Casgliadau Arlein

A tempered wrought iron tooth (and holder) from a Hunter circular saw.

James Hunter, and his son George, developed a circular saw with distinctive renewable tips – tapered steel pins with an enlarged head held in sockets on the periphery of the circular blade. The tooth would be rotated at the end of each day. (see Gwyn, D. , Welsh Slate: Archaeology and History of an Industry , pg. 117, for a photograph of a Hunter circular saw in use)

It is believed to have been collected from Pen yr Orsedd Quarry as this quarry was the only one in the Dyffryn Nantlle area to have a Hunter saw (the quarry had two Hunter saws at the lower level mill).