There must be, therefore, some means adopted to counteract this, and these are not difficult to fix upon. In lieu of pressing the table forward with risk of damaging the part of the border that will come in contact with the two fixed bars, it will be carefully tried as to fitting the exact position it is to take when glued, that is, sufficiently forward in the space between the bars that will only admit the table with a slight rise in the arching, the joint or part holding the core being in a more open condition as a consequence.
The exact place or point of contact is marked with a soft pencil or piece of chalk on border and bar. The table being taken away, the parts requiring it will be carefully glued.
Placed in position again, necessary means are taken that the surface or plane on each side of the core are quite level with each other; if they are not so, they will, after the necessary paring down of the core has been completed, cause an ugly, uneven appearance. To prevent this, therefore, the parts must be adjusted by the application of the fingers on one side or the other, or gently tapped by a piece of wood sufficiently heavy until exactness of level is made sure.
There is now necessary a weight to be applied along the whole length of the junction for keeping all in position until the glue is quite dry and hard.
Any kind of weight may be applied, the smaller and heavier in proportion to size the better, as so much more can be seen when several are used instead of one and that of larger dimensions.
These being placed in position, the table with its adjusted weights is placed away for drying.
When time has elapsed for this to be satisfactorily accomplished the table is taken in hand again, the weights lifted off and a slight tap at the upper with a piece of soft wood will set it free.
The part of the core now rising above the upper or varnished side of the table is pared down very gently, care being taken that the chisel does not work into the varnish on either side of the core, and that it is not driven against the grain, as by so doing the wood is nearly certain to be torn instead of cleanly shaven.
A close examination of the surface is now made, if found quite satisfactory, it may receive its final polishing by the application of some very fine glass paper wrapped round a piece of cork, with a little clear oil dabbed on it. This will give a dead smooth surface. If the above directions are carried out with clean and sharp work, the line along the table marked by the presence of the core will be so slight as to appear little more than the thread of the wood, in the highest class of repairing it will be nearly exact.
The part of the core projecting on the under side of the table is easily disposed of by a gouge in the same manner as described for the action of the chisel on the front.