“It may be: I don’t know. My Greek and Latin were neglected. The ogee form is very common, and there is an ogee arch in architecture.—We need a blackboard in the shop as well as in the schoolroom,” said the carpenter, turning to Captain Gildrock. “But I can chalk it out on one of these box-tops.”
He made a drawing of half a square, connecting the ends of the two sides by a diagonal. In other words, it was a right-angled triangle, resting on one of the points, with the side perpendicular to the top.
“This is the shape of the board we shall get out. I divide the diagonal into two equal lengths. Each half will be the chord of the arc of a circle. The upper arc is outside of the chord, and the lower one inside of the chord;” and Mr. Brookbine drew the arcs with his chalk.
“But you can’t get that figure out of that piece of board,” interposed Thad, who was thinking with all his might.
“Very true, my lad; and I am glad to see that you have your eyes open. I want you to correct
all my blunders. In order to get the ogee out of this piece of wood, I must draw a line parallel to the diagonal, far enough inside of it to permit me to get the arc out of the piece.”
“Isn’t there any other way to do it?” asked Dory.
“There is another way, and perhaps it is a better one,” replied Mr. Brookbine, as he drew another square on the board. “On the diagonal I draw the two arcs” (suiting the action to the words). “With a keyhole-saw, I follow this curved line, and cut the board in two pieces. Perhaps this will be the better way to do it, as it will give a little different practice.”
“That is the way I was thinking of,” added Dory.
“I am glad you thought of it. You and Thad may go to the lumber-room, and get the board to make these brackets of. We want six pairs of them, and we are to get out six pieces six inches square.”