66/327

Saw wrest used to set the teeth of saws. It belonged Frank Denslow, a carpenter, coffin maker and wagon maker of Membury, Devon.
Saw wrests are used by carpenters to set the teeth of saws by bending them so that they lean out alternatively to the left and right of the blade. In this way the friction is reduced in sawing by producing a kerf or cut wider than the saw blade. This wrest belonged Frank Denslow, a carpenter, coffin maker and wagon maker of Membury, Devon, who died in 1964.

1 saw wrest: metal, wood

MERL Miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 5 March 2014 – The Burne-Jones collection of thatching and other tools was put together by the donor while living in Membury, Devon, some time prior to 1966. She had planned to open a private museum. The tools came from the workshop of Mr Spiller, a thatcher from Yarcombe, Devon, and were in regular use until his death in 1962. He had thatched in the area his whole life, and his widow passed on his tools. By 1966 the donor had moved to Oxfordshire and no longer had room for the Collection so donated it to MERL., MERL ‘Handwritten catalogue’ – ‘SAW WREST // 66/327 // CRAFTS Wood // ... // Belonged formerly to Mr Frank Denslow, Pound Cottage, Membury, Axminster, Devon. Died in 1964 while still working as carpenter, coffin maker, wagon-maker. Denslows were carpenters in Membury in 1815. // [pencil drawing] // Handle wood, metal ferrule // Scale, inches.’

Metal, Wood