In September 2022 Strawbale Studio hosted an Internship, plus 2 Tours, several guests & an off-site Youth “Stick Building” Activity at the Great Lakes Herb Faire.
This blog focuses on the INTERNSHIP, including a slideshow, list of activities and a full photo album HERE.
Intern Dylan McBride learned a variety of skills, culminating in his main building project ~ a Thatched Wood Shelter. Dylan designed, constructed & completed this round-pole structure, utilizing his new skills learned in classes & hands-on training: charring of posts, a tamped stone foundation, bents with notched post, beam and braces, lashed purlin, thatching with Phragmite reed grass, and a wee bit of “wattle” (wall-weaving with flexible sticks)!
Smaller projects included a hands-on experience making a section of mortared stone foundation, and lashing a tri-pod ladder model. Many skills were learned including the use of a draw shave, shaving horse, reading the log, and more. The Strawbale Studio library was enjoyed by Dylan, who avidly read them, especially the primitive building books. And an added treat ~ harvesting, cooking & eating Shiitake, Wine Cap and Oyster mushroom. Ah.
2022-9 September Internship REPORT
The Internship started with an ORIENTATION Activities and options for the month
We planned our schedule: Meals & cleanup. Daily Check in. Upcoming Week. Foundations Class & hands-on. Worktrade: Stick Harvesting & a list for the future weeks.
WORKTRADE
- HARVEST DOGWOOD POLES for Herb Fair TWIGLOO Activity D&W 9/3/22 2hr x 2
- LAWN MOWING Winter. 1-2 hr. W
- WEST WING CLEANING 3 hr. D&W
- BUY CEMENT, MAIL PACKAGE at Post Office 2 hr
- PATH CLEARING FROM KIDS COTTAGE TO STONE WALL D 9/5/22 2hr
- 9/5/22 NEW AGREEMENT. Full Pay internship for Dylan. ½ room rental for Winter . Do own food.
CLASSES
- INTRODUCTORY CLASSES for Dylan and Winter.
- FIOT ~ Figure It Out Together. “Have, Need, Strategies”
- CONTINUUMS
- Natural building materials CONSIDERATIONS.
- Natural building materials GEOLOGICAL TO BIOLOGICAL
- DESIGN: with the sun. functions. Pattern Language.
- FOUNDATIONS
- Class / observe a cob model. Hands-on practice with tiny cob bricks. ‘
- Tour the building foundations, select a site, gather stones, pick up masonry cement.
- HANDS-ON PROJECT: STONE PIER AT KIDS COTTAGE.
- Harvest Rock, dig foundation hole, fill hole with rock.
- Classroom & Hands-on Lesson in LAYING UP ROUND ROCK with cement morter.
- TOOL SHARPENING LESSON for Dylan by Matt Mcoul Hands-on.
- CHAIN SAW USE & SAFETY LESSON for Dylan by Matt McCoul. Hands-on
- EARTH PLASTER & COB CLASS for Dylan in the Strawbale Studio b the woodstove!
- HANDS -ON: Mix cob. Make a cob brick. Do a finish coat – polished and sponge finishes.
- Watch Chris Magwoods VIDEO on NATURAL PLASTER. (Daub is cob + straw).
- LASHING
- KNOT LESSON: Japanese Square Knot, Clove Hitch, (Timber Hitch) Ladder Lashing
- Tri & Quad Pod Clover Leaf Knot. Girlscout Handbook resources. Diagonal Knot.
- HANDS-ON PROJECT: TRI-POD LADDER model of sticks and cord.
- THATCHING
- Class and Tour of Thatched Structures on-site.
- HANDS-ON PROJECT: PRACTICE THATCHING on a small FRAME.
- Undo, and re-Thatch base row + surface row 1-3. Use Legget, Rachet, Wood Needle.
- VIDEO: Thatching in the UK. Thatching in Denmark. How to collect reed.
Hands-on reed collection available, but not chosen.
- ROUND POLE
- Class, hands-on skills, and Project
- Go over round pole handouts in the booklet.
- Practice Lap Joint with knife & carrots.
- HANDS-ON PROJECT: WOOD SHELTER for the BOG CAMPFIRE AREA.
- LESSONS:
- Debarking the pole, Tools: Draw shave,
- Reading the log. Tools: Chalk line & level.
- Making a Lap Joint using practice poles. Tool use: chisel & mallet, saw.
- Making a Wooden Pin for round pole timber framing. Hands-on. Tools. Shaving Horse & Draw Shave.
- DESIGNING the “BOG WOOD SHELTER”. Go over round pole handouts in the booklet. Scale drawing on graph paper. Make Timber List + label poles/notches. Dylan with DB
- CHAR POSTS over bonfire. Dylan. Makes wood more rot-resistant in the ground.
- Make 2 ROUND POLE BENTS: each include a Post, beam & brace, using Reference lines, notching, wood pin & screws. DB helps with the first bent, then Dylan does the 2nd on his own.
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- Transport bents to Bog area by Dylan & DB. Dig Foundation holes for charred posts. Forage stones.
- Transport bents to Bog area by Dylan & DB. Dig Foundation holes for charred posts. Forage stones.
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- FOUNDATION: Charred Bent Posts are stabilized with foraged stones and tamping.
- LASHING: Bents are lashed & screwed together with horizontal cross poles (purlin) that will also support the thatched roof . Floor poles are lashed on with manila rope.
- HARVESTING SWAYS: Dylan collects using a extending-pole loppers.
- THATCHED ROOF reed bundles from the meadow are attached + tamped up.
- WATTLE: Dogwood poles are harvested to create a basket-like structure that can be made into a solid wall system with the addition of “Daub” (clay/sand/straw mix)
- Thicker vertical poles are lashed to the bent, then finer poles woven in.
- TOOL SHARPENING LESSON for Dylan by Matt Mcoul Hands-on.
- CHAIN SAW USE & SAFETY LESSON for Dylan by Matt McCoul. Hands-on
- EARTH PLASTER & COB CLASS for Dylan in the Strawbale Studio b the woodstove!
- HANDS -ON: Mix cob. Make a cob brick. Do a finish coat – polished and sponge finishes.
- Watch Chris Magwoods VIDEO on NATURAL PLASTER.
ENRICHMENT
- The SBS Library: Native American Architecture. Shelter, Shacks & Shanties + more.
- Mushroom Harvesting, cooking & eating!
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES in September.
- Sept 3, 2022 2 hr LEARNING TOURS 11a-1p & 2–4:30 p Lead by Deanne. Dylan, Winter invited.
- Sept 7-9, 2022 GREAT LAKES HERB FAIRE – Deanne facilitated a Youth Activity: TWIGLOOS, Building with Sticks. Assistant: Puelo Beaudet.
- Sept 28, 2022 DB to Green Lake and Kensington Metroopark Kids Cottage & Earth Ove
GUEST Activities.
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Supper with Matt, Sasha, DB, Dylan & Winter
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Matt McCoul part-time guest for month
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Mathew Worktrade:
Working on vista & greenhouse areas. Showed me graphic pad. Volunteers to do computer work
Bittersweet removal from Rock areas. Open Vista garden. Help with sticks from car to Fairy Forest.
Teaches Chain Saw use & safety lesson to Dylan. Hands-on.
Teaches Tool Sharpening Hands-on to Dylan.
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Angela, part-time guest during the month.
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WorktradeL Did some clearing w of cedar cabin.. Db sprayed in area of wasps. Matt helped with sticks. They suggest a roof overhang on south side. Yes.
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Michael Mallon visits 9/14/22
SEPTEMB
ER, 2022…. A month FULL OF MANY EXPERIENCES AND LEARNING
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