Slater

Article summary

A slater, or slate mason, is a tradesperson who covers buildings with slate. A slater could also be a person who mines the slate, [ slater - definition, thesaurus and related words from WordNet-Online] such as in the Slate Belt of rural eastern Pennsylvania. Slate Belt - Wikipedia "Slater" is also the mascot of the Bangor Area Joint High School sports teams in the heart of the Slate Belt. Tools used 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 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 is 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 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.…

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