Tools

Artists in the Middle Ages tended to draw what they saw in everyday life, and just as the ancient Greeks were portrayed in full Gothic plate armor, Noah and Joseph were shown using the chisel, plane, and saw of the medieval carpenter. Period illustrations are therefore a promising source for the artifacts that did not survive, especially when compared to contemporary descriptions and surviving artifacts from somewhat later eras. Until the 19th century and the rise of industrial production, tools evolved slowly -- a refinement of shape here, a more resilient material there. By examining 15th century illustrations and literature, and comparing them with surviving artifacts, we can come of a fair approximation of what medieval tools looked like, and develop reasonable theories about how they were used.

To make a clock wheel (a gear inside a clock), you need to be able to accurately mark out the teeth of the wheel for cutting.

Subjects covered in this issue: men's clothing of the 1450's-1470's; and illustrations of woodworking tools, glass vessels, bags, and painters' tools.

Subjects covered in this issue: tables; tents; tools; making a padded jack; soldiers' helmets from 15th century illustrations; and a description of the splendors of the Burgundian court from the Paston letters.

A conjectural tool holster based on artifacts from the Mary Rose.

This comprehens ive report represents a landmark in the publicatio n of medieval finds from excavation s in York. It encompasse s very large assemblage s of medieval artefacts of a wide variety of materials, including iron, non-ferrou s metal, stone, jet, amber, fired clay, glass and textile. These were recovered from four major sites in York.

Selected illustrati ons from the Mendel Hausbuch, depicting 15th and early 16th century craftsmen at work.

A database of drawings and graphics of mechanical devices from Renaissance and late medieval sources.

The illustrati ons from the Mendel and Landauer Housebooks , indexed by profession and with lists of items found in each illustrati on.

Small hand axes tended to just be wood-axes which were used for combat. The construction of all axes followed the same general principles.

For almost a millennium , a modest wooden ship lay underwater off the coast of Serce Limani, Turkey, filled with evidence of trade and objects of daily life. The ship trafficked in both the Byzantine and Islamic worlds of its time. The ship is known as "the Glass Wreck" because its cargo included three metric tons of glass cullet, including broken Islamic vessels, and eighty pieces of intact glassware. In addition, it held glazed Islamic bowls, red-ware cooking vessels, copper cauldrons and buckets, wine amphoras, weapons, tools, jewelry, fishing gear, remnants of meals, coins, scales and weights, and more. This first volume of the complete site report introduces the discovery, the methods of its excavation , and the conservati on of its artifacts. Chapters cover the details of the ship, its contents, the probable personal possession s of the crew, and the picture of daily shipboard life that can be drawn from the discoverie s.

What you need for tool-sharpening, and how to sharpen tools.

The shaving horse is a simple foot-operated vice that allows you to hold a piece while having both hands free to work. A shaving horse is relatively easy to build and extremely useful to anyone who uses hand tools to shape spindles for turning, chair legs, barrel staves, shingles, and the like. It is traditionally used with a drawknife or spokeshave, but can be adapted for use with other tools.

The process of making and hardening your own tools.