This photograph, taken in 1917, a period somewhat later than the one under study shows some of the common tools used in building wooden ships. They include:
A) The adze differs from an axe in the placement of the blade at a right angle to the handle. It was used for rough shaping of masts and spars and shaping and finishing the framing and planking of a vessel. Note the pin poll or projection from the back of the head. It was used to countersink spikes and nails which might damage the blade.
B) The axe was a basic and served to hew flat sides of timbers. The most common type of axe employed in shipbuilding was the broad axe, an instrument having a relatively short handle and a blade broad in comparison with its length. The blade was usually bevelled and ground to one side so that the face would lie flat against the timber.
C) The ship's maul looks much like a sledge hammer and came in a variety of weights, depending upon the work for which it was designed. The round face was used for driving nails and spikes, and the pointed reverse end was used to countersink the spikes if trimming of the timber was to be done afterwards.
D) The mallet and boat chisel served to cut holes or to work in places where space or shape prevented the use of an adze.
E) The pike-pole was traditionally associated with lumbering rather than shipbuilding. Consisting of a long handle bearing a spike and hook at the end, it was used to turn and to manoeuvre timbers. Also shown are a variety of measuring tools and squares.
For additional information about the tools associated with shipbuilding. Consulting D.A. Muise and Charles Armour, Shipping and Shipbuilding in the Maritime Provinces in the Nineteenth Century (Canada's Visual History, volume 9).
Courtesy: Erb Collection, Wilson Studios, Saint John
