Plantation Bell for Captain Hardy Smith House

Purchased this plantation bell from the proceeds of selling scrap from a 1920's home across the street.

Research shows it is a Poke #3. The date shows 1886. That is the date the bell cast was made not necessarily when it was sold.

The process of sanding the rust down.

This part is called the clapper

Here is the upright

Spraying the bell black

Gold leaf on the bell

Painted the pole to reflect the colors of the house.

Front Dormers Restored

Front dormers had rotten wood and in need of restoration

Had to cover hole where bats used to get in..used a piece of glass and then painted

Restored!

New look for the front!

Tear Drop Repair

How to repair a tear drop on the Hardy House.....Had to do a sketch of the original...or what was left of it...it was totally rotten....

Next examine the area from which the rotten wood was.

The view on the way up

As tall as it gets....yes climbing the ladder to the top to actually replace the rotten tear drop

Cut pieces to make the tear drop...

Puddy

Beginning to look like a tear drop

Add the angles that will meet the original wood.

Glue it all on....yes this is done while at the top of the ladder.....

Puddy...sand....next will be priming and painting.

On the entrance way to the house is an original tear drop. Cut in 1873. All of the woodwork was replaced as much was rotten after all those years...

Window Dormer and Side window Repairs

Before starting the repairs and painting of the Dormers and windows they look ok from a distance.

However up close as you can see the windows are in bad shape with rotten wood and cracking caulk.

Close up of the rotten window.

Some of the windows survive when taking them out.....some don't...so replacing the majority with old original glass is ideal.

Repaired wood and windows cut to size. Difficult because the old window panes are not perfect. Each has a slight different size.

Caulking is difficult and time consuming.

All set for priming.

Finished window

Comparison of finished and window not started.

Top and Bottom Windows done.

Windows out and Dormer in need of restoration.

The hazards of window dormer work.

                                                                 Ready for priming.

From a distance.

All done on the left

Large view of completed Dormer on the left.

Now for Dormer on the right. Rotten wood. 

Close up view from the front....no more fixing this piece.

View of rotten piece and old timber parts ready to replace.

Before priming.... cut and nailed the two pieces together.

Like new!

Done!

Side view of both dormers complete!

Set of windows with crumbling caulk.

Primed and ready

Brand new look for the whole side!

Laddice and New Steps

New Laddice works were made from 100 year old timbers that were cut.

 These timbers were from an old building undergoing renovation in Downtown Dublin. They were saved from the Dump. Previous laddice works were from original wood from the House. That is Scarlet relaxing on some of the cut timbers :)

Each set of laddice works took time to measure

 and set as no two areas was the same.

After painting and setting

Front view of the newly painted laddice works.

Side view

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Another new addition was a set of steps for the side stairs. 

These bricks came from the old Dublin High School being torn down.

Dig in the ground and set for the bricks. 

Very tricky had to reset them two times to get the end results just right.

End result!