Medieval wood riving - An attempt to recreate craftsmanship

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  • čas přidán 18. 03. 2018
  • The movie describes an attempt to split a thirteen meter long log of pine tree. The riving was done by radial cuts. The original was founded in the spire of the church of Hardemo southwest of Örebro city in the province of Närke. The church was built approximately between 1180 - 1220. These rafts are produced from the log by a method which never been documented before. One side of the rafts is raw sapwood which is rare in churches from the Middle age. All woodworking are done with tools that are modelled on archaeological findings. The felling and riving of the tree are performed with a few axes and tools.
    The movie Medieval wood riven describes an experiment grounded from the medieval roofing project. The project is financed by the Swedish church- Strängnäs.
    The movie was recorded 29 March until 1 April 2016 in Ryfors, Mullsjö, Sweden.
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Komentáře • 1,6K

  • @coniow
    @coniow Před 5 lety +77

    Folks talk about (re)building wooden ships as an exercise in 'experimental archeology.' They then say that we no longer have the skills to do this. That is PARTLY true, but a bigger problem is that we no longer have the timber to work with! The Royal Forests in the UK were largely there for the growing of trees for ship building, with hunting as a handy byproduct. Shipwrites would tour the forests with patterns of parts that they needed, think of a "Y" shape, or an "L" or "C" shape formed by a branch. These trees were marked for future reference, and 'trained' to create the shape needed, so that they could be 'harvested' 10 or 20 years later. Not exactly the "Just-In-Time" delivery that we expect today!

    • @rayodelsol80
      @rayodelsol80 Před 5 lety +7

      Con Cahill that’s fascinating and amazing!

    • @gaylanbishop1641
      @gaylanbishop1641 Před 10 měsíci +2

      Excellent insight

    • @EternalShadow1667
      @EternalShadow1667 Před 9 měsíci +1

      Fascinating but what about other parts of the world--do such timbers still persist in some lonely corners?

    • @coniow
      @coniow Před 9 měsíci +3

      @@EternalShadow1667 I do not know for sure, but suspect it would be unlikely. Tim Severin has done a number of Voyages in replicas of historical sea going craft, one of his biggest problems was finding craftsmen and women who were still alive and able to build the boats he wanted. These were exercises in "Experimental Archiology" to firstly find out if a Legendary Voyage, (Sinbad's for one example), might ACTUALLY have been possible, then to find out how the vessel was constructed and sailed, and lastly to see if they could repeat the voyage. The results were usually surprising, and also showed how much shipwrights knew then, that we have forgotten NOW!
      Given that the Craftsmen are all but died out, there would be no call for such dedicated timber supplies, and if there were, they would probably have been forgotten about :-(.
      If you should be interested in them, the link below is for Amazon's listing for some of them. An interesting read.
      www.amazon.co.uk/Voyage-Tim-Severin-ebook/dp/B08Y1V2GT2/ref=sr_1_4?adgrpid=1174279317901186&hvadid=73392659384470&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=132317&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-73392599781100%3Aloc-188&hydadcr=24397_2219292&keywords=tim+severin&qid=1691602401&sr=8-4

    • @smolboyi
      @smolboyi Před 6 měsíci +1

      Appreciate the knowledge 🙏🏼

  • @SirMidnightBravehear
    @SirMidnightBravehear Před 5 lety +25

    These men's skill with their axes is wonderful to watch

  • @michaellangford174
    @michaellangford174 Před 5 lety +25

    I met Daniel Eriksson and Matthias Hallgren at a timber framing conference last fall, where they demonstrated hewing a timber and splitting it into three planks of even thickness. The skill..strength, coordination, and stamina, required to do such work is comparable to what we expect to see in athletics, but rarely do we see such competence in the building trades. World class.

  • @jle63218
    @jle63218 Před 5 lety +22

    You don't get ax skills like that overnight. I had an old man in his 70's out-chop 20-year-old me back in the 70's. He cut accurately, no wasted motions. I beat my part to death and wore myself out.

    • @Dave-ty2qp
      @Dave-ty2qp Před 5 lety +7

      Don't feel bad Kid. My father taught my brother, and I how to use a cross cut saw, and an ax when we were jusr small kids. We cut for fire wood, and to keep our wooded areas clear of stunted, or diseased trees. Having aquired the skills early, I didn't remember ever feeling tired, or worked too hard. A few years ago, I did cut up some fallen trees on my property, and now in my late seventies I do know what it's like to feel tired and overworked. LOL

    • @ken481959
      @ken481959 Před 5 lety +1

      Notice: Those guys were in no big hurry to take down the tree, or to do the rest of the chopping.
      Remember: The Turtle always wins the race.

    • @priestesslucy3299
      @priestesslucy3299 Před 3 lety +1

      By any chance would either of you happen to know what he meant when he said that the conventional method only produces 4 rafters?
      Just how do we waste so much.

  • @gunlokman
    @gunlokman Před 5 lety +16

    I didn't realise how therapeutic it is to watch skilled people recreating history like this. Absolutely fascinating!

  • @gondolacrescent5
    @gondolacrescent5 Před 5 lety +22

    The sound of sharp iron shearing into the felled timber, echoes and cracks -producing the most satisfying sound imaginable. The chain saw sounds like death and hell by comparison.

    • @brucea550
      @brucea550 Před 5 lety

      And accordingly, logging with horses is so much more pleasing than noisy destructive skidders and feller/bunchers!

  • @bonesthenorthwoodswarriors1854

    Thank you tremendously for not only taking the time to document this amazing process, but also for taking the time to provide English subtitles.

  • @valuedhumanoid6574
    @valuedhumanoid6574 Před 5 lety +18

    My grandfather was a master carpenter (among other "masters") and he would take me with him on timber hunts. We went to an old warehouse that was built in 1901 and was going to be demolished. We went and saw the timbers that were used in the construction. Massive oak beam that were taken from old growth forest, like 500 years old or more. The grains were so tight that you could not drive a nail into it with out drilling a pilot hole. They were then coated with pitch (tar) and perfectly preserved. He purchased eight of the best he could find and took them to a saw mill where they were planked into 3" x 16" x 12' lengths. He turned them into clocks, custom cabinetry, tables, whatever. He also made his workshop out of them. The rafters are 4" x 4" solid oak. All connected together with dowels and dovetail joints in such a way that when they expand they just get tighter fits. No mechanical fasteners were used (no screws, nails, etc.) People still come to see and we've had Amish carpenters even compliment his work.

    • @davidlangton4743
      @davidlangton4743 Před 5 lety +2

      It's a shame you can't post photos on here mate. If you ever post them someone online, send me a link.

    • @briand6671
      @briand6671 Před 5 lety +1

      My grandfather was a Master Bater

  • @markmckenzie3072
    @markmckenzie3072 Před 5 lety +17

    Very impressed by all the quality skills in play here. Keeping the split straight over that length is fantastic and the smooth and accurate finish with the broad axe is something to behold. Wonderful. Well done chaps.

  • @eadghe
    @eadghe Před 5 lety +9

    The lack of music, the gentle voice and the chopping is pretty relaxing. Very interesting experiment!

  • @jeepman1961
    @jeepman1961 Před rokem +7

    What an honor it is to be able to connect with their ancestors in this way.

  • @band1tt
    @band1tt Před 5 lety +11

    I've heard from the older generation here in Norway that they used to pick the trees they would use for building, then they removed the bark at the foot of the tree and then waited for a year or the next season to cut it down. The reason had something to do with the sap would fill the tree out to the bark and make it last longer or somewhat. I really would like to find more information on this.

    • @MrAluminox
      @MrAluminox Před 5 lety +10

      The process you describes was used to kill a tree and accelerate the drying as the tree has no more sap which circulates by the cambium. There is a disadvantage the stressed tree will attract lots of xylophage (wood eating) insects.
      At my knowledge, a process taking several years was used for the construction of wooden churches in Norway during the years 1000. The process works only with some species of pine trees.
      In fact the pine tree is killed in a way that it will fill up with resin/sap. In fact the contrary of the method of removing the bark at the foot.
      First year the branches of the pine are cut, the tree reacts like for an insect attack and exudes lots of resin. The bark is left, as the sap uses the cambium under the bark to go up in the tree.
      Idem for the second year if the pine tree is always alive.
      The pine finally dies and left to dry standing on its roots. Meantime by gravity the excess of resin is going down to the roots .
      When the pine is dry enough, it is felled and the roots dug out. The roots are filled with condensed sap and by distillation/controlled burning the turpentine and tars are obtained. These products will be used to protect the wood.

  • @o5245607
    @o5245607 Před 5 lety +3

    Back up a theory with actual hands-on proof is the ultimate craftsmanship. Well done!

  • @Si74l0rd
    @Si74l0rd Před 4 lety +11

    Many thanks for subtitling this video in English, much appreciation and greetings from the UK. Amazing tree you found, to think that the originals were two metres longer before the branches started, their trees, and the forests must have towered!

  • @JS-ul3ic
    @JS-ul3ic Před 5 lety +9

    Lovely to see old skills being used and it would be good if the younger generation learnt them as who knows one day they could really be needed you can’t always relay on power tools 👍👍👍👍

  • @MarkBTomlinson
    @MarkBTomlinson Před 5 lety +14

    Very interesting video, thank you for the English subtitles. The results of the process are simple amazing such skill with simple hand tools, proof of concept.

  • @NonFerricIrony
    @NonFerricIrony Před 4 lety +8

    Impressive work.
    My farm is only about 150 years old, but my house and barns show tool marks of similar techniques used by my German immigrant family and their neighbors in 1800's USA.

  • @TheJaybrone
    @TheJaybrone Před 5 lety +7

    I have no clue how this ended up on my recommendations. But it's oddly fascinating.

  • @mgmcd1
    @mgmcd1 Před 5 lety +11

    That is some beautiful work. Thanks for documenting it.

  • @jeffryblackmon4846
    @jeffryblackmon4846 Před 5 lety +6

    It is gratifying to note that modern carpenters and tree fellers are capable of using ancient tools and techniques. They would be invaluable in recreating or repairing a centuries old structure.

    • @Nphen
      @Nphen Před 5 lety +3

      Notre Dame comes to mind for new timbers needing to be cut in a centuries old fashion.

    • @jeffryblackmon4846
      @jeffryblackmon4846 Před 5 lety

      @@Nphen Thanks for the thought. I was not thinking that deeply!

    • @sarkybugger5009
      @sarkybugger5009 Před 5 lety +2

      Those weren't tree fellers. I counted four of them. ;o)

    • @jeffryblackmon4846
      @jeffryblackmon4846 Před 5 lety +1

      @@sarkybugger5009 My wife tells me not to make such silly jokes. BUT I LIKE 'EM! GOOD ONE!

    • @sarkybugger5009
      @sarkybugger5009 Před 5 lety

      @Jeffry It's the way I tell 'em. ;o)

  • @gurglejug627
    @gurglejug627 Před 5 lety +14

    The täljyxan translation given as broad-axe is essentially correct, and has its roots in the idea of not so much that it's 'broad' in the modern sense but that board or plank in Scandinavian languages was (variants of) "breda" - which can also be translated as "board". Thus, one could say it's a "board-axe" ('plank -forming-axe') as much as a "broad axe" (which might refer to the axe-head), but only the latter is in common usage. Another not incorrect translation of täljyxa is side-axe. But personally I would prefer the term bilyxa for these broad and side-axes, and perhaps use the term carving-axe, forming axe or finishing-axe as a better description of a täljyxa. Another variant I have seen here and there in names for these types of axes are "skeppsyxor" - lit. ship axes, with the obvious need to make board (plank) shapes to form the strakes of a ship - Viking ships were always built by splitting/cleaving logs aproximately in the way shown in the video, as the wood remains stronger and more flexible when the grain is not cut across as with sawing. Roughly speaking, old men of the forest have told me that of ten pines felled in Scandinavian forests, some three would have a clockwise twist in the grain, three anti-clockwise and three rather straight (I have not verified this, it's hearsay). The twists though can be used for forming certain strakes in a ship, making use of the natural form of the wood, and following the twist when splitting as opposed to straight-splitting. Roskilde Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde, Denmark, have carried out a large spectrum of splitting and cleaving experiments on many kinds of woods, using traditional and ancient techniques, and document their methods and work very thoroughly.

  • @danl.909
    @danl.909 Před 5 lety +6

    These men have wonderful skill with the tools. Just imagine how skillful the medieval craftsmen were who used such tools practically their whole lives. How much faster could they work?

  • @counciousstream
    @counciousstream Před 4 lety +6

    There is something very satisfying to see a properly sharpened axe used to cut wood so smoothly. It's as if the craftsman was cutting butter.

  • @pushpendrakhaira9337
    @pushpendrakhaira9337 Před 5 lety +9

    Pretty nice. Medieval carpenters did not have internet, so they actually did the things !

  • @Graysail0r
    @Graysail0r Před 5 lety +17

    I cannot imagine why anyone would downvote this. It was a magnificent way to understand what people went through before the advent of chainsaws and wood mills. lol. Amazing and fascinating. Thank you for this.

    • @dosmundos3830
      @dosmundos3830 Před 5 lety +1

      they never actually said they were building anything, other than a youtube video at the expense of a 200 year old tree.

    • @pwnmeisterage
      @pwnmeisterage Před 5 lety +5

      @@dosmundos3830 They seemed impressed by how little wood needed to be wasted by the process, and they did carry at least one beam away. So I'm guessing they came back for all the rest of the wood and put it into some kind of historical restoration project - probably that old church tower we saw earlier.
      It seems like far too much real work to produce nothing more than a dead tree, a pile of discarded wood, and a low-viewer CZcams video.

    • @christopherworth1
      @christopherworth1 Před 5 lety +5

      I believe there are those who just enjoy spreading their misery around. Sort of Hate Seeking Missiles.

    • @pwnmeisterage
      @pwnmeisterage Před 5 lety +1

      @@christopherworth1 People who live in wooden houses should not throw ... well, you get the idea.

    • @darkiee69
      @darkiee69 Před 5 lety

      @@dosmundos3830 It's a part of the medieval roofing project.

  • @markgoddard2560
    @markgoddard2560 Před 5 lety +5

    It’s good to see a tree used in such a respectful way and the cutting of it, done so professionally, with minimal wastage.

    • @justpettet3506
      @justpettet3506 Před 5 lety

      Annyai Presoski but what the fuck for? To see if we can? We did 900 yrs ago wtf are people doing

    • @1pcfred
      @1pcfred Před 5 lety +1

      @@justpettet3506 to document the process today. We were pretty sure that's how it was done 900 years ago but no one actually wrote it down, or made a video of it.

    • @brandondumont7223
      @brandondumont7223 Před 5 lety

      @@justpettet3506 kill every thing waste the environment be a tool of the consumer model.

    • @Br1cht
      @Br1cht Před 5 lety

      @@justpettet3506 This aint 4chann! :D

  • @bharland85
    @bharland85 Před 5 lety +11

    Y'all are absolute wizards with an axe.

  • @heckinmemes6430
    @heckinmemes6430 Před 5 lety +7

    I'm not sure why youtube sent me here, but I'm glad it did.
    Very good, educational, video. Thanks for posting it!

  • @danmcelroy6584
    @danmcelroy6584 Před 5 lety +7

    Thank you for sharing and demonstrating how this was done. You all have showed me many things I did not know. Glad to have learned them. Cheers!

  • @solfeinberg437
    @solfeinberg437 Před 5 lety +4

    The fact that these buildings are 700 to 800 years old suggests that there is something very worth studying, preserving, perpetuating here. If we can make homes and dwellings last this long, we can have some serious security in our dwellings.

  • @justsorandom764
    @justsorandom764 Před 5 lety +8

    The first chalk lines used soot. I didn't know this before. I am super glad I do now. Old building techniques fascinate me to no end.

    • @mikemccourt6225
      @mikemccourt6225 Před 5 lety +1

      Well put

    • @mauriceryton
      @mauriceryton Před 5 lety

      A guy could easily make his own by taking the remaining charcoal from the campfire the next morning and pulverizing them into powder. I think l might try this myself.

  • @TheDieselbutterfly
    @TheDieselbutterfly Před 5 lety +10

    That is serious axe control

    • @Hellsong89
      @Hellsong89 Před 5 lety +1

      I can tell from experience its not easy as it might look. It takes least a month of practice to even get a close to that level and you cant replicate hand crafted surface. There are blades for big angle cutters to do this much faster and with less skill required, but it looks way different. Too uniform if its made with machine.

    • @brandondumont7223
      @brandondumont7223 Před 5 lety

      there are few different kinds of axes some are easier to plane wood with as they don't want to bite as a normal axe would

  • @larshakonslette2760
    @larshakonslette2760 Před 5 lety +8

    @örebrolänsmuseum, At 6:47 they talk about some cracks in the wood. Earlier the woodsmen cut of the bottom meter of bark some years before they cut the tree. When they did so, the wood fibers starts to contract and the entire tree twist in the direction of the fibres. That way, when the woodsman later cut the tree down, the cracks would not be severe or damage the construction later. This might have happened in this church as well, when you see the sparr logs at 1:25. The cracks is much more diagonal than what you would find on a regular tree.
    Some of the stave churches in Norway has some really bad issues because of newer renovation that did not take this into care. For instance, Høyjord Stave Church probably have to change the main stave because it at present date is more than 10cm lower than when they replaced it some years ago, during renovation.

    • @brk932
      @brk932 Před 5 lety +3

      You are correct. The twisted fibers of the tree have a lot of tension which help the tree resist winds. The most tension of course is in the outer layers. Aging the way you describe it will start drying the wood from the outer layers and contract the wood and this way reversing the twist slowly and releasing the tension. That is VERY clever!

    • @BWreSlippySlope
      @BWreSlippySlope Před 5 lety +2

      You have any information on this technique. I've been searching but could not find the technique in use or notably discussed.

    • @larspetersson4463
      @larspetersson4463 Před 5 lety +3

      @lars håkon Slette, If you chose to cut bar from a tree years before felling the tre you can have a pair of reasons. If you cut the bark from a Pine it usually are for get the wood more resistent from water, moisture and rot. If you hurt a Pine like that it will produce fat wood. Other trees, like trees with leaf will die. In Sweden there are a Association which work with different methods to get pienwood with high quality. Kook on the website www.fetvedensvanner.com /Lars Petersson, Örebro läns museum

    • @larshakonslette2760
      @larshakonslette2760 Před 4 lety

      @@larspetersson4463 Thank you for the link! Just took a sneak peak and it is great!
      I heard about this technique at a tour in Høyjord Stave Church in Vestfold. When they renovated the church after the WWII the renovators did not use this technique when they mounted a new main stave in the center of the church. Therefore the new log has dried and is now twisting in a locked position causing the log to crack. The drying and twisting of the log is also causing the log to shrink. The main log might have to be replaced soon again.

  • @Chr.U.Cas2216
    @Chr.U.Cas2216 Před 5 lety +8

    Extremely well done! Congrats. This rafter is so much flexible and stronger than a sawn one. Thanks a lot for making taping editing uploading and sharing.
    Best regards, luck and health to all involved.

  • @Srulio
    @Srulio Před rokem +8

    This video shows a team of people going to great lengths to maintain a 800 year old church. The team shows considerable skill in rediscovering histroic building methods while aiming for economy of materials and labour. Very commendable.

  • @CastilloDelDiablo
    @CastilloDelDiablo Před 5 lety +4

    I met a guy many years ago who produced willow for cricket bats. He cultivated them from seed in his garden until they were about 5 yr old and would ensure no branches formed on the main part that would become the trunk. This was to ensure no knots on the main trunk that was used for the bats and to ensure the maximum amount of wood could be harvested from one tree.

  • @AlexLaw_Qld
    @AlexLaw_Qld Před 5 lety +5

    A pleasure to watch professional craftsmen at work. I envy them the smooth soft lumber, being Australian and used to cutting somewhat less easygoing logs. I shall add several techniques to my skillset which makes today a win in my book.

  • @dielauwen
    @dielauwen Před 5 lety +4

    My father was Scott. In Gaelic he described this method but showed me on a smaller scale. He was born about 1900. Your broad axe was narrow. A wider one would have been faster and less tiring. He Made a mast for sailboat restoration from Spruce. That was 50 years ago.

  • @wiffasmith1
    @wiffasmith1 Před 6 lety +8

    Top film, thanks for sharing

  • @drivesthecar3247
    @drivesthecar3247 Před 6 lety +8

    Once again, I am completely mesmerised!
    But this time, with English subtitles, I know what's going on and it's 3 a.m!!! }:]
    Tack så mycket!!

  • @5chr4pn3ll
    @5chr4pn3ll Před 5 lety +4

    Really interesting and nice video.
    Comment section is a trash fire, but know that your work is very appreciated.

  • @censusgary
    @censusgary Před 5 lety +14

    I’ve done enough chopping to know these men are extremely accurate with their axe blows. They must do a lot of this kind of work.

  • @nayhem
    @nayhem Před 5 lety +4

    Can't wait to see the rafters for the second restoration planted in 2640!

  • @peetiegonzalez1845
    @peetiegonzalez1845 Před 5 lety +24

    I was told there were tree fellers but I counted four!

    • @RIPPERTON
      @RIPPERTON Před 5 lety +2

      thars a fuggin Eirishmun in avry crauid isenar

    • @pd4165
      @pd4165 Před 5 lety

      One for the Brits and Oirish
      Rolf Harris, Max Clifford and Stuart Hall walk into a Irish pub.
      The barman shouts 'Oh no, not Yew Tree again'.

    • @tightywhitey6466
      @tightywhitey6466 Před 4 lety

      I checked the log, and he is correct.

  • @kennethcope7266
    @kennethcope7266 Před 5 lety +10

    I would love to know how long each phase took, from the initial felling to the first, then subsequent splits, and so on.

  • @nutsmcflurry3737
    @nutsmcflurry3737 Před 5 lety +35

    To all the posters stating that the 200 year old tree was wasted. I think it was put to a very good use, your education. A noble and lofty goal.
    What you do not realize, is that most species of pine don't live all that long. Most will rot and hit the ground before 250 years. Very wasteful. And then there's the added benefit of your knowledge on how the rafters in a 700 to 900 year old church steeple was made.
    See how this works? Education.

    • @QuantumRift
      @QuantumRift Před 5 lety

      Nuts, morons here who bemoan the use of a 195 yr old tree don't have a clue about anything. They'd rather put flowers around it and bow down and worship it.

    • @dosmundos3830
      @dosmundos3830 Před 5 lety

      only the ignorant kill things that outlive them. that's how species are eradicated.

    • @ClintAnderson808
      @ClintAnderson808 Před 5 lety +1

      @@QuantumRift no that's what you do in the little playhouse they built lol

    • @QuantumRift
      @QuantumRift Před 5 lety

      @@dosmundos3830 It's a tree. Nothing more, nothing less. Oak trees are not endangered. Now go piss on a tree and fertilize it.

    • @QuantumRift
      @QuantumRift Před 5 lety

      @@ClintAnderson808 Since you don't have a clue about what you're talking about, any comment you have about it is immaterial.

  • @KITLEVEY
    @KITLEVEY Před 5 lety +4

    Four men, a couple of axes, some augmenting tools, and good weather, gets this job done in just three days. Impressive.

  • @mikekernan5388
    @mikekernan5388 Před 5 lety +3

    At 11:23 the way the log log moves. Nature in action. Bending, instead of breaking. No wonder the pieces from the 1100s are still intact!

    • @markdoldon8852
      @markdoldon8852 Před 5 lety

      First, any piece of wood that size will bend that amount before breaking. But we dry wood before using it (as im sure the medieval workers did) that stiffens the wood. An actual rafter that bent that easily would be useless in supporting anything. It would also dry out and bend. I have seen green 4 x 4" posts twist 90 degrees when allowed to dry without support. Green wood is actually shit as a building materisl. When stacked up carefully it will dry out relatively straight, strong, and stiff and do the job you need it to do (like hold up a roof)

  • @dooleyfussle8634
    @dooleyfussle8634 Před 5 lety +4

    Nice video, interesting scorp like tool used for de-barking.

  • @mikemiller4979
    @mikemiller4979 Před 5 lety +4

    .
    The last long scene of the guys hauling off that rafter was a nice touch.
    Well done, Sven.
    .

  • @samuelsmith5773
    @samuelsmith5773 Před 5 lety +3

    I watched an old man in Korea cut, flatten, and straighten boards to build a boat using only an axe. Best quality axe work I’ve observed. Years later, I was fortunate enough to visit the Viking Stave Churches in Norway. They used the same techniques to build the churches used to build their ships. Standing next to the Fjords, in Scandinavian weather, is a testament to the work and techniques of those men.

    • @MrJdsenior
      @MrJdsenior Před 5 lety

      It is good to look BACK occasionally, appreciate and filter the historical good from the bad, and move forward intelligently, isn't it. I am QUITE SURE that there are MANY technologies used in ancient times that outperform our best stuff now. Zero question. One is the drum head "marching army detector" found under the Great Wall in China. Scientists put our best seismic equipment head to head against it, and modern tech LOST. At least that's what I've been told, wasn't actually there for the experiment, though I would have liked to be. ;-)

  • @Bilabius
    @Bilabius Před 5 lety +4

    Working wood without power tools is its own reward.

  • @Zerbey
    @Zerbey Před 5 lety +15

    That was really interesting, my thanks to those who worked on the English captions also!

  • @HollywoodCreeper
    @HollywoodCreeper Před 5 lety +6

    Man,
    I wish you guys could all come over to Angelica, NY and help me fix my barn.

  • @russmartin4189
    @russmartin4189 Před 11 měsíci +6

    Very labor intensive. Building a church must have been a very long process extending over many years.

  • @deldridg
    @deldridg Před 5 lety +6

    This is a beautiful video - making fine things with wood using traditional techniques, might I say with phenomenal stamina, skills, thought and patience. Many thanks indeed. I must also add, that as a woodworker with a deep love of trees, it's never easy for me to watch one being felled, preferring not to think about it when I do my own work. This beautiful tree will now have a long life in a new role. :-) Many regards from Sydney, Australia - Dave

    • @lawrencewinney3470
      @lawrencewinney3470 Před 5 lety

      Many people do not realise that older Australian trees commonly have a hollow trunk where the heartwood has rotted been eaten by termites damaged by fire hollowed out by parrots nesting regeneration to adult trees about forty years

  • @paulorchard7960
    @paulorchard7960 Před 4 lety +4

    Traditional skills do need to be practiced and preserved, and also taught to up and coming guardians of the craft, may the knowledge be passed on so we survive into the future!
    ,

  • @DoomTurtle1
    @DoomTurtle1 Před 5 lety +9

    That axing motion at 19:09 makes me so anxious about the dudes leg

    • @rolsen1304
      @rolsen1304 Před 5 lety +1

      I bet they would have shin protection from oxhide or similiar back in the day. No antibiotics available would make people very safety conscious. People assume they would just brute force it and people would die left and right in accidents, but there's zero proof for this. I bet they would show the same level of care of a japanese sushi chef working on poisionous fugu fish in their ax handling.

    • @DoomTurtle1
      @DoomTurtle1 Před 5 lety

      @pagansforbreakfastswinging ax close to leg=bad

    • @DoomTurtle1
      @DoomTurtle1 Před 5 lety

      @@rolsen1304 but there must be another way to carve that trunk than swing a sharp edge next to you knee

    • @CelbucheRonfou
      @CelbucheRonfou Před 5 lety

      well usually you always stand on the other side of the tree you are shaping, so the tree stand between you and the axe. @18:34

  • @kxd2591
    @kxd2591 Před 5 lety +2

    That makes one appreciative of POWER TOOLS! But, I also appreciate the craftsmanship involved. Thanks for posting.

  • @dansalzmann7153
    @dansalzmann7153 Před 5 lety +5

    Fantastic axe work and a great look into how things were done during that time. Very precise for using hand axes and wedges. No wonder that spire has lasted over 800 years.

  • @RobertWilton
    @RobertWilton Před 5 lety +6

    Fantastic axe work fellas. Pardon the pun, but top notch! I may very well be wrong and am in no way trying to take away from your work and the technique but my understanding was that when splitting, they did as was done in this video up until the hammering in of the wedges. I had been told that the wedges were then soaked with water, and the timbermen would work another piece while the wedges absorbed the water and expanded, opening the split further - then a cut, hammer in new (dry of course) wedges into the split, and move on again while the wedges were periodically soaked, and the process was repeated several times as the split got deeper. I think this was a big time saver allowing them to work on a number of splits at a time as wedges in other partially split logs did some of the work for them.

  • @iamcarbonandotherbits.8039

    A lot of hard work went into gaining that knowledge. Well done lads.

  • @guyprolly
    @guyprolly Před 2 lety +4

    This is a most important project. Largely, meaning has been devolved from life by everything being so easy and at the reach of ready-made products. The part at the end about saving labour, saving material, and creating a strong rafter, were most impressive. Many thanks for the hard work.

  • @conantdog
    @conantdog Před 5 lety +3

    I have a chainsaw Mill and it's magical to see something round turned into boards this is as well a beautiful process thanks for showing it.

  • @munched55
    @munched55 Před 6 lety +9

    Actually found this film on an American Facebook page called Axe Junkies. I'm a Canadian that lives in Sweden now so it was for me, very satisfying to see Swedish skills and knowledge so widely appreciated. Great work and film, guys.

  • @petter5721
    @petter5721 Před 5 lety +4

    Tack för att ni bevarar den Svenska kulturen och historian 👍🏻

  • @atw98
    @atw98 Před 5 lety +5

    In Australia we only have a culture of beer and wenches, love this dedication to woodworking amazing and interesting.

    • @ivans7406
      @ivans7406 Před 5 lety

      Because you are not proud of culture of indigenous people who have some old culture.

    • @theyarehere8919
      @theyarehere8919 Před 5 lety +1

      Wait! What? Wow, I'll be right there. I like my beer cold. I'll bring a couple of extra wenches too. I can watch tree chopping for hours.

    • @jsmcguireIII
      @jsmcguireIII Před 5 lety +1

      you forgot the millions of acres of montery pine and bluegum.

    • @aebemacgill
      @aebemacgill Před 5 lety

      So-Instead of using a wench to tighten something, you get the wench tight?

  • @fantomfotog
    @fantomfotog Před 5 lety +5

    AMAZING JOB! CRAFTMANSHIP OF OLD WITH SAME TYPE OF TOOL

  • @rockywr
    @rockywr Před 5 lety +6

    Very nice to see how they did it, not only for Sweden but particular skills were passed around all over Europe so the same way might have happened in England etc.. I've always looked at beams and rafters in medieval places (pubs mainly) to see which were the original ones and which have been brought in to restore. The cuts are the give away of course but now I've more to watch out for on longer beams. Nice video well done gentlemen.

    • @charlesaanonson3954
      @charlesaanonson3954 Před 5 lety

      This video helped to give me some insight into how ships were built a long time ago as well. Very little wood was wasted.

  • @jussikiviniemi1105
    @jussikiviniemi1105 Před 6 lety +8

    Sjukt häftigt!

  • @duncb7937
    @duncb7937 Před 5 lety +7

    Thank you for producing such a wonderful and informative video, your hard work certainly paid off, Bravo to you and your team.

    • @larspetersson4463
      @larspetersson4463 Před 5 lety

      @Duncan Burt Thank you for all kindly words! That inspire to examine and document other historian techniques. Lars Petersson, Örebro läns museum

  • @vidviewer100
    @vidviewer100 Před 5 lety +7

    really good subtitles too, unusual !

  • @audigit
    @audigit Před 4 lety +5

    Great work with a huge benefit to heritage. Thank you very much for all the hard work cutting, detail conversation, and filming/editing this great outing!

  • @cmennenger
    @cmennenger Před 5 lety +4

    Damn nice axe work. Good job brothers!

  • @paulwhitehouse3690
    @paulwhitehouse3690 Před 2 lety +2

    Wonderful to see the old techniques are being retained, there is a fundamental need for such skills, particularly as we head towards a society that has become increasingly specialised.

  • @samueldougoud3289
    @samueldougoud3289 Před 2 lety +2

    Your humble approach, your refined technique and sound knowledge are a splendid tribute to that majestic tree. The generations of foresters who dedicated their care to its growth would certainly approve your work.

  • @jamesball6069
    @jamesball6069 Před 5 lety +3

    Thanks for sharing your experience and thirst for preserving your cultural heritage.

    • @matriximaster
      @matriximaster Před 5 lety

      Yes, Swedes these days are taught that they have no heritage. The have been brainwashed into cultural suicide.

  • @TheFarmacySeedsNetwork
    @TheFarmacySeedsNetwork Před 5 lety +3

    Awesome! Makes me want to work with wood like that again.. I built my greenhouse from logs and notched everything.. was so satisfying!

  • @Gkuljian
    @Gkuljian Před 5 lety +3

    What a weird felling cut. Now I've seen everything. Very interesting.

    • @absalomdraconis
      @absalomdraconis Před 5 lety

      The felling I'm familiar with uses a rope to pull the tree over, so I can definitely see the logic behind the wedges.

  • @sams5155
    @sams5155 Před 5 lety +4

    Very impressive gentlemen you shined a light on how our ancestors worked and made things that lasts 100s of years and it was all done by hand with little tools and their brawn and Brains, we should always preserve the knowledge and respect our past for the path it laid for us today. God bless mankind

  • @MrSaemichlaus
    @MrSaemichlaus Před 5 lety +6

    The broadaxe work is the most satisfying part to me. The sharper the tool, the easier the work and the better the result.
    Abraham Lincoln once said something in the sense of "If I had 10 hours to cut down a tree, I'd use 8 hours to sharpen my axe."

  • @jackedwards4717
    @jackedwards4717 Před 6 lety +10

    Really impressed with all the hard work you guys put in to the project. Id love to know if you used the products for anything and also if you know roughly how many hours total work it was from selecting the tree to getting all 8 rafters out of the woods?

    • @larspetersson4463
      @larspetersson4463 Před 6 lety +10

      Hallo! Thank You for watching our video! We used four days in the forest. Our aim with this experiment was to found out if it is possible to exract 8 rafters from one log. Sometimes there were two carpenters working with axes and sometimes we were four carpenters. However, we still use parts of one raft on curses and seminars when we talk about older handicraft and church roof constructions. Best regards from Lars P

    • @wiffasmith1
      @wiffasmith1 Před 6 lety +6

      facebook.com/associationofpolelatheturnersandgreenwoodworkers/posts/2019152878329767?notif_id=1521617371073580¬if_t=page_post_reaction&ref=notif Shared with the UK association of pole lathe workers and greenwoodworkers FB page, fair to say it has bee very well received! Thanks for the English subtitles. Really outstanding work

  • @rogerscottcathey
    @rogerscottcathey Před 5 lety +2

    Thanks for providing subtitles. Nicely done.

  • @iamvitranslator
    @iamvitranslator Před 3 lety +2

    Thanks a lot for saving your traditional crafts! Greetings from Saint-Petersburg!

  • @ericcsuf
    @ericcsuf Před 5 lety +4

    Our ancestors were at least as smart and skilled as we are. They just had to deal with different technology. Work like this let's us appreciate and admire our roots. Thanks for a very enjoyable and informative video.

    • @ken481959
      @ken481959 Před 5 lety +1

      In many cases they were of higher IQ. While they didn't have as much factual knowledge per se, they were on the average smarter than people today because the stupid ones died off faster. Today they are propped up and allowed to breed, thusly lowering the intelligence of humanity as a whole.
      It may sound harsh, but it is true nonetheless.

    • @MrJdsenior
      @MrJdsenior Před 5 lety +1

      @@ken481959 Eugenics aside, hard to argue. The proof is in the pudding. When you see tags in clothes that say (not kidding) DO NOT IRON WHILE WEARING, and the like, or people suing McD's because they sold her HOT coffee, which most people practically demand, that she subsequently DUMPED in her lap and got burned (who'da thought THAT would happen under those conditions, right?).
      I for one, like the trend in some areas, like powered paramotoring for LESS regulation...that one has weeded out a few Darwin award candidates (maybe a few winners in there, actually), you can get killed doing that (at a very low level, though) if you do EVERYTHING right.
      THEN I see a YT video, where a guy is "self teaching", which MANY intelligent people, with the RIGHT knowledge garnered through research, reading the RIGHT texts, and time spent hands on learning the basics, ground handling and the like, and "professional" PPM pilots to check out their knowledge comprehensively and radio them suggestions the first flight or ten do just fine. Anyway THIS MORON, obviously knowing NOTHING about ANY aspect of the endeavor, straps on the harness, which, keep in mind has been rigorously and iteratively designed using YEARS of data of failures, (and when you see COMPETENT pilots doing preflights often checking all the harness buckles carabiners, etc., top to bottom, COUNTING them as they go, and physically stressing each one by pulling them to make sure they are securely buckled, and sometimes MORE THAN ONE PASS, then says "I don't even KNOW what that does" about the cross chest buckle, and UNBUCKLES it before his flight, no kidding, it WAS buckled, and he unbuckles it.
      H O L Y C R A P, life is hard, it's harder if you are stupid. May not be illegal, but there ARE consequences. ;-) Believe it or not, he GOT THROUGH the first flight in one piece, you should have SEEN the comment section, especially from PPG and PPM enthusiasts....it was scathing...mine was, too. Unfortunately, those morons ALSO get figured into the accident statistics, at the same level as a NORMAL due-diligence person would. I think there should definitely be a moron and "doing just plain stupid things at the time" reduction/fudge factor for their "contributions". If you're popping a wheelie on a bike at 200 mph down a damned freeway FULL of cars, no kidding it's all over YT), you should be removed from the accident statistics. I don't care HOW you design a system like that, they are always NOT idiot proof, and engineer resistant. Hell, Tesla can design a system that AIDS a driver, and has been shown to do it correctly MANY times, and has statistically made the car about TWICE as safe, AND adamantly tells you it's NOT a hands off system, and CERTAINLY not an autopilot (yet), and accidents with drivers ASLEEP (not kidding) factor into the mix the same as an accident where the driving system was ACTUALLY at fault, rare, but has happened a few times. I love the one on YT where everyone is all over Tesla for the hit of the illegally crossing bicyclist, at night, no lights, no general road lighting, and pretty much obviously completely unaware of her surroundings (drunk or high on her ass) by her almost total lack of any response even just before contact. Looking at that video, I can pretty much guarantee any normal competent driver would have had virtually no chance avoiding that impact. From the time you first see her, in the camera anyway, to the time of the impact is WELL within the time your body takes to even respond to such a thing (about a half to 3/4 second, best conditions, all around). So no, no foul there. SHOULD it have "seen" her and corrected. That, as you say, is an individual call. ;-)

  • @MrRander7769
    @MrRander7769 Před 5 lety +5

    That was a very interesting video, but remember fellas when that tree rolls on you, it doesn't hurt itself.

    • @labibbidabibbadum
      @labibbidabibbadum Před 5 lety

      I was thinking the same watching him sitting down beside several tonnes of wood being flipped over towards him. (Hell, I've hurt myself when short logs ready to split for the fire flipped in an unexpected way.)

  • @matthewfocke5360
    @matthewfocke5360 Před 5 lety +2

    This process speaks to our more ancient craftsman roots. It's wonderful to watch and learn.

  • @markforrestsm
    @markforrestsm Před 5 lety +4

    Absolutely brilliant video! Loved every minute of watching craftsmen replicate ancient skills.. Thanks for sharing

  • @patrickhayes3099
    @patrickhayes3099 Před 5 lety +3

    "You save on labor." Wow, way back when, someone saved labor with this method. Now, it is a reminder that we have developed great tools to save even more labor. Has the quality of our new work kept pace with the products of old? Sometimes not. I wish my Swedish were better so I could listen to this and not read subtitles. Thanks for a great piece of work. Looking forward to more of your efforts!

  • @daveh3997
    @daveh3997 Před 5 lety +22

    Lots of complaints about the poor tree being chopped down for a video. Grow up folks. You just witnessed a very environmentally friendly way to produce a few building materials. And they are doing it in pretty much the same way as most of our ancestors did for centuries.
    Trees are a renewable resource. You can grow new trees.
    Bricks? Most bricks used today are made out of clay, which is mined out of the earth The clay is then mixed with water then shaped into bricks.They are left to dry for a day before being moved into kilns ,then through the process of adding extremely high temperatures the clay is hardened into usable bricks. So you have to mine and transport the raw materials then burn large quantities of fuel to bake the brick.
    Cement? To make cement, limestone (calcium carbonate) is heated to about 10000C, along with clay (which contains silicates). At this temperature, the limestone and clays break down into Calcium Oxide (known as Lime), Silicon Oxides and Carbon dioxide. The two oxides then combine to produce di & tri-calcium Silicate, which is then ground to a fine powder. Gypsum is added and is ground to produce the cement, which is the main ingredient of concrete. Then you need to add sand gravel and water--the first two have to be extracted from the earth. Like bricks you are burning large amounts of fuel to make the material. Now re watch the video and tell me how many tons of minerals were mined and how much fuel was burned to make that lumber?

    • @tc1817
      @tc1817 Před 5 lety +1

      The point many people are making is that if not for a CZcams video, this tree would still be standing. 195 years is 8-9 generations of people. I don't know about you but I would be unable to tell you who my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents were.

    • @burre01
      @burre01 Před 5 lety +3

      @@tc1817 There's about 60-90 billion trees in Sweden (source: riksskogstaxeringen) most of it is pine and spruce, and ive worked in forestry, most pine you cut is 100 years old, but 195 year old ones are very common too, as long as these guys are working this single pine, many more pine trees in sweden has their 195th birthday :D

    • @dosmundos3830
      @dosmundos3830 Před 5 lety +1

      you can't grow a 200 year old tree, unless you're a tortoise maybe. Grow up you arrogant human moron ;)

    • @sniffy6999999
      @sniffy6999999 Před 5 lety

      @@dosmundos3830 tortoises taste good too.Hmmm

  • @docfoot316
    @docfoot316 Před 5 lety +4

    Alot of hard work ,so well done

  • @thegreenrevival4424
    @thegreenrevival4424 Před rokem +2

    This blew my mind. Thank you for sharing

  • @blondbowler8776
    @blondbowler8776 Před 5 lety +7

    As a guy who has split tons of oak, fir, larch, and pine firewood, and miles of cedar rails and posts the past 50 years, and felled whole forests, this is pretty cool. Thank you.

    • @Crowback354
      @Crowback354 Před 5 lety +1

      M8 you shouldn't be proud that you've felled entire forests.

    • @blondbowler8776
      @blondbowler8776 Před 5 lety +9

      A forest is a giant garden that needs weeding if you won't let it burn. For every tree we felled we planted ten more. Don't wave your "should" finger of ignorance at me.

    • @viklove7738
      @viklove7738 Před 5 lety

      How many bird eggs and insect hives did you leave behind tho

    • @blondbowler8776
      @blondbowler8776 Před 5 lety +4

      Lots and lots, I'm sure. Especially those meat bees. Kill a horse and consume it in hours. Hehehe..but I'm sure you flatland city slickers know all about that stuff. Ate a lot of those eggs, too, not to mention the birds that layed em. Mountain quail are the most toothsome little critters you'd ever want to bite into. Grouse, ducks, geese, pheasants. Deer, elk, and antelope, too, rabbits and squirrels. Yessirree, felled a lot of timber, thinned thousands of acres, and planted about twenty million trees, give or take a million or so, built miles of trail so you flatlanders can have an easy hike and not get lost in the "wilderness"...what have YOU done for the woods lately? Hmm? Oh, yeah...clutch pearls about imaginary eggs and bugs. Hehehe...leftopathia...it's everywhere.

    • @blondbowler8776
      @blondbowler8776 Před 5 lety

      Hehehehe. I didn't gain much, but I did like the work. Again, I say...what have YOU done for the woods? Hmmmmm, skippy?

  • @michaelpthompson
    @michaelpthompson Před 5 lety +3

    That is just astounding!

  • @bmilhoan
    @bmilhoan Před 5 lety

    Loved watching this video. Great work!

  • @1truefreedomfighter
    @1truefreedomfighter Před 5 lety +2

    This is really amazing. Thanks for posting.

  • @Baamthe25th
    @Baamthe25th Před 5 lety +7

    I'm impressed by the hewing process, it ends up being smoother than I expected. (Surely just the difference between being skiled and unskilled at it)

    • @Sadowsky46
      @Sadowsky46 Před 5 lety +2

      SpyMonkey3D yes, he truly is an axmaster

    • @social3ngin33rin
      @social3ngin33rin Před 5 lety

      I just drag my logs down in a quarry a few dozen times ':D

    • @rickfortin3168
      @rickfortin3168 Před 5 lety

      and keeping a very sharp edge on your axe

    • @KendrickMan
      @KendrickMan Před 5 lety +1

      i know I wouldn't be able to hew half that good

    • @MsStevo2000
      @MsStevo2000 Před 4 lety

      my house is 200 years old and the beams have lots of hewing cuts in them. not nearly as smooth

  • @syncrosimon
    @syncrosimon Před 5 lety +4

    A really useful and interesting video, thanks for taking the time to show us, and the English subtitles.

  • @danielwylie-eggert2041
    @danielwylie-eggert2041 Před 5 lety +2

    Thank you so much for taking the time to document this experiment. Very interesting to see some techniques I have come across in different cultures repeated.

  • @bzlbzl230
    @bzlbzl230 Před 5 lety +2

    Fascinating. Thank you for the video (and subtitles!)