vbl. sb. Also spauling, spawling. [f. SPALL v.1]
1. The action of breaking ore into small pieces, or of dressing stones, etc., with the hammer.
1758. Borlase, Nat. Hist. Cornw., 203. The best is broken small with hammers, which they call Spalling.
1778. Pryce, Min. Cornub., 193. Raising, spaling, and dividing, 0. 8. 0.
1855. [J. R. Leifchild], Cornwall, 268. The whole processes of spalling, buddling, jigging.
1875. Brash, Eccl. Archit. Irel., 79/2. The masonry is … of large-sized blocks partially dressed, and fitted without spawling.
1884. C. G. W. Lock, Workshop Receipts, Ser. III. 50/1. Cleaning is commenced by separating the large from the small stuff, for ‘spalling.’
attrib. 1871. Morgans, Man. Min. Tools, 67. The ‘spalling hammer’ is used for breaking up lumps of orey mineral for sorting before crushing and stamping.
1875. J. H. Collins, Met. Mining, 107. The result of the spalling process is the production of a pile of best ore, a pile of seconds,… and a pile of ‘deads.’
2. The process of chipping or splitting off.
1842. Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl., V. 363/1. I noticed a splintering, or spalling off, of the stones supporting the feet of some of the arches.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 370/2. In order to prevent the brick from spalling.
