kingdom before the 1880s. Hasluck was a leading writer of do-it-yourself guides and wrote technical handbooks. Alongside authoring 40 of his own works, Hasluck also edited many texts.

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ACCESSORIES FOR YARD AND GARDEN.

SMALL AND SIMPLE RABBIT HUTCH.

A RABBIT hutch may be a very simple construction indeed (see Fig. 1072). Put together a box of suitable size; or get a common packing-case and remove the lid, if there is one, and one of the long sides. Use this side to heighten the back A, as at E (Fig. 1072), fastening it by wood strips B B. Cut out two pieces C C, and fasten them by strips D to form the body of the hutch. Cut out a piece to the shape of the sides C (one piece if possible) so as to form partition P (Fig. 1072). Measure one-third the length of hutch from the end. Before inserting the partition, cut out a square of 4 in. or 5 in. from the corner to form the opening shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1072. Insert the partition, and place the lid on the three sloping pieces. Fasten down to form the sloping roof (Fig. 1073), and round the side of the living room L (Fig. 1073) nail strips S S S S. The framework with wires should form half of the front, leaving a narrow door. The door G, hung with iron hinges, covers both the opening O (Fig. 1074) and the sleeping room. On the partition fasten a stout strip, indicated by dotted lines H (Fig. 1073), and hammer a staple to this. Opposite this cut a slit in the door to allow the staple to slip through, as shown in Fig. 1073. A bolt or padlock will easily secure it. The dark or sleeping room should be hidden by a door hung as shown on Fig. 1074, to secure a quiet place while breeding. The roof should be covered with tarred felt. Fig. 1073 shows a front elevation of the complete hutch.

Fig. 1072.—Body of Simple Hutch.

Fig. 1073.—Front Elevation of Hutch.

Fig. 1074.—Sleeping-room of Hutch.

RABBIT HUTCH WITH THREE COMPARTMENTS.

In the rabbit hutch with three compartments (Fig. 1075) the sleeping portion can be cut off from the others by a simple slide, as shown at Figs. 1076 and 1077, and the two outer compartments can be opened into one by lifting the board A (Fig. 1078), hinged with two back-flaps and kept up by a button G. The legs and rails of the general framing are of 2-in. by 2-in. stuff. The legs are shown about 2 ft. long, but this is a matter for personal choice.

Fig. 1075.—Rabbit Hutch with Three Compartments.

Fig. 1076.

Fig. 1076.—Cross Section of Hutch.

Fig. 1077.

Fig. 1077.—Section of Slide.

The pieces should be planed and the joints made, those at B (Figs. 1079 and 1080) being mortised and tenoned together (see Fig. 1081). For the bottom, use 3/4-in. grooved and tongued boards, resting on a fillet as shown by D (Fig. 1078), and on the back rail E. The back is formed of similar boarding running vertical, the bottom ends being nailed to the rail E, and the top ends to the fillet F (Fig. 1078). For the ends, front, and door H (Fig. 1079), use 3/4-in. matchboarding, the door having a couple of ledges, about 1 1/2 in. by 3/4 in., nailed to the back. Perhaps the best form of roof is boarding covered with felt. The door frames may be of 2-in. by 1 1/4-in. material, the open mortise-and-tenon joint for them being illustrated at Fig. 1082. All the doors should be hung with 10-in. cross-garnets. The rails should be bored for the 1/4-in. round-iron bars.

Fig. 1078.—Cross Section of Hutch.

Fig. 1079.

Fig. 1080.

Figs. 1079 and 1080.—Front and End Elevations of Rabbit Hutch.

Fig. 1081.—Mortise and Tenon Joint.

GABLE-ROOFED RABBIT HUTCH.

Fig. 1083 shows an easily made rabbit hutch with a gable roof. It is 4 ft. long by 1 ft. 9 in. wide and 1 ft. 9 in. high, exclusive of the roof. Nail the end board to the legs, cut off level, and nail the flat top and the back, and then the bottom, which has a cleat nailed across each pair of legs inside to support it, the boards running lengthways. Nail on the frame of the front, and the middle division of the hutch; make a sliding door in the division so that the hutch will be suitable for breeding. The doors can be halved together, or preferably mortised and tenoned, the grating being formed by 1/4-in. iron bars inserted in the top and bottom rails of the doors. Bore a few holes in the bottom of the hutch for drainage, and some in the flat top for ventilation. The sloping roof is required only if the hutch has to stand outside. If the ends are left open as shown, the roof space will be useful as a storage for food and litter. The doors should be hinged on very strongly, and fastened with a padlock by means of two split hasps, which will both fit over one staple in the centre piece of the front frame.

Fig. 1082.—Open Mortise and Tenon Joint.

DRAINING A RABBIT HUTCH.

An arrangement for draining a rabbit hutch is suggested in Figs. 1084 and 1085, which show the compartments ranged one over the other. Make the bottoms of the hutches of sound timber, and let them slope slightly to the back corner farthest from the sleeping place. In this corner cut a hole about 6 in. square, and fit in a loose piece of board, through which a few drainage holes may be made with a 1/2-in. centre-bit. Under this fix a zinc tray, to which a short outlet pipe of the same material may be soldered, leading through the back or side of the box as may be most convenient. Fig. 1084 is a plan of one compartment of the box, with the loose board at A and the outlet pipe at B. Fig. 1085 shows the arrangement in section, A being the zinc trays, B the outlets, and C the loose boards, which can be removed when the hutches are cleaned and the trays swilled out.

Fig. 1083.—Gable-roof Rabbit Hutch.

SHOW RABBIT HOUSE.

The four houses shown in front and side elevation by Figs. 1086 and 1087 are designed for the reception of fancy rabbits. The framework is 2 in. square oak or ash, and the flooring and sheeting are of 3/4-in deal, tongued and grooved. The framework is first got ready, the various pieces being mortised and tenoned together, with the exception of the centre posts (back and front) C P (Fig. 1086), which are halved on to the rails. The bottom front rail is 1 ft. from the ground, the house being thus kept free from ground moisture and vermin. The height of the doors in the bottom houses is 2 ft. 1 1/4 in., and only 1 ft. 10 1/4 in. for the top houses. The front rails F (Fig. 1086) are rebated 5/8 in. by 3/4 in., to receive the doors. The middle rail is rebated on each side, as shown in the section (Fig. 1088). The end rails are so arranged that the mortises for them come F in. above the front rail mortises. It is not necessary to plough either of the back rails, as the sheeting runs from top to bottom, and is nailed over them. The inside edges of the whole of the framing pieces should be deeply chamfered (see Fig. 1089). Any square edges which the rabbits are likely to gnaw should be taken off. Before fixing, the joints should have a coat of white-lead paint, and the framework can be dowelled together with 1/2-in. oak dowels. The sheeting is next nailed along the back and each end. The end boards are cut 4 1/2 in. high in the centre, to form the apex of the roof. The ends of the boards are secured together, and strengthened with a batten 2 in. by 1 in. (see B, Fig. 1090). The two floors, the boards of which run from back to front, are now fitted on the top side of the front rails, but to the underside of the end rails. This is shown in Fig. 1091, in which F B is the floor board, C P corner post, F R front rail, and E R the end rail. Use tongue and groove joints for the floor-boards, so that when the latter shrink the droppings will not fall through upon the occupants of the lower houses.

Fig. 1084.—Drain Holes in Hutch.

Fig. 1085.—Section of Hutch Floor Drains.

Figs. 1086 and 1087.—Front and End Elevations of Show Rabbit House.

Fig. 1088.—Section of Centre Front Rail and Door Frame.

Fig. 1089.—Framing with Stopped Chamfers

CENTRE DIVISIONS OF SHOW RABBIT HOUSE.

To fix the centre divisions D (Fig. 1092) directly above C P (Fig. 1086), screw triangular strips S (Fig. 1092) to the floor and roof boards. Erect a partition 1 ft. 10 3/8 in. distant at each side of this division, to enclose the space forming the bed. These partitions are fixed similar to the centre division, and each has a hole 9 in. high by 8 in. wide, through which the rabbit can pass; this hole is seen in the cross section of the upper house (Fig. 1093). A cover piece C P (Fig. 1093), working upon a button-head screw and washer, fits over this hole. The roof boards R B (Fig. 1093), which run lengthways of the house, are now screwed to the battens of the end boards and to the centre division. Let them overlap at each end by 3 in., and at the back and front by 2 in. Give them a coat of lead colour paint on the outside, and when it is partly dry, or tacky, stretch a thick piece of calico or stout canvas over the roof, and, well pressing it, drive in tacks along the ends and back edges. A few tacks can be put along the front edge, but these will afterwards be withdrawn so that it may be turned up the back of the fascia board.

Fig. 1090.—End Board Batten.

Fig. 1091.—Corner Pillar, Rails, etc.

Fig. 1092.—Partition of Show Rabbit House.

Fig. 1093.—Cross Section through Show Rabbit House.

FASCIA BOARDS OF SHOW RABBIT HOUSE.

The end fascia boards have square edges, one end of each being shouldered to form a stump tenon, which fits into the end finial, shown in detail by Fig. 1094. The finial is prepared from 2-in. square stuff. The mortises are cut, and the turned part is then set out and worked in the lathe. The fascia boards can now be dowelled, and the whole put up in one piece. To make the front fascia board, set out a board 5 in. wide, 7 ft. 7 1/2 in. long by 3/4 in. thick, as in Fig. 1095. First pencil a line along its length 1 1/8 in. in, and another 2 1/8 in. in from the same edge; this last will form the centre line upon which to describe the semicircles. Across the board pencil a series of lines 1 in. apart; these will be alternately the centre line for the circle and the centre line for the pointed piece. Along the line, 1 1/8 in. in, set out each side of the alternate centre line 11/16 in., and from this point draw the two lines to form the apex. With a 1-in. bit, bore out a row of holes, and pencil a line from the wide part of the pointed piece to form a tangent with the circular hole; and then cut away with a fine tenon saw, the edges being cleaned up with sandpaper. An old round rat-tail file will be found useful for cleaning out the circular work. The edge of the front roof board is planed to an angle to fit the fascia board, which can then be screwed into position. The end fascia boards butt behind and support it. Tack the roof canvas R C (Fig. 1096) for about 2 in. up the back of the board. The roof must now have two or three coats of white-lead paint, a liberal coating being given along the canvas gutter, and a watertight roof will result. A light zinc spouting S (Fig. 1087), running along the back edge of the roof, is connected with a spout from the front gutter, and conveys rain water to a down pipe D P (Fig. 1087). An alternative method would be to connect the down pipe to the front gutter.

Fig. 1094.—Finial of Show Rabbit House.

Fig. 1095.—Fascia Board.

Fig. 1096.—Gutter of Rabbit House.

FRONTS OF SHOW RABBIT HOUSE.

Each of the fronts is composed of two doors, one over the run and another over the bed. That over the bed is made of three widths of board equal to 1 ft. 4 in. wide, fixed together with 2-in. by 3/4-in. battens, seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1086. It is hung to the corner posts with strong tee hinges, and fitted with a lock. It is a good plan to bore a few 1-in. or 3/4-in. holes towards the top of this door for ventilation, taking care to close them up in winter time or on cold nights. A piece of stuff P (Fig. 1086), 1 3/4 in. by 3/4 in., forms a shut piece for each door, and is screwed