It consists of a stick, the sides of which have been planed up true and parallel, with a notch in one end and a cord with a weight attached fastened to the other end. The notch should be cut in the exact centre of the end of the stick, and the nail placed in the other end directly in line with the centre of the notch. An iron nut, or some such weight, should be attached to the lower end of the cord.
By placing this stick at the side of an object, you can determine whether or not it is plumb by the position of the string, which should hang in the centre of the notch when the object is plumb. The length of the stick may be made to suit the size of the work it is to be used upon. Four or five feet is a good length for ordinary outside work.
Fig. 14.
In purchasing Tools for your workshop it is not advisable to buy them in chests, for they are almost always made of cheap material, and poor tools are of no use to the boy who intends to do good work. It is a much better plan to buy a few tools at a time, getting a good quality of steel, and to gradually increase your outfit as your money permits. Then if you really want a chest you can make it yourself. A hatchet, hammer, saw, plane, chisel, jack-knife, bit and bit-stock, screw-driver, and square are the principal tools you will require, and need be all you have to start out with. Others may be got as you have need of them, and may be selected from the following list, which includes probably all the tools a boy would ever have occasion to use.
LIST OF TOOLS FROM WHICH TO MAKE YOUR SELECTIONS
1 14-inch Jack-plane.
1 18-inch Fore-plane.
1 9-inch Smoothing-plane.
1 22-inch Rip-saw.
1 20-inch Cross-cut saw.
1 12-inch Back-saw.
1 12-inch Compass-saw.
1 Gig- or Bracket-saw.
1 Ratchet Brace.
5 Auger-bits, ¼-inch, ⅜-inch, ½-inch, ¾-inch, and 1-inch.
1 Expansive-bit.
Several Gimlet Bits.
1 Screw-driver Bit.
1 Countersink.
1 Brad-awl.
2 Hand Gimlets.
1 Automatic-drill.
4 Chisels, ¼-inch, ½-inch, ¾-inch, and 1-inch.
2 Gouges, ⅜-inch and ¾-inch.
1 Draw-knife.
1 Jack-knife.
1 Hatchet.
1 Hammer.
1 Tack Hammer.
1 Mallet.
2 Nail-sets (large and small).
1 Hand Screw-driver.
1 Wood Rasp.
1 Metal File.
1 Pair Cutting Nippers.
1 Pair Pincers.
1 Grind-stone.
1 Oil-stone and oil-can.
1 Strop.
1 2-foot Folding Rule.
1 Large Steel Square.
1 7-inch Try-square.
1 Bevel.
1 Marking-gauge.
1 Compass.
The proper care and handling of these tools is fully described and illustrated in the following chapter. These directions should be carefully read before you attempt to use the tools, especially the edge tools.