Materials.—­The cost of these will be, approximately:  wood, 12s. 6d.; [12 Shillings. 6 Pence] bench screw, 1s. 6d.; nails and screws, 1s.; or 15s. in all.  It is advisable to show the timber merchant the specifications, so that he may cut up the stuff most economically.

If the wood is mill-planed before delivery a lot of trouble will be saved, as no further finish will be required, except perhaps at the top corners.  In passing, one should remark that the boards used should be of the widths and lengths given; while as regards thickness the figures must be taken as nominal, as in practice the saw cut is included.  Thus a 1-inch board would, when planed, be only 7/8 to 15/16 inch thick, unless the actual size is specified, in which case something extra might be charged.

Construction.

The Trestles.—­These should be made first.  Begin by getting all the legs of exactly the same length, and square top and bottom.  Then cut off two 22-inch lengths of the 6 by 1 inch wood, squaring the ends carefully.  Two of the legs are laid on the floor, one end against the wall or a batten nailed to the floor and arranged parallel to one another, as gauged by the piece C, which is nailed on perfectly square to both, and with its top edge exactly flush with the ends of the legs.

Next take the 3 by 1 inch wood for the struts, and cut off a piece 32 inches long.  Two inches from one end of it make a cross mark with the square, and from the ends of the mark run lines towards the end at an angle of 45 degrees.  Cut along these lines, and lay one of the edges just cut up against C, and flush with the outer edge of L1 (Fig. 5).  Tack the strut on temporarily to both legs, turn the trestle over, and draw your pencil (which should have a sharp point) along the angles which the strut makes with the legs.  This gives you the limits of the overlaps.  Detach the strut.

The marking-gauge now comes into use.  Set it at 3/8 inch, and make marks on the sides of the strut down to the limits, pressing the guide against what will be the inner face of the board.  The ends must now be divided down along the gauge scratches to the limit mark with a tenon or panel saw, the saw being kept on the inside of the mark, So that its cut is included in the 3/8 inch, and a cross cut made to detach the piece and leave a shoulder.  The strut is “offered” again to the legs, and a mark is drawn across the bottom parallel to the ends or the legs for the final saw cut.  Nail on the strut, pressing the legs well up against the shoulders.  Its fellow on the other side of the legs is prepared in exactly the same manner; and the second trestle is a duplicate of the first, with the exception that the directions of the struts are reversed relatively to the C piece, to preserve the symmetry—­which, however, is not an important point.

[Illustration:  Fig. 5.—­End elevation of joiner’s bench.]