Offset C Hookforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools

Bushfire perimeter rather than bushfire area is the main control problem for firefighters on the ground. A conundrum rapidly compounded by spot fires. A small 5 ha fire can be nearly 1 km around the perimeter. That's a long way to build a control line by hand in rough bush. Dry firefighting techniques by hand were mostly confined to “knocking down” or “beating out” the flames, as well as "digging out". Digging or raking a “mineral earth” trail down to bare dirt proved most effective in forest fuels which, unlike grass, tend to retain heat and smoulder. Early tools were whatever happened to be close at hand. They were simple and primitive and included shovels, slashers, axes, hoes, beaters and rakes. A cut branch to beat the flames was often the only thing available. Farming and logging tools, developed over centuries of manual labour, and readily available at local hardware stores came into use, but little thought was given to size, weight, and balance. For years foresters experimented with combination tools. In about 1952 fire beaters and other implements were being replaced with Rakuts. However, its believed the now common Rakehoe is an Australian variation of the American McLeod Tool which was developed in 1905 by forest ranger Malcolm McLeod of the Sierra National Forest. The late Athol Hodgson advised that predecessors, Reg Torbet who had been the Chief Fire Officer for the Forests Commission from 1948-1956, along with his QLD counterpart Clive Price, went in late 1951 as Australian delegates on a 10 week fire study tour of Nth America organised by the United Nations. They came back with a couple of McLeod tools from Canada. Cam MacLeod (different spelling) had been the Head of Fire Research for the Canadian Forest Service at the time and had supplied them. The tools were ideal for deciduous forests in the eastern provinces and Clive arranged to have them manufactured in QLD. The Rakho, as it was then spelled, was first issued to FCV crews 65 years ago in 1955-56. The American Pulaski had been trialled, but never found favour with Australian firefighters.Fire Beater (canvas) 1930s designforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools, forest harvesting, bushfire

Chainsaw fuel and oil carry containersforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, hand tools

Used to hammer into a saw cut when falling treesThree types of cutting wedges used when falling treesforests commission victoria (fcv), forest harvesting, hand tools

Used to cut grass as well as clear scrub and undergrowth.Large Scytheforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools

Firefighting often requires walking through the rough bush with handtools to construct control likens. This carry pack was designed in-house to enable the safe transport of a small chainsaw See FIRE EQUIPMENT NOTE - 35 [ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CKtcH-3rUlrtbE9dkNP27PYT2-raVVhF/view ] A fibreglass-moulded backpack to enable chainsaw operators to safely carry saws in rough or steep terrain. Weighing just 3 kg the backpack is fitted with a padded shoulder harness, waist strap and includes two 1lt Sig Bottles for storage of a small quantity of fuel and oil. A separate storage compartment is also provided for accessories such as spare chain, sharpener and tool kit. Stihl 034 and 038 size chainsaws will fit into the backpack quite comfortably.Fibreglass carry pack for small chainsawCFLforests commission victoria (fcv), bushfire, hand tools

Used to clear scrub and undergrowth.Fern hook used to clear undergrowth Also called a 'weed hook' (America) Blade on the back edge used for heavier materialforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools

Used to clear scrub and undergrowth.Heavy brush cutter (American 'Bush Hook') Single edge, eye and strap mounted on axe handle. Colour on handle indicates FCV district ownershipforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools

Bushfire perimeter rather than bushfire area is the main control problem for firefighters on the ground. A conundrum rapidly compounded by spot fires. A small 5 ha fire can be nearly 1 km around the perimeter. That's a long way to build a control line by hand in rough bush. Dry firefighting techniques by hand were mostly confined to “knocking down” or “beating out” the flames, as well as "digging out". Digging or raking a “mineral earth” trail down to bare dirt proved most effective in forest fuels which, unlike grass, tend to retain heat and smoulder. Early tools were whatever happened to be close at hand. They were simple and primitive and included shovels, slashers, axes, hoes, beaters and rakes. A cut branch to beat the flames was often the only thing available. Farming and logging tools, developed over centuries of manual labour, and readily available at local hardware stores came into use, but little thought was given to size, weight, and balance. For years foresters experimented with combination tools. In about 1952 fire beaters and other implements were being replaced with Rakuts. However, its believed the now common Rakehoe is an Australian variation of the American McLeod Tool which was developed in 1905 by forest ranger Malcolm McLeod of the Sierra National Forest. The late Athol Hodgson advised that predecessors, Reg Torbet who had been the Chief Fire Officer for the Forests Commission from 1948-1956, along with his QLD counterpart Clive Price, went in late 1951 as Australian delegates on a 10 week fire study tour of Nth America organised by the United Nations. They came back with a couple of McLeod tools from Canada. Cam MacLeod (different spelling) had been the Head of Fire Research for the Canadian Forest Service at the time and had supplied them. The tools were ideal for deciduous forests in the eastern provinces and Clive arranged to have them manufactured in QLD. The Rakho, as it was then spelled, was first issued to FCV crews 65 years ago in 1955-56. The American Pulaski had been trialled, but never found favour with Australian firefighters.Pulaski Fire Tool Combines an axe and a grubbing hoe. Digging end and cutting end with short wooden handleforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools, forest harvesting, bushfire

The tips of each cutting tooth of a saw are bent (set) slightly away from the plane of the saw. Alternate teeth are set (and sharpened) in opposite directions. The set helps prevent the saw binding in the wood by cutting a kerf (the slot in the wood) that is slightly wider than the saw's thickness. Too little set and the saw binds; too much set results in more work to cut the wider kerf and could lead to too much side movement of the saw and a curving cut. The saw set gauge is used to measure the set of the saw tooth. The amount of set can be from almost nothing in dry hardwood to perhaps 1mm for some softwoods. The spider has three legs of the same length and a longer fourth leg. On a flat surface, the three short legs contact the surface while the long leg is just shy of the surface by the degree of 'set'. The spider is placed such that the three short legs are on the face of the saw with the longer leg touching the tip of the tooth - the tooth is bent to match the gauge.metal spiders used to set the teeth of crosscut sawsforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools

Used in the 1930s in the Forests Commission's Erica Forest District by a rigger for cutting the top off spar trees to be used in high-lead logging. The advent of crawler tractors after the Second World War brought about the end of high-lead logging. The saw was adopted in the 1940s by the-then Assistant Forester of Erica (James McKinty) for cutting firewood for domestic purposes; this use continued until about 1987. One-person cross cut saw with riveted handleforests commission victoria (fcv), hand tools

The pioneer farmers and market gardeners in Moorabbin Shire had to be self sufficient and made their own tools and clothing and grew their own food. Some had been farmers in England and brought with them tools that would help them establish homes in the new countryAn example of the typical tools used by pioneers in Moorabbin Shire as they built homes and established farms. c1880 This spokeshave, is a wooden hand - plane that has a very short flat metal sole, used for smoothing curved surfaces.moorabbin, brighton, cheltenham, market gardeners, pioneers, farmers, tools, planes wood

Document. 2 page list of inventory.McColl, Rankin & Stanistreetorganization, business, nell gwynne reef mine, mccoll, rankin & stanistreet, nell gwynne reef n/l, gold mining, inventory of stores & tools

Four Hand Tools and piece of Bees Wax Coventry Familystawell

Before drills and braces, T-shaped augers were used to poke holes into wood, while smaller gimlets were used to start them. Auger handles were usually made of a piece of hardwood that was sanded, rounded, or even contoured to give the user a firm grip. Bits on spoon augers essentially carved a hole in the piece of wood, and had to be periodically removed to clear the chips. Spiral-bit augers were precursors to modern drills, whose bits cleared the hole of chips as the user drilled. A significant advance on the auger was the brace, which was originally designed with a single, permanently fixed bit at its end. Eventually, though, braces were designed with sophisticated chucks to accommodate replacement bits, as well as bits of different sizes and for various purposes. Chucks were patented as vigorously as the braces themselves The braces themselves also evolved for particular trades, from furniture makers to surgeons. The operator holds the ‘head’ in one hand, positions the drill in the wood , applies pressure and rotates the ‘centre piece’ to cause the drill to pierce the wood. A steel revolving hand tool for boring and screw-driving with wood handles * pioneers, early settlers, market gardeners, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, brighton, tools, craftsman, carpenters, , blacksmiths, builders, farmers, metalwork, woodwork, screws

Photograph of three men using hand tools near base of Cathedral Rock

As the Yarra became unsuitable as a source of water, several attempts were made to find alternative sources for the growing population of Melbourne. It was not until 1891 that the efforts to sewer Melbourne came to fruition with the setting up of the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW), now known as Melbourne Water. From 1891 until 1992, it was the responsibility of the MMBW to safeguard public health by providing a sewerage system and a safe water supply system. In 1992, The MMBW merged with a number of smaller urban water authorities to form Melbourne Water.This hand tool is of historical significance for its association with the former Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW). This tool is a rare surviving object of standard Board issued equipment. It is significant for its representativeness of the theme of Technology in building Victoria's industries and workforce, which continues to resonate strongly within Melbourne Water today.MMBW hand tool, "Pick" with wooden handle and 'MMBW 'stamped on the metal head.melbourne water, mmbw, melbourne metropolitan board of works, pick axe, construction, work, staff, equipment, technology

A moulding plane is a specialised plane used for making the complex shapes found in wooden mouldings that are used to decorate furniture or other wooden object. Traditionally, moulding planes were blocks of wear resistant hardwood, often beech or maple, which were worked to the shape of the intended moulding. The blade, or iron was likewise formed to the intended moulding profile and secured in the body of the plane with a wooden wedge. A traditional cabinetmakers shop might have many, perhaps hundreds, of moulding planes for the full range of work to be performed. Large crown mouldings required planes of six or more inches in width, which demanded great strength to push and often had additional peg handles on the sides, allowing the craftsman's apprentice or other worker to pull the plane ahead of the master who guided it. The subject planes blade is designed to cut a groove and it's blade maker (M Gilmour) is not listed by collectors of vintage planes as a known plane makers of the 19th or 20th century.A vintage tool made by an unknown maker, this item was made commercially for firms and individuals who worked in wood and needed a tool that could produce an ornamental finish to timber. These profiled planes came in various shapes and sizes to achieve the required decorative finish. This item is a significant tool from the mid to late 19th century that today is quite rare and sought after by collectors. It gives us a snapshot of how furniture and other decorative finishes were created on timber by the use of hand tools. Grooving PlaneM Gilmour stamped on bladewarrnambool, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, moulding plane, groove plane, joiners tools, hand plane, carpenters tools

Used in the late 19th century.A steel bladed wooden curved handled Shingle Splitter sometimes called a Paling Knife used for splitting or cleaving timber. It has two crossed hammer shape symbols stamped at the beginning and end of the inscription - Wolpin Wedge Mills. It was used in the late 19th century.Wolpin Wedge Millssteel, wood, froes, cleaving axes, axes, cutting tools, hand axes, woodworking tools

Photograph circa 1920 showing two men using hand tools, building a shed at Grassy Creek

Very old. Ref. Pages 6 and 7 Tools for all Trades Catalogue. The braces vary in quality (strength) depending on what materials are used to make them.The brace is a hand operated tool for boring holes in wood, consisting of a crank-shaped turning device. The brace that grips and rotates the hole-cutting tool, the bit.Used by woodworkers in the Kiewa Valley.Vintage hand drill braces. All different and not all complete. Made of cast iron, steel with wooden handles. The drills fit into one end of the brace which is turned to make a drilling motion. A brace is a hand tool used with a bit (drill bit or auger) to drill holes, usually in wood. Pressure is applied to the top while the handle is rotated.brace and bit, woodwork, hand drilling

A steel manual breast drill with an attached curved flat plate at the top to apply pressure with the chest.. This plate is attached to the drill by a screw. A wooden handle turns the drill mechanism to operate it and a second wooden handle is to steady the operation. It was used for making cylindrical holes by rotation.drills, push drills, hand drills, tools, handtools, breast drills, woodworking tools

The hand forged iron alloy wedge belonged to the railways carpenter, Lachlan McEachern, who became the President of the Wodonga Sub-Branch of the Victorian branch of the Australian Railways Union. He was presented with a framed Past Officers Certificate by the Australian Railways Union in recognition of services rendered in 1926. The certificate is also in the collection of the Wodonga Historical Society. The Wodonga train station opened in November 1873 when the section of the train line from Wangaratta to Wodonga was completed. The expansion of the railways to the northeast of Victoria occurred after the Victorian Government took over the railways in 1867 and the trains serviced large towns such as Seymour, Wangaratta and Wodonga, as well as smaller towns along the way. The hand forged iron alloy wedge has local and state significance due to its use by a Victorian Railways carpenter, Lachlan McEachern, in Wodonga. The local significance is also strong due to the prominence of the McEachern family in the Albury-Wodonga area.Hand forged iron wedge with a cracked flange/rim at the top, red-brown rust and some dirt on the surface.hand forged wedge, hand made tools, victorian railways, v.r., railways carpenter, wodonga, lachlan mceachern, iron alloy tools, mceachern family

Hand shearing shears made in England.Twin-bladed shears bolted twice in centre of the handle which is shaped in the form of an incomplete figure 8.[Stamped] Combination UTS Sheffieldshearing, hand shears, tools, wool, shears

A dowel is a cylindrical rod, usually made of wood. In its original manufactured form, a dowel is called a dowel rod. Dowel rods are often cut into short lengths called dowel pins.These are commonly used as structural reinforcements in cabinet making and in joining large timbers together. To make a dowel, a piece of wood is split or whittled to a size slightly bigger than desired and to place the stock into a vice then rotate past a fixed knife, or alternatively, to rotate the knife around the stock such as the subject tool was used. Machines based on this principle emerged in the 19th century. Frequently, these are small bench-mounted tools, prior to this time dowels had to be cut by hand. The tool is an example of early to late 19th century hand tool used to make timber dowels. It is not associated with an historical event, person or place, makers provenance is unable to be determined at this time. Many small American and British tool manufactures were taken over by Stanley tools after 1843 when the company was established and this item could have been made by one of these. However the subject item appears to be rare and would be regarded as a collector's item.An adjustable woodworking tool know as a Moot, used for making Trunnels or Treenails (Dowels) for fastening joints in timber. Noneflagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, moot, trunnels, treenails, circular, dowels, woodworking tool

Embossed leather bound volume featuring hand tooled decoration in inside edges front and back. Paper featuring inscription glued to inside front cover.Inscribed inside front cover: Presented to the Invermay Methodist Church by the Invermay Mutual Improvement Association, Easter 1907. Thos. Crago, President and E. Smalley, Secretary.