By Harry BaerReprinted from The Chronicle, Volume XVII, No. 3, September 1964 We are all normally accustomed to thinking of tools as implements wholly beneficial to man’s welfare. Unfortunately, this is ndt always true. Tools used for a positive purpose have been, and can be, used for a negative purpose. It may, therefore, be of …
by William B. SpragueReprinted from The Chronicle Volume 1, No. 7, September, 1934 Cork-cutting, according to Rivington ( 1827), was “one of the blackest and dirtiest of trades, and not very profitable either for the master or the journeyman.” The early books do not go into great detail as to the exact methods used, except …
by R. James AberReprinted from The Chronicle, Volume XXIV, September 1971 One of the finest hardware stores in the United States at the turn of the (20th) century, Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co. spared no expense or effort to maintain the largest inventory of tools and hardware in the East. The selling floors of the store …
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Plymouth County Documents This post presents documents and deeds relating to Early American woodworking trades and craftsmen and covers Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Bristol, Middlesex and Essex Counties of Massachusetts were covered previously. These documents cover nearly 100 years, from Queen Anne to King George the 2nd to President George Washington. Each of the documents provides a name, a profession, a place …
18th C. House Wrights, Jointers & Carpenters: Plymouth County, MA Read More »
Aluminum Block Planes from the Stanley Model Shop In the first couple of decades of the 20th century, aluminum became available to manufacturers at a reasonable cost. Although aluminum comprises 8.2% of the earth’s crust, making it the most abundant metal in nature, it never occurs in its free form. In 1825, Hans Christian Oersted, …
18th Century Records of House Wrights, Jointers, CarpentersMiddlesex County, Massachusetts Eighteenth century woodworkers can be elusive. Fortunately we have surviving documents, tools and objects/structures to help identify some these individuals. This combined knowledge can help place these craftsmen in a place, at a time, with a specific trade. In particular, period records are very useful …
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