Joint with Try Square.]

To make the joint, the timber should be carefully planed to its exact
width and thickness. The two pieces may then be placed upon the bench (as
shown at Fig. 63) or fixed in the vice.

Find the centre of the timber, C, Fig. 63, and set out half the width of
the wood on each side of the dotted centre line. Thus, suppose the wood
(W) to be 2 ins. wide, then set 1 in. on each side of the centre line.
Take a square as at Fig. 64, and with a sharp penknife blade score or cut
a line all round each piece of timber.

[Illustration: Fig. 65.--Using the Marking Gauge.]

Next take up a marking gauge, and set the marking point to half the
thickness of the wood. The distance may be measured, and its exactness
tested, by pricking a small hole from each side of the wood with the
marking gauge and carefully noting that the pricked holes coincide. The
gauge mark is clearly shown in the various illustrations. Now, take a
pencil and scribble or mark "waste" on the parts you intend to cut away.
This will save trouble later on, especially if you are making several
joints at once. Take your sharp penknife or marking knife blade, and cut
fairly deeply into the marked line on the portion you are going to pare
away.

[Illustration: Fig. 66.--Chiselling away Wood up to Gauge Line.]

[Illustration: Fig. 67.--How work is held when Sawing Shoulder.]

Fix the wood firmly in your vice, or against your cutting board or bench
stop, as may be more convenient to you, and with a sharp chisel cut away
the wood up to the marked line, as at Fig. 66. The channel in the sketch
is exaggerated, so as to show the method clearly. The object of using a
penknife or marking knife to mark your work, instead of using a pencil,
will be obvious. Owing to the knife having scored about 1/16 in. deep
across the fibres of the wood, the timber will come away cleanly when the
chisel is used, as at Fig. 66. The small channel thus made will form a
guide in which to start your tenon or dovetail saw; it prevents the saw
cutting on the wrong side of the marked line and thus making the halving
too wide.

[Illustration: Fig. 68.--Paring away Waste with Chisel.]

[Illustration: Fig. 69.--Showing an Oblique Halved Joint.]

SAWING.--Lay the work on the cutting board as at Fig. 67; or, if you
prefer, put the work in the vice. Carefully saw down the work until you
_just touch_ the gauge line. Do not press heavily with the saw; use it
lightly; the weigh