In regard to the 10" and 12" handscrews, often it would be better for a great deal of the work if smaller handscrews could be used, but they would soon be broken, as the students almost invariably apply all the strength that they can, which breaks the screws or jaws if they become cramped.

The size of cabinet scrapers mentioned will be found generally satisfactory. If much larger, the scraper will be clumsy, and if more than 1/2" smaller, the tool will be too small to be grasped easily.

In selecting a workbench, it is well to bear in mind that if there is iron in its top, the edges of the tools frequently will come in contact with it. Benches for the use of manual-training classes have been designed with a piece of iron at the head of the bench, extending across the entire width of the top. This is part of a device to hold a piece of wood between a " dog," which fits into holes in this iron, and the jaws of the vise, either the whole or a part of which may be elevated to hold the other edge of the piece that is to be clamped between them. While this is a very good idea, as it furnishes an efficient substitute for a tail screw, it is not a success for the use of students, as many of them have not the judgment necessary to perform their work and at the same time keep the edges of their tools away from the iron. It seems unavoidable that the iron jaws of the modern quick-action vises should be there, hence all that can be done is to guard against allowing the edges of the tools to come in contact with them; however, as the vises are upon the edge of the bench, this is not so difficult to prevent.

In ordering an equipment, it is wise to include in the order a few of the small adjusting screws and other parts that are likely to become lost or broken; for instance, the screws of wing compasses, bevels, saw handles, throat and adjusting screws, and levers of block planes; also knobs, handles, and their screws, for the iron bench planes, shoes for gauges, cutters, caps, and set screws for spokeshaves, chisel handles, etc.

In selecting tools, it is well to be sure that they are uniform in design, for if there are several different styles of tools, the problem of keeping them in repair becomes more serious.

Care Of Equipment

Usually the teacher himself is obliged to keep the tools in order at first, if more than one class uses them, as it takes time for the new student to realize that nothing is gained, and a great deal lost, by working with dull tools. Each beginner will have to be watched carefully until he discovers that it is to his advantage to keep his tools in order, and will voluntarily take time to sharpen them.

While the class as a whole should see the demonstration of tool sharpening, it will be necessary in most cases to give individual instruction, otherwise the tools will rarely be in condition to do satisfactory work. Unless the teacher constantly guards against it, the older classes will be obliged to do most of the sharpening, as the members of the beginning class will not do it unless they are made to.

At all events, the equipment should be kept continually in the highest state of efficiency.

Teachers of the languages and of mathematics and sciences spend much of their time outside of school in correcting papers, and generally think that the teacher of manual training has much more leisure time than they have; but if the latter keeps ahead of his work, and sees that his tools are in perfect condition, there will be little reason to envy him on this score.

In the care of tools it is well to have stated times for giving the entire equipment a thorough overhauling in order to be sure that the adjusting mechanism is working as it should, and that the cutters are ground and sharpened properly. The frequency of these times depends upon the faculty of the teacher to impart to his pupils the inclination and the ability to care for their own tools. If a school has been equipped upon the basis of the strictest economy, and all classes have to use the same edge tools, it is not wise to depend upon the students to keep all the tools in good order. Unless the teacher gives them his personal attention frequently, the temptation to use tools that have been sharpened by others will prove irresistible to many students. This is discouraging to a boy who would naturally keep his tools in good order, and he himself is apt to fall into the same bad habit. Of course this may be prevented to a certain extent, but unless there is an individual equipment of cutting tools for each student, the teacher may be sure that there is more or less of this borrowing being done all the time, and he should be careful, in his endeavors to prevent it, not to develop a system of "nagging."

It is the custom of some teachers to send all tools that need grinding, and saws that need filing, to a shop where the work is done by an expert. One reason for doing this is that the teacher does not have the time to do it as it should be done. Another reason is, that unless the grindstone is run by power, it will need some one to turn it, and even with power, the grinding of tools on a grindstone is tedious work at best. Despite the fact that there is a strong prejudice against using an emery wheel for the purpose of grinding edge tools, it is the usual method in furniture and other woodworking shops, as the work may be done in much less time. It is true that the temper of a tool may be started, but the fact that edge tools are being sharpened continually in this way is proof that it is simply a matter of skill. Therefore, the writer recommends the use of a 6" or 8" emery wheel, which may be driven by a small motor if there is no other power in the shop.

While the manual-training teacher need not be ashamed to admit that he does not know how to file a saw properly, since he will find plenty of good company among journeymen woodworkers, many of whom habitually send their saws to a saw filer, every teacher of woodwork, however, should be an expert in grinding, whetting, or oilstoning, in fitting a cap iron to a plane cutter, and in doing any of the adjusting necessary to keep his entire outfit in perfect condition. Moreover, he should be able to do it in the time which the average teacher ordinarily can give to that part of his work.

If there is but one equipment of edge tools to be used by all classes, it will be difficult to know of all losses and breakages of tools, unless the teacher makes an inspection of tools before each class leaves the room, which is impracticable on account of the time required, and at the same time unsatisfactory, because, even then, the source of the damage can rarely be located with certainty.

Constant care is necessary to insure that the benches and other fittings are not defaced, either carelessly or deliberately, as the possession of a sharp tool is, to most boys, a temptation to use it, and a few will be apt to cut the first piece of wood that they see, without much regard for the ethics of their action.