Novel banks II

Roman benches did not leave this world. In fact, some people might argue that they are still used and horses hot shave.

Although I not given a dog in this fight, I have some information, how it is used through the 20th century in their original form were present: a thin Board with narrow legs, the tenoned in the bar.

The real story comes from a book in the hand-tool woodworking by A. Viires, called "woodworking in Estonia: historical view" in 1969. It is a wonderful book with a strange history. It was copyrighted by the Israel program for scientific translations Ltd. for the Smithsonian. While all sounds nice and academic, it is not.

While I still do not have all the details on the history of the book have, it seems, was translated and published illegally in the United States in 1969. Viires, the author of the Estonian book, says that he had nothing to do with the translation. It was poorly made and against his will and wishes.

The book is very different in the original Estonian (I have a copy), but since I'm in Germany, I don't have access to the copy. I must so use the Smithsonian version, talk to the Estonian novel woodworking connection.

Viires work is whether it was from foreign Governments or not fed, a remarkable insight into the pre-industrial works in Estonia in the 20th century. It was a corner of the world where traditional skills and tools still in daily use.

The benches are of course of particular interest to me. This appears to find this blog entry low, what are unchanged since the Pompeii Workbench.

Many people wondered whether the representations of the benches is correct. Are they really that low? So easy? With spindly legs?

I think the answer is "Yes." But I'm happy to share some data I have collected over the last 10 years on the subject.

Here is an excerpt from Viires translated text, which explains the banks how they were used and where she came.

Use of the aircraft using a basis on which the object is connected, planed to secure. Long time a simple low Bank which was used for all sorts of other wood work, was used for this purpose. In some places, this Bank is found on that day (for example, Avinurme) are, especially where wood work as a House very popular industry. The old Bank, as we can see preserved in Avinurme, models, has two holes at one end, where the plank be worked against two inserted clamp is secured. Thus, the craftsman astride sitting on the bench to secure lending his weight to the Board. In some banks, only a peg is inserted. Long boards could be planned against the single peg with the Planer sits astride on the Board. Earlier there were two holes in the middle of the Bank used, if the edges of the Board have been planed. Sometimes, the Bank had a square hole in the Middle for the inverted wedge, if the side of the Board for planing.

Such simple benches were still in use in the Russian industrial workers at the beginning of the present century. Urban Carpenter was also use for a long time. Studying representations of Nuremburg Carpenter of 1398 and 1444, can be observed, that identical benches were used. Only in German drawings of the 16th century, we see the appearance of the higher and wider benches.

It is clear that these benches were used for many tasks by Viires drawings and photos (sorry about the bad quality here). And they were braced not particularly against a wall or a post or anything else. Instead came the stability, size and pinching turns into a truck, which ultimately is flexible and easy to acquire: the human body.

More details to come, when I return home.

-Christopher Black

If you want a historical approach for Workbench design and construction - I recommend the DVD to "Build a century Workbench?" In it, I build a traditional French wood Workbench completely by hand. All drawings carry video and text you, to need the project.

Chris is an editor at the popular woodworking magazine and the publishers on the lost art press. He is a hand tool (although he also used power tools).

View the original article here