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US Patent: 276,259
Band-saw guide
Patentee:
Reuben McChesney (exact or similar names) - Frankfort, NY

USPTO Classifications:
83/820, 83/826

Tool Categories:
woodworking machines : bandsaws : bandsaw guides

Assignees:
Hall & Brown Wood Working Machine Co. - St. Louis, MO

Manufacturer:
Hall & Brown Wood Working Machine Co. - St. Louis, MO

Witnesses:
John G. Elliott
W. W. Elliott

Patent Dates:
Applied: Nov. 20, 1882
Granted: Apr. 24, 1883

Patent Pictures:
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Vintage Machinery entry for Hall & Brown Wood Working Machine Co.
Description:
"The Frankfort Directory" for 1883 lists Reuben McChesney as a machinist residing at 152 Main.

From the November 1887 issue of "Manufacturer & Builder" comes the following letter.

"Some Remarkable Band-Saw Work.

"'Visitors to Coney Island will see in the Sea Beach Palace Exposition some wonderful work done by a man who works out the most delicate articles with a band saw 19 feet long, and revolving at the rate of over a mile a minute. Upon this machine the skilled operator recently sawed out four chairs, all complete, with legs and backs, but so small that four were placed on the end of a lead pencil at one time. Then a dozen knives and forks of the most diminutive size were made and placed around the lead pencil. So small were they, that, although the entire dozen were placed around the pencil, not one of them touched the other. Then the operator trimmed his finger nails on the huge saw as cleverly and as easily as one could do it with a penknife. Wetting his thumb, he pressed the ball of it into some sawdust, and then sawed the sawdust off the thumb without scratching the skin, yet a single nervous twitch of the arm would have cost him a hand. All sorts of curious puzzles are turned out with astonishing rapidity from all sorts of misshapen blocks of wood. Even articles of clothing, as thin and flexible as cloth, are worked out by this magician from little pieces of wood with his big saw. The cap he works in was sawed out of over one thousand pieces of wood, no two of which are the same size or shape.'

"The above article, which appeared in the October issue of the Lumber World, has attracted considerable attention. Since September 26th last, I have been sawing at the Mechanics Fair in Boston, and am giving the same exhibition I gave at Coney Island, attracting thousands of people daily, some of whom were interested merely as sight-seers, others watch my work, and for chances to question me about it.

"Although a man may be thoroughly acquainted with the use of band saws, he cannot accomplish the result I do unless he is equipped with the proper tools. Without giving my preference of band-saw machines, there being several good ones on the market, I can say that, as regards band-saw blades, I have a preference, and since 1883 have used only the Simonds blade in exhibition work. Their blades are made in such a way that I can always count on them, and, sawing only in public, I cannot afford to take any chances whatever of having my tools give out or break. Whereas all other band-saw makes, including makers of the French blade, punch the teeth out of their blades, the Simonds band saw is made by milling the tooth into the blade. In punching the teeth out of a narrow band-saw blade, the blade must necessarily receive a strain; within the milled-tooth blade, however, this strain is entirely done away with. While at Coney Island, I wore some of these blades down so narrow that I could not hold them in the filing vise any more, and was forced to lay them away. I have a number of the Simonds saws worn too narrow for any kind of use, and they have not broken at all yet.

"I do not know who wrote the article above quoted, but, it having fallen into my hands, I take this opportunity to thank the party for calling attention to my skill as a band sawyer. As far back as 1878, I used these saws; 28 to 30 gauge, for slabbing ivory tusks, and my success in this work was almost entirely owing to this same material.

"R. MCCHESNEY. The Original Mohawk Dutchman. Boston, November 10th, 1887."

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