A conical wooden tool with deep longitudinal grooves cut into its surface, used in a ropewalk to lay up strands into a finished rope. As the twisting machine turns the strands, the top is pushed along the length of the rope to maintain even tension and prevent the strands from tangling. The size of the grooves must match the diameter of the strands to ensure a tight, uniform lay.
Heard on the job
Keep steady pressure on the top as the machine turns, or you'll end up with a loose lay in that section of the hawser.