Pick hammer
A pick hammer is a tool with which rocks can be worked on manually. Pointed hammers are used by roofers , stonemasons , miners and geologists . Pointed hammers can be found in numerous local coats of arms and this tool has a special symbolism with the Freemasons .
The pick hammers have a point on one side and a so-called track on the other, a straight forged surface. The metal head is usually held in place by a wooden handle. The geologist's hammers are shaped quite differently (see illustration below).
There are now point hammers that are mechanically driven and are used to roughen and smash concrete.
Mining
From time immemorial, pointed hammers have been used in mining to smash rock and drive shafts. Only later was black powder used for blasting in mining. The pick hammer was not only used as a striking tool, but the tip of the pick hammer was placed on the rock and hit the path of the pick hammer with a mallet to cut off rocks.
Stone masons, stone cutters
The pointed hammer of the stonemasons or stone cutters is used to roughly work the stone surfaces of marble . It should weigh about two to three kilograms and is a fistle-shaped hand tool, however, with a four-sided point on one side and a straight path on the other. The use of pointed hammers has been known since ancient Greece and has been proven by finds in marble quarries since Roman times. Today this tool is probably not used, as the stone surfaces are made by stone saws , except in the Italian quarries of Carrara marble it is used occasionally to this day.
Roofers and slaters
The slate hammer is a multifunctional tool with which slate up to a thickness of 6 to 7 millimeters can be shaped on a so-called dome bridge. With this hammer it is also possible for slaters to punch nail holes in slabs and nail them up as slate cover.
Geologists
The geologist's hammer is a tool that is used in geological field work to break up the rock. When searching for fossils, fossils lying in the rock can be exposed. The cut rock samples will be used for further geological investigations.
Ergonomics and work safety
When working with a pick hammer, if rock is being worked on, protective goggles must be worn to protect the eyes from flaking rock fragments.
The handle of the pointed hammers is traditionally made of ash or hickory wood . Lately, handles have also been made from soft PVC , fiberglass or leather . The handles of the pointed hammers are now ergonomically shaped to dampen vibrations. Recently, pointed hammers have been balanced between head and handle without fatigue or kickback.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pickhammersymbolism of the Freemasons on freemaurer-solothurn.ch ( Memento of the original of November 22, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 31 kB). Retrieved July 1, 2010
- ↑ Robert Konopasek: Spitzelofen, a marble quarry from Roman times in Carinthia. In: Res montanarum 38/2006, p. 51.
