Architecture

Plaster and Lath Removal and Waste Disposal

Two rooms of lath pulling resulted in this pile of wood lath.  It was easy to segregate from the plaster waste because the plaster was so loose.

After bundling the longest sections with cable zip ties and boxing the rest the wood could be placed by the curb for people to use as firewood.  It very rapidly disappeared.  The longer bundles were set up in a classic campfire formation.  I called this the "marketing bundle".  Now only the plaster waste pile remains.

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago

Disconnecting a lead and oakum seal on a cast iron drain pipe

Cast iron drain / waste pipes they are most often joined with a lead and Oakum seal. Oakum is a hemp material coated in tar.  It is placed into the joint to seal it.  Oakum expands when it gets wet to seal the joint. The Oakum is held in place and the pipe joint is given some strength by casting a bead of lead around the pipe inside the hub socket. In this picture the cast iron pipe hub is on the left.

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This is how the pipe joint is put together originally – Pouring Lead Joint Horizontal

 

By Fudgy McFarlen, ago