t
neatness. Before doing this, however, the question must be gone into,
and settled definitely, as to whether the fresh piece is to be pressed
on from the outside or from the inside.

The choice must be in favour of the more convenient, or that which will
be most likely to lead to the best results. As the sides of the aperture
taken longitudinally must be cut at an acute angle and not upright,
the convenience of cutting the edges of the opening from the outside
will be decidedly better and more handy for obtaining the desirable
sharpness of edge.

As a matter of course, the piece must be tried on again and again until
it is clearly a good fit all round. When in a satisfactory state it
will, when tried finally, be elevated a trifle above the surrounding
wood.

The angle at which the upper and lower portions fit has no need to be
cut so acutely as at the ends.

Everything being ready, including some strong clean glue, this latter
will require painting over the surfaces that are to be closed together
until absorption has ceased, and not before this are the parts to be
brought home, or the absorption or soaking into the wood will continue,
leaving no glue for holding the two surfaces.

When quite ready, the interior block of wood or mould will be held in
position by the hand.

As usual, the piece of paper on the face of the mould will be used for
preventing the glue holding on to it. The piece of fresh rib is now
placed in position, and the outer mould (faced with paper, of course),
applied. The screw cramps are now affixed, tightly wound up, and left
for drying.

After ascertaining that all the glued parts are perfectly dry and
therefore hard, the cramps, moulds and paper may be removed. If any
paper should be found adhering a moistened rag will easily remove it.

The next proceeding will be that of levelling down and removing any
unevenness, on the outside especially. If the fitting has been very
accurately effected there will not remain much to do in this line. For
the inside a piece of glass-paper folded over a curved block of wood,
or the actual mould that has been in use, will serve the purpose if
not too large. This can be rubbed backward and forward till the surface
is level. For the outside a slightly different treatment will be
preferable, that is, a portion of glass-paper of the finest grain
placed as before in front of a block of wood. There is no necessity
for it being a very close fit so long as it