custom neander tool

[Roger Rettenmeier]

I am tearing off the 4x8 sheets of siding from my house. It is a 100 year old house and lacks insulation. There are two more layers under the 4x8, the original siding and sub layer. I was able to do the north wall from the ground and pretty much rip the siding off by hand. I have no leverage on the south side, and came up with a fine neander tool... P1020177.jpg Note the careful craftsmanship, and custom tapered point . Here it is at workP1020178.jpg. Here is the north wall, still needs battensP1020173.jpg.

[Jim Matthews]

No insulation, in Montana?

Yikes.
Did you burn the end of the sharp stick in a fire?
That would be the "approved" Neanderthal method.

[Roger Rettenmeier]

Hi Jim, wish I had thought of fire hardening. Problem would still be lacking some flint to start a fire with.

I have been here about 10 years and use about 3 cords of firewood / year. When the back up oil burner went out (Moniter stove) I replaced it with a Rinnai propane burner. When I was venting the stove, I realized the walls had no insulation. Someone blew in insulation in the ceiling, just not the walls.

[William Huver]

Roger, now that's my kind of tool! I've had a few tools like that, specially crafted for me during certain projects. The problem is that they tend to get lost. When I need them again, I find the shattered remains are in the fireplace...

I feel for you with the un-insulated house. I live in western NY, and have a similar project ahead of me with my old Italianate house. No one tried to cover anything up with another layer of siding; still the original wood lap siding only. The problem is there is nothing under it (siding nailed directly to studs). I've found the blown-in insulation job someone attempted to be pretty much useless, except in the attic where they managed to fill in the inside of the roof overhang, blocking up the vents. I don't envy your project, but I imagine your home and heating bill will be much more comfortable this winter!

[george wilson]

When I was a kid in Alaska,not too many people seemed to have insulation. They thought it cost too much,I guess. Oil was a lot cheaper then.

[Roger Rettenmeier]

I am installing new windows along with insulation and siding. It should really tighten this place up. Good luck on your place on in western NY.

[William Huver]

I've found that "older" (19th century) houses commonly have no sheathing boards or insulation under the siding in my neck of the woods either. I wish I knew more about the history of insulation. Perhaps it wasn't available, or didn't work well, when any of these houses were built? My grandparents never made much money, but I know they never worried much about adding insulation or the cost of running the massive, inefficient old cast iron hot water boiler that they used to heat the house. They did, however, convert the boiler at least a couple of times, I assume to keep up with whatever fuel was more available and cheaper to use.

Thanks Roger, good luck with yours. I'm sure it will look great when your finished. You wouldn't want to do the same to my house when you're finished with yours?! Maybe this isn't the forum for it, but I'm curious what you are using for siding. I installed cement fiber lap to replace vinyl on my parent's place last year. Loved the stuff, but found that it was easier to use a jigsaw w/ fiber cement blade to make cuts, rather than the circular saw with fiber cement blade.

I could talk about these old houses forever, but I should let you get back to work... I love to get inside the walls to see what the original carpenters did, and find old tool marks.

[Bill Houghton]

Neat pry bar. Fire hardening is, by the way, a myth, unless your wood is dripping wet.

[Roger Rettenmeier]

The wood is douglas fir. That is a very common species around here. I have a small saw mill, and a friend of mine has a Norwood Lumberlite,with a 24" head rig( I think). We have both lived in western Mt. since the mid 80s. We have friends with various timbered acres who give us wood to feed the mill. Most of it is blowdwn, or trade for services as a forester/ sawer. The finish is a light weight shake oil, which I believe is a mineral oil base.

I have the prep work done and will rent the blower tomorrow or Friday.

[William Huver]

Sounds beautiful... hoping you'll post photos!

What you're talking about sure brings back memories for me. My family used to trade lumber with our local friend and sawyer. Our purpose was firewood, and we dropped only dead trees from the woods around the farm on the land that was too steep for fields or pasture. Once in a while, we would find some nice logs. One year we got really lucky and traded two nice hickory logs for sawing a few white oaks. Of course, it was "always" winter (not fun on the trusty Farmall M), and the hill was sometimes so steep that we were almost sitting on the ground to cut. Anyway, it sounds like you have a wonderful thing going there.

[Roger Rettenmeier]

I started a thread in the off topic forum, "from logging to siding". It has some photos of the siding job, from start to near finish.