v. Iron-smelting: To break up flat pieces of partially finished iron for fagotting. (See quots.) Hence Cabbler, Cabbling.
1849. Weale, Dict. Terms, s.v., The process … which in Gloucestershire is called ‘scabbling’ or more correctly ‘cabbling’ … is simply breaking up this flat iron into small pieces. Men are especially allocated for this operation, and are named ‘cabblers.’
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., 418/1. The pig iron is … 4. Tilted; making a flat, oval plate. 5. Cabbled; that is, broken up into pieces. 6. Fagoted.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, I. 558. Finery iron is smelted with charcoal, and when a soft mass of about two hundred-weight is formed it is hammered out into a flat oval from two to four inches in thickness; this is allowed to cool, and is then broken up into small pieces, which is the process of cabbling or scabbling.
