Session #3: "Measurements"

Curriculum
· Reviewed “M-a-S-o-N -w-O-r-K” mortars
· “psi” – pound-per-square-inch, measures pressure
· Stone – sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous
· Distribute-discuss samples of limestone, slate, marble
· Moh’s Scale of minerals, measures a stone's strength
· The significance of the year it was published - 1812
· The U.S. at war - measure time via historic events
· Identifying the conflicts, noteworthy events/people
· Walk around the neighborhood identifying buildings
· Identify brownstone, fake brownstone/stucco, cast stone
· Practices mortar joint re-pointing and tooling
· Cleaning tools, and Workshop to “leave the place better”
· DVD- “Storm King Art Center” building stone walls
· Russack System - Masonry hardness measurements
· Brownstone quarrying
· Helping the Super, measuring integrity

Masonry and Preservation: Walked east and north in the neighborhood to identify various building stones and materials, faux brownstone replications, masonry deterioration and poor repairs.
Discussed masonry construction, deterioration from pollution, how to make cast stone, reasons for not to painting masonry.
Identified brickwork re: headers, soldier courses, Flemish bond and the results of improper cleaning - acid burnt brick.
Explained how a building stone cracked from the embedded metal's rusting, expansion, water penetration, and consecutive freeze/thaw cycles.
Students were taught the use of a pointer to fill mortar joints. Using brick sample panels they practiced re-pointing and how to tool mortar joints with joiners and pointing trowels.

History: Outlines U.S. wars, famous people, events, and their significance, i.e.:
French and Indian War- Is why we speak English
American Revolution – Independence.
War of 1812- Andrew Jackson - The “Battle of New Orleans” in song.
Mexican War – How we got Texas, and went from “sea to shining sea.”
War as a measurement of universal time, world history, personal character and individual integrity.

Group Activity: Students worked together learning re-pointing and mortar joint tooling. Afterwards they cleaning the tools and Workshop. After class they assisted the building Superintendent by carrying debris from an evicted tenant's apartment, down 5 flights of stairs.

Life Skills: Providing a correlation between the countries that were once enemies in battle, but became allies in later conflicts.
Recognition of Veterans Day in remembrance of those who died for our country, for our freedom, for us.
Knowing history means knowing how to remember.
Understanding how physically hard it is to build a stone wall, and the necessity of team work.
Finding inside oneself the willingness to assist the building Super, or not...

Observations:
· Watching the least interested student uses masonry tools to find his ability and became attentive, obedient, and changed.
· Current events, via today’s NY Times. Scotland- Their historic preservation training program is using a laser to measure buildings, like something out of Star Trek, which caught the student’s imagination.
· Using an old "Superman" TV episode about Clark Kent squeezing a lump of coal into a diamond (to escape head hunters) described how heat and pressure transforms metamorphic stones.

Session # 2: “Bricks and Mortar”

Curriculum
· Brick manufacturing, ingredients and colors
· Brick - stretcher, header, rollock, soldier sailor, shiner
· Mortars in U.S. history and their characteristics
· Lime mortar, Natural and Portland cements
· Demonstrated and practiced erecting pipe staging
· Stocking pipe staging for masonry work
· Mixed various ratios of sand, cement, lime, water
· Examined properties of these different mixes
· Explained “M-a-S-o-N -w-O-r-K” cements
· Discussed contrast of good and poor workmanship

Class Work Activities: Student cleaned back area before working then carried and built pipe staging.
Carried tools/ materials for mixing mortar and cleaned tools at end of session.

Masonry and Preservation: A brief history of U.S. of mortars, methods and ingredients including explanations of slaked lime, lime putty, hydraulic mortar kilns, properties of natural mortars and Portland cement.
Reviewed mortar materials (sand, lime, cement) in the storage room.
Discussed their properties and the correct methods for storage.
Students built pipe scaffolding, and stocked it for mason’s work.
Emphasized necessity of safety in handling, moving and working on staging. Told students of a recent death on a construction site due to a scaffolding accident.
Students worked together using trowels and materials mixing different strengths/consistencies of mortar to see, feel and understand what additional lime, sand, water, Portland cement or time does to a mortar mix.

History: How lime mortars were made and used in the 18th century.
Early U.S. transportation history and canal building.
Natural cement discovery and mining/manufacture in Rosendale New York. The invention and naming of Portland cement by Joseph Aspdin, in England.

Group Activity: Students were taught the safety in handling and proper storage of masonry mortar materials.
Team building by working outdoors cleaning the courtyard, practicing safe handling-carrying-assembling-erecting-disassembling-storing of pipe staging and how to stock it with masonry materials.

Life Skills: A discussion of poor construction practices and reviewing a building under construction near the Workshop/class room.

The building Superintendent walked by carrying a hawk and hand tools and provided a living illustration of craftsmanship, as we noted his clean work clothes and clean tools. He took the opportunity to explain working safe, working clean and the rewards of better pay and additional work opportunities that come from a good reputation, from working hard, working smart and working clean.

Observations:
· The building super provided a timely life lesson by his personal example and explanations
· A vivid contrast to the masonry constructed with poor workmanship
· Telling students of a recent scaffolding accident/death focused their attention while they built and stocked the pipe staging
· The masonry Workshop maintains the example of “working clean” by being kept orderly and the materials stored properly
· Slowly identifying and describing individual staging pieces; how they’re connected; why it’s important to connect them for safety.
· Letting the students tear it down, store it correctly, then telling them: “Build it yourselves” and offering limited instruction/criticism unit they said they were done and satisfied with their work.
· While previous classes jumped all over pipe staging after building it, several in this class expressed and showed their fear. They were not allowed to be ridiculed by others who were more adventurous.
· Students were taught the proper storage, care and treatment of wood planks and how to straighten a warped plank.
· At the end of class I used the left-over mortar to parge cracks in
the building’s stucco and had interested students watching, asking questions about the process.
· Continually reminding students to lift objects with their legs, not their backs.
· Not letting a student hide swept yard debris under some planks,
and having him clean it all out to maintain a sense of pride and high standards in all activities, no matter how seemingly insignificant.
· Giving the session a “group grade” letting them know that an individual student can bring the group grade up or down.
· Having the students spend a moment at the end of a task to pause and observe their finished work, before starting the next. Let them notice the change from when they started, and after that appreciation to see what else could have been done, to make it even better.
· Emphasizing how one can improve surrounding buildings, or one’s own life, “…like a campsite, you’re supposed to leave it better than when you first arrived.”
· The “Aha moments”: #1) Explaining how I didn't provide a history/story and one student interrupted to say, “But you did. We learned the history of mortar and Portland Cement.” - Use stories that match the experience being taught.
#2) Explaining brick making and how iron oxide is the mineral that makes bricks red. Passing around the green marl clay of an unfired brick, one student asked why it wasn’t red, like bricks. I asked, "What’s color is a live lobster?" Most students said, “red.” One said, “No, they turn red after they’re cooked.” Then they understood.
· After class I saw workers building pipe staging just around the corner from the Workshop/classroom and and wondered if the students had their own "aha.."

Session #1: “Introduction”

Curriculum:
· Introductions
· Outline semester's 10 training lessons
· Mr. Russack's Rules
· Expectations as % for hard work, knowledge, attitude
· Rewards: Possible work or scholarship opportunities
· Student exchange to Scotland - repairing castles
· What is masonry?
· Description and use of a mason's tools
· Half-time break
· Masonry preservation
· Work site safety
· Guild history
· A personal Guild crest
Explained the parts and use of a trowel and hammer
Described and practiced use of a spirit level
Defined the word “plumb” as meaning vertical
Outlined masonry work as: “hard, dangerous, dirty and fun”
Discussed proper work attire, and its necessity for safety
Exhibited and demonstrated a scaffolding safety harness
Contest of students putting on the harness correctly and fast

Work: Four students used shovels and brooms to clean back area pavement.
Two students cleaned mortar from hand tools.

Masonry and Preservation: Explained photos and described restoration of "The Speakers House Historic Site” in Trappe, PA done by restoration mason Andrew deGruchy and the stone work/artistry of Mr. deGruchy’s home.

History: Discussed European Guilds emphasizing teamwork, unity, high standards of craftsmanship, personal integrity and the symbolism of Guild crests.

Activity: Students were given time to think about their expectations for the upcoming semester. Then they wrote a paragraph about these expectations and designed or drew their own personal Guild Crest to illustrate those goals.

Life Skills: Students practiced writing and public speaking skills by sharing their goals and expectations for the year and by explaining the art work and meaning of their Guild crests.

Observations:
• Students worked together exhibiting cooperation, initiative and determination.
• The Guild crest activity brought out unseen talent of individuals via drawing and writing.
• I developed an early understanding of who is seriously interested in masonry and preservation.
• Met Mr. Rudy Battle, the new Masonry Instructor, who reviewed his student assessment reports, the clean work site and the student's masonry activities.
• I was reminded of the necessity to go slow with the curriculum/instruction. Letting each student demonstrate the use of the level for plumb and level.
• A personal “Aha” moment occurred while explaining how the Latin word for lead (plumbum) is used to define a “plumb bob,” and now a level registers “plumb” for vertical straightness. “Plumb meaning lead. The Romans used lead pipes. What’s a plumber do?... Pick plumbs?
• Tremendous improvement from the first and second year’s students in discipline, attention, interest, participation

"Worshipful Company of Mason’s of London"

The Only Program

From: Andrew Ferrell
Sent: September 09, 2009
To: Russack, Thomas
Subject: ADC masonry preservation program

Tom,
Good afternoon. It was a pleasure to meet you at the International Trades Education Symposium (ITES)* in Leadville, CO. I was particularly interested to learn about your work with the Abyssinian Development Corporation's masonry preservation program. To my knowledge,this is the only hands-on preservation training program for high school age students in the country. Keep up the great work.
Best Regards,
Andy Ferrell, LEED AP

Chief, Architecture and Engineering
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
645 University Parkway, Natchitoches LA 71457
NCPTT: Technology serving the future of America's heritage
*TR note: See ITES- http://www.iptw.org/ites09-schedule.htm

The Masonry Preservation Program

Tom Russack designed the curriculum from his Master’s Thesis,“The Development of a Preliminary Masonry Preservation Training Program” and became the program Instructor.
Classes began in September, 2007 and were held in a Workshop/classroom built in the basement of a housing project on West 123rd Street,Harlem.
Twelve trainees were selected for the masonry preservation program from the twenty five attending the first class. After nine months of training, in June, 2008 seven students receive their GED diplomas. One student secured full-time employment with a New York City masonry preservation company and earned the title of "Outstanding Masonry Preservation Student of 2008." He was also awarded a full set of new mason’s tools as the graduation ceremony.

In September 2008, at the onset of the masonry preservation program’s second year, the Workshop/classroom was transferred to a new location in the basement of a West 129th Street building incorporating better security, lighting, storage space and ventilation.
Approximately 40 students began the program in October, 2008 and 26 graduated in July, 2009. The most outstanding student was awarded masons's tools and a Cathedral Stone scholarship for stone repair training, worth of over $1,000.

The Program’s third year is to commence in early October, 2009 with the addition of a masonry instructor teaching basic masonry fundamentals, two days a week.

The Masonry Preservation Workshop and classroom activities undertaken throughout the 2009-2010 semester will be the basis of this blog.

YouthBuild Workforce Development

The Masonry Preservation program is part of the network of services provided by Abyssinian Development Corp. (ADC) through their “YouthBuild Workforce Development” division.
Through YouthBuild, Harlem youth, ages 17-24, work toward their high school equivalency diploma (GED) learn job skills and repair existing building stock to provide affordable housing for the community. YouthBuild integrates educational intruction, counseling and construction training,including green technology and masonry preservation.

Participants must be one or more of the following:
• A member of a low-income family OR
• A youth in foster care OR
• A youth offender OR
• The child of an incarcerated parent OR
• A migrant youth
• AND a high school drop out

Funding is provided by the Department of Labor with additional support from foundations, donors and volunteers assistance.

Masonry, History, Integrity

At-risk Harlem youth receive basic training in masonry construction, preservation practices and green technology, along with life skill and U.S. History lessons, to build self confidence, integrity and an appreciation of craftsmanship.