“It is very well for beginners. You can only do this thing off-hand after considerable practice, and I don’t think any six apprentices ever did any better than you have. Now put the end you have just cut off into the vise, so that you can smooth off the work with the block-plane. With this tool you can correct the error of the saw, and take out the bevel. Use the square constantly, both along the width and thickness of the shelf. The chances are, that you will take off too much if you are not very careful.”
Most of the block-planes cut too rankly, and it was some time before they were properly adjusted. The boys were very careful, for each one felt that it would be a disaster to spoil the board. When
the end was made smooth and square, Captain Gildrock passed along the benches, and he was generous of his praise. The students were encouraged.
“Now measure off four feet from the square end, and use your pocket-knife to mark with. You must learn to do this accurately, and there must not be the variation of a shaving in the length of the shelves.”
After the students had measured the boards, the carpenter went over all of them. Only two were inaccurate, and the instructor showed the delinquents where their fault was. The larger square was then called for.
“Put the point of your knife on the mark you have made to indicate four feet, and bring the blade of the square against it. See that the handle is against the wood. Press down the square, so that it will not slip while you are ruling it off. Hold it tight all the time. Now mark it. When we want to be very correct, we use a knife to mark with, because the line thus made has no essential thickness.
“Very well,” continued Mr. Brookbine, after he had inspected the marking. “We are to saw
the end off outside of this line. We must keep the saw against the mark, but not cut it out. Remember that you have no leeway,—at least, only the thickness of the mark, which you will use up in smoothing off this end of the board.”
The students sawed the end off with the utmost caution, using the square to keep the tool plumb. Mr. Brookbine pronounced it well done. With the experience they had obtained with the block-plane, they smoothed off the end without any difficulty; and the boards were ready for the next operation.
“Now we must round off the outside corners of the shelf,” said the carpenter. “At this point you need a little geometry, and this is where the high-school comes in. This board is six inches wide. Rule off six inches from the length at each end. What sort of a figure will that make?”