70 THE IDYL OF THE SPLIT-BAMBOO 



down of the strips to their ultimate dimensions. 

 Thus far the most unfavorable criticism upon this 

 device by discerning angler friends was offered after 

 this fashion: " Say, the joints that that thing turns 

 out are too good; no one will believe they are hand- 

 made, and by an amateur." 



This steel mold is adjustable for the full length 

 and varying calibers of the joints of any rod, from 

 one having a diameter up to one inch or more at 

 the extreme butt, if so desired, and a width at the 

 tip of anything from a scant one-sixteenth of an inch 

 upward. Also, the mold being made in independent 

 halves, of not excessive rigidity, it may either be 

 sprung apart or compressed along the middle the 

 ends first being secured to produce a joint having 

 either a convex or concave taper; or with it you may 

 turn out simple straight-tapered joints or those hav- 

 ing double or combined straight tapers. All this 

 will be made clear as we proceed. 



In employing full-length wooden molds, the usual 

 custom is to construct a separate one for each indi- 

 vidual joint and duplicates butt, middle-joint, and 

 top of certain definite dimensions. Such a pro- 

 cedure involves not only the extra work of making 

 three distinct molds for each rod of a given caliber 

 and taper, but in our experience it is far from satis- 

 factory in that to avoid destroying the surface of 

 the mold in the last planing, the strip surfaces 

 after planing them to close approximation must 



