Skirret (tool)

A skirret is an archaic form of chalk line. It is a wooden tool shaped like the letter "T", historically used to ensure the Foundation (engineering) , foundation of a building was straight by laying down string as a marker. Today it is obsolete and little known, save for its use in some Freemasonry ceremonies.

Shaped like the letter "T" — with two horizontal pieces of wood at the top and about halfway down the vertical stake. The horizontal two cross-pieces are connected by a dowel at each end, around which a long length of string is wound.

To use, the Tradesman , craftsman unwound the string from its Spindle (tool) , spindle and utilised it to lay out the dimensions of the structure being built, acting on a centre pin from which a line was drawn out to mark the ground. In certain instances, with the spindle as the centre, the skirret could also have been used for drawing a circle.

References

Surveying instruments
Orientation (geometry)
Carpentry tools
Freemasonry

{{Freemasonry-stubIn some Grand Lodges' adopted forms of the Ritual, which vary from one Grand Lodge to another, the Skirret is one of the 'Working Tools' presented to a Master Mason. This is not one of the universally recognized 'Working Tools', used in the Ritual of all Grand Lodges.