JUNE 15, 1914 



453 



each sort the same 

 way, and all piles al- 

 ways in the same place 

 on the bench. The nails 

 should always be in 

 one place, and the 

 hammer should be of 

 the right weight to 

 drive the nails with the 

 least number o f 

 st)-okes, and at the 

 same time not so heavy 

 as to bend them. When 

 every thing is so ar- 

 ranged, work is rapid, 

 the procedure being as 

 follows: The two end- 

 bars are put into the 



jig, and then the top-bar and the four top 

 nails driven; then the one nail in each end. 

 The bottom-bar is next inserted, and two 

 nails driven in one end only, the other end 

 being left unnailed. Some persons use only 

 one nail in each end of bottom-bars; but I 

 believe it poor economy. The frame is then 

 removed from the jig, and the frames are 

 piled in a convenient place for the next 

 operation, which is putting in the staples. 

 I nail until I am tired or the pile gets in- 

 conveniently high, and then change ofi to 

 stapling. 



Preferably (because more rapid) the sta- 

 ples should be put into the end-bare before 

 the frames are nailed up ; but the staples 

 best for the purpose are so long that they 

 project through the end-bars ; therefore 

 stapling is done after the frames are nailed. 

 A metal block is used for stapling. It is 

 like the wooden one which the manufactur- 

 ers supply, except that it is a little longer. 

 Try it and you will soon see why it is better. 

 As fast as stapled, the frames are stacked 

 with the unnailed ends of the bottom-bar, 



Fig. 3. — Winding the wire on A. C. Miller's wire-stretching reel. 



all in the same direction, and ready for the 

 next step, which is wiring. 



Wiring is a fine art. If one may judge 

 by the many methods illustrated and de- 

 scribed in times past, very few persons 

 know how to do it in a rapid way or with 

 Ihe best results. Unless the wiring is thor- 

 oughly and properly done through every 

 stage, speed is impossible, and satisfactory 

 combs will be the exception. 



The first step is stretching the wire. 

 Wiring from the spool is an absurdity. The 

 method I use is best shown by the photo- 

 graph at Fig. 3. The big spool of wire is 

 mounted on a pivot on which it will turn by 

 a slight pull on the wire, but will not spin 

 and cause the wire to kink and snarl, and 

 this pivot is held in the bench vise. Th« 

 reel, or stretching-board, is shown in detail 

 in Fig. 4. This is pivoted on a bolt through 

 the front of the bench, and is rotated by the 

 right hand while the wire slides through a 

 gi-eased cloth in the left hand. If the spool 

 of wire frictions on its pivot properly the 

 " drag " will be uniform and all the wires 

 will be wound on the stretching-board with 

 uniform tension. 

 When wire for about 

 fifty frames is wound 

 (count as you wind), 

 the wire is made fast 

 to a tack on the stretch 

 ing-board, and severed 

 from the spool; but 

 don't let go of the end 

 leading to the spool. 

 Wind the surplus back 

 and make the end fast 

 to a tack in the end of 

 the spool. You will not 

 forget this precaution 

 more than once, I as- 

 sure you. 



A word about the 



Fig. 4. — Stretching the wire on the reel. 



