The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-01-31
.,.,..... .y.,.e,. and Their Tools.

The Japanese, calling themselves the Tia.
ya.,a kre 'rroups ARE fiting up the stage OF
Nm. s,etropoli,an Theatre in the siInilituds
,f n Japanese temple for the exhibition Of
their feais Of strength and legerieunain.
They are said TO be all OF one family. and
the very carpenters who are doing the join
or work are members Of that family. Jap.
anese carpenters have an advantage over
American mechanics in the fact that they
have four hands instead Of two, their toes
being handy as their fingers. but they
gain nothing by Il. because they make no
use OF work benches or yises. II Japan
csc carpenter wants to sharpen n saw, he
squais on his hams, places the back OF the
tool to be operated on the ground, grips one
end of the saw with his left hand, seizes
the other with the toes OF his right foot,
and goes to work with ns much confidence
rs Yankee carpenter ut bench.
The tools are not ike American tools,
though they have iain, similarity. show
in. that all tools have one common parent.
age, whether their inventor was Tuhal Cain
or some other artficer. Japanese saws are
shaped like butchers clcayers. The han
die j. like the handle Of u cleaver, but flat.
ish, as IL whitfield out Of inch board, the
metal shank Of the saw is driven into the
handle. anil the whole Is secured by being
wrapped with fine spill, cane. The metal
Of the saw is about the substance OF our
saws, but the teeth are narrower, giving
more OF them tn an inch. aud much longer
They are all pointed toward the handle,
Ill. hnnE.
When Japanese wants to rip plank, he
places il across anything which will elevate
the end few inches, then stands on the
wood. and cuts il by seizing the clraver
looking saw in both hands and pulling II
toward him. Thus by n number Of short.
quick up-strokes, he gets through plank
not 50 speedily, but quite AZ effectively M
an American carpenter would with the
long, slow, down strokes Of the rip saw.
The planes are small, with single irons, no
handles. The planes arc shorter, lighter
and the wood shallower than ours, being
generally not more than an inch deep. To
plane piece Of wood they lay II on the
ground, squat OH their hams, hold II last
with their toes, aud work The plane with
both hands toward them. To drill hole
they have n short awl. inserted in the end
OF round stick eight or nine inches long.
They take the wood between their toes,
s.lua, ~ before, and I,ake the hole 10y rub
hing the handle Of the awl between their
hands. in less time than one Of our carpen-
tiers could drill one with gimlct. Their
hammers are solid cylinirical pieces, not
made shapely with waists and graceful out.
lines like ours. They have the same flat.
sided handles as the saws. The Japs have
iron squares, not unlike American squares.
marked with degrees. Their measures arc
brass. very light. and iluted. On one side
the inch, or what stands for the inch with
us, is one and three sixtecnths inches, and
divided into ten parts. On the other side
il n different scale, measuring one anu
thirtecu.siNteentlls inches, and divided into
twelve parts. Some OF their tools appear
tn bc mere childrcn's toys; for instance,
they have u smoothing pla two and half
inches long, one inch broad, aud half an
inch thick.
Their chiscls are light and small. The
cutting part OF some nre the sue ami shape
OF a section OF half dollar--tlie square
side being the cutting edge, and a round
metal shaft connecting the convex side with
wooden handle. The most ingenious ar.
,icle in their tool chests is u chalk line. II
is wooden cup containing a spongy sub
stance stepped in India ink. This is pierced
front and back, and the marking passes
through il. The end Of the line Is attach
el to small awl, the other end OF the line
after passing through the cup, is wound
round reel not very unlike fishing rod
reel, (which takes the place OF the handle Of
the cup. To mark a line down n plank.
the japanese carpenter sticks the awl in ut
one end of the proposed line, cares tho
cup to the other, the line paying itself out
~ he does so he holds the line down to
the board, when he reaches the desired
spot. strikes the mark, aud then takes up
his cup and reels up the line US he walks
hack to the spot where he inserted the avn
The process of paying ont the line and Of
rceling il up again both drawing il through
the ink supply in the cup ami keep Il ready
for action.