The Townsend Desk

scribe line question

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

The drawers had no scribe line that I could see. I saw the same on some of the English drawers. How was the depth of the saw kerfs indicated if no scribe lines?

Re: scribe line question

Charlie

Planed away when planing the drawer sides to fit into the drawer opening -- after drawer was glued up. Pin board base line is marked at slightly less than the thickness of the drawer side. Assuming the drawer front fits perfectly in its opening (the endgrain of the pin board marks the 'finish line' of the drawer's width), then you have to plane a touch off the sides of the assembled drawer (sans the drawer bottom) to make the drawer fit perfectly in its opening. Planing just down to the pin board end grain results in gauge lines being planed away.

Re: scribe line question

Oskar

maybe I misunderstand you, but you could scribe only where the wood is to be removed, and not on the remaining pins/tails. But I guess you know this and hence I´m probably missing the point. I have done this several times, as I find it more attractive when the scribe line is not visible.

Re: scribe line question

Charlie

Probably that in this instance Oskar, since the drawers have overlay drawer fronts it looks like. Otherwise, faint gauge marks go away with any cleaning off at all or taken out altogether with the chisel if only marked at their root.

Somebody should post a question on YouTube to see if Greene will answer with his theory.

Re: scribe line question

Charlie

FWIW, gauge lines do appear to be visible in the top to side joints. Or am I imagining them? Take a look.

Re: scribe line question

Warren in Lancaster, PA

Yes, the scribe lines are visible on the top. If there were any inclination to obscure them one might think this is where it might be done.

I have a drawer dovetail rubbing from John Townsend's Slocum chest which was made in 1792, roughly the same era. I think I see evidence of scribe lines in the rubbing. My recollection is that the bottom came under the drawer sides and that there were no slips. The rubbing seems to bear that out.

Re: scribe line question

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

My habit is to scribe lines very lightly, and then later deepen the section of baseline to be cut away. The remaining lines disappear with even a light planing.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: scribe line question

Charlie

It was interesting to see in the video that the sides originally had drawer blade dovetails cut into them, and then they were plugged. This, plus a mention of a similar desk in Townsend's will, led Greene to assume that Townsend kept this desk as his personal desk and did not sell it. Makes sense to me. Also makes sense as to maybe why the gauge lines in the top weren't taken out.

Thanks.