Subject: Re: Medieval Crafts

From: [email-masked] (Rick Cook)
Date: Thu, 02 Mar 1995 18:21:42

>[email-masked] wrote:
>: Add my support to comments on author Alex Beale.  He is all heart but
>: short on scholarly research.
>
>  In Alex's defense, he openly admits ignorance of the actual methods 
>to produce a lot of the older items.  He states that he arrived at these 
>proccesses in large part by asking "modern" smiths how they would 
>accomplish a particular task with the materials on hand for an ancient
>smith.  

Yes. Beale trained under Applachian and southern smiths who were more
interested in getting the job done than in the methods of their ancestors.
That colors his outlook on a lot of things. OTOH, all his methods of
construction seem practical and all the ones I have tried actually worked.

--Rick Cook

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 95 22:19:34 -0500

Carlin - the best technical book on medieval crafts in my library is
*The Pirotechnia of Vannoccio Biringuccio* translated from the Italian
by Cyril Stanley Smith and Martha Teach Gnudi; New York: The American
Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, 1942.  This was
published in a hardcopy limited edition and is now a *rare book*, but
it will be worth you effort to find a copy.  Better than deRe Metallica.
 
I am intrigued by your research -- mine own consists of reproducing the
brass furniture hardware produecd in Birmingham in the 18th century.
Those guys knew all the triks of making thin brass castin. I've been
trying to do that for years, with some success, but still not up to
18th century standards.  Let's talk some more.  Regards, Dave

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 95 22:25:16 -0500

Add my support to comments on author Alex Beale.  He is all heart but
short on scholarly research.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 1995 17:06:37 GMT