At 09:44 AM 11/25/2008, Mike Siemsen wrote:
>John and all,
>It is my understanding that the linseed oil treatment was something 
>they did in Great Britain. For some reason it was not as common in 
>America. If you look at old American planes they are typically 
>lighter in color because of this.

The lighter color has to do more with the difference between English 
beech and American beech.  I have seen American planes that were oil 
treated as I have seen English planes that were done that 
way.  Usually it was a once and done type job and not something done 
on a regular basis.

The other issue is the fact that the English continued to work in the 
traditional way for a lot longer than the American's did.  By the end 
of WWI, almost all furniture making in this county was done in 
factories.  Not saying that there weren't any smaller traditional 
shops but they were fewer in number.   Over in England a lot of the 
cabinet makers continued to use hand tools up to the WWII era.  A lot 
of rural England (if my reading is correct) wasn't electrified or 
only marginally so until after WWII.   So English planes have a lot 
more working patination on them.

This is also born out in the fact that the last American wooden plane 
makers were gone, at least the major ones by the time of WWI and 
there were still firms making planes in England again up to WWII and 
a little beyond in a few cases.

Tony

                         Olde River Hard Goods
                     http://www.oldetoolshop.com
                                           TSMusic
                http://www.myspace.com/tonyseomusic

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