When neither a vice, nor a vice-chuck is accessible, small brasses are planed by fixing them with one plate and bolt through the gap of each brass while against an el-chuck, as shown in Fig. 738. Each brass is lined to denote the desired shape and dimensions, and each fixing of the brass is accomplished with regard to the line that indicates the plane to be produced at that fixing. Large brasses of this class require three or four hold-fast plates, instead of only the one which is seen in the Figure; and when more than one plate are used, they are situated both at the outsides of the brass and also across the gap. Such brasses are always planed and fitted to their respective rods and bars, previous to finally boring the semi-cylindrical gap-surfaces.

Strap-brasses, connecting-rod brasses, and gudgeon-brasses, are also fixed either in a vice-chuck, or in contact with an el-chuck, as seen in Fig. 739; and for such planing, the face of the chuck is adjusted to parallelism with the length of the table, by one of its straight fines; the line for this purpose being denoted in the Figure by L.

Accurate fitting of the planed surfaces belonging to bearer-brasses, is effected by careful smooth fifing and scraping; therefore, accurate measurements must be conducted, previous to finally releasing the brasses from the chuck, both to avoid an unnecessary amount of filing, and to be certain that metal enough remains for filing. Measurements for these purposes are performed with inside-callipers and outside-ones, also with straight wire gauges, and coupled gauges of sheet iron, the use of which were described in page 229.