>> During  that era classical columns were made individually by hand for
>> each  building project.

> Well, now that you mention it, exactly how does a column get   made,
> whether in a factory or on the front  porch?    Say a 40 foot high column:  it
> needs entasis - so  how do you do that?   The column is made of up individual
> pieces,  glued together?   Are the pieces 40 feet long?  Do they flute  them
> before or after laying up?   How do you flute a column, "by  hand", anyway
> (whether shop or factory)?

The column shafts are built with staves, similar to a wooden bucket or 
barrel. The overall shape of the shaft is prescribed by a system of 
proportions. (Vignola's Five Orders of Architecture, etc.) The entasis 
of the shaft is developed with geometrics. On these larger columns the 
shape of each stave is determined by breaking down the over all shape 
into components that can be made out of the sticks of wood that are 
available. It is all done with numbers, calculations and geometry. This 
is why trades manuals of the era always start with chapters on the 
basics of arithmetic, formulas and geometry. Then each stave is shaped 
with hand saws, hand planes, etc, guided by the geometry. Great skill 
and attention is needed to make the shapes accurately enough, but it can 
all be done with Mind, Hand and Heart.  When the staves are shaped 
correctly they can be assembled to produce the over all shape of the 
shaft with the gentle curves of entasis.

For 40' tall columns the shaft staves are usually made of three or four 
shorter sticks of wood.

The fluting on a 40' shaft would be done on each individual stave at the 
bench before assembly. Smaller shafts, up to 15' might be fluted after 
assembly of the shaft. Flutes can be planed out with hollowing planes. 
If working entirely by hand on a 40' shaft, the flutes would be wide 
enough that a gutter adze could be used first, and then the final 
shaping done with a hollowing plane.

In a modern factory shafts are shaped after assembly on a lathe, with a 
power router cutter controlled by a physical pattern or by CNC equipment.

Making the plinths, bases and capitals is another complexity.

(See my article, "Coopered Columns", Fine Woodworking, May 1981. and my 
"Wooden Columns" report,
http://www.historichomeworks.com/hhw/reports/reports.htm#Columns)

John
Mind Hand Heart

--
**Please remember to trim posts, as requested in the Terms of Service**

To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://listserv.icors.org/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>