j"ZafejfCutou.t Rolled Corner > layerof' л Wit2 Feathered Zdges Fig. 6.14a. A sponge rubber stool top. Sponge Rubber. Sponge rubber is a popular modern padding that is easily applied. For the bathroom stool described in Chapter 2 , a piece of A in. plywood set on cleats within the recess formed by the rails serves as the base, ventilated by a series of holes, staggered so as not to weaken the plywood. The 1in. thick Latex sponge rubber is easily cut with scissors, the cardboard template 'that served as a guide in cutting the plywood base being used. It is good practice to tack in .a layer of burlap before the first layer of rubber is inserted. To give a crown to the seat, a smaller slab can be sliced about % in. thick and its edges feathered with the scissors. This is fastened to the center of the ower slab with rubber cement, then a top slab, also 1 in. thick and % in. larger Збб FURNITURE MAKING AND CABINET WORK Courtesy Stanley Tools Fig. 6.14b. Plastic hammer. than the top of the frame, can be cemented in place. After the cement has dried the top slab should be trimmed to fit, and its edges rounded with the scissors. Vinylplastic materials such as Koroseal come with a fabric backing suitable for application to the stool top, directly over the rubber. Since these materials should not be stretched too tightly, plenty of width must be allowed on all four sides, the edges being sliptacked under the lower edges of the rails during the fitting. For final tacking, the edges are folded under У2 in. and upholstery tacks are driven in at regular intervals about }i in. from the fold, as shown in Figure 7.14, If a nonmarring, plastic hammer is not available as in b, adhesive tape can be stretched across the hammer head to protect the upholstery nails. The corners of the fabric are rolled rather than sharply folded, to prevent wear. Upholstering Loose Cushions. The maple arm chair described in Chapter 3 makes use of the popular loose cushions as upholstery for its seat and back. Although cushions of this type containing only down, cotton, or kapok will give good service, the inclusion of an innerspring mat will insure greater comfort at slight additional cost. These spring mats are procurable from an upholsterer in sizes varying from 15 in. by 15 in. to 22У2 in. by 25 in. and are not difficult of insertion. Casings. Cushion casings can be machinesewed from a top and bottom piece attached with welting to a onepiece side band or border. After the overall size of the cushion has been determined and the proper sized spring mat procured (2 in. being allowed for the cotton batting covering on the top, bottom, and sides), the top and bottom pieces of the cushion casing are cut, with an allowance of У2 in. all around for the seams. The width of the band should include an allowance of 1 in. on either side for the welt cord and seams. The welt cord can be sewed to the casing edges on a sewing machine equipped with a standard half foot.