Colonial Williamsburg Woodshop

[Brad Wood]

Hey,
Last August I was in Williamsburg for a conference, and I had a chance to visit the woodshop while I was there.
I thought you folks in the Neanderthal section might appreciate some of the pictures I took. I've not posted them on a fancy HTML page, so you will just get a directory listing when you click the link.. you will need to click each .jpg to view.
http://www.bradandpam.com/woodproj/williamsburg/

This is my site, so don't worry about malware of any kind.

A couple comments... (I could write way too much for one post on this visit, if you have any specific questions, let me know)...

The gentleman working on the harpsichorde was the Master.
Speaking of the harpsichorde, this is not a traditional piece a shop like this would normally work on, but, they have research data that shows this particular shop was making them. This was a beautiful peice of work, made entirely by hand in this shop. The foundry and smitty in Williamsburg made the internal stuff (sorry, don't know tech name)

I did ask what was the state of the art equipment for them in that momen (circa 1750's), and they said the hand saw... not that the handsaw hadn't been around a while, but advances in metalurgy had created a saw that keeps is sharpness better, lasted longer, etc.

There is one shot where it is a close up of hands doing what looks like sanding. They are using a reed of some sort that grows in the swamps of the area. The reed pulls silica up from the mud into the plant, scrapers and the reed are their fine finishing tools. They said through research they have found newspaper adverstising for New York where sand paper as we know it today was just hitting the market.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

[Glenn Clabo]

Hey Brad...It's so much better if you upload your pictures to SMC...

[george wilson]

Hi,Brad. The man working on the spinet harpsichord isn't really the master. He is one of my old journeymen from when I was Master Instrument Maker from 1970 to 1986. The other one got laid off with the rest of 140 of us.

All the saws in those pictures,including the fret (Morris) type saws are ones my toolmaker's shop made for everyone in the Historic area who uses such saws,about 80 people (used to!),several models of backsaws from dovetail to largest tenon saws. They are mostly copies of Kenyon Saws,an 18th.C. maker. We have an UNUSED large toolchest,called the Seaton chest,that some gentleman bought in the 18th.C.,and never got around to using. The saws were never sharpened by anyone else but the maker. There are chisels by Newbould,still wrapped in paper. the blacksmith copied some of them. You see 1 in the closeup being hand held. Wrought iron with a thin section of carbon steel like early plane blades. Carbon steel was hand made,too valuable to splurge.

The saws were made of rolled spring steel,available commercially by 1765. Probably quite similar to the 1095 we used to make the repro blades. They were rolled to .001" accuracy. We copied the thicknesses. the dovetails were .015". I wish the modern makers would do that. Some are afraid users would crack them. I have 2 18th.C. ones that are .015" thick. They cut so thin a kerf,you can more accurately saw right on a scribe line.

The crosscut and rip saws were our make also. The original saws were not as highly finished on the handles as 19th.C. saws. When you see them unused,they are rasped out,scraped some,and not fully sharpened. Like chisels and carving tools,nice finishing and sharpening was left to the buyer. Chisels were supplied without handles often,too, Especially carving tools.

The bench planes are also ones we made,copied from the Seaton Chest originals. Some of the planes,like the jack plane(didn't see a pic.) had an offcenter handle. In Elizabethan times,handles were flush with the edge. They gradually came on the centerline in the late 18th,early 19th.C.. This is because,you could grasp the handles in the crook between the thumb and first finger,leaving the hand on the side of the plane. This avoided carpal tunnel from pushing planes with the palm,as we now do. Those people weren't stupid! When you pushed a plane all day,day in & out,it was important to not destroy your hands. The early handles are too short to get all your fingers on. This was on purpose.

The cabinet shop added the diamond shaped striking knobs themselves. You can see an earlier type of backsaw in some of the pictures,with the iron back sticking up above the top of the handle,and 2 big iron nuts that look like carriage bolts,and a very tapered blade. There is only 1 original known. It is an early saw made by White. We know White's were popular in Virginia in the period. You can see that the handle has a peculiar,undeveloped shape. The Kenyons are a much more fully developed shape.

The spinet is a copy of one we think was in Williamsburg in the 18th.C.. It had no name,and was found in near derelict condition.

The work benches are a period English style. The large aprons with holdfasts permit easy clamping of boards for on edge clamping.

There were UNUSED saw files wrapped in original wrappers in the chest,with uneven,hand chiseled teeth. I'd LOVE to try one out!!! HERESY!! Unused carpenter's pencils,too. Much like today's. Plain oval cedar wood. modern looking leads,but they were hand sawn,and do not go all the way through! They didn't waste graphite,either. It came from only 1 deposit,only in England. The government glombed into it in Tudor times,as you could make cannon ball reusable molds with it. The Europeans struggled to make a graphite/clay mixture that could be molded and baked. In the early 19th.C.,Conte (sp?) succeeded. Their pencils are still made today. I have an 18th.C. draftsman's pencil. It is plain cedar wood,3/16" dia,with a little square sawed lead in it,a bit smaller than a standard modern pencil lead. It was saved,because someone jammed it as a handle into a little brass spear point tip that was for erasing ink by scrapeing it off. It is part of an original drafting set I found in 1970. Never much used.

I hope this gives some information on what people see in all those pictures.

[Brad Wood]

It looks like George can answer any questions much better than I ever would be able to :)

[Steve Schlumpf]

Great photos Brad! Thanks George for the detailed explanations! Amazing tools and even more amazing work!

[george wilson]

The White backsaw is in the 7th. picture from the bottom,on the left hand side of the 3 saws on the wall. Enjoy.

[Bill White]

And, if I'm not mistaken, the reed you saw being used for smoothing is called "horse tail grass" (common term). It is harvested and dried before use.
Very interesting post thank you.
Bill;)

[george wilson]

That is correct,I think,bill. It sucks up sand which stays in the fibers. They also used sea dog skin. They actually had sandpaper,but it was expensive,and probably not too accurately sorted on grain size.

They had natural carborundum,mined from a Greek island I forget the name of. They made use of not only natural sandstone wheels for grinding,but also wrapped leather around wooden wheels,gluing on carborundum for grinding and polishing metal.

Another abrasive was the use of thick walrus hide wheels. I've had some old ones 1" thick. These had pumice dribbled on them for bobbing pewter. The pumice was dribbled between the pewter and the revolving wheel. The wheel was run in a box to catch the pumice. At Tiffany silver,this might still be done to this day. I know it was done a few years ago.

Back in 1970,the Master silversmith had been looking for walrus hide. Down the street came the shoemaker with a big walrus hide on his back. The silversmith,amazed,asked where he got it. He said he'd searched for it in the Thomas register.

Of course,today,such things are protected species,though the museums have special dispensations to get things like that. You can still have material like ivory if it is certified to be pre 1972 collected.

That reminds me,I read a 1840's book that complained that it was very hard to get 10" diameter ivory tusks any more!!!

[Jim Koepke]

There are chisels by Newbould,still wrapped in paper. the blacksmith copied some of them. You see 1 in the closeup being hand held. Wrought iron with a thin section of carbon steel like early plane blades. Carbon steel was hand made,too valuable to splurge.
http://www.bradandpam.com/woodproj/williamsburg/DSC00311.JPG

It looks a lot nicer than my Newbould. It also looks like it may be newer. Not just that it is shinier, it looks like it may have been made a few years later than mine. Both probably work just as well.

I have put a new handle on both of mine. The top chisel in the picture is a James Cam.

jim

[george wilson]

The Nerwbould was the paring chisel seen in another pic. Sorry! The mortiser was made by the Anderson Blacksmith Shop. The paring chisel is also a recent repro of the Newbould. Curators don't let stuff like that get used. Destroys antiques. That was the whole reason why I made repro tools. We marked them bigtime,too,because in 10 years use,they would begin to pass as originals. Under the plane blades,on the incline,there are dates in 1/2" high numbers struck deep!! The public doesn't see them there. Every thing was signed and dated,but not in such large stamps if they could be seen. On the bottom of each saw handle,a serial number was stamped,and inked. That way we could keep an inventory check to see if any walked. I have a Cam,unless I gave it to a museum weenie friend.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi George, Do you know who made the chisel Bill is using in the photo? They look considerably different than the ones Mack, David, and Kaare have always used. He was using the same ones on stage 3 weeks ago in Hennage Auditorium during the 18th Century conference and I forgot to ask him at lunch one day.

[george wilson]

I think it is an old English made one. Can you tell me the number of the photo?

[Brad Wood]

Hey Brad...It's so much better if you upload your pictures to SMC...

Hi, well, I tried, but it only let me do five at a time and there are around 50 images..

[george wilson]

Your pictures are a great contribution,Brad.

[Clay Thigpen]

I went to Williamsburg back when I was 13 and more interested in the wartime goings on and blacksmithing than the Cabinet shop. I could kick myself now for not taking the time to walk over there and watch the shavings fly. I plan to make it back there one day and make that my first stop. ;) I'd dearly love to have an hour of teaching or even an hour to talk to the workers there. Woodworking in the 18Th to 19Th C. is something I've been very interested in.

[Jamie Bacon]

Hi George. You made mention of the Instrument Maker in one of the photos (Ed Wright) and said that the other one got laid off with the with the rest of 140 of us. I hope your not refering to Marcus?

[Tom Horton]

George,
I see that you still live in Williamsburg. Do you still work for the foundation? And I'm assuming that in 1986 there was a big purge, or maybe a recession, that caused the mass layoffs. I went to that shop last Sept., and the young fellow with glasses was there, talking to the people, and explaining the tools. There was a very large chest in the back of the shop. Was that the one with all the tools in it that you repro'd?

[george wilson]

Jamie and Tom,Marcus was laid off Jan.4,2009 with the rest of us. All,I believe,were older staff who were making more money,and money was what it was about with the economy. I guess if they laid off the young staff,they would have had to lay off 4X as many.

I had been asked for 3 years to establish a behind the scenes Toolmaker's Shop. In 1986 I finally agreed. 16 years in public was long enough. There wasn't sufficient documentation to support a separate Instrument Maker's Shop,so some of the vice presidents wanted to combine the cabinet and instrument shop. We were down to 3 people,from 5,anyway. One left to run the neck making dept. at Taylor Guitars,a major builder. Another left to work at the Smithsonian. Another is at Harper's Ferry. Actually,I'm overlaping employees coming and going a bit. We usually had 5. Started with Marcus and me,slowly built up to 5 over several years,and stayed at that level.

There wasn't room for more than 2 people extra in the cabinet shop anyway,and they didn't want 2 master craftsmen trying to run the same shop. Mack Headley is the Master Cabinetmaker.

Visitors still complain about the loss of the shop. There wasn't a big purge in 1986. There was music,inlay,and carving in the Musical Instrument Maker's Shop. Something for everyone with any artistic instincts.

Now,economics has forced the combining of the Gunsmith Shop and the Geddy Foundry,both with reduced staff. The Harness Shop was eliminated. Shoemaker's Shop is still there. Most shops suffered staff reduction. I think the thinking by non craftsmen decision makers may have been along the lines of "We don't need 2 leather shops",etc. though they served totally different purposes.

I do not know if the situation will ever recover.I can tell you from 16 years of being in public,many people are very curious about technical things. One of the most common questions was "What kind of glue do you use",and why? They got excited over fine work of all types. Paper marbling was almost a magic show. It is gone. Spread the pigments on water,comb them,or stir into different patterns,lay down the paper,pick it up,marbled paper. It was great!! Quick and satisfying. Well,we don't think they did that in Williamsburg in the 18th.C. shut it down. I can tell you,if things were truly authentic,the town would be totally boring except when government was in session. The streets would be 3' deep in manure.Pigs and goats and chickens running around everywhere. Working out houses,millions of flies. Filth. An out of the way little fishing village. They moved the Capitol to Richmond because the British could bombard the town from the river. The town was left to molder till 1927,when the number of old buildings still standing caused Rockefeller to get interested in a restoration. That shows you how busy things were,though.

Fortunately for me,69 this month,I was 2 years overdue to retire. I was staying on to train a new replacement. They waited till the last second to hire someone else. They were extremely fortunate to find a young man with unique talents and a quick learner. We had to learn the tools and ways of ALL the shops to serve them,and to help re-invent tools and forgotten techniques. Many were not so fortunate. I think the town is going to the actors.

I can say I have been lucky. Williamsburg was good to me,and I am grateful for that personally. Without their money,resources,time,other master craftsmen,collections,librarys,etc. I'd never have been able to learn as much,or go in so many directions.

[David Keller NC]

"Jamie and Tom,Marcus was laid off Jan.4,2009 with the rest of us. All,I believe,were older staff who were making more money,and money was what it was about with the economy. I guess if they laid off the young staff,they would have had to lay off 4X as many."

George - That's quite unfortunate, and I suspect will return to bite them hard next summer when tourism picks up and they realize that they can't replace someone with both the manual skills and the public speaking skills necessary to fill the position in a hurry. And, by the way, age discrimination is illegal. Not sure about whether the labor laws apply to non-profits, but the age composition of a layoff is often ipso facto proof for a lawyer, and grounds for a suit. Hopefully you and the others were well taken care of.

[george wilson]

I heard some of the others talking suits,but I really am glad to be out. I didn't want to stay there until I fell over dead. I have a better shop at home than the one there,and now can be free to do some of the things I want to do for once. Besides,I am disabled enough that I need to have a few years left to do my own thing. 39 years was enough,and teaching before that. They can pay me big bucks for consultation if they ever need it !!

[Brad Wood]

I'd dearly love to have an hour of teaching or even an hour to talk to the workers there. Woodworking in the 18Th to 19Th C. is something I've been very interested in.

I probably spent about two hours there talking to those guys. There are a lot of tourists that come through in that period of time, and you often hear the same dialog more than just a couple times... but I was able to ask questions in the lul's between crowds. They were more than happy to "talk shop" for as long as you were willing to hang out

I found the whole thing fascinating. I'm more of a power tool guy, but what really impressed me was that much of the stuff they used 200+ years ago are still found in shops today (powered and classic shops).

I also found it interesting that they make a lot of the furniture/cabinetry for the rest of the colonial area. The whole Williamsburg area was of personal interest as well. My ansestors came over in 1703 to Williamsburg, so I had a sense of an odd connection while I was there.

[Jamie Bacon]

I'm very sorry to hear about Marcus going. I've had quite a few conversations with Marcus on my visits to CW and he was always very informative and great with the public. His presence at the Hay Shop will be missed.

[Berl Mendenhall]

It just won't be the same with out the real craftsmen there. I certainly don't want to pay the price of admission to hear an actor pretending to be a craftsman. Before, I'm sure, there were a fair number of interpretors but at least you felt like the people working in the shops could do what they were talking about. I hope the people running that place don't think those kind of master craftsmen are just going to walk in and ask for a job when this economic mess is over. That's what made that place so special to me, it's not the old buildings, or the history, it's the craftsmen.

I have a video of George and some of the rest of the musical instrument makers shop (done before they disbanded the m i shop), also a video of Guessler (sp) and the gunsmith shop. I like to get them out every once in a while and watch em ( George you were much younger) I enjoy just watching them demonstrate their craft. As I said it just won't be the same for me.

Berl

[george wilson]

Berl,"The Musical Instrument Maker" was a craft film made in 1974. It was ambitious,indeed.We made a spinet harpsichord and a violin in the same movie. Ambitious because we only had the Winter months,when there is less noise,to make everything. We worked very hard. That wig on the back of my head was uncomfortable with those hair pins jammed in,and we sweated like we were in front of a fire in front of the big spotlights. I had 3 hours to saw out that inlay on the spinet while the film crew waited. The floor was like the dark rubber snake room in a carnival fun house. solid electric cables. I wish now that I had had time to make or get a few more authentic tools. There wasn't time,and standards were lower at the time. Too many 19th.C. tools in it. I didn't have toolmaking means at that time like I had later on. I did make the brass violin caliper,and still have it. A copy of a Stradivary tool I saw a picture of long ago. There were really 2 separate films made: one of each instrument,which were more detailed and better films. Too bad they only released the combined film.

I have to apologize for the violin playing. I had no part in selecting the player.I think it sounds screechy.

At the time,I was 33 years old and the shop was in full bloom. The Wallace Gussler Gunsmith movie was earlier. Gussler was pretty young,but I don't know his age then,or now.

The Musical Instrument Maker was the last craft film made. At that time,the producer had a lot of power in Colonial Williamsburg under president Humelsine.

I don't know why the audio visual dept. seemed to decline after that.The producer retired.We changed presidents. They never made a movie about the cabinet maker,shoe maker, bookbinder,printer,wheelwright,or harness maker. There is a short film about coopering a barrel. I don't think it is available.

The gift shop at the visitor center in Col. Wmsbg. sells my film now for $19.95 IIRC. When it first came out,it was $75.00. That was rather a lot back then.

Glad you,and perhaps others enjoyed it. In local libraries around here,you can check out these films for free,like books. I don't know if libraries elsewhere have them.

[george wilson]

Berl,about the actors: Right now,and for some time,actors will not be pretending to be craftsmen. They do social history stuff out on the streets. It would have been unthinkable some years ago to build a stage in the middle of the main street. Even worse to have microphones blaring loudly so you can hear them in the shops up and down the street,while trying to be in the authentic atmosphere of real working shops. We spent time every day replying to visitors that we were not actors,yes,we really make these things,no,we are not college students.

These notions from the public are because they had never been in a real situation. They had been fed Disney Land and Busch Gardens for decades.

There may be a time in years to come when actors start pretending to be craftsmen. Maybe after they all die out,or are not replaced. I hope not. Williamsburg was the best of a very few places where you could see,and learn from real,accomplished craftsmen.Now,is it going to die out,I hope I don't live to see it. I think I was there in the apex of the craftsman era.

If the majority of the public were as this group is,I don't think they would allow it to be so. Unfortunately,they don't seem to be.At least,they don't make upper managers like that,except for those here,like Dave.

I'd say,if you woodworkers or other folks who enjoy seeing handwork have been wanting to go,but putting off your trip to Colonial Williamsburg, GET OFF YOUR DUFFS,and go now!!!

[Clay Thigpen]

You know I think with any Historical area that re-enactments take place there is always some bit of theater involved but having mayors and bankers and other influential people coming there ever few min. to greet each other and play out a skit is very boring. I like to see the trades people and the everyday people cooking and cleaning and other wise going about their daily lives, that is what makes a town "LIVE".

I do Civil War re-enactments and believe me I've seen my share of out of place actors and hokey skits. I've always held some sites like Williamsburg to a higher standard. I guess if it doesn't improve I won't have to worry about another trip up that way, unless you decide to give some classes after you've finished a few projects in your own shop ;).

I did an event a while back down in West ville, nice place not as nice as others, had a couple of woodworkers there that really knew there stuff they were a joy to talk with, one was Chris Henderson and I don't remember the others but they had a young apprentice that was shaping up to be the real thing. There are plenty of people, here at SMC and out there somewhere, that will try to keep this craft alive but once we start to relegate it to books and stop showing it in action then the spark to light the fire will surely die out in the younger generation. We must endeavor to pass the torch on to the next generation.

OK rant over stepping down from my soap box.

[Leigh Betsch]

Well the wife and I are going to ride the Wing out to VA next summer, visit the daughter at UVA, now I have to get t Williamsburg!!

[george wilson]

I'd advise getting to Williamsburg. There will be more layoffs in March,is the word. Hopefully not as catastrophic as January,but who knows?

[george wilson]

One of the worst things about all this is that what the paying visitor gets to see suffers IMO.