Joiners rule
XIII. He beareth a Joyners Rule, or a two
Foot Rule, and a Carpenters Square.
The Rule is equally divided into two foot, which is againe subdivided into 24 Inches, these also bought into halfe and quarter of Inches; and are for the best uses, 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 second image might be of a different type of rule.]
Carpenters square
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.
Carpenters squares
XIV. He beareth two Carpenters Squares.
Joiner's square
XV. He beareth a Joyners Square; 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.
Bevel square
XVI. He beareth a Bevil moving square,
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 Angle at 45 degrees only, as in the Miter
square following.
Mitre square
XVII. He beareth a Miter square. 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 comonly
made.
Gauge
XVIII. He beareth a Gage, or Oval
Gage, or Joyners Gage (of some termed a Swage).
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 equall 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.
Jointer plane
XIX. He beareth in this quarter two sorts or Joyners Plaines; 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 remaining 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.
Fore plane
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.
Related text(s) Jointer plane parts Jack plane
Round smoothing plane
XX. In this quarter is first the round Smoothing
plain, whose Sole is not streight but convex.
Rabbet plane
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.
Taper bit
XXI. He beareth a Taper Bit in traverse, and a Smoothing Plain.
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.
Smoothing plane
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.
Related text(s) Plane types
Mortice chisel
XXII. He beareth a Mortess Chissel.
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.
Sprig bit
XXIII. He beareth a Sprig Bitt.
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 mall and slender Nails called Sprigs; Nails without heads.
Brace and bit
XXIV. He beareth a Brace and Bit.
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.
Related text(s) Brace and bit parts
Bit
XXV. He beareth a Bit, fixed in its Bush or
Pad. The Bushes being made fit for the square hole
of the 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 square; and the Shoulder for
the Brace to rest upon; and the round or bottom,
where the Bit is put in.
Cording auger & pin
XXVI. He beareth a Cording Augre, (or
Auger) and Pin. These are Instruments of
Wood, whose use is only for the Cording of Beds, to
strain the Ropes streight, for the 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 Hookpin, whose office 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.
Gimblet
Image from published plateXXVII. He beareth an Hold-Fast, and a Gimblet. 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.
Hold fast
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.
Whip saw
XXVIII. He beareth a Stock of a Tree in
Bend, couped at both ends; cut half through
with a Whip or Framing Saw.
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.
Related text(s) Joiner's tools
Previous section
Next section
