Popular Woodworking 2006-06 № 155, страница 35

Essential hardware for an escritoire or fall-front desk.

2 Screetore hinges 3s 2 Screetore Joints 1£ 9s

1 Sett Screetore Locks 8s

The desks were supported by folding metal braces (screetore joints?) attached to the sides of the upper carcase. Plumley may have used similar hardware when he built the "black screetore" in his bed chamber.

A "scutcheon" is an escutcheon or backing plate, used in conjunction with a "dropp" or brass ring. This sort of drawer pull was common in the William and Mary period (circa 1688-1702) and is one of the design elements used to define the style. A brass ring is a low-cost substitute for a cast pull.

35 Old fashioned scutcheons 18d 30 old ffashioned Damnified Dropps [which means damaged—possible factory seconds] 15s 15 Large brass Rings 15d 112 Dropps 28s 53 Scutcheons 13s 48 Small brass Rings .5d Not all of Plumley's furniture was for high society types. Snipe hinges were the cheapest type of hinge available and typically found on cruder, utilitarian pieces.

29 pr. Snipe bills 3d 12 pr. chest hinges 2d

30 pr. Duftailes [hinges] 10d

2 pr. H hinges 1s 6d

2 pr Chest hinges 1s 6d Hardware was expensive, especially the locks. Plumley's hardware was easily worth six months' wages. His investment suggests a market existed in Philadelphia for clocks, desks, chests of drawers, small chests like dressing boxes (an 18th-century jewelry box for jewelry and makeup).

1 Double Spring Chest Locks 6s 18 Outside box Locks 10d

2 small Chest Locks 1s 6d 1 Desk Lock 1s 6d

4 Sett Chest Draw Locks 4s 4 Dressing box Locks 1s

3 Dore box Locks 5s

Finally, the furniture in Plumley's home includes a dozen chairs, quite likely of his own making.

1 black Cherry tree Chest Drawers 2£ 10s 1 black screettore 3£ 5s 6 black Caine Chairs 10s 6 leather Chairs 8s 4d

Clearly Plumley was capable of performing the work of several trades. Though he was well equipped, Plumley's tools and shop don't seem exceptional. The wide variety ofhis work supports the theory that a little skill and a basic set of hand tools can go a long way.

Nature of Work

Plumley didn't work alone. He had two indentured servants, Isaac and David. It appears these men were well outfitted with tools in Plumley's shop. There is a common belief, especially among woodworkers reluctant to use hand tools (who are better known as scaredy cats), that servants or apprentices in early workshops did the brute work for the master. As you read the inventory, notice the quantity of the specialty tools we would usually associate with fine workmanship. Is there anything to indicate Plumley's servants did all the brute work, while he alone did the joinery or finer tasks? Notice the values of the workbenches:

3 Long Plaines 2d 6d 3 Jack Plaines 1s 6d 3 Smoothing plaines new 1s 6d 3 Smoothing plaines 1s 3 half upright Ditto [high angle smoothing plane?] 8d

1 Jointer Yellow Jaunders 7s 6d

2 Ditto beach [jointer] 3s 9d

3 strike blocks 1s 4d

3 Rabbitt Plaines 10d 9 OGs 1s 3d

6 belexions 1s 2d

5 handsaws 5s 1d

4 Tennant Saws 4s 1d 3 beam Saws 2s 6d

3 small saws 1s 0d

33 formers and broad Chisells 0s 7d

3 Old Paring chissells 5d

1 The best bench 13s

1 Ditto [workbench] 10s

1 ditto [workbench] 7s

6 glew potts wt 41 [lb.] 2s 1d 6 ffeneaireing Screws 1s

This escritoire was made by Plumley's contemporary, Philadelphia joiner Edward Evans, in 1709. Notice the number of drops and escutcheons used.

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