Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 99
The author using a
large brick axe to cleave
a rubbing brick to size,
after scoring with the
grub saw, on the cutting
bench in his own
workshop.
later trials. It also confirmed this was a quick and efficient method to cut off
brick waste and rub the roughened surface smooth. This was very important in
a busy cutting shed where hundreds of bricks needed quick cutting to size and
shape, that would have quickly blunted saw teeth, prior to finishing the many
gauged arches and aprons dominating numerous brick façades.
Peter Hill, who had never seen such an 'incongruous cutting tool' before, made
the following comments on the large brick axe, after cutting with it (Hill, 2000):
It is clearly very unsatisfactory for dressing bricks owing to its size and weight. It
seems rather elaborate for splitting bricks. The final trial with the tool did show
that it could be used to split soft rubbers quite satisfactorily. With this tool in one
hand and the brick in the other, however, there is no risk of the two halves of the
brick falling after splitting, which would risk breaking them.
