386 THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 



clamp, shown at Fig. 149. E is a board ten inches wide, bolted 

 to the frame a, with the bolts put through slots or mortises in E, 

 so that it may be raised or slid along to the right or left. F is 

 a square stick fitted to a mortise in J57, and extending from E 

 across the grindstone. With wood-screws or small iron bolts, 

 fasten a straw-cutter knife to the under side of the handle f] 

 and place it on the grindstone with the handle in the mortise E, 

 and adjust the board E so that the knife will rest on the stone at 

 the desired angle, and fasten E with the bolts. As the grind 

 stone revolves, slide the knife across the stone back and forth by 

 taking hold of F. The handle may be four or five feet long, 

 and if it fits the mortise well, a knife can be ground as true as 

 is practicable with any other clamp. With only one hand a 

 man can set a span of horses with ease. 



THE MOST PROPER ANGLE FOR THE BASIL OP TOOLS 



561. Is a subject in relation to which the opinions of all good 

 mechanics coincide very well. The more acute the angle of the 

 basil is. the less will be the force required to make it cut. But 

 when tools are used for prying as well as for cutting, the angle 

 of the basil must be more obtuse than if the tool is designed sim 

 ply for cutting. The angle of the basil of a scythe is usually 

 about five degrees very acute. 



562. Fig. 152 represents a side view of a cold-chisel, which 

 every farmer needs. If no old file is at hand, purchase a piece 

 of octagonal steel, and have one end forged like the figure, and 

 tempered, and then grind the edge on both sides, as shown in 

 the figure, at an angle of about twenty -five degrees. 



563. Framing chisels, and plane-irons, and drawing-knives, 

 and knives for straw-cutters, &c., I usually grind at an angle of 

 about twenty degrees. And even when plane-irons and chisels 

 are ground at an angle of twenty degrees, the edge will not 

 stand when cutting hemlock knots, and such like, unless they 

 are made of superior steel. All such tools should be held on the 

 grindstone, so that the scratches and serrature will be at a right 

 angle to the cutting edge. 



