Moulds to Pay

Pieces of deal or board made to the shape of the lines on the mould loft floor, as the timbers, harpins, ribbands, etc., for the purpose of cutting out the different pieces of timber, etc., for the ship. Also the thin, flexible pieces of pear-tree or box used in constructing the draughts and plans of ship, which are made in various shapes, viz., to the segments of circles from one foot to 22 feet radius, increasing six inches on each edge, and numerous elliptical curves, with other figures.

Cut to the mould. Also the size or bigness of the timbers that way the mould is laid. (See Sided.)

The pieces that are placed up and down to divide the panels in framed bulkheads.

Iron pins of various descriptions for fastening board, plank, or iron work, viz., deck nails, or spike nails, which are from 4 inches and a half to 12 inches long, have snug heads, and are used for fastening planks and the flat of the decks. Weight nails are similar to deck nails, but not so fine, have square heads, and are used for fastening cleats, etc. Ribband nails are similar to weight nails, with this difference, that they have large round heads, so as to be more easily drawn. They are used for fastening the ribbands, etc. Clamp nails are short stout nails, with large heads for fastening iron clamps. Port nails, double and single, are similar to clamp nails, and used for fastening iron-work. Rudder nails are also similar, but used chiefly for fastening the pintles and braces. Filling nails (obsolete) are generally of cast-iron, and driven very thick in the bottom planks instead of copper sheathing. Sheathing nails (obsolete) are used to fasten wood sheathing on the ship's bottom to preserve the plank and prevent the filling nails from tearing it too much. Nails of sorts are 4, 6, 8, 10, 24, 30 and 40 penny nails, all of different lengths, and used for nailing board, etc. Scupper nails are short nails, with very broad heads, used to nail the flaps of the scuppers. Lead nails are small round-headed nails for nailing of lead. Flat nails are small sharp-pointed nails, with flat, thin heads, for nailing the scarphs of moulds. Sheathing nails for nailing copper sheathing are of metal, cast in moulds, about one inch and a quarter long; the heads are flat on the upper side and counter-sunk below; the upper side is polished to obviate the adhesion of weeds. Boat nails, used by boat-builders, are of various lengths, generally rose-headed, square at the points, and made both of copper and iron.

A designer of vessels.

Old rope, untwisted and loosened like hemp, in order to be used in caulking.

To run the butt of one plank to a certain distance beyond the next but above or beneath it, in order to make stronger work.

A slight platform, made above the bottom of the magazine, to keep the powder from moisture.

Stout pieces of iron, so placed near a capstan or windlass as to prevent a recoil, which would overpower the men at the bars when heaving.

A name once applied in ridicule by block-model designers to naval architects who forsook the jack-knife and block of pine for arithmetic and the drawing-board.

Those pieces of thin plank, etc., fitted into a rabbet in the mast or capstan-carlings for the purpose of wedging the mast and steadying the capstan. Also any plank that is thick, or above the rest of the deck, for the purpose of steadying whatever passes through the deck, as the pumps, bowsprit, etc.

To lay on a coat of tar, etc., with a mop or brush in order to preserve the wood and keep out water. When one or more pieces are scarphed together, as the beams, etc., the inside of the scarphs are payed with tar as a preservative; and the seams, after they are caulked, are payed with pitch to keep the water from the oakum, etc.