Mulberry Panel
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- This topic has 19 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 11 months ago by Spencer Gaskins.
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10 April 2017 at 5:46 pm #310973
Since moving to Bulgaria a year ago I have noticed old panels used as doors and even structural elements in old barns etc made from plaited mulberry. I really like the way they look so when I had some mulberry trees trimmed recently I took the opportunity to try making one myself.
Bulgarians seem to have forgotten how they are made, so I was pretty much on my own. I took the door on my chicken coup as an example (see photo) and dived in. The first step was to make a frame with four tenon and mortise joints, then peel the bark off the (62) mulberry twigs and weave them as can be seen in the photo.
I’m pleased with the outcome, and it was a pleasant change of pace from making the chest of drawers that I’m just finishing up (see other thread).
Anyway, I just thought someone may be interested in a different kind of ‘woodwork’.
Steve
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You must be logged in to view attached files.10 April 2017 at 7:40 pm #310979I wanted to see how quickly I could do the tenon and mortise joints so I just grabbed four pieces of wood and went for it, without worrying about squaring up or anything like that – I just used a spoke shave to get them something like. All the old joinery in the barn is rough and ready like that, and has a certain rustic charm about it.
It still took me between two and three hours to do the four joints though, so I guess speed isn’t my strong point (-:
11 April 2017 at 12:30 am #310988Good question! I assembled all four sides and started to weave the sticks. All went well until I got about 2/3 of the way along, then (and I could see this coming) it started to get difficult to weave the sticks, so I had to knock one side off the frame in order to continue. Luckily I hadn’t used glue, so I just had to knock out the dowels to get the frame apart.
The weaving part was difficult, and looks a little different on the original. I assume there was some trick that was used originally which has since been lost to posterity. I have a few ideas to try out if I make another one, but I was struggling to find sticks of a suitable size towards the end, even though I had three large mulberries pruned so I won’t be doing another one for a while.
BTW, I’ve tried to find info online about this craft, but so far no luck. Maybe I’m the only mulberry-weaver left on the planet (-:
11 April 2017 at 6:29 am #310993It’s sometimes used in a similar way (see attached photo of my next door neighbour’s barn). Maybe I can get some clues if I Google ‘Wattle and Daub’ since there are probably specialists who have researched that technique.
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You must be logged in to view attached files.[quote quote=310993]It’s sometimes used in a similar way (see attached photo of my next door neighbour’s barn). Maybe I can get some clues if I Google ‘Wattle and Daub’ since there are probably specialists who have researched that technique.
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Yes, that’s exactly wattle and daub, but without the daub.
Here’s a link to a person who did the whole process by hand, using only hand tools. It’s part of an interesting series where the guy builds his entire house and a separate workshop, all using only hand tools, and almost entirely by himself.14 April 2017 at 6:30 pm #311115Hi Steve,
Quick question – you mention that your weaving looks different than the original weaving for the wattle. For the life of me, I can’t see the difference.
Can you explain the difference, or show via pictures that difference?
BTW – I am very impressed with the wattle (and Daub) building technique, and am thinking about utilizing the concept for a garden fence using Cedar for the frame and maple saplings for the wattle, so any more information you may have doing it for the first time would be appreciated!
Thanks
Spencer
15 April 2017 at 12:07 am #311120Hi Spencer,
I’ll try to explain the difference, although it’s difficult to put it into words.
In the original panel, the vertical sticks are paired and each pair forms a ‘double helix’ (like a DNA molecule). In contrast, the vertical sticks in my panel are individual rather than being arranged in pairs. You’d have to look really closely at the photos to notice this (-:
Steve
15 April 2017 at 12:15 am #311121Thanks Steve
I see it now. The extra twist in the plait, I assume, would tend to add strength to the construction.
Now that I see it, it also appears that the original constructor alternated the direction of the “double helix” to counter-balance the twist as they added new wattle to create the panel. Is that correct?
Thanks
Spencer
15 April 2017 at 12:36 am #311122I’m not sure if that is correct, not having looked that closely at the original panel. I suppose it could just be random. I’ll have a look tomorrow when it is light outside. EDIT: Looking again at the photo of the original, the orientation of the helices appears to be random.
Another difference is that in some of these panels (but not the one I photographed), the vertical pairs are formed from a single stick which has been slit somehow and wrapped around the top horizontal stick like a piece of rope. I had a go at copying this technique, but it didn’t work at all. I’ll get a photo of this tomorrow if you’re interested in seeing it.
Steve
- This reply was modified 7 years ago by Steve Giles.
15 April 2017 at 12:43 am #311123Thanks Steve
I would very much be interested in seeing it. Thanks!!
Spencer
15 April 2017 at 7:09 pm #311134Hi Steve,
Thanks for the photo. I found a video on a UK site where willow was being made into a hurdle (fence) via wattle, and another where hazel was being made into a gate via a wattle panel.
In the hurdle video, the instructor was using the “double helix” method like you described, and alternated like I was suggesting would be possible – although, they mentioned it to provide a pattern (herringbone) rather than strength.
In the gate video, the instructor was twisting the hazel around the frame by twisting – like rope – the hazel as it was being wrapped around the cross-piece. Seemed to match the photo you provided pretty well.
I am impressed with the look and the use of locally-sourced material that would otherwise be either burned or turned into mulch.
(Of course, this opened up a whole new time-wasting endeavour of watching craftsmen buidling walls and roofs out of locally-sourced material, including firing tile with a homemade kiln…)
- This reply was modified 7 years ago by Spencer Gaskins.
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