My Trip to Plimoth Plantation

While in Boston last week with my wife for a vacation for me/work conference trip-vacation for her, we rented a car on Thursday morning and headed off to Plimoth Plantation. I've been wanting to go to Plimoth since I first found out about the place 4 or 5 years ago. Judging by the web site it looked like a really cool place and of course a big draw for me was the possibility of meeting, watching and talking to Plimoth's joiner, Peter Follansbee.

Plimoth Plantation is divided into several sections; the Wampanoag Homesite is the Native American village; The 17th Century English village, set in the year 1627; and the Craft Center, where artisans and crafts people demonstrate their expertise. We arrived just a few minutes before the place opened, purchased our tickets, watched the orientation film in the visitors center and headed out for the Wampanoag Homesite. This turned out to be my least favorite area. The structures were well done, very authentic to my eye, but other than one native scraping out a canoe, there really wasn't much going on. From there we walked a path through the woods that led us to the English Village. This was much more my style. As much as I love Colonial Williamsburg, and I DO love Colonial Williamsburg, I've never been to a place with a more authentic feel as this. Dirt floors, thatched roofs, and sparsely furnished houses with amazing period reproduction furnishings; most made by Peter Follansbee. I spent quite a while in this area checking out the furniture and talking to the costumed interpreters, who were great by the way. They stayed in character and true to the year 1627; very knowledgeable too. If not for the other camera wielding tourist there, you'd think you were actually in 17th century New England.

Finally it was time to head to the Craft Center. Luckily, Peter was there that day. It was a real treat seeing him work up close and in person. He is an amazing craftsman, probably the premier green woodworker in the country and one of the most learned scholars of 17th century joined furniture anywhere. And to top it off, he's one of the most friendly and accommodating people you'll ever meet.
There were a couple of times when it was just Peter and I there and he was very engaging and happy to answer all my questions. I was very interested in his spring pole lathe as I think I'm leaning toward that style once I get my shop finished. He did a little turning demonstration and pointed out some features of his lathe; some that I would have never known, like the fact that his treadle is not hinged or fastened to anything, just butted up against a board on the floor that he stands on. Pretty slick.

While we were talking, I told him that I was in the process of building a dedicated shop for hand tool woodworking and showed him a picture on my phone. When he saw it he said that he'd seen it on my blog. How cool is that?! Kinda made MY day. :) He also personalized and signed a copy of Make a Joint Stool from a Tree that I bought in the gift shop. Again, very cool!

So, needless to say, my trip to Plimoth Plantation was one of the highlights of my vacation. And as a bonus, it's a really nice drive down from Boston if you stay off the interstate. Lots of nice old houses and some newer ones in the traditional style. And for the most part it seemed like everyone took pride in their houses and kept them really nice.

Oh, by the way; that elaborately carved chair in the photo above: Peter said that he has 60 hours in that. 60 hours! That's building the chair AND doing all the carving. AMAZING!

P.S.  Major props to my awesome wife for being so patient while I gushed like a school girl in Peter's shop for well over an hour. Many thanks to her for being understanding of my obsession with hand tools and history. :)

Shop Update: It's Been a While

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything on my shop progress. Honestly, with the heat we've been having the last month or so, progress has been a little slow; but I'll show you where I'm at with it.

The electrical is all run on the  inside for the plugs, switches, and lights; just waiting to trench in the wire from the garage to the panel in the shop. All the walls are insulated with the interior sheathing up and three of the walls painted. Still unsure of whether or not I'm going to paint the wall that the stairs are on. I've trimmed the windows on the west and south walls, with the west wall window having gotten it's final coat of paint.

I'm half way across with the above stairs floor/below stairs ceiling. This has been rather slow going. I'm using T&G pine again from the Amish mill, but this time it's v-grooved on the side that is the main shop ceiling. I'm painting the ceiling side and to avoid the pain of painting between the rafters, I'm painting it after I cut a row to fit, but before I install it. It's slower going this way, but it sure makes for a nice look.

 There is one or two things I may have done differently in retrospect, but overall, I'm thrilled with the way it's looking. For me, the painted horizontal pine boards on the walls are just the look that I was hoping for.

Oh, and the big news this week is that yesterday morning I ordered a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim split ductless heat pump/air conditioning unit. I know, not exactly 18th century, but I am SO looking forward to having a nice, comfortable, conditioned space to work in year round. I have to think that all my hand tools will appreciate it too rather than having to endure the extreme heat and cold and damp of unconditioned space. Got an e-mail this afternoon saying that it's been shipped. :)

Happy Day, Happy Day!!!

Finally, after 20 years of wishing, hoping and praying, and a month of waiting for the delivery, the package arrived today. Seasons 1, 2, 3, & 20 of The Woodwright's Shop. Roy has been my woodworking hero for a long time and I'm so glad that they are finally putting The Woodwright's Shop for sale on DVD; at least the first 28 seasons. The four episodes I just received are the only ones available now, with more to follow later this year and next year. Many thanks to Roy, Meagan Fitzpatrick, and Popular Woodworking for making this happen!

Roy is a treasure trove of knowledge and an icon of hand tool woodworking. He has worked tirelessly for 32 seasons on The Woodwright's Shop and for years prior to the show teaching the craft to others. Then, in 2009, he opened The Woodwright's School in Pittsboro, NC. I was fortunate enough to take a class with him at his school last year. He is the most friendly, down to earth person you'd ever want to meet, and a great teacher. I hope to get back down there again soon.

Can't wait to get into these. I foresee sleep deprived nights in my future.

(  Shown in the picture below is the official tool for removing the shrink-wrap from The Woodwright's
   Shop DVD's.  )

Room for Rent:

Ready for immediate occupancy. Must be under 5" tall, winged, with feathers and a beak. Family's are welcome and encouraged.

Price: Negotiable, but if you eat some bugs around the shop, we'll call it good.

I picked up this bird bottle on my most recent trip to Colonial Williamsburg. They found fragments of these when they excavated the yard at the James Geddy House. They are said to have been used as insect control around kitchens and stables in 18th Century Williamsburg. I've always thought these were pretty cool and I figured it would be a nice touch for the shop. Finally got it hung yesterday. Just waiting on some tenants now. And the perfect twig to add as a perch.

Shop Update: Better Than Cinder Blocks

Just got the front steps installed yesterday. I'm happy with them. They are yellow pine with the stringers and risers stained with solid white stain and the treads with a solid charcoal stain. The brick landing is of bricks that I got about a year and a half ago from the bulldozed foundation of a civil war era home. They are hand made and have a really cool look to them. I believe I have enough to do a sidewalk all the way out to the driveway. The landing is done in a basket weave pattern but I think I'll do the sidewalk in a running bond.

I'm at a bit of a standstill now as I'm waiting for my next load of tongue and groove pine from the mill for my interior wall sheathing and the above stairs floor. Hopefully I'll soon be getting a call that it is ready for pick up. I DID get all the wall insulation put up a few weeks ago.

Where'd This Log Cabin Come From?!

Finished getting the first floor and one gable end wall all buttoned up with 7" tongue and groove yellow pine on Monday and suddenly my vision of an 18th century style cabinet shoppe has turned into a 20th century Aspen ski lodge. I believe it's just too much raw wood, but I think with a coat of white paint on all the walls, I'll get back to the look I want. And it should help brighten things up a bit. The floor I will leave with a natural look, but I think I'll put something on it to protect it a little bit. Something that won't cause it to be slick, but yet give it protection against wet feet and the like. Have to do some research on that.

 Before any of this can be done however, I need more wood. I went through 560 board feet in no time and just ordered another 600. Hopefully I'll have it in another week or two and can get thing a little closer to finished. I gotta say, it's a little different using a pneumatic flooring nailer on a wall. Not often that you need to use a flooring nailer in conjunction with a ladder. :)

Shop Update: Getting Closer

Well, it's been a month since I last updated my progress on the shop. Gotten quite a bit done since then. The exterior is done save for front and rear steps. I need to find time to lay a brick pad to bring the steps down onto first though. A brick sidewalk to the front door will come later.

 As much as I'd like to say that the siding is pit-sawn cedar clapboards, time and money constraints, along with me wanting the exterior to be fairly maintenance free (I'm not getting any younger after all) dictated that I used............vinyl siding. Not very 18th century, I know; but neither is the ductless, spit unit heating and cooling system I'll be putting in at a later date. Sometimes practicality trumps authenticity. I'm happy with the look though. From a distance it looks fairly authentic.

What I'm working on now is the flooring. I'm laying down 7" wide pine tongue and groove that I purchased from an Amish mill back in March. I've got about 80% of the first floor done and I like the look but as for installing it, it's definitely not Pergo. Lot's of wedging and pounding to try to get as tight a fit as possible. I'll post some pictures of the floor once it's finished.