tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38578158392560977932024-02-07T21:15:27.426-08:00Hawkins HouseTracks details of the history, architecture, construction, and ongoing restoration efforts of the Hawkins House.John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-44152976807523777692011-09-10T08:07:00.000-07:002011-09-12T08:13:05.351-07:00Add One More To My CollectionLast October, I wrote about some <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2010/10/trivets-and-tulips-some-oddities-found.html">odd stuff</a> I found in the house, mostly in the attic, including an old iron carpenter's stamp with a number 6 / number 9 on it.<br /><br />Yesterday, while randomly prowling around under some attic floorboards, I found another old stamp, this one a number 5, amidst the dessicated corn cobs and acorn caps left behind by squirrelly visitors of the past:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKHF-WJW8EaIW2fX6oEzQif8nYsTJeWf1ShiUzVgL3nD2VSnWX0HahyphenhyphenoKy-a3fGzLQ2Ee3p9BZwJcty9jxLn_X8EvJX2eX-WIN9QD-mBSp_L6lHJoOQbGBgBRH_lel6SG2azksZaAcqs/s1600/IronStamp1024x683.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKHF-WJW8EaIW2fX6oEzQif8nYsTJeWf1ShiUzVgL3nD2VSnWX0HahyphenhyphenoKy-a3fGzLQ2Ee3p9BZwJcty9jxLn_X8EvJX2eX-WIN9QD-mBSp_L6lHJoOQbGBgBRH_lel6SG2azksZaAcqs/s400/IronStamp1024x683.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650748808729100050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Needless to say, there's quite a bit of debris in my joist bays. Soon, I'm going to begin cleaning it all out. But like every other project here, there's a need to proceed slowly, like an archeologist, sifting carefully through the rubble for things revealing of house history.<br /><br />Just for the sake of comparison, here's my complete set of modern, hand-cut, 3/8" steel stamps (just a tad smaller than the stamps I've found, which are 1/2"). I like working with all manner of traditional tools, whether true antiques, or modern equivalents. These were made by the <a href="http://www.hittmarking.com/">Hitt Marking Devices</a> folks, in California/Arizona:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVYKtzRzAnT_QncTyAm66D2zDUwtRsVJvQFnjVCyWSyLsyMrsAWouUqfQOSTd7Gck8OyEmtXbFniVncEPQNcMXyA2I73xxZ4F3BbmUL9AqUnyVCGVmiQtR3L2h8qsDbkF_l5ijY6Wsqs/s1600/SteelStamps1024x683.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVYKtzRzAnT_QncTyAm66D2zDUwtRsVJvQFnjVCyWSyLsyMrsAWouUqfQOSTd7Gck8OyEmtXbFniVncEPQNcMXyA2I73xxZ4F3BbmUL9AqUnyVCGVmiQtR3L2h8qsDbkF_l5ijY6Wsqs/s400/SteelStamps1024x683.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650755479663447202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So, stay tuned for more postings on the massive attic exploration and clean-out effort, and we'll see what other sorts of things we come up with. I'm still hopeful, by the way, that there's an old musket hidden somewhere. I know it's there -- it's just a matter of time before I find it... :-)John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-43989476010955494802011-05-29T13:09:00.001-07:002011-05-30T12:37:37.540-07:00Further Musings on Hawkins House OriginsIt always amazes me how much of what passes for knowledge is often just recycled opinion that often falls apart when held up against hard evidence. On the other hand, I also find it disturbing that the same evidence can often stare you straight in the face for a long time, never making an impression, until that one day when some line of reasoning requires you to take just one more look, and then suddenly, the truth becomes obvious.<br /><br />This is business as usual, of course, when trying to precisely establish the material history of a very old home. At the time I bought the Hawkins house in 2007, for example, a belief deeply held by local historians was that my house had been moved twice, from one unknown location to another, and then to its current location on Hawkins Street. But my thorough investigation of a number of old maps indicated that the house had always been there. The hard physical evidence then came into play when it finally struck me that the footprint of the present day foundation and stone work surrounding the house lined up exactly with the original, above-grade foundation shown in several old photographs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwJTLMzippz-vmqemjEOswFIZsXxw5_-OWlahO932VVZ6XePFYtmg7mZD_VWyUl39JgM-n82xKRBLIw1kcVm8LSEVPosEyEtve9Mft6Jcb7VyHkGdSqH5yu8LGvipUKBsh8zu9kdWgws/s1600/HughesAndBailey2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 392px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwJTLMzippz-vmqemjEOswFIZsXxw5_-OWlahO932VVZ6XePFYtmg7mZD_VWyUl39JgM-n82xKRBLIw1kcVm8LSEVPosEyEtve9Mft6Jcb7VyHkGdSqH5yu8LGvipUKBsh8zu9kdWgws/s400/HughesAndBailey2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612344159477841090" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >The Hawkins house shown in its present day location, on a Hughes and Bailey illustrated map of Derby, c. 1920.</span><br /><br />I'm now of the mind that my house had been moved only temporarily, if at all, while the old foundation was being replaced with the current one. Or, perhaps even an <span style="font-style: italic;">in situ</span> jacking and then lowering of the house back in place (undoubtedly a long and creaky affair, that might've even racked the house frame), some how transformed over time into an account of the home being moved between different sites.<br /><br />More recently, I've begun to seriously question the original date of construction of the house. As my knowledge of the architectural trends of the New Haven Colony continues to expand, I've concluded that the present day Hawkins house is a product of the Third Period of colonization (approx. 1700-1750), and probably even of the later half of that period. In terms of its basic architectural form, the Hawkins house quintessentially is a late Third Period home.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxVClyZ8BhcIfmHL5u3LpbAgypQ58xqGLj85sB02gCamGPbRkAQdVRAzhXPW15DzRwcHYGq6UqXReEu7_B1dR6d1NlNpC0wwz342tVyL0dIMjTepWBwND8LTk3zDlScU8SeKCK6b_Ipw/s1600/DSC02479.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxVClyZ8BhcIfmHL5u3LpbAgypQ58xqGLj85sB02gCamGPbRkAQdVRAzhXPW15DzRwcHYGq6UqXReEu7_B1dR6d1NlNpC0wwz342tVyL0dIMjTepWBwND8LTk3zDlScU8SeKCK6b_Ipw/s400/DSC02479.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612340989131905906" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >A large joist spanning adjacent tie-beams at one end of the Hawkins house. A First Period home would've had a summer beam in this location (summers were either minimized, or disappeared entirely, around 1750). The half-dove tail joint prevents the tie-beams from drifting apart, so the remaining joists, running parallel to this one, are simply dropped in place, without dove tailed ends. This joist effectively divides the house frame into front and back sections, and supports 2x vertical planks, forming a partition wall just below. You can see the ends of these planks on the left side of the joist.</span><br /><br />However, the historical record also tells us that Joseph Hawkins built a home in this location sometime between 1670 and 1681. That home most likely would've been of the First Period style, consisting of two floors, with two rooms on each floor, and a large, central chimney. During the Second and Third Periods, many older, First Period homes were expanded into saltboxes, through the incorporation of a lean-to addition, providing a full kitchen on the first floor in the rear of the house, and small, second floor garrets on either side of the chimney column.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKTYzYLyjw9OLtqib-ayW_KEWNUDATZDPo08wvp-tfi2pl_vuZkiEwGO8auBdB5aM1YEb3PbkikIUd0hgUsR0RogKsBa3fjn7pLLwZl0yIQAUJ_XuufL0kMoS46ypi9Bw6YPOY_3G2Ms/s1600/dsc00110.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKTYzYLyjw9OLtqib-ayW_KEWNUDATZDPo08wvp-tfi2pl_vuZkiEwGO8auBdB5aM1YEb3PbkikIUd0hgUsR0RogKsBa3fjn7pLLwZl0yIQAUJ_XuufL0kMoS46ypi9Bw6YPOY_3G2Ms/s400/dsc00110.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612346254071653762" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >View from the southeast bed chamber looking into the spinning room. Even from a photograph, one can easily discern the downward slope of both the spinning room floor and tie-beam (just over the far door leading into the northeast birthing room).</span><br /><br />The present day Hawkins house is not a saltbox; rather, a full two-story home with attic. But recently, I found myself wondering if there were any possibility that my home might be a latter day conversion of an earlier Hawkins house, retrofitted by some descendant of Joseph Hawkins. And with that, of course, some previously unaccounted-for physical evidence began to click in my mind. Two things, in particular, now stand out:<br /><br />1) The entire rear half of the house frame on the second floor has a distinct downward slope toward the rear wall. In the attic, this is even more apparent: You can clearly see that the front half of the attic floor forms a more-or-less level plane, while the rear half of the attic floor (just beyond the large attic joists that effectively divide the front and rear of the house, while stabilizing adjacent tie-beams) clearly slopes downward. This odd feature often (though not always) is a characteristic of an old timber frame home that had been extended at some point in its past.<br /><br />2) If my home is indeed a conversion of an older house, it is not at all unlikely (again, based on its architectural style) that that conversion might've taken place in the mid to late 1700s. That might account for the strange "100 yea old" epithet white washed on one of the roof planks in the front of the house. The front half of the house indeed could've been "one hundred years old", at the time when the new, rear addition of the house had just been built. And some one, at the time, might've needed to make a note of that fact.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5SDl7GizghcSWtf7MUb-H-vuq_J1Leursbd4GBL4CaraptQKaJAJO4dvuE8c8nmWy3VrrtSMpFced-8Bn2Wl1gOJJzVyLdkYR0cN7K_tPX_p8H5I-99mEpTbQtEsQjsLP-aJJpIgAU4/s1600/dsc00056.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5SDl7GizghcSWtf7MUb-H-vuq_J1Leursbd4GBL4CaraptQKaJAJO4dvuE8c8nmWy3VrrtSMpFced-8Bn2Wl1gOJJzVyLdkYR0cN7K_tPX_p8H5I-99mEpTbQtEsQjsLP-aJJpIgAU4/s400/dsc00056.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612347274025947154" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >White washed message on the roof deck, proclaiming "100 yea old". This is in the front section of the Hawkins house attic.</span><br /><br />Ultimately, a dendrochronological survey, together with a much more thorough visual inspection of the frame than I've done so far (in search of splices, empty mortises, etc.), should settle these questions. However, until I get at least to that point in my current surveys, any notion of a conversion from an earlier house is but mere speculation on my part.<br /><br />There also are a number of other oddities through out my home that might eventually find their way to explanations if a Hawkins house conversion could indeed be established, including this strangely filled-in section of the second floor parlor chamber, which spans the entire length of the parlor, and is of the same width as the landing just beyond the door.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8A_rHJVgeafKeCo3xbAoN912wDOQrOwpnXABS1D_SPdYoQH89CilL7Cj6MPa0SO5sZAT5YOfPiEgMTIHMPkBxJheUDEgJFo4E3ZdY9qdlYE1gums1o1QL9mxr7c5oW0Nb3R8-9799sM/s1600/dsc00209.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ8A_rHJVgeafKeCo3xbAoN912wDOQrOwpnXABS1D_SPdYoQH89CilL7Cj6MPa0SO5sZAT5YOfPiEgMTIHMPkBxJheUDEgJFo4E3ZdY9qdlYE1gums1o1QL9mxr7c5oW0Nb3R8-9799sM/s400/dsc00209.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612349551926740354" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Cut-out section of the parlor chamber floor, running along the front wall of the Hawkins house. The cut-out was subsequently filled with shortened planks. I'm curious what I'd find underneath, were I to pry any of the shorts planks up.</span><br /><br />I don't know (yet) if there is a corresponding construction in the hall chamber, since its plank flooring is completely covered by a "modern floor" (probably mid-19th century, based on its construction), but at some point, I intend to find out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46icW_OCeU5CzLwmbd4p1AMzGEsHCW9KVcmlp91ueGTTfAOf5SHm-ua5VKXGXveJnupTlV81jKxOhMm_tsT4jxXJUVYeH-YN4LJ51UM8-IZUdvsnhJKdas1lEkJgqN-ahObLfq4zc3vI/s1600/dsc00356.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46icW_OCeU5CzLwmbd4p1AMzGEsHCW9KVcmlp91ueGTTfAOf5SHm-ua5VKXGXveJnupTlV81jKxOhMm_tsT4jxXJUVYeH-YN4LJ51UM8-IZUdvsnhJKdas1lEkJgqN-ahObLfq4zc3vI/s400/dsc00356.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612351039529587234" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Nineteenth century overlay flooring in the hall chamber: 5/4 x 4 tongue-and-groove boards, face-nailed with 8d machine cut square nails.</span><br /><br />Here's one final example of physical evidence going unnoticed until some other event makes its meaning more obvious. In the second floor southeast bed chamber, there is a cut-out similar to that of the parlor chamber, only smaller in length. It's also filled by old planks. For some time, I had wondered why it was there. The only obvious thing is that two closet spaces had been built over it in more recent times.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwMa0aGejrZV0Ql6ysTzt_S5rnu5GdecYR21KYzUaGNh420Bk3QRib2OcGaTrphcFJUnMydiaTOjT5U-cXt1DsxKCF7WywEB1-nGUhYgfutcUU38t4IzOj7SIbT1tdlPZbE4lGN9Pjq8/s1600/IMAG0492.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwMa0aGejrZV0Ql6ysTzt_S5rnu5GdecYR21KYzUaGNh420Bk3QRib2OcGaTrphcFJUnMydiaTOjT5U-cXt1DsxKCF7WywEB1-nGUhYgfutcUU38t4IzOj7SIbT1tdlPZbE4lGN9Pjq8/s400/IMAG0492.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612356704056161586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Cut-out in the the second floor southeast bed chamber. The short planks extend out to the far wall of the "closet", which happens to be the vertical plank partition wall described in the first photo of this post.</span><br /><br />One day, I was in the cellar, looking up at the first floor rafters for some reason, when I noticed an identical cut-out, filled with modern dimensional lumber, directly under the same location and more or less of the same dimensions. That's when it struck me that this was a remnant of the old rear stairway, which led from the second floor work area in the rear of the house, down to the kitchen, and then further into the cellar. It might've been enclosed in paneling, but one side of it was defined by the old vertical plank partition wall that still divides the front and back of the house to this day (only now covered by plaster and wall board).<br /><br />Until then, I was always wondering why the Hawkins house never had a second stair in the rear, like other homes of its day. It never occurred to me I'd been looking at it all along.John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-11660742596926105582011-04-28T12:52:00.000-07:002011-04-30T15:16:01.959-07:00Tying Joint 3D ModelHere are several views of the latest iteration of the 3D model I'm developing of the tying joint used in the Hawkins house frame. This joint is used to fasten each post to its respective tie-beam end, forming the bents, and then subsequently tie the bents themselves together via the front and back top plates, thus forming the basic, standing frame of the house.<br /><br />The image below shows a typical post top, which is joined to its tie-beam via a tiesel tenon. I still need to determine if the tenon actually extends all the way back to the (non-tapered) end of the post, or if it stops just short of the post end (this is one of the least accessible areas of the post, as it faces the exterior sheathing):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGdR74jYJrZUzk8kP2Srm_g8izO2yQl2FN0GdrwhqaM9O919EEFnlag5Gv8Ga1NI_pqzME8tcGt8uAOt8FO9CrDTs-8o_lBZfaQJTDeRu6lXRBuGgmkoqWcWqBUued2cohGSoytXlC78/s1600/PostVariation2-1.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600732518820087074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGdR74jYJrZUzk8kP2Srm_g8izO2yQl2FN0GdrwhqaM9O919EEFnlag5Gv8Ga1NI_pqzME8tcGt8uAOt8FO9CrDTs-8o_lBZfaQJTDeRu6lXRBuGgmkoqWcWqBUued2cohGSoytXlC78/s400/PostVariation2-1.png" /></a><br /><br />The next image shows the corresponding tie-beam end. A large 3x8x9 shoulder cut out of the bottom of the tie-beam supports the 6x9 plate, which in turn has a mortise that accomodates the 2x8x9 tenon projecting horizontally from the end of the tie-beam, just above the shoulder. Plate and tie-beam are drawn together via a single 1 1/2" peg, pounded in from above. There is also a smaller hole to accomodate the end of the peg securing the rafter foot where it is stepped on to the plate. A mortise cut into the bottom of the shoulder, and extending partly into the tie-beam just beyond the shoulder, accomodates the post's tenon:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRRhTnvD7dBFu9PaKIWEtqQjsliNDAcx8M9o4xqEjpo0gWEcUvB41v81wQHJdHc0HYwE2s6jVYqwT5oqOxd_7EGSdv5Bim4kv1rHiT0Ponk5pJU5BfzEJd2xQw2mGgxh-T54KDUtARck/s1600/TieBeamVariation2-1.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600735124855975762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsRRhTnvD7dBFu9PaKIWEtqQjsliNDAcx8M9o4xqEjpo0gWEcUvB41v81wQHJdHc0HYwE2s6jVYqwT5oqOxd_7EGSdv5Bim4kv1rHiT0Ponk5pJU5BfzEJd2xQw2mGgxh-T54KDUtARck/s400/TieBeamVariation2-1.png" /></a><br /><br />Note that, if the post tenon actually does indeed extend all the way to the back of the post, then this mortise is most likely opened at the end of the shoulder. I haven't determined yet if this is actually the case, but this is how I've modeled it for now. I also need to determine if the mortise is blind or open on top. Again, all this is difficult to discern, because this part of the joint is almost completely inaccessible to nondestructive probes.<br /><br />The next image shows the tie-beam end, as viewed from below. There is a pronounced, adzed reduction in the bottom of the tie-beam, which, on average, extends about 9" inward from the inside edge of the mortise, and is about 1/2" deep:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF83iQP0Yzuife46gvJxpBxSYsve-nXLxphzzXzEY0MQ7xEKeYyz6V-03on6QGzZPNdawM9X44bMC6o70dAvw0sj8hUqLL5WoIrEeMudbggusLoDsBfz6epAWUoi4tlautUtlfdl_QAmI/s1600/TieBeamVariation2-2.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600741368226295058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF83iQP0Yzuife46gvJxpBxSYsve-nXLxphzzXzEY0MQ7xEKeYyz6V-03on6QGzZPNdawM9X44bMC6o70dAvw0sj8hUqLL5WoIrEeMudbggusLoDsBfz6epAWUoi4tlautUtlfdl_QAmI/s400/TieBeamVariation2-2.png" /></a><br /><br />Here is the tie-beam end, as it would appear facing head-on. An odd characteristic of the mortise, visible from this perspective, is that the blind part of the mortise, just beyond the shoulder, extends upwards an additional 1 3/4", despite the fact that the tenon itself has been measured as only 2 3/4" in length at this end. There is no obvious reason why the blind part of the mortise is cut much deeper than what the tenon actually requires:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_cgywB8xMc5c-lDUMfO8cWYDTv8QSTo8ArP7-QWbf-AZes_nKfNlQFedrpqxev6sMMMj0hub7NI3nGkmLhkm6HJCwUcbCKMlJ3OR-xLE9dfMLEloin9aE3FrWnXL2gUtgokk2q9YcH4/s1600/TieBeamVariation2-3.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600742480380957714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_cgywB8xMc5c-lDUMfO8cWYDTv8QSTo8ArP7-QWbf-AZes_nKfNlQFedrpqxev6sMMMj0hub7NI3nGkmLhkm6HJCwUcbCKMlJ3OR-xLE9dfMLEloin9aE3FrWnXL2gUtgokk2q9YcH4/s400/TieBeamVariation2-3.png" /></a><br /><br />Below is yet one more image of the tie-beam end, as viewed along its length:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9Gr5yYDhXFkT6kn8WiB0qBr48JRPuy6QJGE12p7y_Rl3tcePPPDYbD_xvVFGEFHliUfqeB3vcVEjI25HcpyRJngLT_ufUqolRuhQA2TStC27MM0Xcn4thyphenhyphenqR-CRm-hKrYZbhfW8nwqA/s1600/TieBeamVariation2-4.png"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600746392009444418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9Gr5yYDhXFkT6kn8WiB0qBr48JRPuy6QJGE12p7y_Rl3tcePPPDYbD_xvVFGEFHliUfqeB3vcVEjI25HcpyRJngLT_ufUqolRuhQA2TStC27MM0Xcn4thyphenhyphenqR-CRm-hKrYZbhfW8nwqA/s400/TieBeamVariation2-4.png" /></a><br /><br />And here's a photo of an actual Hawkins house tie-beam and post joined together. The plate, of course, is just beyond the wall and ceiling, so not visible in this photo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_2i4fIt8beAgAJbM2yz4OQY-ZJK73Yru_ax9CpjXmvg2GZTp-gSyHN8ywQjjUByVmb6krNlF5VJsp6V2kFscCL3EL5Ke5t12OROM8UuVh3YtNzGJRCXb3xFh68CHWFJoVMphtOz-RlI/s1600/DSC02483.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600751194213866898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_2i4fIt8beAgAJbM2yz4OQY-ZJK73Yru_ax9CpjXmvg2GZTp-gSyHN8ywQjjUByVmb6krNlF5VJsp6V2kFscCL3EL5Ke5t12OROM8UuVh3YtNzGJRCXb3xFh68CHWFJoVMphtOz-RlI/s400/DSC02483.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The layout of this tying joint might very well be a vernacular design of the Second or Third Period of the New Haven Colony. It's a much simpler geometry than the classic English tying joint found in most First Period homes, and suggests that the Hawkins house might've been constructed later than claimed.<br /><br />I've never seen this style of joint diagrammed in any of the early timber frame surveys I've studied. Several of my colleagues in the Timber Framers Guild's <a href="http://www.tfguild.org/ttrag.html">TTRAG</a> told me they're not familiar with it either, and suggested it might very well be a design that originated in my local area. As I'd mentioned in a previous posting, the Reverend Richard Mansfield House, less than ten miles aways, employs an almost identical tying joint in its bent system.John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-89831414012857432422011-04-23T10:36:00.000-07:002011-04-23T11:28:28.415-07:00Earth Day 2011: An Invited Article For Building Moxie<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5LewfhhVvy1JYwPOPc6cyTf9a4b6q1qbSOABscB6o6r-OI2-XxDTPzSDhNi7CNb5qL_xmf7_wHqhPk_AhsWCSse_tqhOG-1l3KLPtWWBTPnT9EVtR7ddoAYZSqu0yHN74EUuaQucz0s/s1600/ContainerHerbs.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598845615623186098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5LewfhhVvy1JYwPOPc6cyTf9a4b6q1qbSOABscB6o6r-OI2-XxDTPzSDhNi7CNb5qL_xmf7_wHqhPk_AhsWCSse_tqhOG-1l3KLPtWWBTPnT9EVtR7ddoAYZSqu0yHN74EUuaQucz0s/s200/ContainerHerbs.jpg" /></a>Recently, I was invited by my good friend Jb Bartkowiak to contribute an article to his community-oriented <a href="http://www.buildingmoxie.com/">Building Moxie: The Do Together Daily</a> commemorating <a href="http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2011">Earth Day 2011</a>. Needless to say, it was a great honor and privilege to have been asked.<br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div>The article, entitled <a href="http://www.buildingmoxie.com/2011/04/earth-day-2011-three-simple-things/">Earth Day 2011: Three Simple Acts That Can Make A Difference</a>, highlights relatively low-cost practices almost anyone can undertake to help achieve a greener, more sustainable world, in keeping with the Earth Day 2011 theme of <a href="http://act.earthday.org/">A Billion Acts of Green</a>. Please give it a read, and post any comments directly to the article itself. And I hope everyone is having a great weekend and holiday!</div></div>John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-41986790030125476132011-04-18T16:41:00.000-07:002011-04-23T11:29:33.466-07:00A Wonderful Note from The Timber Framers GuildToday, a wonderful note from the <a href="http://tfguild.org/">Timber Framers Guild</a>, thanking me for my presentation at the <a href="http://tfguild.org/TTRAG2011Report.html">TTRAG Symposium 2011</a> last week end, arrived in the mail. It was a total surprise, and provided just the sort of lift I was a bit in need of today. So I would like to say "thank you", in return, to Joel McCarty, Susan Norlander, and Dan Boyle for being such wonderful facilitators and hosts last week!<br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEjA-aMScLWmqSs6pzcytfxNu7pwD_hAs41poe40Mdb2dGf6-UrXAo1UjGJy7n3s6w8Ww1st4SpO0jKEz48lJUFgUNt1nzXFSMq5RFsCyUwjIs3sa9dDTz1FxZ1uijt-Mt91d1R4dyGI/s1600/TFG+Note.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 267px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597075847217464050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEjA-aMScLWmqSs6pzcytfxNu7pwD_hAs41poe40Mdb2dGf6-UrXAo1UjGJy7n3s6w8Ww1st4SpO0jKEz48lJUFgUNt1nzXFSMq5RFsCyUwjIs3sa9dDTz1FxZ1uijt-Mt91d1R4dyGI/s400/TFG+Note.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div></div>John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-13007627768249021712011-04-10T09:53:00.000-07:002011-05-29T12:26:43.363-07:00Oh Hawkins House, How Old Art Thou, Really?In recent times, I've found myself speculating quite a bit about the nature of my ancient home, and what it might have to say about the building practices of housewrights in the early New Haven Colony. <br /><br />But now, some of these considerations actually have me questioning the exact age of the Hawkins house. My home is often claimed to have been built sometime between 1670 and 1675. The local land records say 1670. The Hawkins family genealogy says 1675, but I have found no particular justification for this date in their account. We do know, via the old town records, that the land on which Joseph Hawkins built his home was granted in June of 1670. We also know with certainty that the current day house was sold by the Hawkins family to the Gaynor family in 1853. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QAsypZh8Mx99bFKXeT3nNr6BXc76IoWiL1U91TZbhcGX6YPDwgkK6NrlegjWx2Tdtw2z17bWyOOTb-oO3_yr_EVi9tuX9FIfLMw4qVyU3E3hVVsb2_jbql1Ip2_8uMdMSU5oCzOqXGs/s1600/Hawkins_House_Front.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 251px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594113084185590738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QAsypZh8Mx99bFKXeT3nNr6BXc76IoWiL1U91TZbhcGX6YPDwgkK6NrlegjWx2Tdtw2z17bWyOOTb-oO3_yr_EVi9tuX9FIfLMw4qVyU3E3hVVsb2_jbql1Ip2_8uMdMSU5oCzOqXGs/s320/Hawkins_House_Front.JPG" /></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em> <em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />The Old Hawkins House, probably around mid-nineteenth century.</span></em> <br /><br />And we also have it on the word of Samuel Orcutt and Ambrose Beardsley, in <em>The History of the Old Town of Derby, Connecticut, 1642-1880</em> (published in 1880) that Joseph Hawkins "...built a house where now the old Hawkins house stands, on Hawkins street, where he died in 1682" (p. 726). I'd previously taken this as confirmation that my home was constructed before 1682, and that Orcutt and Beardsley were asserting that the "old Hawkins house" was, more likely than not, the original home, albeit without having any definitive proof.<br /><br />However, in re-reading this passage, I now think that Orcutt and Beardsley may have had their suspicions that the house on Hawkins street was built in more recent times, and their comment "where he died in 1682" was probably a reference to an earlier home (or perhaps just the Hawkins street location, generally), and not necessarily the current day house. But why would they have reached such a conclusion?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioF5GIT5uq3vqpyPyYNGxwtqr61P7gd8tff0rI0O6RR5D7ayQG3UShivHBQE5jSWQZ13iA6nftksG0fKLHFXsaoIQ6t7W_FKIJhZG4yy9vWK3cnLgrbsVpL4LikqDeSpADBSm8FpZNMDc/s1600/Mansfield+House.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594117555310838786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioF5GIT5uq3vqpyPyYNGxwtqr61P7gd8tff0rI0O6RR5D7ayQG3UShivHBQE5jSWQZ13iA6nftksG0fKLHFXsaoIQ6t7W_FKIJhZG4yy9vWK3cnLgrbsVpL4LikqDeSpADBSm8FpZNMDc/s320/Mansfield+House.jpg" /></a> <em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />The Reverend Richard Mansfield house, c. 1700, Ansonia, Connecticut. A pristine example of a Second Period Connecticut saltbox.</span></em><br /><br />A classic text, nearly as old as Orcutt's and Beardsley's history, is Norman Isham's and Albert Brown's <em>Early Connecticut Houses</em>, originally published by Preston and Rounds in 1900, and then republished by Dover in 1965. In it, Isham and Brown surveyed 29 ancient Connecticut homes, some of the earliest of which no longer survive today, and attempted to describe the general characteristics of homes built during the three major periods of Connecticut colonization. <br /><br />There are many aspects of the current day Hawkins house's architecture and construction that suggest it's more a product of what Isham and Brown had defined as <em>The Third Period</em> of the New Haven Colony, roughly from 1700 to 1750. <br /><br />First of all, the Hawkins house is simply too big to be a First Period (1638-1675) home, according to Isham's and Brown's characterizations. Homes of the First Period generally consisted of two rooms, Hall and Parlor, separated by the chimney bay, with the entrance and second floor stair in front of the chimney column. Although the front section of the Hawkins house is indeed configured in this manner, the house also has a rear section of nearly equal area encompassing both the first and second floors, defining a large kitchen on the 1st floor, and work rooms and additional bed chambers on the second floor. All this without the lean-to extension typical of Second Period (1675-1700) saltboxes. The Hawkins house plan, therefore, is consistent with the design of a Third Period home. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqto1HMjD-_qZD0CreM3sk8Anz8hY84y5iqffQmOZGaVoroWNrOLDXcMMT4ng5x2QYE66uA5xwHcpuw7bifpiSbkLVVIQBkr9GpG9T6t_MD4xhVE0M1_geuwLIGCW_MG_gED0dOd-MTDw/s1600/Dove+Tailed+Joist.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594119642233522274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqto1HMjD-_qZD0CreM3sk8Anz8hY84y5iqffQmOZGaVoroWNrOLDXcMMT4ng5x2QYE66uA5xwHcpuw7bifpiSbkLVVIQBkr9GpG9T6t_MD4xhVE0M1_geuwLIGCW_MG_gED0dOd-MTDw/s320/Dove+Tailed+Joist.JPG" /></a> <em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />The beefy central attic joist in the Hawkins house holds the midsections of adjacent end-bay tie-beams together, using a half dovetailed joint at each end. The vertical boards fastened to the left side of the joist create a partition wall that divides the front section (hall and parlor) of the house from the rear section (kitchen area). Second floor and attic joists run longitudinally, and there are no summer beams, except under the first floor.</span></em> <br /><br />Also missing from the Hawkins house are the massive summer beams found in most First Period homes, which, in Connecticut, typically spanned the two end bays from the chimney girt to a cambered wall girt at each end, respectively, defining the joist system of the 2nd floor. Instead, Hawkin's house joists in the end bays run longitudinally from chimney girt to wall girt on the 2nd floor, and likewise from tie-beam to tie-beam under the attic floor. The only summer beams are found in the first floor system, visible from the cellar. <br /><br />The Hawkins house also has a 10" roof pitch, in contrast to the much steeper pitches used by First Period New Haven Colony carpenters, according to Isham and Brown. The roof system does, however, include collar ties, something often missing from later period New Haven Colony homes. <br /><br />These points really hit home for me while attending the Timber Framers Guild's TTRAG Symposium 2011, last week in Danvers, and Topsfield, Massachusetts. Jack Sobon mentioned to me that, in addition to its basic plan and size, many of the apparent framing simplifications exhibited by my house were typical of later period homes. Several others mentioned that the lack of bracing in favor of heavy sheathing, and the absense of traditional English tying joints in the post/tie-beam/plate connections, also seemed indicative of a later period home. Jack suggested conducting a dendrochronological survey of the frame, to attempt to verify the true age of the house. Thanks to a rather large, accumulated database of wood core samples, modern dendrochronological dating can be extremely accurate, sometimes as close as one year. So, as you can imagine, this is now a part of my survey plans. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxuOODHu5MTgwXvyVoPV3R3SN5UDBhHEAkdz8euHjHrTXeufPmnGOVCk6-qFVmYERbCS2OhLtcfkohPBhGUYq1JEuPMhuwxyzXlTq30B5GiMspznt5CJxYzuZPelAWJj397SxJGM9dPk/s1600/Tying+Joint.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594126830464342146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLxuOODHu5MTgwXvyVoPV3R3SN5UDBhHEAkdz8euHjHrTXeufPmnGOVCk6-qFVmYERbCS2OhLtcfkohPBhGUYq1JEuPMhuwxyzXlTq30B5GiMspznt5CJxYzuZPelAWJj397SxJGM9dPk/s320/Tying+Joint.JPG" /></a> <em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Where post, tie-beam, and plate all come together, a relatively simple tying joint is used in the Hawkins house frame. (The Mansfield house in nearby Ansonia uses an almost identical joint).</span></em> <br /><br />On the other hand, my Guild colleagues also showed considerable interest in the design of the simplified tying joint used in the Hawkins house frame, whose internal geometry I have yet to completely determine. Both the Hawkins house and nearby Rev. Richard Mansfield house appear to share this joint. Several attendees professed being unfamiliar with this particular style of joint, and concluded that I might've come across a New Haven Colony vernacular design that was worthy of further investigation. So, of course, I plan to continue with that, as well.<br /><br />Is it possible that the current Hawkins house is a latter day extension of an earlier home built by Joseph Hawkins? That's certainly possible, but I have yet to find any hard evidence of a conversion. I think it more likely that some descendant of the early Hawkins family decided to build a new home, either on, or near, the site of the original home. If that's true, what happened to the original home is anyone's guess.John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-25459111625029573202011-01-29T08:30:00.001-08:002011-10-30T10:42:59.095-07:00Snow Screed...Or, How To Float A Big Fluffy Slab<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br />Screed</span>: </span><span class="main-fl" style="font-size:85%;"><em>noun</em> </span><span class="pr" style="font-size:85%;">\<span class="unicode">ˈ</span>skrēd\</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> 1) A lengthy discourse (e.g., personal account, or ra</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">nt)</span>; <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">2) A leveling device drawn over freshly poured concrete</span> <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">[Source: </span><a style="FONT-STYLE: italic" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screed?show=0&t=1296322633">Merriam-Webster</a><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">]</span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">. </span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">A screeded con</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">crete s</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">urface is usually finished with a float. For this article (which itself is a screed), snow is the metaphorical concrete, the North wind is the screed, and the float is, well, ... an actual float</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">.<br /></span><br />January 26<sup>th</sup>-27<sup>th</sup> brought us yet another intense winter storm. In our area, the storm dropped about 14"of snow – not quite as much as we'd received two weeks ago. But the total snow accumulation for the month of January was about 52", setting a record for the snowiest January here since 1965. And cold temperatures ensured the older snow stayed around, so accumulations both on the ground and on the tops of structures were quite deep.This caused numerous collapsing roofs here in Connecticut, and many folks are making efforts right now to remove roof-top snow.<br /><br />In a <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2011/01/epic-snow-storm-of-january-11-12-2011.html">previous post</a>, I'd written how my home faces north-west, the same direction (more or less) that winter storms tend to blow from in this area. My main roof has a 10" pitch and presents a large profile to the wind, causing lots of snow to blow over the ridge and get deposited on the rear and mud room roofs. Furthermore, the front of the house blocks wind at lower levels, often causing a large build-up of snow on the entry porch roof and in the front yard. So I wasn't totally surprised to see this after the storm:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp-yr-h7tBwvsP6htKqOHsYac8E8AruSF_P-pbns2OW_6Mhe9pu45r-gP4Y046r9OjE5tYK-paha4CSYYzebULeUMsXDCb0JW-Ns2Bhn-9DCfck1SeBwYCJhecDaT6KCi0_xnC5SXRu8/s1600/Front.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568239876963464834" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpp-yr-h7tBwvsP6htKqOHsYac8E8AruSF_P-pbns2OW_6Mhe9pu45r-gP4Y046r9OjE5tYK-paha4CSYYzebULeUMsXDCb0JW-Ns2Bhn-9DCfck1SeBwYCJhecDaT6KCi0_xnC5SXRu8/s320/Front.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />Needless to say, I'm glad I sistered the columns with 2x6 Ts before the winter. They're not in the greatest shape these days, but I hadn't had time to properly replace them in the fall. The mud room roof also had much snow, and my first priority was to get both porches cleared, which I can safely do with a shop broom from overlooking windows. But what really worried me was the cumulative snow on the back main roof:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfluAY8FkY5gLM74zW8JEthCVzuefSYY9FEg6OzMUxz96zGHnAw0-zGQuw68Rq9eOo0naRMeGxm_uDJixaqCHGC0aVCORTjPUyGBTgqnGqBlFmrvbhxQNVCnZwTxrTsT3AJ1uOIZ-4rgo/s1600/HeavySnow.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568239877394377938" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfluAY8FkY5gLM74zW8JEthCVzuefSYY9FEg6OzMUxz96zGHnAw0-zGQuw68Rq9eOo0naRMeGxm_uDJixaqCHGC0aVCORTjPUyGBTgqnGqBlFmrvbhxQNVCnZwTxrTsT3AJ1uOIZ-4rgo/s320/HeavySnow.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />Furthermore, the current forecast calls for more snow next week, or possibly even rain. So I really wanted to remove as much of it as possible. I needed something like a roof rake, but with about a 40' extension. I'm not sure roof rakes actually come that long, but it really didn't matter, as no one around here actually stocks roof rakes, and supplies weren't expected until sometime the following week.<br /><br />But it turned out I had something easily adaptable: A four foot magnesium concrete float and several sections of aluminum shaft that screw together. I ran out to Home Depot and bought a few more sections so I could get the total length I needed. A bit pricey, yes, but I was determined to get this all done as quickly as possible:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiWTLYUpMtD-S8qwY44JFmFQuzXxSZomaXGK5Gx1_Y3fcQlamiN7lRN-9eGbHokHmbzjqaVgg3QH-Vglswv6XHBPSYx0cadJSZerhwsFhgMt4lPIIZ4LFShm0E4SwVjV_1hPXZ9RIZLo/s1600/Float1.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568239700741474386" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiWTLYUpMtD-S8qwY44JFmFQuzXxSZomaXGK5Gx1_Y3fcQlamiN7lRN-9eGbHokHmbzjqaVgg3QH-Vglswv6XHBPSYx0cadJSZerhwsFhgMt4lPIIZ4LFShm0E4SwVjV_1hPXZ9RIZLo/s320/Float1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />First thing I had to do was remove the attachment point from the float, re-orient it 90 degrees, and bolt it back on:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrv_Ita8nPLRcjKJmdJWRZ4AcfGCSIRTNg8Fuy74a4-rszYxCSh2xQo-MxKLfujotACt42qu36rgO6_gnM-3G_muZ60PXwj-C8ZbJbsfdkwq6tSwD5hnB1APkJzz5g-lv4OA_lRR8LpTA/s1600/Float2.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568239694386627634" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrv_Ita8nPLRcjKJmdJWRZ4AcfGCSIRTNg8Fuy74a4-rszYxCSh2xQo-MxKLfujotACt42qu36rgO6_gnM-3G_muZ60PXwj-C8ZbJbsfdkwq6tSwD5hnB1APkJzz5g-lv4OA_lRR8LpTA/s320/Float2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />Then, I angled the attachment point at about to about 45 degrees, and screwed one of the aluminum sections on:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjXaDXw0wsHPDlGR2T3GkOSJivdVhnMfJ8K14hwsNSeFZwOY0z21ghQ02rR31cAwagRaDvqK_EH7IvmDp5drCPRj3jF_9rphxDi38J5MS0WCor342Q6gfGH46XMOVVHjB85tx7v1Y1O4/s1600/Float3.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568239687005508834" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjXaDXw0wsHPDlGR2T3GkOSJivdVhnMfJ8K14hwsNSeFZwOY0z21ghQ02rR31cAwagRaDvqK_EH7IvmDp5drCPRj3jF_9rphxDi38J5MS0WCor342Q6gfGH46XMOVVHjB85tx7v1Y1O4/s320/Float3.JPG" border="0" /></a> <style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br /><br />My reasoning was that this would enable the float to ride up over the surface of the snow on the up-stroke, and then anchor into the snow on the down-stroke, thus breaking chunks of snow free. I collected everything together, and then headed out to the back of the house:<br /><br /><br /><br /><p style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in"><br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAduPkagFzdQbzKJCDUyMTrH56JMfObwWZmBz4sl75vm5r8itIXqjaE7yAcTfH6RCcVHCTIVH_2fgaeiK1KtnalZ2CMErMKHSJcc-Qs-S8PV0HhgQNhV4m8jY56k8ERNSbtCqIEEh-AEI/s1600/Float4.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568239683229821218" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAduPkagFzdQbzKJCDUyMTrH56JMfObwWZmBz4sl75vm5r8itIXqjaE7yAcTfH6RCcVHCTIVH_2fgaeiK1KtnalZ2CMErMKHSJcc-Qs-S8PV0HhgQNhV4m8jY56k8ERNSbtCqIEEh-AEI/s320/Float4.JPG" border="0" /></a> <style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br /><br />Not long after, my good friend and nextdoor neighbor Gary Farrell came over to see what I was up to (I think he probably realizes by now that I'm a little crazy). Gary grew up in the Hawkins house, which his family had owned since about 1853, and he had been the steward of the place for a good many years until I bought the house from him in 2007:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPNYlxN0jYeZJUqdRzrAwgnPyefxfO0ISZ37L5Mydj1cX8qpnX_GpDpZgF43r-Lr-CAND_fGpgcmEnoud2lfiEvxiP0I5nbemCrpQG5vGGaH4okHPZ2-j1S037Vxo2u7IuNc3TSwyspg/s1600/Gary.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568239682541659410" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPNYlxN0jYeZJUqdRzrAwgnPyefxfO0ISZ37L5Mydj1cX8qpnX_GpDpZgF43r-Lr-CAND_fGpgcmEnoud2lfiEvxiP0I5nbemCrpQG5vGGaH4okHPZ2-j1S037Vxo2u7IuNc3TSwyspg/s320/Gary.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />While Gary watched with some curiosity, I made my first attempt to get the float up and anchored in the snow just above the eaves. Only two shaft sections were attached. It wasn't quite as easy to do as I initially thought it would be. Once I got it in place, I attached a third section:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_gBYVSzHlummOHBas1TbQi-R8ZmO3awbzPI2nK147SzFBBXFI_jNHBu0S0iTMdJl0-fQr7ZbeFuQ66vgbtSEYkG5saaHXYSl55QntMUqZmNAPvbxUfE3PXNXIWim_WP76Q6pim9Y5Eg/s1600/FirstAttempt.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568246386410357170" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_gBYVSzHlummOHBas1TbQi-R8ZmO3awbzPI2nK147SzFBBXFI_jNHBu0S0iTMdJl0-fQr7ZbeFuQ66vgbtSEYkG5saaHXYSl55QntMUqZmNAPvbxUfE3PXNXIWim_WP76Q6pim9Y5Eg/s320/FirstAttempt.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It took six sections to get the float just beyond the ridge line, at which point, the float tilted a bit, requiring me to push it a bit higher and spin the shaft to straighten it:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyz3F8Za0yVZE3pRWCi0jaO3PX48BwA0lKrYGDSNUswzqPz6dV-KnU3zH5HlSz7MPjZPQO_WVjzRa9rtPo2KN48wjYw8I1zt6NrlVtNi8qx1XuQAUC-Fko3bKKQfTwK64FG3jM5XW57w/s1600/Ridge.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568247103611719698" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyz3F8Za0yVZE3pRWCi0jaO3PX48BwA0lKrYGDSNUswzqPz6dV-KnU3zH5HlSz7MPjZPQO_WVjzRa9rtPo2KN48wjYw8I1zt6NrlVtNi8qx1XuQAUC-Fko3bKKQfTwK64FG3jM5XW57w/s320/Ridge.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />Meanwhile, Gary went back to clearing his side porch roof. I was a little leery watching him up there, hoping the porch roof was strong enough to support his weight and all that snow. I offered him to try out my experimental method, but he seemed quite content to continue with what he was doing (like I said, he knows I'm crazy -- everybody does :-) :<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaPyD3FT1IBeEppacOrhzHAtPyyFOBoyLMlnW0Nr6y9hvIJO0-Cy4pxfKRFYr3sQUoOWT-xTZseSCWnxbWcB7dvz-LcrcqsaVWxUwj7yGuKfe1miEeyTLub_hMZRrnHtLQaY_mtm4azo/s1600/GaryRoof.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568247885561262018" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaPyD3FT1IBeEppacOrhzHAtPyyFOBoyLMlnW0Nr6y9hvIJO0-Cy4pxfKRFYr3sQUoOWT-xTZseSCWnxbWcB7dvz-LcrcqsaVWxUwj7yGuKfe1miEeyTLub_hMZRrnHtLQaY_mtm4azo/s320/GaryRoof.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />But soon enough, I cut my first swath of snow with the float. I found that shimmying the float would easily dig it in, and then a slight up and down undulation loosened the snow and released a small slough:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNgfEE21jjrspqBDD2-V5pG-COCHdsiG-nl4iv4SXqg1hiYTjww38S-05tZhrs2Izt60P8R49sZA2lIpEGcCqYpO7YW63gVuw5_MiQJgnKsZL0Wg1OEUQXycph9Z1Mc5kqLAsZGv4c_8/s1600/FirstSwath.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568248711751136594" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNgfEE21jjrspqBDD2-V5pG-COCHdsiG-nl4iv4SXqg1hiYTjww38S-05tZhrs2Izt60P8R49sZA2lIpEGcCqYpO7YW63gVuw5_MiQJgnKsZL0Wg1OEUQXycph9Z1Mc5kqLAsZGv4c_8/s320/FirstSwath.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />Once I had cut the first swath, I drove the float upwards again and attempted the next one (you can see how some portions of the first few sloughs settled on the mud room roof):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEncCoqhs6mv6fUpg5u8JlJ9hedXJ7QrVoDpAgymbKsNfG94x3Y19r5EB3YipBtN4yQrHxLcJMRwuiNzjTJVl1KES_7GLDfDR-Tcw03c-MCnSJwZOjU2_RWUaGXua-MfkiIx1LQi49V8/s1600/SecondAttempt1.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568249636734852722" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEncCoqhs6mv6fUpg5u8JlJ9hedXJ7QrVoDpAgymbKsNfG94x3Y19r5EB3YipBtN4yQrHxLcJMRwuiNzjTJVl1KES_7GLDfDR-Tcw03c-MCnSJwZOjU2_RWUaGXua-MfkiIx1LQi49V8/s320/SecondAttempt1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Then, I momentarily anchored the float up on the ridge, and took a minute to rest (and snapped this photo, too, of course), while the float waited patiently:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qqBSfEMtqTiUjV8L-eSkwXzBAncYY_l0uEmQLcvEDU-1DaNOd59NG8rtm217OSxO9lJE-PeLPTOCLC_h9-W4JxFutvVRrcawlWBzxvmwkIlTqBuwE5pfM4ArkCSRZKnb_2Pfksn5fgU/s1600/SecondAttempt2.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568250309243065074" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qqBSfEMtqTiUjV8L-eSkwXzBAncYY_l0uEmQLcvEDU-1DaNOd59NG8rtm217OSxO9lJE-PeLPTOCLC_h9-W4JxFutvVRrcawlWBzxvmwkIlTqBuwE5pfM4ArkCSRZKnb_2Pfksn5fgU/s320/SecondAttempt2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />Next, I worked the float over a few feet and began cutting the next swath:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ITq2VKMWb2RtqTDlTOCXoO17HyLoLvODYTTMoM9DVQOxYrHnGPra79HDGXPDMvbkNYwuJlELrYLkEVErHu57JVkzWR9zVrjJ4syk33kHUKHrCwCQC5CZc8tZRCXZB1kJHpg2pYnrvyY/s1600/John.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568250926403362386" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ITq2VKMWb2RtqTDlTOCXoO17HyLoLvODYTTMoM9DVQOxYrHnGPra79HDGXPDMvbkNYwuJlELrYLkEVErHu57JVkzWR9zVrjJ4syk33kHUKHrCwCQC5CZc8tZRCXZB1kJHpg2pYnrvyY/s320/John.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />Controlling the float was tricky and took quite a bit of practice. Sometimes, the float would want to veer off to one side, and I'd have to move quickly across the ground (not easy with a lot of deep snow underfoot) and get back under it to make it stop:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ1yn74bXf_XjJfMH8K4hBgjOUVLfnH2wex3bNEYyStrkgyJ0Vabnb0Q60TrOB0GJYw_7BaO53A3WencgiFjk3Ci-3PVqKNKRzIb6s4cXxCy3HvIPXbPVYuYxHcLMtEbmGICksWjoWH0/s1600/Slough4.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568238887927087506" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZ1yn74bXf_XjJfMH8K4hBgjOUVLfnH2wex3bNEYyStrkgyJ0Vabnb0Q60TrOB0GJYw_7BaO53A3WencgiFjk3Ci-3PVqKNKRzIb6s4cXxCy3HvIPXbPVYuYxHcLMtEbmGICksWjoWH0/s320/Slough4.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />In general, the more surface snow removed, the more challenging the float became to control, as it would want to slide across the exposed lower slab, which was hard-packed and icy:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrUD1Qhyli1cg77-XdXAxNNaCUQMvCC66VbgjOET5TvfSecXjW4xclonDWOGIglhXdPQpg7vLd_FObmg7reTzgMnGvZC1XgoDegj7mxLCDm8n_odkbLsR6VV1Teu-6yIcY2SD9V7W-Zg/s1600/Slough1.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568236347595725874" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrUD1Qhyli1cg77-XdXAxNNaCUQMvCC66VbgjOET5TvfSecXjW4xclonDWOGIglhXdPQpg7vLd_FObmg7reTzgMnGvZC1XgoDegj7mxLCDm8n_odkbLsR6VV1Teu-6yIcY2SD9V7W-Zg/s320/Slough1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />Another point of difficulty was the need to occasionally add or remove a section or two of shaft, depending on how high the snow was where I was standing, versus where I was trying to get the float positioned on the roof:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyogeKM77bTHic2QjxtAGmekF0yTBNzckDNRquTZc93QIzZrK175BbJnnlyVMpyKzGv7dl-TTTP4zEdudaBWKwBSogumwhqIHPjayjldFytmGxfBLWU1GciIvtmpO3x3Ka5E9GA6vLwbo/s1600/Slough2.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568236342868306834" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyogeKM77bTHic2QjxtAGmekF0yTBNzckDNRquTZc93QIzZrK175BbJnnlyVMpyKzGv7dl-TTTP4zEdudaBWKwBSogumwhqIHPjayjldFytmGxfBLWU1GciIvtmpO3x3Ka5E9GA6vLwbo/s320/Slough2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />In this case, another pair of hands was indispensable, and Gary provided me quite a bit of help in getting the job done (in addition to taking some good action pics):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAr9ncwOMXJEWmeQhdj12oqe3PtKwIQ8nbdCf4Et0VPdEvXpS1iOM4pFYEv6-AT4IOE9W_3hnukVBjtV6GLoUUvyXDZ8N585WgmIwtB-WQfX_BJMQ9qBf1MHqCm4EBgMmK8nXI_9Pq8Q/s1600/Slough3.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568236335534192050" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAr9ncwOMXJEWmeQhdj12oqe3PtKwIQ8nbdCf4Et0VPdEvXpS1iOM4pFYEv6-AT4IOE9W_3hnukVBjtV6GLoUUvyXDZ8N585WgmIwtB-WQfX_BJMQ9qBf1MHqCm4EBgMmK8nXI_9Pq8Q/s320/Slough3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />Toward the end of the afternoon, I managed to remove most of the upper layers of snow from the roof. In the photo below, I only needed to clear a bit more snow from the vicinity of the main stack vent, which was effectively buried. But I stayed well clear of the rake line, given the float's tendency to slide sideways:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqoWU2puUztUXIaPLRIpTCyXbV97ZaSlNt40mVLYqlQOIOc0Kt-_euc2ydDJXuKgtIc0qYBf9QTvCBV0aH22gA88KhWLF4dPkuQuplUDrBuY0UTIXqpsY4c2TIH16NqHc-hnZ3xQpVsM/s1600/AlmostDone.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568236332093984930" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqoWU2puUztUXIaPLRIpTCyXbV97ZaSlNt40mVLYqlQOIOc0Kt-_euc2ydDJXuKgtIc0qYBf9QTvCBV0aH22gA88KhWLF4dPkuQuplUDrBuY0UTIXqpsY4c2TIH16NqHc-hnZ3xQpVsM/s320/AlmostDone.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />Needless to say, there was a lot of new snow on the mud room roof. I went back inside and removed it from the safety of the windows. Only I needed a shovel in addition to the shop broom, because this fine, sloughed-off snow had set-up hard (in fact, exactly in the same manner that slough sets up like concrete after an avalanche in the mountains). There was also a lot of displaced snow all around the perimeter of the mudroom and house, which now needed to be removed:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1FwGrMF05HNm0xW7tT63LQbFV739jbElVxdzLoYiKw8eAPOSNx8gcchj2DA3n77Nr5ioPozdGNbbXeOpLfDZqebwV3yWWg9T0x_eVy4SWE7XSnSYwl037n6L1_iNhIL6BON6b2mWxhg/s1600/LottaSnow1.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568236330852894898" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1FwGrMF05HNm0xW7tT63LQbFV739jbElVxdzLoYiKw8eAPOSNx8gcchj2DA3n77Nr5ioPozdGNbbXeOpLfDZqebwV3yWWg9T0x_eVy4SWE7XSnSYwl037n6L1_iNhIL6BON6b2mWxhg/s320/LottaSnow1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style><br />But at least it wasn't on the roof any more, and I had no further concerns about additional precipitation during the coming week.<br /><br /><br /><u>Some Important Points on Safety and Property Damage</u><br /><br />Despite my relative success with this project, I don't necessarily advise my readers to attempt the same. There are a number of risks associated with undertakings such as this one, and although I was able to eliminate or minimize the major ones, this might not always be possible in another person's situation. The major risks include, but are not limited to:<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><ul><li><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Potential for electrocution</span>. Aluminum is an excellent conductor of electricity. Sending a long aluminum shaft aloft while standing in wet snow could be a very dangerous thing to do in the presence of overhead wires (e.g., power company service drop, or feeder to an out-building), or any other sources of electric power. In my case, there were no electrical wires nearby, and my service drop is clear on the opposite side of the house. Had it not been, or had I needed to clear snow from the front roof, I would've requested the power company to shut my power off first, and not resume service until I told them I had completed my work. Otherwise, I never would've attempted this. On the other hand, there are several outdoor light fixtures just beneath the eaves where I was working, but I de-energized their circuits beforehand. Note that a roof rake with a wood, plastic, or fiberglass shaft is arguably safer, but still shouldn't be used in the vicinity of live wires, or any other electrical sources or fixtures. Remember: That shaft is going to have a continuous stream of water dripping down its length, and on to your hands and body.</li></ul><p></p><p></p><ul><li><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Damage and/or injury from falling snow</span>. Even though these falling sloughs were relatively small, we were surprised by the impact they made hitting the ground. There should be no bystanders (especially small children) or easily damaged property, in the fall zone. Furthermore, if conditions are right -- fresh snow, or fresh snow over a consolidated, older layer of snow, and a very steep roof – you have the potential for triggering a small avalanche, in which more snow than you're expecting can suddenly free itself from the roof. The reason why I used so many extensions, in fact, was to deliberately distance myself as far as possible from the falling sloughs.</li></ul><p></p><p></p><ul><li><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Damage and/or injury from the shaft/float</span>. As I mentioned earlier, the float was difficult to control, and had a tendency to slide sideways, as the extended shaft is not very rigid. Again, no one should be in the fall zone, nor at either end of the house. There is also a potential for the butt end of the shaft to hit you in the face or body, if not properly controlled. Finally, rain gutters and nearby windows are also at risk for damage.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Damage to roof shingles</span>. It would be easy to tear or knock off more than a few shingles doing this. In my case, I had good reason to believe there was at least one hard, base layer of snow covering the shingles, and took care not to penetrate it.</li></ul><p></p><ul><li><strong>Build-up on other structures</strong>. As one reader pointed out in a comment, care should be taken to avoid too much snow building up on the roofs of smaller, attached or nearby structures. Be mindful of where the cleared snow is going and what it ends up resting on.</li></ul><p></p><p></p><ul><li><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Physical injury</span>. I found this work required far more physical exertion than shovelling heavy snow from a side walk. I wouldn't recommend it to any one who wasn't in exceptional shape.</li></ul><p><span style="color:#6600cc;"><em><strong>The bottom line here is</strong>: If you're concerned about the quantity of snow on your roof, please hire a licensed and insured contractor to remove it!</em></span></p><p><u>Postscript [8 February 2011]</u></p><p>Since writing this article, it's become apparent to me that I could make the float less damaging to the shingles by attaching door weather stripping, or a section of foam pipe insulation, to the bottom edge.</p>John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-10955276138672508492011-01-16T23:31:00.000-08:002011-02-26T10:11:07.749-08:00Epic Snow Storm of January 11-12, 2011During the first half of last week, prodigious snow storms hit both the South Eastern and North Eastern United States, dumping record amounts of snow in both regions, and causing general shut-downs of businesses, schools, and transportation. Here in New England, Connecticut was hit particularly hard, with snowfalls in some locations approaching 30". My own Derby/Seymour/Shelton area was officially reported to have received about 17" of snow. I have to say that, during the my entire life here in Connecticut, I don't recall ever having seen quite this much snowfall from a single storm.<br /><br />Several good friends of mine in the South took some interesting photos, and graciously shared them with me to publish in this article. Let's take a look at a few:<br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/slsconstruction">Sean Lintow Sr.</a> of <a href="http://blog.sls-construction.com/">SLS Construction</a> in Cullman, Alabama, took this photo of falling snow the night of the storm, and reported a final coverage of about 4" the following morning:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6TSAvNbkAbqoJiDXSAkcTsZP4oH5xBG0e2l0fIbSfKn89e9tFsSUUnWInBVgx-0I5TzgaazJ-1nJ2YQEhQ1Mh9ScA_5yPchdyrB-Snz6IZPdXdEnlV02kf2KCAa0tQoLi49j513iLbE/s1600/SLS1.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567627850597745874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6TSAvNbkAbqoJiDXSAkcTsZP4oH5xBG0e2l0fIbSfKn89e9tFsSUUnWInBVgx-0I5TzgaazJ-1nJ2YQEhQ1Mh9ScA_5yPchdyrB-Snz6IZPdXdEnlV02kf2KCAa0tQoLi49j513iLbE/s320/SLS1.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Here's an image from the next day, with some thankful birds foraging around Sean's bird feeders:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg804hspMwKGSaa-4NFkoHyw5_X5LaUpNpmpSpXgqkFmSYfpgqnWmjOvgjVdY-SaD9q1frweDA0oVe2c8UgY5qm3Ri3o9XMcL2kM9iZDnhEzZPy6ZK_Qmqr0RHlxbxWjNYaZbRndd6gcQ8/s1600/SLS2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 278px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567628087700164290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg804hspMwKGSaa-4NFkoHyw5_X5LaUpNpmpSpXgqkFmSYfpgqnWmjOvgjVdY-SaD9q1frweDA0oVe2c8UgY5qm3Ri3o9XMcL2kM9iZDnhEzZPy6ZK_Qmqr0RHlxbxWjNYaZbRndd6gcQ8/s320/SLS2.jpg" /></a><br /><br />At the same time, <a href="http://twitter.com/energyvanguard">Allison A. Bailes III</a> of <a href="http://www.energyvanguard.com/blog-building-science-HERS-BPI/">Energy Vanguard</a> received about 6" of snow in Atlanta, and took this photo displaying the accumulations he encountered the following morning:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLVz4ejeTmtqV2cmOkYpKmIVIIITDFQzs3UdhV-1JnMUUKex0lGxlG73VG7LVIKACPaBW05RwfdPe-lIdrf3lluOckcayqyPAR5KoGL8A5pDAsTk0ov6B0aBMOKcElDfHiLDOMx8vyDE/s1600/AAB.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567630090283351266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLVz4ejeTmtqV2cmOkYpKmIVIIITDFQzs3UdhV-1JnMUUKex0lGxlG73VG7LVIKACPaBW05RwfdPe-lIdrf3lluOckcayqyPAR5KoGL8A5pDAsTk0ov6B0aBMOKcElDfHiLDOMx8vyDE/s320/AAB.jpg" /></a><br /><br />As gentlemen with a common interest in the problem of home energy conservation, both Sean and Allison took advantage of this weather to publish some interesting articles on using roof top snow to visually assess the relative air sealing/insulating efficiencies of local homes. You can find Sean's article <a href="http://blog.sls-construction.com/2011/snow-as-diagnostic-indicator">here</a> and Allison's article <a href="http://www.energyvanguard.com/blog-building-science-HERS-BPI/bid/34866/Snow-on-the-Roof-The-Poor-Man-s-Infrared-Camera">here</a>. Give them a read -- and I guarantee you'll find yourself checking out roofs the next snowy day!<br /><br />Meanwhile, a little farther west in Arkansas, <a href="http://twitter.com/ourladybeth">Beth Taggard</a> of <a href="http://livingaquotablelife.blogspot.com/">Living A Quotable Life</a> also received quite a bit of snow from the same storm, and took this beautiful photo the next day:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_grW_kS6-VdPHoOQY00ldxlkPTU1c0OePJ01r8L7YUFGjboTb7fCJpj7oasZ0_4vLB3KNEfrn8bWbGlfqzXd48dPpknPg8hlCqJamTXOwHGh_KfwGOUv3AJHr6voA7k39emI3NFJjZ5g/s1600/BTT.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567630584850250290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_grW_kS6-VdPHoOQY00ldxlkPTU1c0OePJ01r8L7YUFGjboTb7fCJpj7oasZ0_4vLB3KNEfrn8bWbGlfqzXd48dPpknPg8hlCqJamTXOwHGh_KfwGOUv3AJHr6voA7k39emI3NFJjZ5g/s320/BTT.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Beth said her big misgiving about it all was that she didn't have a Taunton to ride over the snowy surfaces!<br /><br />Now, let's take a look at the results of my own snow storm here in Derby.<br /><br />The photo below shows my home the afternoon following the storm, when the street was reasonably clear. The corner of the house closest to the camera points almost due west, and prevailing winds during the storm were more or less also out of the west. So this side of the roof actually received very little snow (much of it was blown over the house and onto the other side). If you zoom-in on the photo, you can see some interesting wind-scored undulations on the roof and this odd, continuous bump of snow running just parallel to the rake line:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwAhAhs55-EIwKNT9fMA-krYYaoiKbV4vziiFgRJW12fGGTrVdTJpyyYu5PrtPkW5UgkGweH5FB7oNpNWK5QVj6KPl5Y83pKHxaUGrznk0428z2BgqyFarAvT6IYcnil-QGw5ofzH5ek/s1600/HouseStreet.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563059439466097346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwAhAhs55-EIwKNT9fMA-krYYaoiKbV4vziiFgRJW12fGGTrVdTJpyyYu5PrtPkW5UgkGweH5FB7oNpNWK5QVj6KPl5Y83pKHxaUGrznk0428z2BgqyFarAvT6IYcnil-QGw5ofzH5ek/s320/HouseStreet.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Of course, the very same strong winds at lower levels drove snow up against the house. As you can see, the deepest snow literally beat a path right up to my front door:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGX9tNTPMfPOpmfhRI6Zx4buiSEn924LRCUT3kbJx6JVr_LMjLSGj4TcwCdlQm81YTgvahwtUaD_dv71Kc66Pk4sAq50oG_aplKD8bIQniVIVB_0UDqSENlTd7qcply6QggTm2UQ_Ehww/s1600/HouseFront.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563061562081227138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGX9tNTPMfPOpmfhRI6Zx4buiSEn924LRCUT3kbJx6JVr_LMjLSGj4TcwCdlQm81YTgvahwtUaD_dv71Kc66Pk4sAq50oG_aplKD8bIQniVIVB_0UDqSENlTd7qcply6QggTm2UQ_Ehww/s320/HouseFront.JPG" /></a><br /><br />And somewhere beneath all this heavy snow-plow-induced effluvia is a side walk just waiting to be cleared:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HuUQq6bIYoXo1zM8yPULh2H6frrDK-9S_NgBpm90IEGFA1yLRb_8Jo4sNrY6SIkleTddzOv-c6F_0MyQfNwJ3uKeIYgffHovqUUIBJzyysrPa86u3YMxdbFSixktsUlBLy0qb6pQiG4/s1600/Effluvia.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563061999955834434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HuUQq6bIYoXo1zM8yPULh2H6frrDK-9S_NgBpm90IEGFA1yLRb_8Jo4sNrY6SIkleTddzOv-c6F_0MyQfNwJ3uKeIYgffHovqUUIBJzyysrPa86u3YMxdbFSixktsUlBLy0qb6pQiG4/s320/Effluvia.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The wind-driven snow that accumulated along side the house came to rest in some interesting patterns and wildly varying depths. In particular, note the huge mound just alongside the house, and the interesting clump on the stone vase. You can see more wind-scoring on these surfaces, if you look closely enough:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PXkHyBhbNoSGBykIvj4s8V6KshfQ4sIpLd4uFMKJSgeDYdDuFVK1Yc4Qc_McOntiwSLYbh9MKfmtJsdDKQ_Jd1dSemfKoU5k4SXV21G455Xs8zpmZZwfZshu023C2Hi-psOcWALuAlc/s1600/HouseSide.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563062680153497698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PXkHyBhbNoSGBykIvj4s8V6KshfQ4sIpLd4uFMKJSgeDYdDuFVK1Yc4Qc_McOntiwSLYbh9MKfmtJsdDKQ_Jd1dSemfKoU5k4SXV21G455Xs8zpmZZwfZshu023C2Hi-psOcWALuAlc/s320/HouseSide.JPG" /></a><br /><br />The scariest part (for me, anyway) was seeing all the massive accumulation on the rear roof. All that snow which had been blown over the ridge had settled deeply on the rear roof, as well as the roof of the mudroom. I wasn't all that concerned about the snow-loading on the main roof itself -- it certainly experienced far worse in its lifetime (e.g., any one recall stories of the infamous blizzards of 1747-48 and 1888?), and the roof system as a whole is still sound and in good shape. But notice that my vent stack was nearly buried! The mudroom, on the other hand, concerned me greatly, because I'd never seen it loaded so much before, and wasn't sure how much it could really withstand:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCMT6VdY4S4hxv2nA6Mg3FYayQzBvybPciP1pUcx0r4-RKaOsbaK3MYx7KKq5f-tjuoVXJMSj2ZmqQrbdpKMOywzeHW-i5r5eSKnXX4x9DUiU_Wz7YPXY_K7WzOCDIzpsANOBrAt89tE/s1600/HouseBack.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563063338684213298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCMT6VdY4S4hxv2nA6Mg3FYayQzBvybPciP1pUcx0r4-RKaOsbaK3MYx7KKq5f-tjuoVXJMSj2ZmqQrbdpKMOywzeHW-i5r5eSKnXX4x9DUiU_Wz7YPXY_K7WzOCDIzpsANOBrAt89tE/s320/HouseBack.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Portions of the roof of the old cow barn out behind the house also got considerably loaded up:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIhaGMkytzznHnewKhK768c3PlGN3Zv1ChwRjU1ZAM-8ZD7aX57UtvggPbfiXwxVJDDZlV3vny2ExsodD6OISArWuj5l4JIu4vpwkGeYUPnXhzVJ56jVt3gHiUyt4HCYJHSVoUGJgxRw/s1600/CowBarn.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563062591687342194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIhaGMkytzznHnewKhK768c3PlGN3Zv1ChwRjU1ZAM-8ZD7aX57UtvggPbfiXwxVJDDZlV3vny2ExsodD6OISArWuj5l4JIu4vpwkGeYUPnXhzVJ56jVt3gHiUyt4HCYJHSVoUGJgxRw/s320/CowBarn.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Here's a good photo of the snow accumulated on the mudroom roof. Note the sagging rain gutter (scary!):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFOCl2HabhvOdlj5ONke-ufdcvrV6ijliNNb2abDENKlXfch5fQK8gR7mcJqnTv9NXJHUfpgR2Oq2DcCjgHPRAcQ-82vAPuLwHbJATT2XvjV6okdbvtVJjam9gKBLfq0BiqHzCjLWbGU/s1600/MudroomSnow.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563067117342381666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFOCl2HabhvOdlj5ONke-ufdcvrV6ijliNNb2abDENKlXfch5fQK8gR7mcJqnTv9NXJHUfpgR2Oq2DcCjgHPRAcQ-82vAPuLwHbJATT2XvjV6okdbvtVJjam9gKBLfq0BiqHzCjLWbGU/s320/MudroomSnow.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Naturally, my highest snow removal priority was getting both the mudroom and front entry porch roofs clear of snow. And no, I certainly wasn't going to go out there -- fortunately, there's a sufficient number of windows overlooking either roof to safely lean out of and simply clear the snow with a shop broom. Here's a view of the mud room roof, after I removed the bottom sash from one of the windows:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfnpyIN-SQUVTdnARKxNn0Tj70mOzggvuAjLpJ2JCS4BaevmHblwIEGD6zyNOxU7ec9hvk-h-NtJInYJ5AzP5PgOg8a2XmOb7iveRBvO1gGkairTK4F_eDnSJmlUgqt71N9hElB4GT_I/s1600/MudroomRoofSnow.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563067716189508402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfnpyIN-SQUVTdnARKxNn0Tj70mOzggvuAjLpJ2JCS4BaevmHblwIEGD6zyNOxU7ec9hvk-h-NtJInYJ5AzP5PgOg8a2XmOb7iveRBvO1gGkairTK4F_eDnSJmlUgqt71N9hElB4GT_I/s320/MudroomRoofSnow.JPG" /></a><br /><br />And here's the first swath of snow I cleared using my broom:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvf8P_lWlzbz_5ztoFqU4Fjy6EHZDIW3MSP3I23XDZeY2ywfl-yxlKElVjYjDnlP_6f9zjtVVIgKatatt8Ce0lrFvB6bGJPt9rlisiug-3TiBRuhBwpGG4Xopr74rptUZ8HFmfO1V_Eeo/s1600/MudroomSnowCleared.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563068559901867634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvf8P_lWlzbz_5ztoFqU4Fjy6EHZDIW3MSP3I23XDZeY2ywfl-yxlKElVjYjDnlP_6f9zjtVVIgKatatt8Ce0lrFvB6bGJPt9rlisiug-3TiBRuhBwpGG4Xopr74rptUZ8HFmfO1V_Eeo/s320/MudroomSnowCleared.JPG" /></a><br /><br />At this point, I suddenly found myself concerned about uneven loading of the roof, so I subsequently removed one 6" layer at a time to clear the rest. But not before measuring the snow at its deepest point, which was just about 18.5" deep:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3jDcgYhX58PilaL2TeEQ5KXe2T_A6hyphenhyphenWVGBY_FO1jN8MgLLzNQ7y9EK1bL7HMDZcGgmktb_xLDCs7DMIJ5aX-BZTrMdTJg2T1qJ7rqZG3LfXmo1nOft047dlUd1TzGNz80oLEIkDVYQ/s1600/Measure.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563069545265892194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3jDcgYhX58PilaL2TeEQ5KXe2T_A6hyphenhyphenWVGBY_FO1jN8MgLLzNQ7y9EK1bL7HMDZcGgmktb_xLDCs7DMIJ5aX-BZTrMdTJg2T1qJ7rqZG3LfXmo1nOft047dlUd1TzGNz80oLEIkDVYQ/s320/Measure.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Interestingly enough, the front porch roof didn't seem to receive any more snow than it normally does after a typical winter storm. I suppose this likewise owes to the carrying of much of the falling snow at higher elevations over the roof and on to the lee side of the house. So this roof cleared off fairly easily:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZvScAgh2InyN8Z1RhHSIvda9Mg0VHKYcQMOBLgePYdoM5Q-2eD2KCbHPbT2g4Jv1ofRhSKCyMcLY8BSNgA9Tb5hnqaaioYcQpHu5vUQmrV21ObhatxSv0PivgcDvLqKQkX7MNLqvubw/s1600/FrontRoof.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563072183889083538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZvScAgh2InyN8Z1RhHSIvda9Mg0VHKYcQMOBLgePYdoM5Q-2eD2KCbHPbT2g4Jv1ofRhSKCyMcLY8BSNgA9Tb5hnqaaioYcQpHu5vUQmrV21ObhatxSv0PivgcDvLqKQkX7MNLqvubw/s320/FrontRoof.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Of course, when I headed back outside through the back door, this is what greeted me:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTQHa3a-DnhmPOUyj5YDwaZsvhSDb8yIChRYedZGlFoo-kdQq4SZ6ReNiaRBM7Sr7Arp9PlGc-WCl8GTyJ6bFcHmr9kIW5lSRXS7L1nwkeqs_I_vN4R37f1e48ZMpRpZjebpm25pYAGw/s1600/Door.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563074020008210850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTQHa3a-DnhmPOUyj5YDwaZsvhSDb8yIChRYedZGlFoo-kdQq4SZ6ReNiaRBM7Sr7Arp9PlGc-WCl8GTyJ6bFcHmr9kIW5lSRXS7L1nwkeqs_I_vN4R37f1e48ZMpRpZjebpm25pYAGw/s320/Door.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Followed by this (somewhere under all this snow was yet another pavement, oh, and most of a park bench, too):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSJaxofonZW_dfFPI7RkypE3LsBFfVzMZnzMyoAE_-Zu6Q-mpQkv2opNnUNKsGT6vOoKeNzmxK_ubx2LSI6YJYSLsiAACUWFeBxiZ1j5O3-nKz6ICZY2FLS7e_kvjoi6HV1j0mfaOHAE/s1600/Path.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563074460518920722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWSJaxofonZW_dfFPI7RkypE3LsBFfVzMZnzMyoAE_-Zu6Q-mpQkv2opNnUNKsGT6vOoKeNzmxK_ubx2LSI6YJYSLsiAACUWFeBxiZ1j5O3-nKz6ICZY2FLS7e_kvjoi6HV1j0mfaOHAE/s320/Path.JPG" /></a><br /><br />But I certainly wasn't going to bother clearing any of this. What would be the point? So I just consigned it all to Mother Nature and simply trudged through the deep snow, making my way toward the front of the house, where I finally cleared the front pavement, steps, and porch deck (I didn't bother taking many more photos at this point, though):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUqXlW6qsc7zcc0yIAlNaPIlyySoAXxFjWZbs69oJlxQhUEtk358eQkXJOR7Qj81o2287oHdCE-ZhHOP7tETEnOdkyZzu2dQzlIGWRRAy26LfWYfDzcuOVteW9IaaBlTQYXJMMu-h5w4/s1600/ClearedFront.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563075994703855954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUqXlW6qsc7zcc0yIAlNaPIlyySoAXxFjWZbs69oJlxQhUEtk358eQkXJOR7Qj81o2287oHdCE-ZhHOP7tETEnOdkyZzu2dQzlIGWRRAy26LfWYfDzcuOVteW9IaaBlTQYXJMMu-h5w4/s320/ClearedFront.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Then, I cleared the remaining sidewalk free of all snow-plow throw-off, from this point, all the way down to the Hawkins Street bridge, a distance of about 70 paces. The snow was deepest along here, with the surface generally aligning somewhere between my knees and hips:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVT5lc0YJE8H9mekgAfRak3OamAKICxbXzi3Zqj1OrmDWzvUBM7HmVHFiTffVTDYerHiE9CJN_R4ix-vk1o2XasY9sm735DOLq8tnZMtKtXqN8fX5F7ZGz1Tig4C7-QhLpOn0K7oniq8/s1600/Knees.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563077428344923778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVT5lc0YJE8H9mekgAfRak3OamAKICxbXzi3Zqj1OrmDWzvUBM7HmVHFiTffVTDYerHiE9CJN_R4ix-vk1o2XasY9sm735DOLq8tnZMtKtXqN8fX5F7ZGz1Tig4C7-QhLpOn0K7oniq8/s320/Knees.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I cleared the path all the way down to the south-west terminus of the bridge, and cut an egress right at the corner where street and bridge meet:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMsSwJe1cS74n3r2SSIg0DUIOd7zJ_kRz9NDb-7iZS30nQnZlIIe3X8cSZs0uBPQIfcwSoK3QwQE0eI1otTi9jThWuecJK8JtuEgLCJtOiO3y-02alzV-7-gJrMkKbZBWL6tuEtTDvFs/s1600/Egress.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563083577289733122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMsSwJe1cS74n3r2SSIg0DUIOd7zJ_kRz9NDb-7iZS30nQnZlIIe3X8cSZs0uBPQIfcwSoK3QwQE0eI1otTi9jThWuecJK8JtuEgLCJtOiO3y-02alzV-7-gJrMkKbZBWL6tuEtTDvFs/s320/Egress.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Needless to say, I was quite tired and cold at this point, but felt I'd accomplished quite a bit.<br /><br /><u>Postscript</u><br /><br />Cold temperatures allowed all this snow to stick around, and we were subsequently hit by another snowstorm which dropped about 3-5" of white stuff, covering what was already there. Here's the path I had previously shovelled out heading toward the bridge:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-r59DarzNYZMw87f6BKQT747fbphs11FhhfLUJ91q-1vxSn69gorLXgpPfKkMSpx6j5hYqIb6PLz8iT0CFeKfAv7aOTt7SpwPwdnXblDyUg6kwvENtipRGNz9qUoRSv7bvLuT1fLwHg/s1600/Path.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567631632460184738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-r59DarzNYZMw87f6BKQT747fbphs11FhhfLUJ91q-1vxSn69gorLXgpPfKkMSpx6j5hYqIb6PLz8iT0CFeKfAv7aOTt7SpwPwdnXblDyUg6kwvENtipRGNz9qUoRSv7bvLuT1fLwHg/s320/Path.JPG" /></a><br /><br />And here's how things looked following this subsequent snow fall:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ityoj5wkzRZzG_WX7IeASbKSO6hA37RuLogm-jCA_YpABhKZ21Dx-LleCgJtjxZcnoCLSmj8dXFwP3OPHbKPIeol8Wn91Txf_ubcXJTUSsjOeU4JQw_VkbyPTN4vAbfKrqKWXwN11P0/s1600/SnowyPath.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567632159711042210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ityoj5wkzRZzG_WX7IeASbKSO6hA37RuLogm-jCA_YpABhKZ21Dx-LleCgJtjxZcnoCLSmj8dXFwP3OPHbKPIeol8Wn91Txf_ubcXJTUSsjOeU4JQw_VkbyPTN4vAbfKrqKWXwN11P0/s320/SnowyPath.jpg" /></a><br /><br />But none of this compares with the record breaker we finally received on January 27th, which will be the central topic of my next post!John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-12544065624633174722010-12-20T07:17:00.000-08:002010-12-20T12:54:36.118-08:00Winter Solstice and Eclipsed Full Cold Moon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjJRxYi_UBtH607UP2W2fak9W6UUW4qofkgEiAHXjsG-FH_FqnA-bneyjFz_MDmmmSCeDi1W9prqt7HTh9n1Z7pqIQZxYRP8HO0nwujig4Z8udI1hwUqR1FhvOJ2JBKwBSh9KEfZzh5o/s1600/eclipse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjJRxYi_UBtH607UP2W2fak9W6UUW4qofkgEiAHXjsG-FH_FqnA-bneyjFz_MDmmmSCeDi1W9prqt7HTh9n1Z7pqIQZxYRP8HO0nwujig4Z8udI1hwUqR1FhvOJ2JBKwBSh9KEfZzh5o/s320/eclipse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552784502259070450" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A full lunar eclipse on a winter's night. From the Bilder-Atlas der Sternenwelt, ca. 1888 [Image source: Wikipedia Commons]</span></span><br /><br />If you haven't heard about it already, this evening (Monday, December 20th) and the wee hours of tomorrow morning will collectively play host to an interesting convergence of three astronomical phenomenon: The winter solstice, the Full Cold Moon of December, and a total lunar eclipse.<br /><br />The winter solstice (literally, "sun stop") marks that point in time when the sun's apparent southerly traversal along the horizon halts before it reverses direction. This winter, the solstice takes place on Tuesday, December 21st, at 6:38 PM EST -- not actually at the same time as the eclipse, but on the same day, nonetheless.<br /><br />Tonight (Monday, December 20th), the moon rises just before dusk, at 3:39 PM EST, and the initial (partial, or <span style="font-style: italic;">penumbral</span>) stages of the eclipse begin around 1:32 AM EST on Tuesday morning. The eclipse will then begin to enter its stage of totality around 2:40 AM EST, with complete totality being achieved around 3:17 AM EST. Truly inconvenient for us easterners, but hopefully a little more agreeable timing for those of us closer to the west coast!<br /><br />Finally, the moon officially becomes full at 3:13 AM EST on Tuesday morning, a mere 4 minutes before complete totality occurs. This particular full moon is known as the Full Cold Moon, a name that goes back to early Native American tribes of the northeast. In fact, each full moon of the year has a traditional name, generally descriptive of the season, and often related to planting or the conditions of the food supply at the time; for example, Full Harvest, Full Snow (or Full Hunger), Full Sturgeon, Full Buck, and Full Hunter, to name a few. An full listing and description of all the full moon names can be found at <a href="http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names/">Farmer's Almanac</a>.<br /><br />Also, the National Geographic Society has published this excellent <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/12/101220-lunar-eclipse-tonight-winter-solstice-2010-total-december-science/">article</a> on tonight's eclipse. Apparently, the last time this happened was back in 1638!<br /><br />So, hopefully, skies will be clear, and temperatures not too inhospitable, for good viewing in your neck of the woods. Get yourself a flask of hot cider and some warm clothes, and get out there and enjoy the view!John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-47221674675662118402010-10-27T11:13:00.000-07:002011-07-13T13:33:58.293-07:00Trivets and Tulips: Some Oddities FoundNot that long ago, I came across a couple of unexpected artifacts in the house, and thought I'd share some photos here.<br /><br />The first items are an old iron trivet and carpenters stamp. I found both in the deep recesses of the attic. The trivet has a design I've seen numerous times before on antique trivets, and the stamp is a number "6" or "9", depending on how you hold it. I have no idea how old either is:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIybTBSY_k8KIGqcn5BSdijvfx_NyeK1FFtjMcEghYgOqIbDTupCSi5bpytd83ohtd-MjMJT-xYxGIlqDtOLgOuQ6DNR7D6_GchAsEkZCL2tr2QAuA0GE87oEogAwVhcwjhPx2_LhtkrM/s1600/Trivet.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIybTBSY_k8KIGqcn5BSdijvfx_NyeK1FFtjMcEghYgOqIbDTupCSi5bpytd83ohtd-MjMJT-xYxGIlqDtOLgOuQ6DNR7D6_GchAsEkZCL2tr2QAuA0GE87oEogAwVhcwjhPx2_LhtkrM/s320/Trivet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532792116049713874" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The other item is an old tulip cover, sealing the flanged opening, or "tulip", where a stove pipe once led into the chimney. The cover is located in the second floor chimney bay. Again, I am not sure how old it is, nor how long it's actually been there, although it's probably been in its current location for the past 60 or 70 years, when the house's wood stoves were most likely removed. The design on it is particularly intriguing:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ku6aIIcr1yp3Fw8oYPdvia1R2LhwMuqmE4glm_ReekvEcTV_wHSJ7713ODyAanaew4fPkgt5KRSez9QVcGcgafifjjxaSFQXj2tQutwwJt9_5w200l4200pNvU4p_IhVmjQBY7mojXo/s1600/Tulip.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ku6aIIcr1yp3Fw8oYPdvia1R2LhwMuqmE4glm_ReekvEcTV_wHSJ7713ODyAanaew4fPkgt5KRSez9QVcGcgafifjjxaSFQXj2tQutwwJt9_5w200l4200pNvU4p_IhVmjQBY7mojXo/s320/Tulip.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532792648180304994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I have yet to search under all the attic floorboards, so who knows what other interesting things might still be uncovered? And I also plan to do non-invasive, sonogramic investigations of each of two original, plaster partition walls on the second floor. Given that one of these walls defines what was probably the old borning & sick room, it wouldn't surprise me if it held a pair of <a href="http://wayhistsoc.home.comcast.net/%7Ewayhistsoc/whs/Shoes_in_the_Wall/shoes_in_the_wall.htm">concealment shoes</a> for protecting against evil spirits. Now that would be an amazing discovery!John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-80654222055184374682010-09-18T23:50:00.000-07:002010-09-19T14:07:23.771-07:00Celestial Dramatis Personæ for the Upcoming Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXq5F_oSgrM_zte1iMGL1f-wj0y14xJ5BHFEvpBQvyJlb0Hw1wzAJ-RBo11LbdncX68RtqsQxA1l-mN9eZc1tp0B2OhT_rZX5QtHRjdaMMhGQUv3RjIqGzoPq9PMiA0INUOeV-qhi3JU/s1600/Mond_Venus_comp540a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXq5F_oSgrM_zte1iMGL1f-wj0y14xJ5BHFEvpBQvyJlb0Hw1wzAJ-RBo11LbdncX68RtqsQxA1l-mN9eZc1tp0B2OhT_rZX5QtHRjdaMMhGQUv3RjIqGzoPq9PMiA0INUOeV-qhi3JU/s200/Mond_Venus_comp540a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518432216332605234" border="0" /></a>Those of you who enjoy observing the heavens should find the upcoming week (starting Monday, September 20th, 2010) particularly interesting, as a number of significant astronomical phenomena will be taking place. Furthermore, these events will be converging on several, traditionally important calendar days.<br /><br />Jupiter has been especially brilliant during the evening hours all this past year. In my own area, it currently rises around 7PM EDT (just at dusk), and by about 10PM is easily seen as the brightest "star" above the eastern horizon. On September 20th, Jupiter will make its closest approach to earth in its current trajectory -- the closest it's been, in fact, in almost fifty years.<br /><br />And, together with the planet Uranus, Jupiter will be at opposition to the sun on the 21st. The two planets will then be in conjunction on the 22nd, the autumnal equinox -- the first day of fall, and traditionally the celebration day of the harvest, or "Harvest Home". You can watch both planets parade across the sky together on these evenings, although you will most likely need binoculars or a telescope to view Uranus.<br /><br />The next evening, September 23rd, will mark the Jewish holiday of Sukkoth, and feature the Full Harvest Moon in conjunction with Jupiter. Also, Venus, which, as of late, has been quite bright, but very low on the western horizon, just after sunset, will achieve its greatest brilliance that evening.<br /><br />Finally, on the following week, September 29th will mark the feast of Saint Michael, one of the four "Quarter Days" of the early Christian calendar that was considered to more or less coincide with earlier, Celtic celebrations of the autumnal equinox.<br /><br /><u>Epilogue<br /><br /></u>It's interesting to note that Jupiter's close approach to earth in 2010 coincides with the Quadricentennial of Galileo's discovery of the moons of Jupiter in 1610, a concrete, scientific observation he was ultimately forced to disavow on threat of being burned at the stake by church authorities. It's also personally interesting to me that Galileo died in January of 1642, a mere three months before the birth of Joseph Hawkins. Makes me feel that these events of the distant past were perhaps not really all that long ago, after all.<br /><br />If you'd like to read further about these forthcoming astronomical events or find rise/set times for your area, visit the Old Farmer's Almanac's <a href="http://www.almanac.com/astronomy">Astronomy page</a>. You can also follow the almanac on twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/almanac">@almanac</a>. If I manage to get any photos of these events, I'll post them here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Galileo_Galilei_Signature_2.svg/140px-Galileo_Galilei_Signature_2.svg.png"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 61px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Galileo_Galilei_Signature_2.svg/140px-Galileo_Galilei_Signature_2.svg.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />(Galileo's signature)<br /></span>John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-76815823129139092912010-09-17T14:48:00.000-07:002010-09-17T23:47:06.338-07:00On Sustainability, Old Home Renovation, Smart Grids, and Kitchen Gardens<a href="http://www.buildingmoxie.com/2010/08/staying-on-grid-part-i-a-hybrid-approach-to-sustainability/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Staying On-Grid, Part I: A Hybrid Approach to Sustainability</span></a> is an article I recently published on <a href="http://www.buildingmoxie.com/">Building Moxie: The Do Together Daily</a> that illustrates my philosophy of old home renovation with regard to sustainable energy and conservation. This applies, of course, to the Hawkins house, which is my preeminent project in this area. A companion article, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.buildingmoxie.com/2010/09/staying-on-grid-part-ii-a-call-to-arms-to-the-citizen-farmer/">Staying On-Grid, Part II: A Call to Arms to the Citizen Farmer</a>, completes my vision of a greener world by building a case for wide-spread, sustainable food production at the door-yard scale. Check 'em out!John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-20848362497447275552010-08-08T15:42:00.000-07:002010-08-09T06:23:08.173-07:00Fourteen Miles to New HavenToday, I finally made good on a promise to my friend Pam at <a href="http://farmhouseprimitives.blogspot.com/">Farmhouse Primitives</a> to publish a photo of an old colonial milepost situated alongside U.S. Route 1 in Stratford, Connecticut.<br /><br />Back in January, Pam posted an excellent <a href="http://farmhouseprimitives.blogspot.com/2010/01/happy-birthday-ben.html">article</a> commemorating Benjamin Franklin's birthday (January 17th, to be precise). With great interest, I read how Francis Lovelace, the second colonial governor of New York, established an early postal trail between New York and Boston, in 1673 (right around the time of construction of the Hawkins house). This trail eventually became known as the Old Boston Post Road, a roadway anyone living in southern Connecticut is generally familiar with.<br /><br />Pam's article then goes on to describe how, starting in 1753, and at various times up until the Revolution, Benjamin Franklin helped lead the development of a highly efficient and reliable postal system throughout all of the colonies. Franklin was ultimately appointed Post Master General by the Second Continental Congress in 1775, and today, our modern U.S. postal system is generally attributed to Franklin's efforts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglbbj1sinxBAgevDf_8na4bk7knpw4I_uIzSbWP_TxceKL_2hdSB5cnbU6DUD7oHGh4omsWTP8ora1OHOOYlhh7W3uULyKoIpRLUElXjUZoyN7UunxkK2g4og0pfkpqWrJZkpt1sBGwA/s1600/MilePost.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglbbj1sinxBAgevDf_8na4bk7knpw4I_uIzSbWP_TxceKL_2hdSB5cnbU6DUD7oHGh4omsWTP8ora1OHOOYlhh7W3uULyKoIpRLUElXjUZoyN7UunxkK2g4og0pfkpqWrJZkpt1sBGwA/s320/MilePost.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503174594735422514" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ben Franklin's "14 Miles to NH" milepost on the Old Boston Post Road, in Stratford, CT</span><br /></span><br />I grew up in Stratford, Connecticut, on the other side of my block from U.S. Route 1, which the Old Boston Post Road is now a part of. While growing up, one of the oddities we encountered every day walking to and from school was this small stone monolith inscribed with "14 Miles to NH" (New Haven), shown in the photo above.<br /><br />Local history has it that this stone, sitting just a few yards from the curb of Route 1, was a milepost established on the postal trail at some point during Franklin's administration of the continental mail system.<br /><br />Almost completely forgotten by our local, collective memory, it's amazing that this milepost has sat here for so very long, largely unnoticed and, for the most part, unscathed by time, weather, and nearby development. And as a young lad in grade school, never had I dreamed, of course, that one day I'd be inspired to write so much about this very odd, and very old, stone.<br /><br />(This article is cross-posted in <a href="http://plantationbythesea.blogspot.com/">Plantation by the Sea</a>)John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-87193155161895897382010-07-26T11:41:00.000-07:002010-09-17T23:02:17.947-07:00Article on Old Square Nails<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YpUO46korhHPZJurubON0lOR-jhzcpQhW4O86pZylTglodlCGlipz7PXSBkeRVq70SEKt7DpGXpeJurfe73z_4ODnXl-KL-_9MG2uqHuaA7r56HfiR1cVb856UJKVMPWWVT0oKfx5Mg/s1600/FloorNail.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YpUO46korhHPZJurubON0lOR-jhzcpQhW4O86pZylTglodlCGlipz7PXSBkeRVq70SEKt7DpGXpeJurfe73z_4ODnXl-KL-_9MG2uqHuaA7r56HfiR1cVb856UJKVMPWWVT0oKfx5Mg/s200/FloorNail.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503184388526065778" border="0" /></a>Recently, I published an article on old square nails, their merits, modern equivalents, and applications, on the <a href="http://www.buildingmoxie.com/">Building Moxie</a> blog: <a href="http://www.buildingmoxie.com/2010/07/john-poole-yes-virginia-they-really-do-still-make-those-old-square-nails/">Yes, Virginia, They Really Do Still Make Those Old Square Nails</a>. Hope you have a chance to give it a read!John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-50498497443066981982010-06-13T14:17:00.000-07:002010-12-13T13:00:46.165-08:00Period-Correct Thermal and UV Protection (Sort of, anyway)Every window in my home is a vintage window. None is original, as the true originals are all long gone. But nonetheless, my windows are all still very old. My sashes consist of pegged mortise and tenon joinery, with thick muntins arranged in 9/6, 12/8, or 6/6 patterns of lights. Not a single one of my window frames is completely square, nor does any sash tightly fit its frame.<br /><br />Every one of my twenty-three windows leaks air like a sieve, and is in need of much general repair, including repair of nearly all the sills and exterior casings, complete re-painting (including the safe and legal removal of deteriorating layers of lead paint), and re-glazing of all the panes. Perhaps now, you can fully understand exactly why I love this old home so much!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL_vYeffKNpKjqShD2MV6YYXShlQiYQuhyuSamadA_pjqYyIeMpRUt4etcF4NC3SzgrrYqJldeajOSR84UK-vN-88GgKBonW97M-BVi_piZjD9Ixahhyphenhyphen9T11qydlRef3n9C6Dn1o4t0c/s1600/Window.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL_vYeffKNpKjqShD2MV6YYXShlQiYQuhyuSamadA_pjqYyIeMpRUt4etcF4NC3SzgrrYqJldeajOSR84UK-vN-88GgKBonW97M-BVi_piZjD9Ixahhyphenhyphen9T11qydlRef3n9C6Dn1o4t0c/s320/Window.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613911962052130" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >One of the oldest windows in the house is the small 6/6 in the second floor spinning room.</span><br /><br />Of course, not a single window is to be replaced. My preservation ethic requires me to ensure these windows will last another 200+ years. But I am also determined to resolve their various functional and performance deficiencies, as well. There's just no way around that -- I need to have a comfortable, livable, and energy-efficient home. And yet, this must be done in a manner that minimizes impact on historically-significant structures and materials, even if it means more work or greater cost in the end.<br /><br />Naturally, air leakage, and a general lack of insulating properties, are two significant challenges offered by my old windows. Another is UV protection for the interior of the home. There are several areas of the house -- the south side on the second floor, in particular -- where the solar assault on the interior is pretty intense. A partial solution might be to replace existing panes with new ones of treated glass. That would be fine for broken or cracked panes, but I am unwilling to systematically replace all the ancient bubble-glass. And furthermore, that strategy wouldn't address the insulation issue.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRGizWqM0wcdiGGC1uzBUpr6Tz_jlQE2lyIO-tZXCyQX74sdZWqBshUsz8TiKGy0SZLKcqTgWxKdnI7eNmjjlsHkeCCpa-ThMmswMnsiD2JXCwpcYV90ZDuFe4ORcMPNwZKWVKfBtIaM/s1600/Install1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRGizWqM0wcdiGGC1uzBUpr6Tz_jlQE2lyIO-tZXCyQX74sdZWqBshUsz8TiKGy0SZLKcqTgWxKdnI7eNmjjlsHkeCCpa-ThMmswMnsiD2JXCwpcYV90ZDuFe4ORcMPNwZKWVKfBtIaM/s320/Install1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613919055072914" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Installation of the left-hand side bracket of an insulating roller shade.</span></span><br /><br />Of course, the simplest and most obvious form of sun/UV protection is a shade or blind. However, I already have primitive window treatments (including things like <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30261502&l=48ada0479d&id=1251676052">fish tail swags</a> and <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/09/tobacco-cloth-curtains-and-other.html">tobacco cloth panels</a>) that suit the house, but generally don't mesh well with shades or blinds, and certainly provide no protection. (In the winter time, I tend to replace some of these with heavy, <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/01/wintertime-window-treatments.html">single-draw linen swags</a>, which do a good job insulating, but really aren't pleasing for summer use). So what to do?<br /><br />Well, I finally concluded that an insulating roller shade -- yes, a roller shade, something I've never been a big fan of -- could actually provide a serviceable solution to the thermal and UV problems, while not detracting too much from the historical window treatments. This could be accomplished as long as the roller shades are mounted high and sufficiently recessed, so as to be obscured by the existing window treatments, while also providing as small a gap as possible between shade and window. Recessing the shade requires an inside mount, if possible, or cutting small mortises into the upper rail casings in situations where an outside mount is a better choice.<br /><br />So, the particular type of roller shade I selected is comprised of <span style="font-style: italic;">insulated weaver's cloth</span> and is available from <a href="http://www.countrycurtains.com/">Country Curtains</a> in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Insulation is provided by a thin, white foam backing on the side of the fabric facing the window that is claimed to protect against both heat and cold. They're a bit on the pricey side, but I found them to be very well made. I initially sized and ordered just a few shades to start with.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmHDZDU_TeZOPA6BXMeAWTZldsi9-Vy36A2KC3lQwQJ3K7zXts63xk0mzAwptdHdeF1SW3xjWlWEktCBpH5S-3VFmkQLTXgsa64XQesy6AprZgMz8A2B5OfiC2puf3Ko54j062hmBXZA/s1600/Install2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmHDZDU_TeZOPA6BXMeAWTZldsi9-Vy36A2KC3lQwQJ3K7zXts63xk0mzAwptdHdeF1SW3xjWlWEktCBpH5S-3VFmkQLTXgsa64XQesy6AprZgMz8A2B5OfiC2puf3Ko54j062hmBXZA/s320/Install2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613926453039410" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Using a combination square to align the depth of both ends of the roller.</span><br /><br />The first window to attempt this history-respecting renovation on was the small 6/6 window of the second floor spinning room, which tends to get a lot of sunlight until about mid-day when the sun is finally over the house. This window is illustrated in the first photo above. The closest fitting roller shade is the smallest one made, and is 22" wide -- too wide to actually fit between the jambs with the mounting hardware installed as intended. But a wider shade mounted on the outside would've interfered with the existing swag and iron curtain rod. So this would take a little creativity to get it to work.<br /><br />I found I could get the shade to fit inside if I reversed the left-hand bracket before fastening it to the window jamb. The other end of the shade then fit snug against the jamb without a bracket. Once the shade was more-or-less positioned in place, I used a combination square to get the shade parallel to the upper rail, and both ends at the same depth (yes, I am <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> fussy about this stuff). This is illustrated by the second and third photos, directly above.<br /><br />The pulley housing on the right-hand side of the shade has a slight taper and lip toward the bottom on each side, so I figured two pan-head screws over each lip, and one at the top of the housing, would adequately support this end of the shade. I used a punch to mark three screw locations around the perimeter of the pulley housing, as shown below:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77IRgcTfHh9pedx4om24W5IroKGTC1-53kGeZ32m4NJccpy41mB_dGR6rYEf4le-5R3HVWMoG9grdWJNT-uXtVyQuWu3fYBQ4oy9wclI1XY3Vyjw8GF-QPUoI4CyxMEQ29vB5D2DiEls/s1600/Install3.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77IRgcTfHh9pedx4om24W5IroKGTC1-53kGeZ32m4NJccpy41mB_dGR6rYEf4le-5R3HVWMoG9grdWJNT-uXtVyQuWu3fYBQ4oy9wclI1XY3Vyjw8GF-QPUoI4CyxMEQ29vB5D2DiEls/s320/Install3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613934401954578" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Marking pilot holes.</span><br /><br />Next, I temporarily removed the shade, and used a hand driver to drill three pilot holes. I almost invariably use a driver to manually drill small pilots, rather than an electric drill, which in this case wouldn't have fit here, anyway:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIZv4mjvnf73IsPhK7drowOpVpilSsvcapWmrXdf8M4ryh18s8QXgoIIFOyBe6t1rAHPBQiBhuoKwd6cNiTl6RRofoJejis157-fBmk1ruJBqfYRsiKFju4lgTXsGGH6CCg7AxsqQJGQ/s1600/Install4.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIZv4mjvnf73IsPhK7drowOpVpilSsvcapWmrXdf8M4ryh18s8QXgoIIFOyBe6t1rAHPBQiBhuoKwd6cNiTl6RRofoJejis157-fBmk1ruJBqfYRsiKFju4lgTXsGGH6CCg7AxsqQJGQ/s320/Install4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613937287837938" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Drilling pilot holes.</span></span><br /><br />Finally, I replaced the shade and drove the three screws supporting the pulley housing, and the shade was secured:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1aPrmsYAH-KeeGQfkc-T61YVqkI6HqSa3jM6t_ksToeWnwMZAtljh8abgjfZcCyJ84WkO4dCo3CsthbwjIVR6LUxyQj0Sp0z-wt1VHPsUgyaRgXlILQBvnZKbX8EKO6T1Cl4nV-LPOU/s1600/Installed1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1aPrmsYAH-KeeGQfkc-T61YVqkI6HqSa3jM6t_ksToeWnwMZAtljh8abgjfZcCyJ84WkO4dCo3CsthbwjIVR6LUxyQj0Sp0z-wt1VHPsUgyaRgXlILQBvnZKbX8EKO6T1Cl4nV-LPOU/s320/Installed1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481616563078886498" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >The right-hand side of the roller shade mounted, sans supplied mounting bracket.</span><br /><br />The photo below shows the installed shade in its lowered position. A nearly perfect fit:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dsRKSi3rp0YJjCuZAvEj6SePpHYbzP9Sq3lkdlZdMtjPufnjMy4ZWWHX8eoAfhxWU1gXYjmusSWVODHzrSJqGCP4VvwwVGKWAmbesNDFBPRlZMcuL8QZnhGXdAF4MWWLjKOimzZlIqw/s1600/Installed3.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dsRKSi3rp0YJjCuZAvEj6SePpHYbzP9Sq3lkdlZdMtjPufnjMy4ZWWHX8eoAfhxWU1gXYjmusSWVODHzrSJqGCP4VvwwVGKWAmbesNDFBPRlZMcuL8QZnhGXdAF4MWWLjKOimzZlIqw/s320/Installed3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481619070487782450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well, not exactly a perfect fit. If you look at it straight-on, you can see that the lower, left-hand side of the shade is skewed away from the window jamb, while there likewise is a gap between the jamb and the upper, right-hand side of the shade. This is because of the shape of the window frame itself...it simply isn't square and there's not much to be done about that (it is, after all, what it is). Fortunately, the roller tube of the shade can easily be shifted left or right, so at least I was able to get the best possible coverage of the window:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-e0NCV5BReRc3XC9_2PXWwS12ndvD54HdTPh3_-yeNSpD5t4fV2fQHFo5cRL82-UPwg-23Mxrk1ljqlkbcdRTdDpPsVH6csOsR6K2qlNJhHll1Oyf6U-PvHGgTqEoWuSrDfg1nzSKQM/s1600/Installed4.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL-e0NCV5BReRc3XC9_2PXWwS12ndvD54HdTPh3_-yeNSpD5t4fV2fQHFo5cRL82-UPwg-23Mxrk1ljqlkbcdRTdDpPsVH6csOsR6K2qlNJhHll1Oyf6U-PvHGgTqEoWuSrDfg1nzSKQM/s320/Installed4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481616584253989506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The photo below shows the lowered shade with the fish tail swag back in place. Also, I put the artwork back after installing the shade. It does not, in my opinion, look half bad:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_7GUXpPBFncZUJRB6uIf6XyF-UyewJragd0D9s4GUGHS-3JB8syKySnNy-vNKsUMF8XuOJoqg8p0KKGCNqHSzlVyn02rTAqHl-w3f7n9Y9gDr8FSpoieEsC6spsIyuaHWb3ZAF2qMgM/s1600/Down.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_7GUXpPBFncZUJRB6uIf6XyF-UyewJragd0D9s4GUGHS-3JB8syKySnNy-vNKsUMF8XuOJoqg8p0KKGCNqHSzlVyn02rTAqHl-w3f7n9Y9gDr8FSpoieEsC6spsIyuaHWb3ZAF2qMgM/s320/Down.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481620547371394082" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOwUnVARwHY3sFQJiWhuY5ezlHZWKa_lyIxoKbd6nRivG3yIn-H5BY7Qw0HJ50O7WwyZm0ZL4PdONQporzIw_atV02MAxU-0uaje_Oe9OZw8vg6BhL0JiupKoFmRRAWuAC8MsjGtLR-w/s1600/Up1.JPG"> </a><br /><br />In the next photo below, the shade has been raised, and as you can see, it is nearly completely hidden by the swag:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOwUnVARwHY3sFQJiWhuY5ezlHZWKa_lyIxoKbd6nRivG3yIn-H5BY7Qw0HJ50O7WwyZm0ZL4PdONQporzIw_atV02MAxU-0uaje_Oe9OZw8vg6BhL0JiupKoFmRRAWuAC8MsjGtLR-w/s1600/Up1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOwUnVARwHY3sFQJiWhuY5ezlHZWKa_lyIxoKbd6nRivG3yIn-H5BY7Qw0HJ50O7WwyZm0ZL4PdONQporzIw_atV02MAxU-0uaje_Oe9OZw8vg6BhL0JiupKoFmRRAWuAC8MsjGtLR-w/s320/Up1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481620558048647698" border="0" /></a><br /><br />From the other side, only a bit of the roller shade is visible. I think I could easily hide it if I were to fold the swag a little better. The draw string is unavoidably visible, but so be it:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOqkZpcm0rkz5DnOV91xHj2M4Spfc994btdnao_3TJAk31lkp74vF2-cnlDHEnuIZe0tcpY4gqeTRwnXfsxpV4rpfcPElDjPXsh0XkeTPMxUl5IF2tdz7N4_X_BgK7jOzfuECkB7xLDU/s1600/Up2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOqkZpcm0rkz5DnOV91xHj2M4Spfc994btdnao_3TJAk31lkp74vF2-cnlDHEnuIZe0tcpY4gqeTRwnXfsxpV4rpfcPElDjPXsh0XkeTPMxUl5IF2tdz7N4_X_BgK7jOzfuECkB7xLDU/s320/Up2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481620559284620434" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So I've declared this particular experiment a success, and will continue outfitting the remaining upstairs windows with these roller shades. Not only will they protect against UV and keep the upstairs rooms cooler in the summer, but they should also provide a degree of thermal insulation in the winter. They certainly won't prevent air infiltration, but once that gets resolved, lowering the shades at night will at least help isolate the cold surface of the window from the warm air moving through the room. Note that the more problematic challenges I'm facing, such as repairing the windows and frames, and getting them relatively air tight, will be reported in many more blog posts to come.<br /><br /><br /><u>Resources and Further Reading</u><br /><br />Yagid, Robert, "Should Your Old Wood Windows Be Saved?", <a href="http://www.finehomebuilding.com/">Fine Homebuilding Magazine</a> (No. 210), May, 2010, <a href="http://www.taunton.com/">Taunton Press</a>, Newtown, CT.<br /><br />Poole, John, "<a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/09/tobacco-cloth-curtains-and-other.html">Tobacco Cloth Curtains and Other Developments</a>," September, 2009.<br /><br />Poole, John, "<a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/01/wintertime-window-treatments.html">Wintertime Window Treatments</a>," January, 2009.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.windowcoverings.org/">Window Covering Safety Council</a><br /><br /><br /><u>Postscript: Edge Seal On Insulating Shades</u><br /><br />There was a good Q&A submission in the December 2010 edition of <a href="http://jlconline.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Journal of Light Construction</span></a> regarding the effectiveness of insulating shades and curtains. In response, contributing Editor Paul Fisette emphasized the need to ensure that edges of such shades are sealed when drawn. This prevents warm air from leaking past the shade and hitting the cold glass surface, diminishing the effective R-value of the insulator while also causing condensation on the glass. Such condensation could eventually cause damage, especially for wooden windows, like mine.<br /><br />The roller shades I'm using don't operate with tracks on the side edges (few do), but I think I could still achieve a good edge seal if I built out stops for the lower sashes that were in continuous contact with the shade when drawn. Doing so might require the stop to gradually taper from bottom to top. Providing a thin film of felt or foam on the stop where it comes in contact with the back of the shade might also help, as well as weighting the bottoms of the shades slightly. Most of my windows don't have stops in the first place, believe or not, and constructing them is part of my plan for general window repair, anyway.<br /><br />I'm also going to investigate some tracked solutions as well, however, including window quilts, since the roller shade solution mentioned above won't work where my walls lean inward (yes, very old homes sometimes have a few walls like that!). Did I mention there might be some thermography testing involved in this effort, too?<br /><br /><br /><u>Postscript: Miscellaneous Views of the Spinning Room</u><br /><br />While writing this post, I thought I'd share a few pictures of the 2nd floor spinning room. In the distant past, this room was most likely used as a utility room for general indoor tasks, including the spinning of flax into thread (hence, the name). When I first purchased the house, I decided I'd make this room into a quiet refuge for reading and relaxing. The adjoining southeast bed chamber, on the other hand, became my main office, and included all my computers, networking gear, several small book cases, and my favorite large <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2008/04/trestle-table.html">trestle table</a>.<br /><br />However, I've now reached a point where my ongoing inspection and mapping of the house frame, as well as other restoration tasks, require me to evacuate the southeast chamber. So I recently moved everything into the spinning room. It's a cozy fit, to say the least, but it's only temporary. And it's not quite that bad.<br /><br />Here's a view from one of the front bedrooms. The trestle table is my main working desk and computer table, with my Linux workstation caddy-cornered between the trestle and small side tables. I actually enjoy the eclecticism of mixing old with some new (is this <span style="font-style: italic;">colonialpunk</span> futurism, perhaps?):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmufzozqOwAvu7c4vzrEUyk-7mIHboyU7cUEX3FmK6O_tKPPPzx7mQZuGDJb5cCEIqoAl814TEYtPfFyDy9HD4xEe0y6hdxeL5bDOvQbIoGHHREnNsoDH9rSUEFMHP4Tg3FP6KfFTRhBA/s1600/ReadingRoom1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmufzozqOwAvu7c4vzrEUyk-7mIHboyU7cUEX3FmK6O_tKPPPzx7mQZuGDJb5cCEIqoAl814TEYtPfFyDy9HD4xEe0y6hdxeL5bDOvQbIoGHHREnNsoDH9rSUEFMHP4Tg3FP6KfFTRhBA/s320/ReadingRoom1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481620568543397154" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A view from the other direction. The traditional-looking writing table against the opposite wall is actually a traditional-looking piece of modern furniture:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYkqIA5XpmwBGSRr6F5ay-egZ5caly6Iw1VCZyyXL7-zZHsuwC0jsbncfgF4OKUEBsmJS5hPSPwjficn5ZQAXFVRP3wG_UKdgoXzTLWWC3yMyzHO0jCenjJmGCwaKgR0AF0bm2oFgJzg/s1600/ReadingRoom2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYkqIA5XpmwBGSRr6F5ay-egZ5caly6Iw1VCZyyXL7-zZHsuwC0jsbncfgF4OKUEBsmJS5hPSPwjficn5ZQAXFVRP3wG_UKdgoXzTLWWC3yMyzHO0jCenjJmGCwaKgR0AF0bm2oFgJzg/s320/ReadingRoom2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481620573118453282" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I keep one of my favorite books on my desk, supported by a forged iron book holder. It's a reprint of Joseph Moxon's classic <span style="font-style: italic;">The Art of Joinery</span>, annotated by Christopher Schwarz of <a href="http://www.lostartpress.com/">Lost Art Press</a>. This book was first published in 1678, just a few years after my house was built:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaesfxRpr9KC893H3mbmrzm1rrQAKbGP6MS8AkR_m4SY1OXOP7K8xKNL4jUjmwLxiCELPoKKlEM6KnVDizGutB9fj65n9cKXOj6y1QWg8uSuZL_L-YwhvvGvjiEI0i05Q3FR7SGb8my88/s1600/Moxon.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaesfxRpr9KC893H3mbmrzm1rrQAKbGP6MS8AkR_m4SY1OXOP7K8xKNL4jUjmwLxiCELPoKKlEM6KnVDizGutB9fj65n9cKXOj6y1QWg8uSuZL_L-YwhvvGvjiEI0i05Q3FR7SGb8my88/s320/Moxon.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481622636057173538" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Various objects on my writing table include an ink well and pounce pot, candle holder and snuffer, @CaffeinatedLiby's hand made compass book mark, my Rubini gold sweep oar paper weight which I picked up at a Head of the Charles Regatta, and a copy of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Hawkins Mechanical Dictionary</span>, published by Nehemiah Hawkins, ca. 1909:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQhEdDOt18WM0BQcQtcO0ZPmak8NGhEfXFTj3nOQKEiaW2xK4gA9g9f59dpN0zNoWP7BLZ_LV-21UwF4JU5QuyZm9I5PCiFFE2TIOYywC3go4Encxgwi9jp1EqpLR1ATQLDf6GAAncb0/s1600/WritingDesk1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQhEdDOt18WM0BQcQtcO0ZPmak8NGhEfXFTj3nOQKEiaW2xK4gA9g9f59dpN0zNoWP7BLZ_LV-21UwF4JU5QuyZm9I5PCiFFE2TIOYywC3go4Encxgwi9jp1EqpLR1ATQLDf6GAAncb0/s320/WritingDesk1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481622645522771586" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Also, my signed copy of Chris Schwarz's annotated <span style="font-style: italic;">The Joiner and Cabinet Maker</span>, and an antique-looking clock:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0Kw9n-4SZtJqVNosfzJnY6dTj04_5_k5k6jYdyeZKWnq44I9Q7XOtTx_WZOtzGuVZEx35j5zhVkN2qaLcb8KOQ5M-D0c_XLRMuyf2_Wi7vC3UoiGj5T5_EF0TXF2nVPHsqQiY5uEuuY/s1600/WritingDesk2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0Kw9n-4SZtJqVNosfzJnY6dTj04_5_k5k6jYdyeZKWnq44I9Q7XOtTx_WZOtzGuVZEx35j5zhVkN2qaLcb8KOQ5M-D0c_XLRMuyf2_Wi7vC3UoiGj5T5_EF0TXF2nVPHsqQiY5uEuuY/s320/WritingDesk2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481622648918518114" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One of the samplers hanging on the wall. This one is entitled "Mary Follet, Her Work, Aged 12, 1802." I particularly like this one because the characters and scene look almost like something by William Blake:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMW-MhUWc1Wi7u02qZmdPV8vmnoD8SVC62HgU4kNsF79mdb1c9NzNkyIXq8UB3GX7CD-9kgjC1IMIbCmgCzRsv8vxTylNZFX6xJnhlN0OZPo4tcPT7q5x1tALeYTD2E2n65w627AuWiQ/s1600/Follet.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMW-MhUWc1Wi7u02qZmdPV8vmnoD8SVC62HgU4kNsF79mdb1c9NzNkyIXq8UB3GX7CD-9kgjC1IMIbCmgCzRsv8vxTylNZFX6xJnhlN0OZPo4tcPT7q5x1tALeYTD2E2n65w627AuWiQ/s320/Follet.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481622652448600242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Another sampler: "On Virtue." This is a nice piece that looks similar to a primitive home blessing:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fjHD7JNC5eCDud99lfLZB0B3KtWTGIhhD7cX9QB1Xh8Ka4LkEHI1wvSTTW6BawP2D1ilkw5UtHI5dMMMHbwNidkPOaQdg1xKydDveQolPs1rxr9n51NHqqD2tnCgsPWpD01mh79e-Mo/s1600/Virtue.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fjHD7JNC5eCDud99lfLZB0B3KtWTGIhhD7cX9QB1Xh8Ka4LkEHI1wvSTTW6BawP2D1ilkw5UtHI5dMMMHbwNidkPOaQdg1xKydDveQolPs1rxr9n51NHqqD2tnCgsPWpD01mh79e-Mo/s320/Virtue.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481622662402640322" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finally, I have a large map chest that I use as a credenza to store papers and working documents. My funky primitive iron lamp with the punched willow tree shade sits on top:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLVLhHsgd24PxUHQFY61JouQVIqS9UrxC0kK5ZmuIr2Tm3IPwpZfrKW2npub4f0E-942fMTNtb53aExPrZmn8tzu4vczAFz15A-hNjI0jOjPw9zTjNQFH-ljfmOINw04ewcKCA1ya-NI/s1600/MapChest.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLVLhHsgd24PxUHQFY61JouQVIqS9UrxC0kK5ZmuIr2Tm3IPwpZfrKW2npub4f0E-942fMTNtb53aExPrZmn8tzu4vczAFz15A-hNjI0jOjPw9zTjNQFH-ljfmOINw04ewcKCA1ya-NI/s320/MapChest.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481629399207909826" border="0" /></a><br /><br />~~FIN~~John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-12029440771612490352010-06-05T23:52:00.000-07:002010-08-19T09:20:12.636-07:00Entry Porch Rescue, Part II: Shoring Things Up<u><br />The Problem</u><br /><br />In the previous posting, <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2010/05/entry-porch-rescue-part-i-what-damage.html">What Damage Hath Water Wrought</a>, I described how water infiltration gradually rotted the bases of the two columns supporting my front porch roof, effectively detaching the bases from the infrastructure, and how <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/12/first-major-snow-of-2009-2010.html">heavy snow-loading</a> this past winter apparently forced both columns to spread slightly. This posting provides an account of the steps I took to temporarily stabilize the undermined columns. I went to work on this immediately after discovering that the column bases had shifted, and most of what's described here was accomplished in the better part of an afternoon.<br /><br />Right now, I am planning a complete overhaul and rebuilding of much of my front porch infrastructure, which has certainly seen better days. About thirty five years worth of wear, insects, sun, snow, and rain have all taken their toll, and it's time to get this porch back into sound shape. However, I couldn't drop everything and immediately get started on this larger effort. So instead, I did the best I could to immediately ensure the near-term safety of the porch.<br /><br />There were two objectives that needed to be accomplished right away:<br /><br />1) Get the columns back to their original positions, and prevent any further movement.<br /><br />2) Ensure the columns themselves could still safely support the roof.<br /><br />But a constraint I wanted to adhere to was to achieve all this <span style="font-style: italic;">in situ</span>; that is, I had no desire, say, to jack the roof up and begin splicing new column bottoms. That sort of effort could wait until the larger repair effort. I just wanted to shore everything up for the time being without removing or replacing any of the existing structure.<br /><br />With all that in mind, I set about doing the following....<br /><br /><u>The Rescue</u><br /><br />The first order of business was to prop the decking up in the vicinity of each column and construct something of a stopping block to ensure that each column base couldn't possibly get knocked forward or laterally to the side. So I wedged two PT 2x6s between the edge/ends of the decking and the slab:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8LqSLiD9HZZtVtJ4ohA_3f6K5YGA99mDLCtA3Lcc9N1m_2M1xSXBJNfaFURJuu_CYfbladEg3l2xToe9CO78ud8jL0poE8ZikHOJfq7Tq567oBt2kOX6O84wvPUmt4kW2yzff8hlDdU/s1600/1+Stop+Block.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8LqSLiD9HZZtVtJ4ohA_3f6K5YGA99mDLCtA3Lcc9N1m_2M1xSXBJNfaFURJuu_CYfbladEg3l2xToe9CO78ud8jL0poE8ZikHOJfq7Tq567oBt2kOX6O84wvPUmt4kW2yzff8hlDdU/s320/1+Stop+Block.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494577175940809090" border="0" /></a><br /><br />You can see from the photo below that this had the effect of making the decking reasonably level again, and well supported in the vicinity of the column. I secured the 2x6s by sinking long exterior grade screws through each 2x6, right through the fascia, and into the PT 6x6 corner post beneath the porch, which appeared to be in sound condition despite all the damage above it. I joined the two edges together with screws, as well:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYPf9Lv1KzB8M8zv4R52KTXID7NWQQQTdfsl4W2_lGLVI9JWIKj2useDNtac4aswZcnnwPeSoT9zn6fLhIi6Ohv33NixWNexT2QbG_vDVwD-rkyh9mVq9mKyDUa5Mn1u_6_bu1kEDjH8/s1600/2+Stop+Block.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYPf9Lv1KzB8M8zv4R52KTXID7NWQQQTdfsl4W2_lGLVI9JWIKj2useDNtac4aswZcnnwPeSoT9zn6fLhIi6Ohv33NixWNexT2QbG_vDVwD-rkyh9mVq9mKyDUa5Mn1u_6_bu1kEDjH8/s320/2+Stop+Block.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494577165393308146" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next, I built up a second "half box" on top of the first, likewise securing both its joint and connection to the lower half-box with screws. Then, I nailed several angles over the joint, just for added strength:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_MjB_jpjX5129kQBL2fgoCrOWwL5LkEVy3PV2gAptHmhND4QvaEuGDrrnPz47cVee-HP4w7BVPAPuA_O8NUjNppkx1_7rThslIi0xeDRjIxDR1mkYMgqeHbRha1zY0QuW6oKwyCcLPQ/s1600/3+Stop+Block.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_MjB_jpjX5129kQBL2fgoCrOWwL5LkEVy3PV2gAptHmhND4QvaEuGDrrnPz47cVee-HP4w7BVPAPuA_O8NUjNppkx1_7rThslIi0xeDRjIxDR1mkYMgqeHbRha1zY0QuW6oKwyCcLPQ/s320/3+Stop+Block.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494577159607988050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Of course, I built an identical stopping block wrapping the column base on the other (south) side of the porch, as well:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oHntB3sp2O5pOcMsemrGMskOuY1zFE35tPP_bWjmt_VYYjSqDd0C_Pf6Qk3T0cvCkdE-sLZDGhnyutQNOME5qefoWl7WM07BYnM-lTQWiXq5GdWWtFvFA-Sl0h0YmgLo2TVq8lAM4zw/s1600/4+Stop+Block.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oHntB3sp2O5pOcMsemrGMskOuY1zFE35tPP_bWjmt_VYYjSqDd0C_Pf6Qk3T0cvCkdE-sLZDGhnyutQNOME5qefoWl7WM07BYnM-lTQWiXq5GdWWtFvFA-Sl0h0YmgLo2TVq8lAM4zw/s320/4+Stop+Block.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494577153605008770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I temporarily wedged some 1x scraps between the stopping blocks and the front and outer side of each column. Now, there was no chance of either column base getting accidentally knocked outward and off the decking. So once this was all in place, I gently pushed (actually, tapped) the column bases back to their original positions. This went reasonably well, considering the uneven decking around the columns and the deteriorating column siding and post bottoms:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0x9Kq0Pd1KIF9K3lbUJ1N7dKwG8pD-gsra8l1v3h85kkqUdQWia0K40ouuVO6nQRJZlbm3ucjsdQ16HkrmFNsls-ZtBQH2KO4XDFcnUDVWFUs5LQAcWtoI33uigtsLrL_1fq-aofWov8/s1600/5+Plate.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0x9Kq0Pd1KIF9K3lbUJ1N7dKwG8pD-gsra8l1v3h85kkqUdQWia0K40ouuVO6nQRJZlbm3ucjsdQ16HkrmFNsls-ZtBQH2KO4XDFcnUDVWFUs5LQAcWtoI33uigtsLrL_1fq-aofWov8/s320/5+Plate.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494576597389335730" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Once each column was more or less where it was supposed to be, I fashioned a shear plate by cutting a notch in a length of PT 2x12 to fit around the column on three sides. The purpose of this plate was threefold: To prevent movement of the column in three directions (the front was handled by the scrap block inserted between the column and the upper stopping block), to effectively tie the separating decking boards back together via insertion of screws, and to provide a stable base for a vertical "T" to ensure support of the column:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHAl_-MRHnGeX3o-pcKSG-CXM1WulmNJnjKudRf1EmWvRC-_J-qVeQd6MUZvtXa4-QFeAW1cc3u2-0yeUbFQV-mAi4-g6hKUNiuHTKvUGyli1yiEcQDRpT9-JAePyz0De6t1bgvPka-Y/s1600/6+Plate.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHAl_-MRHnGeX3o-pcKSG-CXM1WulmNJnjKudRf1EmWvRC-_J-qVeQd6MUZvtXa4-QFeAW1cc3u2-0yeUbFQV-mAi4-g6hKUNiuHTKvUGyli1yiEcQDRpT9-JAePyz0De6t1bgvPka-Y/s320/6+Plate.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494576587093397266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Once the plate was in place, I sunk several courses of screws into it, making sure that the plate was joined to both the rim joist and the nearest decking joist, just to make sure the plate wouldn't move. Other screws simply served to hold the decking boards in place.<br /><br />Next, I set about constructing a T as a sister to the column. For this, I joined together a 2x10 and a 2x6 to form the T, cutting notches in the tops of both to accommodate the knee braces of the columns. The top of the T would butt against the overhead bearing beam, with the bottom resting on the plate. One of the notched 2x10s is shown below:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxwqPUY0dTM2GqlluPFfe1GmJ2chd0d7HT-Xb5XM1Mw6EQUYF7yHtuvw4LYR-63UQbXVNfzQrKxTDTMPGf1ddBOGkLf-vChrW7ZQMYpS8fRhfV1HsP_fzJn7jhd7lWW7FSx9wxOvML_I/s1600/7+Tee.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxwqPUY0dTM2GqlluPFfe1GmJ2chd0d7HT-Xb5XM1Mw6EQUYF7yHtuvw4LYR-63UQbXVNfzQrKxTDTMPGf1ddBOGkLf-vChrW7ZQMYpS8fRhfV1HsP_fzJn7jhd7lWW7FSx9wxOvML_I/s320/7+Tee.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494576201227892178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The bottom of the T would be toe-nailed to the plate with screws. Two sides of the T would also be fastened to the column via screws sunk into the inside post. While cutting the lumber for the T, I had been debating whether the T ought to be independent of the column, or joined directly to it. Keeping it independent would've required a positive connection between the top of the T and the bearing beam above, and I didn't want to start sinking fasteners into that beam.<br /><br />So I decided instead to attach the T to the column along its length. Doing so hopefully would make both T and column a cohesive, unified whole, stronger than the column had been by itself. This was based on my assumption, of course, that the inner post above the column base was sound. Drilling a number of probe holes confirmed that it most likely was. I was also making an implicit assumption that the connection between column and overhead beam was also sound, but I could find no evidence to the contrary. The photo below shows the T as viewed from above, looking down toward the supporting plate:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeTFdTAHng8qE3SBGyEv0cB3aAJ4VwkUqMdbOoW6myw6SHHptWETnoFsQXDEdGN36O5huLgGVnOqXsmwH4-Kjp4U60CDl6wCMvoyadNamUZkAxbUpEMvNnjR7Qb29UgFt99GLdX8O7gI/s1600/10+Tee.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeTFdTAHng8qE3SBGyEv0cB3aAJ4VwkUqMdbOoW6myw6SHHptWETnoFsQXDEdGN36O5huLgGVnOqXsmwH4-Kjp4U60CDl6wCMvoyadNamUZkAxbUpEMvNnjR7Qb29UgFt99GLdX8O7gI/s320/10+Tee.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494575754328069586" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And below is another view of the dreaded "Flying Dutchman" after the assembly and joining of the T. Note the scrap block wedged between the stopping block and forward face of the column:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2sMs99wzgqEjJzrqR52uOcCb1mg-FL2YXP_S_8g3CTzA8eFpBCqmMJzUKnlqoMm70OFeauKT76ISFg-JqdQsxcWQZocjLFBEzHjgw5g7-TlHWJW4Mmp6SgAjByhDJDNXARUsh-kqhxQ/s1600/11+Tee.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2sMs99wzgqEjJzrqR52uOcCb1mg-FL2YXP_S_8g3CTzA8eFpBCqmMJzUKnlqoMm70OFeauKT76ISFg-JqdQsxcWQZocjLFBEzHjgw5g7-TlHWJW4Mmp6SgAjByhDJDNXARUsh-kqhxQ/s320/11+Tee.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494575751437142290" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Although I didn't believe it totally necessary, I attached another T to the column at the south end of the porch. This column appeared to have far less damage than the north one, but it also had moved farther away from its original position. I felt it prudent, in any event, to likewise sister this column with a T:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfgbynPTkXZ45_zKzMV9FT15WAKvASbG61khiNzaHWTc6DVZR1pwauPHhnX_G8B3e8hm_4XWJsM43Y4VKKmFTgDVKY4h7fsd0QRxsW8_UQEKi37g-SrzN9RrtMt-tJ75bgp07w29baFw/s1600/12+Tee.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfgbynPTkXZ45_zKzMV9FT15WAKvASbG61khiNzaHWTc6DVZR1pwauPHhnX_G8B3e8hm_4XWJsM43Y4VKKmFTgDVKY4h7fsd0QRxsW8_UQEKi37g-SrzN9RrtMt-tJ75bgp07w29baFw/s320/12+Tee.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494575741628507138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />A nice view of how the T on the south column butts up against the bearing beam while not interfering with the knee braces:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJx7NKzwFFDLMrSePkWY2ekbXWn_FgSdprnzD-keVDfjJOLFn97oagNTIlzw5Ho-iY2Fzt3CArA_DB60NqXJr41MC-Vp_6TenBH79D6gIVxLzL3ATtXY0vBdWv_47Yfj1STmNrNCGZWU/s1600/13+Tee.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJx7NKzwFFDLMrSePkWY2ekbXWn_FgSdprnzD-keVDfjJOLFn97oagNTIlzw5Ho-iY2Fzt3CArA_DB60NqXJr41MC-Vp_6TenBH79D6gIVxLzL3ATtXY0vBdWv_47Yfj1STmNrNCGZWU/s320/13+Tee.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494575149347427506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />....And a view of the base of the T on the south side, where I joined it to the supporting plate (I took this photo before I re-attached the railing):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbGFNPlr88c3CnHRno7ix6kSNZ_KUPZ642vZs-8bVWHknkKG_iVR3KZWKkBMuit5sjml0iVPM5td3EdFoScO5j9ZnapD7B-73aiBMutOsWAEpmQBCxVKI90SuBnW_JCtRapp_PhBtU6Q/s1600/14+Tee.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbGFNPlr88c3CnHRno7ix6kSNZ_KUPZ642vZs-8bVWHknkKG_iVR3KZWKkBMuit5sjml0iVPM5td3EdFoScO5j9ZnapD7B-73aiBMutOsWAEpmQBCxVKI90SuBnW_JCtRapp_PhBtU6Q/s320/14+Tee.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494575143021799602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the interest of having a strong, cohesive column structure, I also added some angles to make sure the outer trim and inner post were all one, but in retrospect this was really unnecessary. All in all, the solution appears to be sound. It's not nice to look at, for certain. But it's not too obtrusive either. And it's only temporary until I rebuild the infrastructure properly:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgja45615H9TWEV0s9Jr-7Pp7UTg8mi5NVQgFekh-1MGU_1Ud3coc4TMrBokOtNdL-pOG_nkrJjVKISD_7BH7DCNk17RcOWqVdcU3vGBWlDQgJkWvJ_8Wt0Q53GDBfVKtJDpD0sW_8xeEU/s1600/16+Tee.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgja45615H9TWEV0s9Jr-7Pp7UTg8mi5NVQgFekh-1MGU_1Ud3coc4TMrBokOtNdL-pOG_nkrJjVKISD_7BH7DCNk17RcOWqVdcU3vGBWlDQgJkWvJ_8Wt0Q53GDBfVKtJDpD0sW_8xeEU/s320/16+Tee.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494575130205543826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><u>Epilogue: The 100 Year Porch Project</u><br /><br />As mentioned previously in this posting, I am planning a comprehensive overhaul of my front porch this summer. Naturally, I would like to retain as much of the original structure as possible. However, as a relatively recent addition, the front porch is not that historically significant, compared to other parts of the house. Furthermore, it's an exterior structure exposed to the elements, necessitating periodic repair and replacement of componets. So as a preservationist, I have no difficulty in replacing as much of the porch as necessary to ensure both its safety and utility to me as a home owner.<br /><br />I have absolutely no intention, however, of eliminating the front porch altogether and replacing it with a more historically accurate pediment, as some had suggested I ought to do. The front porch adds tremendous comfort to anyone using the front entry way in bad weather. And despite its small size, it provides a rather nice place to hang out on sunny afternoons.<br /><br />What I do have every intention of doing, however, is engineering the new porch infrastructure to last as long as possible with regular annual maintenance. This will include the use of highly rot resistant natural materials and incorporation of modern design techniques for water-resistant structures. My preferences tend toward things that not only are well made, but also possess maximum utility and last a very long time. My front porch is no exception to this ethic. So I refer to this rebuild effort of mine as the "100 Year Porch Project," and will present the overall design and construction strategy for the replacement infrastructure in several upcoming postings.<br /><br />'Til then.....<br /><br />(<a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/02/disclaimer-on-home-building-and.html">Disclaimer</a>)John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-78455364325737449242010-05-26T15:19:00.001-07:002010-07-15T18:50:58.795-07:00Entry Porch Rescue, Part I: What Damage Hath Water WroughtMy house has a rather unusual front entry porch. Unusual, perhaps, in the sense that it has one in the first place. Most homes of its era have relatively simple entry ways, almost invariably defined by a pediment and a pair (or two) of pilasters, and an occasional transom. Some very nice examples can be seen <a href="http://enduringcharm.com/inspiration/newport.html">here</a>. A very old <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYzR2mp9dM8_5JBEfLC8qcYMJqZ7iMrXdClMT959MxJIngIQ3MDDIQXQAotFcs-_gGDbeP0bkKpgnNt7YPhoj37Jyosr0Kjk8Mhe4JJeo7RlYFwH4f57PeC6hX-dqkjlSKGDfxTxeaoI4/s320/Hawkins+House+Front.JPG">photo</a> of my home, in fact, seems to reveal just such a pedimented front entry, although the image admittedly is dark and difficult to make out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjea4M34pm95S1G43w7__u6YDSusDCJxYu90TYlvhLSbqzVD-FFUkmAvuv04G_3DK1njURy9B2xDEWGfr1nuEpPrq487i9OE8kcrA_0nhvGmuhhZLgZfr69aaVM3WY2lhLhCOl2sn7g0O8/s1600/1+Porch.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjea4M34pm95S1G43w7__u6YDSusDCJxYu90TYlvhLSbqzVD-FFUkmAvuv04G_3DK1njURy9B2xDEWGfr1nuEpPrq487i9OE8kcrA_0nhvGmuhhZLgZfr69aaVM3WY2lhLhCOl2sn7g0O8/s320/1+Porch.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486799821666946482" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A view of the Hawkins house front entry porch.</span></span><br /><br />So, my front porch is clearly a relatively new addition. My guess is that it was built either in the 1940s or 1950s, probably following the laying of the new foundation. It is of relatively simple construction, with subtle Victorian and transitional nuances. The previous owner, whose family owned my home for many generations, told me that the last major overhaul and repair of the porch infrastructure took place in the 1970s.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbjWnHhsXMgDvJdjr3rQ0DAEMgwRvNau1fD1mtB-go5BIE534mdm1Chql8PbQ5MlSesJRpG3TJIHlTJpn-GkbIXqa2rqVy_hJwqCMCcyyAScSQ0J2eqX_BUEYpKXwmF2K0ZK3rUtOGZA/s1600/2+Porch.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbjWnHhsXMgDvJdjr3rQ0DAEMgwRvNau1fD1mtB-go5BIE534mdm1Chql8PbQ5MlSesJRpG3TJIHlTJpn-GkbIXqa2rqVy_hJwqCMCcyyAScSQ0J2eqX_BUEYpKXwmF2K0ZK3rUtOGZA/s320/2+Porch.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486799813295519874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Architectural features include a boxed bearing beam, scalloped knee braces, and a tongue-and-groove ceiling.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8Fpu1LyvE4IRSAGq3vwdOFrAP1qGMc35y003CAGucw9IBufurKwBi4MqABCFZ1yNi9RdOKqqxuK2g5G5PHPwHXROsv-hkW3irxuqMTFcjoJJWEdr5CTEpXy0KELJgMRmUMDPJThtIvc/s1600/3+Hand+Rail+Decking.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8Fpu1LyvE4IRSAGq3vwdOFrAP1qGMc35y003CAGucw9IBufurKwBi4MqABCFZ1yNi9RdOKqqxuK2g5G5PHPwHXROsv-hkW3irxuqMTFcjoJJWEdr5CTEpXy0KELJgMRmUMDPJThtIvc/s320/3+Hand+Rail+Decking.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486799233455739986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The decking consists of 5/4 x 3 tongue-and-groove boards, probably Douglas fir. They are unfinished and very weathered, but generally in good condition, except for the exposed ends. The railing consists of simple linear balustrades.</span> </span><br /><br />The single biggest issuing facing my front porch is water damage. Except for its sloping deck, the relatively simple form of my porch exhibits very few elements of water-resistant design. It's obvious that the porch roof never even had a gutter system attached to it. Not even a drip edge under the shingles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBz2Ai-2Yzub3JaVu-O4G6ejVrAkRSYcAMV4SUpEN7HBr5253Zbh-cm4Won12jCoety2MKe948vPvVmU6hwBMZbw1nyGc5VnXlqngn2T10x5KpGqYimvDKvEsnA8qkMpZJq3TVYn26AU/s1600/4+Steps+Slab.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBz2Ai-2Yzub3JaVu-O4G6ejVrAkRSYcAMV4SUpEN7HBr5253Zbh-cm4Won12jCoety2MKe948vPvVmU6hwBMZbw1nyGc5VnXlqngn2T10x5KpGqYimvDKvEsnA8qkMpZJq3TVYn26AU/s320/4+Steps+Slab.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486799224579247346" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">There's quite a bit of warping and splitting in the end grain of the decking boards. You can even see one large chunk lost to rot. Fortunately, the slab and steps appear to be sound. But there's no handrail! (A flagrant code violation in my locale).</span></span><br /><br />Needless to say, it's a very wet porch in the rain and winter. The effects are obvious in the cupped, splitting ends of the decking boards, and in the deteriorating newel post bottoms. It was clear to me when I first bought the house that quite bit of the porch infrastructure and trim would need to be tended to at some point, and I had resolved to let the porch weather one last winter before I would finally deal with it this summer (2010).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuduHXHk02kmUw3AXCh998OUDlZtcYZJwr-6BmsT4dpQ5ghXe4GvdLzsLjRflaj5QQr_q_o1vv1dxzr77yJL2Rs9__x7KWhNqEheRiCJv34bvXG2IN0K5m7O3_QJXhQl4kxuSWGttKaWM/s1600/5+Damaged+Post.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuduHXHk02kmUw3AXCh998OUDlZtcYZJwr-6BmsT4dpQ5ghXe4GvdLzsLjRflaj5QQr_q_o1vv1dxzr77yJL2Rs9__x7KWhNqEheRiCJv34bvXG2IN0K5m7O3_QJXhQl4kxuSWGttKaWM/s320/5+Damaged+Post.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486799218655926962" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A deteriorating and loose newel post bottom, and separating bottom rail. I temporarily braced the posts, and reattached the rails, with galvanized angles.</span></span><br /><br />However, in the early spring, while taking a close look at the porch one morning, I noticed that the decking near each edge was separating, with the outermost boards being pushed slightly downward and over the edge. I also noticed a bottom rail detaching from one of the newel posts. It looked as if the columns had become detached at their bases and were spreading laterally across the deck, pushing the tongue-and-groove boards slightly apart. A simple test with a level confirmed that the columns were indeed out of plumb, with each base extending slightly outward.<br /><br />I suspected that the column bases, or perhaps the decking just under the columns, had finally rotted to the point where fasteners were pulling out. A closer inspection revealed both conditions, to varying degrees. But what surprised me was the fact that none of this was obvious back in the fall. So I further surmised that snow loading this past winter (we had several heavy snow falls) must have forced the columns to move.<br /><br />The column on the north side of the porch had the most rot. A large area of peeling paint revealed something of a Dutchman in the trim at the bottom of the column (yet even more suspiciousness, of course, as it suggests there had been problems here in the past).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUL1ReEg93va8ZJUtEAnbeSkneJAByKFAVympQ0FP08y48rYO5hcFTwNN-pWwTvPWICQBSCf7yF_o182NMUuY2KqQlchKevmT5kfFsnqslImVBOCG3B2CAL7AniSY9hKcA94wHaeKdYIE/s1600/7+Spreading+TnG+North.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUL1ReEg93va8ZJUtEAnbeSkneJAByKFAVympQ0FP08y48rYO5hcFTwNN-pWwTvPWICQBSCf7yF_o182NMUuY2KqQlchKevmT5kfFsnqslImVBOCG3B2CAL7AniSY9hKcA94wHaeKdYIE/s320/7+Spreading+TnG+North.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486798134485227970" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >The mysterious Dutchman (albeit, not a Flying Dutchman) that appeared in the spring. You can also plainly see the effect on the decking boards of the column movement.</span><br /><br />Removing the Dutchman revealed a scary amount of wet, mushy, rotted wood. In fact, one could even well conclude that the bottom of the interior 4x4 post was mostly gone and that only the exterior 1x trim was supporting the column. (And the bottom part of the trim wasn't in much better shape). Probing with a drill revealed that the interior post was still solid about 8" above the deck.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCCsA1-dpuVvXuJzqnybPGAHiQxk-SWguPOH_wEwjvxcpGDQSXgf9WNSaykK_yfegV8pQnVdTQFRYqKcsBF9c4tmzSj8SFvBxDNvRRfC2ScySGrYmZOUnKg3tofatLLNMk6l5vJGkg78/s1600/9+Rotted+Post.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCCsA1-dpuVvXuJzqnybPGAHiQxk-SWguPOH_wEwjvxcpGDQSXgf9WNSaykK_yfegV8pQnVdTQFRYqKcsBF9c4tmzSj8SFvBxDNvRRfC2ScySGrYmZOUnKg3tofatLLNMk6l5vJGkg78/s320/9+Rotted+Post.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486798121872698914" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Behind the Dutchman was a scary mass of rot. You can even see a corroded fastener near the bottom, right-hand side of (what had been) the interior post.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbWtWfyIy5RlE7Va6Bw9pXD08N7Y-nJfcMUv66eRfY72s6k_3Cnr5xwO846CpYVkfHVD97AEC2wYbcPXlKejDSNLfceaYcQ6C1k00RHMffwYnJaa8egspuXOt7AWe2Z9CYkEfoVsHIgw/s1600/8+Dutchman.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbWtWfyIy5RlE7Va6Bw9pXD08N7Y-nJfcMUv66eRfY72s6k_3Cnr5xwO846CpYVkfHVD97AEC2wYbcPXlKejDSNLfceaYcQ6C1k00RHMffwYnJaa8egspuXOt7AWe2Z9CYkEfoVsHIgw/s320/8+Dutchman.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486798128700590866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Needless to say, I quickly replaced the Dutchman, as I couldn't bear looking at it anymore. Some of the 1x trim, which was also soft in this area, broke away when I had initially pulled the Dutchman out.</span><br /><br />The column on the south end of the porch was in much better shape. Probing revealed that the interior post was solid and dry nearly all the way to the bottom. However, the decking itself right under the column was rotted. In fact, the end of the board under the center of the column had broken free where it rotted, and I was able to easily extract it with my hand. The south column also appears to have traveled farther from its original position than the north column.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKl_g-1uQpFxUUdt-qDy4V-gA_PdusYNCIZNSOu0Au6dnyiEjHXREHZ5sutZzHTO4mpqOIaNOAJC8lOhi9ZHSPipLrrPBh3JbWtCM74mbfjz_fqIEGj0tHpAkfGRF4HDQA2pbl2z2TtTk/s1600/10+Spreading+TnG+South.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKl_g-1uQpFxUUdt-qDy4V-gA_PdusYNCIZNSOu0Au6dnyiEjHXREHZ5sutZzHTO4mpqOIaNOAJC8lOhi9ZHSPipLrrPBh3JbWtCM74mbfjz_fqIEGj0tHpAkfGRF4HDQA2pbl2z2TtTk/s320/10+Spreading+TnG+South.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486798111958616658" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The column on the south end of the porch and the compromised tongue-and-groove just under it. Note the exterior trim splitting under the weight.</span></span><br /><br />I subsequently crawled under the porch, and found all the structural members (ledger, joists, posts, etc.) in reasonably good shape. Apparently, the water assault had been borne by everything up above, and no significant damage had yet worked its way down. And I still need to get up to the roof and inspect the sheathing and bearing beam. But at least I've isolated all the lower infrastructure damage for now...<br /><br /><u>And The Moral Of This Story Is....</u><br /><br />Porches and decks serve different functions and have their own sets of problems. But both are susceptible to damage caused by water infiltration. You should inspect your porch or deck to ensure that rain water adequately drains away from structural features, and that ventilating air can likewise flow freely to dry things out. You should also inspect your porch or deck each season for water or insect damage, and speedily correct any problems. And even better yet...hire a licensed professional to do all of this for you.<br /><br />In all fairness, most of the major problems currently facing my house preceded me here. However, some are more serious than others, and in this particular case, I had been somewhat ambivalent about the relative urgency, believing that relegating corrective action to a scheduled event would somehow make everything okay. However, nature often has plans much different from our own, and I was just lucky to catch this one before things got worse.<br /><br />In a follow-on posting, I'll show you the steps I immediately took to temporarily shore the porch up and ensure its safety before undertaking proper repair of the porch infrastructure.<br /><br /><u>Resources and Further Reading</u><br /><br />Ermides, Chris. "The Rot Proof Porch", <a href="http://www.finehomebuilding.com/">Fine Homebuilding Magazine</a> (No. 212), July, 2010. <a href="http://www.taunton.com/">Taunton Press</a>, Newtown, CT.<br /><br />Guertin, Mike. "Is Your Deck Safe? 8 Critical Areas to Inspect Every Season", The Best of <a href="http://www.finehomebuilding.com/">Fine Homebuilding</a>: Decks & Outdoor Projects. Summer, 2010. <a href="http://www.taunton.com/">Taunton Press</a>, Newtown, CT.<br /><br />Lintow, Sean. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3857815839256097793&postID=7845536432573744924">"May is National Deck Safety Month"</a>. The Homeowner's Resource Center, SLS Construction. April 25, 2010.<br /><br />The JLC Guide to Decks and Porches: Best Practice for Outdoor Spaces. <a href="http://www.jlconline.com/">The Journal of Light Construction</a>. <a href="http://www.hanleywood.com/">Hanley Wood, LLC</a>. 2010, Williston, VT:<br /><br /> -- Katwijk, Kim & Linda. "Rot-Resistant Details". pp. 125-129.<br /><br />-- Leeke, John. "Replacing Rotted Wood Columns". pp. 348-350.<br /><br />-- Nicolazzi, Peter & Maureen. "Porch Repair From The Bottom Up". pp. 343-347.<br /><br />-- Smith, Scott. "Site-Built Under-Deck Drainage". pp. 148-154.John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-41022602351050803832010-05-22T08:32:00.001-07:002011-10-04T19:58:41.296-07:00Old Memes Never DieRecently, during some of my readings about life in the American colonies, I stumbled across the long forgotten origins of certain phrases we tend to take for granted in modern times. <del>Four</del> Five in particular struck me as interesting, so I thought I'd share them with you here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"To and f</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ro</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span> -- Possibly handed down from the practice of using a tool called a <span style="font-style: italic;">froe</span> to fashion roof shingles, siding shakes, or flat stock for cutting pegs, from cross-sections of trees called <span style="font-style: italic;">billets</span>. A froe was a long, flat blade with an eye forged at one end, into which a handle was inserted. A mallet drove the blade into the billet and the woodsman's back and forth ("to and fro") rocking of the handle eventually freed a flat section of wood from the round billet. [<span style="font-style: italic;">Source</span>: C. Keith Wilbur, "Home Building and Woodworking in Colonial America", <a href="http://www.globepequot.com/">Globe Pequot Press</a>, Guilford, CT]<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2YBL-Uj5-PCwUiwj9x3liD5Z38qupHoZHPvyiTuy6qTZcVeRz3gsxt0HiIhFzqY7SYlEII171hlHpgD_gCIUqxSgoHdiyaxkDrst9hqn1HMykxCOBmDorC-bIvj2ilB_pIIHpAVAsuY/s1600/Froe.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2YBL-Uj5-PCwUiwj9x3liD5Z38qupHoZHPvyiTuy6qTZcVeRz3gsxt0HiIhFzqY7SYlEII171hlHpgD_gCIUqxSgoHdiyaxkDrst9hqn1HMykxCOBmDorC-bIvj2ilB_pIIHpAVAsuY/s200/Froe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474135280686487858" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Illustration of a froe from Eric Sloan's "Museum of Early American Tools"</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"One Fell Swoop"</span> -- Most likely originated from the practice of clearing fields for planting by felling trees using a method called <span style="font-style: italic;">girdling</span>. Instead of cutting trees down individually, the woodsmen would save time by cutting bands around each of a large number of trees, removing just enough wood to weaken them. The girdled trees formed a pattern called a <span style="font-style: italic;">swoop</span>. A single tree at one end of the swoop was then felled, and if all went right, the remaining trees would topple like dominoes. [<span style="font-style: italic;">Source</span>: This was my own conclusion, after reading the article "The Chopping Bee" in the April 2010 edition of <a href="http://www.ealonline.com/">Early American Life</a> magazine]<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhzmU6jxhOf-159yUZ3wiSlcY8IIU8JUPzhxRM7rjvat7pR9Tv1zRbw8M_XgbMxWmAzSwAlfhPc5VEYVG1ALdSmNsg_NBbHDqDCxZO2eKQKJu89hDP_Ta9iqsu595LEqrTh6esyaq6q8/s1600/FellingAxe.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhzmU6jxhOf-159yUZ3wiSlcY8IIU8JUPzhxRM7rjvat7pR9Tv1zRbw8M_XgbMxWmAzSwAlfhPc5VEYVG1ALdSmNsg_NBbHDqDCxZO2eKQKJu89hDP_Ta9iqsu595LEqrTh6esyaq6q8/s200/FellingAxe.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509451860995771266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Felling axe and silver maple</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Square Peg in a Round Hole"</span> -- Or more precisely, "A square peg in a round hole makes for a poor fit". We often use this expression to refer to an ill-conceived idea or an improbable undertaking. However, it originates from timber frame construction and the use of large wooden pegs (<span style="font-style: italic;">trunnels</span>, or <span style="font-style: italic;">tree nails</span>) to tighten a joint between two large framing timbers via a process known as <span style="font-style: italic;">drawboring</span>.<br /><br />Pegs were generally cut from square stock that was in turn cut from billets using a froe (as previously described). The pegs were then rounded by using a drawknife to cut some number of sides to the peg. For instance, most pegs were made not completely round, but usually octagonal. Finally, a hatchet was used to put a taper on one end of the peg.<br /><br />Were the peg left square, its edges would tend to cut into the opposing surfaces of the interiors of the drawboring holes, and not completely align the holes together. This would result in a joint that was less than optimally tight. [<span style="font-style: italic;">Source</span>: C. Keith Wilbur, "Home Building and Woodworking in Colonial America", <a href="http://www.globepequot.com/">Globe Pequot Press</a>, Guilford, CT]<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnp_GnGyLNZew0EPvqb8ToWwvJIe8yuG-nZGHzL9IwAYMkL_emSuObOaltqz6plXXUGUbNyOSwdmlPzVMa2lMFgNNd8EagSifgCHn3zmVUpgBZJkOWjzdvPdh8h_Wa-yCkjDBlxpEuAlk/s1600/Trunnel.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnp_GnGyLNZew0EPvqb8ToWwvJIe8yuG-nZGHzL9IwAYMkL_emSuObOaltqz6plXXUGUbNyOSwdmlPzVMa2lMFgNNd8EagSifgCHn3zmVUpgBZJkOWjzdvPdh8h_Wa-yCkjDBlxpEuAlk/s200/Trunnel.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474155161953549442" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">My home seems to have an abundance of trunnels of varying degrees of roundness and squareness....</span><br /><br /><br />[Added on August 25, 2010]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Dead as a Doornail</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span> -- Old colonial batten doors were usually assembled by driving nails through the battens and boards and then <span style="font-style: italic;">clinching</span> (or <span style="font-style: italic;">clenching</span>) the nails on the other side of the boards. Clinching refers to bending the exposed portion of the nail shank over and then into the side of the board by striking it with a hammer. This was done to achieve the tightest possible fit, ensuring that the door would never loosen up. Soft, malleable iron nails, sometimes called <span style="font-style: italic;">clinch nails</span>, were used for this purpose.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxsTKz75Dq3niU32X53kunNvOqEUUcdtSHObpCzVrWSrOuEffB9sVIGWU8Pg0p0zvKLpI-Z3nN2JnaKIzltYRS5PlRzRgM3ksVOFOrVHUAPZuqIl119LcB9OVetVzRaQcE7OPXzZgit4/s1600/ClinchNailed.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxsTKz75Dq3niU32X53kunNvOqEUUcdtSHObpCzVrWSrOuEffB9sVIGWU8Pg0p0zvKLpI-Z3nN2JnaKIzltYRS5PlRzRgM3ksVOFOrVHUAPZuqIl119LcB9OVetVzRaQcE7OPXzZgit4/s200/ClinchNailed.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509429903698470466" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;">Old clinch-nailed batten door in the Hawkins house. You can see the clinched nails just below the top of the door, covered by layers of paint.</span><br /><br />Recently, I learned from an article published by <a href="http://www.oldhouseweb.com/">The Old House Web</a> [Mark Clement, "<a href="http://www.oldhouseweb.com/blog/dead-as-a-door-nail/">Dead as a Doornail</a>"] that the term "dead as a doornail" originated from the old practice of recovering nails and other precious hardware from the remains of burned-down buildings. Most nails sifted from the ashes could be re-used, but the door nails were not reusable, having been clinched. Hence, they were "dead" nails.<br /><br />You can read further about the history and interesting properties of old iron square nails in my article "<a href="http://www.buildingmoxie.com/2010/07/john-poole-yes-virginia-they-really-do-still-make-those-old-square-nails/">Yes, Virginia, They Really Do Still Make Those Old Square Nails</a>", in the <a href="http://www.buildingmoxie.com/">Building Moxie</a> daily blog.<br /><br />For an excellent illustration of the process of clinching (and the associated difficulties), see "<a href="http://blog.lostartpress.com/2009/03/22/Clinching+Nails+Sometimes+Teeth.aspx">Clinching Nails (Sometimes Teeth)</a>" by <a href="http://www.lostartpress.com/">Lost Art Press</a>.<br /><br /><br />[Added on October 4, 2011]<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Basement"</span> -- The massive bottom section of an old chimney column, which was situated, of course, in the cellar, was known as a "basement" in its day. Over time, "basement" became a synonym for cellar.<br />[<span style="font-style: italic;">Source:</span> This was a bit of trivia related to us by <a href="http://www.destefanoassociates.com/">Jim DeStefano</a>, during his excellent presentation at the Timber Framers Guild's Traditional Timberframe Research and Advisory Group (TTRAG) Spring Symposium, in early April of 2011.<br /><br /><br /><u>Epilogue</u><br />When the British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins first hypothesized the concept of a <span style="font-style: italic;">meme</span> as the unit of cultural propagation and descent (gene being its biological counterpart), he posited that some memes had better long-term survivability than others.<br /><br />It's interesting how, in the particular case of the examples cited above, some memes survive by acquiring increasingly abstract, yet still accurate, meanings over the course of time and cultural evolution. By largely casting off their original, concrete meanings, these memes have establish a fecundity that ensures their continued use, not only in the present, but possibly even well into the cultural future.<br /><br />So perhaps the moral of this posting ought to be "Old memes never die, they just abstract away..." :-PJohn Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-27320331900754750642010-03-16T20:17:00.000-07:002010-03-16T20:55:36.043-07:00Early Spring ImagesWell, it was still snowing up until about two weeks, but now, early signs of spring are appearing everywhere. The lilies have already begun sending their chlorophyllic solar panels skyward:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tBBbWwbuh2bRmooZdQTsxGpHQKs9NWUleE3hUQgqqJlrC7aXEuNW9Jm8UsYK_sog1OFBQrrGNdm73v-lrnhyvfc9M_RgT1SaT9_Sqh2AF3czpQsrYLYWF8T2TfgXnlSDTLdcpkujrnw/s1600-h/Lily.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8tBBbWwbuh2bRmooZdQTsxGpHQKs9NWUleE3hUQgqqJlrC7aXEuNW9Jm8UsYK_sog1OFBQrrGNdm73v-lrnhyvfc9M_RgT1SaT9_Sqh2AF3czpQsrYLYWF8T2TfgXnlSDTLdcpkujrnw/s320/Lily.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449437826070948850" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As have the multicolored crocuses:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiaVH8ZhCqXJcz77Ik9vtfnMrDnVrHTmPcSTggbmtUmjy_Kj1qdvx2J6q42b1MN5bMfvSYZWFJqneQan9EdJSlcY13YmSLwZMyuX9EQ7RrGPD030xAdnhqYbw1pRIUrtoq62CSNBUswGU/s1600-h/crocus.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiaVH8ZhCqXJcz77Ik9vtfnMrDnVrHTmPcSTggbmtUmjy_Kj1qdvx2J6q42b1MN5bMfvSYZWFJqneQan9EdJSlcY13YmSLwZMyuX9EQ7RrGPD030xAdnhqYbw1pRIUrtoq62CSNBUswGU/s320/crocus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449438169430118898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />On the other hand, my local neighborhood decorating consultant has apparently had a change in taste regarding the sort of window bottles I should be using this year in my home, replacing the sophisticated worldliness of Sutter Home White Zinfandel with the somewhat smokier, earthier appeal of Southern Comfort (see the past article <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/07/miscreants-decorated-my-home.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Miscreants Decorated My Home</span></a>, if you find yourself in the dark on this one):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZ5yeCohWHDbPWHjIb9WfMaVenNk9N2o2e6NRoVWC3D3VPLLT9rwOulROmfrq0ipSB4anGDxmFCJEYroeFRsqedzwxXTs_yHOgiRwpQ9GjGu6Ayyd0nYJyudWO6F5YFq_tQ-uAQQ0m2k/s1600-h/SoComfort.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZ5yeCohWHDbPWHjIb9WfMaVenNk9N2o2e6NRoVWC3D3VPLLT9rwOulROmfrq0ipSB4anGDxmFCJEYroeFRsqedzwxXTs_yHOgiRwpQ9GjGu6Ayyd0nYJyudWO6F5YFq_tQ-uAQQ0m2k/s320/SoComfort.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449438168070115490" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's a shame that these bottles are made of plastic. Otherwise, they actually might've worked out quite well alongside the Sutter Home bottles.<br /><br />Over the course of the past three days, the spring weather turned particularly foul, as an intense Nor'easter bombarded southern New England and the greater New York Metropolitan areas, with huge amounts of rain and winds gusting upwards of about seventy miles an hour. Fortunately, Derby and the rest of the Naugatuck Valley were spared much of the damage that befell many points farther west of us.<br /><br />Today was the first nice day in many days, with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the mid-sixties. I spent the late afternoon at the New Haven Rowing Club, and managed to take this nice photo of the Housatonic River from the boathouse, just as the sun was beginning to sink beneath the trees on the opposite shore:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvFJ5FjiKWSu5ZdapkmgPkpgMBKfyam3UH-vXO4zTlsQEsizGSClMV0UM7bdrjWnCv_kqHHbMf2uUoZ8F2lk2ZnNSxL90x7JG3rqrZcw2FIt6QDqxqocSiUCot__zBrdXmqcuO4TYhKw/s1600-h/Sunset.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvFJ5FjiKWSu5ZdapkmgPkpgMBKfyam3UH-vXO4zTlsQEsizGSClMV0UM7bdrjWnCv_kqHHbMf2uUoZ8F2lk2ZnNSxL90x7JG3rqrZcw2FIt6QDqxqocSiUCot__zBrdXmqcuO4TYhKw/s320/Sunset.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449444064918713458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The water was relatively flat, but moving quite quickly, and with lots of swirling eddies, as they were bleeding water from the Stevenson Dam this afternoon, just about a mile upstream. The next photo shows the view facing toward the downstream end of the dock:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvIf0lrqHJ63eBQiWgYXrlqN6qqk26jHCMzlqU-ZtS9KJnxgv9LiSMhYVNDjgG9U1KAKXhsSpkTONyYsSlHLPx77-yIenNjSGsh5CfabpxTMR80MCOc_euH2QDOV4JSivYaaZ_69FZak/s1600-h/CalmWater.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvIf0lrqHJ63eBQiWgYXrlqN6qqk26jHCMzlqU-ZtS9KJnxgv9LiSMhYVNDjgG9U1KAKXhsSpkTONyYsSlHLPx77-yIenNjSGsh5CfabpxTMR80MCOc_euH2QDOV4JSivYaaZ_69FZak/s320/CalmWater.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449444070075257058" border="0" /></a><br /><br />All in all, not a bad way to end a gorgeous day -- enjoying the last rays of the warm sun, with a coffee in hand.John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-69082696983843956022010-03-03T07:36:00.000-08:002010-03-03T19:27:54.723-08:00February SnowsThey say February is usually the snowiest month. That seems to have proven true this year, both here in southern New England and many other places, as well. Here are just a few random photos of the snow falls from last month.<br /><br /><u>February 16th</u><br /><br />Snow actively falling on Hawkins Street. I like this photo because the flakes were large and very visible. This storm began in the wee hours of the morning and lasted throughout much of the day:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniPvGj4PQViCq3DKrKfmf1B2lk0_OeSiyxZBc_bwtKlkbAHK7Am6jlbWvK_vM0ScbCcbcy-sTmINYYHYLW-QubVSVK3Z5AWbzRbOmmZVB6Kpu8mogrPtkssis8vgTzJfc_V1_s0mVyZw/s1600-h/Front.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiniPvGj4PQViCq3DKrKfmf1B2lk0_OeSiyxZBc_bwtKlkbAHK7Am6jlbWvK_vM0ScbCcbcy-sTmINYYHYLW-QubVSVK3Z5AWbzRbOmmZVB6Kpu8mogrPtkssis8vgTzJfc_V1_s0mVyZw/s320/Front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444433905050771298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The side yard -- snow clinging to my red maple, dogwood, and pine trees:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6csI5ppt75pC3skwPReCWNC-oK5wCYJr8JjsLzIfe4gXuN-Q-Ys4Bevc3gVxvYqLZZXJLRTh-f3DjxFAUwM4BY9INII3PqsSHS3TQ_vBUedxPVkag5nuQpQM9w9ZLwiGcG_LIGO7D1A/s1600-h/SideYard1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6csI5ppt75pC3skwPReCWNC-oK5wCYJr8JjsLzIfe4gXuN-Q-Ys4Bevc3gVxvYqLZZXJLRTh-f3DjxFAUwM4BY9INII3PqsSHS3TQ_vBUedxPVkag5nuQpQM9w9ZLwiGcG_LIGO7D1A/s320/SideYard1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444434282681092674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The usual clearing of the entry porch roof, prior to shoveling the front walk:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H5BzcD5TeVhYHpEaDtRnDX-mSfL94RwBNnz1kkCtBvqpbWUDpKgreM-PSarXQL0SpOwQmvJkRjz5NB9j8K6tFkJ4veE0H9ugBv8yPWIiTStIzjkpgGf56np9aOWNqHHqBMZUiq0j8RM/s1600-h/Porch.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H5BzcD5TeVhYHpEaDtRnDX-mSfL94RwBNnz1kkCtBvqpbWUDpKgreM-PSarXQL0SpOwQmvJkRjz5NB9j8K6tFkJ4veE0H9ugBv8yPWIiTStIzjkpgGf56np9aOWNqHHqBMZUiq0j8RM/s320/Porch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444437172348496226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><u>February 26th</u><br /><br />The predicted Snowmageddon of the decade turned out to be a real snoozer here in the Derby area, although points west of us certainly received quite a bit of snow. Not only did we get far less snow here than predicted, but it was actively melting and lasted only a short time on the ground.<br /><br />Here's a shot of the side yard prior to my cleaning the walk...snow was already disappearing from the various surfaces:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpLOJRnxIm06PQ0gdEsWI5Q77qraVOaO0x1DzLcdyIFD3BHGt1sosNzyHdS7wmpJzgRGb37Z6hJyyA9tqsxG6ndLzTdQAeXTbzg7fua4KoI43ihzOlZ6CvVJbsdaMVhspJbCmycEc6kE/s1600-h/69740258.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpLOJRnxIm06PQ0gdEsWI5Q77qraVOaO0x1DzLcdyIFD3BHGt1sosNzyHdS7wmpJzgRGb37Z6hJyyA9tqsxG6ndLzTdQAeXTbzg7fua4KoI43ihzOlZ6CvVJbsdaMVhspJbCmycEc6kE/s320/69740258.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444438796847255746" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As for blogging, I've been quite busy as of late with a number of pressing matters, and not very focused on writing. There's a backlog of about three or four articles in my head, and I hope to get them written over the course of the next week or so. Please accept my apologies for the recent lack of activity. But spring is coming, and hopefully better times just ahead for every one!John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-29448581488013286892009-12-20T15:12:00.000-08:002009-12-21T21:41:18.109-08:00First Major Snow of 2009-2010We had our first major storm of the winter season last night, dropping about 8-10 inches of snow in Derby, by my own estimation. Here is the storm <a href="http://valley.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/winter_storm_warning/">warning</a> that was posted yesterday by the <a href="http://valley.newhavenindependent.org/">Valley Independent Sentinel</a>, suggesting a potentially serious winter storm.<br /><br />The photo below gives you a general idea of the quantity of snow we received, although much of what you see here is wind-blown accumulation, as this was the lee end of the yard during last night's blustery winds:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOTelNIHu2KtCErL8MuPwuQcsxKnaGik7vyfVTtPojLL2IqRodde7zp3dh6weDTaZoN5XvPtkI-Lb1Xk2pWrbEKTPq04zwa0Avm0U10IjS7MuRdCGkEWXfLvetUlx_jTlyKVZXD7Yg9o/s1600-h/Front.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOTelNIHu2KtCErL8MuPwuQcsxKnaGik7vyfVTtPojLL2IqRodde7zp3dh6weDTaZoN5XvPtkI-Lb1Xk2pWrbEKTPq04zwa0Avm0U10IjS7MuRdCGkEWXfLvetUlx_jTlyKVZXD7Yg9o/s320/Front.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417470148641415890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And there was, of course, considerably less snow in the vicinity of the back entry-way, given the protection of all the trees to the north:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieX2D7_rJ1QaGTgLxVDmYZ2bDsWRYnpni2PotcsW8ZTmpeJ7mWQxnSmIAzP9qHFb7ud50eqAmGHy3IRHJLdwXTVOjOtY-FAeeK__VIsuzotSVowLC1Wm4sHdhkXGSp3UJSaZ5NqBeoveU/s1600-h/Back.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieX2D7_rJ1QaGTgLxVDmYZ2bDsWRYnpni2PotcsW8ZTmpeJ7mWQxnSmIAzP9qHFb7ud50eqAmGHy3IRHJLdwXTVOjOtY-FAeeK__VIsuzotSVowLC1Wm4sHdhkXGSp3UJSaZ5NqBeoveU/s320/Back.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417470158330070994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But the south end of the yard, sitting in the lee of last night's winds, received much deeper accumulations (I know -- this is very boring discourse, isn't it?) :<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafXZaIqqPndQ10lHUfrCsdXwT_YvE_Qt4wp0KHzJMHDsZvM7zPNbxic1-YltpbzO7XdJ40JCPrk65dNvrvFRdeaoRA1EJvgsYJr9-OhwLcaXUtX7_Uw2F_VksmLL4ChV7upCmzZvDld4/s1600-h/Side.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafXZaIqqPndQ10lHUfrCsdXwT_YvE_Qt4wp0KHzJMHDsZvM7zPNbxic1-YltpbzO7XdJ40JCPrk65dNvrvFRdeaoRA1EJvgsYJr9-OhwLcaXUtX7_Uw2F_VksmLL4ChV7upCmzZvDld4/s320/Side.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417470162414301490" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One of the things that always concerns me whenever there's a heavy snow fall is the tendency of my front porch roof to get heavily loaded with snow. It worries me because I don't feel this structure is all that substantial, and fear too heavy a loading might bring about its collapse:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR8b4eIoZtcerMFLFISLCmU_euGaeT6ODf2L0wTjKGJ_R6DbeWN-gRUWquOSGQtbZA7FKO3UE7RvyaPcdf5QpJs_xCfxFcKir_iqtKpbF_n5Fqq380l0Gy-l07Yc5NLNM2t3xqdCyGwo/s1600-h/Porch1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR8b4eIoZtcerMFLFISLCmU_euGaeT6ODf2L0wTjKGJ_R6DbeWN-gRUWquOSGQtbZA7FKO3UE7RvyaPcdf5QpJs_xCfxFcKir_iqtKpbF_n5Fqq380l0Gy-l07Yc5NLNM2t3xqdCyGwo/s320/Porch1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417480367132552962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />[ And note the interesting, wind-carved cornice on the south-side of the porch roof. This cornice never formed in previous winters -- at least, not since I've lived here: ]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbuHbuTtsoxO42jUkX7dTGuM1aqwfizX6WkXGdsHg5tc8kI1l3jcvBHVIChJel7WIDB4PGbRPb8HR9AJcnnc1I3jQVpbuxXmvVh91jgZyWKfrxNoYbqIEAi90kcrwT-Yz1_c_7YeEJdE/s1600-h/Porch2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbuHbuTtsoxO42jUkX7dTGuM1aqwfizX6WkXGdsHg5tc8kI1l3jcvBHVIChJel7WIDB4PGbRPb8HR9AJcnnc1I3jQVpbuxXmvVh91jgZyWKfrxNoYbqIEAi90kcrwT-Yz1_c_7YeEJdE/s320/Porch2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417480369096920770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So, naturally, one of the first things I do is clear the front porch roof following a significant snowfall. Leaning out the landing window and pushing it away with a shop broom is all it takes...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtybccQ-AmykHLtK5svTzWYPbCxP_YkSQD4y1-oJPDFsfitBYXSdiOoRONAPsuyRCxqLc-hk2BKcL-zZeyowzpHBrUcwcvXtpQOawiad6NswQ51I2R4SWBtz71XR2Jivcm5s8bF_WV5E/s1600-h/Slab.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtybccQ-AmykHLtK5svTzWYPbCxP_YkSQD4y1-oJPDFsfitBYXSdiOoRONAPsuyRCxqLc-hk2BKcL-zZeyowzpHBrUcwcvXtpQOawiad6NswQ51I2R4SWBtz71XR2Jivcm5s8bF_WV5E/s320/Slab.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417484724771361330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />... and the porch roof is cleared.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5ADeitu_xVNnHU7r7GL8-kCBOhTN7ZUEXg5earTSaedS_85HzzTUxzneW0jgjIxj8gn7Awb_CJpu3H9Ik27vLt4PUzQz3flz8w5vRV9SQhtlNt_RptPTW4CW6HwpmIE1RRqilfxvae0/s1600-h/SlabGone.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5ADeitu_xVNnHU7r7GL8-kCBOhTN7ZUEXg5earTSaedS_85HzzTUxzneW0jgjIxj8gn7Awb_CJpu3H9Ik27vLt4PUzQz3flz8w5vRV9SQhtlNt_RptPTW4CW6HwpmIE1RRqilfxvae0/s320/SlabGone.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417484727731236786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The City of Derby, for reasons unknown to me, always does an incomplete job clearing the sidewalk on the south side of the Hawkins Street bridge, finishing just short of the west terminus, and turning the cleared path right out on to the street, rather than simply clearing about another forty feet to the beginning of my sidewalk. Any pedestrian heading this way (and there are a lot of them) either has to cross the street while still on the bridge, or walk the remaining distance in the road until they can get back on to the sidewalk:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnwWhzDcDMnhlhSRUJD99BWt6lQ7Ta4vMyBkFjt6fCNcQEhyphenhyphenzqsT3AQfC6vjlrXCWpYbeldX0aXRTOteOizWxCpOIiK0hxLgyiM9u243NC3HhO_59yGaBl8rVtDTznRmWbktRsJdRwFI/s1600-h/Bridge1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnwWhzDcDMnhlhSRUJD99BWt6lQ7Ta4vMyBkFjt6fCNcQEhyphenhyphenzqsT3AQfC6vjlrXCWpYbeldX0aXRTOteOizWxCpOIiK0hxLgyiM9u243NC3HhO_59yGaBl8rVtDTznRmWbktRsJdRwFI/s320/Bridge1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417490951774834082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So guess who invariably takes it upon himself to complete the job for the sake of his Hawkins Street neighbors? Yes, you guessed correctly. The completed path is shown below:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1YxPVt52eWv5oj7s6UgTSrbZFzUAKTXOjZzIfIQBAH4FBalXxASyI9SqOvS0athhmml09hP28nCWWmWgJjNXIfmA7OdOJeWV3VbZt33liu5_OA1otHW0_NEQ7fgZmnDYu86MbWruoAc/s1600-h/Bridge2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1YxPVt52eWv5oj7s6UgTSrbZFzUAKTXOjZzIfIQBAH4FBalXxASyI9SqOvS0athhmml09hP28nCWWmWgJjNXIfmA7OdOJeWV3VbZt33liu5_OA1otHW0_NEQ7fgZmnDYu86MbWruoAc/s320/Bridge2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417490956130095874" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This season, I think I will finally write that letter to Derby's department of public works... :-)John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-1174546167280263232009-09-27T08:33:00.000-07:002010-03-03T15:05:12.092-08:00Vintage Bird's Eye Views of Derby and the Old Hawkins HouseRecently, I discovered two <span style="font-style: italic;">bird's eye view</span> illustrated maps of Derby, one from 1920, the other from 1898. Both are digitally archived by the Library of Congress. And each contains an image of the Hawkins house, situated at its present location, on Hawkins Street.<br /><br />The first map, <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/gmd:@field%28NUMBER+@band%28g3784d+pm000797%29%29"><span style="font-style: italic;">City of Derby, Connecticut</span></a>, was published by Hughes and Bailey in 1920. While its illustrations are not necessarily drawn to scale, this map reveals a remarkable amount of information about the town, its streets, its buildings, and their relationships to one another.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0GTJ1U77MJW-KIFJMXGaq0-I2-S-Fc7vyE18ZoojRNW-W2LOH3NibS59XrJ-UgeLbiwPkbD8naC6NAftWux9UMwio0h9R921CLEymHbd8sLBv_l8t5D5X9bG2fnZyYIAFbn2motOr8k/s1600-h/HughesAndBailey1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0GTJ1U77MJW-KIFJMXGaq0-I2-S-Fc7vyE18ZoojRNW-W2LOH3NibS59XrJ-UgeLbiwPkbD8naC6NAftWux9UMwio0h9R921CLEymHbd8sLBv_l8t5D5X9bG2fnZyYIAFbn2motOr8k/s320/HughesAndBailey1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386173323259794338" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hughes and Bailey's "City of Derby, Connecticut" illustrated map (source: Library of Congress)</span> </span><br /><br />When I zoomed-in on the intersection of Hawkins Street and Seymour Avenue, I found a surprisingly detailed rendering of the Hawkins house. In the expanded illustration below, it is right at dead-center of the image. The house appears to be drawn largely out of scale with regard to most of the neighboring houses and other features, and I can not readily account for why it was drawn in this manner. The fact that the house originally stood on a large, raised foundation might have skewed the artist's perspective, while another possibility is that the artist considered it a significant landmark, and drew it out of scale to emphasize it as such.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NYplCh2RMMqRpG8sEaJF2GWTHg2Ukt23Q1MpPKYG9VM52qfi83LT2T7yLksvsNkmfY-V3otdAFDk09fBBN1BZvNp_Iqv2jF5ndofo6SlI1es4WYqjkbewLuppijQYsHaxOcSV61_n1E/s1600-h/HughesAndBailey2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NYplCh2RMMqRpG8sEaJF2GWTHg2Ukt23Q1MpPKYG9VM52qfi83LT2T7yLksvsNkmfY-V3otdAFDk09fBBN1BZvNp_Iqv2jF5ndofo6SlI1es4WYqjkbewLuppijQYsHaxOcSV61_n1E/s320/HughesAndBailey2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443114854410210882" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Close-up of Hughes and Bailey's "City of Derby, Connecticut" map, showing the vicinity of the intersection of Hawkins Street and Seymour Avenue </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(source: Library of Congress) </span></span><br /><br />Zooming even closer in on the house revealed a number of its most prominent features. The large center chimney is there, and is represented as being slightly offset from the ridge line, toward the back of the house. I know that this had, in fact, been the case, as it's obvious from the roof system in the attic. The raised foundation is also captured in the illustration, as are the three descending windows on the first floor of the south end.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlJtFdem1RIwiymj6u8GDwg8y7m4f9G80NjESIcuzDR92rxbtvYSh78gkAnRUt3SPP-shqihwN1JF1pO0NnhZSY04hJQnlXhugvRj1stLpm10iP-J8xmUNX0il32hs-z13oshgPxEiCw/s1600-h/HughesAndBailey3.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlJtFdem1RIwiymj6u8GDwg8y7m4f9G80NjESIcuzDR92rxbtvYSh78gkAnRUt3SPP-shqihwN1JF1pO0NnhZSY04hJQnlXhugvRj1stLpm10iP-J8xmUNX0il32hs-z13oshgPxEiCw/s320/HughesAndBailey3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443115118116896770" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Zooming further in on Hughes and Bailey's "City of Derby, Connecticut" map reveals an accurately detailed image of the Hawkins house </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(source: Library of Congress) </span></span><br /><br />Finally, the three old homes directly across the street are also shown, with fairly reasonable spatial relationships to my home. The only significant error in this rendering is that the artist appears to have included a third window on the second floor of the south end, whereas in reality, there are only two.<br /><br />The other map, published by Landis and Hughes, and entitled <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/gmd:@field%28NUMBER+@band%28g3784d+pm000809%29%29"><span style="font-style: italic;">Derby & Shelton, East Derby, Conn. 1898</span></a>, is shown below, with a red rectangle delineating the area of the intersection of Hawkins Street and Seymour Avenue.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11SLeEalxPaLNOQEOz6WhTbfMEXLWKiu7kOyj04GCw_RAwbPXvJ_OxYkd17TM7IcEOD2W30Ffmg812NLrrR9NxccfZm-aj3m4L_LN-B-bw4t-K-iAQevKD2Hn5L70B5zqG5FESNzh50w/s1600-h/LandisAndHughes2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11SLeEalxPaLNOQEOz6WhTbfMEXLWKiu7kOyj04GCw_RAwbPXvJ_OxYkd17TM7IcEOD2W30Ffmg812NLrrR9NxccfZm-aj3m4L_LN-B-bw4t-K-iAQevKD2Hn5L70B5zqG5FESNzh50w/s320/LandisAndHughes2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443115891809714306" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Landis and Hughes' "Derby & Shelton, East Derby, Conn. 1898" </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">illustrated map (source: Library of Congress) </span></span><br /><br />Zooming-in on Hawkins Street reveals what appears to be the Hawkins house correctly situated between Tenth and Eleventh Streets, and generally in correct relation to the same three old homes on the opposite side of the street. However, the representations of the buildings themselves are rather boilerplate and lack any significant detail.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LfW93K2lRvgcLCPvI0jQ1NPZWMiT-JJjtyRoDexxNTpxz8nTtTK1aZyuMk7CzXVW9bq2P4bjE76vaSZ27KAfhwdqYrgs_msUfVkvFwOJS-NktY_UKkLXuHzBolm7RdL0iv0IY97w6Ow/s1600-h/LandisAndHughes1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LfW93K2lRvgcLCPvI0jQ1NPZWMiT-JJjtyRoDexxNTpxz8nTtTK1aZyuMk7CzXVW9bq2P4bjE76vaSZ27KAfhwdqYrgs_msUfVkvFwOJS-NktY_UKkLXuHzBolm7RdL0iv0IY97w6Ow/s320/LandisAndHughes1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443116181624336754" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Close-up of Landis and Hughes' "</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Derby & Shelton, East Derby, Conn. 1898</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">" map, showing Hawkins, Tenth, and Eventh Streets</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> (source: Library of Congress)</span></span><br /><br />My discovery of these illustrations -- the Hughes and Bailey map, primarily -- is significant in the sense that it tightens up a loose end in the history of the house; namely, the exact location of the original home site. While it is generally accepted that the house was moved to its current location in the 1950s to avoid the wrecking ball during the construction of Connecticut Route 8, there had always been some uncertainty as to where the house actually came from.<br /><br />Although it had always ostensibly been associated with Hawkins Street (Samuel Orcutt's <span style="font-style: italic;">History of The Olde Town of Derby</span>, for example, often states this to be the case), several nineteenth century cartographers failed to accurately record the location of the house on scaled maps. And, perhaps as a result of this, more recent architectural surveys of Derby missed the house entirely. This situation is, in fact, described in a Derby Historical Society <a href="http://derbyhistorical.org/PDFs/derby%20historical%20society%20newsletter%202007%2009.pdf">article</a> published just a few years ago. However, the Hughes and Bailey map strongly suggests that the present-day Hawkins Street location is also the original seventeenth century home site.<br /><br />Right after discovering this, I thought: If this is the original site, then what traces of the old foundation might yet remain? And it suddenly struck me that I'd been staring at the old foundation all along, in the outline of the somewhat odd, modern concrete pavement currently surrounding the south-end and back of the house. It just never had occurred to me before that moment.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_3mE7XpYRUODy0JR_GUycDwbi7AlYyluKhIcyI7eqTbqQKaRT9IsksUFFdJivAmIHKl9zi04SS-uvpWHdMgFiPOfn1OaE9W8tYkjGOrhZBVeDPzSOSM1zmfR3A18cQYo7DRYOHN-GFY/s1600-h/OldHawkinsHouse.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_3mE7XpYRUODy0JR_GUycDwbi7AlYyluKhIcyI7eqTbqQKaRT9IsksUFFdJivAmIHKl9zi04SS-uvpWHdMgFiPOfn1OaE9W8tYkjGOrhZBVeDPzSOSM1zmfR3A18cQYo7DRYOHN-GFY/s200/OldHawkinsHouse.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399646037342602866" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifFwi39CYl-TMZ8aNOfkgWBSw9WZELzixKSeAEk3_3z0dFi-AgFaNXEWnp0-LFgV2wsTcBRN847OurzOaeITwN_GZ54Ab7cPmG9VyfUjVwlHv2AaOdvqPevmE2TTNFgvd6JuBOjuAKnU/s1600-h/Foundation1.JPG"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifFwi39CYl-TMZ8aNOfkgWBSw9WZELzixKSeAEk3_3z0dFi-AgFaNXEWnp0-LFgV2wsTcBRN847OurzOaeITwN_GZ54Ab7cPmG9VyfUjVwlHv2AaOdvqPevmE2TTNFgvd6JuBOjuAKnU/s200/Foundation1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399648288931486754" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Above left:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> The ca. 1939 photo of the Hawkins house, with raised foundation extending out beyond the back of the house, a stone staircase, and an overhead awning where the mudroom is now located. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Above right:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> The modern stonework surrounding the south end and back of the house appears to conform exactly to the outline of the previous raised foundation. </span></span><br /><br />As you can see from the two photos shown above, the modern stonework aligns perfectly with the grade-level footprint of the old raised foundation. And the peculiar "landing from nowhere" abutting the concrete slab in the photo on the right almost certainly appears to have been the base of the old stone staircase shown in the 1939 photo on the left. My guess is that these modern concrete slabs are actually capping a large number of old dry-laid stones that had comprised the lowest-level courses of the original foundation.<br /><br />So, my conclusion is that the Hawkins house had been <span style="font-style: italic;">re-situated</span> at its original site when it was moved in the 1950s. Not only is this conclusion supported by physical evidence, but it is also consistent with claims by contemporary Gaynor-Farrell family descendants that my home had, in fact, been moved twice during the 1940s-1950s, with the first move relocating it to a point on Hawkins Street that today is somewhere within the vicinity of the east abutment of the Hawkins Street bridge. While the exact reason for moving the house to that particular location is not well-remembered, the location itself is still strongly upheld as such by the Gaynor-Farrell family.<br /><br />Clearly, the second move of the 1950s simply returned the house to the location from whence it originally came, albeit to a modern foundation of concrete blocks constructed within the confines of what had been the old foundation, with most of the original, dry-laid stones having long been removed and taken away.<br /><br />For a related article, see <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2007/07/illustration-of-hawkins-house-from.html">The Old Hawkins</a><a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2007/07/illustration-of-hawkins-house-from.html"> House</a>.<br /><br /><u>Postscript</u><br />Since publishing this article, I've discovered yet another illustrated map of Derby, entitled <a href="http://maps.bpl.org/details_10402/?mtid=498"><span style="font-style: italic;">Birmingham, Conn. 1876</span></a>. The particular rendering of this map that I initially came across is printed on p. 6 of the <a href="http://derbyhistorical.org/">Derby Historical Society's</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Images of America: Derby</span> (<a href="http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/">Arcadia Publishing</a>, 1999), and carries the label "Wilkinson Brothers & Co., Derby Paper Mills."<br /><br />However, Randy Ritter, of the Derby Historical Society, informed me that the map had been created by O. H. Bailey, and that an <a href="http://maps.bpl.org/details_10402/?mtid=498">online copy</a> is maintained by the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center of the Boston Public Library. The 1876 map is shown below (and many thanks to Randy for the link).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigem3HtRKL7l_PItbayZQUIYfxxs87iqyTFHx6pgBY3PA3gcXzwkKxEuVlSYb7Px8IMc0tNggBQhmHuBmEvc5iPzAaEx8Asl5yXEoGq1hWYpj2ZDD36UMYzUsXSLYILj4bBe7UudUr9bA/s1600-h/O.+H.+Bailey+Birmingham+CT.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigem3HtRKL7l_PItbayZQUIYfxxs87iqyTFHx6pgBY3PA3gcXzwkKxEuVlSYb7Px8IMc0tNggBQhmHuBmEvc5iPzAaEx8Asl5yXEoGq1hWYpj2ZDD36UMYzUsXSLYILj4bBe7UudUr9bA/s320/O.+H.+Bailey+Birmingham+CT.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443116773835772210" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bailey's "Birmingham, Conn. 1876" illustrated map, with a red rectangle pin-pointing the location of the Hawkins house and surrounding homes </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(source: Boston Public Library) </span></span><br /><br />Zooming-in on the vicinity of Hawkins Street reveals the Hawkins house and the various surrounding homes and structures. It's interesting to note that the large colonial house with double-ended chimneys that today sits directly across the street from the Hawkins house had not yet been built in 1876. This house is, however, represented in both the 1898 and 1920 maps.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh07_G9vHBCJ-WSjFejKyDKRecgq4weoioSusDG69vTl3nDCmlTbjWBVTfCV2i2nyQZ_s5cr6gbt3tZ2D6EQNmjmy6rpuMxHTUNz11akFxehgy5VpSY4zeOfR989m9HZvZ7r4p-fpmuw/s1600-h/O.+H.+Bailey+Birmingham+CT+Zoom.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh07_G9vHBCJ-WSjFejKyDKRecgq4weoioSusDG69vTl3nDCmlTbjWBVTfCV2i2nyQZ_s5cr6gbt3tZ2D6EQNmjmy6rpuMxHTUNz11akFxehgy5VpSY4zeOfR989m9HZvZ7r4p-fpmuw/s320/O.+H.+Bailey+Birmingham+CT+Zoom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443116769445014850" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Close-up of Bailey's "Birmingham, Conn. 1876" map, showing the Hawkins house and adjacent homes </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(source: Boston Public Library) </span></span><br /><br />Another interesting aspect of the 1876 map is that it illustrates the gentle dip of land that once existed just behind the Hawkins house. Today, Connecticut Route 8 cuts through this area, just where the dip begins to drop more steeply (as shown in the old illustration), as a considerable amount of the original land behind the Hawkins house had been excavated away.<br /><br />According to my neighbor Gary Farrell, his uncle, Len Gaynor, had had a herd of cows grazing on this land, as recently as the early 1950s. An old cow shed and stone wall still exist behind Gary's house, the only surviving remnants of those earlier times.John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-10775035991672998822009-09-18T19:42:00.000-07:002010-03-09T22:50:46.130-08:00Hewing a Roubo Workbench SlabSome of you may recall that earlier in the spring, I began working in earnest (well, sort of) on a green-wood carpentry project to construct a <a href="http://www.technoprimitives.com/my_roubo_work_bench">Roubo-style joiner's bench</a> from several large sections of a very old silver maple on my property that I needed to take down the previous year. This had become something of a background project that I'd regularly put aside for stretches at a time to honor more pressing commitments, and then return to whenever I found a spare hour or two.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-O_dsFCoTnN54_pet9JYBOhGYaREYkprX-GVYep7Mm7omzLLnjlIeotECUJwywp38CJoYERJ0h3WYnIRRJv8Uwi5Q44O7OgI3hPGD9HdubezMXfIRq4-w9KMO5qYLYtfOj6GmF3L83HM/s1600-h/Roubo2.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-O_dsFCoTnN54_pet9JYBOhGYaREYkprX-GVYep7Mm7omzLLnjlIeotECUJwywp38CJoYERJ0h3WYnIRRJv8Uwi5Q44O7OgI3hPGD9HdubezMXfIRq4-w9KMO5qYLYtfOj6GmF3L83HM/s320/Roubo2.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397040743682264866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Jacques Andre Roubo's bench, from Plate 11 of L'Art du Menuisier (ca. 1769)</span><br /></span><br />This past week, I declared success in removing bulk wood from the large maple log that eventually will yield a slab for the bench top. A hefty <span style="font-style: italic;">cant</span> (although I actually rather enjoy calling it a <span style="font-style: italic;">proto-slab</span>) had finally emerged from the log:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCUfj0VuJXeQqIHGetRuaD2lP6Y4oMsWZWgrfFuG60uXaJtdRbA1KNwMXcGWNpE1KDXVofDkEYGvzMHvbXK5v8dZ6sBytdn-6auhsFffBpD6tnc4sVmSZoxkhbT0KMVqNV8uhC4rbW3E/s1600-h/Slab1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCUfj0VuJXeQqIHGetRuaD2lP6Y4oMsWZWgrfFuG60uXaJtdRbA1KNwMXcGWNpE1KDXVofDkEYGvzMHvbXK5v8dZ6sBytdn-6auhsFffBpD6tnc4sVmSZoxkhbT0KMVqNV8uhC4rbW3E/s320/Slab1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383008107254738834" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So, on a brisk, but very sunny, early-fall afternoon, I began hewing (or, shaping) the cant:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15Z9L8JqiA4y1aFdYsu8xLBhgoFd082sFH_62bENX0f8AENoQfSY14Fl2qO5_N9RUBpUUUkG_ihWlo59qK7IeeVzbe38sxzqYiuxm7SbOZP2aikIQ0-e84moH4Zl_B07riA4X4-Xjf2A/s1600-h/Hewing1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15Z9L8JqiA4y1aFdYsu8xLBhgoFd082sFH_62bENX0f8AENoQfSY14Fl2qO5_N9RUBpUUUkG_ihWlo59qK7IeeVzbe38sxzqYiuxm7SbOZP2aikIQ0-e84moH4Zl_B07riA4X4-Xjf2A/s320/Hewing1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383743710699455234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For any one unfamiliar with the techniques and tools being described, the earlier process of bulk wood removal (<a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/03/timbering-part-iv-scoring.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">scoring</span></a>) was accomplished using a traditional felling axe to essentially slice away sections of wood within the boundaries of <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/03/timbering-part-iii-drawing-layout-lines.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">scoring lines</span></a> drawn on the log. Scoring lines basically define the intended shape of the timber.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hewing</span>, on the other hand, also involves wood removal, but is more focused on defining and squaring-up the actual sides of the timber. This is accomplished primarily with a <span style="font-style: italic;">broad axe</span>, which, compared to the felling axe, has a wider cutting edge, a much shorter handle, and is considerably heavy for its relatively small size. A broad axe is used, in general, to shape wood.<br /><br />The photo below shows a face of the cant up-close. The face is oriented vertically, using an adjustable <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/03/cradle-design-and-operation-in-detail.html">cradle</a> that I had built specifically for this purpose. You can easily differentiate the hewed area on the left from the scored area on the right:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dIuc8o_KuddtArNYc5Xq7PWE7rVf1u-8vBsPfL3YbWut_xBu_tF08X_M1JnF8Nb4jZSQV4hnT5hheBYuZSc-_XOY-h0riB8e-dCVjuAWOvPhz2kRaF6S8eyhDDR9vmpU59i2ZpI6aRs/s1600-h/Hewing2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dIuc8o_KuddtArNYc5Xq7PWE7rVf1u-8vBsPfL3YbWut_xBu_tF08X_M1JnF8Nb4jZSQV4hnT5hheBYuZSc-_XOY-h0riB8e-dCVjuAWOvPhz2kRaF6S8eyhDDR9vmpU59i2ZpI6aRs/s320/Hewing2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383022508212469362" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One strikes the broad axe about thirty degrees to the direction of the wood grain (not necessarily as shown in the photo above), using a series of short, well-controlled strokes. The cutting edge must be kept extremely sharp to avoid tearing the wood, as well as to minimize the number of strokes required to do the job. Since the axe head is quite heavy, you don't need to force the stroke that much; rather, just initiate the stroke and allow the weight of the head to do most of the work.<br /><br />You do need, however, to use quite a bit of muscular effort to carefully control the placement and angle of the blade. So it can be rather tiring work. During the initial hewing, we're mainly concerned with clearing out the roughly scored wood and leaving just a reasonably clean surface. On subsequent iterations, we'll attempt to smooth and flatten the surface as much as possible, periodically checking it with a level or plumb-bob.<br /><br />Of course, the ultimate goal is to shape the cant into a relatively flat and squared slab of wood suitable for fashioning into a precise bench top. This means that one face (the top of the slab) must be as planar as possible. The other face (the bottom) need not be that perfect, but it should still be reasonably clear. And at least one of the two lateral edges must be completely planar and at a right angle to the top so as to accommodate stock being edge-planed. So these are the requirements for true-ness that the hewing process ultimately needs to support (not to mention the countless hours of planing that will ultimately follow hewing).<br /><br />In an effort to make this work as precise as possible, I cut a <span style="font-style: italic;">reference edge</span> along one of the scoring lines at one end of the cant, and pared it down to a smooth, straight surface:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgh2ExhF9_tSGF7XObaKzQdhFQpZn7GMYCVBpejsi35GrxVx_AxSSnO1aME7nuReqmcPRaz1gAr66XQ9jtD7HsyXCYmyrw1Gvs29zBcDTwJavDHJaJZAYDBhp5Tk2TD2dql86ISwgCOE/s1600-h/ReferenceEdge1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgh2ExhF9_tSGF7XObaKzQdhFQpZn7GMYCVBpejsi35GrxVx_AxSSnO1aME7nuReqmcPRaz1gAr66XQ9jtD7HsyXCYmyrw1Gvs29zBcDTwJavDHJaJZAYDBhp5Tk2TD2dql86ISwgCOE/s320/ReferenceEdge1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383018261880788530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The reference edge provides a good, solid place to position a level or plumb-bob to ensure that the cant is always in the same orientation every time I return to hewing it. It's simply easier to hold the level against a squared piece of wood than attempt to align it with a drawn scoring line. Periodically, while hewing the faces, I'll check this reference edge to make sure its completely vertical, just in case the cant shifted slightly while being worked. I'll also check the area of the face I'm currently working with a plumb-bob to ensure that it's heading in the direction of relative planarity, with a parallel orientation to the reference edge.<br /><br />If I happen to flip the cant over onto one of its faces, I'll likewise make sure that the same reference edge is completely horizontal as the cant lays in its cradle, adjusting or shimming the cant as necessary. I might then attempt, for example, to hew either of the edges into a vertical planar surface, or perhaps adze the exposed face to remove more material using a different group of muscles. As hewing progresses, I would expect to occasionally establish other reference edges at various locations on the cant, as well.<br /><br />The photo below shows the reference edge. I used a small carpenter's hatchet to finish the edge to a straight line:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqrV2rlWCoFSTgzRPo9G6FWXBjyvRPbdkgeXu8PiMxQb3iqeYqjzWsJVdnodkiS0QJ_3c_2tvAQXTKKto4ZZysI1dEs7H4Ls3VEDQrZVZFH2MTcIwUvFSZ_fZcNoCSF-0yhvdi_A1jOZw/s1600-h/ReferenceEdge2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqrV2rlWCoFSTgzRPo9G6FWXBjyvRPbdkgeXu8PiMxQb3iqeYqjzWsJVdnodkiS0QJ_3c_2tvAQXTKKto4ZZysI1dEs7H4Ls3VEDQrZVZFH2MTcIwUvFSZ_fZcNoCSF-0yhvdi_A1jOZw/s320/ReferenceEdge2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383016406822337666" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This next photo shows the hewed surface of the stem where the reference edge was cut. When you take great care to use the broad axe precisely, you can get a surface that is nearly as smooth as what could be accomplished with a hand plane. Although the photo might not do an ideal job revealing it, this is the case right in center area of the upper stem, where a rough oval of spalt can be seen. Note also the beautiful bands of colors (including the silver-blue) running through the surface of the wood. This will eventually make for a beautiful bench top when finally finished:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5HVuFPZRAPvixGHv_ruytelopzb_CMBACl1iR9iMkXy_itaPQx_YDBSDw_u0IBPSwBeydkBVxK1iTvUoPq4SGz5SMpmyRX07PWwSXUdcRn-DvAQym0MOw8_sf7YUcT5dZaeAcGFk9og/s1600-h/Patterns.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5HVuFPZRAPvixGHv_ruytelopzb_CMBACl1iR9iMkXy_itaPQx_YDBSDw_u0IBPSwBeydkBVxK1iTvUoPq4SGz5SMpmyRX07PWwSXUdcRn-DvAQym0MOw8_sf7YUcT5dZaeAcGFk9og/s320/Patterns.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383013862167008546" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yet another view of the cant is shown below. The face of the cant shown here (and in the preceding photo, as well) is destined to be the bench top, and the bottom edge (the edge the cant is currently resting on in its cradle) will be the front edge of the bench. This particular face was selected as the bench top mainly because the bottom edge exhibits far less sweep (or end-to-end curvature) than the top edge, and will be that much easier to straighten:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ur4yBa-mqckjDvJ4RIA7bGLQz43mKMxsMdtexVfv_sBwVKGbLVME_mp1eBy2Mxms87y1YE2tixKyco5viCltCiHaj_JQCvZc_pqiIaEIAdjeMiFSJ5Xhxhfb3-xLwaoO-biM82LdSiM/s1600-h/Slab2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ur4yBa-mqckjDvJ4RIA7bGLQz43mKMxsMdtexVfv_sBwVKGbLVME_mp1eBy2Mxms87y1YE2tixKyco5viCltCiHaj_JQCvZc_pqiIaEIAdjeMiFSJ5Xhxhfb3-xLwaoO-biM82LdSiM/s320/Slab2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383005384318416002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And since this edge will face the woodworker, it must be shaped so as to form a vertically planar clamping surface with the bench legs on that side. I also intend to fashion the smaller branching stem into a <span style="font-style: italic;">crochet</span> for holding the far end of stock secured to the bench-front for edge planing. That should make for a very functional and also aesthetically pleasing feature of the bench.<br /><br />The bifurcated area of the cant, where the two stems of the living tree had split-off from the main trunk into a Y-shape, was perhaps my single biggest motivation for using this particular log for the slab. In addition to providing a base for an integral crochet, I am anticipating that its additional mass will add to the overall heft and stability of the bench. And from a purely aesthetic perspective, the wood in such areas of trees often yields myriad unusual coloration and grain patterns, lending itself quite well to the creation of a unique piece of furniture.<br /><br />So, it is for all of these reasons that I am constructing a bench top from a whole section of a silver maple, rather than assembling one from pre-fabricated slabs or milled lumber. Not to mention the fact that the tree had been in my yard for many years; hence, using it in this manner also provides quite a bit of meaning and relevance.John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-60146996609463924372009-09-08T19:49:00.000-07:002009-09-09T10:28:57.507-07:00Tobacco Cloth Curtains and Other DevelopmentsSome primitive-style window coverings I had ordered arrived this morning at the house. These consisted of several <span style="font-style: italic;">tobacco cloth</span> tie-up panels, and a pair of double-draw festoons. I purchased them from <a href="http://www.farmhouse-primitives.com/">Farmhouse Primitives</a>, and was very pleased with their customer care ethic, as they made an extra effort to ship them to me as quickly as possible. Since these coverings are only made on-demand, the orders naturally take a little extra time to fulfill.<br /><br />The use of tobacco cloth as a window covering is something that has long intrigued me. Being a descendant of Georgia turpentiners and tobacco planters, I harbor something of a misplaced romanticism for the <span style="font-style: italic;">nicotiana tabacum</span>, despite the long history of evils associated with its cultivation and use -- slavery and cancer, of course, topping that list.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPf_0UWO8qB3rgd0S_7vyRsosvr1JItKzFkwvul-9RAvU1FluaVQRwCYr7PAwKxHTgfwz_qk8LMagmimclr9bC7WA15EU7WnGnA9chZ9VAO0uyXDtVxNipJcUv0cq8cLnWinzgpQOjxO9p/s1600-h/Tobacco1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPf_0UWO8qB3rgd0S_7vyRsosvr1JItKzFkwvul-9RAvU1FluaVQRwCYr7PAwKxHTgfwz_qk8LMagmimclr9bC7WA15EU7WnGnA9chZ9VAO0uyXDtVxNipJcUv0cq8cLnWinzgpQOjxO9p/s320/Tobacco1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379304283013101874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Newly arrived tobacco cloth tie-ups adorning two front windows of the hall chamber. This room is currently empty due to my removing wall board and inspecting this section of the house frame.</span></span><br /><br />Furthermore, my house had once been part of a large colonial plantation whose main product was tobacco. In the later half of the seventeenth century, tobacco was the big craze consuming Europe, beginning with the Portuguese, then the French, and finally the English. Many planters in the American colonies profited handsomely from growing tobacco and exporting it back to England. This was not only the case in the southern colonies, but here in New England, as well.<br /><br />In fact, nearby Hartford, Connecticut, to this very day, has a reputation for being the shade tobacco capital of the world. As you're driving into Hartford on I-91, you'll see shade tobacco farms with large coverings of tobacco cloth stretched over the crops to protect them from sunlight. This had traditionally been the main use for tobacco cloth, although it was also used extensively for packing tobacco for shipment. It's various domestic uses in earlier times -- as a cheese cloth, for brewing tea, as window treatments, etc. -- are also well known. It's conceivable that centuries ago, tobacco cloth might have been used in the Hawkins House for these same purposes. Hence, it can be put to good use as a period artifact in my home.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnmjLG2Djl3CGKGSpf0qWOD6UeWxfiW0QekWxyXk2S_LcUIuIYxty3a_k6YpepeUhEOn0zHNmDD11y_Npeb0H4EFJdIG1ujtr38YJBVSMiiySkLbv4iChut7ES5gPwXq9sD6UZxaLF-ap/s1600-h/Tobacco2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnmjLG2Djl3CGKGSpf0qWOD6UeWxfiW0QekWxyXk2S_LcUIuIYxty3a_k6YpepeUhEOn0zHNmDD11y_Npeb0H4EFJdIG1ujtr38YJBVSMiiySkLbv4iChut7ES5gPwXq9sD6UZxaLF-ap/s320/Tobacco2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379302528176269890" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Another view of the new tie-ups in the front windows. As the windows are somewhat small, the tie-ups look a bit large, but c'est la vie. I generally prefer coverings that hang close to the floor, anyway, and according to the weaver's instructions, they'll shrink a bit when washed in cold water.</span></span><br /><br />Anyway, after unpacking my new window coverings, I wanted to try them out immediately. I am still not totally sure where they will ultimately go, but the hall is a definite possibility. The parlor is another. Since I was working upstairs anyway, I decided to place them in the hall windows. Some of you may recall a <a href="http://josephhawkins.blogspot.com/2009/01/wintertime-window-treatments.html">post</a> from last winter, where I found that heavier linen drawback festoons -- by the same textile manufacturer as the tobacco cloth coverings, by the way -- made a good winter time covering for these windows, as they provided a decent block between the cold column of air hovering about the windows and the rest of the warm air circulating through the room.<br /><br />However, as nice as the heavier linen festoons are, they simply carry too much material and some how just don't seem to fit the house well in the summer months. It looks like these tobacco tie-ups, on the other hand, are a perfect substitute: They are light and airy, and still have a primitive style to them that suits the house quite well. So I am definitely going to be utilizing these tie-ups and similar lighter coverings in the warmer months.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsgeQSd2Nu13PemYl8259Asdju5qavMmsXK2z1goke8vZOnMd93vRLxCDsqgLorvx6EBf9V3iAnwOmTaEL-u_0e7jrv_GDl6GxX5XOA1eYhyphenhyphen_Uo1RC86kbCw-d6XVwaUF0_x9TXL3ye_4/s1600-h/Tobacco3.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsgeQSd2Nu13PemYl8259Asdju5qavMmsXK2z1goke8vZOnMd93vRLxCDsqgLorvx6EBf9V3iAnwOmTaEL-u_0e7jrv_GDl6GxX5XOA1eYhyphenhyphen_Uo1RC86kbCw-d6XVwaUF0_x9TXL3ye_4/s320/Tobacco3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379298861063110226" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The third tie-up on the larger 12/8 window on the end wall of the room. Unfortunately, there was a lot of sun light coming in, so the photo is a little washed out.</span></span><br /><br />I also ordered a pair of left- and right-sided double-draw festoons, which are heavier than the tobacco cloth, but still a bit thinner than the heavy single-draw linen festoons. According to Farmhouse Primitives, these coverings are based on an early 1800s design. I liked these very much as well. They are probably going to end up in the dining room, where I am currently considering introducing a lot of red fabrics (runners, table squares, etc.), anyway.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTFmcV6HU2CLjNCtPMytoUKbXivImoJ3V-uUFJVLuFt01gOoknEHXWe0Gh4JjJbGFbIp2WTYWPRPJUEdjL2CEciD2A7a0wWGCBR83IfCiK0PBIPXSUbww8YJcmfYgTH4Wt1x-U_uswREX/s1600-h/DoubleLeftPull.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTFmcV6HU2CLjNCtPMytoUKbXivImoJ3V-uUFJVLuFt01gOoknEHXWe0Gh4JjJbGFbIp2WTYWPRPJUEdjL2CEciD2A7a0wWGCBR83IfCiK0PBIPXSUbww8YJcmfYgTH4Wt1x-U_uswREX/s320/DoubleLeftPull.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379297514366627682" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">One the double-draw festoons in the same window. Again, the large quantity of sunlight unfortunately backlights the festoon and reveals its draw-pull mechanism. But the downstairs windows are darker, so these should work just fine downstairs.</span></span><br /><br />On another note, you may have noticed that these are some of the first interior photos of the house showing exposed timbers in one of the main rooms. The reason why is because I have finally initiated a systematic, detailed inspection of the entire house frame, something I had planned to do for a long time, but given the effort involved, had habitually postponed.<br /><br />However, my recent discovery of termite damage in one of the front posts motivated me to re-prioritize and begin this lengthy inspection and assessment now, rather than putting it off any further. I anticipate this process lasting throughout the fall and well into the winter months, but it will also provide a lot of good fodder for further blogging. So expect many more postings on this topic as this effort builds momentum!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNtI4hk1vr9umzlnxcTLGPtOSlb6CTKm6BWR9SN5o2bVp-nNvD95hZJjKUoBrYlVA6Y7wG9mImjggkuAnk8GhssVtIee21i-Ixs5sQ6yFzv8pQ7uLEz74bCI2AvPB8hk1xVWoW7TmIaFL/s1600-h/Tools.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNtI4hk1vr9umzlnxcTLGPtOSlb6CTKm6BWR9SN5o2bVp-nNvD95hZJjKUoBrYlVA6Y7wG9mImjggkuAnk8GhssVtIee21i-Ixs5sQ6yFzv8pQ7uLEz74bCI2AvPB8hk1xVWoW7TmIaFL/s320/Tools.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379296516809684754" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wherever I am, my tools are never far away. Here, I was using the level essentially as a large straight-edge with an attached protractor to measure how close my posts are to being plumb. The interior post in the background leans a whopping 5 degrees toward the south end of the house, while the partition wall itself leans several degrees in the other direction (need I be concerned...???)</span></span>John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857815839256097793.post-26151503950024959322009-08-29T08:30:00.000-07:002010-05-26T14:56:39.792-07:00Reel Mower MadnessWe're very green here at the Hawkins house. Partly because I've always been something of an environmentalist, and perhaps also in part because of the centuries-old spirit of self-sufficiency and parsimony that seems to still hover about the place. Face it. In colonial America, people had no choice but to do things in what might be called "green" or "sustainable" ways, simply because there <span style="font-style: italic;">were</span> no other ways back then.<br /><br />So this past spring, in accord with those sentiments, I ordered a reel mower from <a href="http://www.leevalley.com/">Lee Valley Tools</a>. A reel mower is essentially the modern, light-weight, high-tech equivalent of those clunky old cast-iron, hand-powered mowers that you might have had the pleasure of using many decades ago.<br /><br />I have to admit I had my doubts about how effective even a modern version of a hand-powered mower could be. But even if it enabled me to simply reduce, if not eliminate, my use of a gas-powered mower through out the course of the summer, I felt that would be a positive thing. I don't know about you, but I can't stand a pleasant summer evening being ripped to shreds by the sound of a gas mower, no more than I can stand the sound of snow blowers on what should be a peaceful winter's morning.<br /><br />The mower arrived packed in a cardboard box that was disarmingly small in size:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXA9ihSSR7PWMsUl5Qzkzurmf65aEViE_bzD2zjmbRS3Clk6jsIrpKOgtwXVeIzLL7GEJBcLiDeoxS_Sh1RwPi9VE7k8PORZyp19WX7bUQwBirs2Sjz28SrvrOH4QJ9AOlEjCixAyt5Wb/s1600-h/DSC01097.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXA9ihSSR7PWMsUl5Qzkzurmf65aEViE_bzD2zjmbRS3Clk6jsIrpKOgtwXVeIzLL7GEJBcLiDeoxS_Sh1RwPi9VE7k8PORZyp19WX7bUQwBirs2Sjz28SrvrOH4QJ9AOlEjCixAyt5Wb/s320/DSC01097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359088638165878050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I brought the box into the mud room, and opened it. The mower also came with a grass catcher that hangs off the back of the mower and handle, but its capacity seemed so small that I never even bothered attaching it. (Though I subsequently found it useful for catching trimmings when the grass isn't very high):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSOSG4HEqpD8oZxoKES5PdTt-sFD8HtCiHjXtydbYNup1kdu162d3C54Oq-bS678n58Xyqeoiutlk9OCtbh8YZXxcn5_Y1sC7g8bxFCS0sljs78GEgPf2UVqG8x0Y5Jw37WnZxomUPfPt/s1600-h/DSC01098.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSOSG4HEqpD8oZxoKES5PdTt-sFD8HtCiHjXtydbYNup1kdu162d3C54Oq-bS678n58Xyqeoiutlk9OCtbh8YZXxcn5_Y1sC7g8bxFCS0sljs78GEgPf2UVqG8x0Y5Jw37WnZxomUPfPt/s320/DSC01098.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359088631869532146" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The reel mower and all its parts, organized on the mud room floor:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZOwMe-nUz8CL6mK1GG3UoKPfWdFY8BOKmXzT7UuNAVTGVH0S4f4Wo2wC3SALTN3KdZCehdpscCCCwGmkVFkN3rIR2A7JdamilCOZRbRs9W-jVdOv_xS7_XnGaj4nCeDIW6Py0-Y6eZ0e/s1600-h/DSC01100.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZOwMe-nUz8CL6mK1GG3UoKPfWdFY8BOKmXzT7UuNAVTGVH0S4f4Wo2wC3SALTN3KdZCehdpscCCCwGmkVFkN3rIR2A7JdamilCOZRbRs9W-jVdOv_xS7_XnGaj4nCeDIW6Py0-Y6eZ0e/s320/DSC01100.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359088626603224978" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Assembly was no big deal. The only tools I used were my knife (just to open the packaging) and a spinner with a 7/16" socket. A total of four machine bolts needed to be inserted and nuts tightened, and two clip rings put in place by hand. That was all:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIQei0gFK18BOwaiDutsw2uvI0FOYSjZDpESKadW8s5OvcinZN9DbSG5Mye7bmE9NlA14RKuV1Ul7BCiccT8xxFUgP0JSHHeUgJZuPiHqJo8PTv7Z1Ffv833bZPPiWkq2M-Np1tbV3GCA/s1600-h/DSC01106.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIQei0gFK18BOwaiDutsw2uvI0FOYSjZDpESKadW8s5OvcinZN9DbSG5Mye7bmE9NlA14RKuV1Ul7BCiccT8xxFUgP0JSHHeUgJZuPiHqJo8PTv7Z1Ffv833bZPPiWkq2M-Np1tbV3GCA/s320/DSC01106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359088624151534114" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The mower is extremely light - you can easily pick it up by the handle and carry it outside. When not actually cutting grass, the mower can be pulled backwards without the blades being turned. I found that, with a little bit of practice, you can also easily pull the mower around the lawn by flipping it completely over onto its small wheels. That helps to keep the blades out of the way when transporting the mower over hilly terrain:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pZcUZCP3ugkdDG2TMz0tHjbMCI97591bmMj2zII3BhUB1nXhG_LsGLOou4B6_jV6RABDPXhAz5k6n9iaPEJv08mz8nQw5L1CpdFV8fyMpPmsqDLpDY7X6EIpP9J_ZAF3pIHawhIAHRqX/s1600-h/DSC01166.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pZcUZCP3ugkdDG2TMz0tHjbMCI97591bmMj2zII3BhUB1nXhG_LsGLOou4B6_jV6RABDPXhAz5k6n9iaPEJv08mz8nQw5L1CpdFV8fyMpPmsqDLpDY7X6EIpP9J_ZAF3pIHawhIAHRqX/s320/DSC01166.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359087773220303890" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The mower also stows very easily - it can stand almost completely upright against the wall, and easily fit into a corner of a garage:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBl08Xko3fe4we4QGLxsm_xaiTe_j-uxui4xOeNcxxZEhZp1GFQYOXjQOmu8VmiY6Ze5rGfHXmoD-7g0poekqWZiA1IPM0NFMB_2oT24oCxNqZoxScgYyYwxv7zD2uxmcInXbyT318pm7/s1600-h/DSC01168.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBl08Xko3fe4we4QGLxsm_xaiTe_j-uxui4xOeNcxxZEhZp1GFQYOXjQOmu8VmiY6Ze5rGfHXmoD-7g0poekqWZiA1IPM0NFMB_2oT24oCxNqZoxScgYyYwxv7zD2uxmcInXbyT318pm7/s320/DSC01168.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359087763603695026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sharpening - What I did discover is that, contrary to claims in the product literature that the mower's blades are sharp enough when delivered from the factory, the blades really needed to be well honed before initial use. I found them just too dull on the first try, and quit my first attempt at cutting grass to hone the blades.<br /><br />Now, sharpening the blades on this thing involves a rather bizarre process. At least, it seemed bizarre to me at first. But it's actually quite sensible when you understand why you need to do it in this manner. But first, let's go over the sharpening process itself, and then we'll return to why it must done this way.<br /><br />I ordered the mower with an optional sharpening kit. If you choose to buy this mower, you really need to get the sharpening kit. You can't do with out it. The kit consists of an angled handle that you insert on the pinion that drives the rotating blade assembly off one of the mower's wheels. You have to turn the mower over and place something on the handle to keep it in the position shown below. Then remove a wheel, lift the small gear off the shaft, and carefully insert the handle over the shaft, being careful not to displace the small woodruf key that the gear sits on:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lTGP1MWlIizM46G896GMyd7cSblWjRwHY_6x4oe-IND6AhzeY-1hMn1gGk2D3kWGkJpqUgVPwk2iu0KhfsOINhcfG818druhYJusJ5Jr8G3iZkoHvVT1hKiRbjIAo7fbxpW7p0X0rgiO/s1600-h/DSC01267.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lTGP1MWlIizM46G896GMyd7cSblWjRwHY_6x4oe-IND6AhzeY-1hMn1gGk2D3kWGkJpqUgVPwk2iu0KhfsOINhcfG818druhYJusJ5Jr8G3iZkoHvVT1hKiRbjIAo7fbxpW7p0X0rgiO/s320/DSC01267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359086437194422018" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next, you apply a lapping compound to the outside edges of the rotating blades. The lapping compound is a highly viscous gel that contains some sort of grit suspended in it. Once all the outer edges of the blades are coated, you use the handle to rotate the blade assembly in the <span style="font-style: italic;">opposite direction</span> from the way it normally turns when cutting grass. The owners manual says to do this for about 5 minutes, and the lapping compound eventually changes color as the gritty particulates get used up:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzAjHYPXctF3tCtO58TkB3AZ2aTTHGuzMThZz5YuU99FcwviU7XLHY4yiEp77sqWyb-BT2dxBBF3evgac09e1aEH0qjK38FEsU02yrCBCM3zAO1yxTeZYYNN99NXWhhZ3Fi-07bRH_4_p/s1600-h/DSC01268.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzAjHYPXctF3tCtO58TkB3AZ2aTTHGuzMThZz5YuU99FcwviU7XLHY4yiEp77sqWyb-BT2dxBBF3evgac09e1aEH0qjK38FEsU02yrCBCM3zAO1yxTeZYYNN99NXWhhZ3Fi-07bRH_4_p/s320/DSC01268.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359086434009834530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So why this bizarre process? It turns out that there are actually two sets of opposing blades on the mower: There's the cylindrical, rotating assembly of blades, but then there is also a stationary <span style="font-style: italic;">cutting blade</span>. The rotating blades apparently catch the blades of grass and force them against the cutting blade, which produces a shearing effect. In this sense, the reel mower is superior to most conventional gas mowers, in which a single cutting blade tears at the grass, rather than cleanly shearing it:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTTLIo2qHVqgm7UQZ0zJECeASZm2o_zOw_l-5GDOLphohjxiHd_HmYzUzg4EmudSw-UWS8cWfbm877x9tjhlXe5MyhpFkO3exz0tyQSadA9u1vKsHVqpWNHD7_yiPoCkwF0fcu3bxFWPE/s1600-h/DSC01113.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTTLIo2qHVqgm7UQZ0zJECeASZm2o_zOw_l-5GDOLphohjxiHd_HmYzUzg4EmudSw-UWS8cWfbm877x9tjhlXe5MyhpFkO3exz0tyQSadA9u1vKsHVqpWNHD7_yiPoCkwF0fcu3bxFWPE/s320/DSC01113.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359086445829216450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />However, the rotating blades and cutting blade are shaped to fit together perfectly in order to work. In fact, the blades actually, and ever so slightly, come into direct contact with one another:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGm0G18iy40lbk6SjCJnJDNIJSUcHS29hQja6G1_cHKssmCSadqSYjEdAWR0Myamb6aOhSiPg33PZajUMcorBhXr1aVDIH97eQds1nl6evxBR7XfkjvENCD5og_JGclpqxbUh_06UTOZss/s1600-h/DSC01114.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGm0G18iy40lbk6SjCJnJDNIJSUcHS29hQja6G1_cHKssmCSadqSYjEdAWR0Myamb6aOhSiPg33PZajUMcorBhXr1aVDIH97eQds1nl6evxBR7XfkjvENCD5og_JGclpqxbUh_06UTOZss/s320/DSC01114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359086441920281442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />During the sharpening process, the blades are forced to move past each other in a direction opposite to that of cutting. And their mutual contact causes each type of blade (rotating versus stationary) to sharpen the other. Think about it - when you sharpen a knife or tool with a whetstone, you re-shape the cutting edge by moving the blade against the stone opposite to the normal direction of cutting. And that is precisely what is happening here. In fact, the grit in the lapping compound effectively transforms each opposing blade into a whetstone for the other.<br /><br />So, my main advice to anyone purchasing a reel mower like mine is to keep the blades exceedingly sharp, and furthermore, respect this sharpening process. If you attempt to sharpen these blades in any other manner -- for example, using a stone, or one of those steel sharpening tools that you might use on the single cutting blade of a conventional gas mower -- you will most likely ruin these precisely engineered cutting surfaces, and severely compromise the mower's ability to deliver a clean, shearing cut.<br /><br />Here's a photo of my side lawn, where the grass was quite tall, and I was able to cut consistently clean rows. The actual performance of the mower is certainly more than acceptable (and higher than I had expected) for a hand-powered tool:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfnDj6VfpdYpyeiM-WxuvBNPbVk8LbG7LBqOSR_GzFEW9RyO2CCIFoHR5mxL4OmsJfkNqCm1_EH1MD1FU8v3oqQNm_-ODoqKrTIjSKiq0Trk31-5CHlDEgO_b9w1vWbipDt8vxlqONfZ_/s1600-h/DSC01219.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfnDj6VfpdYpyeiM-WxuvBNPbVk8LbG7LBqOSR_GzFEW9RyO2CCIFoHR5mxL4OmsJfkNqCm1_EH1MD1FU8v3oqQNm_-ODoqKrTIjSKiq0Trk31-5CHlDEgO_b9w1vWbipDt8vxlqONfZ_/s320/DSC01219.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359085419759263618" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The one thing the reel mower seems to have difficulty with are weeds with large diameter stems. Unlike grass, their tough stems seem just too resilient to get grabbed by the rotating blades, and they often manage to evade the reel mower. Sometimes, you can manage to cut them by making several, full-speed passes over them. But not always. In this case, one must be content with going back to the garage for the weedwacker and making a final pass over the large weeds:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnZoriHK8fRDrPtkq0DA67wylpP5FYXBRkdozRU7OWGXAWd6MDtwl1V_rFEmgc3ZkFKSG8YwJ0doJycmXcXJtcVABpb0Xcl3kS0gZ60Su2O-di2QKfoPOej7y-S2nyZfp0FJ9iU3rYfbY/s1600-h/DSC01220.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnZoriHK8fRDrPtkq0DA67wylpP5FYXBRkdozRU7OWGXAWd6MDtwl1V_rFEmgc3ZkFKSG8YwJ0doJycmXcXJtcVABpb0Xcl3kS0gZ60Su2O-di2QKfoPOej7y-S2nyZfp0FJ9iU3rYfbY/s320/DSC01220.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359085407491753954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finally, when finished, it's a good idea to thoroughly clean all the metallic surfaces, and give them a light spray of WD-40. Personally, I like to use an air gun to clean the blades, but a soft synthetic brush or a rag would work just fine. (I happen to love my air tools, by the way, and am always looking for an excuse to use one of them, anyway).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYCk1UTkPgTOTvlV6yo5oN0KwXMLxU9pVc55cL7wV884wdgw4Rsi8Vi1e18wZkI4T5IVoBvFXn-yHsTfSOC5zyIwTmxTXx0u393zlUHDKN5GcPbKELgi57tWEwK2tx1WdjmoDxFeGl8Rc/s1600-h/DSC01221.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYCk1UTkPgTOTvlV6yo5oN0KwXMLxU9pVc55cL7wV884wdgw4Rsi8Vi1e18wZkI4T5IVoBvFXn-yHsTfSOC5zyIwTmxTXx0u393zlUHDKN5GcPbKELgi57tWEwK2tx1WdjmoDxFeGl8Rc/s320/DSC01221.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359085403275878450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So, my final conclusions are that the modern reel mower is an excellent alternative to a noisy, air-polluting gas-powered mower, most of the time. If you decide to go this route, you might not want to retire the gas mower altogether - in my opinion, you're still going to need it on occasion, especially if you go for extended periods of time not mowing the lawn, and have to deal with very tall, thick, or damp grass.<br /><br />But the reel mower is more than sufficient for the average situation when you're routinely mowing a reasonably well-kept yard. If you manage to reduce your usage of the gas mower to once or twice or three times a season, that's a big plus for the environment and the general peace and quiet of the neighborhood. And also remember that you're still going to have to rely on that weedwacker for those large stemmed weeds that the reel mower just can't seem to consume. But chances are, you're going to have to use that weedwacker for fine trimming, anyway, so hopefully taking a few extra paces about the yard shouldn't prove too onerous.John Poolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01981702207515751451noreply@blogger.com2