s) width. After that, clean
every atom of superfluous glue away, and finish off with two or even
three courses of sandpaper, rough to fine.

Then remove these so far finished ribs, and take the knife 19, being
made by you exceedingly keen of edge, and square both edges all
over, so accurately that, when they are glued later on to the back
and belly, they shall fit and well, being jointed so that no
aperture whatever is apparent.

But, you will doubtless murmur, it is all very well to _say_ all
this--please show us how to _do_ it all; for, on the face of it,
this is no child's play. And you are right to speak out; for it is
one of the most difficult points we have to master, and I fully
intended to make it quite clear before leaving it.

Hold the rib by left hand firmly to your breast, face side to you.
Then take the knife 19, and cut away the superfluous linings and
corner block wood, holding the steel absolutely square with the rib,
or you will be all abroad. It is this squareness that is the severe
test and your great trouble just now. Try on anything and on
everything before you try it on a rib you may spoil; but _do_ it on
something or other, and finally you will do it and well on these
ribs.

But, after cutting, you will have still more to do--lay them flat
and keep them so and rigid with left hand whilst you, with rasp 47,
fine side, level from one end to the other, _not from_ you across
the rib, as the other way is safer for keeping square, and obviates
the risk of tearing away part of a lining or slip from a corner
block.

You will have dressed the ribs at the outset as instructed; but you
will now find them anything but fit to attach to the back; so trim
and make them free from any blemish or stain of dirt, and then do
your best to fit one side accurately, so that, when glued
afterwards, there may be no discrepancies nor goings back.

CHAPTER XII.
FIXING RIBS, ETC.

When you have attached the end blocks to the back, just the width of
the ribs and the margin allowed when rib block was made firmly and
without cramps, and dressed off next day, fit temporarily the set of
ribs just made ready and clamp with the small wooden ones, as shown
in fig. 17. You will have made both ends of rib somewhat longer than
necessary, and, as they overlap, from inside mark where the top and
bottom of linings are flush against blocks at each end. Then detach
the rib, and cut away the small bit of lining as just mark