The next process is the clamping - that is, the fixing together of the various parts of a design.

Fig. 1

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There are two ways of clamping - one by using a very narrow strip of iron, and the other by using copper wire. This latter is generally used when scrolls have to be fixed to any rounded support, or if several different thicknesses are fixed together.

To use this method a piece of wire is taken and bent into the shape of a hairpin, placed round the pieces to be joined, the two ends held by the jaws of the square pliers, and then twisted several times till the scrolls are quite tightly fixed together, the ends of the wire are cut off, and the twisted part pinched closely down against the iron itself.

To clamp with the iron use the narrowest width, and take quite a short piece (3/4 of an inch long if fixing only two thicknesses), make a little hook at one end of this, holding with the square pliers and turning it over with the small pliers. Slip this hook round the pieces to be joined, flattening it well down with the square pliers; then bend the other end down to meet the first bit, taking care it does not overlap, otherwise it will not hold firmly. The ends of a clamp must always come on the inside of a curve, so as not to show from the outside of the work.

When the work is completed and painted over, some people like to pick out the clamps in gold paint, but care must be taken not to pick out too many of them with this, as it is apt to make it look gaudy. A better method is to use copper for the clamping, and a fair-sized piece of this can be bought for a shilling, which will suffice for many clamps. It is not at all hard to cut, and the effect of it very good.

Tools Required - Wood and Patterns - Practical Hints - Sharpening Tools

Chip carving consists of decorating smooth wooden surfaces by cutting or chipping designs upon them. It is much simpler than relief or deep carving. The hobby requires but three or four tools of an inexpensive order, and may be made extremely useful as well as ornamental. There is plenty of scope, moreover, for original designs in chip carving.

Many hobbies can only be carried on indoors; this can be worked at out of doors as well, which is a decided advantage in the summer, since only a small steady table is required to rest the work on.