A slate cutting iron is a slater’s tool: a thin steel strip with a long, sharp spike in the middle, driven into the roof boarding so the strip acts as a small anvil for cutting slates to size and punching their fixing holes.
Characteristics
The tool looks deceptively simple, but it turns an ordinary roof surface into a portable workbench.
- A thin, flat steel strip forms the working edge.
- A long spike in the centre is driven into the timber boarding of the roof.
- Once fixed, the strip stands proud and provides a firm, straight anvil to work against.
With the iron in place, the slater lays a slate over the edge and strikes it with a slate hammer. The hard steel edge supports the slate exactly where it needs to break, giving a clean cut. The same set-up is used to punch the small holes through which the slate will later be nailed.
Application
The slate cutting iron lets a slater cut and hole slates directly on the roof, without carrying every piece back to a bench. This keeps the work moving as courses are laid: measure the gap, cut a slate to fit, punch its holes and fix it in one continuous rhythm. It is a traditional tool that remains part of the roofer’s kit wherever natural slate is used as a roof covering.
Related terms
- Slater
- Slate
- Roof covering
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