3. A brass-back saw with a blade about 6 inches long.
4. A light hammer.
5. Files—these are very cheap. Some must be round; the others should be 8-inch files, ½ cut (one safe edge).
6. Bradawls (or meat skewers).
7. A pair of pincers.
Other materials required will be liquid glue, sand-paper, nails—useful ones are ¾ and ½ veneer pins.
With regard to wood, children as young as seven should be given prepared lengths (schools are commonly supplied with the so-called satin walnut, machine-planed, see next chapter), from which they can saw portions for making simple objects, such as picture frames, ladders, gates, objects which consist of different lengths of wood nailed across each other.
A word of advice is necessary with regard to sand-paper; this varies in coarseness from No. 00 to No. 3, every sheet being stamped. It should never be used until all work with edged tools is finished, as the particles of sand left on the surface dull an edged tool. When using sand-paper on a flat surface it should be wrapped round a rectangular block of wood. All corners should be left as sharp as they are left by the edged tools and rarely sand-papered. Lastly, always sand-paper with the grain.
The bradawl varies in size or diameter of the steel shaft from 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch. The legitimate purpose of the bradawl is to bore holes in wood so as to ensure the passage of a nail or screw in the right direction, and to facilitate its entrance into the wood.