FANCY WOODS. I7l 



to a surface of thousands of feet, any fine ])iece of 

 timber that he may meet with, and wiiich, belbro the 

 invention of that machinery, he could not have ex- 

 tended to as many hundreds. 



The value to which a single lopj of fine timber is 

 turned, by means of the improved sawinc; machinery, 

 is really incredible to those who have not witnessed 

 the operation. Thus, when the cabinet-maker has occa- 

 sion for veneers, he has only to purchase a log' of the 

 wood which suits his purpose, send it to the saw 

 mill, and he has it retmnied cut up to the thickness 

 that he wishes, in a very short time, and at u trilling 

 expense. 



In the vicinity of London, there are several mills for 

 the cutting of veneers ; but we do not know that there 

 are any in more general or more constant employment 

 than one we have had an opportunity of inspecting — 

 that of Messrs. Watson, at Battersea, which was set 

 up, about sixteen years ago, by Mr. Brunei. Their 

 aj)paratus is driven by steam, and consists of a num- 

 ber of circular saws, the largest of which is eighteen 

 feet in diameter. One side of those saws is a plane kept 

 perfectly true, by a strong and well bound frame-work, 

 to the circumference of which the saw is attached. 

 The teeth of the saw are rather large than other- 

 wise, in order that it may not clog with the saw-dust, 

 and thus tear the finer veneers ; and it revolves 

 with considerable velocity. The log of timber which 

 is to be cut mto veneers is fastened upon a frame, 

 with the piece in the direction in which it is to be cut, 

 in a vertical position. The frame that carries forward 

 the log is moved at a rate which may be varied 

 according to the quality of the timber that is cut. 

 It has a rack on the under part, in which a 

 pinion works. In cutting coarse stutfs, such as the 

 soft and straight-grained mahogany, of which the 

 bottoms of drawers, and other internal works of an 



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