Glazing Knife. Hacking Knife. Chisel Knife. Clicker’s Knife.
The trade of the Glazier, though now very important, was unknown in this country till the eleventh century, and even long afterwards the use of glass for windows was extremely rare; pieces of horn, and oiled paper, supplying its place in almost every building except palaces and churches. As we have here to do with the Glazier, and not with the manufacturer of glass, we need say little about the method of making the materials used; so that it will suffice to know that the “crown glass,” mostly sold for windows of houses, is composed principally of white sand, pearlash, and saltpetre. This glass the Glazier purchases in sheets of a circular form, each of which is called a table, since the mode in which it is made renders such a shape necessary; and the first thing he has to learn, is how to cut out square pieces of the proper size without wasting much of the round edge. The glass when cut is fixed either into lead work or sashes; the former of these is the oldest description of glazing; and in the common kind the leaden frames are soldered together, so as to form squares or diamonds; the sides of the grooves in which the glass is placed being soft enough to bend back to receive the panes, and then bend back again to hold them firmly. In wooden sashes, such as are now commonly used, the space or frame for each pane of glass is “rebated,” that is, it has outside a small groove all round to receive the pane, and a ledge against which it rests. In this “rebate” each square of glass is placed, and then firmly bedded and fastened smoothly with a rim of putty filling up the groove.
Rule. Square. 2-foot Rule. Tilter.
The Glazier uses a hacking knife for cutting out old putty from broken squares; and the stopping knife, or glazing knife, for laying and smoothing the putty.
For setting glass into lead work, the setting knife, or chisel knife, and the broad-bladed knife is used.
As much of the Glazier’s work is done outside the house, he is sometimes compelled to use a board which is fastened with screws, and projects from the window so that he may sit astride on the outside. No one should ever attempt this where the sash can be easily taken out and the work done inside.
Diamond. Pincers.