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Witchet Or Rounder Plane

Darren Wright

Darren Wright

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My wife and I were digging in the barn and she picked up this. Of course asking if she could use the hand screw pieces for a project...ummm...nOOO!!! :)
IMG_4367.jpeg

More quick pics. There is a plane blade you can see in the last pic and the opening is lined with metal. The circular recess is only on one side. It's quite a bulky piece, so wonder if it was meant to be held in a vise while the work was turned.
IMG_4370.jpeg IMG_4369.jpeg IMG_4368.jpeg

Looking for more information on it if anyone knows, my best guess was a spoke tenon cutter, but I know many of those also did the tenons with the spoke mounted in the hub.

I'll try to clean it up and get some better details later, as well as look for any markings.

Edit: Looks like it's a Witchet or Rounder Plane.
 
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All I know about how to construct wagon wheels I learned watching a few episodes of the Woodwright's Shop. I also learned a little watching a video by the Engel's Coach Shop in Montana.

At about the 8 minute mark the video covers how the spokes are fitted to the hub and felloe. In that section of the video the tenons that fit into felloe are cut with a tenon cutter in a drill press. The same tool can be used in a brace which is shown in the second video.


 
Further questions

What do the screws (one part way out) on the right side of pic IMG_4370 fasten into? Or are they actually jack screws (wondering because of the apparent through shot of one of similar perhaps on the other side in 4367 and the apparent lack of a collar on the wooden screws.. which might exist but just isn't visible so more hand waving thoughts here than anything)?

The steel plates on the outside of the "jaws" are also.. interesting.. Maybe as bearing points for the jack screws?

The handles on the wooden screws also look rather nicely shaped for holding by hand and I'm not seen an obvious vice mount point so I'm voting it was hand held in use .. probably..

I'd carefully check the end grain on the big blocks for any makers stamps as well... which might well give a hint if they exist.
 
So I did some dusting an disassembly, pretty interesting device. The working thread side has lead that makes up the threads. The floating side has a sliver of wood through to retain the screw.

@Ryan Mooney the screws appear to be stops/set screws and I wonder if having two on the side that has the circular step allows for tapering of the tenon.

I’m guessing that one opens the device up and starts rounding off corners, the tightens the opening until it reaches the size set by the set screws.

Here are more pics…
photos.app.goo.gl

Tenon cutter

25 new items · Album by Buzz KC
photos.app.goo.gl photos.app.goo.gl
 
Darren Wright said:
@Ryan Mooney the screws appear to be stops/set screws and I wonder if having two on the side that has the circular step allows for tapering of the tenon.
Click to expand...
That was my assumption on the general mechanism.. the actual mode of operation I'm going to handwave a bit around without actually making one and trying it out :)
 
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