No. 18.
The next step is to raise the stone so that it may incline at about 30° or 40° with the horizon; after which the mason, standing at the higher side, commences to put on the draughts or guide-lines all round the edge of the face which he has just opened. For that purpose he first employs a pick of about 12 lb. weight, having a handle about 2 feet in length ([fig. No. 17]), with which he dresses a band of about 3 inches broad, taking care that this band or draught be straight and out of winding. He then, with the pick, goes over the whole face between the draughts, dressing off all the ridges which still remain between the ruts which he had made while the stone was standing on edge, as before noticed, so that the whole surface will present the appearance of a pretty regularly dabbed face. Having arrived at that stage, he next proceeds to put on the true draughts (as round the edges of the stone, as in the case of the guide-lines), with the cast-steel chisel or punch (a, a′, [fig. No. 18]), and a small iron-mall of 3¹⁄₂ lb. weight; and afterwards with the axe, he carefully axes a band about 2¹⁄₂ inches broad, so as to be quite out of winding, and as straight as possible all round. The dressing is then completed between those bands. If the block be a broad one, the mason will probably be able to take in only one half of the face at a time; and, in that case, the stone must be let down at the high side, and the other one raised as high as may be necessary to enable him to work to advantage. If the surface thus dressed, which is in this case supposed to be the largest side, be intended for the bed of a stone, the knobs or high points between the pick-dabs are merely roughly dressed down with a blunt axe, so as to be all as low as the axed lines or draughts round the extremities, and thus to present no convexity on which the stone, when laid, could rock; but if the surface should be meant for a fine face, the dressing must be commenced with a bluntish axe, taking care that all the axe marks be made quite across the stone, at right angles to the side where the workman stands. The whole face having been once gone over in that manner with a blunt axe, a sharper and well ground axe is next used for crossing the first axing in such a manner that all the second axe-marks may be inclined at an angle of 45°, or thereby, with the first. The whole face having been thus brought to a smoother and more uniform surface, the third and last axing follows; and then the mason uses his shortest and lightest axe, which must, for that work, be well ground and sharp. That axing must be done right across the block, or in the same direction as the first axing had been done, and in that state the surface of the stone may be supposed to be fine enough for most kinds of work used in housebuilding or in public works; but for very fine work, such as some sepulchral monuments, or for surfaces which are afterwards to be polished, it is not unusual to axe four or even five times, care being always taken that how often soever that operation may be performed, the axing should never be made twice consecutively in the same direction, for by that precaution alone can a true and even surface be obtained. (The form of the axe is shewn in [fig. No. 19].)
No. 19.
No. 20.
The dressing of the first face being finished in the manner described, the block is laid flat on the ground, and the plan or form of the stone is then accurately drawn on it, according to the mould, with some substance that makes a bright or good mark, such as a piece of tile ground sharp, or a thin splinter of logwood. If there be much waste to be taken off beyond the lines so drawn, a hammer, whose weight must be in proportion to the piece to be struck off, is applied; but care must be taken not to come too near the lines with the hammer, and it is generally safe to leave at least an inch outside of them. The piece which is left gives a good hold for the chipper or pincher ([fig. No. 20]), which is next carefully applied along the line, being steadily held within one hand, and with the other sharply struck with a small iron mall of 3¹⁄₂ lb. weight, having a short handle about 8 inches in length. While the chipper receives sharp strokes in succession with the mall, it must be slowly moved several times along the line from one end of the stone to the other, till the piece projecting beyond the line, or a part of it, breaks off. Such is the power of this small instrument, that it not infrequently cuts down to a depth of 9 or even 12 inches, thereby doing more execution and to greater purpose, than a heavy hammer can generally accomplish, even in the hands of a skilful workman. The chipper is a tool lately introduced; but has now become a most important article in every hewer’s kit. It makes a regular and clean cut, and leaves little to be done by the punches and chisels ([fig. No. 18], in p. 122), in preparing the arris of the next face of the stone. The block is now raised a little from the ground, and the workman standing at its higher side, the axing of which he has just finished, puts on with the punches and chisel a fine band or draught along the side next to that just dressed. He then applies to the finished face the square or bevel, according to the inclination of the faces, and dresses a band across the stone at each end of the block; and, finally, joins those two cross bands by means of another band along the back. In that way the external draughts on the second side are completed. He then with the pick and axe dresses away the material between those draughts until the second face is finished; and the same process is repeated for each side of the block which requires to be dressed. If the block be a large one, and it require to be dressed on all its sides, it will, lastly, be cut to the proper thickness or height, which is regulated by means of a gauge, known, in the technical language of the shed, as “a grippers” ([fig. No. 21]),[23] from its embracing the stone on three sides. It is simply a three-sided iron templet, having one long and one short tail (at right angles to the connecting piece), the space between the two tails shewing the thickness of the stone.
[23] The figure shews “a grippers” for a stone 14 inches thick.