I visited Caernarfon Castle, Wales, UK. and did a commentary on how the castle was built, I interviewed some stone masons using Lime mortar. and gave opinions on how Caernarfon Castle was built. • My RV - (EP 14) Caerna...
Mike, I'm a 38 year old woman and I absolutely love your videos. You are giving people such a gift of your knowledge. How incredibly selfless. Thank you!
Very interesting video, Mike. I really enjoy the commentaries at the end of your videos because they really help me understand your work just a little more. Thanks for posting.
Thank you for another great video Mike, I’ve watched all your videos at least two or three times now, and I always learn something new each time, I appreciate your taking the time to make all these videos, they are treasure troves of information and you do a great job explaining everything you’ve learned from your lifetime of experience. Thank you.
Hi Luscious, it was great, and the “real thing “ as far as castles are concerned, what a rich heritage to have in your backyard, nothing like that here in USA, only copies , thanks mike
Mike, Thank you for all the tremendous amount of information that you so generously share ! I live in Coudersport, Pa so I feel your material usage is very relevant to my needs. After studying your videos I tuck pointed 1 brick chimney, and totally rebuilt another saving me $3,900. I could not have done this without you, THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!
Sir, wanted to thank you for your informative videos. I see concrete and stone work quite differently now thanks to you. Great work here, love the videos and educational information.
Hi Mr Krasker, it is probably on of my weakest things in masonry, I only see some old timers use it when adding to portland, but for the most it is never used here, everyone went to mortar and portland and fast drying, and I really don't have much experience using it , just seeing what happend to it over time and the past, but it would make a good video, thanks mike
Good idea to have a more indepth look at an earlier vid. Really enjoyed info shared and yr manner when talking to the welsh masons. Northumberland has some well preserved castles too.
hi hrxy1. , It was very fortunate for me to talk to the Welsh Mason’s, and I learned a lot, and appreciate there input. I always considered United Kingdom to have the greatest influence To the modern world, heck that’s why the whole world speaks English, I appreciate it, thanks Mike
Mammoth if all masons united... Like, all at the same time? It’d be just like uniting all the worlds biker gangs. It’d be a bloodbath. An orgy of retards insulting each other. Masons unite! WTF
Amazing castles, leaves me in awe of the work they day way back when. If we get out of this mess hoping to go to Edinburgh Castle in the UK. Trying to get back to my Scottish roots. Also, Fettercairn House which originally belonged to the Middleton's. Fingers crossed I can get there in 2022.
Hey Mike next time your in the UK would you consider coming to see us in the Isle of Man? We have a couple of ancient Castles, old lime kilns and other masonry stuff you might find interesting . Great vids keep them coming.
Hi Vermilion, I don’t know if it’s because I’m a slave to fashion, or I think a lot of the experts with their helmets and clipboards don’t have that much experience, and it is a no big deal statement, I don’t really know, Lol thanks ,mike
Here's a book you'd enjoy, 'Robert Smythson & The Elizabethan Country House' by Mark Girouard, 1983, Yale University Press, New Haven & London. Robert was a stone mason in 1600 and helped or did the designing, too, for example, "Hardwick Hall known for more glass than wall.". His son, John Smithson (known as an architect) worked with him on Bolsover, the little castle, that felt was if not merely immodest, a semblance of a bordello. They're in the book.
incredibly interesting for me as i haven't the scope of travel you have Mike. in the quarry and rock selection parts you wore toe less sandals. i'd never get out of a broken rock strewn field without injured toes. you are either very lucky or just plain surefooted. i'd have to reconsider my technique to properly use lime mortar. it's such a different science.
Hi pensive, i’m right with you there, I can’t even remember ever using Lime or only lime, That was a bit before me, just mortar Portland and fast drying, thanks Mike
Excellent video! Thanks for your book recommendation. You mentioned another book in an older video modern practical masonry I picked up a copy and really love it. Any other book recommendations? I just picked up Stone by Design: The Artistry of Lew French it shows his works and I think you may enjoy it. Cheers!
Hello Mr Haduck, I really enjoy this type of video! Have you ever had the chance to visit Peru? The old Inca architecture has some pretty spectacular uses of oddly shaped field stones. I can highly recommend Cuzco for someone interested in masonry.
Looking at the castles all over England and Ireland they must have had groups of stone Mansons that traveled around probably got room and board and some money. And the locals did repairs and smaller projects.
It's interesting that the masons maintaining this castle need to strike a balance between repair and keeping the aged character. If they completely patched and refinished the whole thing it would feel cheap like a theme park. Have you been to the roman colosseum? In the 1800s there was a repair done that looks oddly modern but it's old enough to be historical in its own right now.
what about a in ground 15 K swimming pool repair on steps ??? i just drained out 50% of water and did a cement repair with everyday portland & sand mix, i did add water to old surface so it will stick, and did a great job on the finish i also added a charcoal color mix to match black bottom color, now will this be fine with it under water forever ???
Hi John, Nothings forever, and a patch is a patch, but I repaired showing pools and used Portland and sand, and never had a problem, I hope it works out for you, thanks Mike
There must have been quite a bit of wood construction along with the stone work when the castle was first built and occupied. I noticed a lot of pockets in the walls where floor joists/timbers would fit. There must have been hundreds of rooms in the castle. It would be quite a sight to see how it looked new with the exterior whitewashed and the timber work thatched.
Hi Tremolux, I agree, it would’ve been a sight to see, just sitting there looking around and imagining what it was like back then, stonemasons dream, thanks Mike
@Cymro 65 Thanks for the information. Interesting history. Ever since childhood, I've always imagined going to the UK and visiting all the castles and snooping around inside.
Not sure if you know about this place- www.guedelon.fr/en/ its a castle they are building using only medieval techniques, if you come back to Europe, i would go there.
*sigh* No one ever gets the pronunciation correct. The Welsh Alphabet is NOT the same as the English. F in Welsh is pronounced like the V in English, the F sound in Welsh is FF. So it is Caernarvon, not Caernarfon. The Y in Conwy is pronounced like a short I as in Pin, so it is Conooi.... W in Welsh is a vowel, not a consonant, in the case of Conwy it is the short form, so as in book. Y is usually a vowel, but can also be used as a consonant, unlike in English where it is usually a consonant but can be used as a vowel... Saying that, anyone from abroad being able to appreciate the 'Ring of Iron' is a good thing in my book. Having just found this channel I am now curious to find if you looked at Harlech and Beaumauris, probably the finest of the castles Edward I built in Wales, though Flint is probably the most unusual.... EDIT: Oh, and as an addition, at fairly regular intervals large face stones were placed end ways, so that the bulk of the stone projected into the junk in the middle of the wall. Kind of like placing modern bricks end on into the cavity of a house at regular intervals these days. I doubt they knew the science of it, instead discovering it accidentally, but those stones helped dissapate force from seige engines into the looser rubble filling that was more able to spread that force out and stopped the face stones cracking or breaking so quickly. As I said, I suspect they found this out by accident, but it is commonly used in castle walls but because these particular stones were not placed in close proximity they are often difficult to see unless a break in the wall happens to occur where one of them happens to be.
