ioned and very clumsy,
inefficient way of fastening it after glueing, was to tie some string
round it, which of course getting much glue upon it during progress
had, when dry, to be torn or washed off. The modern, simplest and best
way is to have ready a soft wood mould with a square or flat back for
the under or circular part of the neck, and a similar but flatter one
to fit above on the fingerboard. These can be easily adjusted, and the
requisite pressure obtained by several screw cramps along its extent
(diagrams 6 and 7). It is not very often that the nut or small block
over which the strings pass on to the pegs gets loose, if it does, it
is the result of bad fitting and careless glueing. If it should happen
to come away, wash it, and when dry see that the under part to be stuck
to the fingerboard and the neck is quite square and level; warm it and
apply some strong glue to the two surfaces, and also to the parts with
which it is to come into contact, you can then place it in position;
press down and rub backwards and forwards once or twice, then leave
in the exact position required; if clean, accurately fitted and warmed,
it will not require any further pressing or clamping. If this part
should have been knocked off and lost, then a new one must be made.
For this purpose the hardest piece of ebony you can obtain is the best;
sometimes a nut of ivory or bone is used, but it has a staring effect,
although if properly done as above described, it holds well and wears
slowly. Some of the hard dark woods, cocoa wood and lignum vitae, or
dark horn are adapted for this purpose. Rosewood is not so well suited,
as the ruts or grooves are soon made deep by the friction of the strings
in being wound up, and renewal is found obligatory sooner than with
the other.

[Illustration: DIAGRAM 6.]

[Illustration: DIAGRAM 7.]

Having selected a suitable piece of wood it must be cut or planed square
and equal in thickness. It should be as nearly the right length as
possible before being placed permanently in position, the ends being
very tough in cutting. If by miscalculation they are found to project
over the width of the fingerboard, they should be--when the glue is
quite dry--cut through with a small bow saw close up, a gentle, careful
filing will reduce them down level with the side of the fingerboard;
the surface should run easily with that of the peg box, which is not
always of the same width as the other, the arching can then