The Historic Preservation and Restoration student club welcomes itself back to the blog and to our brand-new Facebook page.

We’ve been busy the last year tackling restoration in New Orleans, volunteering for the Eureka Heritage Society, learning to repair stained glass, and a flurry of other things you can view pictures of on Facebook.

We’re as dedicated as ever to preserving historic structures and utilizing available materials. You can expect a series of full reports on all we’ve been working on as we glide through the rest of 2013 and catapult into next year. We’re almost done with our current semester and already excited about next semester’s classes. You can look forward to an update on the Annie B. Ryan house and new posts about alumni adventures and current projects as well as the rundown on all the classes for next semester, so stay tuned and "like" us on Facebook using the link on the left!

CT 16 Historic Millwork

College of the Redwoods Historic Millwork

Students projects were revolved around several major projects for the Spring of 2012. These projects included the turning of newl posts and balusters for the HPRT field school. Also on the project list was the milling and construction of redwood cabinets and counter tops to furnish the field school. Students had to mill their own profile knives to create the details that were to be replicated on the newly milled picture rail, crown molding for cabinets, the raised panels of the cabinet doors.

Shay Omran turning the newl post

Megan Carver turns the newl post top that consists of a sphere on a convex return with two donut details

Sarah Issacs-Myers and Quinn Kalish glueing up

The cabinets took the most length to prepare due to the stock had to be squared up and planed to the proper thickness then calculated for each style and rail that it would take to create each individual panel. Further more a special router set up was needed to create the radius profile seen on the door pictured top left

Redwood cabinets getting shellacked in the finish room.

Between three different classes, Millworks, Cabinet Making, and Interior Finishes the project is moving forward and is nearing completion.

CT 3 Interior Plaster

Quinn Kalich attaches wooden lathe back to the fire place

Peter Santino, master plasterer and interior finishes craftsman, is instructing students are learning traditional plastering  mixing and application, as well as, learning how to remove, repair and re-install broken plaster keys and lathe. Seen here is student, Quinn Kalish (left) replacing lathe on a fire place prepping it to receive a traditional lime putty, sand mortar mix as a base coat then a final finish coats  of joint compound and small mixture of Plaster of Paris (gypsum) for the final finish coast. Plaster walls and ceilings provide a great sound and thermal barrier when they are in proper shape, and most importantly are of craftsmanship that is HISTORIC!!

Peter Santino applying Lime Putty and sand as a base coat
showing proper "Italian" style throwing the
mud onto the wall

Peter feather boarding the second base coat to thickness to prepare for  the beggining of the finish coats

Using a "scarifier" to sctratch the base coat
 for the application of finsih coats

applying  fiber mesh is tedious work because sometimes surfaces and adhesive may not be ideal so dabs of joint compound can be used to help stick the fiber mech to the wall or ceiling surface

Jordan  Stull-Barnes and Elliot Kane apply Fiber Mesh and Joint
compound to the entry way of the field school

Shown at right are College of the Redwoods HPRT students applying fiber mesh to original plaster ceilings and walls to provide a reinforcement layer to the plaster which will receive three finish coats of joint compound for a nice smooth finish

Greg DeAngelis working the trowel and his hawk