Carriage Hill MetroPark Farm, Dayton, Ohio

Sept. 17 Report

2006-09-19T12:32:00.000-04:00

With the end in site, we set up shop under the shade and began the framing for the hay doors; the blacksmiths worked hard to make the hinges for them.

On the deck a much smaller crew set about planning to raise the purlin walls.

It quickly became evident that the only safe way to proceed with our streamlined crew was to find some help. Brian Beals called in a couple of favors and before lunch time we were ready to raise with the same crane that took the barn down the winter before. This made short work of removing our gin pole.

With a certain amount of grace and a little bit of fussing, both purlin walls were in place and braced in time for another fabulous lunch.

Finished pictures to follow, but in the meantime, here are only a
few of the faces of the enthusiastic folks who made this event happen. Our tremendous gratitude is due these folks and many others. Thanks very much.
You remain among the best people I know.

Sept. 16 Report

2006-09-18T11:57:00.000-04:00

Saturday, Raising Day, dawned so foggy that we could barely see the Visitors' Center. It remained foggy well into mid-morning.

We put up the gin pole with a minimum of fuss, using four Jersey Barriers for back anchors and seemingly miles of high-tech rope, the crooked pole (reinforced by a poplar 4x5 at the top), and a modified truck rim for a base plate.

By the time the sills and the rigging were ready to go, we were behind schedule, and the fog still had yet to clear, though the site was rapidly filling with civilians and TFG members from the region.

Rudy Christian, Project Manager, developed an impromptu ceremony marking the transfer of responsibility of the barn from the Neubauer Family to Carriage Hill Farm. There were few dry eyes in the crowd, and the eldest Neubauer and the Park Director simultaneously pounded in the first pegs on the first reconstructed bent assembly. It was a great moment; Rudy really delivered a very moving speech to make this moment happen.

Finally it was time to put the first bent up.

We enlisted the aid of the Percheron team from Carriage Hill, walking the haul lines out through the hay fields with very nearly flawless control.

The rest of the day was hot, and full of accomplishment, broken in the middle by (what we thought was) our final extravagant meal with Maudie Lawson of the interpretive staff.

With four bents up and wall girts in place, we finished out the day by wrestling the continuous plates (48' x oak) into position.

By dark we were all pretty much used up and ready for home or bed.

Although the class was officially over, several participants elected to hang around for Sunday to assist in the installation of the purlin walls and the door framing.

Sept. 15 Report

2006-09-18T02:23:00.000-04:00

Late Thursday we went to Xenia to resaw a couple of things on this nifty little Australian rig (shown at right) generously contributed to the event by Brian Beals.

Brian's worksite is being graced by this nearly complete corn crib reconstruction, which features these fantastic stone posts at the lower level, and some nifty vertical scarfs.

When I got back from beautiful Xenia, most of the crew was doggedly doing tenon repair under the lights, under the big tents. It was a congenial evening, marred only by the appearance of the flu among our leadership team.

Sept. 14 Report

2006-09-14T19:53:00.000-04:00

Still no sign of the sun, but better weather is promised for the raising. We continue to dine like kings with the our friends among the interpretive and support staff at the Park. Since the weather has been bad, we have been eating our meals in the dining room (by lamp light) of the historic homestead. It's quite a treat.

Progress continue apace on the timber framing. We are heading out to Brian Beal's sawmill to generate a ouple of small replacement pieces, and the cutting is well along on the new sills and the replacement door framing.

Right: Don Seela (Ohio) has been having a great time pushing a slick from his vast collection across the grain of this easiest-of-working hardwoods, tulip poplar. Even the old dried material on the inside is a pleasure to work.

Left: Ed Morrah has been having a great time rehabilitating post foot tenons.

Below: Kim and Ray Susong have been working with us all week, having given up a trip to California to visit the grandkids so that they could participate in this event.

Below left: Dane Gustafson, suffering from Mortiser Madness, works through a big pile of new poplar sills. Below right: Brad Weaver and leadership team member Brian Beals discuss the finer points of chain mortiser brands.

Sept. 13 Report

2006-09-13T15:34:00.000-04:00

It still looks like chaos all over the site, but a deeper look shows progress in every corner. At least it is raining less than yesterday, though we're still needing to provide lighting under the big top.

Ed Morrah, under the direction of Brian Beals, has created an improbable looking tenon on a post foot, configured to take the wind out of that old poplar post.

Meanwhile, the post foot showing the most deterioration has been unwound, and is about to receive its new tenon, back into sold wood.

Some posts proved to be a much quicker fix.

All in all we feel like we are making good progress. Our tireless Park support team is out in the woods looking for gin pole materials. The ground anchors for the raising will be delivered tomorrow. The rigging is all here in the Guild's box of magic tricks. Perhaps all we're lacking is some blue sky, which has been promised
for later on.

Sept. 12 Report

2006-09-12T19:15:00.000-04:00

It's been raining so hard for so long that we haven't been able to hear each other over the roar. Further, it's been so dark outside that we've had to resort to using flashlights and headlamps for layout under the big top. The Parks people have been great about scrambling together a series of floodlights, so that by the time you read this, we should be able to see what we are doing.

Right: Student Duane Miller (Nebraska) works under the lights with instructor Gary Clower (Ohio).

Over in the second tent, Dane Gustafson is leading a smaller crew of folks in the layout of the new poplar timbers that will become the sills. We think he's getting off easy; every stick is straight and more or less clean, or at least they look that way in the dim light.

Left to right, Dane Gustafson, students Gene Moore and Ray Susong, all from Ohio.

Right: Brian Beale takes the cut of no return. Damage evaluated and new post lengths agreed upon, Brian shortens one of the good ones, prior to layout and cutting of a new foot tenon. There is no going back from here!

Sept. 11 Report

2006-09-11T17:01:00.000-04:00

This week in Dayton, we're repairing a barn that came from a few miles away. The barn was mostly of yellow poplar, in a framing pattern consistent with the mid-19th century.

We have a good crew (of 15) a beautiful spot to work, and all the cheerfully offered resources of the Carriage Hill MetroPark Farm staff and volunteers, so we should be good to go.

Plus, we have a few days of heavy rain on the way to make sure we don't get complacent - especially the campers!

Today we were treated to a fine authentic 19th century lunch, served under the trees at the homestead by lovely ladies in period costume. This bodes well for the rest of our stay.