Trondheimi Stiftsgårdeni 18. sajandi puitakende valmistamisprotsessi taasavastamine

Abstract

Trondheim is the fourth largest city in Norway and widely known for the Nidarosdomen – the national cathedral – and its status as national coronation city and religious centre. It is also a city with a very well-preserved Baroque city plan and numerous wooden two-storey buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. The locals often refer to it as “the wooden city”. This article investigates different approaches to the moulding of profiles of bars, rails and stiles in 18th century wooden casement windows based on Stiftsgården wooden palace.

The authors have closely examined two old sashes from the building discovering that toolmarks on the sashes raise questions about the manufacturing process. The authors made relevant tool replicas which they use in experiments to recreate a Stiftsgården sash. Their objective was to determine what tools may have been used to make the original sashes using toolmarks found on the old sashes as indicators. The authors also briefly discuss the importance of keeping artisanal traditions alive as a way of better understanding our cultural heritage. Even though the authors could not fully replicate the tool marks left on the Stiftsgården sashes, replicating tools, and other experiments, proved that different tools and how they are designed relates to a sequence of tasks that mutually support each other, just as a mitre chisel can be linked to moulding window frame elements prior to cutting the mitres.

Keywords: window making, pre-industrial artisanal joinery, craft research, experimental craft science, hand tools, moulding of profiles