MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Whyperion]

Seals came in two types - the "round" ones that could press on paper, other ones would press onto wax. could this do both on titles / share certificates etc ?

[Stanley]

Gloria has it! It's a letter press. There used to be such a thing as a copying ink pencil. If you wrote a letter with such a pencil and then pressed it overnight with slightly damp tissue the ink transferred to the tissue and soaked through giving a positive copy when viewed from the reverse. The day's letters would be pressed overnight and be ready for posting out the following day.
We need a new object.

[Tizer]

What can you tell me that's special about this roof. No rush, I won't be online again until tomorrow morning...

[Whyperion]

It used to be thatched ? A law was passed saying all rooves had to be tiled, the tiles were reused from a demolished manor house?

[Stanley]

All I can see is two different builds.Th tiles and the brick chimney stack are later than the grey slate lower section. Never seen anything like it.

[Tizer]

Nothing to do with thatch and I've no idea whether the roof tiles were second-hand.
Stanley, the grey slates are not limestone.
I'll focus on two questions. 1. What are the slates made off? 2. What was the common name given to that shape of roof?

[Stanley]

I thought there was something funny about those slates.... they look as though they have been painted with tar. Are they made out of solidified molten slag?
Is the name we are looking for 'hipped'?

[Tizer]

No, the grey roof tiles are not slag or slate and not painted with tar. But you'll enjoy this - I've just realised that I made a mistake and gave away the answer! In my last post I wrote `Stanley, the grey slates are not limestone' when I should have written `Stanley, the grey tiles are not slate'. In fact the house is on the Isle of Purbeck and the tiles are Purbeck Limestone and probably full of fossils.

The style of the grey roof has an animal's name in it. I don't know how wide a geographical distribution the term has but it's common in the West Country.

[Whyperion]

If I were naming the roof I would probably call it a Donkey Roof

[Stanley]

I've never heard of Limestone roof slates Peter. Is there a bed to split to or are they sawn?
Is it a crow stepped roof?

[Tizer]

No, the term for the type of roof that I'm looking for is not donkey roof or crow stepped roof, but I'll tell you the name because it's perhaps too local. The roof is called a catslide - and you can see why that name originated!

You asked `Is there a bed to split to or are they sawn?' Most limestone is probably unsuitable but some has bedding thin enough: The bulk of the stone is slabbed, due to the typically thin beds and splitting properties that allow it to be variously used for internal flooring tiles, external paving, roofing tiles and cladding. That quote comes from this excellent web page on Purbeck Limestone... Stone Specialist

[Whyperion]

I thought stone roof tiles were fairly common - in cotswolds and some of the older yorkshire villages

[Stanley]

Thank you Peter....

[Stanley]

What is it?

[Gloria]

Upholstery hammer?

[Big Kev]

Slag hammer (welding)?

[Stanley]

Sorry, Both wrong. It's a specialised trade.

[Cathy]

A Short Pick of some sort

[Stanley]

Yes Cathy and the point is particularly useful. You're getting very close identifying it as a pick!

[Gloria]

Is it used for mining precious metals?

[Stanley]

Sorry Gloria, no. It would be used on your house.

[Gloria]

Something to do with roofing?

[Cathy]

For removing/ breaking up cupboards

[Stanley]

Gloria is close enough..... Sorry Cathy! It's a slater's hammer. To be more accurate, it's for blue slate. The pick is for opening the nail holes, the hammer for driving the slate nails and the claw for pulling the old nails out of the laths.
Next object?

[Stanley]

What is it?