Before undertaking the work included in the following pages, the student should have passed through that contained in "Elements of Woodwork" and "Elements of Construction," or their equivalent.

In preparing the material for this book, it has been the author's first purpose to arrange and present the subjects in such a manner that they will be easily adaptable to use in technical schools for students of architecture and engineering, and in trade and industrial schools for the teaching of the principles and methods of building construction, to students who plan to make carpentry a means of livelihood.

The matter as arranged has special reference to the laying out and planning of the construction of wooden buildings, for the foreman as well as for the one who is to work under his direction. The important problems met with in preparing a house for the inside finish are discussed, and the relation between the carpenter and other mechanics is explained.

The teacher should see that there is a select library for the use of the students, including the leading trade periodicals, from which should be selected subjects for discussion, research, and essays bearing upon the different stages of the work.

The method of teaching the use of the steel square was devised by the author to meet classroom conditions; the formulas and instruction given may be applied to any pitch or plate angle or to any combination of them.