58 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 



these cutters on the outer edge. You will find, on 

 grinding' back and allowing the edge to be the high- 

 est, as it was originally, that this same cutter will 

 beat the best saw, (especially when gauged) cutter 

 or groover you can get. We like fair play, especially 

 when things are so pl;iin as to need no explanation. 



If you have tini'^, wo would like you to write him, 

 and after grinding the cutter properly, return it to 

 him to convince him W. F. & Jonx Barnes. 



Rockford, 111., Sepi. 11th, 1S;7. 



That the above is somewhat harsh, I am 

 aware, but I have given it you to show that 

 I think there is blame on both sides. Our 

 friend was thoughtless, it is true, but had 

 the cutter been sent him, ground just as it 

 should be, at tirst, he Avould have succeeded 

 and been pleased ; and if it afterward got 

 out of " rig,'' he would have known the 

 fault was not in the construction of the im- 

 plement. I have purchased much machi- 

 nery, and I am sorry to say, but little of it 

 has been in really nice working trim when 

 first received. The planers I have men- 

 tioned were a pleasant surprise in that res- 

 pect, for they were almost as sharp and keen 

 as a razor, aiid every i)art was as carefully 

 in order as if the maker had fitted it up for 

 his own use. If all kinds of machinery were 

 sent out in just this shape, it would save 

 ever and ever so much trouble and bother, 

 and hard words and feelings all round. I 

 know it costs money to do this, and I know 

 it is hard to find a man who will take pride 

 in having everything just right, no matter 

 what the cost may be ; but it should be done. 

 There will be no difficulty in gettinc:; a price 

 to cover all expense, after the work has once 

 earned a reputation. 



About two years ago, I paid $120.00 (i in 

 advertising) for a foot-power saw, thinking 

 I would get something extra nice, and accu- 

 rate. It was the most rickety and unfinish- 

 ed piece of machinery, I ever saw ; and after 

 considerable more time and money spent in 

 trying to rig it up, I offered it in vain to the 

 makers for $50.00. This machine was from 

 the Combined Power Co., 13 Dey St., N. Y. 



The Cutter Head Avas received, as it was 

 stated. The blue on the steel, showed that 

 no file or stone, had ever touched it on the 

 inner edge at A, but our friend had ground 

 tlie outside, in the manner stated. I took 

 the tool to one of our hands, who runs saws, 

 explained the matter, and desired him to fix 

 and try it. As it did not cut very well, I 

 stopped it and looked, and behold, he had 

 not even taken the blue from the steel on 

 the inside. 



Friend Barnes, I fear there are a great 

 many thick headed peoi)le in this Avorld, and 

 I sometimes have reason to think / am 

 "chief est'' among them. Then what shall 

 we do y I guess we shall have to make 

 everything very plain, and I guess our tools 

 would all better DC sharpened just right, be- 

 fore they are sent out, and then purchasers 

 will certainly know how they should be. 



Alessrs. Barnes Brothers have just sent us 

 a pair '»'■ their improved Cutter Heads. 

 They re of much nicer finish tlian their old 

 ones, and there has been some grinding done 

 on the points of the knives ; but neither of 

 them are ground as tliey should be to make 

 the best s])eed in cutting. I think the gen- 

 tlemen will excuse these criticisms, for I 

 have always found them very ready to add 



any improvement, or suggestion I may have 

 made, if a good one. AV e owe tliem a vote 

 of thanks already, for having made such 

 great reductions on the prices of almost all 

 kinds of foot-power machinery. Tlie spurs 

 on the cutters sent, were too long, and they 

 were of such shape that the blocK of wood 

 was shaken while being grooved ; wlien they 

 are made so as to be thin sharp blades, cut- 

 ting about the thickness of a sheet of paper 

 into the wood, in advance of the chisels, 

 with the steel ground back so as not to bump 

 or rub against the sides of the finisherl 

 groove, your block will stand as steady as if 

 no cutting was being done, and your groove 

 will be beautifully smooth and clean. Best 

 of all. so little power will be required to do 

 the work, that you will hardly know the tool 

 is cutting. I know, for I have just stopped 

 my Vv'riting tni hour, to be sure I could make 

 them e:o. As I have said before, we use 

 saws instead of these cutters, because, with 

 tlie constant work we have for them, they 

 would require sharpening so often. A saw 

 has 50 teeth or more, where these tools have 

 but two, to do the work. 



Before resuming my work, I must tell you 

 that our sawyer is now , happy ; for we have 

 a little blowing machine to IJlow the chips 

 away, so that the little planer requires no 

 supervision whatever. He says he can saw 

 even faster than before, for the planer car- 

 ries all the stuff away out of his reach. 



When I have occasion to use the Foot 

 Power S:'w, I almost invariably find it needs 

 oiling. I cannot afford to waste my strength, 

 in trying to run a saw that does not run free. 

 I found to-day, that some rubbish had been 

 allowed to get under the treadle, so that it 

 did not come clear down. "When this was 

 fixed, I found the hickory spring did not 

 bring the treadle clear up. After I had 

 turned the spring over, the treadle came 

 clear up promptly, and I could get up a 

 speed that would make a cutter, saw or any 

 thing else "hmn." It really makes me ner- 

 vous, to see one who knows what the saw 

 can do, try to work by giving the treadle a 

 series of short stamps, as if it were an unru- 

 ly sewing machine. If you are going to spin 

 a top, you must draw off the cord, with a 

 "full arm movement.'' and if j'ou are going 

 to do work with the Barnes' saw, you must 

 draw off the strap from the fly wheel in the 

 same way : let the treadle coriie up as far as 

 it will, and then send it clear down to the 

 floor. If you practice doing this, yon will 

 very soon, not only have the whole machine 

 ^mder your thumb', but you will have it un- 

 der your foot, which is still better. You are 

 now all right, if your saw is shari>, and well 

 set. 



Kememberthe extreme points of the teeth 

 are to do the work, and no power en be 

 spared in making the saw rub or stiueeze 

 through the lumber. No part of the saw 

 should ever touch the lumber, except th^'se 

 extreme points, and they are to be of such 

 sliape, and so disposed, that they pare off 

 just enough to let the saw through, and 

 nothing more. If you stand a chisel straight 

 n\^ on a plank, and draw it across it, it may 

 scratch the wood some, but it Avill not cut it 

 smootlily. If you try pushing it forward at 



