Hello everyone tonite
The virus is starting to feel alone, not so many to infect thanks to our gov't,s dedicated push to get everyone innoculated, what a monstrous job indeed!,,
I hope everyone is feeling ok!
I feel sorry for those who didn't fare so lucky, and their families left behind
It won't be long before everyone can be t back to whatever they were do ing 1.5 yrs ago
I personally am feeling well, but body slowing down, I had a talk with myself but that didn't help either
Well back later to chat
Nh

Hello everyone tonite
Been a while, hope everyone is well, as things return to some kind of normalcy
I had time to visit the UCV site, especially the mills and all the timber framed structures that I am happy to say I had a big part of rescuing from fading into history and dissapearing into the mist of time, never to be remembered as a big part of early history.
The saw mill is starting to need someone to give it some TLC , the main wooden driveshaft of the barrel wheel, will soon need to be replaced, a big job indeed for someone, knowledgeable enough to tackle it, I spoke about it a ways back in this long running forum, I do have the necessary saved video on disk that I saved as I worked along replacing it, in the years gone by, it will be interesting if it will be repaired and once again be fully operational into the future
The replacement is a super complicated procedure, and you need to study and execute each step faithfully
I have said it before, the old mill looks pretty rough but it is pretty complicated in its millwrighting technique
I hope someone reading this post picks the reigns, should the opportunity present itself

Richard casselman
Nh

Hi everyone
Thought that I would let everyone know that I am still alive and kicking, having a wonderful time cozying up to the wood stove, what great heat!, but of course you need good dry wood and year ahead planning.

When I was growing up a good many moons ago, it was this time of year the pace quickened, and I don,t mean getting ready for Christmas, I mean getting ready to hit the bush trails!!

Dad would get out t he sleighs, log chains, axes, can't hooks (guess the computer doesn't realize what a c a n t hook is) , and oh yes the cross cut saw--no motorized chain saws yet for another 10 years, and then they were heavy brutes, only the blades turned 90degrees, what memories!!

Would walk back to the bush, and clear out and maybe cut some new roads to new areas, we would cut and chop firewood, and logs, carefully piling them up for sleighing at the first fall of snow,

Now let's discuss first fall of snow, I mean 1to2 feet and cooooold snapping weather to, freeze, and create a sleighing road---once created, pile one the wood, and away you went--and what a sensation it was--the load chained down, the horses just waiting for the edge of t he bush and the open sleighing road ahead,my father would yell lets go, 😒

Hello everyone again, it seems the computer thought I was done with my rambles, I wasn't, quite but close

Try to stay well and until we meet here again

Richard casselman
The northern hewer

hello everyone tonite,

Well on to my next rescue missio, as you probably well know I truly enjoy saving for future generation examples of things quickly dissapearing, in this case it is my father,s unique sawhorses

I have noticed for some time now how their condition is quickly deteriorating

I know that many of you would say that this does not sound like a very interesting project, but I re member and have photographs of these saw horses standing in background photos, around 1940.

I grew up using them and at that time, marvelled at their unusual design.

It wasn't,t until I began working as a carpenter, that I began comparing their design to those created by others
Most of which were of a very plain design.

In all my years I never quite run across sawhorses, that exhibited any special characteristics until my supervisor said one day just before one of our planned building raisings, we need historical accurate sawhorses on site.

Have to go now but will be back,to continue
NH
Richard casselman

I'd love seeing a few photos Richard!

Hello everyone tonite

Hi joe wood

Thanks for the reply and request for some pics.
As you may know this site is not t he easiest to post pictures on, but anyway I am not c omplaining, folks here have used me quite w ell and I wish them the best

Hello everyone tonite

Well just to continue my conversation with my supervisor reference historic saw horses, I began to do some research on the subject, and my search lead me to an old print in our research library.

The date of the print was 1756 in England, and it included workmen hewing , around them were their tools, as well as a lovely picture that included their 2 sawhorses

They exhibited unusual designs in their constructions, like nothing I had ever seen

I scaled them out as best I could, as follows,

Top main member 4inch square , roughly 43 inches in length
Legs 3inch square, set flush with the end of thr top member
These leg were splayed to the side roughly 12inches, making a stance of 24 inches
The legs were shouldered 3/4 inch against the top main member
The legs were not splayed end wise, but rather had a perfectly vertical stance
About 12 inches from ground level, a cross member approx 2.5inches in cross section was mortised into the opposing leg
This was typical both sets of legs
On this was neatly seated a 1" board used to rest tools on, this board was also neatly cut around the legs at each end
Note--wood pegs were noted to secure all points in the construction

These horses were eventually constructed, and used extensively on site,

Their features were noted as follows,
1- they were very strong, and could carry heavy timbers easily
2-their built in platform were great to lay sharp tools on
3-their height was right for hand work on timberframe timbers

The timberframing's unit had only praise for them , and the visiting public seemed very interested in them, and requested where the design originated from, many times
Well I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane

If any of you can draw up a sketch of t he design and post it I would appreciate it, and thank you in advance for those looking in

Hoping to hear from you

NH

Well hello everyone tonite

2022 just about here, in a few hours,

In that regard, a happy , safe, and I hope prosperous new year to all of you, wherever you might be, and thanks for following my thread, I truly enjoy sharing my experiences with all of you, and while I am on the subject I would like to thank the TFG for allowing me a niche on their hosting site, and I apologize for once in a while straying into areas and topics that are maybe too personal, I do try to turn the wheel back to things that are dear to my heart, like hewing, adzing, timberframing , historic millwrighting, historic woodwork finishes, paint graining, historic roof applications, and you know it gets really crazy when projects come along that include steam, both engines and heating applications, and creating structures that housed these power and heating sources

I learned a lot as I was involved with all these varied subjects, but most of all from the tradesmen that I worked along side of, and with and I would like to name a few, Lucien direnzio, our resident cabinet maker, a trade all its own! George York , our blacksmith, George was rough around the edges but boy could work wonders with the forge,

Well have to go
See you in 2022
NH

Hello. Everyone tonite
Well here we go and 2022 here we come

I have described the historic saw horses, and now to get back to the original post that was my description of my fathers sawhorses, you can see how I can wander away from topics---sorry---

First of all these are not historical in nature, but exhibit unusual construction lines, and I am going to enjoy trying to match my fathers workings as I dismantle and reconstruct them.

At the present time I have removed the legs from one end, (gently), I might add, to ensure a preservation of the original angled cuts of the mitres

Got to go for now
Nh