Greetings,

Marvin Paisner asked about:

>  ...    interesting information ... on piece work rates
>for union journeymen cabinetmakers in Philadelphia c.1828. A sixty hour
>work week might have been usual in that era so at 12¢ an hour a
>cabinetmakers wage would work out at $7.20 per week.  I wonder what the
>cost of the cabinetmakers tools was at that time?  Any information
>available for that period in the USA?

In the "General Explanations" section of _The Philadelphia ... Union
Book of Prices [wage rates]_, we find:

      "All men working by the day, to be paid not less than $1 33 1/3
cents per day, to work eleven hours, employers to find candles.
      "All workmen to furnish themselves with at least six hand screws."

They may have been working six eleven hour days at that point in history,
which would work out to $8.00 a week. Obviously, individual workers
could, and likely did, make more, but I'm going to stay with this base
rate for the following.

Unfortunately, I have no U.S. retail prices for tools in 1828. But, we
may be able to arrive at a rough estimation of the cost of a basic kit
of cabinetmaker's tools in 1828 through the use of an "inflation
calculator."

Luckily, we have an 1873 _Illustrated Catalogue and Price List of
Carpenters' Tools_ from a Philadelphia hardware dealer, J. B. Shannon.
According to the inflation calculator produced by S. Morgan Friedman
(based on Consumer Price Index statistics from _The Historical
Statistics of the United States_), goods which cost $8.00 in 1828 would
have cost $8.46 in 1873. Conversely, goods which cost $8.00 in 1873
would have cost $7.56 in 1828.

What follows is a proposed basic kit of tools for a journeyman
cabinetmaker working in one of the established shops in Philadelpha.
In every instance I've chosen the least expensive option for a
particular type of tool consistent with the work expected of a
professional cabinetmaker, in my estimation.

These are 1873 prices. I thought about converting each figure to 1828
dollars, but decided to wait for the total.

Hand Saw, 26"                           1.75
Rip Saw, 28"                            2.25
Panel Saw, 20"                          1.10
Back Saw, 14"                           1.40
Dovetail Saw, 8"                        1.00

Jack Plane (wooden stock)               1.10
Smoothing Plane (wooden stock)          1.00
Fore/Try Plane (wooden stock)           1.50
Toothing Plane                          1.15
Mitre Plane (wooden stock)              1.10
Rabbet Planes
      3/4"                                .70
     1 1/2"                               .85
Plough Plane (screw arms and stop)      5.50
Bead Planes
      1/8"                                .60
      1/4"                                .60
Hollows and Rounds, 4 pr. at .80 each   3.20

Spoke Shave, 2", plated                  .50

Firmer Chisels
      1/8"                                .15
      1/4"                                .15
      1/2"                                .20
       1"                                 .30
Firmer Gouge, 1"                         .40
Mortise Chisels                           ?

Iron Brace                              1.75
Gimlet Bit, 1/4"                         .15
Shell Bits, 1/8" & 3/16" at .15 each     .30
Centre Bits
      1/2"                                .18
      3/4"                                .22
       1"                                 .25

Dividers, 8"                             .60
Marking Gauge                            .08
Mortise Gauge                            .55
Try Square, 8"                           .90
Sliding T Bevel, 8"                      .60
Rule, 2 ft, 4 fold                       .25
Scratch Awl                              .20

Hammer, 10 oz.                           .45
Screw Driver                             .12

Six Hand Screws, 10" at .40 each        2.40    (per above)

Total:       			      $35.50

Adjusted to 1828 dollars:             $33.56

So this basic kit of cabinetmakers' tools would have cost about a day
over four weeks' wages, if I've calculated everything correctly. :-)

By the way, to return, briefly, to the general topic of this thread. The
very first sentence of the "General Explanations" section of this 1828
work reads:

      "All work considered to be done in a workman like manner, and when
not such, to be paid for accordingly."

Of course we have no way of knowing how/if this was enforced, but, in
theory, an owner could dock a journeyman's pay for inferior work. Or, I
suppose, refuse to pay him at all. This *may* have helped maintain a
minimum standard of workmanship.

Don McConnell
Knox County, Ohio