kness of the nut
or the distance between the end of the fingerboard and the peg-box
opening; the breadth across, or we may call it the length of the upper
part of the nut, will be exactly that of and at the part where the
opening will be made in the peg-box for the reception of the graft.

The wood to be cleared away outside the lines which mark the width along
the course of the fingerboard will be the next proceeding; it may be
done neatly with a rather fine toothed saw and then carefully planed
up closer to the lines, barely touching them. It is preferable to leave
the sides for the present at right angles with the top surface, although
they will not be kept so for long, but by thus working the measurements
are facilitated. Going to the lower or wider end a line must be
accurately marked quite square with the long central line, if not
accurate the whole work will be thrown out of truth. On the sides there
may now be marked and roughly sawn away (diagram 28) so much of the
wood that shall leave enough for the cylindrical part that is to be
finally rounded and finished off for handling. Care must be taken that
the rounding commences underneath, a little away from the part that
will be fitted into the peg-box. This of course must be according to
measurement or template kept for the purpose if graftings are likely
to be wanted in the future. There will now be required the marking
of the exact form of the part that is to be inserted in the body of
the violin, or more strictly speaking, into the upper block. This is
done easily from a pattern cut to shape and size for instruments of
average proportions. Sometimes, owing to the height of the ribs, the
pattern cannot be applied so as to fit; in that case fresh lines must
be drawn to measurement as with the central one on the fingerboard
plane.

[Illustration: DIAGRAM 28.]

The line dividing the part exactly in the middle must be accurately
done, the distance at the narrowest or lowest part that is to be glued
on to the button carefully marked, allowing the top part when placed
in position to be a quarter of an inch above the border (diagram 29).
The width of the lowest portion must be mainly guided by the size of
the button, which, although there is an average of a rough kind, is
sometimes small, at others very wide. The width must be taken of the
button, carefully divided into two equal parts to be marked on each
side of the central vertical line (diagram 30). All below w