Material. - Stick of sawed pine, 3" square and 4" long. Work. - To lay out and make a half-joint.

Plane the stick to exactly 2 3/4" square, and mark the face-edge. Saw into two equal lengths after marking with the try-square and knife. When near the finish of the saw-cut, support the ends to prevent the stick from breaking, as shown at a, Fig. 1.

Set the marking-gauge to 1 3/8"; mark on the ends just cut and along the sides 2 3/4", keeping the head of the gauge always on the face of the piece. These gauge-marks may be made without turning the pieces over, but allowing them to remain on the bench, face up, as shown in a, a, Fig. 2.

Now mark with the try-square and knife 2 3/4" from the end, above the gauge-mark on one piece, and below the gauge-mark on the other, as at b, b, Fig. 2, always adjusting the handle of the try-square to the face of the stick.

The parts to be removed, shaded a, a, in Fig. 3, are now sawed out, using the rip-saw first and the cross-cut to finish. These parts, which are waste pieces, must contain the saw-kerfs, as shown in Fig. 3.

If the gauge and try-square have been properly adjusted to the face of the pieces, and the saw-kerfs accurately kept in the waste wood, the sticks will fit together, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to make the face even, or flush.

If the saws have not cut accurately, trim down carefully to the gauge and square-marks with the chisel.

Fig. 5 shows the pieces placed at right angles, in which position they should fit as well as in Fig. 4.

The same method of marking and cutting is employed to make the scarf-joints, of which Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are examples. In the joint (Fig. 8) the pieces are forced together by the key a, which is slightly wedge-shaped.

The joints (Figs. 9 and 10) used in building trusses may be made entirely with the saws, or with the saws and chisel. In practice, one piece of such joints is marked and cut first, laid in proper position on the other, which is then marked from the first.