flat piece of wood, perhaps the one just used, and placing the table
down, a pencil line is traced on the board round the violin table as
if for the purpose of copying the pattern. Two straight lines are now
ruled on each side touching the most projecting part of the upper and
lower curve (Diagram 38.)

[Illustration: DIAGRAM 38.]

On the outside of each line, but touching it, a strip of wood about
a quarter of an inch square is pegged or nailed down.

The table or plate when placed flat between these two small bars of
wood, is within an acute angle, and can be held tight or not according
to the degree of pressure with which it is pushed toward the smaller
end.

It will at once be perceptible that a trifling pressure forward of the
table towards the small end will result in the raising of the central
part and the widening of the opening instead of closing it.

There must be, therefore, some means adopted to counteract this, and
these are not difficult to fix upon. In lieu of pressing the table
forward with risk of damaging the part of the border that will come
in contact with the two fixed bars, it will be carefully tried as to
fitting the exact position it is to take when glued, that is,
sufficiently forward in the space between the bars that will only admit
the table with a slight rise in the arching, the joint or part holding
the core being in a more open condition as a consequence.

The exact place or point of contact is marked with a soft pencil or
piece of chalk on border and bar. The table being taken away, the parts
requiring it will be carefully glued.

Placed in position again, necessary means are taken that the surface
or plane on each side of the core are quite level with each other; if
they are not so, they will, after the necessary paring down of the core
has been completed, cause an ugly, uneven appearance. To prevent this,
therefore, the parts must be adjusted by the application of the fingers
on one side or the other, or gently tapped by a piece of wood
sufficiently heavy until exactness of level is made sure.

There is now necessary a weight to be applied along the whole length
of the junction for keeping all in position until the glue is quite
dry and hard.

Any kind of weight may be applied, the smaller and heavier in proportion
to size the better, as so much more can be seen when several are used
instead of one and that of larger dimensions.

These being placed in position, the table wi