366 



rienced mechanic. Still, with a little practice, and with the in 

 structions we shall impart, any one whose apprehensions are not 

 too blunt, may do his own repairing of the common implements of 

 the farm, and make many new tools in a neat and workmanlike 

 manner. It is impossible to do a piece of work well without 

 tools, and if the tyro has tools, and they are in good order, he 

 will often do a piece of work infinitely better than he had ever 

 thought it were possible for him to do it. 



519. The Fig. 147, on the opposite page, represents in part 

 one side of a farmer's workshop. It ought not to be smaller than 

 sixteen by twenty -four feet. A larger shop than this is always 

 convenient. There should be a window at each end of the bench 

 on the same side of the shop, and the more windows there are 

 on the other sides the better. 



520. The bench should be not less than twelve feet long, and 

 the front plank not less than three inches thick, of some hard 

 wood. Two feet and six inches is wide enough for a bench for 

 ordinary purposes. The height should be in proportion to the 

 height of the man who works at it. The correct height is, just 

 so a man can sit on it by standing on tip-toe. If it be too high, 

 he cannot shove a plane easily, and if too low, he will be obliged 

 to stoop too much. 



521. The jaws, of which a is the movable one, and b the 

 stationary one, should be made of hard timber, four by five inches 

 square, and should extend above the bench six or seven inches, 

 so that the shaving-knife can be used in dressing out timber. 

 The bench-screw should work in a nut cut in the jaw, b, and 

 should be above the bench rather than under it. There are 

 several patent devices for keeping the jaws parallel with each 

 other, when holding a stick of timber, but the one shown in the 

 figure is the cheapest, and good enough for any one. The ends 

 of the jaws should be mounted with cast-iron flanges, as shown 

 in the engraving, fitted neatly to the jaws. 



522. c is a rest, which may be placed in any of the holes in 

 the bench, for the purpose of supporting one end of anything 

 that may be held in the vise when dressing it out. 



