Don: As I haven't done any scribe rule layout, I maybe wrong about this but I have watched it being done many times.
The reason you leave 1" to be scribed is to have the shape of the top of the post, for example, exactly fit to the underside of a plate. Should the plate's underside have any wane or other slopping surface the top of the post could be exactly fit to it.
And in the quotation you have sited is used the word "wind." It is not use as "the sails were full of the wind...." but to "wind the string around the stick so you can use it to fly your kite...."
It's hard to pronounce the word correctly with text.
