Cutter, Wood
Palm leaf mat press or cutter, North Family, Mount Lebanon, NY
Description
Palm leaf cutter or press. Cutter has a mortise-and-tenon jointed ash frame washed yellow; mechanism frame is stained brown ash. Cutter has a pine foot treadle which presses the mechanism down and functions with a spring. The treadle propels a set of cherry uprights which are secured to the press with a metal hook eye through upright. In between uprights is a beam with a central through-hole. Beam is notched underneath to allow a mold to be set in place. The birch mold (.2) is oval with a birch block secured from long side to long side. Mold sits in a rectangular birch board with an oval cut-out so mold sits securely.
Notes
This mat cutter was photographed in the North Family Wash house by Nelson E. Baldwin as part of the HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey) project. A digital image can be found on the Library of Congress website, here: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ny0539.photos.115448p/resource/
New York Mount Lebanon North Family
