Category: Historical Images

An Account of the Manner of bending Planks in His Majeſty’s Yards at Deptford, &c. by a Sand-heat, invented by Captain Cumberland.
By Robert Cay, Eſq;

The place, where the Planks lie to be ſoftened in the Stove, is between two Brick-Walls; of ſuch a length, height, and diſtance from each other, as ſuffice to admit the largeſt, or to hold a good number of the ſmaller Sort: the bottom is of thick Iron Plates, ſupported by ſtrong Bars; under the middle of which, are two Fire-places, whoſe Flews carry the Flame towards the Ends.

The Planks are laid in Sand; the loweſt about ſix or eight Inches above the Iron-Plates, they are well cover’d with the Sand, and Boards laid over all, to keep in the Heat. The Sand is moiſtened with warm Water, (for which purpoſe they have a Cauldron adjoyning to the Stove) and if the Timber be large, and intended to be very much bent, ſo that it muſt lie long in the Stove, they water the Sand again, once in 8 or 10 Hours.
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The paper is to be very plain, sufficiently brief, and is intended to lead to practical results; but whether such intention succeeds will, as usual, depend on the obedience and sympathy of those to whom it is addressed.

I was asked the other day to make a set of shelves to hold a few books, and while engaged in the work I determined to jot down a few notes upon those pitfalls which would beset an amateur not quite up to the mark who might undertake a similar job. To an onlooker nothing can be more simple and apparently easy than to cut out and put together a plain set of shelves, especially if they are to be nailed together; yet not a few make a terrible mess of it.
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(Continued from Laying and Finishing Hardwood Floors)

The frequent inquiries in the Correspondence columns of Carpentry and Building indicate that there is a dearth of knowledge as to the proper method of sharpening a scraper. Without any disposition to assume superior knowledge in this connection I am constrained to remember that we cannot clean our floor without sharp tools, and will give your readers the benefit of my experience along this line.

I presume that every reader understands that the cutting edge of the scraper is formed by turning over a “burr” or wire edge, which does the cutting when applied to the wood. This burr is made by rubbing against the edge of the scraper with a tool called a burnisher, which may be made of any piece of steel of convenient form but which must be harder than the scraper.
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The general demand for finely finished floors of hard or soft wood in modern residences has given rise to such a variety of tools and finishes designed for this special purpose that natural confusion arises as to the best tools, finishes or methods to employ in this highly important branch of the trade.

The growing demand for the conveniences of the city residence in the homes of the smaller towns and the rural districts often brings the carpenter and the painter up against this sort of work, demanding methods of treatment with which they are unfamiliar, and many a good job of floor has been spoiled or indifferently treated by otherwise good mechanics, simply because they lacked the knowledge or experience so essential to success.

It has been the fortune of the writer to have a somewhat extended experience in the better grades of modern floor finishing, and it is with the hope of affording some degree of general information to the craft that this discussion of the topic is undertaken. For convenience in treatment the subject will be considered with reference to the following elements:

1. The carpenter.
2. The tools required.
3. The laying of the floor.
4. Preparation of the surface.
5. The painter’s work.
6. Different varieties of finish.
7. Relative cost of floors and finishes.
8. Suggestions as to estimating.
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The superior processes introduced into industry, in modern times, by the knowledge of chemistry, has led to the establishment of various branches of manufacture, and made them of great importance, though they deal with articles which were formerly either entirely unknown, or disregarded as of no value.

Glue, in the modern industrial world, is a case in point. Like many of the important things in industry, it has heretofore been overlooked; and though the world would suffer, to-day, much less in its comforts and conveniences of living from a loss of all its gold and silver than from that of its glue, yet this fact would be most probably overlooked by the large majority of those whose well being is so intimately dependent upon its abundant and cheap supply.

Yet, in fact, glue is absolutely indispensable to the arts of modern industry, and as yet no substitute has been found to take its place. Without it, turpentine and petroleum would escape from the barrels which now contain them, and be lost. The very paper on which we write would, but for glue, make nothing but a series of blots; and so on through all the series of domestic or household arts.
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