h will have been covered by the block perhaps wholly or more than
half way. In the case of the double fracture this will be found to be
in the same condition on both sides. The hole will require continuing
through the fresh wood, in fact re-boring so far as this is concerned.
It will be a more or less delicate operation to prevent splitting the
wood, especially if from shaving down to the surrounding levels, it
is not very stout.

To guard against catastrophy, a small hole should be bored exactly in
the centre. Particular attention must be paid to this, or the whole
work may be spoilt and a fresh block or bushing of the hole be found
necessary, and much of your work to be done again. The small hole may
be drilled if you have the necessary means at hand, if not a small
brad-awl may be used, not of the usual round kind, but square. Such
brad-awls are, I believe, known as chairmender's brad-awls. If one
cannot be obtained, an ordinary round one can, with a little trouble,
be filed square. The advantage of this form of awl is that it does not
split the wood and can be used with safety and certainty where one of
the ordinary pattern would be certain to split and spoil the work.
Several sizes may be used to enlarge the aperture, the square edges
breaking away the sides without causing an extended crack in the
direction of the grain. When sufficiently enlarged, recourse may be
had to the rat-tailed or circular file. Here again much care must be
taken, as the toothing of the file is arranged somewhat in the fashion
of a screw, and if the tool is used one way it soon buries itself,
becomes tightly wedged and will inevitably split the surrounding wood.
It must therefore be turned in a direction that may be called backward,
the revolutions to the left instead of to the right. It will take a
little more time than might be expected, but the result will be more
satisfactory, free from danger of splitting and the interior surface
of the hole be made smooth. The use of one, a degree or two finer in
tooth will give enough finish. A constant look out must be kept that
the tool is working properly in the centre; should it be found working
a little too much to one side, it must be removed and the opposite part
gently cut away by a slender sharp knife so that the equality may be
restored.

Caution must be exercised that the action of the tool is arrested at
the right moment, that is, when the opening made in the fresh wood is
worked close