"Secrets of the Castle" BBC2 just finished
- Thread starter bobnewboy
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Just caught up with the last two, every episode has either taught me something new or shown me the historical use of techniques or methods of work I have used since my apprenticeship. Ruth's mention of things being "half that or one quarter or a third of" still regulates the use of one of our oldest (known) wood joints and for a very good reason, it has been proven to work, even the 'loose tenons' for the door they made appear to be based on the usual "rule of thumb" though judging by my thumb they must have used a blacksmiths oft' smote thumb as a rule.... mine is 3/16 shy of the inch
On the program they were showing it as the width of the thumb, while I have always understood it to be the last joint dimension but mine is about the same as yours, they are just skinnyYou must have small thumbs!
My thumb is 1 1/4" long and that IS just the last joint!
Rob.
On the program they were showing it as the width of the thumb, while I have always understood it to be the last joint dimension but mine is about the same as yours, they are just skinny
Rob.
The width of my thumb (pressed moderately firmly against the ruler) is 1 1/8 inches at the nail bed..
The Bushcraft Magazine Summer 2011 issue had an excellent article on body part measurement (oooh Matron!) "Calibrate Yourself" by Steve Kirk and yes the measurement of the inch should be across the thumb
When I measure cloth quickly I still use body measures ... fingertip to nose (facing front) = 1 yard, fingertip to nose (facing away from the finger tip) = I meter, Shaftment = 6" - rough and ready ... but effective!
Completely agree with you on those body measurements, they are pretty close to spot on for me too, however, my thumbs are in need of serious compression via G-clamps to get as wide as your ample digits
Therein lay the rudiments for a need for a standardised measurement (which was mentioned in the episode by means of a stick or staff with measurement marks noted for all trades to work to in case the measuree (?) passed away) If I made stuff to my rule of thumb it would probably let draughts in...along with rats and skinny thieves
I hope they do a follow up series, I am sure there is much more to learn.
Rob.
Therein lay the rudiments for a need for a standardised measurement (which was mentioned in the episode by means of a stick or staff with measurement marks noted for all trades to work to in case the measuree (?) passed away) If I made stuff to my rule of thumb it would probably let draughts in...along with rats and skinny thieves
I hope they do a follow up series, I am sure there is much more to learn.
Rob.
No worries, was wanting to have a watch of final episode myself. It's been very good.
He has had two series now though. Ruth and 'fonz' were good in Tales from the green valley.
Slightly related, there was another programme on castles. A short series on the history and design I think. Only saw short bits of it but the one bit I remember is how a royalist noblewoman and 10 men held off a couple of roundhead attempts to take her family's castle. Long enough for reinforcements to get there. In fact they held on for so long they humiliated the roundheads. Eventually they got taken when a royalist captain known to the lady led some roundheads dressed as royalists did it get taken by treachery. He'd been captured and had turned coats to the roundhead side, hence the turncoat phrase. As a mark of respect for her strength and bravery she was allowed to leave with all the castle's keys as a sign of respect.
After that the roundheads went about slighting castles. That was where they voted in parliament on.whether to blow up the castles or not. Apparently they had to use so much gunpowder to blow them up they were in danger of running low. They we're nearly as hard to destroy as build!
interesting thing is there was a vote on whether to slight Windsor Castle. The vote went to save it by only one vote!
After that the roundheads went about slighting castles. That was where they voted in parliament on.whether to blow up the castles or not. Apparently they had to use so much gunpowder to blow them up they were in danger of running low. They we're nearly as hard to destroy as build!
interesting thing is there was a vote on whether to slight Windsor Castle. The vote went to save it by only one vote!
I have been watching both series, we are lucky here in Warwickshire to have two of the country's finest Castles, Warwick and Kenilworth within about 5 miles of each other as the crow flies. Kenilworth if it has survived the Civil War in one piece would have been even more magnificent inside than Warwick is now, John of Gaunt's hall was second only to Westminster Hall in size.
