ABSTRACT
I am making a bookcase from wooden planks. Each shelf has to be cut to the right length. Marking the distance along the plank with a tape measure, I use a pencil and set square to draw a straight line across it. After these preliminaries I set the plank on a trestle, lift my left leg and kneel with as much of my weight as I can upon it, while keeping my balance on the ground with my right foot. The line to be cut slightly overhangs the right end of the trestle. Then, stooping, I place the palm of my left hand on the plank just to the left of the line, grasping it around the edge by the fingers. Taking up a saw with my right hand, I wrap my fingers around the handle – all, that is, except the index finger, which is extended along the flat of the handle, enabling me to fine-tune the direction of the blade (Figure 4.1, top).
