# Hand Tool Research



## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I've recently begun working with the Louisiana State Museum of Rural Life to get their tool collection properly organized and refurbished

This is the first box I've gone through and catalogued. It's mostly moulding planes and of those mostly side beads. There is still plenty to go through as the other pictures portray. In Sept I'll be doing demonstrations of log felling, hewing, picket splitting, shingle splitting, a pit saw, two man cc saw and more. 

In December I'll be demonstrating traditional furniture building with hand tools and hope to have regular classes on hand powered wood working by next year.

Thus far, every tool I've looked at has been in need of attention and the plan is to train a student intern or two presently employed there on properly restoring the tools.

The first picture is the first ones I've truly gone through, labeled and listed needed work. The other pictures are various items of interests.

I'll update with progress as this goes along. As I go along I'll give detailed info on any tools of particular interest or rarity.


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## Wrangler02 (Apr 15, 2011)

Now THAT'S a project!! Looks like fun.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

You've surfaced! OK, now we get to examine all these goodies. :thumbsup:


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

WOW! What an incredible opportunity. Can't wait to see what rarities/oddities you come across in your project.:thumbup1:


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## autre (Jul 12, 2011)

Holy Friggin' Moley!


-In for a nickle...


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

A fantastic opportunity and a great honour to be trusted to do this job. Good luck with it!
I'm looking forward to see updates of your progress.


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

What a great project to work on. please remember to photograph the oddities you come across, I am sure they will be there.

Pete


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I forgot to mention! I'll likely need you guy's help from time to time because I'm sure there will be some odd ball tools!


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Congratulations, I look forward to seeing your work at the museum here at WWT. The pics you've already shown are juicy, I can't wait to see more.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Tom, are you in heaven or what?!? What a fantastic opportunity for you. Look out Roy Underhill, here comes Firemedic!


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

sawdustfactory said:


> Tom, are you in heaven or what?!? What a fantastic opportunity for you. Look out Roy Underhill, here comes Firemedic!


Yes, it's like my own little slice of Heaven 

Roy has nothing to look out for... He'll be dead and gone long before I ever learn half of what he knows. The scope and depth of knowledge that man has between his ears is simply incredible!


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Man, I would be in hog heaven there, there are so many great tools of the past, it would be hard to chose which would be my favorite. How in the world did you learn so much to be so young?


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## lawrence (Nov 14, 2009)

WOW WOW WOW Tom you are one ambitious young man....wish I could ditch this stuff I have going and ride down to lend a hand


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

lawrence said:


> WOW WOW WOW Tom you are one ambitious young man....wish I could ditch this stuff I have going and ride down to lend a hand


Come on down, Lawrence! I'd love the help!


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

There were some questions about a Joh Weiss plow plane pictured above so I took more detailed pictures for y'all while I was at the museum early this week.


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## autre (Jul 12, 2011)

I can almost "hear" it...





...know what I mean?


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## JBSmall (Jul 6, 2012)

Very cool!
You got your work cut out for you.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

What where The questions Tom?


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Billy De said:


> What where The questions Tom?


Billy, Brink asked me to get better pictures of it over on the woodbarter site. So I uploaded em here too :smile:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Getting ready for next month!

They / I've added timber framing joints to the demo as well now... Stay tuned for pictures and hopefully video too!


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## MagGeorge (Jul 5, 2012)

Looking good, so far ...


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## JBSmall (Jul 6, 2012)

Dream job.
Congratulations.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Thanks! I don't consider it a job... It's more like playing :smile: Besides, it's pro bono.


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## timetestedtools (Aug 23, 2012)

i have tool envy!!


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## StoneH (Aug 24, 2012)

I am really happy for you. It's a great honour to be trusted to do this kind of job and a great opportunity. Good Luck.


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## timetestedtools (Aug 23, 2012)

what's the woodbarter site?


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

timetestedtools said:


> what's the woodbarter site?


www.woodbarter.com

It was started by some of the members from here.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

*This week end ~*

The demonstration will be this coming week-end!

I'll be doing demonstrations on Early American logging and lumbering as well as talking about the history of it at the LSU Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge Sept 22nd & 23rd.

A helper and I will have a working pit saw set up, I'll be hewing logs, using a two man cross-cut saw, splitting shakes with a froe, cutting timber frame joints and making pegs for them on a shave horse. 

It should be a lot of fun! I'm currently still waiting on my custom made pit saw to arrive. It's being made in Sheffield by the same company responsible for the Pax line of saws amongst others. So I'm anxious about getting it in time!

I will definitely have plenty of pictures but I hope to also have video to upload.

If anyone is in the area, come check it out. There will be black smiths and other early American labor/crafts going on as well. Sort of like a mini Colonial Williamsburg.

Here are a couple of pictures I was able to dig up with the help of the Louisiana State Archives:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

And more pictures.

Pictures and possibly video of the demonstration to follow after this week-end.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

The timber frame model I whipped out this morn :smile:


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## Fishinbo (Jul 23, 2012)

Restoration projects are honorable works from distingushed folks. Skills and a whole lot of heart should be put into it to produce such fine results.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Got my pit saw dogs built today :smile:


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## autre (Jul 12, 2011)

Looks like you're having a great time...

Very cool old-school joinery!


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Thanks man, I am having a blast!

I made the pegs by splitting cypress (not ideal) with a froe then over to the shave horse and draw knife. Tomorrow is going to be the real fun though! It WILL be filmed after all but I can't guarantee good video quality. It should be about 45 min per cycle so y'all should get to see it in a couple weeks!


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

I have lots of questions about that thing but don't know where to begin. Hoping all will be revealed with the video. Looks cool though and well hewn! (hope that's right lol!)

What is that joint for (with the wedges). Is that a way to connect timbers for support?


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Shopdad, which joint are you asking about? I'm not sure I understand the question.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

This one. How is it used?


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Oh! :smile: that's just 4x4 oak with a couple example joints cut into it. Something people can be hands on with to see how they go together.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Shop Dad said:


> This one. How is it used?


I have joint envy.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I just got the pit saw in!!! It was down to the wire... I was sweat'n it big time! Also got my broad axe handle steam bent this afternoon... Cutting this all too close! I have a two man cross cut saw to sharpen in the morning then I'm good to go... I need a beer, see y'all later ~


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

I want to see you make a big a** Disston style handle for that thing! :thumbsup:

Cant wait to see pix and video.

My question was about the zig-zag joint. What scenario would call for that? It's pretty impressive. I'm with Phaedrus. I haven't seen a joint that nice since college. I'm kidding. I have no idea what I'm talking about. :boat:


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

That is one big saw. Looking forward to seeing video etc. good luck tomorrow.


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## joe bailey (Dec 15, 2011)

Tom

That is cool as hell!
You are a pioneer in the New Old Tool Movement.
Keep those pictures coming - (some of us vicariously live through them).
Best of luck.

Joe


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Shop Dad said:


> I want to see you make a big a** Disston style handle for that thing! :thumbsup:
> 
> Cant wait to see pix and video.
> 
> My question was about the zig-zag joint. What scenario would call for that? It's pretty impressive. I'm with Phaedrus. I haven't seen a joint that nice since college. I'm kidding. I have no idea what I'm talking about. :boat:


Haha, the handle thing was the first thing that popped into my head when I unwrapped that beauty!:laughing:

That's a wedged or keyed scarf (scarph) joint common on timber frame structures as a way to splice sills. With the pegs and wedges in place it's bomb proof!




railaw said:


> That is one big saw. Looking forward to seeing video etc. good luck tomorrow.


Thanks!



joe bailey said:


> Tom
> 
> That is cool as hell!
> You are a pioneer in the New Old Tool Movement.
> ...


:laughing: wait till you see the rest of the toys I have out there :smile: 

I think I mentioned it further back but I managed to find ONE company that even knew how to make a pit saw. Thomas Flynn & Co in Sheffield England. They produce the Pax line of saws and others. There was a big hold up with them getting the steel for this one but it all worked out, thankfully. The saws are reasonably priced, I think, at about $450 shipped to the US. They made a batch run of them if anyone else is interested. I'll let y'all know how it performs after tomorrow.

Off to bed I go... Been up since 0230 and I'll be up early again tomorrow~


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

That's one sweet piece of steel. Can't wait to see it in action!


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## timetestedtools (Aug 23, 2012)

i can't wait to see thaqt pit saw in action!!


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Enjoy the week-end tom.

I knew i had a pic of a scarf joint in situ took me some time to find it,

its a straight scarf with nibs and a butterfly key


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Billy De said:


> Enjoy the week-end tom.
> 
> I knew i had a pic of a scarf joint in situ took me some time to find it,
> 
> its a straight scarf with nibs and a butterfly key


Very nice!


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

It was a long day... A very long day.

I did 9 rotations that lasted about 45 min each with good crowds each time. Each rotation consisted of half talking and half demonstrations. I barely had time grab a bite for lunch!

According to the guys hosting the event I was the only station consistently accumulating a crowd.

The on-lookers were good too, very interactive and interested in the history I had to offer about early Louisiana and the "German Coast" as it related to the cypress industry.

Over all, a great day! One more day to go! No video yet, the camera guy didn't show up  Going to see what I can do tomorrow. 

Thanks for looking!


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

That is just awesome. There's a reason there were very few fat people in them days when this was common. Thank you for sharing.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

That's fantastic, I want to try that pit saw out! :thumbsup:


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

Great pictures; definitely would have liked to attend if it was say 1000 Miles closer!


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Nother long day... It was great all the same though. The video thing fell through so ya'll will have to settle for a few more pictures. Sorry 

I'll do a write-up with the entire history story for y'all this eve or tomorrow being y'all don't get to hear it.


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

I'm kind of disappointed, I expected to see you guys in period dress:laughing::laughing:

All kidding aside, thanks for taking the time to share the pictures and for the the forthcoming writeup. :thumbsup:


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Looks like a great event. Thanks for posting pictures. As they say 1,000 words!


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## JBSmall (Jul 6, 2012)

firemedic said:


> Nother long day... It was great all the same though. The video thing fell through so ya'll will have to settle for a few more pictures. Sorry
> 
> I'll do a write-up with the entire history story for y'all this eve or tomorrow being y'all don't get to hear it.


What can you tell us about the high frame you were on, its frequency-of-use compared to sawing over an actual pit?
I think the pleasantness of the job would be inversely-proportional for the two men involved, on the frame or in a pit, with gravity, vertigo, dust and breezes as factors. What other factors have you noticed?
I'd like to try pit-sawing!


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

That's a good question! The write up will answer your question I believe. I found myself limiting what I said to maintain people's interest.

I'm nearly done typing the history and story of it all. This will be the first time I put the whole thing down in writing as until now it's been a jumble of historical facts, dates and techniques swimming around in my head.

Oddly enough I didn't have que cards, didn't go over or rehearse my story... I just spoke and demonstrated to the first group on sat morning and it didn't change a bit afterwards... even over two days and 14 times doing it all!

If there are any further questions after I'll be happy to answer them! And btw, pit sawing really was not difficult. I'm thinking about getting everything back out and doing a short documentary that the plantations can show. If I do, that will be online for y'all to see!... Need to see if LSU will back it, but from the looks of things I think they will. 

I was already told that from here on I'll be responsible for lecturing to the architecture student from LSU and Tulane twice a year when they make site visits to study timber frame construction.

I was also given the green light to establish a class schedule there for classes on any related subject I wish. The best part is I was asked to head a project to build a new timber frame building to house an instructional wood shop with steam power and over head shafts and belts in addition to hand tool work stations. 

My next push will be for a steam powered sash gang mill :smile:

A lot of doors were opened to me this week-end and they all lead in the direction I hoped for. I'm very pleased with the outcome :yes:

Thank you all for the support and encouragement along the way.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

That's awesome, very happy for you Tom! (Pronounced "Jean"?)

Sounds like a whole lot of work lined up. Hope you get paid for some of it! :laughing:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Shop Dad said:


> That's awesome, very happy for you Tom! (Pronounced "Jean"?)
> 
> Sounds like a whole lot of work lined up. Hope you get paid for some of it! :laughing:


Thanks! I have a French first name which tends to give people trouble at times. I frequently went by "Tom" growing up to minimize confusion. It's probably best I use my actual name though and well, that's probably going to cause even more confusion now! :huh:!

:smile: I'm not too concerned with the money right now. I'm really just happy to have people receptive to learning the past :yes: it may very well help my furniture business but for now I rely on my FF job anyway.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Here's the bulk of the history. I left out the tool techniques described and explained during the demonstrations. I will eventually get those together as linked documents along with pictures. 


*******
Circa 1716 the first of the French settlers arrived in Louisiana. They were trappers - fur traders. These men were not farmers and relied upon hunting for food. The French government decided it was necessary to have active agriculture if they were to establish a successful new colony. 

They chose to bring immigrant German farmers to Louisiana to provide their know-how and strong work ethic in order to cultivate this new territory and make it suitable for a settling. The first Germans arriving here would have been in 1722. They settled upon what is called the German Coast and lays along the banks of the Mississippi River in the parishes of St Charlse, St John the Baptist and St James. Some of these farmers were German only in the language they spoke as they came from German speaking regions of France such as Belgium and Alssas Loraine. This made for a smooth integration into the existing French culture. They would inter-marry and and one would assume this explains the lack of Germanic cultural clues prevalent today.

The Germans arrived to a rich fertile land excellent for agriculture. Their first task was the felling of trees to build structure and make way for the crops they were soon to grow. Imagine walking through the woods, look around at all of the trees, many of them far larger than those today. Now imagine felling all of these trees by axe and imagine them out of the way... What's left behind? Stumps, and plenty of them! These early settlers would have removed these stumps by digging and cutting around them then using leverage from large timbers. It was no easy task to say the least.

The Germans built square houses with square timbers, so another task they faced was the processing of round trees into square timbers. This was done by hewing the the logs with an axe, a method called juggling. Next the logs were further refined by use of the much heavier finishing tool, the broad axe. Indications of the use of broad axes in this process can be found in the early surviving buildings along the German coast. Later buildings however show a change in this process as the foot adze, the tool of choice for the French, became the tool used for finishing logs. The broad axe is a much faster and easier tool to use and this transition can only be explained by the lack of skilled blacksmiths available. The adze is a far simpler tool to smith and they likely were more easily imported by the governing French.

In addition to hewing timbers, smaller lumber was needed to build a house or barn. These timbers were sawn using the pit saw. Pit saws got their name from the pits in the ground over which a log was placed. With one worker in the pit (the pitman) controlling the saw's "box" or handle and another standing above (the tillman) steering and controlling the till or top handle of the saw. Now in Louisiana the prospect of digging a five to six foot deep pit is out of the question as the water table and sea level of the land would not allow for the pit to remain dry. A compromise was made with a shallow pit and a low supporting structure to elevate the log further and allow this sawing work to be performed. The less energy required to raise a log from the ground required the better for the workers. Evidence of these pits is present in areas along the German coast but have mainly been erased by the continuing expansion of modern commercial farming.

Once these smaller timbers were sawn they must be held together to form the structure. This%2


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

That is really interesting, the old ways holds my attention as I was around a lot of the old things. Our small town was about 50 years or so behind times. Most of the folks back then didn't have cars so we traveled by wagon and a team of horses. Most didn't have electricity or running water either. In town there was a blacksmith shop and I remember well them making wagon wheels and such there.

Most of the saw mills around back then, were either steam or gas engine. I saw a documentary about two or three weeks ago about how a steam powered sawmill worked and still is working today. I am almost sure it was on one of Roy Underhill's programs. We appreciate you shearing your experience with us Tom.


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Thanks for that bit of history. It's of particular interest to me as most of my ancestors came from the Alsace Lorraine region sometime in the 1800's. As with the people in Louisiana, they were farmers and settled near rivers (although in Illinois) and many of us are still involved in farming of one sort or another. 

I've always been told that my ancestors more closely identified with the French than the Germans but I'm not sure if that's true or simply an attitude that was adopted after WWII. 

Either way, thanks for a very interesting look into the past and thanks for keeping alive a small bit of history and some of the skills that most have lost.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Thanks guys, this is a bit embarrassing but I just noticed the forum post was cut off... Must be a max limit on letters... Here the rest!


...Once these smaller timbers were sawn they must be held together to form the structure. This construction style is referred to as timber frame construction... A system of mortices, tenons, half laps and other joints held together by both physics and wooden pegs. These pegs were made by rieving green oak or hickory into small billets with a froe and beetle then allowing them to dry. It was important to use dry seasoned wood for these pegs as green wood would shrink leaving the joints week. And exception to this was likely made on early structures. Building the structure with all green timbers would mean the timbers would also shrink compensating for this. The pegs were then shaped on a shave horse, a form of foot operated clamping bench, with a draw knife. These same tools wod have also been used to produce shakes, or wooden shingles, to cover the roof.

The 1780's & 90's would have been the first period of real commercial prospect of Cypress lumbering. At this time Louisiana was not yet a part of the American states and was under Spanish rule. This was the early days of the New Orlean's Cooperage industry, the trade of building barrels and crates and cisterns. The major market for Cypress was in the form of empty sugar boxes exported to the Spanish Caribean for the packaging and sale of sugar. Louisiana had small crops of sugar cane here and there for use in syrup making but the process of granualization had not yet been introduced. As the end of the 90's approached this export industry all but stopped due to political upheavals. While the export of Cypress dwindled the domestic use of cypress experienced a massive upswing due to the Good Friday Fire. 

New Orleans was a well establish port city and in 1788 on Good Friday, a day of reverence observed by the wholly Catholic state the Friday before Easter, resulted in the burning of approximately 80% of the city. 956 building and residencies burned to the ground. Six years later in 1794 another fire broke out consuming approx 20% of the city or 206 buildings. This sudden need for lumber in the rebuilding of businesses and homes meant a rappid growth of the lumber industry. The demand for lumber was so high that many lumber yards in New Orleans were unable to acquire lumber quick enough and many builders resorted to using green, unseasoned lumber - a practice frowned upon by architects and builders alike. This shortage also lead to extensive poaching of lumber by unscrupulous fellers.

The pit saw was the predominate means of cutting lumber until the early 1800's. While the rest of the country was employing water wheel driven sash mills this wasn't an option for Louisiana Lumberers. The lack of mountains or hills here meant a lack of moving water sufficient to power a water wheel. In 1803 an industrious individual had the brilliant idea of digging a trench from the swamp to the river's levee. After the spring flood came and crested the levee's banks the water trapped in the swamp would normally find it's way out through the swamps. This time though after the river receded this man cut a trench through the levee as well causing this trapped water to rush back to the river. This allowed him to power a water wheel! The other ingenious aspect of this design was that this rapidly moving water gave him an excellent means of moving his logs from the draining swamp to the mill that would saw them!

1816 saw the first steam powered saw mill however the high price of steam engines made this cost prohibitive to most mills. As an illustration of this in 1835 an inventory of Evergreen Plantation in Edgard was done following a bankruptcy proceeding. In this assessment of assets the beautiful plantation home along with it's large furniture items was valued at $10,000. Compare this to the 16 horse power steam engine on the property assessed at $7,600! This was a poor quality steam engine from New York at that, the more reliable steam engines came from Pa and cost as much as $20,000.

Despite the high cost of steam power it eventually dominated the lumbering industry and was Louisiana's own Industrial Revolution. 

Eventually almost every virgin Cypress tree in Louisiana and the entire South East was felled. Now all we have left of those old days are the subtle reminders found across the South. The once lost but found again sinker Cypress logs. Archeological excavations and most importantly the timber frame buildings which still survive and the tool marks found within.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

jiju1943 said:


> ...


That's pretty wild, man! Little Mayberry! :smile:



trc65 said:


> Thanks for that bit of history.


The Alssas Loraine region is the triangular region between The French, Swiss and Germans but if I recall correctly it's mainly contained in France. The French there speak French these days but many would have been of German ancestry. 

I can tell you first hand it's beautiful country and the beer from that area is outstanding. I didn't meet any German speaking individuals there but that's not to say they're aren't any. Anyway, the reason I say this is that it's very possible that they would have been German decent but feel more French due to the circumstances. It's also very possible that the they would be closely connected with the German/French here. Louisiana and the St Louis area have close ties going back to the early 1700's. I failed to mention it but the Germans brought to Louisiana did not come straight over, there were in the Americas prior to arriving here... Where they were alludes my memory at the moment though. :blink:


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## Globba (Mar 27, 2012)

Thanks for the history lesson. It is very interesting and hope to read more as you print it. My father comes from Bordelonville, not too far from Gonzales. 

Mike Bordelon


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Globba said:


> Thanks for the history lesson. It is very interesting and hope to read more as you print it. My father comes from Bordelonville, not too far from Gonzales.
> 
> Mike Bordelon


That's cool being from a town named after your ancestors!

It's humbling to realize just how near the distant past was. The plantation I mention above, Evergreen Plantation, was "Becnel Plantation" before they lost it in 35. My grandfather worked there when he was pretty young repairing the fences original to it. Many years later I worked there doing work on some of the out buildings and maintaining the grounds.


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