Oxfordshire Woodland Group

The 1635 book by Van Vliet illustrates a pole lathe wood turner at work together with a carpenter.

The pole lathe illustrated by Van Vliet being used to turn a chair leg is no different from those being used today by bodgers to make chair legs.

The illustration of the carpenter at work squaring a timber on the floor is probably less accurate in as much that the axe would more than likely damage to floor to say nothing of the carpenters foot !

An earlier illustration by Jos Amman in 1568 is probably closer to a more accurate depiction of a carpenter using an axe to hew timber.

The carpenter in this illustration is wearing a belt around his waist holding a joggle stick and nearbye can be seen a twybill, ink line, drill, broad axe and in the background a morticing axe and 2 man cross cut saw etc.

The 1540 illustration shown below illustrates a similar device being worn about the waist.

Ken Hume