Page 44 - Nicolaes Witsen & Shipbuilding in the Dutch Golden Age

Chapter 1
Figure 1.17. A seventeenth-century signboard for a shipyard in the Amsterdam area. Many of the tools depicted here can be recognized
in Witsen’s illustrations. (Courtesy Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam)
windings about, because the w heels cannot handle very long and heavy ropes. W hile laying, the ends of the cable are held with he avy weights, to prevent the cable from crinkling and interrupting the work.
Of sailcloth, the last material discussed, Witsen does not say much more other than to note that it is woven from finely beaten hemp.
Tools
Now we sh all have a look at the building tools listed by Witsen. In addition, he pro vides a series of plates show- ing the various tools, e ach labeled with a number th at identifies it in the k ey to the il lustration (see fi gs. 1.19 to 1.30). Readers can refer to these dr awings wherever Wit- sen mentions a tool in his text concerning the pinas.
Figure 1.18. Plate LXXIII
(185 I 9) No. 1. A Saw or Whipsaw. 2. Jackscrew.
3. Maul
4. Iron wedges.
5. Burning iron.
The list is divided into two groups: tools present in the shipyard and tools that the shipwright or carpenter was supposed to carry in his own toolbox. Of course, the large cross-cut saw (1) does not fit into this category; although almost all timber delivered to the yard was already s awn to thickness, some l arge pieces still had to be f aced or ripped (sawn lengthwise, along the grain, as when a heavy crook was sliced to obtain knees of even thickness). This was done on a pair of trestles (36), with one man standing above the timber and another one below .
The jackscrew (2) was u sed to lif t heavy loads or to clench heavy planks. The wood was cleft with mauls ( 3) and iron wedges ( 4). Planks were heated for bending over an iron rod ( 5). Straw fires were burned under the plank.
Timber and crook s were mo ved in the w ater with a wood hook (6). With the chips pick or hook (7) shavings
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