On Thursday last we did the tour of the Gridshell building at the Weald and Downland open air museum. In itself it's a amazing wooden construction ( plenty of info on the net so I won't bore you with my clumsy description ) but best of all part of the tour is a extended look into the lower store rooms were they keep the donated bits that ain't being used on display.
Basically there is cable tied to huge movable racks or on shelves thousands of farm, craft, smith, etc tools. For example there was a 8 foot high column of just straight bladed draw knives next to as many different shaped coopers etc draw knives. You are allowed to measure and photograph what you want, the guide was very knowledgable and to be honest I rushed about manically taking pictures of everything in sight like the complete set of tools from a tinsmiths shop or racks of carpenters axes of all different pattern.
When I've down loaded the camera ill stick up some examples.
So if you are interested in tools and are thinking of going to the place anyway I heartily recommend the tour, ours was at 1.30 on Thursdays but there may move it around, it's worth phoning ahead.
ATB
Tom
PS currently they are constructing a Anglo Saxon building and we had a good chat with the guy who was working on that. Oddly enough the next day we were at Butser and they are building a even larger and more impressive Anglo Saxon hall as well based on one excavated on a nearby site. Again the staff were very informative and friendly and it was great to see the construction methods.
Basically there is cable tied to huge movable racks or on shelves thousands of farm, craft, smith, etc tools. For example there was a 8 foot high column of just straight bladed draw knives next to as many different shaped coopers etc draw knives. You are allowed to measure and photograph what you want, the guide was very knowledgable and to be honest I rushed about manically taking pictures of everything in sight like the complete set of tools from a tinsmiths shop or racks of carpenters axes of all different pattern.
When I've down loaded the camera ill stick up some examples.
So if you are interested in tools and are thinking of going to the place anyway I heartily recommend the tour, ours was at 1.30 on Thursdays but there may move it around, it's worth phoning ahead.
ATB
Tom
PS currently they are constructing a Anglo Saxon building and we had a good chat with the guy who was working on that. Oddly enough the next day we were at Butser and they are building a even larger and more impressive Anglo Saxon hall as well based on one excavated on a nearby site. Again the staff were very informative and friendly and it was great to see the construction methods.