cock bead fillister, The

Plane Chatter

This plane, made by Bewley (Leeds), has caused some puzzlement (Figure 1, kindly provided by J.B. Cox). Several pictures were forwarded, along with dimensioned sketches, seeking opinions on how the plane was used.

With the exception of the slanted cuts in the fence and the depth stop (a later addition?), the tool closely resembles two planes from the Seaton chest, which are identified as cock bead fillisters.1 (The British spelling of fillister seems appropriate, as all such planes that I am aware of are British.) The planes of this chest were bought of Christopher Gabriel in 1796.

This plane type is quite rare. Salaman, in his comprehensive dictionary,2 stated that the Seaton planes were the only ones he had seen, although they were listed by nineteenth-century planemakers. One acquired from Ray Iles' Old Tool Store in 1996 is seen in Figure 2. This was made by King & Company (Hull), and is somewhat later than the Bewley or the Gabriels. This, perhaps, accounts for the internal depth stop.

Cock beads are beads which are raised above the level of their surroundings. They were commonly used to form decorative edges on drawer fronts, from about 1725 to 1800, and are reappearing in contemporary design. Drawer cock beads are usually small, with a semicircular profile about one-eighth inch in diameter. They provide an attractive appearance, serve to disguise the gap between drawer front and its casing, and protect veneer edges.

It is difficult to create these by excavating the wood between the beads, to say nothing of the waste of fine hardwood. The usual method of producing the cock beads is to form them (with a cock bead plane) on the edges of thin strips of wood, which are then glued to the drawer edges. The classic method of cock beading is well described by Joyce,' and is shown in the sketch, which also shows a rear view of the cock bead fillister (Figure 3).

The top (and sometimes the bottom) beads pose no problem. The drawer front is reduced in height and the beaded strips are simply glued on. This is not practical for the beads on the vertical edges of the drawers. The drawer fronts are normally joined to the drawer sides with lapped dovetails. Cutting away the drawer front edges for a cock bead strip would weaken this joint. It is usual to do the final fitting of the drawer to the case, then rabbet away the front (undovetailed) section of the joint to accept the cock bead strip.

It is possible, of course, to cut this rabbet with a conventional fillister. This was not considered good enough for careful work and a special plane was created to form a narrow, deep rabbet by cutting down from the drawer front. The fence of this plane is guided by the drawer side, and the depth stop sets the distance to be cut into the side of the drawer.

It seems clear that J.B.'s plane would serve as a cock bead fillister. Questions remain, however. Was the depth stop original, or an early addition by the owner? And why the V-shaped cuts into the fence?

The Seaton planes had no depth stop, which would seem to be a requisite to provide a smooth juncture of the bottom of the bead strip with the drawer rabbet. Either particular care would be required in using the cock bead fillister, or the user might attach a temporary batten to the drawer side to limit the depth of the rabbet. The planes of the Seaton chest were not of top quality, and it may be that Gabriel used a depth stop in his premium planes; but we will not know this until one such surfaces. Was the Bewley plane, like the Gabriels, sold without a stop and had one fitted by the owner, or did Bewley modify one of his own planes at the buyer's request? Or was this the Bewley design, providing a less expensive stop?

Provision had to be made for the projection of the left end of the irons beyond the sole, requiring removal of a part of the fence. The Seaton planes have only a minimal incursion into the fence for this. The King plane continues the bed cut to the bottom of the fence, permitting withdrawal of the iron downward. Was the Bewley originally like the Gabriel and had the incisions in the fence deepened overenthusiastically by an owner, accounting for the V shape?

If your collection includes a cock bead fillister, perhaps you can shed light on these questions.

Notes

1.Jane Rees and Mark Rees, editors, The Tool Chest of Benjamin Seaton (The Tool and Trades History Society 1994).

2. Salaman, R.A., Dictionary of Tools (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1980).

3. Joyce,, Ernest,, The Encyclopedia of Furniture Making (New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1979).

J.M. Whelan writes a regular column on planes for The Chronicle.

Copyright Early American Industries Association Mar 2002
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