When this bottom is fitted in and nailed to these four rails , the two ends and the back of the frame are boarded with -in .sx lining , in widths of about 3 in .sx , the joints running vertical .sx This lining fits close up to the under side of the bench top , but need not go lower than about 3 in .sx off the floor .sx The top is fixed by screws passing upwards through the two end rails , and in front must be kept flush with the frame .sx At the ends it will project about 1 in .sx over the .sx boarding nailed to the framing .sx The drawer shown on the right is supported by guides running from front to back of the frame ; they should be put in when the frame is being put together , and the drawer must be fitted before the top is fixed down .sx The drawer is 4 in .sx deep on the face , and it is made long enough to reach to the back lining .sx It is partitioned inside for holding small tools .sx Instead of a handle , which would catch in the workman's clothes , the upper face of the drawer is cut away in the centre .sx This admits the hand to pull out the drawer .sx The vice for this bench is oak , beech , or birch , 5 in .sx broad , 1 in .sx thick , and it reaches from the top to within an inch of the floor ; 9 in .sx from the top the screw passes through it and the bench leg .sx This screw is like that shown at Fig. 3 , but it may be of iron , square threaded , and 1 in .sx diameter ; either may be bought in any tool shop .sx The nut is fastened to the bench leg behind .sx At the lower end of the jaw is a piece of wood called the " sword ; " this is 2 in .sx broad and 1 in .sx thick ; it is fixed into the jaw , and passes loosely through a mortise in the bench leg ; a number of -in .sx holes are bored through this sword , and a short iron pin is inserted through any of them in front of the bench leg and thus the jaw is kept parallel with the leg when work is being held in it .sx If the screw and the sword are each about 12 in .sx long the vice will open to take in work up to 9 in .sx , which is sufficient for almost anypurpose .sx The lower portion of this jaw is cut away for about half its length to 3 in .sx in breadth , as shown in the drawing .sx Two " stops " are fitted in the top of this bench ; they are small square pieces of hard wood projecting upwards .sx Most benches have but one stop ; two are much more handy for various things .sx As shown in the illustration , one stop is placed about 4 in .sx from the front , and about the same distance from the end ; the other is in line with the first and about 6 in .sx farther back .sx In planing short and broad pieces , these two stops prevent the piece slipping off the bench ; for although this does not often happen with an expert , it is very apt to do so with a beginner having but one stop on his bench .sx The hard-wood forming these stops must be parallel , and the holes made to let them pass through the top neatly and somewhat tightly ; they are 5 in .sx long , and are struck upwards with a hammer from underneath the bench .sx Other stops are made to fit the same holes ; one has a piece of iron or steel screwed to its upper end , with a tow of sharp teeth on one of its edges .sx Work , such as a rail to be moulded , being thrust against these spikes is held firmly from slipping .sx This form of stop is much tidier than nails driven into the bench to effect the same purpose .sx The upright post between the doors has a number of -in .sx holes bored through it ; the right corner leg is also bored in the same way .sx An oak or ash turned pin , having a head to it , fits these holes ; it is used to rest the lower edge of a board upon when fixed in the vice for the purpose of planing the upper edge .sx The pin is placed in the hole at a suitable height to keep the board horizontal .sx For short work the middle row of holes is used , and for longer work the end row .sx When not in use , this pin should be kept in some place where it will not get lost .sx The space shown to the left of the drawer is intended for receiving the end of pieces of board , which rest .sx upon the rail .sx The left hand pressing down the outer end , the inner one is pressed up against the bench top , and any piece of board is thus held while being sawn .sx The bench that will be next described is suited to the small workshop .sx The top is in two pieces , and is 6 ft .sx long and 2 ft .sx broad , and Fig. 2 shows the complete bench .sx The front portion of the top is 15 in .sx broad and 2 in .sx thick , of red or yellow pine , free from shakes and twist ; the back piece is 9 in .sx broad and 1 in .sx thick .sx Both rest on level rails , which make the back piece 1 in .sx lower than the front , and along the back edge is screwed a strip 1 in .sx thick , which brings it level with the front , so that broad work will rest solidly across the bench .sx The object of having the back portion of this bench an inch lower than the front is so that nails and small tools and chips may lie in the sunk part without interfering with work on the bench .sx The strip at the back prevents tools rolling off the bench , which they often do , and become lost on the floor amongst shavings .sx The frame of this bench consists of two .sx rails screwed to the legs , as in the sketch , Fig. 2 .sx These rails are 5 in .sx deep and 2 in .sx thick .sx Three of the legs are 4 in .sx by 2 in .sx , and the fourth , that behind the " lug , " or vice , is 6 in .sx by 2 in .sx , all of good red pine .sx The back legs slant forwards at the top , the ends of the rails being rounded off .sx The lower rails are 3 in .sx by 2 in .sx , and 4 in .sx from the floor .sx The three long rails are fitted to make the frame measure 5 ft .sx The back and front rails are 3 in .sx from the floor , and one in front , 4 in .sx below the top .sx They are dovetailed into the legs , and fastened with large screws , so that the bench may be taken to pieces for removal .sx Under the lower rails a .sx boarding is nailed for holding some of the larger tools , .sx and a small drawer is often .sx put at the top right side , as .sx shown in the sketch , to hold .sx some of the smaller tools .sx An upright post is fitted in .sx the front of this bench between the two rails .sx It has holes for a pin , as has also the right leg .sx A hole bored through the post at right angles to the others is to keep this pin in when not in use , as shown in the figure .sx The lug of this bench should be of clean , straight , hardwood , 7 in .sx broad , cut away at the bottom to 4 in .sx , and 2 in .sx thick .sx The sword is 2 in .sx broad , and in .sx thick .sx Sometimes the lug has a piece of hard-wood screwed across its inner face at the upper end ; this piece should be 10 in .sx long , 6 in .sx broad , and 1 in .sx thick .sx The bench here shown is so fitted .sx For some purposes this is an advantage .sx The screw , shown at Fig. 3 is the kind to be used for the lug of this bench ; they may be bought at the tool shops with .sx the nut fitted .sx In addition , there is a side screw , which is found of advantage , as explained next .sx A piece of wood is mortised into the edge of the " lug , " and a similar piece into the edge of the leg , shown in Fig. 2 they project outwards 6 in .sx A short wood screw works through the back-piece , and its point presses against the piece projecting from the lug .sx The ordinary lug cants over when the end of a broad board is fixed in it , and the pressure is all .sx on the edge of the board , which is very damaging to a piece of finished work .sx This side screw cures this , as it is turned out or in to suit the thickness of the work in the lug , the sword at the bottom being regulated by a pin .sx Fig. 4 shows a bench made and used on the Continent , and now often met with here , it being imported complete , and sold at the tool shops .sx This German bench is particularly useful for general wood-working , as it has a multiplicity of devices for holding work under operation .sx For general purposes , a good stop is simply a square piece of hard wood , fitting tightly in a mortise in the bench-top .sx It .sx is suitable for the kind of bench shown in Fig. 1 , and the stops put in this bench come through outside of the front rail , as shown .sx For a bench that has a deep front board , some modification is necessary to save going down on one's knees to knock up the stop .sx For general service a wooden stop is the best .sx It does not cut into or damage the work so much as an iron one .sx If a plane or other tool comes in contact with a wooden stop it will not destroy the edge of that tool .sx It is well for some purposes to have an iron stop let into the bench .sx When not in use it sinks level with the top of the bench , so that it is quite out of the way of tools and work .sx The special advantages claimed for an iron stop over a wooden one are :sx the teeth of the iron stop ( see Fig. 5 ) , entering the wood , resist any tendency to slip to a much greater extent ; and in planing thin stuff the iron stop is better , because the wooden stop , when worn , or when the stuff is not lying perfectly straight upon the bench , allows the thin board to rise and pass over it when the force of the plane is applied .sx The holdfast , or valet , is made of iron , and is used to hold work firmly on the bench to be mortised , or otherwise operated upon .sx Fig. 6 shows one which consists of an iron rod , 1 in .sx diameter , with a piece bent and forked to take a lever arm , fitted on a pin between the fork .sx The short end of the lever has a square-threaded screw passing through , with its end in contact with .sx the end of the rod .sx In using the holdfast , .sx the bar is dropped through a hole in the .sx bench-top , the curved end of the lever .sx coming down upon the work to be held .sx Pressure is applied by turning the screw at the short end of this lever , and by these means the work is securely held .sx A small vice is very useful for holding small work to be sawn with the bow-saw , as this tool can be got round such work .sx much better than when it is fixed in the lug itself ; the operator can also stand erect .sx It is also useful for holding all kinds of small work to be operated upon with the chisel , file , spokeshave , or other tools , as well as for holding the smaller saws to be sharpened .sx Fig. 7 shows a handy home-made vice of this description .sx It is made of beech or black birch , and has two sides , or jaws , 13 in .sx long , 5 in .sx broad at the upper part , 3 in .sx at the lower , and 1 in .sx thick .sx Through these .sx jaws , 5 in .sx from the top , a wooden screw passes , 1 in .sx diameter , .sx and 9 in .sx long on the screwed part .sx