Tabled Clamps

[allanyed]

The contracts for five of the 130 foot group 50 gun British ships in the mid 1690s describe GD and UD clamps and GD spirketting as having Flemish hook and butt scarphs and tabled together.  The exact wording for the gun deck spirketting is 

To be of Oake Four Inches Thick and Fourteen Inches Broad and Tabled in the Meeting Edges Two Inches one into ye Other and Scarphed Hooke and Butt Flemmish Fashion at least Four Foot Long.

I understand coaking in the scarphs and rabbeting the two strakes together if it were called for, but I cannot find a definition or description of what is meant by tabling.  To me it sounds like the edges are rabbeted together for the run of the strakes, but I do not recall ever seeing this term in the past so not sure what this would look like.   Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.   

Allan

[druxey]

Tabling is where the mating surfaces of a joint have a long shallow tenon on one side and a corresponding mortise on the other piece. In a piece 4" thick I imagine the upper version would be meant.

[allanyed]

THANK YOU DRUXEY!!  

[allanyed]

After further discussions directly with another astute member here, another possible solution has been raised.   The verbiage in the contract  describes the clamps and spirketting of two strakes to be "Tabled in the meeting edges AND scarphed hook and butt" Taken literally this could be that there are two parts of the construction in play.   The following sketch is what was proposed as a possible design based on the worded description. 

Allan

 

Edited December 8, 2019 by allanyed

[druxey]

'Tabled in the meeting edges' clinches the newest illustration as correct for me, Allan.

[allanyed]

I think we have a consensus!  Thanks Druxey.  I don't know that I look forward to actually making these, but it will be an interesting mini project to be sure.

Allan