Chapter II.

WOOD WORKING AND JOINING.

In your work-room you will need several appliances which you can either buy, have made or make yourself. Among these are two saw horses; a work bench with stop and vise; a tool chest or closet; a mitre box and a bench hook. These may be more or less elaborate. We give below the easiest and simplest that will do. You can improve on them if you desire.

THE SAW HORSE.

The saw horse is merely a straight bar with four legs on which to rest material while working it. You will want two. To make a saw horse get two pieces of dry fir or pine 2 in. × 4 in. by 12 ft. long s4s common lumber will do so long as it has no knots large enough to weaken it. The s4s means sized on four sides and is the term used by the mills for planing off the saw marks.

Using your try square, mark across one piece as near the end as the wood is sound, with your cross-cut saw cut off the end square at this mark. With your rule measure off four legs, each 24 inches long, and one piece 3 feet long for the rail, mark and saw as before. The legs must be bevelled at the tops just like the bevels on your chisels. This will make them spread properly at the bottom. To cut this bevel lean one of the legs against the wall with the flat side to the wall and the bottom end about 9 inches out from the base board. Now place your rule, folded up, with its edge against the wall and the flat side against the upper end of the leg and with your pencil mark the side of the leg along the rule. Be careful to cut square. Bevel one end of each leg. Lay your rail on the floor on its flat side, set the bevel of the leg against it about 3 inches from the end, with the top of the leg even with the top of the rail. Drive in one nail and with your steel square see that the leg is at right angles with the rail, then put in enough more nails to make it solid. Do likewise on other end, then turn over and put the other two legs on. Stand the horse up on its legs, if it rocks a little put a small wedge under the short leg and with your rule folded, its edge on the floor and flat side against the edge of the leg, mark along the rule. With your try square mark across the flat side of the leg from this line and saw the leg off here on the angle given by the two lines. If this is done carefully on all four legs your horse will set firmly on the floor.

WORK BENCH.

To make a simple work bench you will require one piece 2 in. × 12 in. × 12 ft. long s4s; one piece 1 in. × 12 in. × 16 ft. s4s; one piece 2 in. × 4 in. × 10 ft. s4s; one piece 2 in. × 6 in. × 5 ft. s4s. Common lumber will do if knots are not too large. You will also need a 1-inch bench screw. Saw the 2 in. × 12 in. into two pieces for the top. Saw the 2 in. × 4 in. into four pieces each 30 inches long for legs. From the 1 in. × 12 in. saw off two pieces each 22 inches long and nail a leg firmly on each end of both of them, with the 2-inch side of the leg next the board and keeping the top of the leg even with the top edge of the board, and the ends of the board even with the outside of the leg. Saw the remainder 1 in. × 12 in. into two pieces 5½ feet long and nail the ends to the flat side of the legs with the tops even with the top of the leg and the ends even with the outside of the short board previously nailed on the legs. This will make the frame of your bench. Now stand it up and lay the top on it so that the top projects about 3 inches beyond the frame at each end and is flush with it in front. Nail the front top piece on first, being careful to get the frame square at the corners, then holding the back piece firmly against it nail that also. Set your nail heads below the surface with the nail set. Now stand the 2 in. × 6 in. on the floor against the bench and mark it just the height on the top of the bench. Saw it square across at this mark for the inside jaw of your vise. Cut the outside jaw 3 inches shorter than this so it will not touch the floor. About 6 inches below the top of both jaws, and exactly in the center, bore an inch hole for the bench screw. Most bench screws have a bulge on the inner face of the plate and you will probably have to cut around the hole on the outside jaw as if for a big screw head so this plate will set down flat. Now fasten the inside jaw to the bench near the left-hand end, one end on the floor and the other flush with the top of the bench. Putting your 1-inch bit through the hole in the jaw bore through the apron, next unscrew the threaded collar from the bench screw and set it in the center of a piece of wood 2 in. × 4 in. × 8 in. To do this bore a hole through the 2 in. × 4 in. and ream it out with your knife large enough to take the collar, or else take it to a carpenter shop and have it bored with a larger bit. Now, having fastened the bench screw to the outside jaw, put it through the inside jaw and apron and then screw on the 2 in. × 4 in. with the collar in it. Nail the 2 in. × 4 in. to the inside of the apron. There only remains the slide in the bottom of the vise. Three inches above the bottom end, in the center of the outside jaw, bore an inch hole through both jaws. Get a piece of hard wood (broom-stick) about 18 inches long that will run easily through this hole. Put it through the hole till the end is flush with the outside of the outside jaw. Then wedge it tight, or nail it from the side so that it will run easily through the inside jaw, but hold the outside one. Bore ¼ inch holes through this slide from side to side about 1 inch apart. Cut the head off a 20d nail and use this as a pin to hold the bottom of the jaws as wide open when in use as the thickness of the material you have in the vise, or as nearly so as the holes in the slide will permit.

BENCH STOP.

The bench stop is used to brace your work against when planing, etc. You can buy an adjustable iron one or make a simple one as follows: Six inches from the left-hand end of the bench, and about 4 inches from the front, bore a hole straight down through the top with a bit the size of your broom-stick, before mentioned. Into this drive the broom-stick tight and with the saw cut it off about ½ inch above the top of the bench. This will answer temporarily.

You now have your bench and saw horses and can begin work. They may appear a little crude but will answer every purpose and you can buy or build finer ones when you have learned to use the tools easily.

We would advise postponing the tool chest until you have had some experience in the use of tools.

The mitre box is described later in your work and you will not need it for the present.