Object number
51/363
Collection
Creator
Description
In making a mortise and tenon joint the bruzz chisel is used to make the mortice or hole, usually rectangular, in a piece of timber which will receive the tenon, a peg-like piece of wood shaped to fit into the hole. The chisel is tapped with a mallet and the wood it loosens may be hooked out. This chisel was used in the R. Middleton & Sons' wheelwrights workshop in Eddington, Hungerford. The blade is made out of differing kinds of metal and is marked with 'Thos. Ibbotson & Co' and the handle is octagonal and is slightly worn by the blows of a mallet or hammer.
Physical description
1 chisel: steel blade; wooden handle
Label Text
<DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN>The Bruzz, or buzz, is a strong chisel with a V-shaped blade and is used to cut out mortise holes and tenon joints. Two styles of bruzz are found, one entirely metal, the other a wood/metal combination. The bruzz is regarded as one of the wheelwright's indispensable tools. This particular example dates from about 1860, and was once used at the Middleton's wheelwright shop at Hungerford, Berks.</SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV>
Archival history
MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'In making a mortise and tenon joint the bruzz chisel is used to make the mortise or hole, usually rectangular, in a piece of timber which will receive the tenon, a peg-like piece of wood shaped to fit into the hole. The chisel is tapped with a mallet and the wood it loosens may be hooked out. // This mortising chisel was used in the Middleton's Wheelwrights shop at Hungerford (Berks). The blade is made out of a squared bar of steel which is rounded where it covers the wooden handle and which is hollowed out for about 5.5 inches at the blade end so that there are only two adjacent sides of the square left. They are in fact set at a slightly acute angle and they are sharpened at the end. The words THOS IBBOTSON & CO. are set on the side of the blade, which is made of differing kinds of metal. The handle, which is octagonal, is slightly worn by the blows of a mallet or hammer. // The whole of the blade measures 14 inches in length, the sides of the blade are .6 inches each and the handle is 3 inches long.'
Production place
Sheffield
Production date
1825-01-01 - 1874-12-31
Production period
Mid-nineteenth century
Object name
Material
Associated subject
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\35 series negatives\Scans\35_855.tif - High resolution image