Stock - One piece 141/2 inches long, 41/2 inches wide, and 7/8 inch thick; two pieces each 121/2 inches long, 2\ inches wide, and £ inch thick.

Dress the wide piece to 4 inches and as thick as it will work. Be quite as careful in planing these pieces out of wind and straight as you were in working the first piece (Lessons 1 to 4). Draw knife lines around one end and saw it off the same as for smoothing the end with a chisel. With the smooth plane held as shown in Fig. 98, plane carefully to the line at the corner next you, but do not plane to the opposite corner. When you have planed down to the line at the nearest corner, either reverse the piece or step to the opposite side and plane the end square. Test the end with the head of the try-square against both the face side and the face edge. Always place the piece as

Fig. 97. Bench-Hook.

low down in the vise as you can to avoid chattering. This will hold the piece more rigid, and consequently there will be less liability to roughen the edges or split the corners.

If by mistake you plane beyond the lines, do not try to plane by guess, but draw other lines on both sides and edges. You will notice that if you stop at the lines the edges will be

sharp and smooth, but if you plane the least bit beyond the lines, the edge will be rough. Therefore, always have lines on all sides and edges, and stop exactly at them. If by accident you split one of the corners you may leave this end to be rounded and try to square the other end; but remember that if you do

Fig. 98. Planing an End Square in the Vise.

Fig. 99. Setting Compasses on a Rule.

not plane entirely across the end the corner will not be split.

After squaring one end set the compasses to 2 inches as shown in Fig. 99, and place one point 12 inches from the square end and at the center of the width, and strike a semi-circle, making the extreme length of the piece 14 inches. Hold the compasses in striking the circle as shown in Fig. 100.

With the backsaw saw the corners off near to the circle. Finish the circular end with a

Fig. 101. Chiseling a Round End.

Fig. 100. Striking a Circle with Compasses.

chisel (as shown in Fig. 101), using a shearing cut as in chiseling the ends of the first piece (Lesson 13 (Chiseling Ends)). Test the circle as shown in Fig. 102. Bore a hole at the center of the semicircle (asshownin the drawing, Fig. 97), with a 7/16 inch bit. Remember to bore from both sides. Dress one of the 2\ inch-wide pieces to 2 inches wide and 13/16 inch thick and saw the ends, leaving just enough to finish with the plane, the same as the wide piece which you have just completed. This piece may be only 11/2 inches wide, yet it is better to have it 2 inches wide. Should you split the corners, or for any cause need to reduce it in width, you may do so rather than use another piece.

With the gauge set at \ inch, mark on the edge and ends for the chamfer as shown in Fig. 97.

Fig. 102. Testing a Round End.

With the smooth plane dress the corner off to the gauge lines, holding the plane as shown in Fig. 103. Place the piece on end in the vise, having the top end of the piece as near to the top

of the bench as you can to work the chamfer. The lower down the piece is the less liable the plane is to chatter or split the corner. With the plane held as shown in Fig. 104, plane to the lines at the ends. The plane is held at an angle of about 45 degrees, but moved parallel with the

Fig. 104. Planing a Chamfer at the End.

Fig. 103. Planing a Chamfer.

edge, and not parallel with the length of the plane.

If the plane is in proper condition, not too much set, and held properly, the corners will not split.

Work the second piece to 2 inches

wide, 13/16 inch thick, and 12 inches long. You should be able to finish the ends of this piece very nicely with the plane. After the ends are properly squared set the compasses to 1 inch as shown in Fig. 99. Find the point at which to set them for marking the round

Fig. 105A. First Step in Locating the Point at Which to Set the Compasses.

Fig. 105B. Second Step in Locating the Point at Which to Set the Compasses.

corner (as shown in Figs. 105A and 105B), and scribe quarter-circles at the two corners opposite the face edge. Saw the corners off and then chisel the surface the same as the round end of the wide piece. Test them as in Fig. 102.

With the gauge set at 1/4 i n c h , line the corners of the edge and ends for chamfering as shown in Fig. 97, plane the chamfer at the edge and on the straight parts of the ends as shown in Figs. 103 and 104, and finish the chamfer at the rounded corner with the chisel as shown in Fig. 106. The circle may be chamfered with the plane, but it is rather difficult to do so. In rounding ends and planing chamfers on ends where the circle is of large radius, it is better to use the plane rather than the chisel. Nail the pieces together as directed in Lesson 7 (Bench-Hook). This bench-hook should be nice enough to receive one coat of shellac. For use in larger work one should have a bench-hook of larger size.

Fig. 106 Chiseling a Chamfer on a Circle.