The Boy Craftsman

pt to dull or nick a tool by striking its edge against nails or by using it for purposes other than what it was made for. For this reason a carpenter is very apt to refuse a boy, or any amateur for

s all his tools require when he is using them, but to remove nick

ay be as careful in handling them as you are, the chances are they will not be. You had better

tools perfectly clear, and you will find among these a number of hints as to the care of t

eeth of Cr

cutting thin wood where a large saw would be too coarse and apt to split the work. But you will often have need of a rip-saw, back-saw,

th the grain, or ripping. The former saw can be used for rip-sawing, but the operation is much slower, and

-cutting, as it leaves the cut f

known as the "set" of the teeth, and the quality of your work will depend largely upon the care with which the teeth have been sharpened and set. At first you may confuse these two saws, but if you will notice that the teeth of the cross-cut sa

-Teeth o

t hand at the edge of the board. The thumb should be pressed against the saw-blade to guide it until the cut has been well started, as shown in Fig. 22. Without the aid of the thumb the saw is liable to slip off the mark and make an ugly cut in the wood. First use a few short strokes until the saw h

.-Position

e weight of your knee from it, and hold the board w

tion for usin

the correct po

ger saw, such as can be sawn on the bench-hook or in the mitre-box.

blad

the latter is employed in cutting very thin wood and in making delicate curves. The blades of these saws, especially the

ng the fibre of the woo

d deal in carpenter work, so i

etc.,-besides the more commonly used jack-plane, fore-plane, and smoothing-plane. Each of these planes has a special form of work to

is ground so as to gouge the wood, removing thick shavings, but leaving ridges and hollows which must afterward be removed by a fore-plane or smoothing-plane. There is one troub

utting the lower portions until the high portions have been removed. Although a fore-p

oothin

adjusted. The illustration gives the names of the various parts. The cap (B) is screwed to the plane-iron (A), and both are held in the stock (F) by means of the clamp on the end of the wedge (C). The thum

Stanley I

lane

ne-iro

ge or

usting

usting

Sto

nt, but the base being of wood. Its cost is much less than that of the entire iron plane, and you will p

ing the knob on the fore part of the stock. Use a long, steady sweep, and bear with equal pressure from the beginning of a stroke to the end, to avoid the hollows that

aning this, just as there are two ways of stroking a cat's back, one smoothing the surface, while the other roughens it. When you find a piece of wood with this kind

this Positio

ting off unless it is placed in the vise in front of another block of wood, the planing bein

off too much on the low places. This may be done by squinting one eye and holding the board on a level with the other e

d surface, and move it the length of the board. Any irregularities in the surface will show themselves as the blade passes over them. In planing up a block of wood

a number o

and framing-chisels. The former are intended for hand use only, while the latter are u

and 27.

t both hands may be kept upon the tool, the right hand grasping the upper end of the handle and doing

curved edge such as is shown in Fig. 26. Here the line AB represents the line of the finished end of a piece of work. The board is first placed in a vise and the wood removed to about one-quarter in

wn the surface of a piece of work t

28.-B

ng-chisel the bevel of the blade should be toward the work, which is just the opposite from that shown in Figs. 26 and 27. Unless this is done t

operations. They consist in cutting the edges

9.-Cha

t the wood from splintering. It can only be done, of course, before the adjoining side

use being for cutting grooves and curvatures in a

aterial and in rounding sticks. The blade is drawn toward you

e bit and bit-stock will be in holding the brace in a p

. Set the point of the bit against the work and bore steadily until the point appears upon the opposite side. The bit should then be withdrawn and the rest of the hole bored from the other side. This prevents the fibre around the hole from splin

essary to operate the brace and at the same time steady the bit. Th

d these trimmed to the required opening with a chisel or with the keyhole-saw. Whatever style of bit-s

rilling holes in hard wood, before driving in finishing nails or screws. It beats the awl and gimlet for speed, and is a tool w

ap off very easily when the tool is handled roughl

A misplaced blow will sometimes ruin your work, either by cutting into it or striking grain which runs off into the portion to be finished. With straight grained wood it is not so d

well t

for large work, and a lighter on

Withdrawi

s, and given a few light raps with the hammer to start it. Then remove the fingers, and driv

r stroke, it is generally easier and quicker to withdr

pincers ar

in Fig. 30. The head of the nail is gripped in the claw of the hammer and a block of wood placed beneath the head. The handle of the hammer is then pulled toward you, as shown in the illust

.-Toe-n

own in Fig. 31, where the nails cannot be driven in any other way, and also where there is danger of a board springing. Yo

e and grooved boards in which the heads of the nails

er side of the work, or by laying the hatchet down and resting the work upon it, while you drive the nail. The point of the nail will bend over when it strikes the hard surface and sink into

.-Blind

ely to mar the wood in doing so. Leave this-the "setting" of the nails-until the piece

. The holes made by the heads should be filled up

splitting the wood, and to make it easier to drive them in without bending. The holes should be a trifle sm

rubbed over a piece of soap. This is something

l is the most commonly used for all kinds of work, it being more easily handled, not so liable t

.-Setti

es. In using these it is necessary to drive them with the smooth side

l for all ordinary work; the Finishing-nail, with the small head used on finish work; and the Brad, or small-sized finishing-nail. You can

these terms, together wi

ails (1 i

1? inch

(1?

(1?

(2 "

(2?

(2?

(2?

" (3

" (3?

" (3?

" (4

" (4?

" (5

" (5?

" (6

nd a half inches (20d to 60d

esirabl

ordinary kind, for it is more quickly operated, and screws can be driven in h

d in hard wood before

ead is left exposed on the surface of the wood; but the flat-headed screw should be countersunk,

to fit in the bit-stock, and bores a ho

ening

f sharpening tools before you undert

know the different ways in order to get their cutting

e edge of a tool when it requires only a little rubbing upon the oil-stone to put it in shape, and thus wearing down the tool unnecessarily. Again, by n

d be turned toward the grinder and the tools held upward so the stone grinds against the edge instead of from it. Move the tools sidewa

Grinding

the position to

ne of the dull edge has disappeared and an invisible edge has been obtained. Stop when this point is reached or the edge will become feathery and break off, necessitating regrinding. Grind upon the bevelled edge only, and hold the tool in the same relative position,

the former being rocked from side to side,

ly rounded, while the edge of the jack-plane iron is a little higher at the corners than in the centre, to give it the qualities for removing thick shav

inding the

are ground upon both

ugh condition by the grind-stone, and must be rubb

ny worthless ones. Above all things, don't buy a cheap on

st stones upo

medium hardness, free from grit and lumps

. 36

ingers of the right hand and place the palm of the left hand acro

k and forth upon the stone with a rotary motion, making a second narrow bevel along the edge of the tool (see Fig. 37). Be careful to keep the blade in the same position, to prevent the bevels from becom

ubbing the flat side of the iron over the stone a few times. Care mus

ibed in the foregoing chapter, should be used after the oil-stone, to put a fi

them. When they do become dull, or need to be set, it is advisable for you

g out

cil or brad-awl to locate the points. To connect the points it is necessary to have a straight-edge-a steel fra

. 38

ld be used, as it makes a thinner and cleaner-cut line. In making knife lines, the square must b

rd) with the steel-square, place one arm of the square parallel with the tried edge and mark along the other arm.

e rule in the left hand, with the first finger touching the tried edge of the board, and hold the pencil point against the end of the rule with the right h

traight line, but with practice you will be

ging with Ru

is necessary to get a perfec

ed in a tool. It consists of a graduated shaft, or rule, with a small needle or spur

ing the Mar

head against the tried edge of your work, and then, pressing the spur into the wood, move the gauge along the board, at the same time keeping the face of the head firmly against the edge of the board. T

much handier, inasmuch as it can be employed in making mitres, by placing the bevelle

g.

nd the blade resting on both arms. Move the blade until it strikes equal distances on the arms (this is shown at four inches in the drawing) and tighten the screw while it is in this position. Other angles may be drawn out upon a piece of woo

be times wh

nary way. It can be accomplished with a pair of compasses, but until you become practised in their use, it will take some little time in setting them,

as shown in the illustration, one end at one edge and the "five-inch" division at the opposite edge. Mark off the five divisions

viding a Bo

o-and three-inch divisions on the rule instead of one-inch,