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not unfrequently pulley or chase-mortised for the reception of the ceiling joists; sometimes they are notched to receive the bridging joists on them, and they should therefore be classed by themselves at a larger price per foot cube, or at an additional price for the workmanship, beyond common joisting. All these matters must be in proportion to the description of the work, whether the ceiling joists be put in with pulley mortises and tenous, or the bridgings notched or adzed down.

2336. Partitions may be measured and estimated by the cube foot; but the sills, top pieces, and door heads should be measured by themselves, according to their cubic contents, at a larger price; because not only the uniform solidity, but the uniform quantity, of the workmanship is interrupted by them. The braces in trussed partitions are to be taken by the foot cube at a larger price than the common quartering, on account of the trouble of fitting the ends of the uprights upon their upper and lower sides, and of forming the abutments at the ends.

2337. All the timbers of roofing are to be measured by the cubic foot, and classed according to the difficulty of execution, or the waste that occurs in performing the work. Common rafters, as respects labour, are rated much the same as joists or quarters; purlins, which require trouble in fitting, are worth more, because on them are notched down the common rafters. The different parts of a truss should, to come accurately at the true value, be separately taken, and the joggles also separately considered, including the tenons at the ends of the struts; mortising tie beams and principals, forming the tenons of the truss posts; mortising and tenoning the ends of the tie beams and principals; also the work to the feet of common or bridging rafters. The iron strapping is paid for according to the number of the bolts.

2338. The battening of walls are measured by the square, according to the dimensions and distances of the battening.

2339. Ribbed ceilings are taken by the cubic quantity of timber they contain, making due allowance for the waste of stuff, which is often considerable. The price of their labour is to be ordered by the nature of the work, and the cubic quantity they contain.

2340. Trimmers and trimming joists are so priced as to include the mortises and tenons they contain, and also the tenons at the extremities of the trimmers. But to specify all the methods required of ascertaining the value of each species of carpenter's work would be impossible, with any respect to our limits. They must be learned by observation; all we have to do is with the principles on which measuring and estimating is conducted.

2341. When the carcass of the building is completed, before laying the floors or lathing the work for receiving the plastering, the timbers should be measured, so that the scantlings may be examined and proved correct, according to the specification; and in this, as a general rule, it is to be remembered that all pieces having tenons are measured to their extremities, and that such timbers as girders and binding joists lie at least 9 inches at their ends into the walls, or of the wall's thickness, where it exceeds 27 inches. In the measurement of bond timber and wall plates, the laps must be added to the net lengths. If a necessity occur for cutting parallel pieces out of truss posts (such as king or queenposts), when such pieces exceed 2 feet 6 inches in length, and 24 inches in thickness, they are considered as pieces fit for use, deductiug 6 inches as waste from their lengths.

2342. The boarding of a roof is measured by the square, and estimated according to its thickness, and the quality of boards and the manner in which they are jointed.

2343. Where the measurement is for labour and materials, the best way is, first, to find the cubical contents of a piece of carpentry, and value it by the cubic foot, including the prime cost, carting, sawing, waste, and carpenter's profit, and then to add the price of the labour, properly measured, as if the journeyman were to be paid. It is out of the question to give a notion of any fixed value, because it must necessarily vary, as do materials and labour. The only true method of forming a proper estimate is dependent on the price of timber and deals, for which general tables may be formed.

2344. A load of fir timber contains 50 cube feet: if, then, the price of a load is known in the timber merchant's yard, the approximate value of a cube foot is found as under; say, if taken at 4/. 10s. per load, then

Prime cost of a load of fir

Suppose the cartage (dependent on distance)

Sawing into necessary scantlings

£ s. d. 4 10 0 - 0 5 0 0 10 0

5 50

Waste in converting equal to 5 feet, at 21. per foot, the load being 105s. 0 10 6

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= 2.77 shillings, or 2 shillings and 9 pence and nearly 1 farthing

2346-50. It is only in this way that the value of work can be arrived at; it is much to be regretted that from no species of labour of the carpenter have been formed tables capable of furnishing such a set of constants as would, by application to the rate of a journeyman's wages, form factors, or, in other words, furnish data for a perpetual pricebook. As we have before hinted, the best of the price-books that have ever been published are useless as guides to the value of work. The method of lumping work by the square is as much as possible to be avoided, unless the surfaces be of a perfectly uniform description of workmanship; as, for instance, in hipped roofs, the principal trouble is at the hips, in fitting the jack rafters, which are fixed at equal distances thereon; hence such a price may be fixed for the cubic quantity of hips and valleys as will pay not only for them, but also for the trouble of cutting and fixing the jack rafters. Such parts, indeed, as these should be separately classified; but the analysis of such a subject requires investigation of enormous labour; and as it must depend on the information derived from the practical carpenter, is, we fear, not likely to be soon, if ever, accomplished. 2351. The works of the JOINER consist in the preparation of boarding, which is measured and estimated by the foot superficial. Of this there are many varieties; as, edges shot; edges shot, ploughed, and tongued; wrought on one side and edges shot; the same on both sides and edges shot; wrought on both sides and ploughed and tongued. Boards keyed and clamped; mortise clamped, and mortise and mitre clamped. The value per foot increases according to the thickness of the stuff. When longitudinal joints are glued, an addition per foot is made; and if feather-tongued, still more.

2352. The measurement and estimation of floors is by the square, the price varying as the surface is wrought or plain; the method of connecting the longitudinal and heading joints, and also on the thickness of the stuff; as well as on the circumstance of the boards being laid one after another or folded; or whether laid with boards, battens, wainscot, or other wood. Skirtings are measured by the foot super, according to their position, as whether level, raking, or ramping. Also on the manner of finishing them, as whether plain, torus, rebated, scribed to floors or steps, or whether straight or circular on the plan. 2353. The value of every species of framing must depend on the thickness of the stuff employed, whether it is plain or moulded; and if the latter, whether the mouldings be struck on the solid, or laid in; whether mitred or scribed, and upon the number of panels in a given height and breadth, and also on the form of the plan.

2354. Wainscotings, window-linings, as backs and elbows; door linings, such as jambs and sofites, with their framed grounds; back linings, partitions, doors, shutters, and the like, are all measured and valued by the foot super. The same mode is applied to sashes and their frames, either together or separately.

2355. Skylights, the prices whereof depend on their plans and elevations, are also measured by the foot super.

2356. The value of dado, which varies as the plan is straight or circular, or being level or inclined, is measured by the foot super.

2357. In the measurement of staircases, the risers, treads, carriages, and brackets are, after being classed together, measured by the foot super, and the string board is sometimes included. The value varies as the steps may be flyers or winders, or from the risers being mitred into the string board, the treads dovetailed for balusters and the nosings returned, or whether the bottom edges of the risers are tongued into the step. The curtail step is valued by itself, and returned nosings are sometimes valued at the piece; and if they are circular on the plan, they are charged at double the price of straight ones. The handrail, whose value depends upon the materials and diameter of the well hole, or whether ramped, swan-necked, level, circular, or wreathed; whether got out of the solid, or in thicknesses glued up together, is measured by the foot run. The scroll is charged by itself, as is the making and fixing each joint screw, and 3 inches of the straight part at each end of the wreath is measured in. The deal balusters, as also the iron ones and the iron columns to curtail, housings to steps and risers, common cut brackets, square and circular on the plan, together with the preparing and fixing, are valued all by the piece. Extra sinking in the rail for iron balusters is valued by the foot run, the price depending on the rail, as being straight, circular, wreathed, or ramped. The string board is measured by the foot super, and its value is greater or less as it is moulded, straight, or wreathed, or according to the method in which the wreathed string is constructed by being properly backed upon a cylinder.

2:58. The shafts of columns are measured by the foot super., their value depending upon the diameter, or whether it be straight or curved on the side, and upon its being properly glued and blocked. If the columns be fluted, the flutes are taken in linear measure, the price depending on the size of the flutes, whose headings at top and bottom are charged by the piece. Pilasters, straight or curved in the height, are similarly measured, and the price taken by the foot super. In the caps and bases of pilasters, besides the mouldings, the mitres are charged so much each, according to the size.

2359. Mouldings, as in double-face architraves, base and surbase, or straight ones struck by the hand, are valued by the foot super. Base, surbase, and straight mouldings wrought by hand, are generally fixed at the same rate per foot, being something more than doublefaced architraves. When the head of an architrave stands in a circular wall, its value is four times that of the perpendicular parts, as well on account of the extra time required to fit it to the circular plan as of the greater difficulty in forming the mitres. So all horizontal mouldings on a circular plan are three or four times the value of those on a straight plan, the trouble being increased as the radius of the circle upon which they are formed diminishes. The housings of mouldings are valued by the piece. The value of mouldings much depends on the number of their quirks, for each whereof the price increases. It will also, of course, depend on the materials of which they are formed, on their running figure, and whether raking or curved.

2360. Among the articles which are to be measured by the lineal foot are beads, fillets, bead or ogee capping, square angle staffs, inch ogees, inch quirk ogee, ovolo and bead, astragals and reeds on doors or shutters, small reeds, each in reeded mouldings, struck by hand up to half an inch, single cornice or architrave, grooved space to let in reeds and grooves. And it must be observed, that in grooving, stops are paid extra; if wrought by hand, still more; and yet more if circular. Besides the foregoing, narrow grounds to skirting, the same rebated or framed to chimneys, are measured by the foot run. Rule joints, cantilevers, trusses, and cut brackets for shelves are charged by the piece. Water trunks are valued according to their size by the foot run, their hopper heads and shoes being valued by the piece. Moulded weather caps and joints by the piece. Scaffolding, where extra, must be allowed for.

2361. Flooring boards are prepared according to their length, not so much each; the standard width is 9 inches; if they are wider. the rate is increased, each board listing at so much per list. Battens are prepared in the same way, but at a different rate. 2362. The following memoranda are useful in estimating:

1 hundred (120) 12-feet-3-inch deals, 9 inches wide (each deal containing, therefore, 2 feet 3 inches cube), equal 53 loads of timber.

1 hundred (120) 12-feet-24-inch deals, 9 inches wide (each deal containing, therefore,

1 foot 10 inches cube), equal 44 loads of timber.

1 hundred (120) 12-feet-14-inch deals equal 1 reduced hundred.

1 load of 1-inch plank, or deals, is 400 feet superficial.

1 load of 2-inch plank, or deals, is 300 feet superficial.

And so on in proportion.

Twenty-four 10-feet boards, at a 5-inch guage, will finish one square.
Twenty 10-feet boards, at 6-inch guage, will finish one square.

Seventeen 10-feet boards, at a 7-inch guage, will finish one square.

Fifteen 10-feet boards, at an 8-inch guage, will finish one square.

Thirteen 10-feet boards, and 2 ft. 6 in. super, at a 9-inch guage, will finish one square.
Twelve 10-feet boards, and 2 ft. 6 in. super., at a 10-inch guage, will finish one square.
Twenty 12-feet boards, at a 5-inun guage, will finish one square.
Sixteen 12-feet boards, at a 6-inch guage, will finish one square.
Fourteen 12-feet boards, at a 7-inch guage, will finish one square.

Twelve 12-feet boards and 4 feet super., at an 8-inch guage, will finish one square.
Eleven 12-feet boards, and 1 foot super., at a 9-inch guage, will finish one square.
Ten 12-feet boards, and 1 foot super., at a 10-inch guage, will finish one square.
Battens are 6 inches wide.

Deals are 9 inches wide.
Planks are 11 inches wide.

Feather-edged deals are equal to 3-inch yellow deals; if white, equal to slit deal.
A reduced deal is 14-inch think, 11 inches wide, and 12 feet long.

=

2363. It may here be useful to advert to the mode of reducing deals to the standard of what is called a reduced deal, which evidently contains 1 ft. 4 in. 6 parts cube; for 12 ft. × 11 in. x lin. 1: 446, or in decimals, 12 ft. x 91666 ft. x 125 ft.=1375 cube it. nearly. Hence the divisor 1375 will serve as a constant for reducing deals of different lengths and thicknesses. Thus let it be required to find how many reduced deals there are in one 14 feet long, 10 inches wide, and 2 inches thick. Here 14 ft. x 8333 ft. (or 10 in.) × 20833 (or 2 in.)=2·43042 cube feet, and =1.767 reduced deal.

2.43042
1.375

2364. The table which is now subjoined exhibits the prices of deals and parts thereof calculated from 30l. to 951. per hundred, a range of value out of which it can rarely happen that examples will occur, though it has fallen within our own experience during the late war to see the price of deals at a very extraordinary height. This, however, is not likely to happen again. The elements on which it is based are

£60.

£55.

£50.

£45.

£10.

£35.

£:30.

First.

Second.
Third.

Price of deals, each being 12 feet long, three inches thick, 10

34.
120

inches wide. Then from we have the prime cost of each deal
Profit on prime cost, 15 per cent.

Planing both sides and waste, the former a constant depending on
the price of labour (say 5s. per day used in the table), and the
latter a variable, increasing with the cost price of the material -
6s. 7d as in the table for a 12 feet deal =

5.00

0.75

0.8333

6-5833

In the third element a constant (the planing) being involved and a variable (the waste) increasing with the cost of the material, the latter was eliminated by experiment and found equal to 4166 shilling for every 101, upwards of the price per hundred of the deals. The width of the running foot is 9 inches. For instance at 454. per cent, the cost of a foot super. (=144 in.) 1.258. = 1s. Sd. and of a foot run 9375 shilling 11d...

- 9 inches

=

This table is applicable purely to joinery.

=

144x-9375 1925

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2365-9. The above table almost explains itself, but one example will be taken for illustrating its use, premising that if deals are at a price between, above, or below that stated in the first column, the rules of arithmetic must be applied for the intermediate prices. Suppose deals, then, to be at 45l. per hundred; an inspection of the table shows that the value of 13-inch deal is 8d. per foot super., or 6d. run; that a 12-foot deal 2 inches thick is worth 6s. 84d.; and that a foot run of 3-inch deal 11 inches wide, which is the standard width, is worth 111d. The preceding table, which is applicable purely to joinery, is all that can be here given in general terms as to the prices of work.

2370. SLATER. The work of the slater is measured and estimated by the square of 100 feet superficial. The different sorts of slate, and how much a given quantity of each will cover, have been described in Chap. II. Sect. IX. (1798 et seq.). To measure slating, in addition to the net measure of the work, 6 inches are allowed for all the eaves, and 4 inches by their length for hips; such allowance being made in the first-named case because the slates are there double, and in the latter case for the waste in cutting away the sides of the slates to fit. When rags or imperial slates are used, an addition allowance of 9 inches is made for the eaves, because those slates run larger than the other sorts.

2371. MASON. Solid works, such as pilasters, cornices, coping, stringings, and others, should be first measured to ascertain the cubic quantity of stone they contain as going from the banker to the building; and on this, additional work, as plain work, sunk work, moulded or circular work, must be measured in superficial feet and separately valued. It is usual to allow a plain face to each joint, but no more than one should be taken to a 3-feet length. In staircases the flyers should be taken where splayed on the back, their full length and width by three-fifths of the depth of the riser, to allow for waste in getting two of the steps from the same block of stone. The measurement for the winders seems to be most properly conducted by ascertaining the net cubie contents of them, and then making the allowance for waste. Indeed this is a more proper and satisfactory mode for the flyers. The top of the treads are then taken on the superficies as plain work, and the fronts and ends of the risers as moulded work. In an open staircase, the under side of the flyers is measured as plain work; the under side of the winders as circular plain work; the rebates, cuttings out, pinnings in, &c., as they are found. Cylindrical work, such as of columns, after the cube quantity is ascertained, is measured as equal to plain work twice taken. In Portland dressings to chimneys, wherever edges appear, it is customary to add an inch to the dimensions for extra labour; to marble, of an inch; or to take the running dimensions of the edges.

2372-3. Paving slabs and stones under 2 ins. thick are taken by superficial measure. Cornices are measured by obtaining their girt, and multiplying by their length for the quantity of moulded work in them.

2374. FOUNder. The proper mode of estimating cast iron is by the ton or cwt. Moulds for the castings, when out of the common course, are charged extra. Very often, too, cast iron pipes and gutters are, according to their sizes, charged by the yard. Wrought iron beams and girders, of various shapes, are charged for by the ton. (See 1765 et seq.) For ornamental castings patterns have to be made; these are usually paid for in addition, and are often expensive.

2375. SMITH and IRONMONGER. Wrought iron for chimney bars, iron ties, screw bolts, balusters with straps, area gratings, handrails and balusters, hook-and-eye hinges, brackets for shelves, chains for posts, wrought iron columns with caps and bases, fancy iron railing, casements, shutter-bars, and the like, are charged by the pound, at various prices, according to the nature of the work. In the ironmonger's department nails and brads are charged by the hundred, though sold by weight, seldom exceeding 900 to the 1000. Screws, which take their names from their length, are charged by the dozen. Cast, and also wrought butts and screws, cast and wrought back flaps, butts and screws, side or H hinges, with screws, by the pair. All sorts of bolts with screws, of which the round part of the bolt determines the length, by the inch. H hinges and cross garnet hinges by the pair. Other hinges and screws by the piece. Locks by the piece. Pulleys according to their diameters. On all ironmongery 20 per cent. is charged on the prime cost. Wrought iron ornamental work is charged for according to the time and skill. (See 2253 et seq.)

2376. PLASTERER. The work of the plasterer is measured, generally, by the yard superficial. The usual way of measuring stucco work to partitions and walls is, to take the height from the upper edge of the ground to half way up the cornice, the extra price of the stucco making good for the deficiency of floated work under it. In ceilings and other work, the surface under the cornice is often taken, because there is no deficiency but in the setting, and that

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