New Parts for Old Houses - Architectural Details at Woodparts.com | Woodminstrel Woodparts

<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" LINK="#333399" ALINK="#9A2873" VLINK="#660099"> <div><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><B>Woodminstrel Woodparts</B></FONT></div> <div><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="images/1x1.gif" HEIGHT="30" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>For a ready source of replacement parts for your old house, bookmark this web site.</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman"><A HREF="id17.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Products and Services / How to reque"><U><B><U>Our Products and Services / How to request a quote</U></B></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div style="text-align:CENTER; "><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><I>Welcome to</I></FONT></div> <div style="text-align:CENTER; "><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>WOODMINSTREL Woodparts.</B></FONT></div> <div style="text-align:CENTER; "><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">On this page, read about:</FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">            <A HREF="#perfect_replacement_matching_spindles" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Spindles</U></U></A><U>.</U>                              <A HREF="#cut__sawn__balusters_" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Cut (sawn) Balusters</U></U></A><U>.</U></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">            <A HREF="#solid_wood_turned_porch_posts" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Porch Posts</U></U></A><U>.</U>                        <A HREF="#unusual_sized_hardwood_flooring" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Odd Floor Parts</U></U></A><U>.</U></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">            <A HREF="#moldings_to_match_the_originals" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Unusual Moldings</U></U></A>.               <A HREF="#eaves_brackets_or_corbels" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Eaves Brackets (Corbels)</U></U></A><U>.</U></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">            <A HREF="#fretwork_spandrels" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Fretwork Spandrels</U></U></A>.            <A HREF="#radius_or_serpentine_stair_nosings" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Radius Stair Nosing</U></U></A><U>.</U></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div style="text-align:CENTER; "><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><I>(Scroll down or click on any line.)</I></FONT></div> <bR> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>Hello.      Do you respect the integrity of old time craftsmanship?</B><B>   </B><B>Are you having a hard time finding the right stuff to restore your home to it’s original beauty? Maybe you need to know about..... </B></FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div style="text-align:CENTER; "><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>WOODMINSTREL Woodparts </B></FONT></div> <bR> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     Working from samples, drawings or photographs, we custom manufacture exact duplicate wood parts for old buildings. We also make unusual wooden parts for new buildings. Let us know what you can’t fix or find and we will make it for you. We will work in any wood you specify to precisely correspond to the original woodwork. If we can be of help to you, please contact the owner, Daniel Prendergast. </FONT></div> <bR> <div><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><I>              Y</I><I>ou may call or leave a message at:</I></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div style="text-align:CENTER; "><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>(319)253-4800 </B></FONT></div> <bR> <table width="100%"> <tr valign="top"> <td width="50%"> <div style="text-align:LEFT; "><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><I>by mail:</I></FONT></div> <div style="text-align:LEFT; "><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>WOODMINSTREL Woodparts </B></FONT></div> <div style="text-align:LEFT; "><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">P.O. Box 128</FONT></div> <div style="text-align:LEFT; "><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">Hillsboro, Iowa 52630</FONT></div> </td> <td width="50%">  <bR> <center> <a href="#map">Road Map</a> </center> <br> </td></tr></table> <div style="text-align:CENTER; "><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><I>Email: </I><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><A HREF="mailto:daniel@woodparts.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:daniel@woodparts.com"><U><U>daniel@woodparts.com</U></U></A></FONT> </FONT></div> <bR> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     WOODMINSTREL Woodparts is an economical source for one-of-a-kind wooden parts. We do not charge a design fee nor do we charge for tooling. We recognize these expenses as 1) a necessary cost of doing business and 2) as a way to expand our ability to better meet the future demands of the restoration market. We do this for <I>fun and profit</I> and we are here to serve you.</FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">Please, read on, or go straight to<A HREF="id17.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Products and Services / How to reque"><U> </U></A><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><A HREF="id17.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Products and Services / How to reque"><U><U>how to request a quote</U></U></A><A HREF="id17.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Products and Services / How to reque"><U> </U></A></FONT><A HREF="id17.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Products and Services / How to reque"><U>.</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">                                                                          <A HREF="index_m.shtml" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Back to Top</U></U></A></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B> <A NAME="perfect_replacement_matching_spindles"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="images/1x1.gif" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="1" height="1" ></A></B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>Perfect replacement matching spindles.</B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     It is not unusual for a bannister in an old house to be missing a spindle or two. Maybe one of them broke in two when the movers handling the grand piano took the top turn too tight. Or several popped out like missing teeth when some indoor sports nut broke free from the half-nelson his big brother expertly applied on the middle landing. Or three of them got wrenched loose after getting entangled with the fire hose when..............you get the picture. (This is beginning to sound like an excess of testosterone.)<I> </I>But the question is, where do you shop for the identical replacement spindle? And why would you settle for anything but the identical item?</FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT COLOR="#000000">                                        </FONT><A HREF="id23.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Replacement Spindles."><U><U>More</U></U></A><A HREF="id23.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Replacement Spindles."><U><U> about spindles</U></U></A><A HREF="id23.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Replacement Spindles."><U><U>...............</U></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">                                                                 <A HREF="index_m.shtml" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Back to Top</U></U></A></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B> <A NAME="cut__sawn__balusters_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="images/1x1.gif" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="1" height="1" ></A></B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>Cut (sawn) balusters. </B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     Once upon a time, steamboats served as real transportation up and down America’s waterways.<B> </B>Many of these boats, to be fair, were rather common in appearance. But nobody ever sketched a portrait of a common steamboat<B>. </B>The steamboats<B> </B>that steam on in our memories were waterborne variations of the architectural style known as Italianate.           Common to this elaborate building style was the piazza, or two story porch. Cut (or sawn) balusters figured quite prominently in this design motif. Sawn balusters are enchanting due to the interplay and the illusion, of positive and of negative shapes, looking now at the balusters and now at the spaces between them. Endless in variety, these balusters make a genuine, lively statement while at the same time serving the entirely practical purpose of safety.</FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>                                        </B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><A HREF="id21.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cut (sawn) Balusters."><U><U>More about balusters................</U></U></A></FONT></FONT></div> <bR> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">                                                                  <A HREF="index_m.shtml" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Back to Top</U></U></A></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B> <A NAME="solid_wood_turned_porch_posts"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="images/1x1.gif" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="1" height="1" ></A></B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>Solid wood turned porch posts.</B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     There are many reasons why one or more porch posts on an old house may need replacement.<B> </B>How about a car crash. A porch post may be rotten to the core from dry rot  or lunch for<I> </I>termites. Or your house may be graced by a dandy gingerbread porch with plain 4x4 posts as a contemporary enhancement.<B> </B>A variation on this theme is the tasteful (tastes like mud) embellishment of “wrought iron” trellis-work. In situations like this, sometimes on the front of the building there may be a pair of surviving half-posts. This is a good start. Drawing upon these remnants as models, a venerable old porch may reclaim its original character and once again become the focal point of the building’s exterior.</FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     The argument against ornate porches is maintenance. Left to the elements, anything, ornate or otherwise, goes to pieces. For lack of a paintbrush and something to dip it in<B>,</B> many an old porch has long since become nothing more than a memory. Some of our beautiful old buildings show the trace of a demolished porch where some long-forgotten painter got a little sloppy with the whitewash.<B> </B>You may read its outline in the brick, but to flesh out the facade in its original glory sometimes requires a trip to the local library or to the historical society in a hunt for old photographs. If the hunt is successful, and you decide to rebuild the porch, send the photos to us. We like porches.</FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>                                  </B><B>  </B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><A HREF="id19.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Porch Posts."><U><U>More about posts......................</U></U></A></FONT></FONT></div> <bR> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">                                                              <A HREF="index_m.shtml" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Back to Top</U></U></A></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B> <A NAME="unusual_sized_hardwood_flooring"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="images/1x1.gif" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="1" height="1" ></A></B><B>                                                      </B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>Unusual sized hardwood flooring.</B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     Some things never seem to change. The beauty of a sunset, the sound of children playing in the park, the taste of lemonade on a hot summer afternoon. But some things <U>do</U> change. For example, every other generation or so, we change the way we heat our homes or perhaps the way we decorate our floors. So as you are sipping your iced lemonade on a warm summer evening while the kids are out to play, and you have just finished tearing up all that pre-berber, sculpted nylon carpet-that-never-dies which camouflaged the return duct of yesteryear- that hole that was covered over with bits of crating material- tomorrow’s challenge will be to locate a source of oak or maple flooring parts that precisely match the original. We can help.<B> </B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>                                </B><B> </B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><A HREF="id24.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Odd Wood Flooring."><U><U>More about floors..................</U></U></A></FONT></FONT></div> <div></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">                                                         <A HREF="index_m.shtml" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Back to Top</U></U></A></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B> <A NAME="moldings_to_match_the_originals"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="images/1x1.gif" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="1" height="1" ></A></B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>Moldings to match the originals.</B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     One hundred or more years ago, long before Kmart and wash&wear, people didn’t have as many clothing options. The typical citizen of the year 1899 had one outfit to wear, one outfit in the wash, and one outfit reserved for funerals and other social occasions. People got by with a lot less clothes to wear and therefore one thing they didn’t miss was closets. The challenge in building a new closet where one never existed is to find woodwork that <I>blends</I><I>. </I>After all, the clothes you wear are designed to <I>blend</I> into whatever social situation for which they were intended. Your house is unique and in order to keep it that way, you may need several linear feet of a particular molding. Tell us about your project and we will be happy to provide you with whatever moldings you may need.</FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>                               </B><A HREF="id20.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Unusual Moldings."><U><U> </U></U></A><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><A HREF="id20.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Unusual Moldings."><U><U>More about moldings...............</U></U></A></FONT></FONT></div> <bR> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">                                                            <A HREF="index_m.shtml" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Back to Top</U></U></A></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B> <A NAME="eaves_brackets_or_corbels"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="images/1x1.gif" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="1" height="1" ></A></B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>Eaves brackets or corbels.</B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     One fine sunny Saturday morning, a hardworking, upbeat vinyl siding salesman sold the last owner of your house a priceless vision of maintenance-free living. “The first thing we’ll do is we’ll knock down those brackets.” So the ornate 19th century gave way to the trouble-free late 20th century and very nearly gave up its soul in the process.</FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     One thing that may be admitted in favor of vinyl siding is that it protects the outer skin of the house from the elements. So when you peel the stuff off, you can count the number of brackets and dental moldings and so forth that used to create such a defining pattern to the exterior of the building. It is very easy to get an accurate measurement of the design elements that are missing. With a photograph of the residence in its original grandeur, perfect replacement details may be accurately made-to-order. Of course the simplest way to do this with a sample of the original details. </FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><I>                                  </I> <A HREF="id22.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Corbels or Eaves Brackets."><U> </U></A><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><A HREF="id22.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Corbels or Eaves Brackets."><U><U>More about corbels................</U></U></A></FONT></FONT></div> <div></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">                                                             <A HREF="index_m.shtml" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Back to Top</U></U></A></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman"><I><U> <A NAME="fretwork_spandrels"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="images/1x1.gif" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="1" height="1" ></A></U></I></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>Fretwork spandrels.</B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     In the days before form followed function (and we were glad of it.), people liked to add whimsical touches to their homes. Life was a whole lot more grim in those days with a higher infant mortality and epidemics that swept through otherwise healthy populations and created nothing but grief. So people had a real incentive to decorate their homes in wild and unusual ways. The radical woodwork of the nineteenth century is an expression of hopeful aspirations- aspirations of happiness and of good health and of good cheer. </FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     Back in those nearly-forgotten days, a happy marriage was a thing people actually expected, not some sort of one-in-a million long shot. The woodwork of even the smallest cottage reflected this lovely vision. It said “ This is a happy home.”.  Fretwork spandrels serve no useful purpose beyond being an absolute delight to the eye. </FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><I>                                  </I> <FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><A HREF="id25.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fretwork Spandrels."><U><U>More about spandrels.............</U></U></A></FONT></FONT></div> <div></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman">                                                            <U>  </U><A HREF="index_m.shtml" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U><U>Back to Top</U></U></A></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>  <A NAME="radius_or_serpentine_stair_nosings"> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="images/1x1.gif" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" width="1" height="1" ></A></B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>Radius or serpentine stair nosings.</B></FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman">     Look at any musical instrument and what do you see? You see curves. Go to any music hall older than 50 years of age and what do you see? You see curves. There's a connection. Hard, flat surfaces are hard on the ears. (Did you ever take notice of the many curves in the human ear?) So when you want a special place for the grand piano, or you want to step down into an acoustically wonderful room, think about curved surfaces and curved steps. The music is bound to sound better in a room with curves and your ears will thank you for it.</FONT></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman"><B>                                    </B><FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><A HREF="id26.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Radius Stair Nosing."><U><U>More about nosings.................</U></U></A></FONT></FONT></div> <div></div> <div><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman"><FONT COLOR="#000000"><B>                                                              </B></FONT><center> <A HREF="index_m.shtml" TITLE="Woodminstrel Woodparts"><U>Back to Top</U></A></FONT> <p><a name="map">Here's How To Get to Hillsboro, Iowa:<br> <table width="100%"> <tr valign="middle"> <td><center> <img src="images/map.gif" border="1" ALT="Map by Expedia.com Travel" width="296" height="240"></a><br></td> <td><FONT FACE="ARIAL, HELVETICA" SIZE="1"> <A HREF="http://www.expedia.com" TARGET="_top"> <IMG SRC="http://www.expedia.com/geobranding/link_to_expmaps.gif" HEIGHT="36" WIDTH="144" BORDER="0" ALT="Maps by Expedia.com Travel"> <BR>www.expedia.com</A></FONT>  </center> </td></tr><tr><td><center><a href="maps.shtml">More Maps . . .</a></center></td></tr></table> </div> </a> </BODY>