20 



the waxed parts rubbed with a smooth 

 chisel, previously to being varnished. 



The rings must be placed in a regular 

 line, and ought to diminish in size as gradu- 

 ally as the rod tapers : they are easily made 

 by twisting a piece of soft brass wire round a 

 tobacco pipe, and fastened together with 

 hard solder. 



The extreme end of the top piece is com- 

 monly of whalebone ; and the error of 

 putting too great a length of this material is 

 but too frequent. A very short piece, say 

 of the length of four or five inches, is suffi- 

 cient; this is generally finished up with a 

 Jile, any sharp instrument being liable to 

 take it off in irregular flakes. 



In this state it only remains to varnish the 

 rod, which is best effected by copal varnish, 

 or Indian rubber dissolved over a slow fire in 



