PRESERVE AND RESTORE

Spring Greening 2012 New Oreleans, LA

2012-03-01T13:12:00.003-08:00

Historic Green.org is a sustainable building group whom outreach to the people of New Orleans affected by hurricane Katrina. Students from all over come to volunteer on their spring break to learn about hands on Rehabilitation and Restoration of homes in the affected community of the Lower 9th.

This year College of the Redwoods HPRT students Joshua Carr, and Meagan Carver will be attending the event. They will be assigned to window restoration as apart of the spring greening projects for March 12-16.

Below is a abstract taken from the HistoircGreen.org website that details the ideology behind the organization:

"Our flagship event, Spring Greening empowers local leaders in the green restoration of their own homes and communities while also providing green restoration of the culturally important, hurricane-ravaged Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. We make it happen through an intensive series of service learning projects paired with hands-on educational sessions. There are 3 broad areas of focus over the course of each 2-week set of session: Green Homes, Green Spaces and Green Communities. Each year, more than 100 students, young professionals and skilled professionals from around the country gather to volunteer in this proud historic neighborhood."

NATIONAL PARK SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

2012-02-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

Sponsoredby the National Park Service

andthe National Council for Preservation Education

Summer2012 Positions Available

TheNational Park Service (NPS), in partnership with the National Councilfor Preservation Education (NCPE), offers paid internships in Federalcultural resource program offices and in National Parks, to graduateand undergraduate senior students in academic programs in historicpreservation and allied fields such as history, archeology,architecture, and museum studies. Positions will be available thissummer at the NationalPark Service,Department of theInterior, GeneralServices Administration,Department of Defense,Department of the Navyand the VeteransAdministration, inWashington, DC and across the country.

APPLICATIONDEADLINE: March 2, 2012

Applicationsand instructions for applying are available

atthe following Web sites:

NPS: www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/hpit_p.htm

NCPE: www.preservenet.cornell.edu/employ/ncpe.php

Seethe following pages for a listing of positions,

andcheck the Web sites for updates on New positions.

NationalCouncil for Preservation Education

2012Summer Internships

withthe

NationalPark Service, Department of the Interior,

GeneralServices Administration,

Department of Defense,Department of the Navy

andVeterans Administration

TheNational Park Service and partnering agencies will offer internshipsduring the summer of 2012. Internships are for ten (10) weeks, atforty (40) hours per week and in Washington, DC except where noted. Stipends are issued based on a rate of twelve dollars per hour. Exact starting dates will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Forall internships, computer and word processing skills are desirable.

Tobe eligible, you must be currently enrolled in an academic program inhistoric preservation or an allied field, or very recently graduated(degree received December 2010 or later). Interns are not eligibleto work more than 1200 hours in this program; previous interns in theprogram must stay within this overall limit.

Tospeed processing of your request and give you a faster review of yourapplication, please scan your materials electronically and email themas a single AdobeAcrobat (.pdf) file containing both signed application andtranscripts to Michael Tomlan at Cornell University (email: mat4@cornell.edu). Pleaseadhere to the single .pdf format requirement;processing of your application will be delayed if materials are notreceived in this form.

Ifelectronic submission is not possible, all application materialsshould be mailed to the National Council for Preservation Education,Attention: Michael A. Tomlan, 210 West Sibley Hall, CornellUniversity, Ithaca, New York, 14853-6701. Applications must bereceived no later than March2, 2012. Pleaseindicate by number the internship(s) in which you are interested, nomore than six total (multiple numbers heading a single descriptioncount as one choice).

Pleasebe aware that, unless otherwise noted, internsare responsible for travel to and housing at the internship location. This should be kept in mind particularly for those internships inthe West. In some cases the supervising office may be able to assistin locating housing but it is ultimately up to the individualaccepting the internship to find accommodations.

Alsobe aware that, due to Federal Government-wide security requirements,a background check will be required for any position which involvesaccess to Government computers, if you are chosen for that position. This may include providing information about recent housing andemployment history, and those positions may require US citizenship orpossession of a valid student visa to complete the check. Theposition supervisor will have more information on requirements andprocedures at the time of hiring.

CT-15 Field Techniques for Historic Preservation

2012-02-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

College of the Redwoods HPR program is practicing hands on education in preservation at the Annie B. Ryan Home on 1000 F st. The spring students will be tasked to prep old growth recycled redwood panels. These panels must be stripped of their paint, repaired of any cracks, checks and rot and will be install in the bathroom as wainscot around where the bathtub will be installed. Other projects include will be plumbing the bathroom, hanging doors, installing new kitchen cabinets with doors that will be historically milled to match the house's originals that were available as visual evidence for the profile. Also being milled will be balusters and newl posts for the front porch entry.

Beginning in March CT-3 taught by renown artist Peter Santino, students will be learning traditional smooth wall plaster skills and how to preserve and restore decorative plaster found in historic homes and sites.

PHMC Preservation Trades Internship

2012-01-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

Apprenticeships in the Preservationand Traditional Building Trades
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Summer 2012

Apprentices are instructed in traditional joinery techniques at the apprentice training workshop hosted at Daniel Boone Homestead. Become part of a large and growing sector of the construction industry preserving Pennsylvania’s treasured historic buildings.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is sponsoring its 7th annual summer apprenticeship program to introduce students and recent graduates of post-secondary trade schools, technical colleges and other training programs and others with building trades experience, to the preservation and traditional building trades needed to preserve Pennsylvania’s historic places. PHMC and several partner organizations and companies will be offering paid apprentice positions for 12 weeks in the summer of 2012 at locations throughout Pennsylvania. The apprenticeships will include a free training program with an introductory one-day seminar in historic preservation and two days of hands-on training by master craftsmen in various preservation and traditional trade skills. Interested students should review the list of positions below and contact the representative for those they are interested in for more information or to schedule an interview. All hiring decisions are the responsibility of the company or institution hosting the individual apprenticeship. The hiring period will end on April 30th 2011.

For general information on the program contact Joe Lauver, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, by phone at 717-787-6242, FAX at 717-214-2988 or email at jlauver@pa.gov .
Division of Architecture and Preservation
Commonwealth Keystone Building
400 North Street, Room N118
Harrisburg, PA 17120-0053
www.phmc.state.pa.us

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
PRESERVATION AND TRADITIONAL BUILDING TRADES
SUMMER 2011 APPRENTICESHIP POSITIONS:

Historical Restorations
Location: Kreamer, Snyder County (project locations throughout central PA)
Wage: $10.00 / hour
Position Description:
Apprentice will engage in all aspects of log and timber frame restoration at projects throughout central Pennsylvania.
Contact:
The Country Homestead / Historic Restorations
P.O. Box 188
Kreamer, PA 17833
Frank P.Stroik
(570) 374-7122

Fairmount Park Historic Trust
Location: Philadelphia Metropolitan Area with a focus on Fairmount Park
Wage: Work Study Rate
Position Description:
Apprentice will work under the supervision of the Trust’s team of architectural conservators and preservationists to perform a variety of preservation carpentry projects including: window sash and jamb repairs, shutter repairs, flooring and porch repairs. The apprentice will also perform masonry repairs including: re-pointing stone, brick and patching and cleaning stone. Apprentice will assist staff with painting and other general preservation maintenance activities. The apprentice will have the opportunity to work with National Historic Landmark buildings and many other architecturally significant structures located throughout Fairmount Park. The apprentice must be eligible for the work study rate arranged through their school’s financial aid department. Submit resume and cover letter after February 1, 2012 to info@fairmountparktrust.org
Contact:
Fairmount Park Historic Trust
Thomas Mansion
6345 Wissahickon Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Lucy Strackhouse, Executive Director

Jamison Masonry Restoration, LLC
Location: Oreland, southeastern PA
Wage: $12.00
Position Description:
Apprentices will work on a diverse range of masonry restoration projects including re-pointing, and stone and brick facade restorations.
Contact:
Jamison Masonry Restoration, LLC.
150 Roesch Avenue
Oreland, PA 19075
Stephen Weihing, Human Resource Manager
(215) 884-6600
hr@jamisonmasonry.com

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Preservation Construction Section
Location: Daniel Boone Homestead, Birdsboro, Berks County
Wage: $12.00/hour
Position Description:
This apprenticeship will provide an opportunity for apprentices to learn about historic preservation and the traditional trades through fieldwork, shop work, research and other project work under the supervision of master preservation craftsmen. The areas of work will emphasize historic preservation and traditional carpentry skills, but may include historic masonry restoration and other trades. PHMC maintains a number of historic buildings at historic sites and museums throughout Pennsylvania. The apprentices will be engaged in project work at several sites.
Contact:
Daniel Boone Homestead
400 Daniel Boone Road
Birdsboro, PA 19508
Jim Houston, Preservation Construction Specialist
(610) 404-0393
jahouston@pa.gov

SUMMER 2012 INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

2012-01-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

As we all know the job today's market is a competitive fast placed arena in which every bit of knowledge and experience could mean the difference between you and a career. I have compiled a few sites and some internship opportunities for those interested. Also at these preservation sites there is also job listing sections that are available as well.

http://www.preservenet.cornell.edu/employ/intern.php

http://www.preservationnation.org/career-center/

http://historicorps.org/

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND THANK YOU'S

2011-12-25T12:18:00.000-08:00

The College of the Redwoods HPRT program would like to wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We would like to thank College of the Redwoods for allotting funds for us to continue our educations in the field of preservation , Provolt Design for the amazing HPRT shirts and a quick and cheerful completion of our order. A special thanks to the Eureka Heritage Society and the Ingomar club for inviting us to the amazing Carson Mansion for their annual Christmas Holiday luncheon!!! Have A happy new years!! See you all in JANUARY!!!

HPR Field School Recieves VIP Congressman

2011-11-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

What started as a casual conversation about jobs-training at a recent ceremony dedicating the new Fisherman’s Terminal on the Eureka waterfront, resulted in a personal visit by Congressman Thompson to the HPRT Field School. Professor Bill Hole, director of the HPR program at CR asked him to come see our training site, in hopes he’d have some ideas.

He spent 45 minutes engaged and enthusiastic about the training that students are gaining, job potentials, challenges and successes of training career technical education programs like HPRT. He came up with ideas and enjoyed seeing what five-years of classwork has accomplished to the 22-year abandoned Queen Anne cottage.

Below:

CongressmanMike Thompson feels smooth wall plaster restoration done by students

ProfessorBill Hole discusses with Congressman Mike Thompson past HPRT projects ofService Learning and Green Jobs pre-apprenticeship training with CCC youth.

Professor Bill Hole showing Congressman Mike Thompsona molding profile planer knife cut by past student (and student club founder),Ashley Hudson

CongressmanThompson and past student Steve Lazar watch students Quinn Kalisch and MikeCoop glazing a wooden window sash.

Group photo of smiles – (left to right) Elliot Kane,Associate Faculty Bob Felter, Ryan Barlow, Greg DeAngelis, Professor Bill Hole,Congressman Mike Thompson, Alan Michaels, and Josh Carr.

ShayOmran is excited to work on real projects in this hands on classroom training. Shay is measuring skirting before it is cut and applied to the Annie B.

Ryan Stoffel enjoys working on the Annie B. Ryanhouse.

Nancy Ingram checking twice before cutting once.

Below: GregDeAngelis cleaning window jamb for window restoration demonstration project.

ElliotKane happy to be working with his hands at the field school.

Students were in class and engaged with various projects, stopping to interact with his questions, and for a group photo and signing of the welcome poster at the end (Thanks to Colleen Hole for painting the poster and gathering signatures!).

Thanks to Paul DeMark for contacting the Times-Standard newspaper, as photographer Shawn Walker came by to shoot a picture for the Sunday paper. Thanks to Breon Hole for volunteering as our site photographer by taking these great pictures during his visit.

Special thanks to students in the HPRT Student Club students Greg DeAngelis, Megan Carver, and Elliot Kane for preparing the visual aids, and past student Maggy Herbelin and current student Nancy Ingram for baking fresh cookies.

2011-12 HPRT Officers

2011-11-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

Director : Bill Hole

Bill has been working with his hands in various trades for thirty years. House painting, boat building, custom carpentry, concrete, structural steel, machine tool, cabinet and millwork, and stained glass all developed his craft skills for teaching new home construction at College of the Redwoods in Eureka, California since 1991. He started a Historic Preservation and Restoration Technology certificate program (HPRT) in 1996 and in 2002 developed a hands-on Associate of Science Historic Preservation and Restoration Technology program (still unique on the West Coast). He thrives on teaching people the successful use of tools, preservation techniques/craft, sustainable building practices, and critical thinking skills that are fundamental to building conservation and recycling our historic resources. "Preservation is about community working together to sustain pride of ownership".

President : Joshua Carr

Josh is 26, and is in his second year of the HPRT degree program. Josh has a BA in History from CSU Fresno and is furthering his expertise with the preservation degree. Seeking a post-baccalaureate degree in preservation He moved to Eureka from the Central Valley of California specifically for College of the Redwoods HPRT program. His professional plans include working within federal agencies in educating and practicing preservation trade work.

Vice President : Greg DeAngelis

A new addition to our community, attending school full time at College of the Redwoods found his heart and creativity in the building world in 1998. He has focused mostly on home remodeling and alternative building elements while also dabbling in the many phases of construction over the last ten years. He hopes to further his education of contrasts between the growing lost arts of true craftsmanship modeled in the great historical buildings of old and the new methods of construction of today to better adapt to a changing worlds view on sustainability. Greg's goals are degrees in both Historical Preservation and Restoration and Construction Technology programs to further take the ideas and skills of the program to others. As Carl Elefante states on green building: "The greenest buildings are the ones that have already been built."

Greg's favorite Historic Preservation and Restoration quotes:

"Preservationists are the only people in the world who are invariably confirmed in their wisdom after the fact...."

John Kenneth Galbraith

Presentation to the National Trust for Historic Preservation [1979]vii

Historic preservation makes sense in large measure because historic preservation makes dollars and cents, but it also saves dollars and cents. Historic preservation is a rational and effective economic response to overconsumption. To make a new brick today to build a building on a site where there is already a building standing steals from two generations. It steals from the generation that built the brick originally by throwing away their asset before its work is done, and it steals from a future generation by using increasingly scarce natural resources today that should have been saved for tomorrow.

Don Rypkema
The Economics of Rehabilitation [1997]xv

Treasurer : Quinn Kalisch

Quinn grew up in Seattle, WA. and moved to Santa Cruz, CA to attend Cabrillo College. While attending Cabrillo College Quinn studied art and design, also taking landscape design classes. Quinn have always had a great interest in architecture and an appreciation for historic structures. Most recently He moved to Humboldt county to take part in the HPRT program based at College of the Redwoods in Eureka, Ca

Secretary : Meagan Carver

Megan Carver was born and raised on the East Coast in Baltimore, MD. She attended the University of Denver,CO as a Division-1 Collegiate Lacrosse Player receiving her BSBA in Real Estate and Construction Management. She moved to Northern California immediately after graduation to be close to a few of her siblings and discovered her love for historic architecture through recent travels to England and Ireland in February and August 2011. Soon after, she enrolled at the College of the Redwoods in Eureka,Ca to receive the Certificate of Achievement in Historic Preservation and Restoration. She plans to continue her travels after receiving the Certificate of Achievement; taking her knowledge of historic preservation and restoration with her. The possibilities are endless! Megan is ecstatic to have discovered this program and is so grateful to have Professors who are truly passionate about educating younger generations on the conservation of such important historic architecture.

Material Science: Glass CT-7

2011-10-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

It's almost been a month attending Bill Hole's class Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 12:00. Our first project is a leaded glass window. We just learned how to solder the lead joints.

Cutting the lead is simple with these cutters

brushing the lead came before patina (coloring)

Bill demonstrating cutting methods.

Copper foil being applied to glass in place of the lead came technique

We didn't get to see how the grinder worked until we had used the grozing pliers for a week.

Cleaning the joint with a wire brush before applying flux.

Preheating the lead helps the solder flow.

My piece flipped over after soldering the first side.

Rough framing and wall raising

2011-10-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

Wall Framing for the Photovoltaic Student's sheds. Next Step will be Framing for the roof systems.

HPRT Club members building sheds for CR Photovoltaic students

2011-10-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

Several club members are involved in a carpentry class being offered by CR's Construction Technology program. The course goals for this semester are to build four sheds for the photovoltaic students also within the Construction technology department. Here are some photos of the floor joists being notched for the forklift which is part of the inevitable journey across campus. More photos soon will be up of the wall and roof framing segments of the sheds.

2011 Eureka Heritage Society Home Tour

2011-10-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

Once again the Heritage society put together a wonderful home tour in which some of the CR HPRT club members were available to be docents at several sites. Another notable HPRT activity during this event was the ANNIE B RYAN field school was open to the public as a supplemental home on the tour. It was an amazing turnout as we had over 50 persons sign the guest sign in at the field school. Visitors were greeted by Bill Hole and several club members and were given a tour around our field school and were shown castings, mill work, tools, and photos of the active work and material sciences that the students practice every Saturday in the fall.

We also would like to thank the Eureka Heritage Society for their invitation to the Eureka theater for a little after hours libations!

Arcata Scoop

2011-01-23T09:07:00.000-08:00

Our first meeting of 2011 will be at the Arcata Scoop. "Amazing handmade ice creams, late hours, all-natural ingredients, awesome new flavor combinations...." this is what one customer had to say about it. We aren't meeting at the best organic ice cream shop in northern California for their frozen delicacies, we will be addressing the bay window on the southern side. The window that gets the most sunshine and the harshest weather.

Isaac Minor built this house in 1884, along with a twin next door for his two daughters. They were built as mirror images of one another. The original "stoop" of the house was on the right side of the front of the house (as opposed to the center where it is now), and the stoop of the sister house was on the left side of the front of the house.

Built as a residence, the building has been used for commercial purposes for the past 40+ years, with the front portion usually serving as the retail portion and the back as offices and storage. Mike Wilson first remembers the building being Red Roach Records in the 1970s and early 1980s. In the mid 1980s it became Moonrise Herbs, and when they moved to the Plaza in 1997 the house served as a venue for massage/alternative medicine consultations.

Mike and Laura bought the building in 2004 and renovated the back 2/3rds of the interior as on office. They pulled out temporary walls, a lot of paneling, the drop ceilings, and what was left of the old kitchen counter and plumbing and installed a small kitchenette in what was the old wash room. They stripped the upper walls and ceilings (that which was above the drop ceiling) of layers of wallpaper and pulled thousands of tacks and essentially refinished the lids of both side rooms, including adding the interior windows to get light from the south room into the north. The whole interior was painted and laid with carpet. The large front room was rented out as is, and the tenants made minor improvements.

In 2005-6 they renovated the exterior with assistance from the city of Arcata facade grant for $10K. With that, and a bit more from Mike and Laura, they replaced the right front corner section of the foundation, which was essentially a piece of flagstone. Also replaced was all the plank one-by below the water table, portions of the water table, the columns on the side porch, several sections of roof soffit, a bunch of the dentils, and the entire front porch, (except the roof and roof members). Laura Kadlecik's father milled most of the trim package that was needed for the exterior work including the columns for the front porch, the watertable, the dentils, and the flat sawn balusters. The porch railing balusters were (originally when Mike and Laura first had the building) flat but plain, no decoration.

"From one of the historic photos of the house we saw the balusters sawn w/ flower cut outs in the yard fence. The house adjacent to our home (built in the late 1880s) had the exact flower cut outs as could be seen in the photograph, so we copied our neighbors flat sawn balusters and used them for the porch railing." recalls Laura.

Then the exterior was painted. In 2008 the Arcata Scoop started renovating the large front room, the north room, the restroom, the whole north yard, and installed the new ADA walkway and side porch and door (a sliding glass door, installed backward, was where the side door was up to that time). Mike and Laura installed a new foundation on the north side as part of the Scoops work.

"There's more we want to/need to do to the house (of course)! Other then more painting, the roof needs replacement and also I want to put a widows walk on the top, as shown in the photo." says Laura.

I guess the most interesting factoid about the house is that Houdini apparently slept there.... or so they say.

Mike and Laura are "SUPER grateful" for our offer to help repair the bay window sill and trim. They haven't had the the chance to offer much TLC to the building in the past couple years and that has been weighing on them.

"I'm so stoked to have you and your club memebers lend some of yours.(TLC)" says Laura.

They will have a historic report by Alex Stillman & Susie Vankirk to show us as well as some old photos

See you Sunday, January 30 at the Arcata Scoop, on I street across from Los Bagels.

Farnsworth House

2010-12-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

This fall I got the chance to visit one of America’s most influential modern, historic homes, the Farnsworth House. The Farnsworth house is Located in Plano, Illinois about 60 miles west of Chicago. The structure was design by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a famous Architect of the modern movement and Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. By the time the residence was finished in 1951, Mies Van der Rohe had an incredible stormy relationship with its owner Dr. Edith Farnsworth. It was said that she was cynical about the architect’s brilliance and annoyed by his eccentric, sometimes arrogant ways. The pair was entangled in legal affairs for many years after the completion of the house. Regardless of all this, the site and home itself is inspiring to see. I arvisited on a perfect, warm fall day. Folks in canoes floated by on the near-by Fox River.

The concept of the house was to be as simple as possible. It was for one person and designed for weekends only. It is made primarily of glass, steel, concrete and travertine. The house is sleek and appears to be light as air, when in fact is incredible heavy and pinned to the ground.

The building has been survived several floods and restoration, and was bought in 2003 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Landmarks Illinois. It is visited April through November by thousands of students, architecture lovers and Mies van der Rohe admirers from around the world. You can read more about it in last months Preservation magazine, where they cover sixteen of the trust properties. More can also be seen at the offical website www.farnsworthhouse.org.

Pierson's Building Center

2010-12-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

Club members spent a Saturday outside Pierson's spreading the word about Historic Preservation and Restoration of homes and buildings. We were competing for attention with the Salvation Army bell ringer, next time we need to bring a bell.
Our goal was to spread awareness of this unique program. Samples of student projects were on display (cast and mold making, stained glass, architectural millwork and more) as well as complimentary DVD's describing the program in finer detail. We had cookies for sale and raffle tickets for a complimentary luncheon at the Ingomar Club.

Stained glass demonstration

Photo board with recent projects displayed.

Window glazing demonstration.

Times Standard Article

2010-11-23T20:57:00.000-08:00

Humboldt County partners with CR,
CCC to offer free green building training
The Times-Standard Posted: 11/22/2010 01:15:08 AM PST

Humboldt County, in partnership with College of the Redwoods and the California Conservation Corps, will provide free training and hands-on experience in the green building profession for young adults.

The county recently received California Clean Energy workforce training grants, in which CR is a partner and is providing much of the training for the grants, according to a CR press release. The deadline to apply is Dec. 17.

The 13-week program is focused on disadvantaged persons ages 18-24 and provides green building classes and a paid work experience with the California Conservation Corps. The students will take part in the CCC training class beginning Jan. 24. in Eureka and perform hands-on work in the CR Construction Technology class, CT-15 Field Techniques for Historic Preservation, starting Jan. 31.

There will be job placement assistance upon completion of the program. Free housing may be available in the CR dormitories on the main Eureka campus for those who live outside the Eureka area.

This program can serve residents of Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties.

Participants will also be given the opportunity to develop workforce entry skills at the Eureka Adult School.

For more information or an application, call StepUp Program Coordinator Laura Chancellor at The Job Market, 445-6226.

HPR Club secretary Greg Deangelis (white hardhat) assists CCC students, Dan and Tim (foreground) in removing three generations of roofing at the Annie B. Ryan field school.

Stripping Paint

2010-11-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

We all know that paint on old houses probably contains lead. Windows are often difficult to open or have been painted shut. We had a lecture on safely removing paint in the course CT-17 Material Science: Glass. I have taken this information and also tips from Bill's window Restoration Workshop and experimented on windows from my own house to fully develop a safe way to remove paint.

The most important thing to remember is that lead paint is most dangerous in its dry, air born, dusty form. So keep it wet. How? With steam. Jiffy Steamer makes a professional steamer that holds more water than the personal steamers so that you don't have to refill as often. As your drycleaner knows, steam is the gentlest, safest, most efficient method to remove wrinkles from fabrics. Steam also softens paint and glazing putty and swells the wood so that paint and putty can easily and safely be removed from wood with a putty knife or scraper.

Steam box made with inch and a half rigid insulation.

Custom shaped scrapers can be ground to match the profile of the window. With a heat gun leading the way paint comes off in a soft pliable form and the shape of the profile is unaltered. Whatever paint didn't come off after steaming can be removed safely with a heat gun. HEPA filters are suggested when working around suspicious materials.

Lead paint is not something to take lightly. Precautions such as wearing a Tyvek suit, nitril gloves and a HEPA filter particle mask is highly recommended. Disposal of hazardous materials is important, double bag the waste and deliver it to you local hazardous waste dumping sight. In Eureka, CA there is a 15 gallon limit per visit, open on Friday and Saturday 9 am to 1 pm.

Traditional Building Conference: Part II

2010-10-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

So an important fact I forgot to say last post was this years Traditional Building Conference was themed Growing Green: Traditional Building and Sustainable Development. The last day of the conference I went to a great lecture By Aaron Lubeck, author if Green Restorations:Sustainable Building in Historic Homes. Aaron lives and work on historic homes in Durham North Carolina. He was refreshingly honest, funny and not an architect. His book is hands-on and discusses the convergence of America's conservation movements, historic preservation and green building.

Overall I think that the Traditional Building Conference was a success. Thanks to Bill and PTN for thinking of me to represent them and my friend Jeff for helping me at the booth.

Traditional Building Conference

2010-10-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Chicago, Illinois! I guess I can say I am the Midwest correspondent for preserve and restore now. Today I have been working a booth for The Preservation Trades Network , at the annual Traditional Building Conference.

PTN is a non for profit membership organization founded to provide education, networking and outreach for the traditional building trades. PTN works with North American and international partners to provide educational resources, events and workshops that build opportunities for collaboration, and exchange of skills and knowledge. PTN is well known in the preservation field and I was fortunate to talk to a lot of interesting people at this conference. Besides working the exhibition hall, I also got to attend some lectures. One seminar I enjoyed in particular was transforming the past to save the future, presented by Tom Liebel, an architect from Baltimore. Liebel discussed an adaptive reuse of an old factory building. This project was a perfect mix of preservation, sustainability and establishing community. Check out Miller’s court, I was inspired, and they worked on a tight budget.

More to come soon, including day two of the conference and my recent trip to a historic Mies van der Rohe.

Blue Ox Millwork

2010-10-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

Blue Ox has one of the largest collections of human powered tools.

Here is the Barnes Velocipede #2 (1886), This is probably the most efficient scroll saw ever built.

Custom-made Victorian Millwork

Blue Ox is a custom shop specializing in Victorian architectural details and historic reproductions. Blue Ox manufactures everything from hand carved newels to custom wood windows, from 24 foot columns, to custom redwood gutters, gable decorations, siding, corbels, moulding, and more. They will help make your ideas a reality.

Authentic Functioning Blacksmith Shop

Ornamental iron work is produced in the blacksmith shop as well as hardware such as nails and bolts. Items necessary for repairs of our antique machinery are made in the blacksmith shop and machine shop.

Ceramics, Boat Building, Shingle Milling, a Working Print Shop and more.

These antique printing presses are still used by the students to print their yearbooks. Tourists can peak into the shop, see drawers of antique type and paper cutters so large that they can cut through stacks of phone books. If they are lucky they might even see the 1890's press in operation.

All of this plus they are a School of Traditional Arts. At Blue Ox School, students get a regular high school curriculum with a full component of hands-on projects and creative learning opportunities. Blue Ox students earn their high school diploma while participating in a family environment, creating original works of art, building feelings of self-accomplishment, and learning valuable skills that will be of use to them in all walks of life.

Visit Blue Ox today and step into the past. Where Even the Run of the Mill is Extraordinary

Field Trip

2010-09-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

The Material Science: Glass class (CT-7) went on a field trip and visited two local business. First we met at Fire and Light who specializes in cast recycled glass to create one of a kind glasses, bowls, plates, vases and other items. 90 to 93% of the glass is recycled from local homes and businesses.

150 pounds of clear glass is heated to 2450˚ then poured into graphite molds one piece at a time. After the glass cools (about a minute) it is placed in an annealing oven (lehr) set to 900˚ and the pieces slowly cools to 90˚.

Don't miss Fire and Lights second sale on October 16 and 17, 2010 at the Arcata Community Center.

Next was a visit to Hilliard Lamps, specializing in foiled and fused glass with cast bronze components

Silica Bronze ingots are heated to 2050˚ and poured into a flask, the top half called the cope and the bottom half is the drag.

Glass is cut into very small pieces and then wrapped with copper foil. Once the pieces have been placed they are soldered together.

For more pictures you can click on the Hilliard pics or Fire and Light pics.

Reparing old windows

2010-06-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

Many publications and websites have been making the case for repairing or restoring old windows, instead or buying new ones. Many agree that repairing old windows saves not only resources but also money. According to the newsletter Real Green , many homes build before the 1980's have single paned wood windows, which can be repaired to seal as tightly as new vinyl or aluminum windows. Replacement window can be $200-$1,000 dollars per window before labor, while restoration general ranges around $300-$400 dollars per window with labor. (source: greenamericatoday.org)

Parts of a double hung window- from The Old House Journal

Old wood windows can last another 100 years with proper maintenance. One other hand most replacement window last 15-20 year and are often made of toxic and unrecyclable materials.

So how do you do it? First, the window will need to be removed, all the paint should be stripped, all cracks and rot should be addressed with epoxy or new wood, new sash cord, lock repair, reglazing, new glass (if needed) and repainting and reinstillation. Check out Historic Homeworks (http://www.historichomeworks/.) for step by step instructions, or search the National Trust for Historic Preservation website for wood window to get a tip sheet.

Here a student in the field school is removing paint from a window.

New wood, or a Dutchmen, is glued in to replace rotted wood.

It is also recommended to weatherstrip your window. Which is basically adding strips of insulating material s to gaps in the widow to seal leaks, this should be done when the window is taken apart. Hardware stores should have everything need for weather stripping, but also try Architectural Resource Center.

Other resources for the repair of old windows:

Fine Housebuilding
NPS- Preservation Briefs

Office of Historic Preservation articles

Making cutters for molding

2010-06-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

Old molding, like in the picture below, can get full of old paint, gouged and ruined over time. If a piece it not salvageable, it is a possibility to remake the molding. Some special equipment is needed, but if you have access to a shop it is fairy easy to replicated molding.

The first step is to make a custom knife. Get high speed planer steel, usually ordered from a machine supply company like Belsaw.

Draw, in permanent ink, the contours of the molding on the steel .Next using a grinder, with a thin cutting wheel, make relief cuts into the steel to help make cutting away excess steel easy.
After you have removed the excess steel, use a wide grinding wheel to start moving toward the lines you drew on the steel. Make sure to keep your steel against the stop at a 45 degree angle, in order to create a sharp cutting edge. The blade will get very hot, so have a bucket of water next to you to dunk the cutter in often.

Here you see the cutter's edge bevels downwards to make a sharpen cutting surface.

Check back often with the original molding to make sure you are staying on course and not cutting too wide or deep. Once knife is done, it is set up in a molding planer , which is a planer that takes custom blades. Be sure to read and follow instructions for that specific planer, because most are different and have compacted balancing system. Next test the blade, line up a scrap board (set up some kind of guide) then test. Once you have the kinks straighten out , send your good board through the planer.

The result is custom molding identical to your old molding and made by you. After the grinding of the knife and set up of the machine, it is easy to make multiples.

picture of the day

2010-06-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Barns, like this one, are prevalent through-out Humboldt County. However many are in disrepair. They are beautiful structure that hold an abundance of history and culture. Many times the heritage of the farmer, along with the purpose of the barn, dictated the style or materials used. There are many regional groups that are dedicated to saving barns, you can usually find these groups by contacting your local historic society. Also there are many companies popping up that dismantle barns and reclaim the wood. Here is one resources http://www.saveabarn.com/home.html .

Carson Mansion Power Point

2010-06-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a brief history and floor plans of the Historic Carson Mansion. This is the final project that the Building Analysis class had been gathering information for for most of this past semester. The Mansion had no known floor plans unitil now. Below is a link to the power point presentation.

http://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AQzj8FaG18bgZGR0Mjg1ZnhfMjk0ZHRqcHdqZ3E&hl=en

Scrapers

2010-06-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

One of the tricks that we learned this year, while working on removing many layers of paint from molding, was custom scrapers. You can take an ordinary paint scraper found at any hardware store and draw on to it the contours of your molding. Then, using a grinder, cut away the steal, to make the profile of your molding. It comes in very handy with hard to reach places and curves, because the scraper is made to fit exactly in those places. As a result there is less gouging of the wood. In conjunction with a heat gun, this method can save a lot of time.

Using a custom scraper to get in to a concave and over a ridge at the same time.

A scraper for a wide arch.

Wide arch scraper in use my master scrapper, Kay.

Scrapers need to be sharpened and re ground when they lose there shape and effectiveness.

Two students using custom scrapers and heat guns to remove at least 5 layers of paint from historic window casings.

NCPTT Podcasts

2010-05-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training has podcasts available to download for free. The podcasts cover a wide range of subjects in preservation by leader in the field. One such podcast is with Tracy Nelson who is Director of the Historic Buildings Grant Recovery Program in New Orleans. Tracy discusses sustainability in historic preservation. Here is an link to all podcast, http://www.ncptt.nps.gov/podcasts/podcast.xml .

What some of our grads are doing now

2010-05-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Here are two letter, addressed to the head of the program Bill Hole, from graduates of the Historic Preservation and Restoration Technology program. Student can either get a sixteen credit certification or two year associates in the program.

Hi Bill,

I hope you are doing well and your program is thriving. Up here the CCC Historic Preservation program is catching on and getting a lot of publicity. Thanks to YOU I'm inspired and feeling really good about this community and I have leadership opportunities popping up. I'm now the vice-chair of Lower Columbia Preservation Society with a great group of dedicated people. The plan is for me to be chair next spring. We'll see. I just gave a PowerPoint presentation on Leadville to our annual meeting which was kinda scary and well-received.

The big news is Lucien has enlisted me to teach a 1-unit workshop on Historic Preservation Techniques: Finish Work. I'm now an adjunct instructor with CCC! Dig it! I've attached my syllabus. If you have any epiphanies I'd love to hear them. We'll do plaster repair work at Lucien's house and wood house patching, trimming and painting at my house, along with building analysis here using Sanborn maps (my house was moved twice and added onto in 1900) and witness marks up the wazoo. Fun! June 5th & 12th are the days and there'll be 14 students. Also, I did raise my business rate to $25/hr., so thanks!

Cheers, Pam

Hi Bill! Who wouldn't miss two redheads who bring sass and baked goods into their life? :) How did the HP&R classes go this semester? Did the students raise enough money to go to New Orleans? (Was it New Orleans or am I misremembering?)

Well I don't know if you've heard but Chandra and I were both promoted to Research Assistant II back in January! (I had only been there six months and have surpassed another research assistant who has been there for almost three years!) The office has been really hectic lately and I've been going out on fieldwork all over the state. Last month I was in Anaheim, then Bakersfield, and I was just in Fort Bragg for a week.

Never in a million years did I think that I would have a job like mine, but I'm excited that I do. I'm so grateful for the HP&R program at CR and for your dedication to the program and the students. I know that the kind of education I received there and Shaker Village internship that I got to experience through your help gave me an edge over other candidates for the job at JRP. I even bet out people who were even in the process of getting their masters! It's all gone by so fast, can you believe I've been here in Sacramento for almost a year?!

-Heather

Preservation briefs and tech notes

2010-05-21T11:16:00.001-07:00

Preservation briefs are specialized instructional booklets to help homeowners, professionals and government agencies properly preserve, rehabilitate and restore historic buildings. First published in 1975, there are currently 47 different briefs that focus on specific preservation method. The briefs are created by the Technical Preservation Services, which is part of the National Park services, and can be purchased or downloaded individual from the TBS website ( http://http//www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/publications.htm ). Some of the title of the briefs include, conserving energy in historic buildings, the repair of historic windows and preservation of historic ornamental plaster.
In addition to the briefs they also have a series of practical information on traditional practices and techniques called the preservation tech notes. the tech notes are organized by categories, i.e windows, doors and finishes.

Govenor's Mansion

2010-05-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

The Governor's Mansion located in Sacramento was built in 1877 and housed California's Governors until the 1960s. Since then in has become a State Historic Park and is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Despite all this it is one of the parks in jeopardy of closing because of the state's budget problems. Earlier this year a student from CR who graduated with her certification in HPRT was honored for her work on preserving the mansion. Here is the Times Standard newspaper article with more about the honor. http://www.times-standard.com/ci_14284953?IADID=Search-www.times-standard.com-www.times-standard.com

New photos

2010-05-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

We have added many new photos from our trip to New Olreans, our barn dance fundraiser, the field school and our most recent end of the year boat trip. It has been a busy 1st year for the HPR club, check out all we have accomplished and the fun we had doing it. These albums and more are at http://picasaweb.google.com/preserveandrestore .

This year sailed by.

John demonstrating proper window caulking in New Orleans.

Another project house in NOLA.

Square dancin' to raise money for our trip.

Students workin on the exterior of the Annie B. Ryan field school house.

HPR club in the news!

2010-05-19T16:58:00.000-07:00

Hey... our club was in the newspaper this past Sunday.

pictures of the day

2010-05-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

Here is two more examples of historic homes in New Orleans in different states of repair. It is an amazing places that unfortunately has been on my mind again because of their most recent disaster (oil rig leak). These photos and more of NOLA's homes can be seen on our Picasa photo album site.

2010-05-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

This is a beautifully restored double shoot gun located in the Holy Cross District of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Olreans.

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic properties

2010-04-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

The United States Department of the Interior is the federal executive department responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land, including the National Park Service.

The National Register of Historic Places(http://www.nps.gov/nr/) is a list of federally recognized historic places (70% structures) administered by NPS. In 1978 the standards for the treatment of an historic propriety were introduced by the Secretary of interior. They have since been updated and added to. The standard we created to promote responsible preservation practices. The four treatment approaches, catogorized by the DOI, are preservation, rehabilitation, conservation and reconstruction. Within the treatments are the standards and guidelines to guide a project. Read more about the four treatments and their standards at http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standguide/index.htm .The NPS has a extensive, and some what spread out, site(s) pertaining to historic preservation, technical preservation services and the national register. They offer online classes on how identify elements on a historic building that give it unique character, as well as checklist and photos. All this is just in the preservation portion of the NPS site, not to mention the history and the parks. You could be here all day.

picture of the day

2010-04-27T22:09:00.000-07:00

I I love the decorative element above this window .

picture of the day

2010-04-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Claire, my millworking muse, showing off her panel in class.

Timber Heritage Association

2010-04-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

The Timber Heritage Association was started to create awareness and appreciation for logging and railroads and their impact on the settlement and development of Humboldt County. The association hope to create a museum and restore many of their timber artifacts and trains. The machines and locomotives they have is amazing! The staff is all dedicated volunteers who work very hard and are dedicated to this piece of Humboldt County's rich history.
They have many upcoming events, including Dolbeer Donkey Days, April 24th and 25th at Fort Humboldt. Check out they website for other events, history and how you can help. http://timberheritage.org/index.html (They also have a virtual museum)

picture of the day

2010-04-13T11:27:00.001-07:00

This is the Carson Mansion, otherwise know as the Ingomar Club. In our Building Analysis Class, this semester, we have got a chance to go inside and really see how this historic structure was built. It has been amazing to crawl around and discover this building. Check out this mansion interesting history. http://www.eurekaheritage.org/the_carson_mansion.htm

Stain Glass Lamp Repair- Part 2

2010-04-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

This is the conclusion of the March 31st post.

To this point I had a vague idea of what I was doing or at least a lot of advise. I had the glass cut to size, and my mold was made, now I had to slump it. As I said before there was no kiln at school, so I started calling around to glass shop in the area (Humboldt County has quite a few). I found a ceramic and glass studio and school where I could take a glass slumping class and use their kiln for my project. I found out in my class at Fire Arts Center, ( http://www.fireartsarcata.com/), that the glass might slump further than I expected, so my mold was too small. However, instead of making a new one, we used a kiln fiber paper that you can form to your mold and it won't burn away in the high heat of the kiln.

(Here is the cut glass on the mold, placed for slumping.)

(The original glass is in the background, and the new in the foreground.)

The kiln fiber paper (shown here) acted as a little shelf, making the mold bigger. The glass was then laid on the mold and paper and slumped in the kiln. Different glass slump at different temperatures, which you can usually find out from the manufacturer of the glass.

Here is on of the two finished lamp panels. All that is left is to fit it back into the lamp shade. Even if the panel is not an exact fit, it can be ground to fit. The most important aspect of this project is that it be the correct curve for the shade. We will know is a few month when i return home and try it. Wish me luck!

Stain Glass Lamp Repair Project- Part 1

2010-03-31T22:56:00.001-07:00

Many years ago I broke a stain glass lamp of my Mother's that she had inherited from her Grandmother. I have felt guilty about damaging such a beautiful piece of art and family history ever since. When I start this, my second year, in the Historic Preservation and Restoration Program I saw an opportunity right this wrong. I enrolled in a class called Material Sciences: Stain Glass, and quickly found that the project was going to be much harder than i had envisioned . First of all, there are different kinds of glass, two of which are fusible and non fusible. Stain glass, for the most part, is not fusible, which means it is not good for slumping, which is how you get curved glass. Furthermore, you have to have a specialized glass kiln to heat the glass to a high enough temperature for the glass to slump and bend. We did not have one. So I had to be more creative and learn more about what I was attempting. I started with what I knew had to be done.

I taped the broken panel back together, making sure that I had the original shape and angle.(The lamp has six of these curved stain glass panels that make the shade.)

I laid tracing paper over the taped form and traced the outline of the panel.

I found a similar piece of glass (a little lighter) to the original and scored and grinded it to the fit my pattern.

In a separate class I made a clay mold, using the panel's curve. The mold was hollowed out then fired to a high temperature so that the mold be strong and retain it's shape.

Here is the clay mold. I made it a little wider than the new glass I cut, leaving room for expantion.

Picture of the day

2010-03-31T22:01:00.000-07:00

The Steamboat Pilot house in the Holy Cross neighborhood of New Orleans.

Back from New Orleans

2010-03-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

A row of boarded up houses in the Holy Cross neighborhood.
John cutting glass for windows at the village.
The Village is a community center in the Lower Ninth Ward and also our daily meeting place while working with Historic Green.

Claire, Jeff, Ray and John at the village on our first day.

The author on the front steps of the our project house the day before we began work.

We have returned from our volunteer vacation in New Orleans. What a great experience and cool historic town! Most of us we able to work with Bill Hole on a fixer upper home in the lower ninth ward. We took down siding, repaired framing and termite infested girders. We installed bracing and ridge foam installation before re installing both old and new siding. Photos of this house and other in the Lower ninth and Holy Cross neighborhood are up on our Picasa site (http://http//picasaweb.google.com/preserveandrestore). Please check them out. I hope to have stories from everyone involved posted soon.

Week One: Part Two

2010-03-25T23:48:00.000-07:00

The removal of the window took longer than expected. We had first, jokingly, estimated the job would be in total 'about an hour'. From first arrival until the window made its way into the truck was in all a two day, three person, six hour process. The main difficulty came from the inwardly decreasing radius of the bay itself, and the parting bead that prevented the outward movement of the wood sash. Ultimately that wood sash had to be paired down with a series of sharp chisels to facilitate the inward removal of the window from its surrounds. Speculation was that the parting bead continued from the lower bay window through to the upper portion through the upper sill. I believe the leaded panel was later added to replace an original construction of radius antique glass, from when the house was first built.

Picture of the day

2010-03-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

I am continuing to work on my broken stain glass window. I have been dedicating and extra few hours a weeks to it. After removing solder from joints that held in the broken glass, I took out and reassembled the panels of broken glass. Then I traced those shapes onto new glass. Next came cutting and grinding the new panels. Here I am refitting them.

picture of the day

2010-03-03T19:44:00.001-08:00

Rosettes at the Annie B Ryan House

Week One

2010-03-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

Documentation

Exterior of Barnum House, facing H street

Before work can begin on any piece of historic fabric, ample effort must first be given to the documentation of its history, composition and existing condition. Any damage or deterioration is recorded through the use of photography, sketching, and written documentation. All of this can easily be done with a camera, some quarter inch graph paper, a tape measure and a reliable pencil. Thought is directed towards the pathways of the problems back to their original sources. Future generations are now able to look back and understand why treatments were undertaken.

Interior photographic compilation

The degree of documentation prescribed depends on the significance of the project. Typically in leaded glass, dating and documenting is preformed by taking regard for the building context, inscriptions and signatures, composition and other stylistic elements, framing and surround, reinforcement and leading details, and by looking at the glass itself. Opalescent glass did not appear before the year 1880, when it was patented by John LaFarge. That same year Tiffany also patented two variations on LaFarge's technique.

Close-up of damaged glass, also some opalescent glass

Opalescent glass from Kokomo Opalescent Glass Co., Inc.

For more information on opalescent glass follow these links -

http://www.kog.com/

http://buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/stained/opa/opa.html

Historic green

2010-02-26T23:28:00.000-08:00

The Historic Preservation ad Restoration Club was created by students at College of the Redwoods last fall. Our goals were and are to market and share our program, to educate ourselves and others on the field of and techniques in preservation and to raise funds to help members continue their education through outside opportunities and training. Historic Green is one such opportunity. Historic Green is a non- profit working in the Holy Cross community of the lower ninth ward in New Orleans. They specialize in “sustainable preservation,” meaning they are dedicated to restoring historic buildings damaged by Hurricane Katrina and neglect using green building practices.

We leave March 13th for NOLA!!!

Check out Historic Green's Blog at http://blog.historicgreen.org/. Two of Historic Green's founders are featured in a article in Preservation Magizine this month. (article below via http://www.preservationnation.org/)

By Lindsey M. Roberts

Ryan Evans, 32, and Jeremy Knoll, 28, worked in Kansas—three states and 300 miles away from Louisiana. But when the friends learned that residents of New Orleans' Holy Cross neighborhood wanted to turn their storm-battered enclave into the nation's first carbon-neutral community, they saw an opportunity. In 2008, Evans, a mechanical engineer, and Knoll, an architect, took 350 volunteers to historic Holy Cross to restore and green homes. Their sustainable preservation efforts proved so successful that they incorporated a nonprofit called Historic Green, which helps dozens of neighbors retrofit their residences and save on energy bills each year. Historic Green volunteers also refurbish old windows, teach restoration techniques, and install innovative vapor barriers that inhibit the growth of mold. Knoll says residents can now afford to maintain energy-efficient homes—and pass them along to their kids: "They're no longer priced out of their own neighborhood." Both entrepreneurs hope that communities around the world will benefit from their success. "Our model isn't being repeated anywhere on this scale," Evans says. "We hope to change that."

Barnum House Historic Window Restoration Project

2010-02-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

Over the coming weeks I will document the process of restoring a historic leaded glass window. The window is from the Barnum House c. 1900, headquarters of the Humboldt County Historical Society in Eureka, California. This project is being carried out in an atmosphere of mutual benefit and dynamic equilibrium between students at College of the Redwoods and the stewards of the Barnum House. I feel great pride in being able to contribute my time and efforts towards the restoration of this magnificent work of art.

Learning About Historic Millwork

2010-02-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

In our Architectural Millworking class we are designing and building a model storefront. It is still in the early stages, as you can see from the pictures. Here's Jeff planning his section of the piece, the door hood and casing. Below that is the frame for the project, affixed to our wood shop "mezzanine."

Millwork - milled doors, sash, windows, transoms, trim, moldings, paneling and more - was originally manufactured at small local shops (especially places close to a good supply of lumber), making its debut during the Victorian era. Architectural millworking in the United States had its "Golden Age" between approximately 1890 and 1910 when rapid industrialization and an expanding railroad system during America's Industrial Revolution made it possible for millwork to be mass produced and distributed across the country.

Humboldt County is home to many buildings that exemplify the art of millworking, the Carson Mansion (below) once again supplies us with ample details.

We'll post more updates on our "storefront" as it progresses!

picture of the day

2010-02-22T22:19:00.001-08:00

Claire showing off some of her detailed work made in historic millwork class.

picture of the day

2010-02-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

This is a stained glass window made in material science: glass class. Unfortunately 5 of the panels were broke en route home over winter break. I have started to repair it by reheating the solder joints and removing lead cane and broken glass. More photos to come.

picture of the day

2010-02-19T19:29:00.001-08:00

picture of the day

2010-02-18T22:15:00.000-08:00

Students(Claire and Jeff) made this in kind replacement for an old, damaged window sill.

Wallpaper is cool again

2010-02-17T19:48:00.000-08:00

Raspberry Bramble custom wallpaper from Bradbury and Bradbury

Recently that has been a resurgence in popularity of wallpaper. This means not only creating new wallpaper inspired by historic wallpaper, but also the restoration of old wallpaper. Historically wallpaper was used to help hand plastered walls looks straighter, add a layer of insulation and create a unique and often ornate appearance to a room. Often before wallpaper was laid, canvas or muslin was streched over walls, sized with a glue and layered with thin paper. Then hand printed wallpaper was expertly placed over. This made for a very stiff system of wallpaper that, in the old days, was said could be taken down and moved with it's owner. This method also kept it in good shape, so today there are many wallpaper conservation projects. If you are intrested in learn more or looking at some of these beautiful paper here are some resources.

http://www.historicwallpapering.com/- Burt Kallander, a historic wallpaper restorer and master printmaker.

http://www.carterandco.com/ - a company specializing in historic wallpaper reproductions

http://www.bradbury.com/- a historic wallpaper collection and cool blog dedicated to it

http://www.secondhandrose.com/ rare and unusual vintage wall paper

http://www.flavorleague.com/- Funky new wall paper

Anagylpta wallpaper

Art deco border from Bradbury and Bradbury

Historically inspired modern bat wallpaper from flavorleague

"gritty" wallpaper from flavorleague

Picture of the day

2010-02-15T15:38:00.000-08:00

I love this architectural element, which is part of the Humboldt County Historical Society Barnum house. The Historical Society has an excellent research library and and extensive collect of photo from the area.( http://www.humboldthistory.org/) Many town (even small) have Historical Societies or museums that some people living there never know about.

Pictures of the day 2/14

2010-02-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

Whether you live in Eureka, another small community or a big city, try taking a walk, but a new way or out of your way. Try taking alleys. You may discover new sites and buildings that you never knew existed.

I discovered these vintage old signs used as sheathing on this old garage. I also saw some architecture that I never noticed before.

picture of the day 2/10

2010-02-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

Hand planes are used in many preservation projects. This one was loved and well used by a dad. When he passed on his son discovered it and restored it.

2010-02-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

This 1920's storybook cottage was part of the Eureka Heritage Society's 2009 home tour. I had the privilege of working here during the home tour, and also getting the chance to see the other beautiful homes on the tour. For more information on the EHS and the event they sponsor follow their link at the bottom of this page.

PIcture of the day 2/08

2010-02-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

This old apartment building's stucco facade crumbled off after Eurekas series of recent earthquakes. The stucco already had water damage and was poorly maintained. You can see the redwood lath walls exposed. Lath is horizontal wood strips that plaster was applied to for interior walls and in this case stucco.Lath and plaster was a precursor to drywall and used in this area until the late 1950's. Some historic homes are still restored using this technique.

picture of the day 2/07

2010-02-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Making multiple Buddhas from different materials in the material science: casting and mold making class. The Buddhas are practice before making historic ornamentation from such materials.

picture of the day 2/05

2010-02-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

Introducing the Historic Preservation and Restoration Technology T-Shirt. Comes in navy and size S-2XL for $15 dollars. if interested in having one please email us at preserveandrestore@gmail.com. The proceeds go towards the clubs educational trip to New Orleans this spring.

picture of the day 2/04

2010-02-03T20:07:00.001-08:00

bracket made by a student in Architectural millwork class

picture of the day 2/02

2010-02-02T21:56:00.001-08:00

Thank you Bill Hole (seen here preserving historic dance moves) for his hard work in keeping the field school going and our program alive.

Eureka Earthqauke 2010

2010-01-31T19:54:00.000-08:00

Many people reading this already know that Eureka had a 6.5 magnitude earthquake on January 9Th of this year. Most agree that we were "lucky", and that a majority of the damage was cosmetic. However the buildings that were most affected by the earthquake were the older ones that hadn't been retrofitted with seismic upgrades.

One such building is the Old Town Bar and Grill which suffered an estimated $700,000 in damages and was slated to be demolished. This beautiful brick building was built in 1908 and has been a home to many operations including a dance hall. The interior has ornate fixtures and woodworking. A structural engineer determined that the front facade was separating from the building and could fall at any moment. There was also significant damage to the east wall along the roof line- a portion of which collapsed. On Jan 11Th the Eureka city council had voted to approve the demolition of the building, although there were many present who wanted it saved for it for its historic value. Then on Thursday the 21st of January the building was bought in a last minute deal. The new owner plans to quickly fix the immediate safety hazards, then spend 12 to 18 months retrofitting the building keeping its historic fabric. He has a track record of restoring the historic Vance Hotel, Professional Building (also multi-story brick), and the original State Theater (Arkley Center).
Other commercial buildings damaged by the earthquake include the old federal building post office at 514 H with an estimated 1 million dollars in damages, the Carson Block building (built in 1892) with 200,000 dollars in damage, The Eureka Municipal Auditorium (the Grateful Dead played here in 1968), the Lloyd Building and the recently restored Arkley Center.
Older residences were not spared either. Around town you see many yellow signs on front doors designating them with "restricted use". These homes have some serious foundation problems, cracking and shifting. Zig-zag cracks run through bricks and mortar, chimneys crumbled and fell and caution tape is everywhere.

This shingle home on historic Hillsdale Street saw its entire free standing chimney fall to the sidewalk below. Many chimneys in Eureka suffered the same fate. In many cases the mortar in these chimneys is deteriorating and needed to be re-pointed many years ago. Often these chimneys had no reinforcement making them ill equipped to stand up in repeated earthquakes, as Humboldt County has.

A house near and dear to many of our hearts in the HPRT program is the Annie B Ryan House at 1000 F Street in Eureka (our current Field School). The Annie B. stood up pretty well to the quake considering that she was built in 1892 and was vacant and run down for 20 plus years of her life. This spring we go back to work on her in the field school class, after a two semester hiatus. Upon post earthquake inspection we found that Annie B. sustained most of her damage to the chimney below the 1st floor. The chimney simply blew out from the back and forth force of the quake. Plywood screwed to house as temporary skirting was also ripped from the house from motion of the quake, which gave us the sense of “racking” the foundation frame experienced.
Some small cracks in the older plaster walls appeared, and we found that the two rooms that students restored the plaster ceiling and walls came through the shaking unscathed (good quality work!). Although this is by no means a good thing, the Annie B. is a hands-on field school that gives us another opportunity to learn and fix problems that occur as a result of the environment we live in. It seems that the chimney footing will become a working lesson in the plaster and masonry class starting in March.

This home on California Street was one of the worst casualties of the quake. It slipped several feet off its foundation and crashed down to the ground. Its front porch collapsed as well. It is currently restricted from any use, but rumor has it that the interior of the home and bones remain intact and that it will perhaps be lifted back onto a retrofitted concrete foundation. The local newspaper article stated the owner as saying she had a glass of wine on the kitchen countertop that was still standing, unspilled.
All in all I would say that our historic redwood homes did pretty well considering, with some retrofitting, maintenance and love they could be here for another hundred years.

photo of the day 1/31

2010-01-31T16:46:00.000-08:00

practicing scoring glass in stained glass class

New Orleans Salvage

2010-01-31T15:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a project that the HPR club might help out with. It is through Historic Green, a non for profit that restores historic structures emphasizing green technology. We plan on going to New Orleans this March and doing what we can to help out. http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2010/todays-news/new-orleans-house-to-be.html

photo of the day 1/30

2010-01-30T22:12:00.000-08:00

Historic stained glass window being re-installed by members of the CR Historic Preservation and Restoration Club.

The Spring Schedule

2009-11-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

The 2010 spring semester at College of the Redwoods starts January 19th and the class schedule is out. The Historic preservation and restoration technology program is offering several classes that are sure to be interesting, informative and fun. You can register by visiting http://www.redwoods.edu/, or visiting or calling CR at 707-476-4353. For more information about classes call program head, Bill Hole, at 707 476-4353 or email him at bill-hole@redwoods.edu. Also check out class photos at picasa, the link is under events.

Here are the classes.

E5560 CT2 Material Sciences: Wood (2 units) Tues/Thurs 8:30-12:00 Bill Hole AT109
short term class: 1/19-3/11

T5561 CT3 Material Sciences: Masonry/plaster (2 units) Sat. 8:30-4 Peter Santino Downtown Eureka short term class: 03/23-05/13

E5562 CT8 Material Sciences: Casting and Mold Making (2 units) Tues/Thurs 8:30-12:00 Bill Hole AT 109 short term class: 3/23-5/13

T5564 CT13 Historic Building Analysis (3 units) Monday 6:00-9:20 PM Bill Hole Downtown Eureka

T5563 CT 14 Adv. Field Techniques, lab (2 units) Tues/Thurs 1-5:30 Bill Hole Downtown Eureka

T5565 CT15 Field Techniques/Historic Preservation (3 units) Tues/Thurs Bill Hold Downtown Eureka

E5565 CT 16 Architectural Millwork (3 units) Tues/Thurs 6-9:45 pm Dane Cowan AT 109

T5568 CT 17 Adv. Material sciences, lab (2 units) Sat. 8:30-4 Peter Santino Downtown short term class 3/23-5/13

E6198 CT17 Adv. Material Scieices, lab (2 units) Tues/Thurs 8:30-12:00 Bill Hole Downtown short term class: 01/19-03/11 or 3/23-5/13

Shellac Attack

2009-10-15T12:10:00.001-07:00

The lac resin has been known since 1500 BC, and it is the only resin of animal origin. The lac (Tachardia lacca) are tiny insects that swarm and live off of host trees in India. They suck sap into the their bodies and excrete a resinous substance through their pores to form a crust on the twigs and branches. The crude lac (or sticklac) is scraped off the trees then dried, crushed, sifted and sorted. Traditionally this process was done by hand, but now can done by machine. When the lac is done being processed it is in flake form, as pictured above. To make shellac, the flakes are dissolved in alcohol. Today you can still buy shellac flakes at specialty store or buy premade shellac at any hardware store.

Shellac (handmade) is all natural and has been utilised for the manufacturing of many products including paint and varnish, a glaze for fruit, coffee beans and nuts, a coating for tablets, as a leather dressing, a sealing wax, as a printing ink, in cosmetics, in confections, as food coloring and polishes. Since shellac has been around for so long, it is found in many historic structures and furniture. Shellac is also best for inside surfaces, and is used in many fine finishing techniques, including french polish.

To test to see if a surface is in fact shellac, dab a small portion of it with denatured alcohol, which is the solvent for shellac. If the surface becomes tacky, it is most probably shellac.

More Graining

2009-10-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Above are the pocket doors that we learned the graining technique on at the Annie B. House. We scraped and sanded off as much paint as we could before applying an oil based white primer.

In the background, you can see we have applied an oil based ground to the door. This can be bought at the store and used as is, or you can fine tune using dry pigment and artist oils. We added paint thinner to ours to increase the amount of time we could work with it. It is important to make this surface look homogeneous because it will be seen through the glaze, which is the next step. In the foreground, our teacher Peter is testing the glaze. The glaze too can be bought at the paint store, it also can be fine tuned and thinned to give more time to play. On these doors we are trying to replicate redwood, so we have a warm reddish brown as the ground. The glaze is transparent, but darker. Two colors important to perfecting a wood color are burnt umber and burnt sienna.

Here, Peter is applying the glaze. It is best to do a smaller section at one time, so you can work on your grain technique in one place and not worry about the glaze drying somewhere else. Peter suggests paying attention to the construction of the door, so graining is done in the correct directions.

Peter is using steel wool to apply a texture to the glaze. There are many different tools one can use for an array of effects. We used were steel and plastic combs of different sizes and shapes. Also in the tool bag were rubber rollers with wood textures and various brushes. Brushes can be used to lightly go over work in order to soften the grain's look.

Here are the pockets doors partially grained with different techniques and done by the students in the interior material class. We left some undone for comparison.

Little Pieces of History

2009-09-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

The Annie B. Ryan house is our field school. Currently we have an interior surface materials class here in which we are learning about various materials and techniques, mainly lath and plaster repair, shellac and graining (see our previous post!). Here are some neat up close and personal pics of the Annie. B...

Annie B. plans atop decades of wall paper...most recently, someone was a fan of aqua shades. On the left is the old ironing board.

Corner block. We learn to recreate these in our architectural millworking class.

Redwood lath and plaster (see the sand and horsehair?!)

An Alice In Wonderland inspired shot of the front door.

This is a picture of a door molding in one of the back rooms. It's hard to tell what the original color was, but right now it's definitely pink with a little mildew!

Check back soon for a more detailed history of the Annie B. Ryan house.

Graining-photos are not real wood grain! They are paint!

2009-09-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today we learned about "graining" in our interior surface materials class. Graining (and its stone equivalent, "marbleizing") imitates wood or marble on a surface. Sometimes, rather than stripping and refinishing a surface, it is more practical to grain. This is an art that was historically in great demand, now it must be consciously passed on. Graining consists of laying a ground color of primer and then tracing the pattern of wood grain in other colors with special tools. Tools include steel combs, rubber and leather combs, brushes, sponges, clean cotton and rollers. There are different ground and glazing colors for different types of woods. Above are some photos of graining done by Peter Santino.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND GREEN ARCHITECTURE: FRIENDS OR FOES?

2009-09-25T18:05:00.001-07:00

Chicago Tribune writer Blair Kamin talks about the realities of the relationship between preservation and the new green trend.

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Nice to meet ya

2009-09-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

This is the first posting of a group of students in the Historic Restoration and Preservation Technology Program at College of the Redwoods, based in Eureka, California. We are creating this blog as a place to have and discuss information on topics in the field. We will show you what we are up to, techniques we are putting into practice and resources we'd like to share. We hope also to include little stories of interesting histories, places and people that are relevant to historic restoration, preservation and sustainability. Check back with us soon.