Wax chandler's and torch-maker's tools  Book III, Chapter 19, Section 4
 
Wax and Tallow Chandlers Tooles.
[None of the images are named and the identifications are based on the descriptions.]


Cutting board
 68. He beareth a chandlers cutting board; this is to cut weekes of what length they please to haue the candles. It is a plaine board with two stayes vnder it, to hold it fast on the workmans knees, and a Knife on the higher side, to cut the week yard to such lengths as the stock is set in the holes of the board from it.


Tallow trough
 In the base of this square, is a Tallow Trough, and of some termed a Trouff, it is to let the Tallow in working drop or run into it.


Strainer tub
 69. He beareth a Cratchen Tub and Flaile, or of some called a Strainer or Flaile Tub, it is for to purge and cause the pure Tallow to run from the dross, which they terme Cratchens, and some Graves.


Settling tub
 In the base of this square is a Tub, which they call a settling Tub, a Tallow or Rendering Tub, which is to receiue the Tallow out of the melting pan.


Ladder
 70. In this square are foure Instruments used by the Candle Makers; the first in the chiefe is termed a Ladder, it is to ly ouer the Mouth or top of the Tub, for the strainer to stand vpon, that the Tallow may run through it into the Tub.


Dagger
 The second is termed a Dagger, it is a foure square blade set in a wooden handle with an iron hoop; its office is to Break the Tallow, to put it into the Trough to chop it small.


Fire fork
 The third is a fire Forke, which is onely to raise and stire vp the fire: it as an Iron Forke, set in a wooden handle hooped.


Iron scrape
 The Fourth is an Iron Scrape, or .... set in a wooden handle, it is to be the skullion to scrape and clense the furnice hole from all its Ashes and filth which the fire hath left behind it.


Chopping knife
 71. He beareth in this quarter, three Chandlers Instruments: the first is called a chopping Knife, it is like a long paddle with a sharp edge haueing a sockett for a thick strong handle to fastned therein. Its work is to cut the Tallow small in the Trough, that it may melt the sooner in the melting pan or Tallow pan.
The Melting Pan, is a wide broad flat bottomed Brass or copper pan set about with Brick and plastered after the maner of a Furnice or great Brewing pan, with an hole in the side and Iron Barrs vnder the pan to make a fire in, with a Lid or Iron doore to keep the heat in, and an Ash hole to clense it from dust.


Mawl
 The second is a Mawle, or Mawe, which is all of hard wood, made thick and round below for about a foot long, then hath a long handle made fast in it; the work it doth is to beate the Tallow in the Trough thin, and then it will cut or chop the easier small.


Paddle
 The Third, is called a Padle or Mundle, it is like an old spade without it Iron shooe, all wood; some call it a sturer; which is to stire vp the Tallow and turn it about in the pan whilest it is in melting.


Candle mould
 72. He beareth a Mould, or a candle Mould to make the candles in; this with its appurtenances may be thus described; It is a Lead Cestern made of thick plank, deep, broad, but narrow haueing crooked Irons compassing the ends and standing out on the sides with the ends bending vpwards; on these Iron they lay the rods with weeks and candle on, while they are dipping other rods in the Melted Tallow hot in the Mould.
It stands vpon an other square Tressell or table, set on four short strong feet: haueing a ledg or border about the edges of it; this is to receiue all the Tallow that through heat may any way drop of the candles as they are in makeing.


Cratchen press
 73. He beareth a Cratchen Press, with a screw and Trough; this kind of press hath seurell parts, which may thus be set forth; a Trough, set vpon two strong Tressells, haueing an hole in the midle of the bottom of it. under which is placed a Tub to receiue the Tallow as it runs out.
The Trough hath a strong plank Just to fit the mouth of it, and so to be screwed down into it, to force the tallow out of the Graves or Cratchens: which screw is turned in a screw box made in the midle of a Joyce or planke. fixed at both ends into two standards or vpright posts, set each side the ends of the said Trough, and so fastned in the ground and to the top of the Roome.
The top of the screw hath a round head, throw which is an hole, wherein is put a staffe of tough wood, or an Iron Barr by which it is turned with much ease either in or out off the trough.
This screw and couer, I can compare it, to no fitter and liker a thing than to a Napkin press vsed in Gentlemens Butteries, to keep their napkins and table clothes streight and smooth without crisps or crumples; as the figure itselfe will manifest.


Candle rod
 74. He beareth in the chief of this square, a candle rod with weeks on: these weeks thus ordered are ready to be dipt in the mould to make them into candles; which as soon as they are finished they are brought to the stage to hang and coole.


Candle stage
 In the Base is placed, a candle stage; it is made all of spars or Joyce and set vpon four, or generally six feet: it is a Stilladge in sellers, on which barrells are sett: so between the top peeces the new made candles hang on the rods till they be could and hard.


Candle wheel
 75. He beareth a wax Chandlers, small candle wheele. Though the stock haue 2 wheeles on it, yet it is but termed but a candle Wheele; whose use is to draw the small wax candle week through the melted wax and throw the hole of an Iron to the Thickness any please to haue it, and so wind it about the rime of the wheele, till all the weeke be drawn through and so from one wheele it is wound vpon the other to coole till all be finish.


Coping dish
 In the chiefe of this square is placed, a Copeing dish. It is a wooden dish larg and strong haueing an hole cut in the bottom as if foure rounds were taken away altogather. Its use is to put a long Torch or ..... as some call them throw it hanging, and to fill it full of hot pitch and Rosin, and so draw it down to the bottom of the Torch so as it goes down it leaues an ouer casting of pitch on it, which makes it look smooth and handsome; this kind of covering the artists terme Copeing of a Torch.


Wax candle making
  76. In this square is represented to your view, most of the principall things used about the makeing of small wax candles, and all set in order as they are Imployed in the Worke. Whose description take thus.
It is a thick peece of timber or planke about a yard or less long, and about a foote and halfe broad; under it is fixed 4 strong substantiall feet, and on the top neere one end is fixed 2 strong stands, and neere the midle is made in some a round hole to put the bottom of a brass Bason in (others haue no hole, but when the wax groweth could on the Bason take it of the ..... and set it on a chaffing dish of coals which all the tyme of makeing the candles standeth thereby) vnder which as occasion doth serue, may be set the chaffing dish to keep the wax of such an heat as the work requires.
Against the stands is held an Iron with holes one a degree bigger then an other; and in the chief is layd a strong stick, which hath a round nick at the end thereof, which being put into the Bason of wax with the candle week vnder the nick, and so drawn and put through a hole of the Iron, and so drawn vpon the wheele, as the wheele thus draws the weeke through the wax, so much cleaves to it, as will goe through the hole of the Iron, and noe more; which hole make and draws the wax on the week round and smooth;: and thus it is made and finished, by often reiterating it after the foresaid maner.
[The images match the descriptions of the candle maker and the chafing dish.]


Torch making (un-named tool)
 77. In this square is an Instrument used in Torch and Link makeing it is called a .....
[Possibly the image shown, the only one among the group of torch-making tools not identified with a description.]


Torch making tools (iron and tongs)
  78. He beareth in this square field an ..... and a ..... the first is a Broad Iron with 3 holes in it, the midle a large one and the two on each side, one lesser then the other. It hath of the same Iron an handle at each end: the work that this doth performe is to haue the Link and Torch week, after it is dippt in the hot liquor drawn through to make the same round and even.
The second is an Inch board or thicker, cut broad the midle and rounded with an hole like a rose, and from thence drawn taper so that the two ends may be gripped and held together.
This Instrument one side being taken from the other, is clapped about a new coped Torch and rubbed vp and down it, which make the copeing liquor ly smooth on the outside of the torch.


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