Smoothing Off Work

Take a small, half-round file, and file the corners true, and straighten all edges. Take sand-paper and rub the bracket carefully. Under edges will be found ragged, but sand-paper will make them smooth. When a number of thicknesses are sawed, this is obviated.

Putting Work Together

Small brads or screws can be used; if the bracket is quite small, glue alone is sufficient. In case the bracket is intended to carry some weight, use screws.

Oil

For oiling, boiled linseed oil should be used. Apply to wood, and when it is absorbed, rub over with a stiff brush or soft paper.

Shellac

Take half-pint bottle of alcohol, fill about one-quarter full of bleached shellac in small pieces. After standing several hours this will be dissolved and ready for use. Apply to the wood with fine sponge or cotton. It dries so very quickly that several coats can be applied in a few moments.

Varnish is frequently used, but it does not give the wood as pretty an appearance as oil or shellac. If used, it must be applied lightly and evenly. There are several kinds, varying in color which must be used according to the color of the wood.

Polish

To polish well requires practice, care, and patience, and we would not advise amateurs to undertake the work unless they are desirous of so doing. Prepared French polish is generally for sale at paint stores. In the first place, see that the wood is smooth. Use fine sand-paper, and be sure to remove every scratch. Having obtained the polish, - light or dark, according to color of the wood, - soak small bits of tow or cotton wool in the polish, and apply evenly to the wood; add more polish to cotton wool, but before applying to the wood place it inside a piece of linen rag, on which put a drop or two of sweet oil - this prevents the rag from sticking; rub the wood again, giving a circular motion to the rag; repeat the supply of polish and oil as required, until the surface is uniformly polished.

Marquetry or Inlaying is a fascinating part of scroll sawing, and is destined to become more popular. At first thought it may seem difficult to inlay one piece of wood into another, but the process is simple when you know how.

For our first lesson we will take a clover leaf, and inlay-black-walnut into white holly.

Take two pieces of wood, each one-eighth of an inch thick, walnut and holly; fasten them together, either with common shoe pegs or screws. Let the walnut remain on top; secure the design to wood; drill a small hole for the saw blade, the same as in fret sawing, in which insert blade (No. 0); saw with your work on the right of saw blade. From the picture you will readily see how the dark piece of wood will drop down and fit into the light. If the bevel is just right it will leave the work smooth with no gaps. Having cut out the clover leaf, you can secure it in its place. Glue around the edges of the leaf, insert quickly in the holly, and let it harden under pressure. Finish off the work with sandpaper.

Fig. 83.

Fig. 84.