Whetting Block & the Waving Engine &#8211

CXLIII. In the chief of this quarter is an Engine called a Whetting Block, or a Block to Whet, or File a Saws Teeth in: It is an end of a Spar, or such piece of Wood, with a Bevil or taper Groove, or Mortess cut from side to side, and in depth half through the Wood; to which is fitted a Wedge answerable to the Groove or Mortess; Into this Groove the Blade of the Saw is put, which is wedged hard in, that it cannot play or quaver under the File, when the Teeth are Filing sharp with a three square File.

The Figure in the Base of this quarter is termed the Waving Engine; it is a thing wherewith Waved Work is generally made upon small Frames for Pictures and Looking Glasses, and such like work; and is in the bottom a long Plank of about seven Inches broad, and an Inch and half thick: On the middle of the Plank runs a Rabbet, and upon the Rabbet rides a Block with an Handle through it, of about an inch in the diameter; and at the further end of the Block is fastned a Vice, or a Great Hand Vice. At the other end of the Plank is erected a square strong piece of Wood about six inches high, having a square Mortess in it on the top, and bound about with an Iron Collar somewhat loosely fitted on, having two Male Screws fitted in two Female Screws, to screw against that part of the Wood unmortessed, thereby to hold the Iron that worketh the Moulding, whose lower end is cut into the form of the said Moulding you intend the work shall have. On the other side the square wooden piece is fitted another Iron Screw having a round Plate fastned at the end of it; and at the farther side is placed a Wooden Screw called a Knob, with a flat piece of Iron coming through the farther and higher side of the square piece standing edgewise with the higher edge rounded off or Filed round.

The several parts of the Waving Engin.

a the Plank of bottom of the Engine.
b the Block with a Groove on the bottom.
c the Rabbet on which the Block runs.
d the handle to draw the Block by.
e the hand screw, with its Key to wind the screw.
f the two Screws Male and Female.
g the square upright piece of Wood, with the Mortess on the top having a square flat Iron Collar on the higher part.
h the Iron which cuts the Waves, whose bottom is cut into the form of the Moulding the work is intended.
j the Wooden Screw or Knob, on the farther side of the square piece of Wood, with a flat piece of Iron about 3 quarters of an inch broad, and a quarter of an inch thick, standing an edge, coming through the sides.
k the Iron screw, with its Nut, having a round Iron Plate made fast at the end of its shank.
l the Rack, is a thin flat piece of hard Wood about an nch and quarter broad and as long as the Rabbet.
m the Mouth, is a square hole in the foreside, and through the square piece of Wood, under the Iron wich hath its end cut according to the moulding, through which the board to be mounted is drawn.

The Riglet, is the Board either Moulded, or prepared to be Moulded.

— From Randle Holme’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon” Book III, Chapter VIII, Plate 2. Why am I reading this?

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