Sawpit

Period: 16th century (sawing over trestles earlier)

A sawpit was a rectangular pit over which a log was laid so that two sawyers could cut it into planks with a long two-handled saw, the top sawyer guiding from above and the bottom sawyer pulling from below. In the medieval period logs were more often sawn over raised trestles, and much timber was hewn or split instead. Sawpits are certainly attested by the early 16th century; the dug pit should be treated as a later refinement.

Caveats (confidence: medium)

Earliest date for dug sawpits in England is uncertain; two-man sawing itself is medieval, and 'over a pit' may be earlier than the documentary evidence shows.

Sources: wealddown.co.uk · fet.uwe.ac.uk

Built from

Sawpitfrom any timber (oak timber, ash timber, elm timber and 7 more), any planks (oak planks, ash planks, elm planks and 2 more); by carpenter

Made here

Saw oak planksgives Oak planks, Sawdust; from Oak timber; with Pit saw; at sawpit; by carpenter
Saw ash planksgives Ash planks, Sawdust; from Ash timber; with Pit saw; at sawpit; by carpenter
Saw elm planksgives Elm planks, Sawdust; from Elm timber; with Pit saw; at sawpit; by carpenter
Saw pine planksgives Pine planks, Sawdust; from Pine timber; with Pit saw; at sawpit; by carpenter
Saw common planksgives Common planks, Sawdust; from any common timber (beech timber, birch timber, willow and alder timber and 1 more); with Pit saw; at sawpit; by carpenter

Caveats (confidence: medium)

Built from

Made here

Tell me when World 1 opens