Carpentry

[MorganTyre]

Now, as to what was 'regulation', or more common than not, a relatively small-bodied wooden (what kind of wood? Don't know!  However, it was likely a small-diameter (2" or smaller, possibly flared head, possibly not)) diameter head, perhaps banded with iron, rawhide, or wood, or of simply wood, attached to a shaft of handy length.

Thanks for the prompt reply. I'm not looking for a "regulation" mallet though it would be neat if such info still (if ever) existed. However, today's caulking mallet is a highly specialized tool with an extra-long head (the one pictured below is has a longer head than handle) of dense heavy wood (lignum vitae for british, live oak or black mesquite here in america) that has been slotted to provide a spring like action to help recoil the mallet and reduce effort on the wrist. The hole is banded with tool steel to add weight and hold the whole together. In fact, as mallets go they are rather hefty as driving caulk can be fairly heavy work - much more so than one would think. However, with their thin - long head and short handle one has almost infinite variation in power being delivered to the iron simply by choking way up on the grip.

My main question is how far does this go back? I know the design dates from at least the late 18th century but how much further back? I'm having to make one regardless and if all it takes to make it more GAoP acceptable is change the design slightly I'll gladly do it. If the basic design as it currently stands is completely out of period I'll just make a "modern" (read 19th century) mallet for my caulking needs and leave it good and seperate from my pirate gear next to my aluminum fids and nylon marline.

[JohnnyTarr]

Ok I would love to get my hands on tools like this. I have been watching the farm auctions in my area but no luck there. I am not going to an antique dealer. I have had to many bad run ins there. (Seem to be snobs to a one) Any other ideas on how I can get some good old tools? I would love to build my boat with hand tools.

[Littleneckhalfshell]

Speaking of 'brace & bit' I seem to remember when researching years ago for around the Rev. War period, that much of what people think of as 'old' tools were actually either scarce or not available because they had just been or not been invented yet, back in the days of 1776. Since GAoP is so much earlier, it may be very hard to put together a carpenter tool box with period tools. All your so called "old" braces with a chuck to hold the bit, are out of place. I have one really old brace with just a square hole, that receives the bits. But the many spiral bits I have, with lead auger screw tip are still out of place for most of the pre revolutionary years, having not been invented until just about the time of the revolution. Out of all my tapered shank square bits, I think I only have one that would fit in a tool chest with teh Brace for GAoP and that is a 'spoon bit' I would post some pictures, but my camera just blew out its CCD chip and is off to SONY for a free replacement (apparently there were some bad chips out there prior to 2004) Anyway, maybe I can borrow a camera and post my brace and bit. Also may check on the Museum of Trades and tools that is just a little south of me here in NJ, last time I was there was 15 years or more ago. Great thread

[JohnnyTarr]

Oh what I am talking about "old" is somthing an Amish would be proud of. You know the kind of something that we say "man they just don't make them like that anymore."

[JohnnyTarr]

Things like this. http://www.marlinespike.com/ They don't have to be old just made with the pride that seems to be missing nowdays.

[MorganTyre]

The palms on that website are (I believe) WM smith which can be bought in the US through a company called Bainbridge which any sail loft is likely to deal with. The wooden fids are a quick and easy project on a lathe - just find a nice wood you're happy with. Lignum Vitae is ideal but not necessary. The mallet I was talking about before and most other mallets as well as serving boards and mallets and seam rubbers also fall into the easy carving or turning category. Caulking irons make good first blacksmithing projects. A rigging knife similiar to the one on that website can be made by grinding down an old file. The nice thing about some of the old maritime tools is their simplicity of design - the dual advantage of which being both their easy of construction and their flexibility of use. It's these features that brought up my original question - seeing as they are as simple as simple can be and were put in the hands of people who had a TON of time on their hands - working in an industry that even by the GAoP had more than a thousand years of evolution I'm wondering just how far back most of the tools mentioned go.

[The Chapman]

I am very glad I started this thread. It interests me. I have no real interest in 'playing' pyrate' any more than I have in 'playing' with guns. The gun thing is why I will not 'play' war.

A tool is a tool. It does what it does; the human (simian) user does what it does.

As to whether a particular tool is 'period correct', well, I have to say...

You need to use it. Every day. Over and over again. Does it seem correct in your hand? Does it seem like something you like? Can you use it all the time?

Use this tool that you would like to know about for it's intended use, 6-14 hours a day, for a year, and hey, does it seem right? Well, does it?

Use the God Damn thing and then get back to me. And I realize I'm setting myself up as a lightning rod, but so what? How many people now use hand tools? No-one knows anything about them anymore. It's a dead art.

I went to a pissant (I need to watch this kind of talk; it makes me seem ignorant and unintelligent, and it reinforces what other people think about the trades) antique store today. The mall (I hope this is a MidWest US figment) had a setting of old tools. And I found two fantastic planes... or would have been, had they not been beyond redemption. Junk. The wood bodied plane I in fact would have taken home and cleaned up, except that the body was severely twisted, the mouth was BROKEN OUT, and the dumb sonofabitch wanted $45.00 for this piece of firewood.

Anyway; fantastic hammer. it's certainly pretty.

Why don't you use it for a couple of months, for its job, and find out whether or not its correct?

Does it hurt your wrist? Does it damage you? What's up? Is it correct?

The big question, in the absence of standardisation:

IS IT CORRECT FOR YOU?

Is it your hammer? Is it your mallet? Is this your friend, sidekick, a piece you cannot go to work without, without which you feel naked?

Oh; the brace and bit, and various bit-holding practices, have been around a lot longer than you may think. I will not volunteer more. Not my job.

Thanks everyone,

Chapman