Wood and stone
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T09:47:47+00:00
The best two building materials… provided to us in abundance.
Unmatched in beauty, and durability.
Why choose anything else?
Originally posted 2016-04-13 08:04:22.
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Hobby time
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T09:47:25+00:00
Imagine, if there was an enjoyable hobby to be found, one that provided a person with a good bit of exercise and fresh air, one where a person could create something beautiful… something that would last for centuries. Wouldn’t it be great if there was something like that?
Originally posted 2016-03-16 21:48:06.
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On becoming a stone mason
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T09:47:18+00:00
I gave out a little advice to a young man this morning on becoming a stone mason. I thought I’d share that advice with everyone… (This photo is of the foundation my firm built for a forty foot silo to set upon)
Stone masonry is tough on the back, so work carefully or you will have to give up this career far too soon.
In order to make a good living at it you will need to either get really good… or get big.
Either way you will need to not only learn the craft, but become a businessman, and a marketer.
Getting big often creates money, but often robs one of the joy in the work. So if you seek satisfaction… go for being the best.
Study the work of old, spend years copying the best of yesterday. Get a reputation in doing this.
After a decade or so, you can slowly start to add some of your own artistic flare to it.
The real challenge ahead of you is not the craft, you can learn it through practice and slowly become the best. Your challenge will be in finding people to pay you for it. You need to find an affluent area where people appreciate good stonework and are willing to pay for it. It’s a great idea to work in a small artistic stone company to learn the craft… make sure and pay close attention to how the business operates… work at a place that mirrors what you want your future business to be.
Beware of companies that do stone veneer on huge projects… you will become a machine.
Strive to become an artist.
Noah
Originally posted 2016-03-08 15:43:51.
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A roof with a lifetime guarantee.
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T09:46:17+00:00
Often when we build we force nature to conform to our wants and needs… sometimes it’s best to let nature have it’s way and we choose to work with it, and not against it.
Originally posted 2016-01-25 13:32:51.
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Historic stone work
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T09:46:05+00:00
Notice how the stonework shows little if any shaping or refinement, and yet it is attractively laid, in a horizontal pattern.
Stonework does not need to be laid by artists to be appealing to the eyes. A good selection of stone, laid properly, is visually striking and will last for generations.
Originally posted 2016-01-20 15:52:35.
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06, 2019
An excellent source of stone
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T09:45:43+00:00
It was a simpler time.
I can’t help but look at each of these individuals and ponder their lives.
And. as a builder. my eye is eventually drawn towards the stone chimney that stands proud on the end of this cabin. I’ve come to expect horizontal stones on old chimneys… as that is the only way a chimney can stand without the aid of cement binding it together, but chimneys with well defined layers, like this is one, is somewhat uncommon… it requires a supply of stone each of the same thickness, and stones that are easily shaped. I’m jealous.
Originally posted 2015-12-31 10:54:54.
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Stone outbuilding
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T09:45:38+00:00
For those looking to try their hand at building something out of stone… a stone outbuilding like this one would add a great deal to any property.
Originally posted 2015-12-30 13:51:33.
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Be it ever so humble…
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T09:45:15+00:00
I do enjoy looking at places like this… as a reminder of how little we really need when it comes to shelter.
We spend our entire lives working to pay for our homes and to maintain them… not to fulfill our need… but for the sake of comfort and luxury.
Originally posted 2015-12-17 17:01:07.
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06, 2019
Stone cottage with plenty of “relief”
Noah Bradley2019-06-29T09:44:15+00:00
I do like a stone home.
Laying stone is a form of art, and a great hobby.
It’s a joy to do.
It’s great exercise.
It’s affordable (if a person lays it themselves).
It’s also meditative… It slows a person down and helps them appreciate the moment.
And to top it all off, it creates something beautiful that can last forever.
Notice the varying depths of each stone… perhaps a bit overdone here on this house… but one of the common flaws that I see in so much of the newer work done today is “flat and shadow-free”. Here we see there is plenty of texture for the eyes to enjoy.
Originally posted 2015-11-25 17:41:30.