Before commencing to cut out material for any piece of work, it is necessary to know exactly the sizes of the several pieces required, the best method of construction, and the class of wood to be used. Unless these points are attended to, mistakes will be the outcome, leading to loss of time and material, besides the danger of getting into bad habits. It is always advisable to see the way clear from the beginning to the end, and this can only be done by having correct drawings of the articles to be constructed, from which a thorough mental grasp of the whole should be obtained before starting work. When a list of the sizes and sorts of wood required, with allowance for sawing and planing, has been made up and the wood selected, the rule, pencil, square, straightedge, and saws should be at hand for lining on and cutting out the pieces required. If those pieces are parallel, and one edge of the board from which they are to be taken is quite straight, then a very simple way of drawing the lines parallel to the edge, is by using the rule and pencil like a marking gauge. The rule, held in the left hand, is placed square across the top surface of the board as far as the desired width of the piece to be cut out, and kept in position by the thumb nail, which performs the functions of the sliding block of the marking gauge. The pencil, as marker, must be pressed against the end of the rule, and be in contact with the surface of the wood. If both rule and pencil are now simultaneously and carefully moved towards the body, a line, parallel to the edge, will be drawn. By adopting this practice, a considerable amount of time is saved. The forefinger nail of the left hand should not be used in place of the thumb nail, for fear of accident. In many instances the wood may not be straight on the edge, and the pieces required may be of irregular shapes, and in these the rule and straightedge should be resorted to. The best arrangement of the pieces to be cut from a board, is that which allows them to be broken out most easily and with the smallest possible waste. Should knots or small cracks be objectionable, then both sides of the wood ought to be well examined before lining, to avoid disappointment, and waste of time and material when the work has reached a more advanced stage. This is a safe precaution at all times.

In sawing out, the greatest care should be observed to cut exactly by the lines and quite square through, but never on any account to cut further than is absolutely necessary. As considerable difficulty is generally experienced by beginners in starting the cut, it will be found a great assistance if the weight of the saw is nearly all borne by the right hand, while the points of the teeth are brought lightly in contact with the wood, the blade being guided into position by the thumb of the left hand. Should the saw tend to leave the line, this can be counteracted by a slight twist on the handle in the opposite direction, by the right hand. This tendency is often due to a blunt side of the saw, or less set on one side than the other, but more generally to a constant pressure by the hand in one direction, which should be early avoided.