Rod-making. 217 



glue ; then draw - file the edges to form an octagon, 

 and thus leave it ; or apply your rounding scraper to 

 make it circular, as you may prefer. Either will answer. 

 Next sand-paper, after which fasten on your ferrule arid 

 tip-ring. Then wind with O silk, wrapping at first four, 

 and afterwards three, narrow windings at equal distances 

 between each ring. Lastly varnish, finishing with a coat 

 or two of what is known in the trade as " flowing var- 

 nish," and dry as heretofore directed. 



Except where otherwise specified, you will be obliged 

 to hold the strips in the groove, when planing, with your 

 left hand. Should you set your plane too rank, the strip 

 may slide under your hold ; and, since no glue joint can 

 be had without bringing the strips to a knife edge, dan- 

 ger of a nasty cut is risked. Therefore, hold the strip in 

 place by pressing upon it with a piece of leather or rubber. 



Bamboo is very severe on a cutting edge, yet no good 

 result can be had unless that edge is keen. Therefore, 

 sharpen your plane frequently, giving particular atten- 

 tion to this when near the finish of any strip. Other- 

 wise, though it may cut smoothly between the knots, it 

 is apt to tear the fibre at those points, and give trouble. 

 This is also much more likely to occur if the strips are 

 sawed, instead of split out of the cane. 



It is plain that this method is equally applicable to the 

 construction of a four-strip butt and middle joint, but in 

 this case use a wooden handle, since the formation of this 

 from the butt strips themselves will augment the diffi- 

 culties, without any corresponding advantage. 



HEXAGONAL SPLIT-BAMBOO BODS. 



This is the top notch of the art. 



Up to the present writing I have never seen a profes- 



