The art of the stonemason
Offers a guidebook for masons doing new construction and also those engaged in restoration of historic stone structures. Beginning with a detailed discussion of building with "random rubble", which is the name for the early Celtic art of building with irregular stones bedded on mortar, Cramb proceeds to more complex projects such as fireplaces, stairs, arches, bridges and more. There is extensive treatment of various restoration techniques involved with historic structures both in the US and Britain, some as old as 1000 years. In addition, the author covers various types of stone, stone-cutting, etc. as well as using traditional mortar mixes, which have demonstrated their utility in stone walls and buildings which have lasted for many centuries. --Adapted from publisher description
manuals (instructional materials)
174 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm
9780911469271, 0911469273
64208388
The traditional method of building random rubble
(Choosing your stone
Beginning the work
The building method
Points to remember
Building a wall on sloping ground
Building a circular wall
Pier or buttress with sloping face
Coping for random rubble walls
Window sills)
Tower construction
(The tower's foundation
Continuing to build
Finishing)
Fireplace construction
(Points to observe)
Stairs
(Stone stairs
Circular stairs
Building external staircases)
Arches and their construction
(Arch construction
Types of arches
Points to observe in arch construction
Technical terms used in arch work
Cutting curves and joints on voussoirs
Constructing rubble arches)
Building a traditional "sow" or hunchedbacked bridge
Restoration work
(Invasion of vegetation
Alternatives to shoring
Removing old cement pointing
Grouting stonework
Correcting patching
Restoring an arch
Restoring a window
A leaning chimney
A corbie stepped gable and a random rubble gable)
Gothic arches at Iona Abbey
Stones used in masonry
(Igneous rocks
Aqueous rocks
Stone tests
General characteristics of stone)
Cutting stone with hand tools
(Tools
Stone-cutting)
Stone setting
Preserving stonework
Pointing
(Tamp pointing
Finish or final pointing)
Mortar mixes
(How it was done in the past)
Time-tested materials
(Lime
Boiled linseed oil
Water-glass)
Reprint. Originally published: White Hall, VA : Betterway Books, 1992