The Marvel

[rxh]

A new discovery. Has anybody tried one of these or does anybody know how old it might be? I hesitate to test it with my S&J Nonpareil

 

[AndyT]

These could be the same item:
from a Tyzack catalogue of 1908:

or this from a 1925 Melhuish catalogue:

- so my guess is that it is "quite old."

I love the claim that "anyone without previous knowledge can use it."

I have a very similar modern one from Marples in the 1950s - but I've not found a use for it yet either!

 

[rxh]

Thanks Andy,
Maybe I'll try it with a cheap hardpoint saw. Using it with a hammer hadn't occurred to me - you can't do that with a Nobex

 

[jimi43]

Seeing the mitre cutter again reminds me of our little Sherlock Holmes investigation over 3 years ago....

So now we have two parts to those items and all we need is the rest....!!! :mrgreen:

Great research again Prof!

Nice find rxh....I would get that sand blasted and cold Japanned and you would have a real talking point!

Jimi

 

[bugbear]

Thanks Andy,
Maybe I'll try it with a cheap hardpoint saw. Using it with a hammer hadn't occurred to me - you can't do that with a Nobex

The Nobex is a saw, not a clamp. Do the capacity figures from Andy's adverts match your find?

BugBear

 

[Shrubby]

I've tried the Marples at work but found cutting and clamping wasn't as good as the Ulmia tools. I have a later Parry Tyzack framing catalogue and that's reflected in their later products
Matt

 

[rxh]

Thanks Andy,
Maybe I'll try it with a cheap hardpoint saw. Using it with a hammer hadn't occurred to me - you can't do that with a Nobex

The Nobex is a saw, not a clamp. Do the capacity figures from Andy's adverts match your find?

BugBear

Yes the Nobex can be used to cut mitres but not for clamping or nailing them. The versatile Marvel can apparently be used for all three operations. I still don't fancy using it with my Nonpareil (which of course is by Tyzack not S&J - thanks for pointing this out by PM). I don't have the Marvel to hand but I think the capacity would be similar to that stated in the adverts.

I've tried the Marples at work but found cutting and clamping wasn't as good as the Ulmia tools. I have a later Parry Tyzack framing catalogue and that's reflected in their later products
Matt

I suppose the Marvel and similar things went out of production when better products came along.

 

[dickm]

The marples equivalent of that device was OK to use with a decent saw, because the close fitting slot was well above the teeth - the lower part of the slot was wide enough to miss the teeth (and, of course, to allow significant play ) From the photos, it looks as if the one you have is similar?

 

[Woodchips2]

Is the cut from a Nobex accurate enough to glue to a right angle without further work or do you still need to use a shooting board? I've got a cheap mitre saw that I have to use a shooting board to get a decent joint.

Regards Keith

 

[AndyT]

Ok, just to be thorough and to illustrate what Dickm said, here's the modern Marples - I'd guess at 1950s or 60s.

The instructions say that this model was developed from "the celebrated Marvel."

 

[Bedrock]

I think the idea was to cut each mitre as near to 45 degrees, then butt the two pieces together in the clamp, a cut the joint in one pass. If the initial cutting does not achieve the "perfect" fit, simply re-clamp the pieces tight together, then cut again until you do. Which is fine unless your making a picture frame, in which case the fourth joint can be sadly out. You need to give yourself extra length in the timber, to allow for errors until you get the hang of it.

It some years since I last did this, but I found that some of the very cheap alloy mitre clamps were inaccurate both as to the 90 degrees and in the vertical.

I suspect that picture framers and proper joiners would have a better technique. You do need a sharp fine toothed saw to obviate rough edges.
I ended up making a shooting board.

Mike

 

[soulboy]

I suspect that picture framers and proper joiners would have a better technique.Mike

yes, they use a Morso guillotine, currently in the for sale section.
chris