Author(s): Charles McRaven, Chandis Ingenthron (Illustrator)
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (January 8, 1989)
Paperback: 192 pages
ISBN: 0882665502
ISBN-13: 978-0882665504
Order From: Amazon.com
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April 17, 1998
An introduction to the art and craft of creating stone structures: acquiring stone, tools, and step-by-step instructions.
Concrete and steel may weigh as much, but nothing can rival stone for its beauty and durability. Building With Stone is an introduction to the art and craft of creating stone structures and projects by a man who has made stonework his vocation.
Throughout the book is Charles McRaven’s stonebuilding philosophy — that careful craftsmanship and time well spent during construction will repay itself many times over. The physical challenges will be offset by tremendous satisfaction and the knowledge that long after the builder is gone, the structure will stand as a personal and historical monument.
Based on years of experience, this book will educate the novice and inspire the seasonal artisan. A stonebuilder at any level will learn how to evaluate each stone and undertake each step in the procedure with an eye toward aesthetics and useful permanence.
In addition to introductory material on acquiring stone and what tools will be necessary, there are chapters with step-by-step instructions on how to build:
— walls
— buttresses
— stone fireplaces
— a barbecue pit
— a stone dam
— a stone bridge
— a spring house
— even a home or barn
The final chapter is on proper restoration techniques for stone structures.
Not just a how-to book, but also a good read, Building With Stone is sure to be a reference book and constant companion for all manner of stone journeymen, and will prove to be as enduring a volume as the structures it recommends.
About the Author
Customer Comments
from Toronto, Canada , March 12, 1998
Introduction to Traditional Stone Masonry
This is an excellent first book for those who want to learn about building with stone as an old-world craftsman, rather than a money-hungry contractor or assembly-line modern mason. Charles McRaven does not fill his book with theory, but with practical methods and ideas which are true to proper masonry techniques but allow even the most novice to begin to lay stone right away. The anecdotal style of this book makes it an easy read, and inspires confidence to pick up that trowel for the first time!
