Chap. Ill, BRICKLAYING AND TILING.

559
them, conne.'Ling the two girders, which are also bolted together. The brick-oi-k below
is then removed. This sy.-tem will in most cases supersede all others. Careful advi e is
given for shoring up defective arclies and vaults
;
and a French plan of suppoiting centre-
ing on \iood oy pistons fitted into iron cylinders filled with sand; by this means i lie
cen-reiiig can be accurately slackened by letting out the sand. The familiar methods of
Timbering Excavations are given. ^Vhere the earth will not s'and, sheet piling is re-
commended, i fc. wide, but 4 ft. 6 in. is generally cons'dered to be the least width in
which men can conveniently excavate. In Underpinning, the author points out the
difficulties of t-horing when the defects have arisen from_ tlie ground being too soft; he
shows the shoring necessary fur crushed piers and columns, and adverts to the move-
ments occasioned by underpinning, on parts apparently too distant to be affected by
them. Descriptions are given of the methods employed in straightening walls, as at
Armagh Cathedral, Beverley Minster, and St. Albans Abbey. (G. Aitchibon,in R.I.B.A.
Proceedings. The Mechanics of
Shoring, in Building News, Sept. 14, 1877, p- 249.)
1890. The tools used by the bricklayer, who has always an attendant labourer to supply
him with bricks, mortar, &c., are1. A hrick troiuel, for taking up and spreading the
mortar, and also for cutting the bricks to any required length. 2. A hammer, for cutting
holes and chases in brickwork. 3. The plumb rule, being a thin rule, 6 or 7 inches Avide,
with a line and plummet swinging in the middle of it, in order to ascertain that the walls
are carried up perpendicularly. 4. The level, which is about ] or 12 feet long, with a
vertical rule attached to it, in whicli a line and plumnut aie siispend-d, the use of which is
to try the level of the walls at various stages of the building as it procee.ls, and particularly
at the window sills and wall plates. 5. The large square, for setting out right angles.
6. The rod, for measuring lengths, usually 5 or 10 feet long. 7. Th^' jointing rule, about
8- or 10 feet long, as one or two bri.-klayers are to use it, and 4 inches broad, with which
they rim or mark the centre of each joint of the brickwork. 8. The. jutnter, which is of
iron, shaped like the letter S. 9. The com^Msscs, for traversing arches and vaults. 10. The
raker, a piece of iron having two knees or angles, dividing it into three parts at right angles
to each other, the two end parts being pointed and equally long, and standing upon contrary
sides of the middle part. Its use is to rake out decayed mortar from the joints of old walls
for the purpose of replacing it with new mortar, or, as it is called, pointing them. 1 1 . The
hod, which is a wooden trough shut close across at one extremity and open at the other.
The sides consist of two boards at right angles to each other; from where they meet a
handle projects at right angles to their union. It is used by the labourer for conveying
bricks and mortar to the bricklaj'er ; for which purpose, when he has the latter office to
perform, he strews dry sand on its inside, to prevent the mortar from sticking. 12. The
linej^inSfWUch are oi iron, for fasteinng and stretching the line at proper intervals of the
wall, that each course may be kept straight in the face and level on the bed. The pins have
a line attached to them of 60 ft to each pin. 13. The rammer, used f ir trying the ground,
as well as for beating it solid to the utmost degree of compression. 13. The iron crow;\r\^
pick axe, for breaking and cutting through walls or moving heavy weights. 14. The grind-
ing stone, for sharpening axes, hammers, and other tools. The following ten articles relate
enti ely to the preparation and cutting of gauged arches. 15. 'J"he haiikir, which is a bench
from 6 to 1 2 ft. long, according to the number of workmen who are to work at it. It is
2 ft. 6 inches to <5ft. wide, and about 2 ft. 8 in. high. Its use is for preparing the bricks
for rubbeJ arches, and for other gauged work. 16. The camber slip, a piece of wood,
usually about half an inch thick, with at least one curved edge, rising about 1 inch in
6 feet, for drawing the sofite line of straight arches. When the other edge is curved, it
rises about half that of the other, that is, about h.ilf an inch in 6 feet, for the purpose of
drawing the upper line of the arch, so as to prevent it becoming hollow by the settling of
the arch. The upperedge is not always cambered, many preferring it straight. The slip
being sufficiently long, it answers the width of many openings
;
and when the bricklayer has
drawn his arch, he delivers it to the carpenter to prepare the centre for ir. 1 7. The rubhitig
stone. This isof a cylindrical form, about 20 inches diameter, but may be less. It h fixed at
one end of the banker, upon a bed of mortar. After the bricks for the gauged work have
been rough-shaped by the axe, they are rubbed smooth on the rubbing stone. The headers
and stretidiers, in return, which are not axed, are called ruhlicd returns And rubbed headers
and stretchers. 18. The bedding stone, which is a straight piece of marble 1 8 or 20 inches in
length, of any thickness, and about 8 or 10 inches wide. It is used to try the rid)bed side of a
brick, which must be first squared to prove whether its surface be straight, so as to fit it
upon the leading skew hack, or leading end of the arch. 19. The square, for trying the
bedding of the bricks, and squaring the sofites acrjss the breadth of the bricks. 20. The
bevel, for drawing the sofite line on the face of the biicks. 21 . The mould, for forming the
face and back of the brick, in order to reduce it in thickness to its proper taper, one edge
of the mould being brought close to the bed of the brick when squared. The mould has a
notch for every course of the arch. 22. The scribe, a spike or large nail, ground to a sharp
point, to mark the bricks on the face and back by the tapering edges of the mould, {
a-
the