ROD-MAKING 21 



bench and planed down with a small smoothing plane, 

 working equally all round the wood. The plane will 

 have to be very sharp and accurately set, and it is 

 found an advantage if the blade is slightly rounded. 

 A simple method is to fit up a grooved trough in a 

 board to take the joint and to fit the board in a vice. 

 The joints should be neatly rounded and quite true, 

 with no flat places, and it is better as a precaution to 

 leave the wood just a shade thicker in diameter than 

 will be required, to allow for finishing. For it is 

 always possible to take a little more off, but impossible 

 to add to the thickness if it is found that the action is 

 not stiff enough when the rod is roughly put together 

 with the ferrules on. 



The next consideration is the handle of beech, pine 

 or other light wood, which should be turned on a 

 lathe before cutting off from the piece to the requisite 

 length, and the piece then drilled out to take the butt 

 joint (see Fig. I.). An ordinary brace and bit will not 

 be suitable, but a long twist drill or auger that will 

 not twist the wood but bore a straight, clean hole 

 should be used. It is important that the hole should 

 be straight and true, to ensure the handle fitting truly 

 on the butt. When the hole is drilled, fix a dummy 

 piece of wood firmly in the handle and fit the end of 

 it in a hollow-headed lathe, then proceed to turn up 

 the handle to the shape desired. Take out the dummy 

 wood and glue the butt joint firmly into the handle, 

 letting in to within an inch of the end. When a lathe 

 is not available, a butt and shaped handle can be 

 made out of one piece, only the wood when bought 

 must be I inch in diameter and the handle and butt 

 shaped right down with a small plane, as shown in 

 Fig. II. 



