True to my initial vision, I had determined to keep my methods and tools for blacksmithing old-school. I banished the arc welder early on and sought ways to bring my shop closer to those of the 18th century in most (but not all) ways. Not only did I want to keep my work fun and interesting, but I wanted to preserve a sadly neglected side of blacksmithing: the historical approach. I greatly enjoy the “experimental archaeology” side of things, figuring out “how they might have done it.” This decision has invoked criticism from some of my friends who are full-time smiths, and even after three years, with a grinder as the only power tool I use in the blacksmithing shop,...
After last week’s big windstorm, my kids came in from a trek through the woods to report (with sadness) that the Twisty Pine had been damaged. Now, the Twisty Pine is a behemoth of a tree near the back corner of our property whose twin leaders spiral around one another as they climb into the sky like the double-helix structure of DNA. In recent years we’d seen woodpecker holes appear in one of the leaders, high up, and the green needles on the other began to dwindle. So we knew that things were going downhill. But it was still sad, and a little shocking, to see such a giant so violently topped – a massive weight of limbs and trunk...
If any of M&T’s work is worth pausing to reflect on at the close of the year, this year’s would be a prime candidate. Not only has the House By Hand project occupied the bulk of Joshua and Mike’s time in 2022, but M&T also published a new book (Worked: A Bench Guide to Hand-Tool Efficiency), ran several Apprenticeship terms, hosted a Summit gathering, and more. Before blindly setting out on the next 12 months of hurried activity, Joshua and Mike take this episode to recap this season of work in order to resolve to make the most of the next steps.
SHOW NOTES:
The House By Hand Project
Issue Fourteen
