Ken,

Given that this is a significant staircase in a significant building,
what kind of experience and qualifications would be needed for the
person supervising this work?  How many helpers and what are their
qualifications?  What are the risks that historic material will be
damaged beyond repair?

Is this something that a typical (if there is such a thing) historic
site maintenance crew can handle if only the curators trusted the
skills of the reluctantly verbal members of our community?

-jc

On Apr 10, 2004, at 9:11 AM, Gabriel Orgrease wrote:

>>
>> In a message dated 4/9/2004 5:53:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>> [log in to unmask] writes:
>>
>>     So?  How difficult is it to disassemble a newel post, stair rail
>>     and the spindles?  What are the challenges?
>>
> JC,
>
> Disassembly is fairly easy. Doing such these days on a porch at the Van
> Cortlandt House... I'll tell you about reassembly when it happens.
> Woodwork it is. Challenge in not getting splinters in the hand or
> stepping on rusty nails. Wear gloves and de-nail or hammer over nails
> religiously.
>
> Doing such just recently on a stone rail & newel post at another
> project
> it worked out just fine. We had fun building a frame from 4 x 4 to use
> to lift the 300-400 lb. top rail without dropping it.
> The rail had been knocked out of place when some movie folks dropped a
> piano on it. When we put it back together I told them next time to warn
> the movie folks they would break their piano.
>
> I seem to spend more time thinking about a job than I do actually doing
> it. A guy I know has some columns in his basement and I've just about
> got myself thunk out to tell him that we can do it... the problem is
> not
> the columns, the problem is not making a goddamn mess of dust & crap &
> getting rid of the debris legal like. The problem is figuring out how
> to
> park the vehicle.
>
> For anyone interested after wandering around on Friday in Easthampton
> through three cemetaries I got smarter and found the right one and
> after
> wandering around all of it eventually I did find the grave of Joseph
> Heller. I was mostly on a mission for a friend, but I like hunting for
> stones just the same. Photos available on request.
>
> ][<
>
> --
> To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
> uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
> <http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>
>

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