Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
putty was covered with water and left to stand for several days to mature and
ensure that there are no unslaked particles of lime.
Matured putty was then screened, through a fine meshed sieve, into the
dampened 'dipping box', or 'putty tub' being 'an oblong wooden box, about
2 ft. by 1 ft. 9 in. deep, for the setter to dip that side of the brick where the bed-
joint is required' (Hammond, 1875, 45). Then, depending on the specified
joint thickness, a ratio of appropriately sized silver sand added and both thor-
oughly whisked together to achieve the desired consistency. The top of the mor-
tar, or 'fine stuff', would then be levelled of flat ready for laying to commence.
The dipping box was usually positioned at waist height in front of the work to
make dipping the rubbers easier.
Setting gauged work on site required great care and skill so as not to spoil
the preparation of the enrichment that had been undertaken in the cutting-
shed. Hammond (1875, 44) states:
… it must be remembered that, after the work is cut, there is almost as much skill
required in setting it. For it very often happens that a vast amount of labour and
skill is expended upon work while in the “cutters” hands, and directly it is taken
on to the building the beauty of it is all destroyed through the carelessness of
inability of the setter…
Gauged work, especially that designed with very thin joints was sometimes set
with grey lime putty only, but not always; as Lindsay Brayley (1945, 66) sug-
gests '…a little sand may be added to prevent excessive shrinkage on setting'.
Historical texts, in discussing the setting or laying of gauged work, tend to
emphasise the class of quicklime required, its preparation to a putty, and that
the rubbing bricks are laid with a 'putty joint'; a traditional craft term that is still
commonly used today; but which can be misleading. The same term is used in
'Tuck pointing where Richards (1901, 39) states a jointer inserts, '…a white
or black putty joint about
1
⁄
8
" wide…' There is no mention of the silver
sand necessary to make the fine mortar that this 'ribbon' would certainly
have needed. Discussing 'Axed Work' laid with a
3
⁄
8
" (5mm) 'butter joint',
Hammond (1875, 460) states it, 'Is usually set in Portland cement; and this is
sometimes mixed with a little putty to make it work better.' Hammond takes
it as granted the reader understands the need for sand at that joint thickness,
again he is merely stressing the binder for the mortar.
Grey lime putty could be used neat for fine joints because of its strength,
but, as stated above, some craftsmen still preferred to add a very small propor-
tion of fine silver sand to it to give it body and prevent shrinkage. As such it
was prepared like a plasterer's setting coat; indeed it was sometimes referred
to by their craft term as a 'fine-stuff'. As in all things there were vernacular
practices and individual craftsmen's preferences combined with years of exper-
ience of knowing how to make allowances for the unique nature and working
