66 



ON THE OLDER FORMS OF 



various ways to point the tiles, particularly at the eaves 

 and ridge. 



In Germany, the making of flat tiles, as I saw it near 

 Wurtzburg, was of the simplest description. An iron 

 frame having the outline of the tile to be made was the 

 only important implement involved in the process. This 

 frame represented the mould. The table upon which this 

 rested consisted of a thick piece of plank, over which was 

 spread a piece of woollen cloth, one edge of which was 

 nailed to the lateral edge of the plank, while the opposite 

 edge of the cloth had secured to it an iron rod, the weight 

 of which kept the cloth drawn smoothly over the plank. 

 The iron frame was now placed upon the cloth (fig. 82) 



FIG. as. 



and clay was packed into it with the hands, and then 

 pounded down with a wooden mallet such as a moulder 

 might use. A straight-edge was used to scrape away the 

 superfluous clay, a little mass being left at the head of the 

 tile which was afterwards shaped into the nib which was 

 to hold the tiles to the laths or battens. This being done, 

 a square piece of board notched at one end to admit the 

 nib was placed on the frame. The workman then grasped 

 the iron rod attached to the free end of the cloth and, with 

 the other hand holding the board in its place, lifted the cloth 

 and inverted the whole thing, transferring the soft tile to the 



