Monday was all business at the Stone Trust center. Eleven candidates for Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain certificates put their heads down and applied themselves to the task of walling. The seven hour test required stripping out and rebuilding sections of 5’ high free-standing and retaining wall. Most candidates were successful in achieving the level of certification they were striving for.
Read MoreAfter the tragic events to our south in Boston at the start of last week it was heartening to end it on Saturday with a positive note. Nine candidates came to The Stone Trust facility at Scott Farm for DSWA craftsman certification tests. After seven hours of intense walling activity, passing marks were awarded to Level 1 and 3 participants by the DSWA examiners; myself and Chris Tanguay. Candidates came from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Newfoundland, Canada to test their dry stone construction skills against what are recognized to be among the most rigorous standards found anywhere in the world. Congratulations to all!
Read MoreDriving on the left side of the road, rubber sink-stoppers on a chain, grilled tomatoes for breakfast; these are some of the things to get used to, quickly, when on a six-day visit to the UK. I was there to take part in the DSWA Standardization and Assessment weekend for craftsman scheme examiners. Along the way, E. and I took in two of the three legs of the “Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle.”
Read MoreWhile the Standardization can be a bit stressful and nerve wracking at times, I look forward to reuniting with a great group of professional wallers.
Read MoreAn unexpected weather-window opened up this week allowing Chuck, Jared and I to begin work on a new project. A wooded mountaintop plateau in western Connecticut is the site of an art and nature park being created by Edward Tufte. His monumental sculptures already grace the open meadows at the south end of the property. Now, a series of new dry stone walls has begun to appear along the north end of the mountain spine. Edward and I co-direct the design and layout. A team of DSWA certified craftsmen build the walls and feature pieces.
Read MoreWhile wallers in east-central USA have had the excellent Dry Stone Conservancy as a beacon for the craft for many years, stone workers in the northeast have had to go it on their own. Until now. After only one year in existence, The Stone Trust has become an important regional resource for all things dry stone.
Read MoreAll seven candidates passed their respective levels of DSWA testing on Sunday, due in some measure I’m sure, to the practice many took on Friday at The Stone Trust center to prepare themselves for the rigors of taking a timed dry stone walling test. Building to a predetermined standard and having two examiners, Dave Goulder and me, looking on as work progresses aren’t the ingredients of a typical day for a waller. My admiration goes out to Brian, Peter, Curtis, Lew, Dario, Adam and Jamie for their poise under fire. Congratulations to all on work well done.
Read MoreCongratulations go out to Brian Post on his successful completion of Part A of the DSWA Level 3 certification test. Brian chose the ‘lunky hole’ feature to build alongside the mandatory curved wall section. He built his test pieces at the Stone Trust indoor training and testing facility in Dummerston, Vermont.
Read MoreIf you went looking for a bunch of guys building stone walls you probably wouldn’t start under an old barn, but that’s where you would have found them today in Dummerston, Vermont. The former milking parlor at Scott Farm has been transformed into a top-notch training and testing site. Eight wallers from as far north as Minnesota and as far south as North Carolina were taking their Level 1 and 2, Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain, certification tests.
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