Any idea's on how they carved these blocks?

[Bob Schlowsky]

Does anyone have any idea of how these childrens blocks were carved? The one in the photo is from the late 1800's or early 1900's so I know it wasn't laser or CNC router technology. The relief of the carvings is about 1/16". My wife has a large collection of these antique blocks. The carving seems to vary from 1/32 to as deep as almost 3/16". It seems to be on the end grain in most all cases with the other 4 sides painted or plain.
the block is about 1 3/4" cubed so the detail is very fine. The only thing I could think of is sandblasting with a photo resist, but I think it's too smooth for that & I can't believe it would have economically feasible if the technology even existed that far back.
The wood seems to be Pine and Basswood with some other species randomly appearing in older sets.
I would like to try makings some - I've newly found this forum, but do a lot of cabinet work & antique repair.
thanks for your help

[Ben Cadotte]

I have no clue, but I am guessing it was done with a press and a die. Would be easier to crush the wood fibers if its done to the end grain.

[Bruce Page]

I think Ben nailed it. It wouldn’t take much tonnage to press that.

[John Schreiber]

That's my guess too. I'd go further and guess that they probably pressed a whole sheet of them at once and then cut them apart.

[Frank Drew]

Why not worked by hand like other woodblock carving? Ever see how fine engravers can work? Certainly in the late 1800s labor didn't cost much.

[glenn bradley]

Why not worked by hand like other woodblock carving? Ever see how fine engravers can work? Certainly in the late 1800s labor didn't cost much.

The relief is amazingly consistent. Granted human hands can do wonderful things including such carving. I just doubt that the time was spent on children's blocks. I'm going with press. JMHO.

[David DeCristoforo]

"Why not worked by hand like other woodblock carving...in the late 1800s labor didn't cost much."

This is how the thousands of apprentice carvers spent their time. Part of their training program. Of course, they spent the first five years learning how to sharpen their chisels properly. Then it was on to the block carving. This phase of the apprenticeship could last anywhere from five to ten years. And since the apprentices were indentured, they worked very cheap indeed. After they became proficient at carving blocks, they moved on to carving those little crown designs in the tops of checkers. I thought everyone knew this....

[Mike Henderson]

Why not worked by hand like other woodblock carving? Ever see how fine engravers can work? Certainly in the late 1800s labor didn't cost much.

I can't comment on the cost of labor in the US in the late 1800's, but for most of the early history of the USA labor was scarce. That's one reason the industrial revolution took hold so well in the United States. While the industrial revolution occurred in Britain, there was much more resistance to mechanization in Britain than in the United States simply because there was greater availability (and organization) of labor in Britain.

But maybe those blocks were made in England.

Mike

[Alan Schaffter]

One way to get a flat background is to chisel the pattern in one block, not worrying about the background. You can even cut it a little deep. Then glue the pattern face of this block to a second block. When the glue has set, cut the blocks apart, leaving the pattern on the new block. If you have lettering, you need to remember to cut the letters backwards.

[Russ Hauser]

This is just a guess, but Why couldn't they have been routed using a small diameter cutter in a steam powered shop router using a master template? They might have been able to rout several at once. Many shops in the 18th century had machinery powered by steam engines thru overhead shafts and belt drives to the various machines. Steam power is what started the industrial revolution in the 18 century.

Russ

[Frank Drew]

Alan.

Would that work, considering that it might be endgrain to endgrain? The glueing, I mean.

Mike, I guess I was thinking that they were made in England; I don't know why, maybe I thought the design looked English.

Russ, if they had that technology when these were made that's a good hypothesis.

[Carl Hill]

How about sandblasting? I've sandblasted lots of wood (even end grain) and it looks a lot like that. Just a guess.

Carl

[curtis rosche]

maybe they were burned in with an iron then just scraped away the charred?

[Bruce Page]

These things were made by the thousands. Do you really think that they would go to the trouble of carving/routing/burning/sandblasting/chisling, when a single hardened steel die could punch them out in a second or two, and do it ‘till the cows came home?

[John Schreiber]

. . . snip. . .After they became proficient at carving blocks, they moved on to carving those little crown designs in the tops of checkers. I thought everyone knew this....

You may be right. But I thought they spent the first five years carving the logos in bars of soap.