Making Wooden Squares - the Stock

To make the stock of the square, one side piece will first be glued to the middle piece; both the surfaces are painted over with hot glue, rubbed together, and set with the faced edges fair, and the squared end of the middle piece exactly at the line They will then be put between two pieces of board, and screwed tight in the vice, and left all night to harden; or, if the vice be required for some other purpose, they must be left to harden under a heavy weight. The next morning all the surplus glue will be removed with the chisel, if this had not been done the previous night with a rag and a little hot water.

Before glueing on the second side piece of the stock, the work must be tested—it is easy to make corrections during the progress of the work, but it is very difficult to do so after it is finished. A piece of board is required about 6 inches wide, and nearly a foot long; one side is planed quite clean and smooth, and one edge is planed straight; a line is drawn across the board at right angles to the edge. This must be most carefully done and tested by reversing the position of the paper square, and the smallest error corrected, because the correctness of the finished square will depend upon this line.

The stock will then be examined to see that the two pieces have been correctly glued together, and, if necessary, the edge is planed so as to make it quite true, The blade is now put upon the. stock and held firmly in position, with the edge resting tightly against the end of the middle piece at ed, and tested against the line drawn upon the board, to see that the edge ac exactly coincides with the line when the stock is held against the edge of the board. If there be any error, the end of the middle piece of the stock must be very carefully pared at ed, until, upon testing with the line upon the board, the edge ac is found to be at right angles with the edge fg, when the blade is resting firmly against the end of the middle piece of the stock area.

The second side piece of the stock is now glued upon the middle piece, care being taken that the edges fig are fair, and that the line at ed is in its right place; this will ensure the tops of the side pieces at ft being also right. An easy way to get the edges fig right is to press down that edge of the stock upon a flat piece of board when the glue is still wet, and before it is put in the vice or under a weight to dry; but it must be done quickly, and finished before the glue in the joint has time to cool or become set.

The surplus glue having been removed from the stock, especially along the line ed, the blade will be put into its place in the stock; it will now be seen whether the blade and the middle piece of the stock have been planed right as to thickness. If the blade be too thin (bad work), a piece of paper must be glued upon the part, but if it be too thick (bad work), a shaving must be planed off, otherwise the stock will split. The blade having been put into its place, its edge ac will be rested upon a board, when two or three light taps with a hammer upon the end of the stock should bring the joint at ed close. The square is now tested against the line on the board; first one side of the stock is tried, and then the other, and it should be found correct. If there be any error it must now be rectified by planing the stock.

The back of the stock is next planed parallel to fig, and the end gh pared off square. The amateur must always consider what future work he will have to do; thus, when he prepares the three pieces of wood, from which the stock will be made, he must bear in mind that he may have to plane them after they have been glued together,