The client’s wedding was in a week, and the barn in which he’d marry was in pieces on the ground. It was crane day, and a Friday, two things that don’t usually go together. In the worst case, a crane day on Friday means you don’t have an additional weekday in case you hit a…
On Monday, the Pennell crew erected the ell by hand. They had a roustabout on-site, which is like a more portable, telescoping gin pole, but the bents were light enough to raise with a crew of four. The ell, a drop-tie frame built in the mid-1800s, was dismantled earlier this spring during the first phase of…
Here’s one to please our 11-year-old selves, and the folks over at Low-Tech Magazine: we raised the Carpenter’s Shop using a gin pole. This is a simple and traditional method for raising a timber frame by hand, and straightforward solution to a site with little crane access. It’s constructed from a long, straight pole with a block…
Preservation in the field can take many forms. Most of the time, preservation is the most practical and reliable answer to a client’s needs, but there are times when pure preservation isn’t feasible, or reasonable (see Demeritt-O’Kane). The New Castle Congregational Church and gazebo offers an alternate model. The congregation has endeavored to preserve the…
Yesterday was the first day we had a crane on site to help dismantle the O’Kane house frame. I don’t think the day could have gone more smoothly, all thanks to a great crew, and crane operator Frank Donahue. Thank you, Kendra, for all the pictures. Check back soon for more.
We’re building the roof that will link the belfry and clock tower, while the local media is covering the crane day, and the steeple’s connection to the community. Christine Parrish of The Free Press wrote one of the best articles I’ve read, she really focuses on the joinery and construction history: Shawn Perry, of Preservation…
A selection of photos from yesterday’s crane event. Click on the photo to read a description and visit our Flickr page to see more.
The crane arrived today. Tomorrow, it will lift the new belfry, bell and spire onto the clock tower . Keeley, the crane operators, will be using the same crane and lifting from the back parking lot again, with a lot more weight in the trunk. As the spire has been rigged since last week (we…
Click on an image to read its description.