NEW METHOD OF SLATING. <Z6§ 



bably, the putty having been thus removed by the teeth of New mcdeof 

 the saw up to the nail, a similar instrument, with however l^ed. * 

 finer teeth, would more properly apply for cutting off the 

 latter, when the first might again proceed to the entire sepa- 

 ration of the slate. 



O, fig. 4, A pallet of thin permanent board, that, being 

 put into a mould for the purpose, receives on its upper sur- 

 face putty, mortar, or any other proper cement ; and which, 

 being spread over it with a moistened wooden spatula, or 

 striker, obtains a uniform thickness (a quarter of an inch 

 more or less), governed by the depth of the mould, in the 

 maimer of forming bricks : this is afterward divided into 

 hull-inch slivers, aud applied on the joints of the slates; as 

 seen at P, fig. 2. 



Q, fig. 5, The mould, of the same breadth on the inside 

 as the pallet; and which, having an edge vising on three of 

 its sides more than the thickness of the pallet, gives that of 

 the cake of cement. 



R, fig. 6, A two-edged knife, for dividing and applying 

 the above slivers of mortar, putty, &c. 



S, figs. 1 and 2, a small set or head of iron, about three 

 pounds weight, to be taken with the left hand, at the driving 

 of the nails, and pressed hard against their points, thus giv- 

 ing them an effectual clinching, and at the same time re- 

 ceiving the impulse of the hammer, so as to prevent all jar- 

 ring, disjunction, and derangement. Still farther to guard 

 against this, and to avoid the absurd practice of splitting 

 the laths with almost every nail that is driven through them, 

 an appropriate brad-awl, T, fig. 2, with a T head and chis- 

 sel point, to cut its way across the grain, should be used to 

 make a passage for the nail, previous to driving it. 



While the pressure of every kind of slating on the tim- General defect 

 bers of a roof is found in all its parts equal, and the power ° r0 ° b * 

 of such timbers for sustaining it is, by the modes hitherto 

 used, very partially applied, and chieBy found in those that 

 have their lower ends set in its foot-beams ; an idea of a pe- 

 culiar uniformity and consequent stability in the general 

 system here recommended, as well as separately in that of 

 fastening down its slates, will, 1 humbly conceive, impress 

 itself on every mind open to conviction. 



Was 



