Mechanick exercises, or, The doctrine of handy-works by Joseph Moxon.

MECHANICK EXERCISES: OR, The Doctrine of Handy-Works.

Applied to the Art of Bricklayers-Work.

Definition.

BRicklayers-Work is an Art Manual, which Joins se∣veral Bodies so together, that they adhere like one entire Body.

Whether the White Mason, which is the Hewer of Stone, or the Red Mason, which is the Hewer of Brick, be the most Ancient, I know not; but in holy Writ, we read of making of Bricks, before we read of Dig∣ging or Hewing of Stone; therefore we may suppose the Red Mason (or Bricklayer) to be the most ancient.

The method that I shall use in Treating of this Art shall be this.

First, I will shew what Materials they use, and their Composition.

Secondly, I will treat of their Tools, and describe their Names and Uses.

Thirdly, I will declare their Method of Working, both in Bricks, Tiles, &c.

And First of Materials.

WHich are Comprised under Six heads, viz. 1. Bricks, 2. Tiles, 3. Morter, 4. Laths, 5. Nailes. 6. Tile-pins.

Of Bricks.

THey are made of Earth, of which the whiteish Chalky sort of Earth, and the Redish are the best.

At Lunenburgh in Saxony, they make them of a fat Earth full of Allom. Also there are good Bricks made at Pitane in Asia, of a Pumice sort of Earth, which being dryed, will swim in Water and not Sink.

Likewise the Antients made them of Earth which was Sandy.

But here in England they are made for the most part of a yellowish coloured fat Earth somewhat Redish.

And they are made of several sorts and sizes.

IN Holland they make small ones, being about Six Inches long, Three Inches Broad, and One Inch in thickness.

Which sort of Bricks, is commonly used here in England, to Pave Yards or Stables withal; and they make a good Pavement, and are very Durable, and being laid edge ways looks handsomly, especially if laid Herring-bone fashion.

They are also used in Soap-boilers Fats, and in making of Cisterns.

THE Common Bricks that are made here in Eng∣land, are Nine Inches in Length, Four Inches and 1/4 in Breadth, and Two and an half in Thickness; and sometimes Three Inches thick.

Most Counties in England afford Earth for the making of Bricks.

BUT the best Earth that we have in England for making of Bricks, is in the County of Kent, from whence we have most of the Bricks which are Rubbed

and Hewed for the Ornaments of the chief Fronts in the City of London: The Ornamental part of which Fronts, are done with the Reddest Bricks they can pick from among them; and the Rough or Plain Work, is done with the Grey Kentish Bricks; also those Grey Kentish Bricks are used in making of Cisterns to hold Water, and Horse-Ponds, and also Fats for Soap-Boi∣lers; and I am of the Opinion, that no time will Im∣pair or decay those Grey Kentish Bricks: But, as Pliny says, (speaking of Bricks,) that they will last to Eternity.

There are also in most Counties of England, Bricks made for the Paving of Floors of Rooms, Cellars, Dary-houses, &c. which are made of a stonger sort of Earth, than the Common Bricks for Building, the Earth be∣ing a kind of Clay, and in some Countries are called Clay Bricks, which are dearer than the Ordinary Bricks by about Six Shillings in a Thousand.

Likewise in several Counties, but chiefly in Surrey, are made Paving Tiles of Three several Magnitudes; the largest sort being Twelve Inches long, and Twelve broad, and one Inch and an half in Thickness.

The Second sort are Ten Inches long, and Ten In∣ches Broad, and one Inch and a Quarter thick.

The Third sort are Eight Inches long, Eight Broad, and one Inch thick.

Either of which sorts being Pollished or rubbed with sharp Sand on the Surface, and the joints made exactly square, and the sides equal, by hewing them with a Brick Ax, and rubbing them on a rubbing Stone with sharp Sand, makes an Excellent Pavement and pleasing to the Eye, especially when laid Arris ways.

Having thus described the several sorts of Bricks, and also Paving Tiles, we come in the next place to Treat of Tiles, made and used in the Covering of Roofs of Houses, both Publick and Particular, of which are Four sorts or Kinds.

The First sort are called Plain Tiles, being made of a strong sort of Earth like Clay; and are, or should be Ten Inches and an half in Length, in Breadth Six In∣ches and a Quarter, and in Thickness Three quar∣ters of an Inch.

The second sort are Gutter or Hip Tiles, which are used sometimes for Vallies and Hips of Rooffs, altho' here at London, the Vallies are commonly Tiled with Plain Tiles, and the Hips with Ridge, or (as some call them) Roof Tiles: These Gutter Tiles are in Length Ten Inches and an half, with convenient Breadth and Thickness accordingly, and are made Circular or hol∣low, and wider at one end than at the other.

The third sort are Ridge or Roof Tiles, being in length Thirteen Inches, and made Circular breadthways like an half Cylinder, whose Diameter is about ten Inches, or more, and about half an Inch and half a quarter in thickness: These are laid upon the upper part, or ridge of the Roof, and also on the Hips.

The Fourth sort are Pan-Tiles, being about thirteen Inches long, with a Nob or Button to hang on the Laths, and are made hollow or circular breadthways, being eight Inches in breadth, and about half an Inch in thickness, or somewhat more. The best sort of these are brought from Holland into England, and are cal∣led Flemmish Pan-Tiles, we having such Tiles made here in England, but not so good: Which Flemmish Tiles are sometimes glazed, and are of a Lead, or blew∣ish colour, and being glazed they are very durable and handsom.

Having done with the Description of Tiles, for the Covering of Roofs, we come in the next place to treat of Morter, and first of Lime, being the chief Material of which the Morter is made, for the Cementing or Joining of Tiles, as well as Bricks together, we will Treat of it in the first place.

Of Lime.

THere are two sorts, one made of Stone, which is the strongest, and the other of Chalk, both sorts being burnt in a Kilne.

The Lime that is made of soft Stone or Chalk is use∣ful for Plastering of Seelings and Walls within Doors, or on the insides of Houses; and that made of hard Stone, is fit for Structures or Buildings, and Plastering with∣out Doors, or on the out side of Buildings that lies in the Weather; and that which is made of greasy clammy Stone, is stronger than that made of lean poor stone; and that which is made of spongy stone, is lighter than that made of firm and close stone; that is again more Commodious for Plastering, this for Buil∣ding.

Also very good Lime may be made of Mill-stone, not course and Sandy, but fine and Greasy.

Likewise of all kinds of Flints (but they are hard to burn except in a Reverbratory Kiln) except those that are roled in the Water, because a great part of its in∣crease goes away by a kind of Glass.

But the Shells of Fish, as of Cockles, Oysters, &c. are good to burn for Lime.

And the Fire in Lime burnt, Asswages not, but lies hid, so that it appears to be cold, but Water excites it again, whereby it Slacks and crumbles into fine powder.

Lime also is useful in divers things, for 'tis useful in Oyles and Wines, and good to Manure Land with; some season new Wine with it, mittigating the unplea∣santness of the Wine therewith.

Moreover quick Lime being cast into an Arched Vault, and Water thrown upon it, consumes dead Bo∣dies put therein.

Also Diers and Tanners, and likewise Physicians, use it, but they choose the newest, to wit, that which is

is newly drawn out of the Kiln, and not slack'd with Water or Air.

It will burn so Vehemently, that it makes crusts, and will fire Boards or Timber against which it lies; but being slackt for sometime, it burns no more, yet it warms and dries, and dissolves Flesh; and being washed three or Four times, it Bites or Eats not, but dries quickly.

Lime mixt with Sand is much used in Buildings, and Vitruvius says, that you may put three parts of Sand that is digged (or pit Sand) and one part of Lime to make Morter; but if the Sand be taken out of a River, or out of the Sea, then two parts thereof, and one of Lime; as also to River or Sea Sand, if you put a third part of Powder of Tiles or Bricks, (to wit, Tile, or Brick dust) it works the better.

But Vitruvius his Proportion of Sand seems too much, altho' he should mean the Lime before it is slacked, for one Bushel of Lime before it is slack'd, will be Five Pecks after 'tis slack'd.

Here at London, where for the most part our Lime is made of Chalk, we put about Thirty Six Bushels of Pit Sand, to Twenty Five Bushels of Quick-Lime, that is about one Bushel and half of Sand, to one Bushel of Lime.

And Lime mixt with Sand, and made into Morter, if it lie in an heap two or Three Years before 'tis used, it will be the stronger and better, and the rea∣son of so many insufficient Buildings, is the using of the Morter, as soon as 'tis made, as Agricola saith.

Moreover there is other Morter used in making of Water-courses, Cisterns, Fish-ponds, &c. which is very hard and durable, as may be seen at Rome, at this day, which is called Maltha, from a kind of Bitumen Dug there; for as they build most firm Walls thereof naturally, so they use it in making of Cisterns to hold

Water, and all manner of Water-works; and also in finishing or Plastering of Fronts to represent Stone.

And I find two kinds of Artifices used by the An∣tients, both of which is Compounded of Lime and Hogs-grease, but to one is added the Juice of Figs, and to the other Liquid Pitch; and the Lumps of Lime are first wet or Slack'd with Wine, then Pounded or beat with Hogs-grease, and Juice of Figs, or with the same and Pitch; that which hath Pitch in it, is blacker and easily Distinguished from the other by its Colour, and that which is Plastered with this Tarrace, is done over with Linseed Oil.

Metalists use a kind of Tarrace in their Vessels for fining of Mettals, that the melted Mettle run not out; for as the Moderns restrain Water, and contain it, so the Antients, this liquid Mettal, and 'tis compounded or made of Quick-Lime and Ox Blood, the Lime being beat to Powder and sifted, and then mixt with the Blood and beat with a Beater.

But their Cement differs from both the Malthas in Composition and use, for 'tis made of Dust or Powder of Marble, and Glew made of Bull or Ox Leather, and with this they glew pieces of Marble or Stones to∣gether.

In later times, two kinds of Cement are in use, in both which they use the Powder of Marble, or other Stone, to one is added the Whites of Eggs, to the o∣ther is added Pitch; to these some add other things, as the Gravers of Gems, they make it of Tile Dust and Pitch.

Another Material which Bricklayers use are Laths, which are made of heart of Oak, for out side Work, as Tiling and Plastering; and of Fir for inside Plastering and Pantile Lathing; their usual lengths being 5 Foot, and 4 Foot, and sometimes longer or shorter; their Breadth sometimes 2 Inches, and one Inch and an half,

the thickness about 1/4 of an Inch or thicker: But for Pantiling, the Laths, are about Ten Foot long, one Inch and half Broad, and half an Inch or more thick.

Another Material is Nails, of which they use three sorts, one is called Reparation or Lath Nails, which are used for plain Tile Lathing, and outside and in∣side Lathing for Plastring; another sort are four Penny, and Six Penny Nails, used for Pantile Lathing; and a third sort are great Nails for Scaffolding.

Moreover they use Tile-Pins, which are sometimes made of Oak, and sometimes of Fir, which they drive into holes that are made in the Plain Tiles to hang them upon their Lathing.

They also put Ox or Cow Hair into the Mortar which they use for Plastering, being called Lime and Hair, which Hair keeps the Mortar from Cracking or Chap∣ing, and makes it hold or bind together.

And whereas they make use of the sharpest Sand they can get (that being best) for Morter, to lay Bricks and Tiles in; so they choose a fat Loamy or Greasy Sand for Inside Plastering, by reason it sticks together, and is not so subject to fall assunder when they lay it on Seelings or Walls.

Having given you an account of the several Mate∣rials that are used in Bricklayers Work, we shall in the next place Treat of their Tools and their uses, which are as follows.

Tools used in Brick Work.

1. A Brick Trowel to take up the Morter with, and to spread it on the Bricks, with which also they cut the Bricks to such lengths as they have occa∣sion, and also stop the joints.

2. A Brick Ax, with which they cut Bricks to what shape they please, as some for Arches both streight and Circular, others for the mouldings of Architecture, as Archytrave Friez and Cornice.

3. A Sawe made of Tinn, to sawe the Bricks which they cut.

4. A Rub-stone, which is round, and is about four∣teen Inches diameter, and sometimes more or less at pleasure, on which they rub the Bricks which they cut into several shapes, and also others which they cut not, being call'd Rubbed Returns, and Rubbed Headers and Stretchers.

A Square, to try the bed of the Brick, (viz. that side which lies in the Morter) with the superficies or face of the Brick, to make the Brick square, or at Rect-an∣gles one side with the other, which is done by rubing it on the Rub-stone till it exactly answers, or fits to the Square.

6. A Bevel, by which they cut the undersides of the Bricks, of Arches streight or circular, to such ob∣lique Angles as the Arches require, and also for o∣ther Uses.

7. A Small Trannel of Iron, or a large Nail ground'd to a sharp point, with which they mark the Brick, ei∣ther from a Square or Bevel, or a Mould made of thin Wainscot, or Pastboard, to direct them in the cutting thereof.

8. Some use a float Stone, with which they rub the moulding of the Brick, after they have cut it with the Ax, pretty near to the Pattern described on the Brick, by the Trannel from the Wainscot, or Pastboard Mould, that so they may make the Brick exactly to answer to the Pattern or Mould. Others use no Stone at all, but cut the Brick exactly to the Pattern with their Brick-Ax, leaving the Ax stroaks to be seen on the Brick, which, if they be streight and parallel one to another, look very prettily, and is the truest way of Working; but then they must take care, to Ax the Brick off, with an Ax that is exactly streight on the edge, that the moulding in the Brick be neither round

nor hollow, from side to side of a Header, or from end to end of a Stretcher.

9. A Little Ruler, about 12 Inches in length, and 1 Inch and 1/2 broad, which they lay on the Brick to draw streight Lines by, with the Trannel or Nail.

10. A Banker, to cut the Bricks upon, which is a piece of Timber about six foot long, or more, accor∣ding to the number of those who are to work at it, and 9 or 10 Inches square, which must be laid on two Piers of Brick, or fixt on Bearers of Timber about three foot high from the Floor, on which they stand to work.

11. They work up a Pier of Brick-work, about the same height to lay their Rubbing-Stone upon, which must be laid in Morter that it may lye fast.

12. A Grinding-Stone, to sharpen their Axes, Ham∣mers, Trowels, &c. upon.

13. A Pair of Line Pins of Iron, with a length of Line on them about sixty feet in length, to lay each Row, or Course of Bricks, level on the Bed, and streight on the Surface by, a Line seldom holding to strein, or draw streight in length, above 50 or 60 feet.

14. A Plumb Rule about 4 foot long, with a Line and Plummet of Lead, to carry their Work upright, or perpendicular withal.

15. A Level, about 10 or 12 foot long, to set out their Foundations level, or parallel to the Horizon, and also to try whether the Walls of the Building, or Jambs of Chimneys, be carried level, as they raise the Work, that so they may bring up all their Brick-work to an exact horizontal height, at the laying on of ever floor of Carpentry.

16. A Large Square, to set their Walls at rectangles, which may also be done without a Square, by setting 6 foot from the angle one way, and 8 foot the other way, then if the Diagonal line, or Hypotenuse, be ex∣actly 10 feet, the angle is a rectangle: If not, you

must set the Wall that is to be at rectangles to the o∣ther, either this or that way, till the two measures of 6 and 8 feet answer exactly to 10 feet.

17. A Ten Foot and a Five Foot Rod, as also a Two Foot Rule, to take and lay down Lengths, and Breadths, and Heights.

18. A Jointing Rule, about 10 foot long, and about 4 Inches broad, whereby to run the long Joints of the Brick-work.

19. A Jointer of Iron, with which, and the foresaid, Rule, they joint the long Joints, and also the Cross Joints, these being done with the Jointer without the Rule.

20. Compasses, to describe the several Mouldings on Wainscot or Pastboard.

21. A Hammer, to cut Holes in Brick-work, and drive Nails for Scarfolding.

22. A Rammer, to Ramm the Foundations.

23. A Crow of Iron, to dig through a Wall, and also a Pick-Ax.

The Manner and Shapes of the foresaid Tools, you may see in Plate 1. and the Name of each Tool in the Page next the Plate wherein they are delineated.

The Names and Uses of Tools relating to Tyling.

1. A Lathing Hammer, to nail on the Laths withal, with two Gauge Stroaks (for Lathing for Ty∣ling) cut upon the handle of it, one at 7 Inches from the head, and the other at 7 Inches and an half; some indeed Lath at 8 Inches, but that is too wide, occasion∣ing Rainings in.

2. A Lathing Staff of Iron, in the form of a Cross, to stay the cross Laths while they are nailed to the long Laths, and also to clinch the Nails.

3. A Tyling Trowel, to take up the Morter and lay it on the Tiles, it being longer and narrower than a Brick-Trowel, altho' for a shift many times they use a Brick-Trowel to Tyle withal, when they have not a Tyling-Trowel.

4. A Bosse, made of Wood, with an Iron Hook, to hang on the Laths, or on a Ladder, in which the La∣bourer puts the Morter which the Tyler uses.

5. A Striker, which is only a piece of Lath about 10 Inches long, with which they strike, or cut off the Morter at the britches of the Tiles.

6. A Broome, to sweep the Tyling after 'tis strooke.

Of the Names and Uses of Tools relating to Plastering.

1. A Lathing Hammer, being the same as before in Tyling, with which the Laths are nailed on with its head, and with its Edge they cut them to any length, and likewise cut off any part of a Quarter, or Joyst, that sticks further out than the rest.

2. A Laying Trowel, to lay the Lime and Hair with∣all upon the Laths, it being larger than a Brick Trowel, and fastned to its handle in a different manner from the Brick Trowel.

3. A Hawke, made of Wood about the bigness of a square Trencher, with a handle to hold it by, whereon the Lime and Hair being put, they take from it more or less as they please.

4. A Setting Trowel, being less than the Laying Trowel, with which they finish the Plastering when it is almost dry, either by Trowelling and brishing it o∣ver with fair Water, or else by laying a thin Coat of fine Stuff made of clean Lime, and mixt with Hair with∣out any Sand, and setting it, that is to say, Trowelling and brishing it.

5. A small Pointing Trowel, to go into sharp Angles.

6. Brishes, of three sorts, viz. A St••ck Brish, a Round Brish, and a Pencil. With these Brishes, they wet old Walls before they mend them, and also brish over their new Plastering when they set, or finish it, and moreover white and size their Plastering with them. The Pencil, or Drawing Tool, is used in blacking the bottoms, or lower parts of Rooms, &c.

7. Floats, made of Wood, with handles to them, which they sometimes use to float Seelings or Walls with, when they are minded to make their Plastering very streight and even, these Floats being some larger, and some lesser, than the Laying Trowels: Likewise they use Floats made to fit to Mouldings, for the fin∣ishing of several sorts of Mouldings with finishing Mor∣ter to represent Stone, such as Cornices, Facias, Archy∣traves, &c.

The finishing Morter to represent Stone, should be made of the strongest Lime, and the sharpest Sand you can get, which Sand must be washed in a large Tub, very well, till no Scum or Filth arise in the Water, when you stir it about, which sometimes will require to have clean Water 5 or 6 times, when the Sand is somewhat foul; and it requires a greater Proportion of Sand than the ordinary Morter, because it must be extreamly beaten, which will break all the Knots of Lime, and by that means it will require more Sand.

8. Streight Rules, of several lengths, to lay Quines streight by, and also to try whether the Plastering be laid true and streight, by applying the Rules to their Work.

9. A Pale, to hold Water or Whitewash, or White and Size.

10. Some use a Budget or Pocket to hang by their sides, to put their Nailes in when they Lath, and others Tuck and tye up their Aprons, and put the Nailes therein.

Having given you a Description of the several Tools and uses, there are some things yet remaining, which though they cannot be properly called Tools, yet they are Utensils, without which they cannot well perform their Work.

And they are.

1. LAdders, of several lengths, as Standard-Ladders, two Story, and one Story Ladders, &c.

2. Fir Poles, of several lengths for Standards and Led∣gers for Scaffolding.

3. Putlogs, which are pieces of Timber, or short Poles, about 7 Foot long, which lies from the Led∣gers into their Brickwork, to bear the Boards they stand on to Work, and to lay Bricks and Morter upon.

4. Fir Boards, about 10 Foot long, and any Breadth, but commonly about a Foot broad, because for the most part, four of them in breadth, makes the breadth of the Scaffold: Which Boards ought to be one Inch and 1/2 or two Inches in thickness, altho' commonly they make use of some, which are not above one Inch thick, which are sometimes subject to break, especially when the Putlogs lye far asunder from one another.

5. Chords, which should be well Pitched to preserve them from the weather, and from ro••••ing, with which they fasten the Ledgers to the Standards, or upright Poles.

6. Sieves, of several sorts, some larger, others lesser, some finer, others courser, to sift the Lime and Sand withall, before they wet it into Morter or Lime and Hair.

7. A Loame-hook, Beater, Shovel, Pick-Ax, Basket and Hod, which commonly belong to Bricklaiers La∣bourers, and may be called the Labourers Tools.

8. A Skreen made of Boards and Wyer, which per∣forms the Office of a Sieve, and with which one Man will Skreen as much Lime, mixt with Sand or Rubish, as two Men can with a Sieve.

9. Boards or Tubs, to put the Morter in.

And except my memory fails me, these are all, or the most usual Tools and Utensils, which they make use of.

Having now given you an account of their several Materials, together with their necessary Tools and Utensils; we shall proceed in the next place to Treat of their Method of working, which is Various, some working after a better Method, and more concisely than others.

And First of Foundations.

'TIS usual, and also very convenient, for any person before he begins to Erect a Building, to have Designs or Draughts drawn upon Paper or Vellum, and also if it be a large Building, to have a Model of it made in Wainscot; in which Designs and Model, the Ground Plat or Ichnography of each Floor or Story, is Delineated and represented: As also the fashion and form of each Front, together with the Windows, Doors, and Ornaments, if they intend any, to wit, Facias, Rustick Quines, Architraves, Friezes and Cornices, are to be shewn in the Draughts or Designs of the Uprights or Orthographyes.

If more Fronts than one be shewn Perspectively in one Draught, then 'tis called Scenography, which is not easily understood, except by those who understand the Rules of Perspective.

Therefore it will be more Intelligible to the several Workmen, to have a Draught of each Front in a Pa∣per

by it self, and also to have a Draught of the Ground-Plat or Ichnography of every story, in a Paper by it self; because many times the Conveniences, or Contrivances in one Story, differs from those in another, either in bigness of Chimneys, or division of the Rooms, some being larger in one Story than another, and sometimes having more Chimnies in one Story than in ano∣ther, &c.

All which things being well considered, and drawn on Papers, or a Model made thereof, before the Build∣ing is begun, there will be no need of Alterations, or Tearing and pulling the Building to pieces after it is begun; for besides the hindrance of the Procedure of the Work, it makes the Building lame and Deficient, nothing being so well done, when 'tis put up, and pul∣led down, and set up again, as if it were well done at first.

Besides it makes the Workmen uneasy, to see their Work, in which they have taken a great deal of pains, and used a great deal of Art, to be pull'd to pieces.

The drawing of Draughts is most commonly the work of a Surveyor, although there be many Master Workmen that will contrive a Building, and draw the Designs thereof, as well, and as curiously, as most Sur∣veyors: Yea, some of them will do it better than some Surveyors; especially those Workmen who un∣derstand the Theorick part of Building, as well as the Practick.