The wood art of Danish artist Thomas Dambo.
Ever wondered what to do with those wood scraps?
Month: October 2022
The German workbenches of Krünitz (ii)
The next bench, 1369(b), is from a wheelwrights shop, but would not be that out of place in a woodworking shop.
1369(b) A workbench from a wheelwrights shop
This bench has a top (a-b) which is 6-7ft in length, 2½ft wide, and sits 3ft high on strong feet. The bench has two vises on the front edge and side. The end vise (d-e) is a block pegged (mortised) into the “high” edge of the bench by means of two square pieces of wood (c,f). The sticks are not fixed, but act as guiding rails. The screw (g) moves the block (d-e) in and out from the edge of the bench top in the direction of a-e. A rod threaded through the head of the screw is used to turn it.
A hook (h) is attached to the vise block, and the bench opposite has a series of holes, where the wheelwright can place a second iron hook (i) in any hole. Those hooks are called bench irons (Bankeisen) or bench hooks (Bankhaken). A board or another piece of wood is clamped between these two hooks – if one wants to plane one of its broad sides, tighten the screw (g) and thereby fasten the wood. Depending on the size of the wood being planed, a bench iron (i) is inserted into one of the other holes in the workbench.
If a wheelwright planes a board on the high edge, it is clamped into the front vise. The bar of the vise (l) stands out a few inches from the front edge of the workbench, and the board is pushed into this opening and fastened with the screw (m). So that the board is not damaged, another board is placed between the screw and the working board (ed: It is not clear whether this board is attached to the screw, or independent, as it is not pictured).
A guide to historic feet
I recently wrote about historic inches and feet. Since then I found an interesting table in The Cabinet Maker’s Guide authored by G.A.Siddons (1837). I thought it would provide an interesting aside to anyone looking at historic woodworking. For a much more extensive list can be found in Charles Hutton’s Recreations In Mathematics And Natural Philosophy (1840, pp.188-190).
This table was to provide individuals with the ability to easily change the measures of foreign countries to that of England (and vice-versa). The second column works on the basis that the English foot is divided into 12 inches, and each inch into 12 parts, called lines, and each line into 10 parts, making 1440 parts in one English foot. The foot of all other countries contains the number of the same parts they are equal to, when compared to the English foot.
For example, comparing an English foot to a Parisian foot is 1 : 1.065977
Hutton also includes a list of ancient feet:
| Ancient feet | parts | feet | inches | lines | points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Rome | 1392 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 2 |
| Ancient Greece | 1453 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Foot of Archimedes | 1051 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 1 |
| Egyptian | 2046 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Babylonian | 1648 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 |
Obviously with the list there are a couple of places with different names: Leghorn is the English name for Livorno in Italy (in Tuscany), and Constantinople is now Istanbul.
What ever happened to? – the Veritas Surface Vise
Ever wondered why some tools which seem like a good idea eventually disappear? A good example if the Veritas Surface Vise. It seemed like the perfect solution for clamping tasks that required a little thinking outside the box, and for people who wanted the flexibility of a tail-vise without having to retro-fit one. It was never meant to be a replacement for a conventional vise, but it sure helped expand your clamping options. It appeared in 2011, and disappeared circa 2019.
The German workbenches of Krünitz (i)
Dr. Johann Georg Krünitz’s “Ökonomische Encyklopädie” (or “Economic Encyclopedia,” a colossal 242-volume work published between 1773-1858) illustrated three interesting workbenches in a 1781 volume – about the time of A.J. Roubo. But obviously with more schnitzel and less brie (well, almost). The workbenches are found in Figure 1369. The descriptions provided below are translated from the original text. Although the workbench designs shown obviously existed before Krünitz, the illustrations are quite detailed.
1369(a) Hobelbank der Tischler (the common joiners bench)
A strong bench on solid feet upon which lies a thick oak or beech top, 6-8 feet in length and 2½ feet wide. On the front end of the right side is an end vise (e) which is as thick as the top and as long as the top is wide. Two tenons are attached to this “bar”, each of which engages in a mortise in the top. When the wooden screw (f), which is attached to the top by means of a wooden nut, is turned by means of the handle the vise block is removed from the lead, or brought closer.
In the middle of the vise block is an iron hook (not shown) which is directly opposite a series of holes in the bench (g). In one of these holes is placed a second iron hook (h) called the Crochet d’ établi is placed. Between this and the vise block hook is placed the board which is to be planed. The hook is illustrated in picture (x), showing the spring which holds it firmly in the hole of the workbench. According to the length of the board, a hook is placed in one of the holes (g), a board is pushed under both hooks on the bench top, and the screw (f) is tightened, thereby immobilizing the board.
If a board is to be planed on a long edge, it is clamped in the front vise. A vise (c-k) is separated from the bench top by a wooden block (l) by a few inches, and in the vise is a wooden screw (m). The block (l) has a slot along its length into which fits the tenon of a narrow board (n, but not well marked) which is called the “pincer” board. This board is moved from the front vise edge using the wooden screw (the end of which is embedded in the pincer board).
The board which is to be planed on edge is placed with both flat sides between the “tongue” board (n) and the edge of the bench, and the screw (m) is tightened to secure the board. If the board is long, one end of the board can be put in the vise while the other end rests on the “servant” (p), a vertical piece of wood attached to one foot, which has various notches or teeth on one side. In the notches is fastened a saddle (o) which actually carries the board on its lower edge.
A note on inches
German inches are represented b y the word Zoll which is usually 1/12 foot, but could also be 1/10, or 1/11. A foot also varied somewhat in size from place to place in the German speaking world. At the time of writing, Krünitz lived in Berlin, where a foot was 12.36″ (modern equivalent).
Did Bridge City tools not sell well?
Lee Valley is having a sale on Bridge City Tools, well actually so is Bridge City Tools. A good time to buy them if you are interested. Of course if you read a little further, you will notice that on the LV site it says that “These items are discontinued.“, which likely means LV will no longer be carrying BCT. I wonder why? I would imagine, LV like many others, changes what it offers from time to time. But I also wonder if these tools didn’t sell all that well. I mean C$182.50 for the block plane shown below is a lot, when you can get a Veritas Apron Plane for C$134. Yeah I get it, not exactly the same, but they do perform similar tasks. Or you can get a Veritas Low-Angle Block Plane for C$189. The fancy dual-angle block plane sold for C$839 (on sale for C$490), which is a lot of money for a block plane, however fancy.
And the Veritas planes are made of ductile cast iron, which to my liking may be a little bit more resilient than aircraft grade aluminum alloy, at least on the plane’s sole (although it is difficult to qualify without knowing the exact aluminum alloy being used).
But it could also be that people have shied away from these tools in recent years. Why? I think because they moved their manufacturing off-shore. I’m okay with paying a little more for tools made in North America, but I’m not okay paying the same amount for tools made elsewhere. I prefer paying the same (or more) for a tool made in North America. It’s no different with many things that have moved offshore. Blundstone boots are another example. They use to make boots in Australia and New Zealand, but in 2007 moved offshore (although to their credit they still make gumboots in Australia). The excuse is always “increased costs”, but like many other off-shored products, the consumer *never* sees a reduction in what they pay for an item (in Canada they are $230 a pair). I mean for the same price you can buy a pair of Redback boots, made in Australia. I’m not saying that their quality has suffered or anything, but one does wonder what sort of wage the people making them get.
I guess early on during the transition process in 2017, BCT said they would still be making a line of tools in the USA, and an overseas line for export to places like Canada. To quote “It means we are going to continue serving the American market with American designed and made tools – so in a sense, nothing has changed. For the international market, Bridge City tools, made to our same standards in China, will now be available for about half the retail price of their American cousins.” What about the retail price, has it halved? Well, yes. In 2016, the HP-8 was selling for US$249, in 2022 it is selling for US$165. US$249 in 2022 dollars is about US$307. So, true to their word, the plane is a little over half the cost. However in 2022, no BCT tools seem to be made in the USA anymore. And honestly, for US$160 you can buy a Lie Nielsen No.102 block plane made of bronze, and made in the USA.
Want to read more? Check out this 2017 post from ToolGuyD.
The Holtzapffel Bench (1846)
The Holtzapffel’s were a family of tool and lathe makers located in London. It was established by Strasbourg born Jean-Jacques Holtzapffel (1768-1835) in 1794, initially as a partnership with Francis Rousset. He anglicized his name to John Jacob Holtzapffel, selling his first lathe in 1795. In “Geschichte Der Technologie” written in 1810, Johann Heinrich Moritz wrote that John Holtzapffel was “the most highly skilled turner in London”. His son Charles Holtzapffel (1806-1847) joined the business in 1827. Charles is best known for his epic work Turning and Mechanical Manipulation, which focused on almost everything mechanical which existed. The processes included the manufacture of files, saws, and turning of anything including egg shells, and jewels. It was first published in 1843, however only two volumes would be published before his death. (The remaining three volumes were completed by his widow and son). Holtzapffel & Co. sold its last lathe in 1928.
Charles Holtzapffel passed away in 1847, and an obituary notice observed of him: “Mr. Holtzapffel probably never put his hand to a machine which he did not improve…”. However today the Holtzapffel name is more closely associated with a bench than with mechanical devices.
On page 494 of Vol.II [1] can be found his illustration of the bench (from the 1875 version, but there is very little to suggest the bench changed since 1846). Holtzapffel really just remarked on the bench in passing – a bench was just a device to hold work. The picture “represents one of the most complete kind of cabinet makers benches, carefully connected by screw bolts and buts, its surface is a thick plank planed very flat and true, with a trough to receive small tools, without interfering with the surface of the bench.”
a– bench hook (with teeth)b– square wooden stopc, d– two side screws with the chop,e, constitute “a kind of vice”f– vice garterg– end vice screwh– sliding piecei, j– stops for end vice (roughened face)k– holdfast (lis place to tap to release holdfast)m– leg pin (to support long boards)
There is little doubt that the bench that lends itself to Holtzapffel’s name was possibly derived from one that existed in the Holtzapffel workshop, and likely built in the model of French-German benches that his father had grown up with in Strasbourg. The bench is a hodgepodge of differing ideas from continental Europe, somewhat mirroring the flip-flop status of Strasbourg itself. The city became part of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire in 1262, was annexed by France in 1681, and in 1871 by the newly formed German Empire. Sitting at the crossroads of two cultures it is no wonder it is a somewhat Frankenstein-ish bench. From the Germanic side, the bench adopted a tail-vise at a time when these were likely not used on English benches. The base of the bench is somewhat robust, suggesting French origins, although it seems that the stretchers are attached to the legs using knockdown bolts (German). The tool tray is German. The hold-fasts are French, the menagerie of planing stops both English and French, and the leg attachment with holes for supporting work European. Likely the only real non-European contrivance is the twin-screw vise, a manifestation of Moxon.
In fact the bench may be best characterized by the twin-screw vise. There is very little to suggest it was marked as a bench of Holtzapffel’s construction until recently. It is rare to find photographs of such benches being using in British workshops in the 19th century.
- Turning and Mechanical Manipulation Vol. II – The Principles of Construction Action and Application of Cutting Tools used by Hand and also of Machines Derived from the Hand Tools. (1846)
working by hand 