Category: The Academy of Armory

XIX. He beareth in this quarter two sorts of Joyners Plains; that in the chief is termed a Joynter, it is the largest sort of Plains by them used, it is perfectly streight from end to end; its office is to follow the Fore-Plain; and to shoot those things perfectly streight, and to take off those irregularities which remain in the first taking off the Saws roughness in Boards or any other sorts of Timber: It is also used to try all sorts of Tables great or small, by Plaining them Traverse, Angularly, Cornerwise, as well as with the grain, that the Workman may be well assured of the flatness and streightness of the work. Carpenters term this their Long Plain.

V. such a Joynter in Fess between 3 Flowers de lis O. is born by the name of Joyner.

The parts of a Joynter Plain.

The Stock.
The Sole, is the bottom of the Stock which shoots upon the work.
The Handle, by which it is held and thrust forwards. The Tote.
The Bitt, is the Iron as cuts.
The Wedge, it keeps the Bitt fast in its place.
The Mouth of the Stock, is the hole where the Bitt is wedged.
The Breech of the Stock, is the end from the hole or mouth.
The Head of the Stock, from the handle to that end it is at.
The Tote, or Dote, is the handle abovesaid.
A Plain, when all its parts and Members are together.

The second sort of Plain is called the Fore-Plain, and of some the Former, or the course Plain; because it is used to take off the roughness of the Timber before it be worked with the Joynter, or smooth Plain; and for that end the edge of the Iron or Bit, is not ground upon a streight as other Plains are, but rises with a Convex Arch in the middle of it; and is set also more Ranker and further out of the mouth in the Sole of the Stock, than any other Bits or Irons are. The Jack Plain, called so by the Carpenter, is the same that Joyners call the Fore-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?

XIII. He beareth Gules, a Joyners Rule, or a two Foot Rule, Or; and a Carpenters Square, Argent. The Rule is equally divided into two foot, which is againe subdivided into 24 Inches, these also brought into halfe and quarters of Inches; And are for the best use, generally made of Box or Peare tree, or some other hard wood. This may also be termed a Geomatricall Staffe, or a Yard, when it is thus divided.

The Carpenters Square, is made generally of Iron. the shorter part being a foot, and the longer part two foot, both ends being divided into Inches, half and quarter inches. Its use, besides Measuring, is to strike or draw streight Lines, and to try the squareness of the work, whether it be true or not.

An Hand and Arm holding such a square O. Sleeve G. turned up A. is the Crest of the Carpenters Company of the City of Chester.

A. a Cheveron between 3 such S. born by Atlow.

XIV. He beareth Azure, two Carpenters Squares endorsed and issuant, Or. By the name of Getzell.

XV. He beareth Vert, a Joyners Square, Or; it is made of two pieces of Wood, the one Mortessed into the other, and so shot exactly streight as to make a square within, and by the help of the side lying Parallel to another streight piece, either a streight Line or a square Angle may be drawn.
The Handle, is the Mortessed piece.
The Tongue, is the piece put into the Mortess.
The outward Square.
The inward Square.

There is another way of making the Joyners Square, whose Figure you may see chap. 8. numb. 134.

B. 3 Squares, 2 endorsed, the 3 to the Sinister A. born by Vetzer of the Rhine.

XVI. He beareth Gules, a Bevil moving square, Or; or else a moving Bevil square: This Square upon the moveableness of the Tongue upon a Center, may be set to strike Angles of any greater or lesser number of degrees; according to the opening it, too or from the Handle; when as all other fixed Bevil squares take the Angles at 45 degrees only, as in the Miter square following.

S. 3 such O. a Border A. is born by Movere.

XVII. He beareth Sable, a Miter square, Or. This Square hath also an Handle and a Tongue, as that mentioned numb. 15. whose use is to strike either Square or Miter Lines according as you apply the ends of it to the out-sides of the Quarter or Batten you are to work upon: By the help of this, Miter or Bevil Lines are Cut or Sawed so exact, that two being joined together, it will make an Angle; thus square Frames for Pictures, Looking Glasses, and such like are commonly made.

S. the like points reversed O. in Chief a Lion passant A. born by Parly.

XVIII. He beareth Argent, a Gage, or Oval Gage, or Joyners Gage (of some termed a Swage) Gules. It is made of either a square, or six square piece of Wood, fitted by a square hole through the middle very stiff upon a Staff, that it may be set nearer or farther off the Tooth at the side end of the said Staff. Its office or use is to strike a Line Parallel to any streight side; it is used for the Gaging of Tenants, or any Stuff to be Cut or Plained to an equal thickness.

Some Gages have a Screw through the Square, that if it slip too easie on the Staff, the Screw by turning it to the Staff doth keep it from moving.

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

VIII. He beareth Argent, a Pair of Compasses, Sable. This is born by the name of Compashale.
A. a Cheveron engrailed between 3 Compasses S. is the Coat Armour belonging to the Company of Carpenters; the same is born in the Joyners and Masons Arms.

→ Some Blazon them Compasses dilated, or opened; but that term needs not; because in Coats of Arms, they are ever one of three parts, or thereabouts, opened to their extention.

The Joynt is the place where the Compasses move and turn.

The Cheeks of the Joynt, is where they go in one to the other.

The Shanks, The Points.

IX. He beareth Gules, a Pair of Sliding or Circle Dividers, Or. These are Compasses which open upon a Brass semi-circle, and by a small Screw is made fast at any station.

B. 3 such O. pointed S. is born by Bonny.

G. one pair of such O. born by Bartten.

X. He beareth Gules, a Pair of Screw Dividers, Or; Pointed, Sable. Born by Distance. These are Compasses opened and shut with a screw, so that there is noe danger of their moveing from their station. By all these foresaid Compasses, are described Circles Ovals &c. and also Distances are measured and set off from the Rule, or from any other divided Rod or Staffe, to the thing to be wrought upon.

V. a paire of Dividers A. born by Port.

A, 3 such S. born by Dividend.

XI. He beareth Or, a Paire of Callippers, Sable born by Dimmiter. As common Compasses are for measuring Distances upon a plain Superficies; so the Callippers measure the distance or Thickness of any Cilindrick or Orbicall body, either in their extremity, or any part lesse then the extremity. So that the just Diameter is known by the distance of the points of the Compasse, be the same either Feet or Inches.

A. 3 such S. born by Scalpper.

XII. He beareth Sable, a Joyners Bevil Square, Or. Born by Bevill. of this kind of bearing in Arms, see more lib. 1. chap. 9. numb. 78.

B. 3 such O. is born by Ressen.

In the base of this square is a Pair of Callippers with their Points Crossing one another, Sable; in a field Argent. is born by Van Slogan.

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

VII. He beareth Argent, an Axe, (or Carpenters Axe) in Bend Azure, the Hawme, Or; between a Ginnet and an Auger of the same: These are three Tools used principally by the Carpenters of which in their order.

First, the Axe used by the Carpenter, is the same in form to the Hatchet, only larger in the head, and longer in the Hawme, because it is to be used with both hands, and is for Hewing and Squaring of great Timber, to make it fit for use.

The Ginnet is used to cut and take off Irregularities in all sorts of work lying under hand or flat, which the Axe or Hatchet cannot be handled to touch: Some term it an Addice or Adz.

Of these Ginnets or Addices, there is another sort also used by Carpenters, which hath its Blade made thin and somewhat arching (as this doth) but the other end is faced or headed like to a great Hammer. These Instruments as they have their edge athwart the Handle, so their Grinding to a Basil is on the in-side to the out-edge, which is the cause, when it is Blunt, it cannot be ground, unless the Helve be taken out of the Eye of the Addice.
B. 3 such with a Fess between A. the Hafts O. is born by Ginnett.
G. 3 such O. born by Froburgh.

The Auger, or Augre, or Oger, as some call it, hath in it, the Handle, which is of Wood, and the Shank, and the Bit which Boreth; its office is to make great and round holes suitable to the rotundity of the Bit; and when it is used, the Stuff worked upon, is commonly laid below under you, or set equal to your Breast; that ones strength may be the easier used for the twisting the Bit about by the force of both hands.

There are several sorts of them from a quarter of an Inch Bore, to 4, 5, or 6 inches in the Diameter, but big or little, their form and make is all one and the same.
A. an Oger B. Handle O. born by Neber.
A. 3 such S. Handles O. born by Oger or Auger.

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

III. He beareth Sable, a Frame Saw, or a Framing Saw, Argent, the Cheeks,
Or. The use of this Saw is to cut Miter and Bevile squares for Frames
and Cornishes on the top of Wanscot. The use of the Cheeks to the sides
of this Saw, is to keep and strain the Blade streight, which of it self
is thin and slender, and cannot do its work without such an help. It is
also termed a Bow Saw, and a Tenant Saw.

IV. He beareth Sanguine, a Joyners Mallet, Argent. By the name of Mallet.
There is much difference between the Masons, and the Joyners or
Carpenters Mallets, the first being round and heavy; the others square
both in the face and sides; though in this place my Graver hath not
performed his part; yet elsewhere you may see the true shape of them chap. 8. numb. 141.

S. 3 Mallets A. born by Von Schleyer of Alsatia.

A. 3 such G. born by Van Falcken.

V. He beareth Argent, an Hatchet Azure, the Hawme Or: The Bearer goes by the name of Hatchface.

S. a Fess between 3 Hatchets A. born by the name of Wrey.

B. 2 such endorsed O. born by Sturmfeder of the Rhine.

G. one in Bend O. born by Trzinsky.

The use of the Hatchet is to hew the Irregularities of such pieces of
Stuff, which may be sooner Hewn then either cut with Chissels or Sawn;
for that end it is used as an Instrument of Execution for the Beheading
of great Offenders, and Rebellious and Irregular Livers: The right side
of it (in its use of cutting) is ground down to a Bevil, or edge, which
is afterwards set or made more sharper, with a Whet-stone, as other
Working Tools.

VI. He beareth Vert, an Hatchet Head, Argent. Some term it an Hatchet sans Hawme, or Halve.

O. the like, the Basil or edge erected G. born by Franckenstein.

A. the same in Bend Sinister G. born by Finchen or Fincken.

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