Section VIII. Sope Makers Instruments.
I haue found some few things of the Sope makers used in Armes, though seuerall others are not: And here I must desire the reader to look vpon those set down in number 55, to be as set here, for the placeing of them there was though an ouersight.
Shovel
In this square are three Sope
makers Instruments very necessary for
his trade of sope boiling: the first is
that in chief, called a Shovell or an Iron
Shovell, it is made much after the maner
of a comon house or chamber fire shovell,
with streight riseing brim, with an Iron
sockett to put a long Staile, or Handle
into.
Slice
The second which lyeth in the fesse
place, is termed a Slice: It is a thing
made like a padle with a long Iron
staile, which hath the end of it, put into
a short wooden handle, hooped, with
this, the soap is put in, and taken out of the
Barrells.
[Identified by elimination; absent from the labelled draft images]
Form cistern
The third which occupieth the Base,
is termed a Forme Cistern. It is made
of lead all within to hold water firmely
without any leckage and supported on
the out side with a frame of wood, and
other strong peece foure square, Mortised into top and bottom Railes. The
cistern is much used by generall Artificers, but especially in domestick affaires.
Soap boilers beater
He beareth a Sope Boylers
Beater, between a Tubb and a Pan
with eares or handles.
First the Beater is a long peece of round wood made Broad at both ends and taper towards the midle, with a long thick handle set in the Midle, after the maner of an Hammer: one end being cut rough or set full of short strong and hard woden peggs, to crush and bruse whatsoever it is beaten upon.
Tub
The Tub, or Reeve, by all which it
is called, is made of boards or Rung
staves and hoops, with opposit holes in
the two higher staves, to put a Rung
staffe through whereby it is transported
from place to place by 2 men with much
ease. Se Cha.6. num 84, a Rung or
Coole but different from this in height.
A Reliever or Releivevers [sic] are
tubs set vnder Tubbs, to receiue what
runs out of them.
Pan
The Third is a Pan; it is made of
Brass or copper with 2 ears or Handles
set on the middle of the sides, with a
broad flatt brime like that mentioned in
numb. 55, save that hath a Lip to
poure anything out by, and this hath
none, but is directly round in the brime,
being wide at the mouth or top, and
taper towards the bottom and flatt bottomed.
Soapmakers furnace
In this square I doe present to
your view the form and maner of the
soap makers Furnice or Boyler: which
they term Furnice and Boiler as if it
were two distinct things; which being
all made vp according to his
distribution of parts may goe vnder
seuerall denominations, yet in the whole
can be named nothing more then a
Furnice or Boyler, as
The Foot step, that on which they stand to stir it about and take the sope out.
The out side, which is brick, called the Setting of the Pan.
The Pan or Boiler, which is made all of copper.
The Brim or Fram of wood about the thicknesse of the top.
The Back of the Furnice, the funell or smoak Tunell.
The Fire place, with its grate and vent hole as in other such like Boylers.
Soap ladle
In this square are three Instruments usefull about their Furnice, which
are as followeth, First and that lying in
the chief, is termed a Sope Ladle, or
Sopers Ladle. It is made all of copper
or Brass, higher in the edge before for
halfe its roundness, then it is behind
towards the handle. It is cliped halfe
way about with a semi-Iron Hoop and
there fastned with nailes, for the midle
whereof goeth a long staile of Iron with
a sockett at the end to put a long wood
handle into.
Fire rake
The second which is in the midle of
the square is called a fire Rake, or cow
Rake. Its office in the sope trade is to
draw all the Ashes and dirt, that the
fire makes, from vnder the fire and
bottom of the Furnice: it is made all
of Iron, whose contrary end is made 4
square with a sharp point, by which the
fire is opened that it may burn the better
if the fuell or coals be layd too close
together.
Trowel
The third occupying the base of this
square, is a Trowell in all respects
made like a Brick Layers or Plasterers
Trowell, saue that the handle is neere
a yard long, with an Hoop at the end
for the Tang of the Trowell to be
fastned in.
For castle sope makeing, they use 3, 4 or more larg Tubs or Reeves wherein they make a Lie or Ley of Ashes of Fern and Roach lyme; when it is a Lye, put it into the sope pan, with Tallow and oyle; and when it is boyled to a body, put in Bay salt; and then boile to a right body; then take it vp from the Ley and cast it into your Mould and then giue it your colour.
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