FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS 



carving is greatly reduced, and a limited number of 

 fine wood-engravers given employment. 



OTHER INGENIOUS TOOLS USED IN FURNITURE-MAKING 



The mechanical carving-tools just referred to give 

 some idea of the ingenious machines now used to per- 

 form work formerly done by tedious hand-methods. 

 Among these the belt-saw should be mentioned. This 

 saw, as its name indicates, is made in the form of a con- 

 tinuous steel band having one edge fitted with teeth, 

 and running over wheels like the leather belt of ordi- 

 nary machinery. This saw has the advantage over 

 the ordinary circular, or jig-saw, in the fact that it 

 can be tilted so as to saw at an angle, thus cutting 

 bevelled edges. 



The time-honored turning-lathe, just referred to, 

 has also been improved, so that in place of turning 

 only relatively simple patterns, circular in form, those 

 of almost any size or shape may be made. Some of 

 the most beautiful and complicated pieces of woodwork 

 closely resembling wood-carving are now made on 

 this machine. One of the most useful forms of the 

 lathe, however, is the very simple one with which 

 veneering is done. 



The art of veneering is almost as old as cabinet- 

 making itself, and the process of applying the veneer 

 is practically the same to-day as it was several cen- 

 turies ago. This consists in gluing a thin layer of 

 wood upon some underlying timber, usually of inferior 

 quality, for improving the latter's appearance. In 



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