An interesting opportunity to study the internal workings of tsuchikabe wall construction as the island kajiba series of photo essays comes to a conclusion, documenting the preparation, construction, and set up of a simple swordsmith style kajiba (鍛冶場, forge building) from the ground up. The main inspiration for aesthetic, form, and technique is the humble utilitarian Japanese inaka naya (納屋) style of a century ago.
The kajiba project came to a close much earlier than expected which required the building, tools, and materials to be removed from the property on short notice. Several blacksmiths and friends providentially converged around the same time and helped make short work of cleaning up the area and providing new homes for most of the tools and materials. The building has been donated to a good cause and will eventually be reassembled by a young smith to launch his craft.
Yakisugi & Lath Walls
The first step was to remove all wall panels that were only wood. This was accomplished in sections by running stabilizing supports across the outside of each panel and then removing the screws holding the boards to the timberframe. This approach was then applied to the wall sections with earth plaster on the inside, keeping the clay intact as much as possible for reassembly. The amount of damage was minimal and the clay mixture surprisingly durable.
Cross section of interior earthen wall visible after removing the stabilized panel.
Bamboo lath visible along the edge where the earth meets the timber post.
Scraping away the overlap on the curved beams to prevent larger tear out.
Fairly clean removal with very little cracking or loss given the flexibility of the wood backing panels.
Outside view of yakisugi panels braced with scrap wood before removal in sections.
Inside view of panels being loosened one by one for removal, these are heavy!
Removing the angled yakisugi drip guard along the front wall.
Crisp looking strip along edge of cupboard inside front panel after removal.
Front panels removed, tied split cedar lath showing along the bottom edge of tsuchikabe infill.
The roof and upper tsuchikabe panels will be the goal for day two.
Disassembling the Roof
After the roof sheeting and framework is removed, the rafters and beams can be lifted off of the tenoned lath to allow the tsuchikabe panels to be removed.
Galvanized totan sheeting removed, purlins next.
Lifting the rafters off from the top of the wall provides an interesting look at the cross section.
Clay plaster interacting nicely with tied split cedar lath.
View showing the outside and inside of the tsuchikabe wall construction.
The smallest panels are light enough to lift out intact.
Wall is in excellent shape more than one year after installation, lovely view of the stone and brick floor.
Removing the Tsuchikabe
After the top rafters and beams are removed, the side tenons for each tsuchikabe panel can be sawed off freeing them from the timber frame. The two smallest panels can be lifted out but the larger four must be dropped to the ground for removal. A tarp catches the broken earth plaster for reconstitution at a later date. Historically old plaster has always been saved and reused as it is recognized as superior in quality to newly made material, and also cuts down the preparation time.
Side tenons sawed through allowing lath section to be lifted out or dropped to the ground onto a tarp.
A perfect drop with flat landing leaves the panel largely intact, even from 8′ off the ground.
A missed landing leaves the panel needing quite a bit of work to replace or restore.
Broken plaster is caught by a tarp and saved in buckets for future use.
The front roof beam is lifted off the top of the front panels and the same procedure repeated.
Structure
After the roof beams are removed the structure can be disassembled relatively quickly by a small crew. Once any remaining staple nails are removed, a timber hammer and a couple of extra hands keep the process moving quickly.
Once the rafters are removed the back wall panels can be swung away from the frame.
Working all the way around one post at a time in the reverse order of assembly, each wall is taken apart.
The large frame parts are labeled already but each and every piece of wood is given a label by the new owner during the disassembly.
The largest and heaviest panels are the last remaining pieces on the site.
Beautiful combination of green and gold Bamboo with earthen plaster.
Shadows of Bamboo leaves on the cracked earth surface.
The panels and timbers are loaded up carefully for transportation to their new home.
Floor
The floor was laid with reclaimed clay bricks from the backlot of the Bethlehem Walk set, along with some river stones. The bricks will be relocated to the museum forge and the stones are going to a good home.
Boiler or furnace brick, melted and warped from heat, with a character almost like cobblestone.
Naturally smooth river stones formed an undulating work area in front of the anvil, allowing strikers to develop a consistent location and foot placement by feel.
Post foundation stones, large retaining wall stones, and the sand and gravel base are all that was left the evening the large anvil was picked up to go to its new home, reunited with a former owner.
The number one encourager on the scene, who helped keep this project going during its most difficult days, here bidding a last farewell to a rusty old friend after almost a decade of work in the forge.
Special thanks also to Steve and Josh for helping with the takedown process in the middle of a busy hay season. Thanks to Michael and Kevin who assisted with moving brick and stone and to the many who offered encouragement, support, and help along the way.
