Marples 1938 full catalogue available

[wastrel]

Seems logical, but what about the pig scraper on 208? its amongst kitchen tools.

Pete

I'd guess it was used for scraping the bristles off.

 

[bugbear]

Seems logical, but what about the pig scraper on 208? its amongst kitchen tools.

Pete

I'd guess it was used for scraping the bristles off.

Yes, after scalding.

BugBear

 

[Racers]

I have never scolded my pig, but then he's never done any thing wrong :wink:

Pete

 

[bugbear]

I cannot find this hammer in there?:

Rod

Farriers scotch pattern shoeing hammer, page 127.

BugBear

 

[GazPal]

As it is 48" high, I reckon it is used with a hand on each handle to thump paving stones in place. The iron ring would help protect the bottom from splitting.

Not for paving stones, but a monkey would be used when laying setts, scoriae blocks, teak end grain blocks and cobbles and this tool was more typically known as a sett rammer. Labourers would use them under the supervision of a street mason when laying setts on lean-mix mortar and prior to grouting/pointing. One pointer - re useless information - is there's a street scene in the musical film "Oliver" (The Mark Lester version) where this type of tool is seen in use.

The beetle/beadle/paving maul is used when laying flag stones and kerbs.

Another tool which saw common use in street masonry was the sett/paviour's hammer (Page 146, item 4349) which was used for laying, adjusting and even removing individual setts/cobbles. Instead of buying a new hammer, a mason might have a blacksmith make one using a small pick or brick hammer head where the blade would be drawn out to around 225mm in length and hooked at the end.

Bit of Useless Information

Tower Bridge was originally paved using blocks of end grain teak on pitch as a means of reducing the weight of the rising bridge decks. The same method was used on streets around industrial areas to reduce the sound made by horses hooves as they drew heavy wagons and carts in the area.

 

[dickm]

FWIW, in about 1970 when we lived near Lancaster, the council dug up one of the side roads in the town centre to relay the tarmac and removed many square metres of tar soaked timber from under the tarmac. From memory, the blocks were regarded as a very important perk for the guys doing the job; brilliant fuel if you weren't in a smokeless zone

 

[GazPal]

FWIW, in about 1970 when we lived near Lancaster, the council dug up one of the side roads in the town centre to relay the tarmac and removed many square metres of tar soaked timber from under the tarmac. From memory, the blocks were regarded as a very important perk for the guys doing the job; brilliant fuel if you weren't in a smokeless zone

Prior to improvements in MacAdam Asphalt road surfacing, end grain pitch pine was often used as an alternative to cobblestones/setts/scoriae blocks. The down side is the fact they'd sweat during heatwaves and you'd find pitch/tar being trailed everywhere, but the big plus is - like you've mentioned - it makes good kindling and logs for the fire, but beware sap pockets as they either fizzle or go bang when they burn. Back in the late fifties, I remember us villagers getting hold of a load of the stuff when the municipal council ripped out an obsolete tram-way and re-routed one of the roads near the old glass and iron works at the bottom end of our village.

 

[ac445ab]

Thanks fot the link! I did not think Marples had made so much differnt tool types.

Ciao
Giuliano