Log cabin builders

[Ronn W]

In the most recent epsiode of Log Cabin Builders the crew was taking apart a pioneer cabin for relocation.  This cabin had an amazing chimney of hand cut, dry laid sandstone and a sandstone lined well shaft.  There was a nearby sandstone outcrop where the sandstone had been quarried. Under the cabin they found an old hand made chisel and discovered that the chisel fit perfectly into the the marks in the sandstone in the quarry and on the cap of the well shaft.   They also demonstrated how this little hand chisel could be use to cut large pieces of sandstone.  The history, craftsmanship and what the pioneers could do with minimal tools is fascinating!

[Tom King]

sStonework is pretty much done the same way today, except we have powered hammer drills to drill holes for "wedge and feathers (shims)", and carbide tipped chisels.

http://www.trowandholden.com/masonry.php

I have a job coming up, when I get to it, to completely rebuild sandstone basement walls under a 1780 house.  Originally, the foundation was built right on top of the ground, then they dug out the basement, and it has all caved in over the years.  To hold the dirt back, they laid bricks against the dirt walls in the dug out basement.  It didn't work.  There will be weeks of work to get the house back up to level, and many months redoing stone walls.

We also have a couple of stone chimneys to rebuild from scratch, and a couple of others to repair.

Trow and Holden not only makes really good tools, but they have a bunch of good educational videos.  I think in all their videos the guy is cutting granite.  Granite is actually easier to get to break like you want it to than sandstone is.  Sandstone is easier to drill, but you have to drill the holes a lot deeper than in granite to insure breaking on a plane you want.  Otherwise, it's all the same.