The Roving Reporter sent through a link to this video on YouTube, which looks like it was filmed some time in the 80s or so. The cooper who is the subject of the video is unlikely to still be alive today, and sadly I doubt he ever did find someone to pass his knowledge onto.
He works with no nails, no glue. As he says in the video, if he has to use a nail, he simply throws the item away. Another little gem from the video “It’s pretty complicated. If you don’t just get it right, you just done no good”
Just how much skilled knowledge have we really lost over the past 50 years? Be very very few people left that could work like that these days, yet once would have been commonplace. He makes all his own tools except for a saw and a brace & bit.
If you look at the pieces of timber he started with, the end result is a masterpiece. And it would still be holding water better than anything produced commerically these days.
Sorry it has been rather quiet around here this week. It has been pretty full on in other ways, which have been exhausting, and very distracting from even thinking about setting time aside for the blog.
Not much chance of getting a decent sleep tonight, so might as well post here. Bloody neighbours are having one of their all night drinking, talking, spa parties. Last couple have gone well past 5am.
So what else has been happening? Got a trial blade from Lenox in the mail – it is a demolition blade, that they claim they used to literally cut 8 cars in half, and in another trial, cut the cockpit off a 727
I did get a little bit of time early in the week to progress the permit application for the shed – spoke again with the building department of the local council, who pointed me to a website that provides the actual borders of each property, and you can also purchase a whole myriad of reports. Guess it is well known in conveyancing circles, but I hadn’t come across it before.
I’ll post more details about the site shortly, including the steps I am needing to go through for the various permits, but one thing the site was able to provide was some really clear borders for the property, and I have been able to import them into Adobe Illustrator, and accurately plot the shed’s position.
There are a number of documents I need to submit (or that I am choosing to submit) in support of my application – so this has made for a good start.
I hope to break the back of the application over the weekend, but have to temper that with finishing off the next set of articles for ManSpace magazine.
Speaking of ManSpace, don’t forget tomorrow is Father’s Day, and there is still the offer for recent subscribers, and especially anyone who decides to take up the offer before tomorrow. I will be doing the draw on the Sunday, and at this stage the odds are still remarkably good! Don’t forget to email me or post a comment declaring your eligibility for the draw. Don’t leave it too late either!
That’s about all the news I can think of at the moment – I’ll return you to your regular channel!
Stu's Shed 