Plugging chisels.

[Cheshirechappie]

Not quite a woodworking tool, but closely related - bear with me!

On Zeddedhed's thread about his relative's tools ( a-bit-of-tool-id-help-needed-t96646.html ) the subject of wall plugs came up. The 'old way' was to make a sort of twisted plug of wood, which when driven into a slot cut in the mortar of a brick wall, jammed in solid and gave something into which nails or screws could be driven to fix skirtings, door frames and the like. The subject of making the plugs was quite fully described in that thread by Billy Flitch, but the other half of the job, making the slots in the wall to take the plugs, is something we've not covered as far as I'm aware.

From the old books, it seems that sometimes, the bricklayers left out mortar in the right places for the carpenters to then drive in plugs. However, when a plug needs to go in a wall without such slots (or if the brickies were not quite with it) the carpenter had to cut the slots himself with a plugging chisel and lump hammer. (Perhaps the pro joiners could confirm or expand on this.)

Idly googling 'plugging chisel' last night, I was surprised to find that they're still readily available. I thought that the wooden plugs had been superceded by Plasplugs, masonry nails, Hilti bolts and all the other modrn fixings. However, a moment's thought did suggest that the tool could be of use when raking out rotten mortar prior to repointing brickwork, which makes their availability a bit more understandable.

Does anybody still use the old method of wooden plugs for fixing woodwork to brickwork walls? Do any joiners or carpenters routinely keep a plugging chisel and lump hammer in their kit?

 

[AndyT]

I'm not a pro joiner, but having read descriptions of the twisted plugs, and owning a plugging chisel (who doesn't?!) I did have a go once. I was replacing some skirting, and most of the original plugs had survived, but I needed to replace a couple. It took ages, and I may have slightly dislodged some of the bricks when fitting them. (The mortar is quite 'tired' in places.)

However, the method has some good points. You get a nice firm bit of wood behind the skirting, even if the wall is not flat. (In theory, you could saw all the plugs off flush to the same line.) And the surface is big enough to find when nailing through from the front.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Hi - I sometimes use little slivers of wood to repair misplaced/oversized/damaged screwholes in wood to very good effect. I have once or twice used a similar trick in brick to get me out of (into?) a tight spot. In my Edwardian house - a 'low status' dwelling, but built with care - they used small bits of offcut t & g boards and I get the distinct impression that the brickies put them there for the chippy while they were building up the wall. Cheers, W2S

 

[Sawyer]

The plugs are in fact, quick and easy to make: starting with a long-ish length of stock, brace the end on the floor and a sacrificial piece of wood and then slice off alternate corners with a small carpenter's hand axe to create a wedge. Saw to length (3-4") and repeat until enough plugs have been made. Hammer plugs into the gaps in the brickwork and cut to length with a handsaw; either flush or protruding as required. In the case of an uneven wall, you can use a chalkline to have a nice straight line of plug ends.
It goes without saying that you want a saw you don't care about for cutting of the plugs in situ. One of those disgusting plastic handled hardpoints that's gone dull, for example!

The plugging chisels still seem to be on general sale; I'm not sure why, but they do come in handy for other rock-bashing tasks too.

 

[Zeddedhed]

A year or so ago I did a job where I had to install about 20 or so door linings into new masonry openings. The masonry was a type of lightweight block that was extremely crumbly - almost impossible to get an accurate through fixing with any traditional or modern masonry fixing.

Not having a plugging chisel on the van I used my 'snaggle' chisel (or chismer) - basically a knackered chisel that gets used for everything a chisel shouldn't be used for - to chop out the mortar for some grounds/plugs. The plugs were basically just wedges cut from softwood scraps with an Estwing hatchet. Once they were all in a plumb line was dropped, marks made and plugs sawn off. We did 'borrow' some mortar from the guy doing some pointing outside since it helps to keep the plugs in firmly.

 

[biskit]

In my younger apprentice days, all we used was plugging chisels, I've still got 3. Then propeller wedges. The firm progressed to a Black and Decker drill, that made things a bit easier than a breast drill for wooden plugs. Those were the days. :roll: No wonder I've got aching joints.(and some)

 

[Billy Flitch]

This forum is all about hand tools so maybe I should`t talk about methods and just stay to the tool. Yes you can still buy plugging chisels they are mainly used to remove addeld mortar from between the bricks when re-pointing.

When CC says its not quite a wood working tool well yes and no, I have no definite proof but I believe the tool is a lot older than we think. here is a link to a plugging chisel no big deal really.
http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=h ... gQ9QEINjAE

Now here is a link to a Shipwrights Caulking box, you may have to scroll down, on the right hand side of the box are two plugging chisels but the thing is the Shipwright would not call them that, he would call them Jerrying out irons. Both tools do the same job one removes the oakum and pitch from between the planks and the other removes the mortar from between the bricks look at the shape of them are they not the same tool and when did they start to repair wooden ships.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/452048881326637642/.

 

[blackrodd]

My father had some of these plugging chisels, they had three "scalps"machined into the plugging part and he would give the head 2, or 3 belts with the lump hammer, rotate the chisel, and so on until the hole was deep enough for the Rawle plug which came in a box, I think they were 2"long (50mm), but longer ones were available.

They Worked very well but it was nice when the hammer drill came about, as I had to help out do some plugging by then.
Years ago, Many of the door and window frame openings used wooden fixings, the normal good practice to fix these linings and frames to timber pieces that were the same thickness as the mortar bed, (3/8"-1/2".
Can't remember if they were called sprockets or tingles, here in Sunny Devon.
Some of them are in evidence today in many houses.
Rodders

 

[Billy Flitch]

Rod what your talking about in your first paragraph is whats known as a star bit. I`v used them where there was no power on site, belt ,turn, belt, turn awefull things.

I stand corrected the original name was star drill.

 

[sunnybob]

We used a rawl plug chisel . one for each sized rawl plug, which were made from wood fibre.

Like these.
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/v ... -246650840

That was early '60's.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes. Star drills - interestingly enough he refers to them as "jumper chisels" as I can remember them being referred to as "jump drills". Something to be avoided (with good reason!) as boy in a granite area.

 

[t8hants]

I have still got somewhere the hand-cranked tool for the Rawl plug drills, a little more sophisticated than a hammer and the drill holder, and great fun as a very small boy as a machine gun! Till collared by the old man and told to put it back in his tool bag.

 

[Keith 66]

I still have a rawlplug chisel, it has removeable star drill bits that go into a tapered hole in the end, bit like a morse taper.
I also have an old blue & orange rawlplug tin that used to contain blue asbestos, this was the stuff that you mixed into a putty with water or spit & rammed into the hole you had just made with the star drill. I remember as a kid mixing it for my dad. Those were the days!

 

[sunnybob]

Hah! I'd forgotten about spitting in it. Those were the days.
Wonder how many buildings still have my DNA in their walls?

 

[Woody2Shoes]

....Wonder how many buildings still have my DNA in their walls?

Sounds rude

I remember using a metal pointy thing for squidging the spat-on asbestos into the hole ( ).

On the subject of DNA, much of the plaster in our house is reinforced with human (not horse) hair....

 

[sunnybob]

On the subject of DNA, much of the plaster in our house is reinforced with human (not horse) hair....[/quote]

Wow, didnt know they had hippies in them thar days.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

This forum is all about hand tools so maybe I should`t talk about methods and just stay to the tool. Yes you can still buy plugging chisels they are mainly used to remove addeld mortar from between the bricks when re-pointing.

When CC says its not quite a wood working tool well yes and no, I have no definite proof but I believe the tool is a lot older than we think. here is a link to a plugging chisel no big deal really.
http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=h ... gQ9QEINjAE

Now here is a link to a Shipwrights Caulking box, you may have to scroll down, on the right hand side of the box are two plugging chisels but the thing is the Shipwright would not call them that, he would call them Jerrying out irons. Both tools do the same job one removes the oakum and pitch from between the planks and the other removes the mortar from between the bricks look at the shape of them are they not the same tool and when did they start to repair wooden ships.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/452048881326637642/.

Billy - that's a cracking piece of lateral thinking. Looking up 'plugging chisels' in R A Salaman's 'Dictionary of Woodworking Tools' tells us nothing much we haven't already covered, but looking up 'Caulking Tools', he tells us that caulking irons have been made in their present form since at least medieval times; there is a 13th century relief sculpture on the outside of the Cathedral of St Mark in Venice, showing shipbuilders working on a hull with caulking iron and mallet. He mentions the Jerry Iron (also known as a Hook Rave, and in the USA as a Reaping or Cleaning Iron). He describes it as being about 12" long and 1 7/8" wide, having a diagonal edge tapering in thickness from front to back in order to clear itself, and used exactly as you describe.

I suspect the Jerry Iron is possibly a bit thinner than a plugging chisel, given the relative widths of oakum gap and mortar layer, and caulking irons seem to have a mushroom-shaped striking end, maybe to make the life of the mallet a bit longer. However, they are undoubtedly pretty much exactly the same form, and do exactly the same job, albeit in different materials.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

On the subject of DNA, much of the plaster in our house is reinforced with human (not horse) hair....

Wow, didnt know they had hippies in them thar days.[/quote]

Might have been next door to a barber's shop when the replastering was done. No point shaving horses when summat just as good is right on your doorstep.

 

[MusicMan]

Just donated my dad's rawlplug star tool to TWAM (Tools with a mission). They provide them routinely for builders' kits to go to Africa.

Keith