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jlcastner

Apr 22, 2006, 10:17 AM

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Columns and Corbels - Wood Carving

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Hello, I posted a question about tiles recently and received some very useful answers. Today's topic is wooden columns or posts and corbels. I was wondering where in Mexico one can get such things made?

Corbels are those wooden pieces that sit on top of a post between the post and the beam. Or sometimes if the beam ends at a wall, there is a decorative half corbel beneath it. Some are quite squarish and rustic in shape while others are more curvy in design.

The kind of post or column I would like would be generally square and tapering slightly from the thicker top portion to the thinner bottom portion. The top 24" could have a simple incised or carved design on it.

If anyone has the book Mexican Style Exteriors by Donna McMenamin, please see page 116 to view exactly what I am talking about. (Great book, by the way.)

And since I like woodworking in general, any information about areas, communities, or craftsmen in Mexico known for woodcarving (even bas-relief work) would be of great interest to me.

Thanks very much for all your help! Que disfruten el fín de semana!

Jim Castner
Gainesville, Florida
jlcastner@aol.com
www.felinepress.com

bournemouth

Apr 22, 2006, 10:46 AM

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Re: [jlcastner] Columns and Corbels - Wood Carving

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Jim - I think you'd do much better to find a wood carver in the Latin community in Florida, show him your photos and get them made there. The State of Michoacan would be one place to look for the things you are describing, but shipping them etc. will probably use up any savings you may hope to gain. Wood used here tends to be very green and will warp and crack over time. I realize that Florida is pretty humid and that may slow things down a bit.

jlcastner

Apr 22, 2006, 11:00 AM

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Re: [bournemouth] Columns and Corbels - Wood Carving

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Wow, thanks for that rapid reply! You bring up a good point to which I would like to respond.

First, there is no Latin community of craftsmen in Gainesville, like there might be in South Florida. We are 300 miles from Miami, and anything made in the States that is carved or custom, is astronomically expensive.

Second, I intend to work out a deal with a woman who imports Mexican furniture and has a small store just outside of my town. She has a shipping container sent every two months and I am sure I could pay her to ship my items along with her own. So I am not going to try to lug this stuff back with me.

Why not just ask her? I have and am awaiting answers, but she stays mainly in Florida and I wanted to see what other 'gringos' had found on their own from living and traveling in Mexico.

I don't know how to handle the green wood problem. It certainly would be a shame to have some beautiful wooden piece crack and fall apart due to dryness. In the summer the humidity is about 100%, so there is no problem there. In the winter I suppose I could water my columns (as weird as that sounds!) Thanks.

Jim