The bit is reinserted in the hole until its point pricks the dowel end, thus marking the center. A hole is drilled slightly undersize to receive the nail at this point. To cover hidden screws, the heads can be deeply countersunk and covered with a wooden plug, glued in place. In driving the screw home, care must be taken to avoid bruising the edges of the counterbore. A bit known as a "plug cutter" is available for cutting plugs across the grain from identical stock that is slightly thicker than the depth of the hole. Glue is applied to the bottom of the plug and its grain aligned with that of the work, before it is driven vertically into the hole. After the glue dries hard, the plug can be trimmed off, then planed and sanded flush. In French Provincial, English, and Early American reproductions, plugs, with their outer edges chamfered, are often left protruding slightly, to simulate fulllength pegs. Much of this early type of furniture also shows pegs flush with the front surface of the piece. When the work is to be finished with paint, enamel, or lacquer, the heads of countersunk screws and finishing nails can be covered with putty or plastic wood. The filler should be rounded off above the surface of the work to allow for shrinkage. It can be sanded smooth when thoroughly dry. A waterproof, stainproof filler that shows minimum shrinking can be mixed from a measure of powdered resin glue, a measure of wood flour (fine sawdust), and three quarters of a measure of water. Screws. Although oldtime woodworkers scorned the use of any metal fastenings to secure or strengthen the parts of their assemblies, modern furniture makers use screws when the screwheads can be concealed, or leave them exposed where the effect is unimportant. The choice of the proper sized screws for a particular job depends on the thickness of the thinnest piece to be joined and the kind of wood. Too large a screw will split the stock, even if the correctly sized pilot hole was first bored. Because there are two diameters to each screw, exclusive of the head, two holes should be bored. The first hole, or counterbore, to take the smooth shank of the screw, is bored to the depth of the shank plus the depth of the countersunk screwhead. The second, or pilot, hole, of a diameter equal to the root or groove, is not quite as deep as the threaded portion is long. The head should always be CABINETMAKING Soaping the screw first will facilitate driving it in, especially when working 1 hardwood. The following table gives the gages and diameters of standard sere Gage number 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Diameter, ist hole 18 18 532 ~r 532 З16 З16 З16 732 7 Diameter, 2nd hole З32 З32 18 18 532 532 532 532 5, Screws can be purchased in lengths varying from }4 in. to 6 in. Lengths f Ун in. to 1 in. increase by 8in. units; those from 1 in. to 3 in., by j4in. un and from 3 in. to 5 in., by j4in. units. They come with flat, round, or oval he the flathead (FH) type being used for countersinking.