Toothing Planes

On more than one occasion have I demonstrated the toothing plane, an antique tool used in veneering and marquetry. What is a toothing plane? It is a specialty plane that has an iron with serrated teeth which is used in preparing groundwork for the reception of veneer. Brought into existence during the age of hide glue it is still used today, but only by those that believe in its usefulness. During the 1920‘s, the Forest Product Labratories tested blocks of wood that had been laminated with and without their surfaces scored before gluing. In the majority of the samples that had scoring - they also survived a shear test longer. Modern glues, however, have rendered it as an unnecessary tool.

Still, there are applications where it is essential in giving the glue a good bite on materials that are non-porous such as brass. In those cases both the groundwork and the material being laid are worked over. This is done by stroking the toothing plane perpendicular to the sides and diagonally until the surface is evenly scored. Another instance of its use is the removal of high spots or gnarl-wood on an otherwise flat board. It can remove a lot of material in a short period of time.

Below is my toothing plane made in England during the 19th-century. It is made of Beech and the iron is stamped Moulson Brothers. I bought it 15 years ago and today it is valued at twice that much. Old tools never die, they live on in another man’s hand.

Fretsaws

Fretsaws are an integral part of making marquetry and over the centuries they have evolved. The earliest ones were made of wood while the ones we use today have become standardized. In between there were ingenious saws like the MotoSaw by Dremel. Made in 1941 it used pin-end blades and had a motor in the handle. It never became commercially successful.

If we look at fretsaws today the saw frame provides the tension to the blade. This works well with todays blades which are very thin. In the 18th-Century, blades were much thicker. The better fretsaws of the time employed a mechanism within the handle for tightening the blade. Below is one such saw. This saw is for sale and can be found here. The knob at the end of the handle is rotated to provide tension. Compare this to the engraving found in L'Art du Menuisier by Andre Jacob Roubo. Except for the ornamentation and the abilty to adjust for blade length they appear to be similar in technical operation.