0720.288 ACC

COPPABELLA BLACKSMITH CONSERVATION

1992

REPORT TO AUSTRALIAN NEWSPRINT MILLS PTY LTD

a.x~:IJ.l~!i 1o/ ~ ~,.. """~-" afi~:tP"li. ~-~!Jt, ~u

3661

O.L£220000

~1~~~~~ ~~~~~~~!1!1)]1 1~~~ ll!~!~~~~~~~[[l n

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

1.

1. 2. 3.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

CONTENTS

The Brief 1 Condition of the Site 2 Carpentry 3 Flue Stabilisation 5 Excavation Description 7 Excavation Notes 10 Note on the Bellows 11 Recommendations 12

APPENDIX Architectural Report 13 (with 9 prints and 1 drawing)

FIGURES Coppabella Farrier Features Artefact Population Stratigraphic Section

PLATES The forge seen from the northeast The forge seen from the southwest Shortening a purlin The Brick floor Detail of post base The twisted stack The corrected stack Earth floor in the east room Trench at the base of the stack Steel beam in place Detail of artefacts outside east room General view of the excavated surface

. p .~_;.::;.~-.·~

~~ · .. ~ .. --" ; ' 'G~··~~~~tf~j

~Ztadd~t3~ I

1. The Brief

1.1 The brief for conservation work to the Coppabella

blacksmith, or farrier's workshop, arose from an initial

conservation study by Access Archaeology in 1987 1. The

agreed brief required :

(i) Shallow excavation (maximum depth 100mm

grading to zero) to occur in a band up to 3 metres wide

around the building. The purpose is to restore the historically

correct ground level by removing modern stockyard deposit

so that drainage can function and the bottom plates are

exposed. Excavation inside the building will be confined to

removing overburden from the bottom plates that need

replacing. Penetration of the floor will occur only if it is

necessary to underpin the hearth. Only qualified

archaeologists will be involved.

(ii) The structure requires some timber replacement.

The selected craftsman is Colin Mustard who has many years

of experience with broad axe and adze. As much original

material as possible will be retained in defective members.

Introduced timber will be selected and worked to

approximate the original. New post bases will be spliced as in

Diagram 1.1 of 1988.

(iii) The previous work in 1987 was exploratory.

Current works are aimed at the conservation of the place.

External excavation will commence with the removal of

recent cow manure by tractor blade. The historically correct

levels ascertained in 1987 will be exposed by trowel in metre

grids.

1Access Archaeology, 1988

(2)

• .. ~

®

::s?S.Vil .L s 0:1' /VI:=.=J /v

::?L 'v"-rd /ry '0./_1.. 0<:';? ./)1.::1/Y

..:.rO /V0/L'..V'"r1·Y/. . .SfV/ 7V.:::>/d,.,.-',_,.~

r ..

;'

\ S?? '>;;'·-;_<;> :J /V' /I'V, :)-5:;-.., 'I" /3

.o~,--,J.L.. /,:.7 O:~../. .. v3.;T.:;> ,-,;v;:/ 7f:-.>V4/V/ <Y.I/S Jrl../.. /V/ 7·1/-;/

I:U.:: .. :;).L/$' /VO j_.::/,~7 ty _o;, ·:;,y >-V.J-,l ';:~ Y-73 3<.'11Yot '::~-; '"!' /

-,,::_!~/~;:::·:~~.

·cr-. .... ~.. ·~ . -·.

·-~.~~-. ·- ~::··· ·t::..'' '

·.

''"-'

I I I I I

~~I CONSE.E:.VJUlCN I

~~

1!!81 Fl&O AND ~~}....!G -

~I 5<><X. FlU.. ll51NG e><CAV~ ~

~LL(PE€.1~1)

I I I I

:15 ~

5E1Tl.£MENT c.£ACJ(.

SOUTH ELEVAilON ~E.51 ELE..VATl ON

MASS CON~ PA~ ~ r 'c'~NEC "'"' ~G, _},

;--- 1 ~ L --~ l_E~;-lHfK =i-~ =i -HHfF-r~~-J

PLAN

~

~ ~-w~ <>RO<>No UNE

projec IWI CONSER.VAiloN ~ORX.5 "TO CCF'PA13EL!..A ~MITHS e>HOP N .5 .'Y<..

drowing Htle 1~ CONSE.R.\..?..TION '\.ICOR.K.'5 TO FORGe

project numb.~ 8721

JOHN ARMES AND ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS 3176 EMU BANK BELCONNEN A.C. T. 2617

drawing no. 1/1 date OCT. ·~· scales 1>.20 size A5 drawnM!>

SH'llil~ VHd: liHillliV d: V11HHV ddQ:): HNO Hllil~ld:

r T T T T T T T T ...,

t-- + ..,

+-N-4

+ -l

1-am~ ::nrl3W 3NO + + + + -1

r + t t t t t + + -f

r t t t t t t + + -f

i + -1 .}"

~- I

.... + + -j

NOOQ ::;>: -1 ... ~ ~NIAVd

lSV3 :naanN

1- -1

t- + + -1

... 0

t-

RLNV3H r

~ 1IANV .. • ~NIAVd

.... 0 31HHON

1- + + -j

1- .... + -;

1- -+ + ·l

---~

L J. .L .1. L .L J. ..L .l. .l.

T T .,.... T T T T T T' , I· T· · ·ll ffl ~ ~ ... ::: ;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;::

:1: . l .. 11: ::~: H 1 /\Jn II 4

·1· . '4 . • • rr·:·:·:·:·:·:·:-:-:-: -:<·11

·0 ·a~ 4

"' WEST - lr' II ... DOORS

I • ~ • 11::::: :::::::::::::::1

RANGE r:-:-:-1 I . : I ::::rl·:i::::i::::i::h_ II -1

1-5 - 't· >_, ,_; : tl:::::::::::::::,:,:::.:u I n -1

6-10 • I . ~ .I: 10 ":.:::::llii:::.::U-d s 0 u -1 . 11-15 • ~ : : :'1 . .-: ... ;::.;; M·····:·;;·······ml II -1

16-20 ll•:·:·:·:·:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: .. 1 .·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·n . . ·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·.·-•••

81 .. 30-35 llWill1l l ·3·llllllllllllllllllllllll•

EAST

DOOR II .. ....

.{

t- + + .j. ... ... ... + + --4

f- + +- + + ONE METRE GRID -!

f- + -t

f- + -!

L.. .1. .L J.. J. .L .1. .L J. ..J

FIGURE TWO: ARTEFACT POPULATION

0

100

300

380

500

600

L L- L

COKE FUEL DUMP HEARTH BASE L r-

CLAY FLOOR HEARTH FOOTING

J :--

T

CLAY AND

L RUBBLE FILL

r-

!-""

ORIGINAL T~P.S.OI_L .. . . _: :... • ••• 0 ....... ,I':·. ~ 0 -:...l .J::,. , ... ~ ,.:.. ·.• ,, . .... . .. . . . ~~.·~..,~~ ~.~~ ~~ .. -~~~~~ -~ ~. :.); :'" , .. · .. : . ,-, .. ·.t~.:-.· .

·.: . .:c: .. :.- .. ~··>:.:·::.:·· ... : ... &

ORANGE CLAY

NOT EXCAVATED

I~;;::::,~,:~~,~·~;· ·&:A~'~?{~~:. '"1.: R'-J'.~,·-·~: .. ,· . .-.. ,. J~>. -~;; ..... · .. :." : . ·.. ... ... ··: .•

ORANGE CLAY

AND STONES

l I

FIGURE THREE: STRATIGRAPHIC SECTION hearth base, facing East, 9/5/91 depth in millimetres

Plate 1 : Restored building seen from northeast photo jw-g 9 I 5/91

Plate 3: Shortening a purlin; note skewed brickwork, lack of flashing. photo jw-g 23/4/91

Plate 4 : The brick floor photo jw-g 8/5/91

Plate 5 : Detail of new post base.and bottom plate (post 13) and the axes used for shaping. photo jw-g 11/4/91

Plate 6 : The twisted stack; note vertical fracture beside timber post, enlargement of stack above shoulder. photo jw-g 4/6/91

Plate 7: The corrected stack, note wired restraints on joists and rafters. photo jw-g 18/5/91

Plate 8 : The earth floor in the east room. facing south east1 note spare slab twitched to joist. photo jw-g 18/5/91

Plate 9: Excavation at the base of the stack; note that lowest course desends to the left (north) following original ground surface. photo jw-g 18/5/91

Plate 10 : The steel beam in place photo jw-g 18/5/91

Plate 11 : Detail of artefacts outside the east room. photo jw-g 7/12/91

Plate 12 :Facing East across the excavated smface; note slot drain at photo jw-g 7112/91

t!¥/lt~ldt4 'Bt4d4•tt' ~

(iv) The works are scheduled in two stages: (Stage 1).

- reduce soil around building to historically correct level - activate surface drainage

- splice new bases to posts

2

-replace rotted bottom plates, renew stops to match existing -secure cgi sheeting, capping and flashing

-secure gutter, replace dp's and bends

-renew bargeboards to match existing

-replace rotted weatherboards to match existing. (Stage 2)

- underpin hearth

- repoint flue

- remove rust from cgi and apply primer - replace missing slabs."

1.2 A permit was granted by the Heritage Council of NSW under s140 on 20 March 1991.

2. Condition of the Site

2.1 By March 1991 the building had deteriorated

markedly since 1987: some fabric had disappeared and it was

on the verge of collapse (see the Frontispiece). The hearth

stack to which the building had owed a large part of its

verticality had failed at last, twisting clockwise and tilting to

the northwest. An old slumping of the hearth (due to

inadequate footing) and movement of the building canted

the flue to the extent that joints had opened. The flue was

out of true with its base by 106mm at 2315mm above the

main crack (over 4 inches in less than eight feet); the overall

tilt from plumb was even greater owing to movement of the hearth (see Plate 6).

~fz/lecldt4 Bte.d4~ ~ 5

2.2 The roof was in good order except for some

displaced ridge cap but the west gable was badly decayed. The

majority of wall slabs and posts were rotting at the foot, the

east wall and some slabs were missing, all of the external base

plates were decayed (refer Architect's Report at Appendix 1).

2.3 The cattle yards mostly had been removed from

alongside the building but the accumulated debris remained

and the cobble surface, where detectable, was badly disturbed.

2.4 The poplars adjacent to the west wall had been cut

down. A grove of eucalypts has been planted immediately

north of the building. The historical authenticity of the

planting is unknown.

2.5 All the major artefacts (see Plate 6 in the 1988

report) had been removed for conservation by another party

although a number of horseshoes, bar scraps and some

relatively modern debitage remained.

3. Carpentry

3.1 The site was fortunate in the skills with a broad axe

of Mr Colin Mustard. Where a member could not be retained

care was taken to reproduce its form in locally sourced

timber. If a substantial part of a timber member could be

salvaged this was preferred to losing the whole (see Plate 5

for example). Some weathered material from other sources

was incorporated. The extent of work is described in

Appendix 1.

3.2 The initial task was to relieve the wall posts and

stack of the pressure from the roof then provide a stable base

for the roof to enable realignment. To this end screw jacks

were placed along the north wall and the slabs progressively

numbered then dropped out. All the north posts were

replaced. The load could now be spread between the jacks and

~Bt.add~~ 4

the new posts enabling the roof to be manceuvered

southeastward nearer to its original position. Complete

restoration of position was constrained by the slumping of

the hearth which could not be corrected without total

reconstruction but the roof is now close to its original three

dimensional location.

3.3 The process of jacking the roof, repairing the posts

and repositioning the slabs went clockwise around the

building, concluding with the north wall where the

temporary new posts were removed and earlier material

reintegrated with the building. Bottom plates were replaced

around the building, supported on timber stumps. An air

space has been retained beneath the plates to encourage

longevity and rabbit wire fixed across the aperture (this is an

innovation). The plates are mounted aproximately SOmm

higher than original and have a slightly thicker section to

compensate for the shortening of the wall slabs consequent

on their ends having rotted. Care was taken to replicate the

original construction method and to make a joint where an

original plate of short length had occurred.

3.4 The west gable has been largely replaced by second

hand weatherboards of a similar profile and texture to the

original. The introduced boards have been reversed showing

a painted surface inside the building (see Plate 7). The paint

was left on the boards because it is not intrusive (being in

shadow and well above the normal line of sight) and

demarcates the old from the new. The original nails were

withdrawn carefully from the gable and re-used as fixings.

3.5 The former power pole to which the building had

been tied with fence wire to prevent it collapsing was

removed and used to provide timber with a weathered

appearance (the pole had no other functional or historical

relevance). The remnants of the cattleyard adjacent to the

building were removed but were not sound enough for re­

use.

~/letkt/4 'BI4e~.te4 e~ s

3.6 The roof timbers are sound and were left

undisturbed except in the vicinity of the stack. Owing to the

permanent deformation of the hearth and flue the roof

aperture had to be remade. Externally this involved cutting

the corrugated sheets and introducing new flashing.

Internally one purlin was shortened lOOmm to relieve

pressure on the stack (Plate 3) and a short batten beside the

stack (a fixing point for the cladding) was moved for the same

reason.

3.7 A light timber frame has been introduced around

the stack to rest on the joists. The intention is to reduce the

ability of the stack to buckle at its centre or to pivot on its

established failure points when subject to wind pressure for

example. The frame is made from split timbers that conform

to the rest of the structure and is wired in place so that it is

adjustable (see Plate 7).

4. Flue Stabilisation

4.1 Notionally the hearth and flue are the core of a

blacksmith's workshop. At Coppabella they were the last elements of the structure to be built and are much the worst.

The hearth was placed directly on the natural ground surface,

which slopes, and fill was introduced around it to produce a

level floor (see paragraphs 5.6 to 5.9 below). The horizon

underneath the topsoil is a plastic clay; this not only moves

in its own right in response to the presence of moisture but

has poor resistance to unequal load. The hearth apparently

began to shift even as the stack was being added.

4.2 The stack is idiosyncratic. It seems never to have

been properly vertical. It contains a series of slight angles as

though the builder was having some difficulty aiming for a

gap between the rafters then made a final attempt at

straightness as the stack poked into the sky. There are

changes in coursing below and above the roofline.

{!41if14k«A Btecd4~ ~ 6

4.3 The stack was both twisted and out of plumb at the

time of construction. It is also inherently unsound not only

for the lack of a stable footing and for the tilt but because of

the way that the flue is introduced to the stack. Plates 6 and 7

show that the flue mouth occurs above the shoulders of the

stack at a point where the stack is only one and a half

stretchers wide and one header thick, ie the weakest point in

the structure. The stack actually enlarges above the flue

mouth so that it is wider at the top than at the bottom. The

effect is a bifold movement: firstly the base tilted under the

load (note the crack in the hearth in Plate 6), secondly the

stack failed and articulated around the flue mouth.

4.4 There were thus three problems : retaining the

characteristics of the stack (which charitably may be described

as vernacular), averting imminent collapse, introducing

stability.

4.5 Having relieved the pressure from the roof the

major cracks in the stack were cleaned of grit and the upper

stack containing the flue was gradually moved by jack until

the gaps in the brickwork had closed. Although tilted it was

now in its correct relationship to the base. The fractured

joints were regrouted. With the jack still in position, a pier

and beam foundation was introduced beneath the base of the

stack at the rear of the hearth. The piers are cement poured

into holes 300mm x 300mm descending 300mm below the

lowest course of bricks. The beam is a steel channel (200 x 75 x

2000 mm) laid on edge. Prior to fixing the beam the stack base

notionally could have been jacked plumb but it would then be out of kilter with the rest of the hearth (to which it is not

adequately attached) and there was a risk of an additional

joint failure from the unprecedented stress causing total

collapse of the stack. The base of the stack is therefore still in

its historically correct position but protected from both

further sinking and lateral movement.

f3¥/leektl4 'Ct.:te~•~ ~ 7

4.6 It is emphasised that the measures taken are

intended to address the construction flaws in relation to

existing conditions. Should additional stresses be introduced

by tempest, earthquake, building failure, impact on the

building, thermal stress caused by relighting the forge, or

other cause, it is essential that the stack be inspected for

damage or movement. To this end the cosmetic regrouting

should be regularly inspected for fractures.

5. Excavation Description

5.1 The preliminary earthworks were conducted

mechanically. Hand excavation followed in three stages.

5.2 Because the east wall of the building was missing,

stock habitually camped in the east room leaving a deep layer

of manure. Since this had to be disturbed to gain access to the

bottom plates, the whole of it was removed. The hard-set

manure was scraped by tractor blade then excavated by hand.

No artefacts were recovered. Beneath the manure lay a hard

dirt floor made of brick clay mixed when wet with fresh

manure possibly with further induration by an admixture of

lime. There has been some damage to the floor surface from

stock before the later deposit was sufficient to protect it but

generally the floor is in good condition with a clear wear

pattern opposite the door (Plate 8). The floor extends up to

500mm (say 18 inches) beyond the building which suggests

that it was laid after the post frame was built (there was no

clear indication that the floor had been pierced for post holes)

but before the wall slabs were erected.

5.3 Coincident with exposing the floor, approximately

120mm of deposit from the cattleyards was scraped away

from the west face of the building. A small Ford Dexta tractor

with an 8' blade and 1/3 yard bucket was used. Power

equipment can produce delicate results, it showed here that

the paved yard surface had lost its grade and become

f3¥fletktt4 Bt.uMIIUt4 e~

discontinuous also it suggested that there was another

subsurface feature two metres east of the building.

K

5.4 Test excavations in 1987 had established that the

ground south of the building was paved using waterworn

stone and brick batts, graded to drain water away from the

building, apparently to the east. It was intended by the

current brief to expose the cobbles and reinstate the drainage

if possible. A one metre wide trench was excavated eastward,

parallel to the smithy and lOOOmm out from the bottom plate

from the door to the east room to the subsurface feature. This

indicated that the cobble paving is no longer a continuous

surface. Since a simple reinstatement of drainage was not

practicable due to the newly revealed feature, the remaining

overburden was regraded temporarily to drain west. A

modern dump of clay immediately west of the building was

removed to allow drainage around the end of the building.

5.5 When excavated by hand in a metre grid, the

feature appeared as a rectangular pad of brick roughly three

metres by two (Plate 4). The feature is let into the surface of

the ground (there is a backfilled trench approximately 70mm

wide along the east margin) and some trouble has been taken

to create a nearly level surface. The bricks, which are mostly

batts, are lightly fired and softer than the cementitious

jointing mortar so that they have worn, leaving the mortar

proud. The feature is certainly a floor. It has been laid to fit

the irregular margin of the yard paving (which it postdates).

The north and east margins also were laid to fit an existing

feature (no longer extant) that included at least two posts.

Unfortunately the ground about the floor is very disturbed

(note the deep hole in Plate 4) so the excavation could not be

easily pursued, it would not in any case have contributed

directly to the conservation of the fabric of the smithy.

f3¥1Jeck«a ~l4d4t~~IU ~ 9

5.6 The second stage of excavation occurred in April

1991 when the majority of the carpentry had been completed

and the stack straightened. A trench was cut (300mm wide x

110mm deep) across the rear of the hearth at the base of the

flue. The trench extended 200mm beyond the hearth at each

end where it was sunk up to 600mm. The purpose of the

trench was to enable a concealed pier and beam to be

introduced beneath the rear of the hearth to support the load

of the flue.

5.7 The hearth had been sat directly on the natural

ground surface at the north and slightly inset at the south

where the ground rises. The inset is too small so that above

the base course the bricks corbel out (see Plate 9). Clay had

been dumped in the forge room to provide a level floor

(300mm deep at the north of the hearth, reducing to 110mm

deep immediately south of the hearth) but it was not packed

into the voids of the irregular brickwork so that the vertical

load of the stack (that is transmitted through the outer brick,

see paragraph 4.6 above) was not supported but relied on the lateral strength of the hearth. Inevitably the hearth has

fractured and the stack has slumped, aggravating the

inherent instability of the upper reaches of the flue.

5.8 Concrete pads were poured at each end of the trench

and a rolled steel beam introduced beneath the corbel. The

beam has been packed tightly into place (see Plate 10) and

buried in original floor material.

5.9 Instructions were sought from the client as to the

desirability of continuing to excavate the yard. The decision

to continue seeking the paving along the south face of the

smithy was put into effect in December 1991 as the third stage

of excavation. In the intervening period the farrier's artefacts

had been replaced which greatly improves the interpretative

value of the site. Regrettably the bellows are not correctly

installed (this can be remedied) and heavy machinery was

e~~~,.letfA ~t4d4•tt' e~

driven repeatedly across the yard during wet weather,

compressing the thin overburden, churning part of the

newly exposed paving and fracturing the brick floor.

1()

5.10 The metre grid of 1987 was reinstalled to a width of

three metres along the south face of the smithy. The

compressed overburden was chipped by crowbar before being

removed by trowel and brush. It was found that the earth

floor of the building protrudes in a distinct lip up to 500mm

(say 18") wide. There has also been a path roughly formed

from brick batts leading to the forge doorway from the

southwest. There is a patch of brick batts outside the eastern

door. The cobble paving is generally in good order east of the

path but deteriorates to the west where in later years it had to

support the initial press of cattle into the yard. The surface of

the paving supports a substantial population of metal scrap

and artefacts (Plate 11). The incidence is shown in Figure Two

which demonstrates that like the cobbles, the metal

population decreases west of the forge entrance. The artefacts

have been left in position where they make a really evocative

display.

6. Excavation Notes

6.1 The metre grid is shown in Figure 1. Detailed

excavation occurred inside the building and along the south

face. The natural slope north of the building did not need

enhancement. Surface drainage now occurs westward acro~s

the paving to a small channel cut into the overburden (see

Plate 12) that directs any run-off onto a swale shaped by the

tractor around the west end of the building.

6.2 The stockyard overburden south of the building is a

compound of clay and manure. The colour, on exposure to

the sun, changed within minutes from pink to grey and

continued to vary with light and moisture. True ground, on

which the pebbles were laid is an orange clay. This layer was

not penetrated. The clay appears to be quite plastic when wet

f1¥/141dta ~f4d4.1d-~ 11

and it is likely that over time more paving will appear on the

surface.

6.3 The stratigraphy revealed by the excavation beneath

the coke fuel dump beside the hearth is quite simple,

comprising levelling fill, a thin band of grey soil (the original

ground surface) and two clay horizons (see Figure Three).

6.4 No artefacts were removed from the site. None

were recovered from the overburden (which was dry seived

through a 3mm sieve) and the forge detritus was left in situ

on the cobbles.

7. Note on the Bellows

7.1 The bellows are supported on a timber frame

comprising two uprights set in the ground with two cross­

pieces. The bellows rest on the lower cross-piece; the upper

links the uprights, fixes the bellows operating lever and is

attached by a brace to the west wall. The uprights have bored

holes to adjust the height of the bellows. The cross pieces are

(or were) pegged and nailed in position.

7.2 The bellows have been reinstalled with new

uprights that do not replicate the old. One of the original

uprights has been used as the upper cross-piece, fastened with

steel reinforcing rods spiked through and bent over. The

brace is missing. The second upright was found in the yard

outside and has been put for safety in the east room. The

water jacket was in the wrong place and not connected (this

has been corrected) and comparison with a 1987 photograph

suggests that a number of artefacts have not been replaced.

e~flfleaktt4 ~(Addf~Ud, ~ 12

8. Recommendations

8.1 The continued stability of the flue be monitored.

8.2 The exterior timber receive another coat of CUPRINOL Clear before Winter 1992.

8.3 The artefacts on the cobbles should be stabilised to inhibit corrosion.

8.4 Vehicles should be kept away from the yard.

8.5 The bellows should be correctly mounted.

8.6 A spare slab has been twitched to the rafters in the

east room. When the new slabs in the east wall have shrunk,

they should be cramped and the extra slab introduced.

8.7 The stable building needs professional conservation

attention as a matter of some urgency. The bark ceiling is

intact but considerable damage has been done to the timber

floor and stalls by cattle and the two skillion areas have been demolished.

8.8 The architectural recommendations of Appendix One should be followed.

~flpetk«c 'Bt4d4•ie4 ~

Appendix One: Architectural Report Preamble

This report records the extent of conservation

works to the building fabric. The recording of

siteworks and works to the dirt floors is recorded elsewhere.

The building was temporarily propped for safety,

and a process of cable winching and twitching

restored as much verticality as possible. The

contractor, Colin and Wayne Mustard of

Delegate, NSW was instructed to remove the

minimum of original material, in accordance

with current conservation practice. Jointing

methods are varied in the building, and these

were selected and copied at each joint as appropriate.

Summary of works

Conservation works were undertaken to

reconstruct walls, replace decayed materials that

were placing the building at risk, and returning

structural stability to the building. Joints were

checked and made good as required. The forge

was also re-plumbed and underpinned. Roofing

and cappings were re-secured, and flashings repaired. Gutters were made good.

Description of conservation works;

1 North wall

Bottom plates, posts, post bases and slabs were

replaced (plates 1, 2 and 3). Local seasoned

hardwood (stringybark) logs were supplied by

IS

~~eek«a ~tad411144 ~

ANM for these purposes.

The slabs were re-dressed at the bases to fit to the new plates. Hardwood stops were fixed to retain

the slabs.

Second hand hexagonal wire netting was placed

over the windows to prevent access by vermin,

and to offer some security.

Upon completion of the woodwork, cuprinol

'clear' was applied to all exposed end-grain, and at

the bases of most slabs.

2 West wall

A new bottom plate was provided, between new

post bases at the corners (plate 4).

Slabs were re-fitted in original positions.

The gable weatherboards were re-secured, and

missing or decayed boards were replaced with

similar, second-hand material. Original nails

were re-used where practicable.

3 South wall (plates 5, 6 and 7)

Slab walls were re- assembled, following the

provision of bottom plates. A new post was

provided for the west leaf of the double door.

Original hinges were re-used to rehang the doors.

A conjectural re-constructed door was provided

(plate 7). The original configuration of this

opening was not clear, but the original studs were re-used in their original locations. Short slab

infill was installed above the door, copying

bulkheads elsewhere.

The guttering was re-fixed to fall to introduced

14

'

~/ltekt/4 Bt~~-id e~

galvanised downpipes at each end. Second hand

downpipes were used to minimise the visual impact of introduced material.

4 East wall (plates 8, 9)

No useable bottom plate survived, but a close

analysis of the plates determined that vertical

slabs had been in place along the east side. No

openings were evident. A new, rebated bottom

plate was installed, and slabs held with a stop

were fitted. New corner posts were installed (plate 9).

The gable boards survived in moderately intact

state. They were re-secured where necessary.

5 Forge

The forge was winched and jacked back to a safer,

but not truly plumb position. Roof battens were

trimmed approximately lOOmm to allow the required clearance.

Rude timber cleats were twitched onto the roof

ties with wire. These are to add support to the

flue. Open joints were repainted with cement

rich mortar. This provides adequate compressive strength to withstand potential further

settlement of the forge. The base of the forge was

underpinned in accordance with the attached drawing.

Recommendations for future maintenance .

. 1 Apply cuprinol'clear' to all external

timber on an annual basis. (Available from

Dulux Trade Centre- Wagga Wagga).

Approximately 40 litres is required to coat the entire building.

15

~fleck«a Bt~.te4 ~

.2 Regularly inspect the cleats introduced to support the chimney. Ensure that the wire

twitches are tightened as necessary .

.3 Regularly inspect the roofing, cappings

and flashings, and maintain in a weatherproof and secure condition .

. 4 Protect the building from vermin, and

monitor for termite attack. Protect as required, and in strictly in accordance with current standards of practice.

16