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Caulking

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Courtesy of the Trustees of the New Bedford Free Public Library

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About this artifact

In this charcoal on paper drawing by Clifford Ashley, shipwrights seal the planks of a ship. Caulking was a process to make the joints in a wooden ship watertight. The caulker forces oakum between the planks using an iron and a caulking mallet. Then, pitch (pine tar) is poured along the seam to make a seal. Caulkers were among the highest paid tradesmen because their work kept the ship afloat.

Date:
1905
Creator:
Clifford Ashely

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