96 THE YOUNG 
It will form a capital thing for practice, 
and, if well executed, will elicit great 
praise from any one who can appreciate 
good work. The next lesson will be to 
turn something in the shape of a vase 
from a pattern : the bare outline only will 
answer. It should be coi^ied to such a 
nicety that it will be difficult to distin- 
guish which is the origin^il. For this pur- 
pose measuring instruments will be most 
essential, such as calipers, turner's square, 
before-mentioned, inside callipers, etc., 
etc. The production of two pieces of turn- 
ing, one the facsimile of the other, is, 
always considered a great achievement, 
and it should be practiced until overcome ; 
and it may be taken for granted that the 
person who accomplishes such a thing is 
really a good turner. Having reached 
this stage of perfection, there is no reason 
Avhy the slide-rest should not be now 
brought into use, although for soft-wood 
turning such an instrument is seldom 
used ; but we will go a step beyond this 
material and try some of a closer grain 
and harder substance. Whatever the 
wood may be, if the slide-rest is to be em- 
ployed, a gouge-cutter bar should be the 
tool used for roughing down the material. 
Now, with the assistance of both slide- 
rest and cutter-bar, the difficulty of turn- 
ing a cylinder, whether it is for a ruler or 
any other purpose, will be reduced to a 
minimum, and will require very little 
practice ; it will also become an easy mat- 
ter to shape up whatever may be wanted, 
by using both handles of the slide-rest 
simultaneously. For turning out a deep 
recess, the slide-rest will be found a most 
useful tool, and will enable the operator 
to accomplish the work with more speed. 
I think it will be useful to give a few 
hints upon making boxwood or other 
chucks. To make these, two taps and a 
chase will be required, also a half-round 
bit, the latter being made to the exact size 
of the bottom of the thread, and the taper 
or marking-off tap should be made to just 
enter and be taper. The thread mu«t be 
cut up sharp at the point as well as the 
rear, because if filed off as taper taps 
generally are, the point will be flat instead 
of sharp, consequently the chaser will not 
readily find its proper starting point, the 
SCIENTIST. 
marking being a broad instead of a fine 
cut. Having bored the hole with the 
standard bit, mark off the thread with the 
taper, or first tap, and then chase the 
screw until the full-size tap will just 
enter, and then gently force the plug 
through the hole, and the tap being a 
counterpart of the mandril nose, made to 
cut, the chucks will fit on their place 
without further trouble. This is the man- 
ner in which amateurs should accomplish 
this most useful branch of turning. We, 
in the manufacture of best lathes, always 
cut the chucks in a self-acting lathe, but 
as few have the advantage of these useful, 
although expensive, tools, the above-men- 
tioned jjlan is the handiest way to over- 
come the difficulty. Some workmen can 
strike off the screw without the aid of 
taps and bit,, but unless great proficiency 
has been obtained, I should advise the use 
of the means described. A very useful 
addition to the lathe, especially lor any 
one Yfho is at all fond of carpenter or 
joiner's work, will be, what is termed, a 
pad chuck. This is made exactly after 
the fashion of that part of a carpenter's 
brace into which the centre bits fit, and 
they are held in their place by a spring 
and catch. The spring being pressed 
down, the tools are easily removed. For 
boring large holes in flat surfaces, this 
chuck will be extremely handy. 
It remains at present only to say that it 
will be futile to anticipate reaching a high 
standard of perfection in the art, unless 
the rudiments are thoroughly learnt and 
practiced before venturing upon anything 
approaching ornamental work that re- 
quires special tools.— J". H. Evans in Eng- 
lish Mechanic. 
Tea Two Hundred Years Ago.— The 
London Gazette of December 16, 1680, has 
the following : "These are to give notice 
to persons of quality that a small parcel 
of most excellent tea is by accident fallen 
into the hands of a private person to be 
sold ; but, that none may be disappointed, 
the low^est price is 30 shillings a pound, and 
not any to be sold under a pound weight, 
for which they are desired to bring a con- 
venient box. Inquire at Mr. Thos. Eagle's, 
at the King's Head, in St. James' Market." 
