To lay out lines for hewing, the timber’s cross-sectional dimensions were drawn onto both ends of the log, with their sides established plumb. The Americans typically used spirit levels to do this, but some of the French carpenters used plumb bobs to establish these lines. Once the ends were drawn, they were connected down the length of the log with the snap of a chalk line, making a straight timber from the natural, irregular tree. In most cases, the carpenters peeled a strip of bark only where the lines would be snapped, rather than peeling the entire log. This served two purposes: First, it saved labor because peeling bark in areas that were going to be hewn away would be...
At the larger end of the scale, a number of timber-framed cottages at St Fagans demonstrate the use of curved tree trunks that have been book-matched to provide gable ends, the shape of the roof being determined by the natural curve of the trunk. This is an efficient way of working given that once felled, the tree would require little shaping before being incorporated into the frame of the cottage, and the use of curved timber ensures there is little grain runout (which would reduce the strength of the frame). This raises the question in my mind at least: Might the craftsmen who were framing cottages also have been building stick chairs? A similar approach has been identified in extant...
Today marks the official completion of our Issue Seventeen Table of Contents blog series. For two weeks, we’ve been sharing glimpses into each article that we’ve had in the works over the course of the summer. As I write this, I am putting the last pieces into place for the design, and then it will go out for copy editing. The cover art for this issue features a lovely antique violin alongside a cluster of dried horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) and a polissoir (polisher/corn burnisher) used for preparing wooden surfaces for varnishing. This arrangement is a nod to the article in this issue which was contributed by our 2023 Craft Research Grant recipient, Narelle Freeman. Freeman is a luthier from the...
This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seventeen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come. The subscription window that includes Issue Seventeen is open now. To get Issue Seventeen when it ships in early October, you can sign up for a subscription here. If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Seventeen is coming your way soon! ___________________________________ Joshua A. Klein –...
This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seventeen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come. The subscription window that includes Issue Seventeen is open now. To get Issue Seventeen when it ships in early October, you can sign up for a subscription here. If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Seventeen is coming your way soon! ___________________________________ Douglas Brooks – “Japanese...
This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seventeen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come. The subscription window that includes Issue Seventeen is open now. To get Issue Seventeen when it ships in early October, you can sign up for a subscription here. If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Seventeen is coming your way soon! ___________________________________ “An Examination of a...
This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seventeen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come. The subscription window that includes Issue Seventeen is open now. To get Issue Seventeen when it ships in early October, you can sign up for a subscription here. If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Seventeen is coming your way soon! ___________________________________ Emmet Van Driesche –...
This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seventeen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come. The subscription window that includes Issue Seventeen is open now. To get Issue Seventeen when it ships in early October, you can sign up for a subscription here. If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Seventeen is coming your way soon! ___________________________________ Andrew Hunter – ”Finding a...
This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seventeen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come. The subscription window that includes Issue Seventeen is open now. To get Issue Seventeen when it ships in early October, you can sign up for a subscription here. If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Seventeen is coming your way soon! ___________________________________ Michael Updegraff – "Restoring...
In this new episode of the podcast, Joshua and Mike talk about the proverbial practice of making hay while the sun is shining – as soon as the days start to get longer in the Maine spring, it’s time to get to work. They discuss the “House by Hand” 1821 Cape house restoration project and all the progress that has been made since the start of the year, with the goal of getting the Klein family moved into a somewhat completed building by winter. But how “finished” is finished enough? And what does the previous history of this house teach us about the iterative process of living in a structure while working on it? Drawing from Nevan Carling’s upcoming Issue Seventeen article,...
