Fwd: Re: PE - Question of pole-working

[Stephen Wyley]

Hi All,

Here is a suggestion for cleaning up the woodwork.


--------- Forwarded Message ---------

DATE: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 10:14:30
From: "Alex Kharnam" <akharnam at ihug.com.au>
To: <svenskildbiter at angelfire.com>


There is a species of grass that grows in Europe, the Middle East and Asia
that is of a very primitive form. It secretes silicas into its structure. A
book on armouring I have mentions its use as a scouring and polishing agent.
I did a little more checking and there are re-anactment clubs that use it
for projects. It is (depending on the time of year it is plucked) equivelent
to about 200grit sandpaper.

You need merely pull it up and either dry it or use it as is(bit sloppier
apparently) and as long as you wear a glove you just grab a handfull and
start rubbing. The stems breaking down keeps bringing new "edges" to the
surface and it works quite well.

Just an idea.

The other option is pummice stone, which has also been used for forever as a
woodworking/smoothing tool


Sasha



>
> I am building a simple Roman "pup" tent.  I am trying to do this in as
> painfully period a manner as possible (although it looks like I'll have to
> subtitute canvas for goat hides (sigh...).
>
> Here's the dilemma: I saved some long branches (2-3" diameter, I think
Maple)
> to make the two upright poles, have de-barked them, and am whittling off
extra
> branch bits.  They are still rough enough to cause splinters, though.  I'm
> sure something was used in medieval times to "sand down" (as we call it)
the
> wood.  I vaguely remember someone saying sandpaper (i.e. sand glued to a
> backing) was used in later period medieval Europe - but what did they use
> before then?
>
> Specifically, what would have been used by the Northern Europe woodworkers
> (Gaelic or Norse regions) before about 900 A.D.?
>
> Any other documentable evidence as to treatment of poles that might be
useful
> to other tent-builders?
>
> Lady Wyllow of the Loch
>


--------- End Forwarded Message ---------

---
Bye for now,

Sven
(Stephen Francis Wyley)
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