Subscribe via Email
Search for Content
-
-
-
-
Licensing Terms
All original content of A Preservationist's Technical Notebook by John Douglas Poole is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
Proud to be an Agent of Moxie…
-
"For all that's been written about deep energy reductions and historic preservation, no one's as thoughtful about it as our friend, John Poole. His blog is rich in history, packed with great photos, and full of good, substantive building information."
- Peter Troast, Founder and CEO of EnergyCircle
Life Member, Timber Framers Guild
Member, Society of Architectural Historians
-
"The land at this place...descends gradually towards the Point, whereon is situated the village of Birmingham"
- Orcutt and Beardsley, The History of the Old Town of Derby, Connecticut, 1642-1880
Builder Link Advisory Group Member
-
"We must continue to work on practical strategies for improving the performance of [older homes] without compromising or destroying the distinctive character that makes them so appealing."
- Richard Moe, President Emeritus, National Trust for Historic Preservation National Trust for Historic Preservation Contributing Member
Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation Preservation Circle Member
Preservation Trades Network Member
Member, Window Preservation Standards Collaborative
- “Old buildings are not ours. They belong, partly to those who built them, and partly to the generations of mankind who are to follow us. The dead still have their right to them: That which they labored for… we have no right to obliterate. What we ourselves have built, we are at liberty to throw down. But what other men gave their strength, and wealth and life to accomplish, their right over it does not pass away with their death.” - John Ruskin
-
Categories
- Astronomy
- Early Connecticut History
- Elder Care
- Energy Efficiency
- EPA
- Historic Details
- Historic Home Performance
- Historic Home Surveys
- Historic Homes
- Historic Preservation
- Historic Window Performance
- Historic Window Repair
- Historic Windows
- Just For Fun
- Mansfield House
- Old House
- Point's Picks
- Primitive Decor
- Revolutionary War History
- Social Responsibility
- Sustainability
- Technology
- Timber Framers
- Tools Review
- Traditional Trades
- Weather
- Weatherization
- Website SEO
- Work Methods
Friend's Sites
- A Cracked Door
- Austin Home Restorations
- Bridgewright (Will Truax)
- Building Diagnostics
- Building Geek
- Building Moxie
- Concrete Detail
- Efficient Energy Savers
- Energy Circle
- Energy Smart Blog
- Energy Vanguard Blog
- Fun and Fit
- Heritage Resources
- Historic Buildings of Connecticut
- Historic HomeWorks (Forum)
- Historic HomeWorks (John Leeke)
- Homeowners and Trades Resource Center
- Junction Home Services
- LG Squared Residential Design
- New England House Historian
- Old Exeter House (Kerry Baldridge)
- One Project Closer
- Preservation In Action
- Roots and Rambles
- Streets of Salem
- The Front Door Project
- The Post And Beam (VTW)
- The Vintage Appliance Forum
- To Find the Principles
- TRADitional trades eXchange
-
Archives
- October 2016
- June 2016
- September 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- June 2014
- April 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- July 2011
- May 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
-
"Remodelers don't believe in ghosts."
- George Nash Admin
Category Archives: Tools Review
Bucket Head Rocks!
Bucket Head™ is one of those simple inventions that makes you wonder how you’d previously gotten along without it. Marketed by Home Depot, it’s a small wet/dry vacuum head that snaps on top of their ubiquitous five gallon Homer Bucket™. … Continue reading
JLC Archive on USB Flash Drive
Bet you never thought of a USB flash drive as a construction tool. Or better yet, as a knowledgeable journeyman. I never would’ve either, until my copy of the JLC Archive on USB Flash Drive arrived a few days ago. … Continue reading
My Review of Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ Cordless Drill Kits
In anticipation of this coming
Posted in Tools Review
Tagged 18V, Building Moxie, Cordless Drill, Lithium Ion, Nickel Cadmium, ONE+, Ryobi, The Home Depot
Leave a comment
Elegant Brass Tools
Call me odd if you will, but I generally prefer things that are traditional, simple, functional, well-made, and elegant. Hand tools exhibiting these qualities are particularly important to me, and they need not be antiques to embody the craftsmanship often … Continue reading
Shop Vacuum Optimizations
Please Read This Disclaimer: A standard (residential/domestic) shop vacuum should never be used to pick up hazardous materials, or waste suspected to contain hazardous materials, including, but not limited to, lead paint particles or chips, lead dust, and asbestos. Nor … Continue reading
Scraper On A Stick
The Problem: How do you scrape peeling paint from an overhead area without having to set a ladder or scaffold up? Here’s an example — large swatches of paint peeling from a water damaged ceiling. The ceiling is going to … Continue reading
Hockey Pucks!
That’s right — hockey pucks! I just received an order for a bunch of them from Lee Valley Tools, for only a dollar a piece (a buck a puck, basically). I’d also ordered two bags of Lee Valley’s high friction … Continue reading
Nouveau Heirloom Gimlet
Often, I find myself inventing tools. Not original tools, per sé, but some combination of existing tools and other items allowing me to perform routine tasks efficiently. Here’s an account of one such attempt that worked well. I like traditional … Continue reading
Posted in Tools Review
Tagged Bit, Driver, Gimlet, Modern Traditional Tools, Occidental Leather, Pin, Robert Schroder, Unpaid, Unsolicited, Vise
4 Comments
Ruggedized Photography: Ryobi’s TEK4 Durashot Camera
Just a little more than a year ago, Ryobi introduced an 8MP digital camera as part of their TEK4 product line. Called the Durashot, this camera runs on the same rechargeable, 4V lithium ion battery that powers the rest of … Continue reading