Hammerhead Stoneworks

Building on a radius like this always make me think of castle turrets and David Macaulay books.

Benches abound in my work right now, which is good timing. I’m documenting the process in great detail preparing for my first bench-making class next spring at the Arboretum.

I recently made a jaunt to Chapel Hill to install this bench as a memorial to Grandpa Tony. He lived in the Ironwoods neighborhood for seventeen years and walked everyday. He would linger on this corner and visit with the neighbors. I can tell he was beloved and is greatly missed by how many people stopped to check out the bench as it went in. The bench is a slab of Tennessee sandstone that weighs 600 pounds. It slid out of the truck and into place beautifully. I admit to a growing fascination with moving large objects with nothing but old school tools (providing a ‘77 pickup counts as an old school tool.)

Bottom photo by my able assistant for the day, Matthew Feldt. His blog details the process nicely.