We lost a lot when we entered the "iron age." At the USAF Museum in Dayton,
they have a biplane trainer with the covering left off so one can see the
incredible wood work. Modern pianos don't show the skills that were
routine, production line techniques that generated the hundreds of aircraft
with thousands of carefully fitted wooden pieces each (ca 1917).

The hubs for wooden wagon wheels are another example of woodworking that I
can't begin to emulate. An aunt used to burn one in the fireplace for
Christmas or Thanksgiving while I suffered. Her stash was leftovers from
the family's Newton Wagon company which made the "prairie schooners" for the
march westward in the 1800s.

Roger (I can almost make joints well enough that it will be a wooden boat
instead of an epoxy one.)

http://home.insightbb.com/~derbyrm/Dayawl.html

"Lars Johansson" wrote in message
...
The following link describes the rigging of the replica of the eatindies
ship Götheborg:
http://www.soic.se/engelska/inenglis...680002566.html

The thir picure down and the text next to it shows and dectibes how the
masts where built. It is typical for the period. It is a little more
complicated than what the picture shows, each section has notches that
hooks
into the next one, like a puzzle. No glues are used.

/Lars J