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Jul 12
Love0

How-To: Scribing Wood Post to Stone Foundation

By Carpentry, Timber Framing, Foundation

scribing wood to stone plinth

Several years ago, I learned how to scribe wood to stone and have been patiently waiting for the opportunity to implement this feature in my own building project. The premise is simple — copy the rough surface of a stone plinth to a wood post for a seamless fit. This gives the impression of a timber or wood post “growing” out of the stone foundation. It’s a beautiful look, used in old building foundations especially in the Japanese “ishibatate” style. 

The recent outdoor kitchen timber frame was the perfect chance to implement this technique. Here are the steps for scribing wood to a stone foundation.

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Jul 10
Love0

Building the Timber Frame Outdoor Kitchen

By Timber Framing, Natural Building Workshops

timber frame outdoor kitchen plans

I’ve been excited about building a timber frame outdoor kitchen since we moved to this land in 2015. It’s taken until this summer to get started but for good reason(s). The scope of the project has evolved to include a patio with dry stone retaining walls, which will be a vast improvement from the previously uneven slope that unceremoniously terminated at the back of the house porch.

Our 2019 Timber Frame Workshop brought the 10×16 outdoor kitchen frame to completion in 7 days. We had 15 participants from across the country — Maryland, Oregon, Washington, Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio, and more… Here’s a glimpse at our first few days together working on the small oak timber frame. 

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May 09
Love1
70 year old straw bale house

99 Year Old Man’s 70 Year Old Straw Bale House

By Straw Bale Building

70 year old straw bale house

Straw bale houses have never been common. However, there are still several of significant age that are being lived in. The oldest straw bale house is over 100 years old and is located in the sandhills region of Nebraska. This is where the idea to use baled hay and straw to build homes was first conceived. 

A local Wyoming news outlet has a very sweet story about a (now) 99 year old man who learned about straw bale building in his younger years, and decided to build a home for his family with a shoestring budget. To this day, he still lives in his handmade creation.

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Apr 23
Love6

The Shou-Sugi-Ban Chair

By Woodworking

Making this staked chair has been on my project list for over two years. I took some time this winter to finally tackle it. This chair design is a lot easier to make than a Windsor… but it’s rewarding all the same. 

And with all the charred wood on my brain this past year, I decided to take the torch to this chair for a shou-sugi-ban finish. Here are the results of the shou-sugi-ban staked chair. 

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Apr 08
Love3

Decked Out Hammock House Timber Frame

By Timber Framing

I’ve been bouncing around between various projects this winter, but the timber frame “hammock house” has not been forgotten. With the help of a few friends, I installed the decking over the rafters this weekend. We also put some ice & water shield over the decking so that it’s protected against the weather until the metal roofing goes on… which is hopefully soon. Spring is definitely here, so suddenly it feels like there’s a million things to do. 

For some reason, I purchased pine for the decking, which is probably my least favorite wood (in terms of appearances, anyway). I guess I wanted to avoid the weight and hassle of working with oak, ha! Next time, though, pine is out. If I’m feeling ambitious, I might actually plaster over the decking — just imagine blackened rafters punctuated by creamy white lime plaster… now there’s an idea. 

We’ll be working on this fun little building in our upcoming Natural Building Essentials Workshop. Very excited to continue with the progress on this one. 

Mar 20
Love14
applying shikkui - japanese lime plaster

Shikkui Lime Plaster with Hasado-san

By Lime Plaster, Japan

hasado shuhei ziggy

Shikkui is a type of lime plaster used throughout Japan, with deceptively simple ingredients and a wide range of applications. In use since the 6th century, shikkui is a very thin finish application typically used to protect large uninterrupted wall surfaces on castles and storehouses (or ‘kura’). It can be polished to a high level and because it has a high fiber content and frequently has no aggregate added, it’s flexible, too.

During the week of filming for “Who Wants to Come to Japan?”, I visited a renowned Japanese sakan, Shuhei Hasado and he taught me more about how to make shikkui and apply it.

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Feb 26
Love12
sugita kogyo jigane trowel

Making a Forged Plaster Trowel with Sugita-san

By Lime Plaster, Japan, Clay Plaster

Now that the episode of “Who Wants to Come to Japan?” (世界ニッポン行きたい人応援団) has aired, I can talk about my experience during the filming week. The first thing I want to share about is my visit to the Sugita family, a very generous family who run a top quality trowel business. Started by Sugita-san senior, the business (Sugita Kogyo) is a small operation and is now mostly handled by the son. During my two day visit, I had the privilege of observing Sugita-san’s process for making a hand-forged jigane trowel.

Plaster, trowel, and tool geeks — read on.

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Feb 09
Love13
kyoto sumiya geisha house kitchen

Sumiya Pleasure House: Jaw-Dropping Traditional Japanese Craftsmanship

By Photos, Traditional Building, Japan

The Sumiya Pleasure House is one of the most lavish examples of traditional Japanese architecture and craftsmanship in Kyoto. It is truly from another time. I was captivated by the incredible carpentry and plaster details while wandering through the building. For anyone interested in high end Japanese craftsmanship, this building is a must-see.

Sumiya is incredibly well-preserved. Amazingly, it’s been managed by the same family for 13 generations. It no longer serves the same purpose that it once did — instead, it’s a rare glimpse into a very specific piece of Japanese culture and a testament to the skill of carpenters, plasterers, and craftsmen of the Edo period. I’m fascinated by the history, but the actual carpentry and plaster details are what really moves me.

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