>
> 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.

][<

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