Quarry Tools

Quarrying tools sets had several basic tools, a drill, hammer, spoon, feathers (shims) and plug (wedges). Types and sizes of tools varied according to the method and hole size.

A typical quarryman’s tool set: Hammer, plug drill, spoon, and plug and feathers.

Hammer

Large heavy hammers or mauls were used for hitting the long blasting hole drill and for hitting the stone in the fire and hammer method. Small three pound hammers were used for all the small holes round, flat wedge and triangular holes. The same small hammer was used to tap in the wedges in these holes, also. The above illustration shows a 4 lb hammer in the bottom left hand side.

Spoon

Spoons were long handled tools with a small spoon like end. The spoon was used to scoop stone dust out of holes. Size depended upon size of hole. The above illustrations shows a spoon second tool down from the top.

From top to bottom (1) Plug drill, (2) star drill, (3) Cape Chisel

Drills

Plug drill is the earliest of the two types of round hole drills. It has a single chisel bit on the bottom. The Star drill is a new modification of the plug drill. It has two chisel bits cross in a shape of a + sign.

The Cape chisel was  used to chip out flat wedge holes.

(Left) Plug with feathers on either side. (Right) A wedge used in flat wedge holes.

Feathers

Half-round or square sided shims with a curled over top. Feathers placed pressure on the sides of the hole in the direction of split. Curled top kept the feathers from slipping into the hole, and made them easy to insert and remove. Both round hole and flat wedge hole methods used feathers.

Wedge

A piece of metal thick at top tapered to thin on the bottom. The thick top helped keep the wedge from hitting the bottom of the hole along with the feathers. Both round hole and flat wedge hole methods used wedges.
 

Source: The information on stone splitting and quarrying comes from the book The Art of Splitting Stone. The book discusses the various methods, tools, and types of quarries in greater depth. In additional, it quotes source documents and discusses archaeological sites important to the study of early New England quarrying. It is excellent resource on the subject.