Proper BIG woodworking on TV - Notre Dame

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Richard_C

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Last night I watched, on catch up BBC iplayer, a one hour programe on the Restoration of Notre Dame. Been meaning to for ages, its available for another 19 days.

Anyway, some of it was a bit slow and repetitive but it covered lots of things that most of us wouldn't even think about, lead deposits on stained glass from when the roof burned, different types of limestone used in the build and how they reacted to the heat and water, how to prop it up when you can't safely go inside, dealing with tonnes of unstable scaffold. When they started to recover bits of charred timber from the embers (by roping down from above) they found some had the original carpenters marks still visible.

About 40 minutes in there was the bit about the oak roof structure, and using a chateau restoration as an example some proper big woodworking. Cutting down an oak, shaping it - 2 people with axes standing on it - copying a 'good as new' one alongside dating from 16 something.

Worth a watch if you have time, and if not then the section from c.40 minutes in certainly worth a look if you wonder how they did all that stuff before power tools (before power even ....). Meanwhile I'm off to sell my power tools and buy 2 good axes - chateau de notre garden starts tomorrow.*

* this last bit is wishful thinking. To sleep, perchance to dream ....
 
Those offset head axes were rather good.
When you look back it's interesting to see how power, other than electricity, was derived.
 
Axes are a pretty versatile tool for a woodworker when you consider the production chain in those days. Lot of specialist axe designs:
Felling axe
splitting/cleaving axe
Froe (wonky backwards upside down axe)
Hewing/Broad axe
Carpenters axe
Adze
All probably used at some point in the process
 
Half way through the 'Storyville' documentary on the fire itself. Currently the roof is well ablaze. Tragic.
The roof structure was called The Forest due to the number of timbers in it.

The rebuild sounds fascinating. Thanks for the heads up.
 
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