Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Irish sandstone and cut to size and shape by our stonemasons. We were also
able to supply the flat marble slabs that were used as 'Bedding Slates' to
'scribe' and check any cut-moulded brick against its unique templet. Most
of the correct tools for hand cutting and abrading the bricks were essentially
mason's tools and equipment, and these we obtained from 'Harbro Supplies'
in England. In particular we required several brick axes making and the same
local blacksmith, Charles Head, of Bletchley, Buckinghamshire who had made
Gerard's one subsequently made several for us.
Our own carpenters made several styles of 'chopping blocks', necessary
to locate and hold each individual brick as it is cut-moulded, from a suitably
robust hardwood, to the dimensions and shape provided. We needed pre-
cisely set out and cut templets for each brick moulding, within each of the cut-
moulded enrichments, in order to scribe, work and in turn check each brick
to. For just one of the varying plinth details there were five different brick
profiles. It was decided that robust metal templets would be required for each
one made as both a 'positive' and 'negative' and these were made by Bryan
Harral, a highly skilled toolmaker and engineer. Later that year Kevin O'Brien
and I flew into the UK and joined our Historic Brickwork Consultant on a visit
to meet representatives of 'The Cambridge Brick and Tile Company' at their
brickworks in Cambridgeshire. These are the sole manufacturers of handmade
'gault' bricks, and we had decided they were to be used for the restoration of
the cut-moulded details. There we had a tour of the brickworks and followed
the manufacturing process through each stage, and saw samples of their range
of products. We discussed our specific needs and placed an order for delivery
to Ireland ready for the New Year; and the next phase of works.
In June 2005, with all these things in place, we held our first bespoke
workshop at our Dublin depot so that our consultant and master bricklayer
could introduce and train the National Monument's bricklayers and masons
and their apprentices to the art of cut and rubbed work. The District Works
Manager and the Foremen also attended. Our craftsmen had no previous
experience of the cut and rubbed work but were accustomed to conservation
repairs in stonework. As part of the workshop, Gerard delivered a formal intro-
duction on historic brickwork and the tools, materials and craft techniques
required for the work. We concentrated on the traditional skills that he had
detailed in his lecture and shown to Tom and I during our time in his work-
shop. After demonstrating each and every stage, he took special care to spend
time with each craftsman helping and advising them on their individual tech-
niques. Being a pragmatic craftsman himself, he also allowed for the fact that
we could later use a mixture of power tools and hand cutting techniques, just
as we do with our stonemasonry work. By the end of the training period, we
had produced a credible copy of the decorative detail.
