144 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



drive your nail there, for that would make ^H inches 

 from the end-stop to the middle of the nail, whereas it 

 should be 334 from the stop to the nearest side of the 

 nail. The distances of the other nails from the end-stops 

 will be as follows: Syi, 9^, 13, 135^, I4>4. I4%- Now 

 your cutting-board is all ready for work. 



Two knives are needed, one to be heating while the 

 the other is cutting. For heating I use a common kero- 

 sene lamp put in a box deep enough so that when a board 

 is laid over the top of it and a knife is laid on that board 

 the end of the knife-blade shall be directly over the lamp, 

 nearly or quite touching the top of the chimney. I don't 

 know what kind of a knife is best. A Barlow knife makes 

 good work, but I think I like better a common tea-knife 

 with a thin steel blade broken off, so it is 2}4 or 3 inches 

 long, and somewhat square at the point. 



Preparatory to cutting, the foundation must be care- 

 fully and evenly placed on the board. Take five sheets 

 and even them up true and nice, and lay, the pile with 

 one end tight against the end-stop and one side against 

 the side-stops. Now lay a similar pile close beside it. 

 Beginning at the right-hand end, place your rule against 

 the left-hand side of the nails, and with a quick stroke 

 make a cut with the knife held flat against the rule. If 

 you don't look out you'll hold the rule so that you'll cut a 

 piece off the tip of the thumb or finger of the left hand, 

 but you'll not be likely to do it many times. If you are 

 not careful to hold the knife flat against the rule you will 

 be likely to cut into it. To avoid this I have tried cover- 

 ing the rule with tin, but do not like it so well. The 

 rapidity of the stroke is important. If your knife is hot 

 enough you can cut clear down through at one stroke, 

 but that's bad. The edges of the foundation will be 

 melted together, and you will have trouble getting them 

 apart. Turn down your lamp, and get it so three or four 

 strokes will be needed. 



