A slater , or slate mason , is a tradesperson who covers buildings with slate .
6-426: The various tools of the slater's trade are all drop-forged . The slater's hammer is forged in one single piece, from crucible-cast steel, and has a 12-inch (30 cm) leather handle. It consists of a claw for drawing nails, a sheer edge for cutting slate, and a head with a sharp point at one end for punching holes in slate and with a hammer head at the other. The ripper is also forged from crucible-cast steel and
12-451: Is 24 inches (60 cm) long. It consists of a blade and a hook, and is used for removing broken slate. The hook can be used to cut and remove slating nails. The slater's stake is T-shaped. The vertical bar of the "T" is pointed to allow it to be driven into a rafter or other woodworking surface. The horizontal bar of the "T" is used to support slates whilst working on them (cutting, punching, or smoothing) with other tools. The long bar of
18-584: The Stone Age when stone tools were used for hammering and cutting. During the Bronze Age tools were made by casting the copper and tin alloys . Bronze tools were sharper and harder than those made of stone. During the Iron Age iron replaced bronze, and tools became even stronger and more durable. The Romans developed tools during this period which are similar to those being produced today. In
24-570: The period since the Industrial Revolution , the manufacture of tools has transitioned from being craftsperson made to being factory produced. A large collection of British hand tools dating from 1700 to 1950 is held by St Albans Museums . Most of the tools were collected by Raphael Salaman (1906–1993), who wrote two classic works on the subject: Dictionary of Woodworking Tools and Dictionary of Leather-working Tools . David Russell 's vast collection of Western hand tools from
30-637: The slate on the roof (with square copper nails) or making a series of small holes marking a line where the slate is broken over a slater's iron. Hand tool A hand tool is any tool that is powered by hand rather than a motor. Categories of hand tools include wrenches , pliers , cutters , files , striking tools , struck or hammered tools , screwdrivers , vises , clamps , snips , hacksaws , drills , and knives . Outdoor tools such as garden forks , pruning shears , and rakes are additional forms of hand tools. Portable power tools are not hand tools. Hand tools have been used by humans since
36-399: The stake can also be used as a straight edge for marking. The zax (also called a sack or sax ) is a hand tool for cutting, trimming, and punching nail holes in slate. It consists of a heavy rectangular knife blade with a large point, of square cross section, protruding from the poll (or butt). The blade edge is used to split slate, while the point is used to pierce square holes for mounting
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