Then there are moulding planes, with their blades shaped hollow so that they will cut a strip of wood into a rounded form, or shaped round so as to cut a hollow groove.
Square. Hand Saw. Gimlet. Rule.
Sometimes boards are joined at the edges by a process called match boarding: a groove being made along the edge of one board while the edge of another is cut with a tongue along the middle to fit accurately into the groove. For this purpose a pair of match planes are used, one of which makes the groove and the other the tongue exactly of the proper size to fit perfectly. This kind of joint is used for common doors, which it is not worth while to frame together in panels. The boards after being matched are nailed close together to strong cross-pieces.
The operations of mortising and dovetailing have been described in the description of joiner’s work. The various fittings and joints used in making chairs, couches, tables, cabinets, side-boards, and other furniture are adaptations of the same kind, or differ only according to the shape and position of the various parts. In ornamental cabinet work the separate parts, such as pillars, legs, arms, and other pieces, are often supplied by the turner and the wood carver, who sometimes carry out their designs under the direction of the Cabinet Maker.
Mahogany and many other of the harder woods are difficult to work, as the grain does not all run the same way, so that in planing them the wood is likely to split or chip where it should be shaved off smoothly. To remedy this inconvenience, the Cabinet Maker’s planes are furnished with double irons, that is, an iron with a flat dull edge is screwed on to the face of the cutting iron, so as to prevent the shavings chipping against the grain. The more cross-grained the wood is the closer the workman brings down the dull iron towards the edge of the sharp one, and his shavings are consequently finer.
The veneering plane is about the same size as the smoothing plane, but the iron instead of having a smooth edge is toothed like a fine saw, so that, instead of taking off shavings, it makes scratches all along the grain of the wood. This is applied to the veneer as well as to the wood to which the veneer is to be glued, so that the glue may easily hold the two rough surfaces together.
Tool Chest.