#eliot school

[eliotanimations]

Mrs. Twit by 5th Grade

[portlandcityarchives]

Eliot School, circa 1951

Eliot School, circa 1951

The Eliot School once stood where the Matt Dishman Community Center now stands. Portland Parks took over the building in 1950 and transformed it into the Knott Street Community Center. The building was later renamed the Matt Dishman Community Center.

  Eliot School on N Knott, circa 1951 : A2001-030

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[carpenterstoolchest]

PROJECT [Cupola Shutters]

Last steps of the shutters! We decided that it would be easier and more efficient to paint the louvers and other parts before assembly.  Just imagine trying to get your paint brush in between all those louvers and have it come out looking good.  For the curved part we made one set of louvers by scribing it's radius and length.  Then we just used that set as a template for all the others.  Assembly took quite a few tries before we perfected the method - lots of patience and teamwork.  The key for us was when we realized that we needed to start on the one end and work our way toward the curve, this allowed us to only have to guide and watch a few louvers at a time instead of all of them at the same time.  Next time I make a shutter I will have so many better ideas about it.

[carpenterstoolchest]

PROJECT [Cupola Restoration]

The scaffolding crew finished installing our platform to work from at the Cupola height.  We call it our "nest".  The first step was to scrape the loose paint off so we could see if there were any surprises underneath.  We have discovered quite a few wood repairs and some architectural details that have fallen off.  We are also using consolidant to firm up some of the wood that has gotten soft from exposure to the elements.  The first week was  very busy with scraping and wood repairs.  But, we were happy to put on the first coat of primer on the south side on Monday. 

[carpenterstoolchest]

PROJECT [shutter reproduction]

We've been working hard on our reproduction shutters for the Eliot School this week.  We have most of the basic frame put together today.  The curve was the hardest part so far.  But with a little tip from our instructor we were on the right path by making a template to use with a router table.

We still had some trouble when we realized that on a curve you will always hit a spot where the router cutter head is cutting in the same direction as your wood grain, thus causing a big bite.  We quickly solved it by just flipping the piece upside down to make sure the grain was always running in the right direction.  If you can't flip your template upside down because it's not symmetrical them you can just us a top bearing stright bit as well. 

Next challenge will be to cut the slot for the individual louvers to slide into.  We have already designed a jig so I'll be posting pictures soon.

[carpenterstoolchest]

PROJECT [Eliot School Cupola restoration]

It's the last semester of school which means its time that we test our skills working on our version of a "thesis" project.  This year we will all be involved in either individual or small group projects.  These projects range from restoring doors and windows to reproducing architectural millwork or small historic buildings.  We all play both the project manager and carpenter for these projects so that we really get to experience all the aspects of business.  Yes, this means working on our professionalism when communicating with our clients. 

Some of my classmates are restoring a the privy at the Judge Holten House (circa 1670).  You may recognize the name from the Salem Witch Trials.  Its rear to find privies that are still around just it's really important for historical preservation to save it. 

For my project I will be working with a classmate to restore the Cupola at the Eliot School.  We have decided that we need to rent a boom lift so that we can get closer to the cupola to properly establish the scope of work that will be needed to restore it.  For now, we know that they need four new shutters.  The original shutters have mostly fallen apart with one left that we can use as a sample to base our new shutters off of. 

[finchbeak]

Upholstery Class Week 3, in which I spend 3 hours tying knots.

But before knot tying I had to place and attach the springs to the webbing placed last week. Not all that difficult, especially with the medieval looking contraption Paul III had on hand. Seriously, the thing looks like it came out of Saw movie.

Next step was to prep the twine and attach to the chair. Placed lots of tacks, looped the twine around and hammered them down to secure.

Two and a half hours later?

You wouldn't think it would take that long- but I was working pretty fast for a noob and it still took ages. Not to mention my fingers getting all raw and twisted. The arthritis in my hands/wrist don't really like this endeavor.

And to finish up- cover the seat in burlap:

Next week? Cotton batting (if I can manage to get to the upholstery store)! Muslin! Foam!

I still have to find something to cover the damn thing in. I had found the perfect material here, but I just can't justify $48 a yard when I need at least 4 yards.