A Mayan friend in Mexico asked me to find out what I could regarding the possibility of making small houses from tropical hardwood planks. The woods’ local names are such as Caracolillo, Chechém, Chacá, Ramón, Zapote. He has little knowledge of woodworking techniques, but an excellent knowledge of woods and their characteristics.He has done extensive work with these woods, but his main cutting tool until recently was the chainsaw, with which he cuts planks for various purposes. Recently I brought him a Delta 13″ planer (I broke it down and put it in my suitcases). This is the first “upscale” tool he has used; he uses it with a gasoline generator. He can now prepare planks with a finish which brings out the beauty of the wood. As a result he is excited about learning about the various possibilities of this technology and others. His idea just now is to find a way to build a whole house with such planks. He does not have Northern joinery skills; nor does he work from plans. He is a well regarded builder of the classic Mayan “stick” house, and has built me one. This one was new for him because it had a floor and a half rather than just one – you don’t see two story Mayan houses. It is at the edge of the forest and has wildlife viewing balconies on the upper floor off the two ends. It has two staircases which were built by trial and error – with beautiful but unfinished tropical hardwoods. This was an entirely new experience for him.
Can anyone give me information on this kind of plank construction – or lead me to other places where I might find some? I must admit that I myself have no woodworking skills, and hope that you may nonetheless be kind! It is not too often that one comes across such a backwoodsman with a yearning for more interesting ways of doing things, and I am trying to do what I can to help him.
Replies
Isn't there a mag - Timber Framed Houses? Get your hands on some of those.
Thanks! I'll look for it.
Artemio,
There is a place nearby (here in Montana) that teaches nontraditional home construction techniques similar to what you describe. It is called "Sage Mountain Center" and is located in Whitehall Montana. Perhaps your kind benefaction could bring your friend to such a place where he could be exposed to learning applicable construction techniques. More appropriately however, maybe your similar support could be in helping your friend acquire a band saw mill as a way to cut planks in relative ease and safety as opposed to a hand held chain saw. Let me know if you need any more information. I do know that traditional Hawaiian home building sounds quite similar- in that plank walls and floors form the structural basis of a building. Traditional post and beam structures from the Northeast USA (Mennonite) traditions may apply as well.
Sounds like a cool third world helping idea you have in the mix. Wodworkers on this forum seem to have beaucuop knowledge to tap into. Maybe we could all form a group and travel south to help?
sawick
I have had some experience in rustic/rural housing in Papua New Guinea - there was a group based on the University of Technology in Lae who operated a community based operation in reemote areas. Leader was an architect named Ken Costigan. That would be a good statting point. Good huntine. Laki.
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