A practical treatise on coach-building historical and descriptive

by James W. Burgess

There is no rule in particular for determining the amount of side-cant or turn-under to be given to a vehicle, 2½ or 3 inches on each side making the outside width of the body; 5 or 6 inches less at the bottom than at the elbow line is a usual allowance, but this is entirely dependent on the will or taste of the workman.

The cant-board described above is one having a “concave” surface; but it quite as often has a convex surface, and it is just as well to have one of each, and use the convex for cutting the timbers to, and the concave for trying them when in place, though, if this be done, it is imperative that the curves on the two boards should be one and the same. The same remarks apply to the standing pillar pattern.

The body is a species of box, fitted with doors and windows, and lined and wadded for the purpose of comfort. As the greatest amount of strain is put upon the bottom part, and the forces acting on the other parts are transmitted to the bottom, it is necessary that it should be very strongly put together. The two side bottom timbers are bonded, or tied together, by two cross timbers called bottom bars, which are firmly framed into them. To give depth to the floor, without destroying the symmetry of the side, deep pieces of elm plank are fixed to the inside of the side bottom pieces, and to these the flooring-boards are nailed, being additionally secured by iron strap plates, nailed or screwed beneath them. In the central portion of the bottom sides are framed the door-posts, called standing pillars. At the angles of the bottom framework are scarfed the corner pillars. The cross framing pieces, which connect the pillars, are called rails. Two of these rails stretch across the body inside, on which the seats are formed; these are called seat rails. The doors are framed double, to contain a hollow space for the glasses and blinds, and they are fastened by means of a wedge lock, forced into a groove by a lever handle. There is a window in each door and one in front of an ordinary carriage, say a brougham. The doors are hinged with secret or flush hinges.

Before cutting the timber to the various sizes required, patterns or templates of all the parts are made in thin wood from the full-sized draught; also of the various curves likely to be given to the different parts of the body.

Before a workman could be trusted with the making of a body, he must of course have considerably advanced in the knowledge of his craft beyond the mere use of his tools, because the success of a carriage depends very largely upon the individual skill of the workman, more so than perhaps in any other trade.

The stuff is marked out from the thin patterns before mentioned by means of chalk, and in doing so care should be taken to lay the patterns on the timber so that the grain may run as nearly as possible in a line with it, and thus obtaining the greatest possible strength in the wood, which lies in the direction of the grain. Thus if the pattern be straight, lay it down on a piece of straight-grained timber; if the pattern sweep round, then get a piece of timber the grain of which will follow, or nearly follow, the line of pattern.

The strongest timber that can be obtained is necessary for the construction of the hind and front bottom sides; for the weight is directly transmitted to these, more particularly the hind bottom sides, where the pump-handles are fixed.

The body-maker, having marked and cut out the various pieces of timber he will require, planes a flat side to each of them, from which all the other sides, whether plain or curved, are formed and finished. They are then framed and scarfed together, after which the various grooves are formed for the panels and rebates, for the floor-boards to fit on to. Then, if there is to be any carved or beaded work, it is performed by the carver. Previous to being fitted in, some of the panels have strong canvas glued firmly on their backs, and when fitted in blocks are glued round the internal angles to give greater security to the joints, and to fix the panels firmly in their places. Before the upper panels are put in, the roof is nailed on, and all the joints stuck over with glued blocks inside. The upper panels are then put on, united at the corners, and blocked inside.

If the foreman who superintends all this be a thoroughly skilful artisan, and the men under him possess equal intelligence and skill, the work might be distributed amongst almost as many men as there are parts in the framework of the body. These parts will be worked up, the mortises and tenons, the rabbets and tongues, being all cut to specified gauges; and when they are all ready it will be found that they go together like a Chinese puzzle.

The woodwork being completed, the currier now takes the body in hand, and a hide of undressed leather, specially prepared for it, is strained over the roof, the back, and the top quarters of the body whilst in a soft pulpy state, and carefully sleeked or flattened down till it is perfectly flat. This sleeking down is a rather tedious process, and takes a long time and a great amount of care to bring it to a successful issue; when it is flattened down satisfactorily, it is nailed round the edges and left to dry, which will take several days.