I’ve spent almost ten years looking at furniture that I could place in the first quarter of the 20th century. It was an era of part hand tool and part machine work. I adopted some of that work for my own use. I tend to use hand tools but I do own power tools and have in the past owned many more from jointers to shapers, mortisers, and sliding table saws.
What I believe is that in the era I’m referring to they simply tried to stay away from as much of, what we call, drudge or grunt work. Even though they had power tools, saws, jointers, and planers for sure they used them somewhat sparingly.
They seemed to stay away from long rips and rough planing in particular. I’m somewhat sure that this saved materials and time. Some of this is a guess on my part but much comes from just looking at average types of furniture not necessarily high end pieces.
My take is like this. If it wasn’t going to be seen or touched in normal use it was left in what I would call Jack planed or machine marks left. Things like stretchers or drawer kickers may not be the same thickness or width. Drawer runners were done up to slide well and that’s all. For these parts substandard materials were commonly used. Even the drawer outsides have bandsaw marks showing.
the two photos are of a maple piece that I own and has been in the family for close to a hundred years. Take note of the side panel. Pieces are not equal width. Could have just been planed or straightened on a jointer glued up and 1 long rip. Dovetails appear to be hand cut. Lipped drawer, varying size and some patch ups. There was a whole set with a dressing table, a high dresser and two twin bed frames. I know the set was from the era I mentioned because it was in my room as far back as I can remember and I know where it was prior. I’ll be 76 this year. The pieces were finished with a semi transparent stain and shellac to even the color originally.
So now I do the same kinds of things. If it can’t be seen or touched I don’t worry over it.
Jim