Rod-making. 225 



surface between the cross-pieces, proceed as before, and 



repeat this until you have one side of the strip 



bevelled its whole length. Then turn the bam- 



boo strip end for end, and finish the other side 



in the same manner. This should be the result 



(Fig. 66), A being the rind side ; B the apex 



of the angle formed by the two pith sides, C C. 



Now test your angle, .B, with a notch filed in a piece 

 of brass with an ordinary triangular saw-file that vari- 

 ety known by the astonishing name of a " three-square " 

 file is meant. This file having three equal sides, must 

 have three equal angles, and consequently the angle we 

 wish viz., sixty 

 degrees. It would 

 be well to file such 



_ 



a notch, and also Fig. 67. 



an angle to fit it, as 



shown by Fig. 67, and keep them for permanent use as 



gauges. 



Now we will suppose that the six strips have been 

 bevelled. The gauge is applied, and we will assume 

 that you find the angle either incorrect or " lop-sided." 

 File up two or three scraping notches in a scrap of your 

 saw steel (mentioned near the beginning of this chapter) 

 with your triangular file, and 

 holding the steel in the vise, 

 draw the strip through one of 

 these notches, being careful to 

 insist that the rind be horizon- 



tal. Thus true the angle wher- Ficr 68 



ever it may require it. The 

 accompanying illustration represents such a scraper. 

 It is obvious that it is possible, and for a first effort, 

 15 



