Question for "Well-Seasoned" Woodworkers...

Hardwood is always worth saving...it sells for at least $10 bf...fancy pieces twice that...

In the 1970's we always mail ordered plans for school. I don't recall where we got them but the companies were well established. It seems reasonable to me that there would have been a small number of national mail order plan companies back then.

To keep the wood shop and metal shop projects under control it was common to always build school projects from a pre approved selection of purchased plans unless special permission was granted.

Thanks, posted on both!

A friend alerted me to this question: start with the links below, and I'll send another, soon

Ray McInnis

website: http://www.woodworkinghistory.com

Woodworker Manual Author #13: "Ira Samuel Griffith" Dynamic Teacher, Talented Carpenter, Prolific Author, Visionary Theoretician

Woodworker Manual Author #14: Herman Hjorth: The Woodworker as Renaissance Man: Teacher, Craftsman, Historian

Here are some more opportunities, but understand that you will need to retrieve these manuals, some are available online, via the google books searchengine or puchasing via bookfinder.com:

Hope that this helps, but if you want to pursue the issue further, get in touch at ray@woodworkinghistory.com

Links Below Lead to Two Centuries of Woodworker's Manuals 1. Woodworker's Manuals 1900 and Before 2.Woodworker's Manuals 1901-1910 3. Woodworker's Manuals 1911-1920 4. Woodworker's Manuals 1921-1930 5. Woodworker's Manuals 1931-1940 6. Woodworker's Manuals 1941-1950

WOW!! Tremendous amount of good information. I looked through several books from the early 1910-20s and saw several projects kind of like that.

Alas, nothing yet of Uncle Al's table! I will keep looking.

Thanks!! ss

I made one of these shelves in the 8th grade in 1950 as my wood shop project. I think at least ten more students made the same unit. My mother had it until she went into a nursing home when she was 84 years old. Where it went from there I have no idea. It brings back some pleasant memories of having my mother and father being proud of me.

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A hand without an arm is a useless tool

Very cool!! Where were you in school when you made this??

I found a link to some old school textbooks with plans for simple projects, but could not find one like this.

Interesting to see where these can pop up!!

Thanks!! ss

I rented a partially furnished house in Pasadena, Ca in the early 70's while I was in school. I am absolutely certain that it had an end table of the same design, along with some other unusual furniture (a drop-leaf easy chair) that appeared to be hand made and fairly old. This was in a neighborhood of older slightly decaying mansions with small mother-in-law houses in their backyards. Local lore had it that these modest homes had been built during the depression for less fortunate relatives, perhaps even from Nebraska.

1- woodwooking would have been considered as common knowlege.

2- cabinetry would be an art most young men would have been interested in "money- prestige" et al.

3-a master furniture maker in the area would have hired a number of apprentices making the same style furnature.

the shelfs'?'" are very modern for the era. finding the craftsman who designed it will solve the dilema