Finnish Log Building (some internet awesomeness)

Every so often I find something while being led down the rabbit hole that is YouTube, that just speaks to me.  In this case I can't make out what it's saying (as it's in Finnish with no subtitles) but it captured my attention none the less.

I've always enjoyed watching craftspeople at one with their tools.  Highlights for me were:

• Use of moss as chinking throughout the building. Even around windows.
• The axe work in general and how many tasks they were put to.
• Use of a two man plane (around 9:30)
• The  broad axe with the ambidextrous head (@ 13:00) Yep, he flipped it around so he could hew into an opposite corner. I'd heard that before and discounted it as Eric Sloan type imaginations
• Dinner! (@16:16)  :)
• Using Birch Bark as a moisture barrier under the floor sleepers (@16:40)
• Awesome fence (@ 24:50)

The were a couple things I didn't understand:

• Why was sand/earth used to infill around the floor sleepers? This is protection from drafts/insulation? Seems like a prescription for rot.
• What about the sawdust between joists? That seems like insulation for sure.
•  Was this video shot as demonstration of skills in the past? I saw NO power tools, but this is clearly depicting modern era men. My biggest clue being the amount of electrical tape on tool handles and as a depth mark on an auger. :)

If anyone knows the answers to these quandaries, please leave them in the comments below.

ENJOY!

Everything old, is New again...

... there's nothing new under the sun... what goes around comes around...

I found a cool folding ladder on Gajitz.com while surfing the web today.

Neat idea for those where space is s premium. I love cutting edge industrial design.

As I do traditional material culture...

And I am amazed when they meet.

The idea for these have been around for hundreds of years.  There is a great example (along with some how to in St. Roy's book Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop. Although his isn't leather upholstered like the example above.



(yes, I'm an Amazon Associate, so if you order a copy through here I get a couple of pesos, but don't let that stop ya from getting a copy.)

Craft

Craft-   \’kraft\ noun- an occupation or trade requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill
verb- to make or produce with care, skill or ingenuity – Merriam Webster Online (m-w.com)

Craft has been an integral part of my life since as far back as I can remember.  Legos, Lincoln Logs, Scale Models, you name it.  Making and fixing things has always challenged and relaxed me, even as a kid.


I eventually moved on to more complex projects.  Sheds, Garages, even a church.  New kitchens, a bathroom remodel.  After High School, I worked for years building single family homes.
I always felt connected to the past and I started an self-education program in Craft.  I studied under masters past and present.

Roy Underhill- The Woodwright’s Shop (TV and Books)Alex Bealer- The Art of BlacksmithingEric Sloane- A Reverence for Wood, A Museum of Early American ToolsC. Keith Wilbur- Homebuilding and Woodworking, Indian Handcrafts



I thank my father for his work ethic, my grandfathers for letting me “putter” in their shops, my uncle Frank for his eclectic book collection, and all my other relatives who were always understanding (even when I wanted to be a 19th cen Mountain Man and trap beaver.)

They were all with me, encouraging me as I learned new skills. Timber-framing and Blacksmithing.  Even more old-school skills like Flintknapping and Hide Tanning.  I fell head over heels for traditional handcrafts. I truly was a Jack-of-All-Trades, Master-of-None.

I currently find myself having traded the “shop” for a cubicle, and the “hearth” for the glow of a
monitor.  I craft virtual buildings in an environment of bits and  bytes.

I still feel connected to those who create something with their hands, and I truly enjoy watching masters ply their craft.

In tribute to my past, here is a link to the past 5 seasons of the Woodwright’s Shop streaming online. (Sorry iPadders, it's Flash video.)