Thread: Some pieces from history

Originally Posted by Berlin

:u
From memory you're not too far off with the etimology of Ébéniste. I'll check, but I think it was to do with the fact that ebony was too valuable to use in all but the finest furniture, therefore if you used ebony you made fine furiture. Now-a-days an ébéniste is often a 'french polisher'/restorer as much as cabinetmaker, at least in my experience.

Cheers

That's what my book says. Ebenistes were the superior cabinetmakers, named after ebony came into high fashion in the 17th century. Menuisiers were the lesser mortals, equivalent to the English 'Joyners', who worked in solid wood & made chairs & plain chests, etc.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by jimbur

Berlin, thanks for the information. By the way green oak wouldn't have been a mistake for greenheart (lignum vitae) would it? That would make more sense.
Cheers,
Jim

No Jim, it's definitely green oak.

Originally Posted by Berlin

No Jim, it's definitely green oak.

Thanks. I keep seeing a scene from Grand Designs where a bloke is planing green oak so, so easily.
Cheers,
Jim

I just another look and there is a bit I skipped, so, to clarify (which is hard because he over punctuates worse than I do), he says:

(Yes this is one sentence)

But it is important that the two blades don't meet in a single line, the lower blade must protrude form the upper a little and the less it protrudes the less the tear out, to the point that it is possible to smoothly plane branches of oak, even almost still green and that's the toughest test one can perform, except that we know that nothing planes as badly as the log.

I was a little thrown by the word 'log' which I was confusing with the German word for Beech which is similar... But anyway, that's his take on planing oak. May be on Grand designs they had double irons and oak branches, or may be their surface wasn't perfect?

Cheers
Matt

The grand designs was on sawn oak so they were working from decent surface to begin with.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by Berlin

I just another look and there is a bit I skipped, so, to clarify (which is hard because he over punctuates worse than I do), he says:

(Yes this is one sentence)

But it is important that the two blades don't meet in a single line, the lower blade must protrude form the upper a little and the less it protrudes the less the tear out, to the point that it is possible to smoothly plane branches of oak, even almost still green and that's the toughest test one can perform, except that we know that nothing planes as badly as the log.

I was a little thrown by the word 'log' which I was confusing with the German word for Beech which is similar... But anyway, that's his take on planing oak. May be on Grand designs they had double irons and oak branches, or may be their surface wasn't perfect?

Cheers
Matt

you know there is a translated link in the OP that might help

Cheers
Michael

Berlin, do you think that by branches he means the parts of the log where branches come out i.e. knots?
I keep thinking of it when I shoukl be concentrating on other things.
Cheers,
JIm

@ Michael

But mine is better

@ Jim. Nope. Just branches.

Originally Posted by Berlin

@ Michael

But mine is better

@ Jim. Nope. Just branches.

I'm going to take a Bex and lie down lol
cheers,
Jim