51/770

Square for making straight lines at right angles. Possibly used by a wheelwright. A diagonal brace joining the two arms.
The square is an indispensable woodworking tool for making straight lines at right angles to one another or to a fixed margin. This is a very large square which was possibly used by a wheelwright. There is a diagonal brace joining the two arms, and an oval hole on the shorter arm to which a plumb line was attached to ensure the short arm was vertical.

1 carpenter's square: wood; good condition

MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This is a home made carpenter’s square from the Lavinia Smith Collection. Squares which were described by the Roman writers Vitruvius and Pliny are of great antiquity, and are still indispensable in all woodworker’s workshops. They are used for making straight lines at right angles to one another or to a fixed margin. // This large sized specimen which was possibly used by a wheelwright has two wooden arms the first of which is 22.5 inches long, and the other 25.6 inches. Both are 2.6 inches wide. Near the junction of the two arms, an oval hole has been cut in the shorter one and to this the plumb line was attached to ensure the short arm being vertical. A diagonal brace 17 inches long and 2 inches wide joins the two arms.', No Lavinia Smith No. recorded., MERL ‘Conservation Record’ form – ‘Class: // Name: Square // Acc. No.: 51/770 // Conservator: // Date: 3.10.53 // part/whole: treatment: method: // part/whole: repair: Plugs fixed on angle. method: // part/whole: finish: method: // [tick box, unticked] tick when noted on catalogue sheet’

Rippon, Miss Dorothy May Lyddon (Agent)