These men cannot live in regular society. They are too idle, too talkative, too passionate, too prodigal, and too shiftless to acquire either property or character. They are impatient with the restraints of law, religion, and morality; grumble about the taxes by which rulers, ministers, and schoolmasters are supported; and complain incessantly, as well as bitterly, of the extortions of mechanics, farmers, merchants, and physicians to who they are always indebted.
— Timothy Dwight, president of Yale College from 1795 to 1817, on the lumberers of Maine.
7. The third Peter – Peter Follansbee. (Hmmm, it seems the theme of this year’s WIA is “Peters in Woodworking” – Peter Ross, Peter Galbert and Peter Follansbee are all speaking).
I hope you know Peter Follansbee from his book “Make a Joint Stool from a Tree” (now offered with free shipping from Lost Art Press). But if you haven’t heard Peter in a classroom/lecture situation, you are only getting half of the picture of the man.
His quick and dry Massachusetts wit and deftness with an axe is worth traveling to see. This year Peter is demonstrating 17th-century carving (I’ll be sitting in on that) and is giving the keynote at the big WIA banquet on Friday night.
8. Peter Ross, the blacksmith wunderkind of Colonial Williamsburg, will be speaking at WIA. Peter makes some of the finest historic tools, and locks and hinges and hardware I’ve ever seen. He’s going to be talking at WIA on lots of subjects where the blacksmith’s art crosses paths with that of the woodworker – including fixing tools that have been overheated and some of his insights into historic tools.
Peter should know. He was one of the few craftsmen at Williamsburg to inspect and record all of the contents of the Benjamin Seaton tool chest during its U.S. tour. His work and drawings are in the newly revised “The Tool Chest of Benjamin Seaton” book. It is a must-have for history and tool nerds. (Nerd alert: I’m going to ask Peter to sign mine.)
Prying Peter out of his shop in North Carolina is a major coup for WIA. Don’t miss this.
The Thanks of the Society were voted to R. Knight, Esq., for a Collection of Hone-Stones and Grind-Stones, presented by him; together with the following Descriptive Catalogue of them.
Sir, Foster Lane.
In compliance with your request, I have sent, for the Society’s acceptance, a collection of all the principal stones used in the mechanical arts, and of which the following is the catalogue. I have arranged them under two heads, viz. arenaceous and schistose: the few that do not come under either of these heads are separately described, and I shall be happy to give you any further information I am able on the subject.
I am, &c. &c.
Richard Knight.
1. Grit or Sandstone.— Of this variety the universally known and justly celebrated Newcastle grind-stones are formed. It abounds in the coal-districts of Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire; and is selected of different degrees of density and coarseness, best suited to the various manufactures of Sheffield and Birmingham, for grinding and giving a smooth and polished surface to their different wares.
2. Is a similar description of stone, of great excellence. It is of a lighter colour, much finer, and of a very sharp nature, and at the same time not too hard. It is confined to a very small spot, of limited extent and thickness, in the immediate vicinity of Bilston, in Staffordshire, where is lies above the coal, and is now quarried entirely for the purpose of grind-stones. (more…)
An ironing board met a spindly manual-training workbench at a bar. Drinks were consumed. And nine months later, the Chandler & Barber patented “Handy Bench Cabinet” came into this world in 1902.
The “bench” is a testament to human will – that something so odd and ill-conceived could be patented and brought to market.
Observe the arrangement of the vise and the opening of the cabinet. A right-handed woodworker would pretty much slam his or her handplane into the rear of the cabinet with almost every stroke. There is an incredible amount of wasted space in the closed cabinet. And the lower shelves (12” x 18”) look sized for almost anything except woodworking tools. Where do the long planes go?
Other than that, very nice!
— Christopher Schwarz
Thanks to Jeff Burks for digging up this love child.