In making gutters, &c., pieces of milled lead, called jlashings, about eight or nine inches wide, are fixed in the walls all round the edges of the sheet-lead, with which the flat is covered, and are suffered to hang down over them, so as to prevent the passage of rain through the interstice between the raised edge and the \ va 1 . It' the walls have been previously built, the mortar is raked out of the joint of the bricks next above the edge of the sheet, and the tlashings are not only inserted into the crack at the upper sides, but their lower edges are likewise dressed over those of the load in the that or gutter. And when neither of these modes can be resorted to, the flashings are fastened by wall-hooks, and their lower edges arc dressed down, as before.
Drips in flats, or gutters, are formed by raising one part above another, and dressing the lead as already described, for covering the rolls. They are resorted to when the gutter, or flat, exceeds the length of the sheet ; or some times for convenience. They are also an useful expedient to avoid soldering the joints.
Reservoirs are generally made of wood, or masonry, for their exterior, and lined with cast sheet-lead, soldered at the joints. As these conveniences are rarely in places subject to material change of temperature, the soldering may be resorted to, without fear of its occasioning damage to the work, by promoting a disposition in the lead to crack.
The plumber's employment in pumps is confined generally to two or three kinds, required tbr domestic purposes, of which the suction and lifting pumps are the chief; these, as well as wate•-closets, are manufitctured by a particular set of workmen, and sold to the plumber, who furnishes the lead pipes, and fixes them in their places.
Plumber's work is commonly estimated by the pound or hundred-weight ; but the weight may be discovered by the measure of it, in the manner below stated. Sheet-load used in roofing, guttering, &c., is commonly between seven and
twelve pounds weight to the square foot ; but the following table silo Ws the particular weight of a square foot for each of the several thicknesses.
In this table the thickness is set down in tenths and him &e. of an inch; and the annexed corresponding num bers are the weights in avoirdupois pounds, mul thousandth parts of pound. So the weight of a square foot of of of an Moll thick, or , is 5 pounds, and 899 thousandth parts of a pound ; and the weight of a square foot to & of an inch thickness, is 6 pounds and du of a pound. Leaden pipe of an inch bore is commonly 13 or 14 pounds to the yard in length.
The plate exhibits the various forms of joining the lead at the concourse of an external angle made by a flat at the top, and one of the sloping sides of the roof; also, the method of joining the sheets between opposite extremities to which the joints or seams run parallel.
Figure L No. 1.—The first part of the operation of join ing two sheets both in the same flat or plane. D A and E are supposed to be portions of the flat joining together at A C, where each is bent to a right angle, D A B and n G F; the part, A 13, which rises upwards, exceeds the part G 1', in contact by c D, which is about one-third.
No. 2 explains the second step of this operation, exhibiting the part, c F, bent over the end D, perpendicular to the horizon.
No. 3 is the third step, and shows the part, n -2, No. 2, bent so as to be parallel to the horizon, and consequently coincident with the surface, c a, of the upper part ; and, so far as this operation has gone, it is the same as the first.
No. 4 exhibits the entire finish or last step of the operation.
The other method is by a roll of wood fixed over the upright part, which descends downwards to cover the slates, and is exhibited in Figure 3, Nos. I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, which are sufficiently plain to inspection, from what has been explained of Figures I and 2.