"Jim Wilkins" writes:

My memory of visiting the Saugus Iron Works some 60 years ago was that
it looked "authentic", ie crude, compared to the structure in our 1830
mill owner's house.

That was my impression, too. But dang! It worked! Pilgrims landed
at Plymouth in 1620 and set up a hardscrabble subsistence existence on
the edge of the wilderness. Less than 30 years later, the ironworks
proprietors built a high-tech industrial plant even further out into
the wilderness.

(Roughly in the middle of that interval, Harvard College was founded on
a muddy intersection across the river from the town of Boston with
all nine or so students enrolled.)

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

"Mike Spencer" wrote in message
...

"Jim Wilkins" writes:

My memory of visiting the Saugus Iron Works some 60 years ago was
that
it looked "authentic", ie crude, compared to the structure in our
1830
mill owner's house.

That was my impression, too. But dang! It worked! Pilgrims landed
at Plymouth in 1620 and set up a hardscrabble subsistence existence
on
the edge of the wilderness. Less than 30 years later, the ironworks
proprietors built a high-tech industrial plant even further out into
the wilderness.

(Roughly in the middle of that interval, Harvard College was founded
on
a muddy intersection across the river from the town of Boston with
all nine or so students enrolled.)

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

Ironically the Pilgrims were saved by a local native named Squanto who
was more worldly and experienced than they were, having lived and
worked in London and on several voyages.

http://mayflowerhistory.com/tisquantum/
"On March 16, they got a surprise: an Indian named Samoset walked
right into the Colony and welcomed them in broken English."

"Jim Wilkins" writes:

"Mike Spencer" wrote in message
...

That was my impression, too. But dang! It worked! Pilgrims
landed at Plymouth in 1620 and set up a hardscrabble subsistence
existence on the edge of the wilderness. Less than 30 years later,
the ironworks proprietors built a high-tech industrial plant even
further out into the wilderness.

Ironically the Pilgrims were saved by a local native named Squanto who
was more worldly and experienced than they were, having lived and
worked in London and on several voyages.

http://mayflowerhistory.com/tisquantum/

"On March 16, they got a surprise: an Indian named Samoset walked
right into the Colony and welcomed them in broken English."

Didn't know that and I even lived for a winter in Plymouth between jobs.

I suppose that there may have been some advantage to the ironworks
proprietors the the Massachusetts Bay Colony was heavy to dissenters
who have have been scum from the virepoint of the Church of England
but were not retarded in business or technology. I'll have to re-read
the book published just after the Saugus restoration.

TYVM.
--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

"Mike Spencer" wrote in message
...

"Jim Wilkins" writes:

"Mike Spencer" wrote in message
...

That was my impression, too. But dang! It worked! Pilgrims
landed at Plymouth in 1620 and set up a hardscrabble subsistence
existence on the edge of the wilderness. Less than 30 years
later,
the ironworks proprietors built a high-tech industrial plant even
further out into the wilderness.

Ironically the Pilgrims were saved by a local native named Squanto
who
was more worldly and experienced than they were, having lived and
worked in London and on several voyages.

http://mayflowerhistory.com/tisquantum/

"On March 16, they got a surprise: an Indian named Samoset walked
right into the Colony and welcomed them in broken English."

Didn't know that and I even lived for a winter in Plymouth between
jobs.

I suppose that there may have been some advantage to the ironworks
proprietors the the Massachusetts Bay Colony was heavy to
dissenters
who have have been scum from the virepoint of the Church of England
but were not retarded in business or technology. I'll have to
re-read
the book published just after the Saugus restoration.

TYVM.
--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

The Boston area Puritan colonists weren't such extreme Separatists.
https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/24/n...ns-080128.html

The next colony to the south tolerated all beliefs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Williams

On Mon, 4 Feb 2019 08:39:41 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Gerry" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 3 Feb 2019 13:54:17 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:


The house I was raised in, was built with exterior walls of two
layers
of white pine planks on end. these planks were 24 to 36 inches wide,
2
1/2 inches thick and up to 20 feet long. The trees were cut on the
property and floated down the river to a water powered mill much
like
the Taylor Mill with the vertical saw powered by an undershot wheel.
This mill combined the saw mill, a planing mill and a grist mill. I
never saw the mill but remember well the stone fillled cribs of the
dam and flume. We used to use the cast grinding plates from the
grist
mill as a boat anchor.
The site was washed away in the early '50's when an ice jam combined
with driftwood in the forebay of the dam gave way and spread
everything downstream.

This private NH Christian high school teaches both male and female
students the skills needed to restore or duplicate New England
structures from the 1700 and 1800's in their original style.
http://www.turnermills.com/JesseRemingtonArticle.pdf

Most excellent! They'll have a very interesting, well-paid career for
life. I watched a couple timber frame class workshops on YT and have
always loved the look of timber framed buildings.



Last fall the fair had an exhibit of cutting pine planks as large as
yours with a chainsaw running on guides, like the Alaskan mill that
Northern sells but bigger. A couple of huge planks were still there
during the ham radio flea market a few weeks later.

Cool. Don't the tree huggers crusade against the old-growth
destruction? They sue every single timber sale in Oregon nowadays,
without missing one.


My sister and her husband have repaired and extended their 17xx Maine
farm house using pegged post and beam construction, though not with
timbers that large.

Yeah, that was over the top.


I sized the bandsaw mill I built for 20" logs based on the largest
trees left in the neighborhood and have had to chainsaw slabs off the
stump end of oaks that had been leaning over the house to fit it.
Instead of full width planks I've been cutting each log section into
two 6" x 12" by 12' beams to store the wood in the form of shed
frames. The logs and rough cut beams (cants) dry evenly without
cracking too much if the ends are painted with melted toilet ring wax,
which unlike paraffin wax is flexible enough to not crack open as the
weather changes.

I wonder what's in those "wax" rings today.

--
"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined
and that we can do nothing to change it look before they cross
the road." --Steven Hawking

On Tue, 5 Feb 2019 08:30:53 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 3 Feb 2019 13:54:17 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:


When I was little my father bought lumber to repair our 1830 house
at
a water-powered sawmill.

Really cool.

The sawmill was a commercial operation. I didn't realize it was
powered by water until they opened a hatch in the floor and showed me
the Francis turbine in the stream under the building. The dam, pond
and an ice house were on the other side of the road.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_turbine

Besides the standard wooden wheel style used on old mills, I've seen
Pelton style used in small hydro. Francis is new to me. I saw the
design for Jonval turbines, thinking that it looked considerably lower
in efficiency. I never did search for the differences.


Unlike a vertical wooden water wheel, a Francis turbine in operation
is as picturesque as a garbage disposal. There are others still
generating micro-hydro electricity around here, including one under
the mill building space the blacksmith rents.
https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/...nts/notado.pdf
Notice how many small dams are or were a hydropower generating
facility.

Many of the small dams were financed by the selling of the electrical
output from their hydro systems. I've been meaning to go see our
local Lost Creek Lake/William L. Jess Dam hydro. Free tours if you
call ahead. 49mW output.


--
"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined
and that we can do nothing to change it look before they cross
the road." --Steven Hawking

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 4 Feb 2019 08:39:41 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

...
This private NH Christian high school teaches both male and female
students the skills needed to restore or duplicate New England
structures from the 1700 and 1800's in their original style.
http://www.turnermills.com/JesseRemingtonArticle.pdf

Most excellent! They'll have a very interesting, well-paid career
for
life. I watched a couple timber frame class workshops on YT and
have
always loved the look of timber framed buildings.

I think the broader intent is to instill the confidence to take on a
difficult task in cooperation with others.

On Mon, 18 Feb 2019 20:27:46 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 4 Feb 2019 08:39:41 -0500, "Jim Wilkins"
wrote:

...
This private NH Christian high school teaches both male and female
students the skills needed to restore or duplicate New England
structures from the 1700 and 1800's in their original style.
http://www.turnermills.com/JesseRemingtonArticle.pdf

Most excellent! They'll have a very interesting, well-paid career
for
life. I watched a couple timber frame class workshops on YT and
have
always loved the look of timber framed buildings.

I think the broader intent is to instill the confidence to take on a
difficult task in cooperation with others.

Timberframing definitely does build teamwork.
Kudos for a smarter syllabus, JRHS.

--
"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined
and that we can do nothing to change it look before they cross
the road." --Steven Hawking