THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 395 



end of the board. This last direction is very important in jointing 

 or planing the edges of boards, in order to have them straight. 



577. When one side of a board is planed true, which may be 

 determined by holding the straight edge of a steel square across 

 it, if the board is to be planed on both sides, and brought to an 

 even thickness, run a gauge-mark along the edges and across the 

 ends, and then plane it down with the jack-plane almost to the 

 mark near the edges of the board first ; and then plane down the 

 middle, and be very careful and not plane the middle lower than 

 the sides are. Plane crossways or lengthways as already 

 directed ; but do not try to plane with an iron that has not a 

 sharp edge, because with a dull plane iron the tyro will do poor 

 work. Sharpen the plane irons very often in order to plane true 

 and smooth. Sometimes the grain of about half of the board runs 

 in a contrary direction from the other half. In such a case the 

 board must be turned the other end forward, or the workman 

 may shove his plane with the other hand in an opposite direction. 

 Good workmen accustom themselves to shoving the plane both 

 ways, as it is often much more convenient to plane the other 

 way than it is to change ends with a board. 



578. In planing some kinds of hard timber that is eaty, tough, 

 and with the grain doubled and twisted, it is necessary to take a 

 very thin shaving. And even then, should the throat of the 

 plane be rather large, one cannot plane smooth. If the plane 

 iron be a double one, the cap or shaving-breaker must be set as 

 close down to the edge of the cutting iron as it can be, and not 

 prevent its cutting a shaving. In such a case the iron must be 

 very sharp or the workman cannot plane at all. The nearer 

 the shaving-breaker is to the edge of the plane iron, the greater 

 will be the force required to shove the plane. If the grain of a 

 stick be very straight and not eaty, the shaving-breaker may be 

 raised one-fourth of an inch from the cutting edge of the piano 

 iron, as it will plane just as smooth, and much easier. 



JOINTING BOARDS AND PLANK. 



579. Let the board be put in the vise on the edge, vertically, 



