Rudy Christian

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Blogs from Rudy R. Christian, a founding member and past president of the Timber Framers Guild, and a founding member and executive director of the Preservation Trades Network. Read his full bio here. 

OUR OTHER BLOGS: Carroll William Westfall | Clem Labine | David Brussat | Ken Follett | Patrick Webb | Peter H. Miller |  Vincent Michael | Judy Hayward | | David Teague | The Forum

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Rudy Christian

The Value of Stewardship When Saving Old Buildings

Rudy Christian discusses the value of stewardship when saving old buildings.

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Rudy Christian

A Gathering of the Trades: Timber Framers Guild

Traditional carpenters tools in Myanmar. The holes in the log are for chains that the elephants use to skid the logs out of the forest.
Rudy Christian

The Place for Trades in a 3D Printed World

working in Mandalay
Rudy Christian

Here We Are Again…..Again: Preserving a Monastery in Mandalay

The thrill of touching the master blacksmith’s work for the first time. Do I look happy?
Rudy Christian

Rudy Christian: Tools of the Trade

A traditional tradesperson in Mandalay refining his skills in the ancient craft of woodcarving. Unfortunately most of his work is headed for the Chinese hotel chain market. Photo by Laura Saeger
Rudy Christian

Rudy Christian: A Good Reason to Talk to Myself

From left to right Filippo Compagnon (Zimmerman Instructor), me, Carson Christian (my son) and Lon Tyler (TFG member and friend) at the compound roof framing class we participated in at the Gewerbe Akademie in Rotweil, Germany, in 2003. Hands-on learning German style!
Rudy Christian

Which Came First: Teaching or Learning Trades?

Willa serves a crab boil for the instructors at the workshop at Savannah Technical College. One of the perks for tradespeople teaching!
Rudy Christian

So Now What?

Chase appears to be enjoying using the 130-year-old cordless drill (boring machine) we taught him to use at the timber-frame workshop the Timber Framers Guild and Friends of Ohio Barns held at the Pasco Museum at the recent Agricultural Progress Days held outside of State College PA. He also learned to use a pull saw and a chisel and mallet. A smile powered volunteer!
Rudy Christian

Whatever It Was, It’s Gone

Highly skilled and respected tradesperson Robert Yapp Jr. (top right with glasses) teaching a class at his grass roots “Window Restoration College”
Rudy Christian

Are Tradespeople the Canary in the Cultural Coal Mine?

A view of Lincoln Cathedral, now over 1,000 years old and a wonderful part of England's Heritage.
Rudy Christian

So, Why Don't We Build The Way We Used To?

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Rudy Christian

Paradoxes of the Preservation Paradigm

Working with my friend Dan Troth trying to figure out how to reconstruct the historic roof on an early 19th-century barn. The roof was replaced in the 20th century when the barn footprint was expanded, leaving little evidence of the original framing.
Rudy Christian

Can we see our Conservation Goals when we are Focused on the Distractions?

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Rudy Christian

Is "Preservation" Why Buildings Fall Down?

The Lodi Railroad Depot was recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Davis-Bacon Act regulations have significantly reduced the value of a grant recently given to the 501C3 Lodi Railroad Museum, requiring the organization to do additional fundraising to accomplish the same amount of work.
Rudy Christian

Does Davis-Bacon Belong in Historic Preservation?

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Rudy Christian

The Replacement Value of Traditional Building

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Rudy Christian

A Time Traveler's View of the Built Environment

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Rudy Christian

Can We Even Comprehend Craftsmanship Today?

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Rudy Christian

Were Early Tradespeople Better Tradespeople?

Ron Staley (left), of The Christman Company, a sponsor of the cannon carriage workshop, and David Woodcock (right), former president of APT, join me in appreciating the workmanship of the students.
Rudy Christian

The Voice of the Tradesperson

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Rudy Christian

The Ecology of Conservation

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Rudy Christian

How Do We Save What We Have When We Haven't Saved Who We Were?

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Rudy Christian

What Picking Wild Raspberries Can Teach Us About How We Work

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Rudy Christian

Are We Treating our Historic Buildings Like the Redwoods?

Buying Guide Spotlight

James DeMartis Wren Railing Det. II
Custom Fabricated Metalwork

James DeMartis Metal Studio

Custom architectural metal artisan business. All manner of custom indoor and outdoor site specific metal objects, i.e., furniture, railings, gates, fencing, fireplace accessories, lighting, hardware, sculpture and architectural details.