Just received this old (Oak ?) beam and I'm interested in finding out how the finish has been achieved . It came from a building which dates back to 1620 and as it is part of the backbone of the building it must date from that time ,also if you add on another 100 years of growing time it make this piece of timber a fair old fella. As for the finish there has been no attempt to tidy up the axe/adze marks so must be purely for decoration .So I'm hoping some can tell me when in the past this syle was used so as to give me an accurate date of construction. If I can avoid 400 years worth of nails I should be able to get a few pen blanks out of it.
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Adze or Axe ?
- Thread starter edlea
- Start date
Well done Ed lets just hope your bandsaw can cope with it 400 years old it will be as hars as nookers knocker Oak is one of them woods that gets harder with time I have knowen old Oak to be so hard you couldn't even bang a nail in it
Ask Woody he might even know who did it he is that old init?
I would hasn't to guess that that is actually not original work looks to me like that has been deliberately distressed at some point after the build.
Even a messy worker would not leave those marks as finished work. and if you think he would have been standing over the timber the angle looks wrong to me.
Mind you I am no expert on old building methods but I have spent a lot of time on building sites and decorated many an old property and it don't ring true to me.
I would hasn't to guess that that is actually not original work looks to me like that has been deliberately distressed at some point after the build.
Even a messy worker would not leave those marks as finished work. and if you think he would have been standing over the timber the angle looks wrong to me.
Mind you I am no expert on old building methods but I have spent a lot of time on building sites and decorated many an old property and it don't ring true to me.
I think you might be wise to invest in a bi metal blade so if you hit a nail it not to much to worrier about
But wow what a lump of wood you have got hold of Ed.
It looks big enough to hollow out and float of to desert island, oh the dreams I have when bored at work init?
Seriously though apart from the worm holes it sure does look a fair chunk and maybe a bit bigger than just pen blanks.
And should you be lifting it so soon after being beaten up, how are you healing?
It looks big enough to hollow out and float of to desert island, oh the dreams I have when bored at work init?
Seriously though apart from the worm holes it sure does look a fair chunk and maybe a bit bigger than just pen blanks.
And should you be lifting it so soon after being beaten up, how are you healing?
Your right Brian I shouldn't be anywhere near the shed ..still can't breath yet and it's still tender round the conk area ..but I feel a bit better today .. that is apart from my stomach's playing up now ,just got an appointment for a Gastroscopy next month.... now that's really something to look forward to....NOT!
Hi Ed I had to dismantle a rather rotted wooden summer house at the school I work at, it was about 150 years old just a youngster compared to yours, the roof and walls didn't pose any problems but the 6 inch oak uprights well that was a different matter a brand new Stihl chainsaw blade lasted 2 cuts. I foolishly tried to turn a small length none of the tools I had would touch it so it was condemned to the fire pile but it takes so long burn that I gave up on that idea, hope you have better luck than I did. Hope your recovery goes well if you would like to meet for a coffee and a chat I live near Carnforth.
Robin
Robin
ZuluTiming
Full Member
Nice peace! If you know the building history, old picture or some historical facts the bowls/pens could fetch some significant prices.
As for the marks, I think they are deliberate. It made the mortar/dirt stick better to the timber. I'm no expert
As for the marks, I think they are deliberate. It made the mortar/dirt stick better to the timber. I'm no expert
If the marks are original they were made with an adze rather than an axe. but I tend to go with the theory that they were post-finish, given how regular they are and how smooth the finish is between them. I did not know that oak gets harder as it gets older - you might be in for a wild ride there, Ed.
Yes oak is the most stable wood we have for building at it ages to be literally hard a s steel if not harder.
But if you know who cut this lump out of the building ask them what they used.
I have cut some out in my time and as mentioned, a chain saw wouldn't go near it but an old bow saw did.
But if you know who cut this lump out of the building ask them what they used.
I have cut some out in my time and as mentioned, a chain saw wouldn't go near it but an old bow saw did.
chas_41_uk
Registered
I would be inclined to agree with Grump. That does look like later attempts to distress the beam, done with at axe. Adze's tend to have a curved blade.
Penpal
Grand Master
Your right Brian I shouldn't be anywhere near the shed ..still can't breath yet and it's still tender round the conk area ..but I feel a bit better today .. that is apart from my stomach's playing up now ,just got an appointment for a Gastroscopy next month.... now that's really something to look forward to....NOT!
If its for reflux Ed I worried my way around this for a long time the specialist said all the doctors theories of a hiatis hernia in there are rubbish I can fix that and he did while he was visiting in there he pumped up the tube and expanded my throat problem solved. No biggie you say to right it was to me. Have success mate.
Peter.
Penpal
Grand Master
Heart of Oak Ed we watch extensively a program from the UK that specialised in restoring very old buildings mostly rubbish IMHO and anything goes when the backbones are revealed. I find it hard to admire new oak split all over the place exposed in beams cant see any splits in your piece just unfinished symphony.
Peter.
Peter.
Thanks for all the info guys ..to be honest I have since had another look at it and it now looks more like Elm than Oak, the recent cutting looks to have been done with an ordinary cross cut saw ...need to ask the chap who gave it to me about that. I'm not to convinced about the distressing though as I believe this piece was hidden in the roof parts of the building so it wouldn't be on display., but I do like Zulus idea of a rough edge for plaster or lime mortar to adhere to ... that sounds good. It actually came out of the oldest pub in the village of Croston nr Preston. Originally, according to some sources, it was a Jacobian house, then later in the 1700s it became The Green Man pub and then had it's name changed to The Lord Nelson in 1805 after the battle of Trafalgar. If I can get some blanks out of it I may be worthwhile to go and present the landlord with a pen made from his pub on condition that he signs a few provenances for me.
Did the beam show signs of having any type of finish applied to it Ed, eg wattle & daub or some sort of plaster?
It looks to me like the sort of cuts that would be made on a beam to provide a key so a finish would hold on to it, axes in the right hands leave an excellent finish so I don't think this is a surface left from being worked with tools without a reason such as I suggest.
PS sorry only read the first page before posting my reply,
It looks to me like the sort of cuts that would be made on a beam to provide a key so a finish would hold on to it, axes in the right hands leave an excellent finish so I don't think this is a surface left from being worked with tools without a reason such as I suggest.
PS sorry only read the first page before posting my reply,
Yes Doug i think It has been done to provide some sort of key ...will have a good look at it tomorrow to see if there's any thing adhering to it .