64 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
this is the most important operation in 
violin making, we will reserve our re- 
marks on it for a future essay. 
(To he continued.) 
Amateur Wood Carving. 
BY FRED. T. HODGSON. 
^j^^O the amateur woodworker who has 
JL never tried a hand at ivood carving, the 
beautiful art seems so full of difficulties 
and mystery that it is rarely essayed by 
any but the most expert and advanced 
amateur workman. There is no reason 
why any person, who has sufficient judg- 
ment to keep edge tools in moderate 
order should not be able to become a fair 
amateur carver. Of course, no person, no 
matter how clever he or she may be, can 
reasonably expect to do even indifferent 
work, at the first attemi)t; there is no 
royal way by which the inexperienced 
may be made an adept in the art at one 
stroke. There is one thing, however, that 
is very clear to any person who knows any 
thing about wood-carving, and that is, 
that any boy who is able to write his own 
name in a legible manner, possesses 
artistic and mechanical talent enough to 
make an average amateiir wood carver. 
The same thing may be said of girls, and 
in fact, it iiiciy be said, that as a rule, girls 
make finer work in this art — up to a cer- 
tain point— than boys. This being the 
case then, there is no reason why^our 
young friends— boys and girls alike— 
should not try their hands at this fascinat- 
ing art, and to aid them in their efforts 
the following hints, suggestions and ex- 
amples are offered : 
The first thing to be considered is the 
selection of tools, and with regard to this 
matter let it be understood right here, 
that to do good work it is absolutely 
necessary that the appliances for doing 
the work must be good also. A good 
workman cannot make good work with 
bad tools ; an indifferent workman may 
make good work if possessed of good 
tools. 
The best carving tools are made by 
Addis, and although costly at first, are, in 
the end, cheaper than many makes now 
in the market. A set of nine tools suit- 
able for amateur work would cost about 
six dollars, and where the magnitude of 
this sum is no objection, the purchase of 
these tools is advisible. Wher^ this sum 
is too large, however, a set of amateur 
carving tools might be obtained, such as 
we show in Fig. 1. Here are six tools, and 
Fig. 1. 
are so made, when of good material and 
temper, that almost any ordinary amateur 
work may be executed with them. They 
are sold in sets just as exhibited, put up 
in neat boxes for from $1.10 to $1.50. The 
three principal tools in the set are the flat 
chisel (5), the gouge (3), and the veining 
tool (4). To use these properly requires 
some little practice, and the learner should 
begin first by securing a pine or white- 
wood block to his bench by screws or glue. 
The block should be about seven inches 
long, four inches wide, and one inch thick. 
Having the block all prepared and the 
tools in good order, the next step should 
be to prepare some simple design that 
may be easily w^orked. The one shown 
at Fig. 2 is well adapted to our purpose, 
as it embodies two kinds of work— i.e., 
carving and punching. The light colored 
spaces show^ the raised parts, and the 
dotted ones the sunken parts. The dark 
lines on the outside edge show a bevel all 
round. This is made with the flat chisel, 
and should be carried down the edges 
about three-eighths of an inch, and flve- 
eighths of an inch on the top of the block. 
The mitres at the corners must be true 
