Hi Will,

Did the Zabludow synagogue ever get built in Poland ?

The Dalzeil website is excellent.

Regards

Ken Hume

I'd call him and ask him.

No Polish project yet, though I have just this morning returned from a two day planning session to budget and schedule a 6 part event spanning two years to get this thing underway.

The museum has made a commitment that construction will begin in 2010, but we have no deposit or contract in hand at this moment.

Expect to see a very short presentation at the conference slide show; announcing the event and opening the window for recruitment of leadership and participants.

that is an excellent technique. thanks! i want to try that.

i think something changed fundamentally with the introduction of the saw. the repetition of the cutting edge broke an intimate link with the wood. it's like a war by attrition. phelps makes a point along these lines.

it's the idea of cutting straight down, across the grain that is so radical about this. beyond just roughing out with the axe, to get closer, then closer, then closer to the line and to vertical, chop by chop.

Hi Toivo,

It's Phleps not Phelps.

That young fellow sure seemed to be able to control his axe with breathtaking accuracy. I am not sure that many could emulate this skill - but with practice who knows ?

I also now understand why those axes have such a pronounced curve allowing the axeman to work closer and closer towards the line or end of his tenon cut.

If a significant number of hours went into converting the log, laying this up in the stack and scribing same then is it really that important to run the risk of ruining everything with one misplaced swing of the axe or an entire chunk being pulled out of the tenon face due to brittle grain falure following the course of the annual rings ?

Regards

Ken Hume

Yes, take the risk, you must, if the skill is to be gained. That is how we learn. Steve Chappel at Fox Maple had commented that axes weren't allowed for just the reason you mentioned Ken, too bad, well almost the same reason, his timber was s4s and pretty in a different way. Learning which way the grain is moving is a big part. Pat the cat, if you go the wrong way the cat gets angry. This is easily seen with a hand plane and the axe.

Tim

But Ken, if you've just hewn the wood out, you've shaped many feet of wood to a line with an axe. Why not do the few inches of tenon, too?

I found that after learning to hew, chopping joinery with an axe was no longer scary or mysterious.

Hi Gabel and Tim,

Clearly, I'm not worthy !

I think that I will have to bite the bullet and have a go.

I like the cat analogy !

Regards

Ken Hume

it's true one starts to get to know grain as one moves up and down a log. it's like a cat with fur sometimes going this way, and sometimes that. sometimes they purr, and othertimes it's all claws.

thanks for the correction Ken. always appreciated.

anyone have an idea of what the red marks are edited onto the video?

Hi Toivo,

Aren't these race knived piece marks ?

Regards

Ken Hume