Pins bigger than tails?

[Jason Buresh]

Hello everyone. I recently purchased an antique tool chest. Inside the lid, it is written in pencil "Made this tool chest AD 1893" and also says AA Wiles, Omro, WI.

I have no clue if this truly was made in 1893 or if someone just made that up, but I did try doing some research on AA Wiles and apparently he was a carriage maker according to an article from 1907 and was from Omro, WI. Based on that, I guess it's plausible, as I don't know why someone would bother making that up. The person I bought it from said it has been in their family over 100 years.

But the chest itself is interesting. Almost every dovetail I have looked at has Pins that are smaller than the tails, and yet this one has bigger pins.
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The joints aren't sloppy and the rest of the chest is well built, so I don't think this was an amateur mistake. I am not, nor will I suggest, we all start cutting dovetails this way, but I do think it is an interesting historical piece.

Here's some more pics.
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The chest itself had an antique wooden plow plane, a round plane with some sort of fence, some carving tools and a mallet, some other miscellaneous tools, and a wooden box of hardware, mainly nails and tacks.

Thanks for looking!

[Eric Rathhaus]

Very cool, Jason. Glad you found it.

[Jim Koepke]

Great find and thanks for sharing.

Would love to see more of the inside and tools.

One thought on the sizing of the pins and tails is it could have been done for quick identification among other similar chests in a shop of workers making carriages.

jtk

[Edward Weber]

Nice old chest
Tho other thing about the dovetails is that many people "usually" put the pins on the ends where the handles are, this seems to be opposite of that.

[Mel Fulks]

Nice old chest
Tho other thing about the dovetails is that many people "usually" put the pins on the ends where the handles are, this seems to be opposite of that.

Jim’ guess is certainly possible.
And I’ve heard of shops allowing a new guy to make a chest and he might have been told, “ I ain’t pay’in you to make a jewelry box, knock it
out”.

[Jason Buresh]

Great find and thanks for sharing.

Would love to see more of the inside and tools.

One thought on the sizing of the pins and tails is it could have been done for quick identification among other similar chests in a shop of workers making carriages.

jtk

Here are some more pictures
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[Jason Buresh]

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[Jim Koepke]

Here are some more pictures


Thanks

The plane (round or V sole) looks to have the blade and the wedge in backwards. This is seen often on many planes.

jtk

[Jason Buresh]

Yeah I just noticed that. The iron is ground into V, almost like a marking knife. I've never seen such a plane.

Also, one of the wooden hand screws on the plow plane is very, very tight. Do you have any tips on how to loosen it up? I'm afraid to crank on it too much, because it feels like something might snap.

[Jim Koepke]

Also, one of the wooden hand screws on the plow plane is very, very tight. Do you have any tips on how to loosen it up?

When one of my wooden screws did that the best solution was waiting for the weather to change.

When it did come apart a little filing was done to the threads.

Does it look like someone may have varnished the plane and screws?

jtk