Biddle's Young Carpenter's Assistant

Owen Biddle

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780486147673
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: History of Architecture

Philadelphia-based builder Owen Biddle was a major influence on later architects, thanks to this well-illustrated and much studied guide. One of the very first manuals of American architecture, this essential sourcebook offers authentic views of interior and exterior designs of buildings erected in the decades following the American Revolution.
Reproduced from a rare 1805 edition, this handsome volume features 135 drawings. Its text and illustrated details depict typical building materials, styles, architectural ornamentation, and interior designs. A fascinating look at how public structures and private homes were designed, contracted, built, and embellished during the Federal period, this work is an essential reference for students, professionals, and all aficionados of architectural history.

THE YOUNG CARPENTER’S ASSISTANT.

As this work is intended for the student in Architecture it seems requisite to give some directions respecting the necessary instruments for drawing, &c.

Fig. A. Plate 1 is a representation of a draught-board, to which the paper used in drawing is to be fixed. This board is composed of a frame of mahogany or other hard wood (the outside edges of which should be exactly straight and square) with a pannel about half the thickness of the frame, to be let in from the back, and to lie in a rabbit in the frame, there to be secured by small wooden buttons. Fig. B is a section of the board, a and b are the buttons by which the pannel is kept in its place; eight or ten of these may be necessary. The pannel should be clamped, to remedy any disadvantage attending the shrinking of the wood. It would not be amiss before making the draught board to ascertain the size of the paper to be used, and make the pannel about 2 inches less each way than the sheet. In applying this board to use, lay the paper on a table, and moisten one side of it with a wet sponge, place the board upside down near it, take out the pannel and lay it on the paper, one inch of which will extend beyond the pannel all round, take hold by the edges of the paper and lift them both into the frame, fasten the buttons and dry the paper by the fire, when it will be smooth as a drum head.

Fig. C is the T square, the blade of which should be long enough to reach nearly across the draft board, and should not exceed three-sixteenths of an inch in thickness. Similar in form to this a bevel may be made, with the blade moveable on a centre in the stock. The application of these in drawing parallel lines on the draft board is so obvious that I need not describe it.

In choosing a case of mathematical instruments, attention should be paid to its containing the scales of equal parts on the thin ivory or box rule, as in drawing the four Orders of Architecture, they are all proportioned by such a scale; which indeed is the case with almost all Architecture drawings, and with a little attention the student will generally be able to find a scale ready made with greater accuracy than he would be able to make one himself. The case should also contain a bow-pen or compass, a useful instrument for drawing very small circles. With these, a small piece of gum elastic for rubbing out black lead lines, a stick of Indian ink, two camel’s hair pencils, one large, the other small, and a black lead pencil will constitute the instruments necessary in learning Architectural drawing. It may be proper to observe that no kind of ink should be used except Indian Ink; for drawing lines this should be dissolved some time before it is to be used, but for shading it is best to drop a little water on a plate or saucer, and rub the stick of ink in it till it is of a proper shade.

I shall now proceed to explain some of the most useful geometrical problems, which every Carpenter ought to be acquainted with.

To raise a perpendicular or plumb line from a given point on a straight line:—

Let a b fig. E be the line, and c the point given, from which the perpendicular is to be drawn: take any space with the compasses at random, as c b; with that space set off c a and c b; then place one foot of the compasses in a, and extend the other beyond c, and describe a small part of a circle, as at d; then with the same extent of compasses place one foot in b, and make a part of a circle to cross the other at d; through the intersection of these circles a line drawn to e will be perpendicular or plumb.

From any given point over a right line to let fall a line which will be perpendicular to that right line:—

Let c fig. F be the point given; and a b the right line, with one foot of the compasses in c extend the other foot so as to describe the arc or part of a circle a b; place one foot of the compasses at the intersection of this arc with the right line at b, and extend them so as to describe a small arc at d; with the same extent of the compasses place one foot in the intersection at a and cross the arc at d; draw a line from c through the intersection of the arc at d, and it will be perpendicular to the right line at b.

On the end of a right line to draw a line which will be perpendicular or at right angles with that right line:—

Let a b fig. G be the right line; at some point over this line, as at d, place one foot of the compasses and extend the other to the end of the line at b, and describe the circle at a b c through the intersection at a and the center at d, draw the line a d c, from c draw the line c b which will be perpendicular to the line a b.

To describe a square whose sides shall all be equal to a given right line:—

Let a b fig. H be the line given; with one foot of the compasses on a describe the arc f c b; then with one foot in b describe a c e, divide the space c b into two parts at d; with the extent c d in the compasses set off c f and c e; connect a f, f e and e b and the square will be complete.

To lay off a square with a ten foot rod:—

Let a b fig. I be the given line; with eight feet of the rod from b make a mark at a, with six feet from b describe an arc at c; and with ten feet from a cross the arc at c; draw the line from the intersection at c to b and it will be square with the line a b.

Three points (not in a right line) or a small part of a circle being given to find a center which will describe a circle to pass through the point or complete the circle:—

Let a b c fig. K be the three points or part of a circle given; to find the center of which, place the foot of the compasses in a and describe an arc at d and c, with the same extent place one foot of the compasses in b, and cross the arcs of d and c; and at the same time describe arcs at e and f, then with the same extent of the compasses and one foot in c cross the arc at e and f, draw lines through the intersections of the arcs at d and c to g; and through the intersections e and f to g; the intersection of these lines at g is the center by which a circle may be drawn to pass through the points a b c.

To describe an Ellipsis mathematically to any given length and breadth:—

Let A C fig. A Plate 2 be the transverse, and B D the conjugate diameters; take half of B D and set it in from C to o; divide what remains from o to 3 into three equal parts; set one of these parts from o to a; make the distance from 3 to b equal to the distance from 3 to a, with the extent a b in the compasses describe the arcs d b c and d a c; these four points are the center by which the Ellipsis is drawn and the dotted lines passing through them and touching the Ellipsis mark how much of it is drawn by each center.

To describe an Ellipsis wi...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• INTRODUCTION TO THE DOVER EDITION
• PREFACE
• THE YOUNG CARPENTER’S ASSISTANT.
• A DICTIONARY OF TERMS USED IN ARCHITECTURE.
• A CATALOG OF SELECTED DOVER BOOKS IN ALL FIELDS OF INTEREST