Back in the mid 1980’s I became interested in historic construction methods that would compliment my training in conventional building technology. The timber framing revival of the 1970’s had produced a number of books on restoration techniques and that provided a primer for my education in early construction methods. As I delved into these books, I began to realize that a specialized set of tools were required to replicate the joinery and finish of the old work. Luckily antique tools were readily available, and I scoured antique shops and flea markets and ended up with an assortment of old tools, some more than 200 years old, that were serviceable. I then set about learning to use them. There were no Youtube videos or tutorials to watch to understand their use or the proper techniques. This had to be done by trial and error, and quite a lot of scrap wood. After a while, I became proficient with most of them and looked to use them when we encountered repair work in older houses. Modern tools can’t even remotely replicate the molding profiles or the massive mortise and tennon joints found in historic structures.
Around 1990, two friends with similar interests and I formed The Woodworkers based out of Alexandria Township in Hunterdon County, NJ. We specialized in restoring and relocating historic timber farmed barns, but the economic downturn of the early 90’s forced us to return to our previous conventional building occupations and The Woodworkers dissolved. I returned to my excavating business but continued to work on old houses and barns as a side function. In the mid 2000’s most of our work transitioned to conventional building services and excavating became a side function. Throughout the 2000’s we restored and repaired numerous structures from simple repairs that conventional carpenters weren’t knowledgeable or skilled in performing to total house and barn restorations.
Revoke cookies