For this entry, I thought I'd show some of the foot-operated tools from the Blacksmith Shop and the collections in the Shaker Shed.
The first piece of equipment had me stumped. It was obvious it was a foot powered machine which would drive a sharp metal tool down. But what was it? I consulted a book I have on American hand tools (Alvin Sellens' Dictionary of American Hand Tools - A Pictorial Synopsis). Aha! It was a mortising machine. One would have drilled out the hole to be mortised, and then squared-up the hole using the foot-powered chisel.
I like the wooden leaf-spring at the top, but it seems that the upper and lower leaf springs are flipped. I looks like the pedal would not be able to move very far before both springs would come in contact. I'm just going to go back and ask a few questions.
There was a great foot-powered saw . . .
. . . a foot powered lathe . . .
. . . and a foot powered jig saw.
There was also a slate cutter's bench. It is similar to a shaving bench in operation. There used to be a lot of slate quarries in the area. Something else to study!
1 comment:
Wow! I don't remember these- but that's probably because the last time I visited the Shelburne Museum, I was more into the candy shop than anything else ;)
I can't wait until the little one is old enough to understand it, I want to take her and Hubs up there.
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