Richard_C
Established Member
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 ....
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 ....
