Tools and Simple Machines

Patu tuna

Patu means ‘hit’ in Māori and is a general term used for a club. This elaborately carved patu tuna was used to kill eels. A patu could be made of wood, stone or bone. There were two types of patu tuna. One was used to kill eels that had been caught. Another type was used to kill the eel while they were in shallow water. Other methods of catching eels involved dangling spiders, birds or worms on a rod to lure them out of the water. This was called toi. Māori also caught eels with their bare hands.

Maori pounamu tattooing tools

Pounamu meaning ‘greenstone’ is the Māori name for jade. It is only found in some South Island West Coast rivers. Because of its hardness many important Māori tools were made from pounamu and it features prominently in many Māori myths and legends. These tattooing tools were made from pounamu. Tattooing tools were also made from bones of seabirds. The uhi or chisels were the traditional instrument used to carve the moko into the face.

Lever interlocking frame

There are 65 levers in this interlocking frame at the Invercargill Railway signal station. A lever is a simple machine which consists of a plank or beam that is free to rotate or move from or on a pivot. A lever has four parts. The beam or wooden plank, the fulcrum which is the pivot or moving point, the force or effort needed to move the beam and the load is the item being moved or lifted by the plank. In this case the beam or lever is operated by signalman (effort) to move the lever which is attached to the frame (fulcrum). This helps to interlock the signals (load) to help the safe operation or passage of trains.

Wheels are everywhere and an essential part of our modern technology, but this simple wheel-like machine has been used since ancient times. The first wheels could have been rollers made from tree trunks that got positioned under heavy loads to help move it along. They were also popular as a potter’s wheel and used on chariots in the Mesopotamian civilization. These grinding wheels could be for grinding, cutting or polishing a surface. Made of an abrasive material, these wheels will be used in grinding machines.

This tool kit can be found in anyone’s garage or home. It’s a handy box to have around the house to repair or maintain small jobs or for a do-it-yourself project. A tool kit or toolbox is used to organise, carry and protect tools. Tool kits will vary from trade to trade. For example, a tool kit for a carpenter will contain items such as a hammer, tape measure, saw, pliers etc. but an electrician will carry screwdrivers, electric drill, lever, wire strippers, and voltage testers etc.

Garden tools

The first part of this newspaper article from 1905 is an advertisement for garden tools. Shown here are a shovel and fork with a list of garden tools manufactured by ironmongers W.W Murton & Company. If you visit your nearest garden centre you will find that very little has changed with garden tools over the years. Garden tools were invented alongside the domestication of plants. Records show that it was around 1774 that American blacksmith John Ames began to make iron bladed shovels. His son who took over from him established Ames Shovel Works. He became known as the ‘King of Spades’

New metal for tools

Metals have played an important part in the manufacture of tools. The Iron Age began around 1200 BC when iron was used to make tools and weapons. The only real problem with iron is that it can rust. Then in the early 1900s, Elwood Haynes, an American inventor, metallurgist and entrepreneur discovered ‘stellite’ while working in his laboratory. This new alloy of cobalt and chromium would not rust or tarnish and was as hard as mild-tempered steel. Although not yet ready for commercial manufacture, a kitchen knife made from stellite showed immense potential for durability and high lustre.