Hello David,

Happy Holidays!! The building keeps moving forward, and we are proud to announce the call for another round of interns.

The winter has firmly set in as the roof nears completion. The drywall has been hung, and the spackling starts the day after Christmas. Completion is in sight now, and we’re ready to begin the application and selection process for some new interns.

This, of course, is all good news; but before we get into the details we have to deliver the somber news that Joel Shugar, one of our most devoted members, passed away on December 16. Joel was in the shop more than any other non-staff member, showing up several times most weeks, often spending a considerable amount of time. Joel was often good for a pizza at lunch and always a joke or three. Joel was a friend of mine for 25 years and was introduced to ornamental turning only after Plumier opened in Port Chester. He was an ear, nose, and throat surgeon that pursued perfection in all he did. He worked to improve his skills until his health broke to the point he simply couldn’t sit at the bench. He never stopped searching for better ways to do things in all areas of life and always shared with others. The sharing was not limited to ideas but rather spread to all areas of life. For instance, he’d often order an extra tool for one of us if he thought it would be helpful. Joel was an avid supporter of Plumier from the beginning, and he was there when we closed the doors to leave Port Chester. Sadly, though he strongly supported the endeavor, his health didn’t allow him to lay eyes the new building. Joel will be missed more than words can express.

Joel is seen here (center) surrounded by friends on a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted by Plumier.

Saltsburg takes Christmas decorating very seriously; and individuals, families, and businesses can sponsor a tree along the canal trace and then decorate it. These are lighted every evening along with the wreaths and candles on the electric poles along the streets. It is beautiful and makes a fantastic ambiance.

Tom DeMase Roofing moves toward completion of the roof as they thread the needle between storms that leave the roof icy and dangerous. Once again Chuck’s Genie comes in very handy.

Standing seam roofing was chosen despite it costing more than the regular corrugated steel roofing. It’s not only more period correct for the turn of the 20th century addition we are replacing, but it also has no screws exposed. While both types of roofing have a 40 year warranty on the steel, there is no guarantee on the neoprene screws, which often fail in 10-15 years. The roof also matches the roof on the public restrooms next door in both style and color. The roof looks fantastic next to the slate roof on the original building as well as the hemlock and cedar siding.

Once the roof is finished the flashing can be installed allowing the siding to be finished.

Adrian Weaver and his brother Chad, though small in stature, are a force with which to be reckoned. They are a two-man drywall team that just doesn’t stop. The two of them had the drywall hung in the entire building in under a week and a half. They tell us that it’ll be about two weeks to spackle the whole building.

If you look at the pictures above you’ll see electrical lines coming out of the drywall. We had to pass a major inspection for electric and plumbing to enclose the walls. We once again had the inspector come when the students from the STEAM Academy in Saltsburg were down to do the wiring, and they once again passed with flying colors. These students have been a godsend.

Cody Sobel dropped by on his Christmas break from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington and caught a bit of resawing action. We are hoping to use some of the white oak logs that were once part of the floor structure to make the trim and other features. The wood was placed in the building in 1850, and the one I counted had over 250 growth rings on it. It was germinated before 1600, so we think it would be a shame to not use at least some of the logs to decorate the building itself. There are a number of challenges to this, of course, not the least of it being that the wood was installed green and is both crooked and quite cracked. It also has a lot of nails which often don’t manifest themselves until you hit them. So far we think the endeavor is worth it, but we’re still at the early stages.

In order to store wood and to keep the upstairs floor warm we needed to seal off the basement door. Once again Geoff Saver came through for us and spent some days working with Dustin Young to make a door the door. The door is heavily insulated and should seal off the weather quite nicely.

Internships!

The Plumier Foundation is overjoyed to announce a series of three-month internships with a $2,000 living stipend, housing, and access to the extensive Plumier shop for craftsmen to study and develop their skills in any lost arts craft they are pursuing. Learn More and Apply Here

We all recognize the possibility of losing the traditional craft techniques and skills that the Plumier Foundation was established to preserve. Ornamental turning and the variety of crafts that intersect with it could easily succumb to the pace and pressure of modern living. With your support, the Plumier Foundation can help talented craftspeople grow and innovate in ways that will let them carry these traditional techniques and skills successfully into the future. Be a part of preserving the beauty inherent in our traditional crafts - support Plumier!

If you’d like to support the internship, or Plumier in general, here's how to give:

You can use the Go Fund Me page we set up here: Go Fund Me! You can also use our one time donation button on our “Join Us” page where you can give easily, or you can call me at the number shown below.

Donate Here

Your support will help us serve and develop the ornamental turning community.

Support Ornamental Turning, Support Plumier.

If you have questions, give me a call at (570) 352-7137 or email me at david@plumier.org. I'm looking forward to sharing more information on the project as we progress. Again, here’s the link to the plan. New Plumier Home!!

Sincerely,

David Lindow