Category: The Academy of Armory

XXXIX. He beareth Or, a Joyner seated astride a piece of Timber with a Mallet in his right hand lifted up, and a Chissel in his left, making a Mortice all proper.

Terms of Art used by Joyners in their way of Working, and explained.

First, for the Names of their Timber.

Raile, it is a piece of Timber, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 foot or more long, and carrieth four inches broad, and an inch or more thick. A Raile is an half Spare.

Spare, is two inches thick, and four inches broad; in some places it is termed a single Quarter.

Joyce, it is four inches square. In some Counties called a double Quarter.

Bed posts, such as Beds either for Standards, Bed sides, or Beds feet are made of.

Stool feet.

Chair backs.

Munton, the short down right pieces in Wainscot.

Stile, the over cross pieces in Wainscot, in the riget of which two, the Panell or middle pieces are fastned.

Boards of several sorts, as

Plank of any length, but never under 2, 3, or 4 inches thick.

Inch Boards.

Half Inch Boards.

Uallens, narrow Boards, about 5 or 6 inches broad, and half inch thick, and of all lengths.

Pannell, little cleft Boards, about 2 foot high, and 16 or 20 inches broad, of these Wainscot is made.

Shingles, cleft Wood about 6 or 8 inches long, and 4, or 5 broad; with these in Wood Countreys they cover their Houses.

Secondly, for their Words or Term.

Architrave, is a plain or flat border, at the bottom moulding of a Cornish or Cornice.

Arras ways, is any thing set or hung Diamond wise, having one corner of the Square set upwards, the other downwards.

Base, the bottom, foot, or foundation of any work.

Bed moulding, is the smaller mouldings over a swelling Friese.

Bead, the inner part of any moulding, being only a square.

Batten, is the laying of a long narrow piece of Wood on a Door or the like, to counterfeit Wainscot, being moulded on each side.

Bevil, is any sloping Angle that is not a perfect square.

Bevil Joint; see Joint.

Capitull, is the top mouldings or cornish of any Pillar or Pillaster.

Cast, it is when any Boards, or other stuff, doth cast, warp, or bend, or any way alter from its own flatness and straightness.

Clamp or Clampt, is when one piece of Timber with the grain, is fixed to another cross the grain; thus the ends of Tables are commonly clampt to preserve them from wraping.

Cornice or Cornish, is the top and overseeling moulding on the top of a piece of Wainscot.

Cross grained, is that part of the Timber, in which a Bough or Arm of the Tree hath grown from the main Trunk of the Tree; in some Boards they are curled Knots, but in Deal perfect Knots.

Curling Grain, see cross grain. This is also called curling stuff, and knotty stuff.

Cypher, as to cypher of a square edge, making 2 edges for that one.

Door Case, is the Frame work about the Door, to which it hangeth by Hinges.

Draw the Saw through, is cut or slit such a piece of Stuff through.

Facia, is a plain square in a moulding, under a projected cornish.

Fence, is a part of the Plow Plain, to keep it from going deeper, or out of the place it is designed to groove.

Fine set, that is, when the Iron of a Plain is set so fine, and stands so shallow below the Sole of the Plain, that in working it takes off a thin shaving. See Rank set.

Friese, or flat Friese, is a plain and broad square between a Fillet moulding, and a Cornice moulding.

Friese Pannel, is the uppermost Pannel in the Wainscot.

Friese Rail, is the Rail as lieth next under the said Pannel.

Frowy Stuff, is such Timber as is soft and gentle, easie to be wrought, being neither too hard nor too soft.

Free Stuff, Timber of a good condition to work upon.

Frames, are those Wooden mouldings set about Pictures, or Frames for Door Cases.

Groove, or Grooving, is the making of a long nick in a Spar, Board, or other Stuff with the Plow Plain.

Grain, is the running Veins, or breaking Lines which run all along the Wood, no Wood being without a certain Grain either more or less, wider or closer, longer or shorter.

Helve, or Haft, or Handle, the holding place for working of any Tool, as Chissels and Gouges. Some call them Heads.

Hard Stuff, is such Timber as is naturally hard, as Box, Lignum Vitae, &c. or else so Curling and Knotty, that a Plain cannot take a shaving off it as thick as a Groat.

Heads of Tools; see Helve.

Husk, is a square Frame of Moulding, like to a Picture Frame or the like, set over the Mantle Tree of a Chimney between two Pillasters, having Capitalls, Friese, and a projecting Cornish.

Inch Board, is a full Inch breadth in its thicknes, after it is sawed.

Inch prickt, wants of an Inch in the thickness of the Board, because the Saw Kerfe hath taken half its breadth away in Sawing; so all scantlins are called, as 1, 2, or 3 inch sawn or prickt.

Joynt, is the edges of two Boards Joined and Glewed together in an even and streight line; yet besides this there is other kinds of Joints made in Wood, as

The Square Joynt, which is, when two pieces of Wood are set so together that it is the one half of a perfect square; four such Joynts making a square.

The Myter Joynt, is the joining of two pieces of Wood, so as the Joynt makes but half a square and no more; three making a triangle frame.

The Bevil Joynt, is the joining of two pieces together, so as that they make any other sharp or acute angle; these Joynts are used in Frames that are made Pentagon, Hexagon, and Octagon, that is, with either five, six, or eight corners.

Kerf, or Saw Kerf, is the Sawn-away slit, which the Saw makes in any Board, or other Stuff.

Knot, is a hard place, or irregular part of a Board, which breaks the grain, or turns it in a round; being of a contrary nature to the freeness of the Wood.

Large Pannel, see Pannell.

Lying Pannell, see in Pannel.

Lower Raile, see Rail.

Lay a Kerfe in that piece, is to cut through such a piece.

Lining of Stuff, is to strike a Chalk Line upon it, to Saw it by.

Margent, the flat breadth of the Stile (of some called the Munton) between the moulding on each side, is called the Margent of the Stiles.

Miter Joynt; see Joyn.

Miter, an Angle that maketh a three square.

Mouldings, the several ways of wrought Work made with Plains on Wood, are generally termed altogether Mouldings, though each Moulding hath its peculiar name.

Mortess, is a long or square hole cut in a piece of Timber, to hold another piece, or entertain a Tenant made fit for it.

Ogee, is a moulding in a Cornish, wherein one part swells out, and the other turns in after the manner of a Roman S.

Over seile, is when one part of a Cornish stands further out than another. Some term it a Project, or Projecting.

Pannel, it is the flat, and either square or long long Boards in Wainscot, which have their several terms according to their positions, as

The Lying Pannels, are the lower rank of Boards next to the ground.

The Large Pannels, or Middle Pannels, are those that run through the middle of the Wainscot.

The Friese Pannells, are the top rank of Boards, which Pannells are generally according to Order of the Work set longways, and are not much more than a fourth part of the breadth of the other Pannells.

Par, or Paring, is the cutting of a thing, as a Joynt smooth with the Paring Chissel.

Pilaster, is the half of a Pillar set to a Wall, as in Doors and Chimney peeces, and their Basis and Capital also cut off by the half; this term is given to such Pillar whether they be round or square.

A Pit-Man, the Sawyer that works in or at the Pit for Sawing of great Trees into several sorts of Timber for the Joyners use, is called a Pit-Man, but generally with us Sawyers.

Planchier, is a great round out swelling, between other smaller mouldings.

Plinth. is a Bevil, flat, or plain mould, whether in the Head or Capital Moulding, or Basis.

Project, see Over-seile.

Plow a Groove, is the working of a Groove in a Stile or Rail, to lay the edges of a Pannel Board in.

Paring of a Joynt, is to make a Joynt fit, by cutting it even with the Paring Chissel; see Shooting of a Joynt.

Rack, is a part of the Instrument used in waving of Timber, and is a flat piece of hard wood about an inch and quarter broad.

Rail, is the overcross pieces in Wainscot, which have several names according to their places, as

The lower Rail, is that next the Ground; next it is the Surbase Rail.

The Middle Rail, is that in the middle of the Wainscot.

The Friese Rail, is that next to the top rail, or highmost rail.

The upper Rail, is the top Rail on which the Cornice is set.

Rank, or Rankset, is when the Iron of the Plain, is set so far below the Sole of the Plain, that in the working it will take off a thick shaving; or the Teeth of a Saw set so wide that it makes a broad Kerfe.

Range or Run-range. is the side of any work that runs straight without breaking into Angles is said to run range; thus the Rails and Pannels of one streight side of Wainscoting being set to a straight corner of a Wall, is said to range or run range with the Wall.

Return, the side that falls away from the fore side or any straight or Range work, is called a Return, as in Corners of Chambers.

Reglet, is a flat, thin, square piece of Wood, fitted to be Molded and Waved in the Waving Instrument.

Rub, that is, whet the Irons of the Plain when they are dull and blunt.

Scantlin, is the size that the Joyner intends to cut his Stuff to. Sometimes it is used to that piece of Stuff as will not hold out to do that piece of Work for which it is intended.

Scribe, is the drawing of a line or stroak with the point of the Compasses upon a piece of stuff that is straight, thereby to cut it so as it may join to an Irregular piece, whether bowed or cornered.

Shoot a Joynt, is the making of the two pieces to be joined, smooth and even with the Joynter Plain; that is the Joynts are made so exactly streight, that being put together, no Light can be seen between them; this is shooting of a Joynt.

Shoot a Board, is to make it have a straight edge; as in a Ruler, where the edges are shot straight, and one side shot off with a cyphered edge.

Stile, of some termed Munton, is all those upright pieces in Wainscot, in which the Pannels are fixed.

Stops.

Stuffe, all sorts of Wood that Joyners work upon, are generally called Stuff.

Sur-Base, is the next Rail to the bottom Rail in a piece of Wainscoting.

Swelling Frize, is a round swelling between other smaller moulding: it is of some termed a Planchier.

Shaving, is the thin cutting of Wood that a plain take off.

Square Joynt, see Joynt.

Setting of a Saw, is the drawing of the Saw-teeth one one way, and the other another way, thereby to make the Kerfe broader or narrower, to cut the Timber more Rank.

Table, is a plain smooth board set about with Mouldings, whether it be round Oval or Square, or of what sort soever: but most used for those square Boards which have Frames about them for Pictures and Coats of Arms to be drawn and Painted upon.

Taper, is any sort of work that is smaller at one end then at the other: or diminisheth gradually from the biggest end, to the other.

Tennant, is a square end fitted into a Mortess made in another peece of Timber by which the two Peeces are closed and held together.

Top-Man, is the uppermost Man that is Sawing great Timber at a Pit; or on Trussels which are high Frames a little more then the height of a Man, on which the Wood is laid for want of a Pit.

Traverse, is working with the plain, or any other Tool cross the grain of the Timber.

Try, is to see by the help of a straight rule, laying it on a flat peece, whether the work be true, which it is if no light can be seen between the edge of the rule and the work.

Uaws-Cornice, is any small Cornish lying under a great swelling out peece, as under a Planchier, or swelling Friese.

Upper Cornice, is the highest Cornish in any Moulded work.

Warp, see Cast.

Wedge, is a peece of Wood or Iron made taper, by which things are opened and made wide; or else to Wedge is to make a thing fast in another, by driving peeces of Wood so made between the open parts.

Whetting-block, is a peece of thick Timber haveing a Rigget in it, into which the blade of a new Saw is set and wedged that it cannot play whilest the Teeth are sharpning.

Wrest, is that by which Saw Teeth are set.

— From Randle Holme’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon” Book III, Chapter III. Why am I reading this?

XXVI. He beareth Sable, a Cording Augre, (or Auger) and Pin, Or. These are Instruments of Wood, whose use is only for the Cording of Beds, to strain the Ropes streight, for Matts and Beds to ly upon. The Carpenter useth such a like Pin to this of Iron, or sometime of Wood, which is called an Hook-pin, whose office it is to pin the frame of a Floor, or frame of a Roof or Wall-plate together while they are fitting each piece to its place; it is taper in the shank, therefore easily taken out of the hole, with a Hammer striking either under the hook, or at the bottom of it.

XXVII. He beareth Argent, an Hold-Fast, and a Gimblet, Sable. This is another fashioned Gimblet in the head, than that formerly mentioned numb. 1. that having the handle round and cut off at each end, but this hath the handle direct oval or like an Egg; the Bitt being in the end like the Bitt of an Augre or Oger.

The Joyners Hold-Fast, is an Instrument of Iron, which being put into a loose hole of a Joyners Bench, and the Beak set upon any piece of Timber, with the Knock of an Hammer or Mallet upon the head of it, will cause the Work to ly fast upon the Bench till the Work-man either Saw, Tennant, Mortess, or Plain it; in the Hold-Fast there are these several terms.

The Shank, which is round, and goes through the hole of the Bench. The Head is the square, on which the Mallet striketh. The Beake, the flat end which is crooked downwards, the very point being either round or square, is made flattish, which is called the Beak end.

XXVIII. He beareth Sable, a Stock of a Tree in Bend, couped at both ends, Or; cut half through with a Whip or Framing Saw, Fess wise, Argent, Handles of the second. This is a Dutch Coat born by the name of Van Saugesbergh. This is also Blazoned thus, a Whip Saw slitting or cutting in two a Stock of a Tree couped in the ends; but the first is much better termed.

The Whip Saw, of some termed a Framing Saw, is a long Saw used between two persons to Saw such great pieces of Timber or other Stuff that the Hand Saw will not easily reach through; when they use it, the Timber is laid upon a Trussel, and the Men stand on either side of it, and so Saw it through; he to whom the Teeth of the Saw points, draws to him, the other thrusts from him.

The remainder of the Joyners Tools for working, you will see chap. 8. numb. 132. to 143. to which place I must now refer you and fall to another employ.

— From Randle Holme’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon” Book III, Chapter IX. Why am I reading this?

XXII. He beareth Argent, a Mortess Chissel, Azure, the Helve, Or. By the name of Chizell.

This is a Chissel broad in the sides and thick in the face part, so consequently stronger than other Chissels, that it may abide heavyer Blows with the Mallet; it hath a deep Basil, and is used to cut deep square holes called Mortesses in a piece of Wood: They are of several bignesses answerable to the breadth of the Mortesses they are to make.

XXIII. He beareth Or, a Sprig Bitt, Sable; Handle, Argent. Three such is born by the name of Hile. This is a thing like an Awle, having a four square Blade, with which holes are made in thin and narrow Stuff, to drive in small and slender Nails called Sprigs; Nails without heads.

XXIV. He beareth Azure, a Brace and Bit, Or. This hath several denominations as I find amongst Workmen; for of some it is termed a Brace, others a Wimble, others a Wimble-Brace, and a Vambrace; in London it is generally termed a Piercer. It is used in Boring of Holes to drive Wooden Pins through Mortesses and Tennants in Joyners work.

Two such Braces erected and endorsed, or conjoined with a Girdle Gules, is the Crest of Bracegirdle, of Bracegirdle Green in Cheshire.

The parts of the Brace and Bitt.

The Head, is the round top, flat Button, which turneth in a hole in the Stock.
The Socket of the Brace head, the place where it turns.
The Handle.
The Bush or Pad Hole, a four square hole in which the Bit is placed, so as it cannot turn.
The Stock, is all the turning part of the Brace.
The Bush or Pad, is the square piece of Wood in which the Bit is fixed, which is taken out and put into the Brace as often as it is used.
The Bit, is the Iron as bores the hole, which that you may see the parts more exactly view the next Figure.

XXV. He beareth a Bit, fixed in its Bush or Pad. The Bushes being made fit for the square hole of thes Brace may serve for several sorts of Bits, both to make small and large holes, also ebb or deep according to the length of the shank of the Bit. The Bush hath its hold, which is the square; the Shoulder for the Brace to rest upon; and the round or bottom, where the Bit is put in.

— From Randle Holme’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon” Book III, Chapter IX. Why am I reading this?

XX. In this quarter is first the round Smoothing Plain, whose Sole is not streight but convex.

The second is the Rabbet Plain, which hath the sides of the Iron not inclosed in the Stock as the foregoing Plains, but the Iron is full as broad as the Stock is thick, that the very Angles of the Iron edge may not be born of the Stuff it is to cut; nor doth it deliver the Shavings at a Mouth on the top of the Stock, as the other Plains do; but it hath its mouth on the sides of the Plain, and delivers them there; the Iron is about an Inch broad in the flat, but is much thinner because of its wedging in the Stock; its office is to cut a Square down into a Board or other Timber, for another like piece to fall into it; also to strike a Facia in a piece of Molding.

XXI. He beareth Gules, a Taper Bit in traverse, Argent; the Head and a Smoothing Plain, Or. Born by the name Plainhale. Of these Instruments more particularly.

The Taper Bit, is for the making of a small hole wider and larger, being in the mouth half round whose edges are sharp, and by reason of its being taper as it goeth into a hole with the small end and is turned about therein, the edges cut it wide by taking shavings or pairings from the hole side.

S. 3 such is born by the name of Tapper or Tapley.

The Smoothing Plain, is a little short Plain, which hath its Iron set very fine, and to take off very thin shavings, because its use and office is only to smooth the work from those Irregularities which the Fore-Plain and the Joynter have left behind them. There is another way of making them with a streight flat Sole, as in other Plains.

A. a Cheveron S. between 3 such proper, born by Smoother.

The several sorts of Plains.

The Strike Block, is a Plain shorter than the Joynter, having the Sole made exactly flat and streight, and is used for the shooting of a short Joint; because it is more ready for the hand than the long Joynter: It is also used for the fitting and framing of Miter and Bevil Joynts.
The Miter Plain.
The Revaile Plain.
The Scurging Plain.
The Moulding Plains, are for the working off of several sorts of Moulding works which Plains have names according to their several Operations; as
The Hallow Plain.
The Round, or Half Round Plain.
The Belection Plain.
The O-gee Plain.
The Back O-gee Plain.
The Cornish Plain.
The Phalister Plain.

— From Randle Holme’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon” Book III, Chapter IX. Why am I reading this?