FANCY WOODS. 171 



to a surface of thousands of feet, any fine piece of 

 timber that he may meet with, and which, before the 

 invention of that machinery, he could not have ex- 

 tended to as many hundreds. 



The value to which a single log of fine timber is 

 turned, by means of the improved sawing machinery, 

 is really incredible to those who have not witnessed 

 the operation. Thus, when the cabinet-maker has 

 occasion 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 returned cut up to the thickness 

 that he wishes, in a very short time, and at a trifling 

 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 

 apparatus 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 into 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 stuffs, such as the 

 soft and straight grained mahogany, of which the 

 bottoms of drawers, and other internal works of an 



