CHAPTERXXV.

[Top]CHAPTERXXV.THE SECOND CLASS AT THE CARPENTER’S BENCH.Mr. Brookbine directed one piece of the board to be taken to each of the benches. He then stationed two of the class at a bench, intimating they were to work together, and divide the labor. When not actually employed, either one of the couple was to observe the other; but he was not to criticise him, for this might lead to quarrels. Every one could improve by noticing the mistakes of others.“The first thing is to get one straight and square edge on each board,” said the carpenter. “You will put one end of the board in the vise, and place one of the pins in the front of the bench, so that it will support the other end.”One of each pair of workmen adjusted the vise, while the other put the pin in the right place. The edge of the board was to be parallel with the top of the bench, and several of the boys had to make changes in its position. The instructorfound it necessary to number the benches, and then to designate the workmen at each as No. 1 and No. 2.“Now, No. 2 will take the fore-plane. Place the end of it on the bench, and hold it so that you can sight along the face. Put the fingers of your left hand on the screw under the iron. Now turn the screw till the edge of the cutter is just a very little below the face.”Of course, half the students turned the wrong way; and it required some time to adjust the iron. The carpenter explained again that the screw must be turned towards the left to send the cutter down. At last the boys were all ready.“Probably not many of you have got it just right. I want you to take off a very thin shaving at first. After one stroke with the plane, you will see how to alter it,” continued the instructor, as the boys made their first attempt. Some of the planes took off no shaving at all, and some dug deep into the wood.“What do you call a thin shaving, Mr. Brookbine?” asked Jim Alburgh.“One not thicker than a piece of ordinary writing-paper to begin with. By and by you cantake a thick shaving, when you have learned how. We must feel our way, and not spoil the board,” replied the carpenter, as he walked along by the boys, and looked at each plane.After a second or third stroke of the tool, the shaving was right all along the line. The workmen were required to plane till they had a smooth surface. Some of them were nicer and more particular than others, and the latter were told to do theirs over again. This discipline soon made them all careful.“Now, lift the end of the board, and sight along the edge of it,” said Mr. Brookbine, doing as he described with the board nearest to him. “This piece slants, or bevels, on the edge; and very likely all the rest of them have the same fault.”“Mine does,” added Phil Gawner. “I could slide down hill on it.”“Is that what the squinting is for?” asked Tom Ridley. “I have often seen carpenters do it.”“That is what it is for. You are to educate your eye so that you can tell at a glance whether a piece of work is straight, or not. I dare say, you can’t tell now whether the edge of the boardis true, or not,” added Mr. Brookbine, as he passed along the benches, and examined the work of each boy.“Not a single one is right,” continued he. “As is apt to be the case with beginners, you all lean your plane to the right, just as you do with the saw. Most of you have got it so far out of the way that you can’t help seeing it with your eye.”The students admitted that they could see it. The carpenter told them to try again, and be sure to keep the plane perfectly level on the edge of the board. He directed them to take hold of the tool with the left hand, so that the middle finger would touch the perpendicular part of the board. After they had taken a few strokes more, they were told to sight their work again. Several of them declared that it was right now. Two of them had to use the plane again.“Take the small try-square, each of you. Place the handle against the perpendicular of the board, and the blade across the edge.” The carpenter took one of the squares, and showed them how to do it. “If you have it nearly square, it will do for our present purpose. Now take the jointer. Be sure that the cutter strikes the board atthe end where you begin. Put the left hand on the plane as before, and be sure that you keep the jointer perfectly level.”The boys made the first stroke with the long plane. The carpenter had set the irons so that they took off a very thin shaving.“Mine will cut only in the middle,” said Tom Ridley.“Mine will take hold only at the ends,” added Ben Ludlow.“That’s all right,” replied the instructor. “Some of you have gouged out the middle of the board, and others have taken off the ends, with the fore-plane. The jointer is long enough to correct all these faults; only don’t lean the plane over either way.”After a few strokes the pupils were required to sight along their work. Under the constant admonitions of the carpenter, the edge was so nearly square that they could detect no fault. They were told to use the square. This trial proved that not one was exactly square. The plane was used again.When the boys had satisfied themselves, Mr. Brookbine inspected the work, and was able tofind something out of the way with every piece. But at last the boards were all right. The students were required to measure the width of the pieces in the narrowest place. They varied considerably, but all had over a quarter of an inch to spare.“Now we will use a new tool, that I have not mentioned,” continued the carpenter, taking a bundle of gauges from one of the boxes, and putting one on each bench. “Take your rule, and set this gauge at just six inches.” He showed them how to do it, and then looked at each one to see that it was right.After telling the class to do as he did, he placed one end of the board against the bench-hook, and ran the gauge the entire length of it. Turning it over, but still keeping the straight edge on the right, he gauged the other side. Hardly one of the boys succeeded in carrying the gauge the whole length of the board. It slipped out of place because it was not held right. But at last all the pieces were gauged on both sides.“Now we are to plane the other edge of the board down to the gauge-mark. As you are to plane down about a quarter of an inch, you cantake off a thicker shaving. You must keep watch of the mark, for you are not to go the breadth of a hair below it.”The pupils were exceedingly cautious, and after every shaving they looked at the mark. When they were pretty near it, the carpenter told them to take the jointer. All of them applied the try-square, correcting the faults as they discovered them; and they made very good progress. They were directed to plane out the gauge-mark, which they could see on the planed surface. Mr. Brookbine kept inspecting the work until it was satisfactory to him.“Now, we want to make these shelves four feet long,—just four feet, not a little more or a little less. Lay the board flat on the bench, and take the larger try-square, for the blade of the small one is only four inches and a half long. We will now square one of the ends of the shelf, but we don’t want to take off more than a quarter of an inch. In marking this, the lead-pencil won’t do, and you must use the point of your pocket-knife.”The carpenter saw that it was done properly. Then each pupil was required to take the larger of the two back-saws, and cut off the board on themark. In using this saw, they were to touch very lightly, rather lifting it up than bearing on with it.After the utmost watchfulness on the part of the instructor, the cut was passably well done. Most of the workmen had used the small square in their efforts to keep the saw at right angles with the face of the board. Of course, there were some twists in the cut; and half of them had made the end slightly bevelling, in spite of all their efforts to avoid this fault.“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. Whenthe 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 sawthe 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?”“This class never studied geometry,” interposed Captain Gildrock.“But they know this figure,” replied the carpenter.“It is a square,” said Thad Glovering.“Right. The diagonal of a square is a line connecting the opposite corners: rule in a diagonal.Now rule another from the other corners. I dare say Mr. Bentnick will not find my geometry as scientific as his own. Where the diagonals cross each other is the centre of the square. Take the compasses, and set the points three inches apart. The problem is to inscribe a circle inside of a square, though it is necessary to mark only a quarter of the square.”The quarter of a circle was inscribed, and formed the round corner of the shelf. It was repeated on the other end.

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Mr. Brookbine directed one piece of the board to be taken to each of the benches. He then stationed two of the class at a bench, intimating they were to work together, and divide the labor. When not actually employed, either one of the couple was to observe the other; but he was not to criticise him, for this might lead to quarrels. Every one could improve by noticing the mistakes of others.

“The first thing is to get one straight and square edge on each board,” said the carpenter. “You will put one end of the board in the vise, and place one of the pins in the front of the bench, so that it will support the other end.”

One of each pair of workmen adjusted the vise, while the other put the pin in the right place. The edge of the board was to be parallel with the top of the bench, and several of the boys had to make changes in its position. The instructorfound it necessary to number the benches, and then to designate the workmen at each as No. 1 and No. 2.

“Now, No. 2 will take the fore-plane. Place the end of it on the bench, and hold it so that you can sight along the face. Put the fingers of your left hand on the screw under the iron. Now turn the screw till the edge of the cutter is just a very little below the face.”

Of course, half the students turned the wrong way; and it required some time to adjust the iron. The carpenter explained again that the screw must be turned towards the left to send the cutter down. At last the boys were all ready.

“Probably not many of you have got it just right. I want you to take off a very thin shaving at first. After one stroke with the plane, you will see how to alter it,” continued the instructor, as the boys made their first attempt. Some of the planes took off no shaving at all, and some dug deep into the wood.

“What do you call a thin shaving, Mr. Brookbine?” asked Jim Alburgh.

“One not thicker than a piece of ordinary writing-paper to begin with. By and by you cantake a thick shaving, when you have learned how. We must feel our way, and not spoil the board,” replied the carpenter, as he walked along by the boys, and looked at each plane.

After a second or third stroke of the tool, the shaving was right all along the line. The workmen were required to plane till they had a smooth surface. Some of them were nicer and more particular than others, and the latter were told to do theirs over again. This discipline soon made them all careful.

“Now, lift the end of the board, and sight along the edge of it,” said Mr. Brookbine, doing as he described with the board nearest to him. “This piece slants, or bevels, on the edge; and very likely all the rest of them have the same fault.”

“Mine does,” added Phil Gawner. “I could slide down hill on it.”

“Is that what the squinting is for?” asked Tom Ridley. “I have often seen carpenters do it.”

“That is what it is for. You are to educate your eye so that you can tell at a glance whether a piece of work is straight, or not. I dare say, you can’t tell now whether the edge of the boardis true, or not,” added Mr. Brookbine, as he passed along the benches, and examined the work of each boy.

“Not a single one is right,” continued he. “As is apt to be the case with beginners, you all lean your plane to the right, just as you do with the saw. Most of you have got it so far out of the way that you can’t help seeing it with your eye.”

The students admitted that they could see it. The carpenter told them to try again, and be sure to keep the plane perfectly level on the edge of the board. He directed them to take hold of the tool with the left hand, so that the middle finger would touch the perpendicular part of the board. After they had taken a few strokes more, they were told to sight their work again. Several of them declared that it was right now. Two of them had to use the plane again.

“Take the small try-square, each of you. Place the handle against the perpendicular of the board, and the blade across the edge.” The carpenter took one of the squares, and showed them how to do it. “If you have it nearly square, it will do for our present purpose. Now take the jointer. Be sure that the cutter strikes the board atthe end where you begin. Put the left hand on the plane as before, and be sure that you keep the jointer perfectly level.”

The boys made the first stroke with the long plane. The carpenter had set the irons so that they took off a very thin shaving.

“Mine will cut only in the middle,” said Tom Ridley.

“Mine will take hold only at the ends,” added Ben Ludlow.

“That’s all right,” replied the instructor. “Some of you have gouged out the middle of the board, and others have taken off the ends, with the fore-plane. The jointer is long enough to correct all these faults; only don’t lean the plane over either way.”

After a few strokes the pupils were required to sight along their work. Under the constant admonitions of the carpenter, the edge was so nearly square that they could detect no fault. They were told to use the square. This trial proved that not one was exactly square. The plane was used again.

When the boys had satisfied themselves, Mr. Brookbine inspected the work, and was able tofind something out of the way with every piece. But at last the boards were all right. The students were required to measure the width of the pieces in the narrowest place. They varied considerably, but all had over a quarter of an inch to spare.

“Now we will use a new tool, that I have not mentioned,” continued the carpenter, taking a bundle of gauges from one of the boxes, and putting one on each bench. “Take your rule, and set this gauge at just six inches.” He showed them how to do it, and then looked at each one to see that it was right.

After telling the class to do as he did, he placed one end of the board against the bench-hook, and ran the gauge the entire length of it. Turning it over, but still keeping the straight edge on the right, he gauged the other side. Hardly one of the boys succeeded in carrying the gauge the whole length of the board. It slipped out of place because it was not held right. But at last all the pieces were gauged on both sides.

“Now we are to plane the other edge of the board down to the gauge-mark. As you are to plane down about a quarter of an inch, you cantake off a thicker shaving. You must keep watch of the mark, for you are not to go the breadth of a hair below it.”

The pupils were exceedingly cautious, and after every shaving they looked at the mark. When they were pretty near it, the carpenter told them to take the jointer. All of them applied the try-square, correcting the faults as they discovered them; and they made very good progress. They were directed to plane out the gauge-mark, which they could see on the planed surface. Mr. Brookbine kept inspecting the work until it was satisfactory to him.

“Now, we want to make these shelves four feet long,—just four feet, not a little more or a little less. Lay the board flat on the bench, and take the larger try-square, for the blade of the small one is only four inches and a half long. We will now square one of the ends of the shelf, but we don’t want to take off more than a quarter of an inch. In marking this, the lead-pencil won’t do, and you must use the point of your pocket-knife.”

The carpenter saw that it was done properly. Then each pupil was required to take the larger of the two back-saws, and cut off the board on themark. In using this saw, they were to touch very lightly, rather lifting it up than bearing on with it.

After the utmost watchfulness on the part of the instructor, the cut was passably well done. Most of the workmen had used the small square in their efforts to keep the saw at right angles with the face of the board. Of course, there were some twists in the cut; and half of them had made the end slightly bevelling, in spite of all their efforts to avoid this fault.

“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. Whenthe 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 sawthe 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?”

“This class never studied geometry,” interposed Captain Gildrock.

“But they know this figure,” replied the carpenter.

“It is a square,” said Thad Glovering.

“Right. The diagonal of a square is a line connecting the opposite corners: rule in a diagonal.Now rule another from the other corners. I dare say Mr. Bentnick will not find my geometry as scientific as his own. Where the diagonals cross each other is the centre of the square. Take the compasses, and set the points three inches apart. The problem is to inscribe a circle inside of a square, though it is necessary to mark only a quarter of the square.”

The quarter of a circle was inscribed, and formed the round corner of the shelf. It was repeated on the other end.

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