Morinville historical mystery solved

This rabbet plane was an object of interest at the recent Morinville trade show.

By MorinvilleNews.com Staff

Morinville – An historical artefact from Morinville and Alberta’s past stopped many visitors to the Morinville and District Chamber of Commerce Trade Show over the Apr. 15 – 17 weekend.

The strange-looking object was on prominent display in the Morinville Historical and Cultural Society Booth and people were given the opportunity to try and guess what the object was.

Musée Morinville Museum Operations Attendant Donna Garrett said a total 0f 104 entries were received during the trade show, and although many entries identified the object as a tool, only two people correctly identified it as a rabbet plane.
A rabbet plane or rebate plane is use to cut rabbets or rebates in wood. A rabbet is a recessed groove carved in wood and would have been used for a variety of applications, including creating a ridge to insert glass or to create door jams. Additionally, two pieces of wood cut with a rabbet could be joined together to create a solid joint.

Garret said the range of answers were quite broad and often humourous. Some of the more interesting guesses are as follows:

  • Watchamacallit-thing-a-ma-bob
  • Brake for a horse and buggy
  • A Butter Press
  • A Cheese Cutter
  • A Barn Door Hinge

A draw was made between the two correct entries and the winner was awarded some historical souvenirs from the Musée Morinville Museum and Morinville Historical and Cultural Society.

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