Tool Identification.

[swagman]

These have been described by the owner as being Cabinetmakers Floats.

They are manufactured by Mathieson , and are said to be 2 x matching pairs of hollow & rounds, plus 1 flat bottom.

I think the general description is ok , but calling these "floats", is not quite correct.

Your opinion would be welcome.

swagman.

 

[MIGNAL]

I remember it well.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... 77&start=0

 

[wizer]

I read that thread and I'm still not clear what the hell it is :roll: :wink:

 

[MIGNAL]

OK. The important bit:

I emailed the picture over to Robert Bigio, a flute maker, who has an
interest in early tools and he emailed the picture to Michael Wright
who is a senior curator at The Science Museum in London.

Michael Wright says this:

'The tool is a sort of rasp, called a "float"; the projecting
teeth are finished with a small degree of clearance to give them a
"cut". This type of tool might, I suppose, be used on wood; but it is
usually associated with working in horn. I have one somewhere, but
have never used it...'

So in summary it is a specialist type of float (file or rasp if you want a more prosaic term) normally used on Horn but also suitable for use on wood.

 

[swagman]

I read that thread and I'm still not clear what the hell it is :roll: :wink:

Hi wizer.

What is also interesting about these, is that the bottom profile on both the hollow and rounds change to a more flatter shape the nearer you get to the heel.


swagman.

 

[wizer]

Thanks Chaps, I'd be interested to see them in use. Hopefully they'll attend one of our bashes one day.

 

[matthewwh]

I wouldn't fancy the job of keeping all those edges honed!

Possibly one reason why they are not more commonly used?

 

[bugbear]

OK. The important bit:

I emailed the picture over to Robert Bigio, a flute maker, who has an
interest in early tools and he emailed the picture to Michael Wright
who is a senior curator at The Science Museum in London.

Michael Wright says this:

'The tool is a sort of rasp, called a "float"; the projecting
teeth are finished with a small degree of clearance to give them a
"cut". This type of tool might, I suppose, be used on wood; but it is
usually associated with working in horn. I have one somewhere, but
have never used it...'

So in summary it is a specialist type of float (file or rasp if you want a more prosaic term) normally used on Horn but also suitable for use on wood.

My memory says these were used by gun stockers, letting the barrel into the forestock. I'll try to find a reference to back my memory.

BugBear

 

[swagman]

My memory says these were used by gun stockers, letting the barrel into the forestock. I'll try to find a reference to back my memory.

BugBear

Hi Bugbear.

I have a collection of vintage gun stocker floats in the workshop. (blacksmith made).

They are very different to the tools shown in this post.

I will post some pictures tomorrow.


swagman.

 

[MIGNAL]

One of those 'floats' has a concave profile. In fact it seems to flatten out as it approaches the handle. In other words it will fit a section of a cone rather than a section of a tube.
From what we can gather the teeth are not hardened, so presumably we are looking at a relatively soft material such as Wood or Horn/Ivory.
As far as wood is concerned the real mystery is why these aren't fearured in any historical books or catalogues and why no one seems to have a definitive answer. It's been posted on two different woodworking forums on very separate occasions.
It's the Atlantis of the tool world.

 

[swagman]

One of those 'floats' has a concave profile. In fact it seems to flatten out as it approaches the handle. In other words it will fit a section of a cone rather than a section of a tube.
From what we can gather the teeth are not hardened, so presumably we are looking at a relatively soft material such as Wood or Horn/Ivory.
As far as wood is concerned the real mystery is why these aren't fearured in any historical books or catalogues and why no one seems to have a definitive answer. It's been posted on two different woodworking forums on very separate occasions.
It's the Atlantis of the tool world.

HI Mignal.

The way the concave tool flattens out towards the heel. Its like a tool you would need if you wanted to put a taper on a dowel. A bit like the bottom of a cricket stump.

And the convex tool might put the half hollow on the top end of the cricket stump, where the cross bail goes.

Food for thought.


swagman.