Field Rivet Demonstration at Lansing Community College West Campus
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
#60 Boyer pneumatic field rivet hammer air charged, gas forge heating rivets to 1600F, pneumatic holder-on ready to grip a ...
Creating Another Weld Sculpture
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Welding another sculpture with my favorite welding process, the oxyacetylene process. Jeff Seelye is leading a group of artists and ...
Driving Under Aunt Thelma’s Basement
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Driving west on Lansing Michigan’s I-496, as I approach near the St Joseph and Butler Street intersection, I often mentally ...
Heinz History Center
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Senator John Heinz History Center Pittsburgh’s historic bridges, shop riveted. Eyebars, forged and upset. Cast iron, wood patterned and set ...
Schedule a Presentation
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Calhoun County Historic Bridge Park. Preservation of five historic riveted truss bridges. Contemporary and Historic Tools for the Repair and ...
Moose Brook Bridge Reconstruction
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
“After a long journey beginning as charred remains in 2009 over Moose Brook in Gorham, New Hampshire, the reconstructed Howe ...
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania December 23, 2023
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Our fourth trip to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania was an unplanned trip we decided to make after an appointment at the Detroit ...
Vern’s Morning in Seville with Marcelle
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
We met in the hotel lobby; it has been almost thirty years since that July morning, and the minute details ...
Park Street Bridge in Alameda, California
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
In 1935 the Park Street Bridge in Alameda, California, was opened for traffic. Three years later, hundreds of miles to ...
Sculpture In Motion: Dance, Math, and Welding Collaboration
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
For the First Lansing Community College Open House, April 1996 Mitzi Carol (dance), Nan Jackson (math), Vern Mesler (welding) Fabrication ...
Field Riveting with a #60 Boyer Field Rivet Hammer
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Another successful field rivet demonstration at Lansing Community College West Campus, Lansing, Michigan, with LCC’s experienced professional riveters who have ...
My Secret Lansing
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
2023 anthology of prose and poetry, edited by Ruelaine Stokes & Laura Apol, featuring many writers from the Greater Lansing ...
Wildcat Creek near Lafayette, Indiana: Cast Iron Mystery
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Weeds, vines, and high water hid early nineteenth century cast iron, wrought iron, and I-beams in an ever-changing Wildcat Creek ...
Jackie and Shadow
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Jackie and Shadow are two bald eagles I discovered on YouTube while convalescing from the insertion of a metal device ...
Unmanned Aircraft
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Twelve seconds and one hundred twenty feet, December 17, 1903. September 23, 2023, Mavic Air 2 drone quickly lifts and ...
Grandfather on a Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
A two-dollar photograph postcard purchased at an antique mall in Mason, Michigan, led to a pleasant afternoon drive to Flushing, ...
2023 Mackinac Bridge Walk
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
We did the 2023 Mackinac Bridge walk and met the Vice President of the Rosie the Riveter Cheboygan and Emmet ...
George Washington Bridge Walk New Jersey to New York, July 17, 2023
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
“The rivets were of carbon steel, 1 in. in diameter for the main members, although a few 7/8-in. rivets were ...
Breakfast with Engineers
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Two civil engineers I highly regard and have known for years, they have given me valuable assistance and advice when ...
Cantoro Trattoria in Plymouth, Michigan
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
We have been making frequent trips lately to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan and taking this opportunity to ...
Mismatched Breakfast Chairs
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Breakfast is our favorite meal, and we sometimes breakfast at a popular restaurant north of Lansing, Michigan. There is a ...
1881 Hays Street Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Remembering the rivet training for the restoration of the Hays Street Bridge in San Antonio, Texas, 2009.
Polished and Etched Wrought Iron
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
On December 28th, 2008, the Shiawassee River in Chesaning, Michigan, was swollen and ice jammed. Its swift current piled ice ...
Gordie Howe International Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
I’ve heard and read a lot about the Gordie Howe International Bridge, and it seemed like the day after Thanksgiving, ...
Teaspoon Corners
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
South of the small city of Leslie, Michigan, spanning the Grand River, was a nineteenth century iron truss bridge that ...
San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
A visit to the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park for planning a rivet workshop.
Peets Coffee
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Peets Coffee, my favorite Berkeley coffee hang out, a few miles from the Golden Gate Bridge and the two 22,200-ton ...
Afternoon Spent in the Detroit, Michigan, Area.
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
It’s Friday afternoon and Katie, my PT for the last two weeks, has just closed her computer ending my knee ...
Historic Bridge Park Presentation
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Vern Mesler presents at the Western Chapter of Michigan Society of Professional Engineers, September 7, 2022.
Operation
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Last week this time I was checking into Sparrow Hospital for my knee operation. I’m not sure how to describe ...
Knee fabrication: joint preparation
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Using an oxygen acetylene torch, with a prime setting of 5,000+ degree flame, you cut an end section of a ...
Charlotte Highway/Centerline Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Charlotte Highway/Centerline Bridge, an important part of my learning experience in working in the preservation of historic bridges. Black and ...
Historic Dresden Suspension Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
There is nothing more exciting for a craftsman than to encounter an exceptional structure and from its many structural members ...
A day of drone photography of Whipple truss bridges
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
A day of drone photography of Whipple truss bridges and a stop at Jeffrey’s Antique Gallery (which claims to be ...
Oregon: Bridges to Remember
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
1936 Yaquina Bay Bridge, Newport, Oregon. One of many of Conde B. McCullough’s Oregon coastal bridges, visited in June 2022.
Esther Bielmeier (1900-1989)
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Esther Bielmeier (1900-1989) working at a coal forge in 1918 heating rivets. to be driven with a pneumatic rivet hammer.
Hidden Lake Forest Preserve Bridge, Bach Steel
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Forge welds, punch marks, and many other signs of fabrication work made by craftsmen who fabricated historic iron and steel ...
“Great Travel Day, Crossing Borders” (Nan Jackson)
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Our west coast trip ended in the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Victoria reminds me of ...
St Johns Bridge, Portland Oregon
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
St Johns Bridge (East Anchorage), Portland, Oregon Built from 1929 to 1931 Engineer: David B. Steinman
1936 Yaquina Bay Bridge, Newport, Oregon.
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
1936 Yaquina Bay Bridge, Newport, Oregon. One of many of Conde B. McCullough's coastal bridges.
Coburg Railroad Bridge, Coburg, Oregon.
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Vern and Nan visit the Coburg Railroad Bridge that spans the McKenzie River adjacent to the Armitage State Park, Coburg, ...
Forge Welding at the Blacksmith Association of Missouri Annual Ozark Conference in Sedalia, Missouri
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
An April posting on Facebook showing the transportation of the 1942 Murray 100# Power Hammer (Vern) for the Blacksmith Association ...
Preserving Historic Iron and Steel Bridges as the Craftsmen’s Record.
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Vern Mesler presents at the SAE/ASM West Michigan Section Meeting, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Featured was the Calhoun County Historic Bridge ...
Association for Bridge Construction and Design Western New York Chapter
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Vern Mesler presents at the 2022 Spring Seminar of the Association for Bridge Construction and Design Western New York Chapter ...
Madame Curie of Machine Tools
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Kate Gleason, the Madame Curie of Machine Tools (1865 – 1933) For me, age does not diminish the excitement of ...
San Diego Maritime Museum
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Wrought iron, rivets, and mill marks are some of the features Nan and I look for when we visit historic ...
Estrella River Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
The Estrella River Bridge on River Grove Drive in Whitley Gardens, California, was saved and restored in 2020 thanks to its role in ...
Old Greenspot Road Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Old Greenspot Road Bridge spans the Santa Ana River, San Bernardino County, California. Old Greenspot Road Bridge was fabricated in ...
Grand Trunk Shop in Battle Creek, Michigan
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
While searching on Google Books for book titles on shop workers, I found an interesting book, “On the Clock,” and ...
The Big Four Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
During our trip south we spent time on a number of historic riveted truss bridges and, thanks to my wife ...
Knoxville, Tennessee
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Traveling south this week for a family event and an opportunity to inspect historic riveted metal truss bridges along way, ...
Bell Frame Delivered 12/16/2021
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Bell frame delivered to C.A.N. Art Handworks, Detroit, where the final preparations will be completed for its installation at the ...
Fabrication and Riveting
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Fabrication and riveting of the Unity Bell frame at Bach Steel in St Johns, Michigan, is nearly complete. Once the ...
Ambrose Harris a Civil War Veteran
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Union Cemetery, Blanchard Michigan. It's our second visit to view the gravesite of my great grandfather Ambrose Harris, a Civil ...
Lagunitas Creek Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Lagunitas Creek Bridge 2021/2014 Point Reyes Station, California
Riveted Bell Frame Assembled
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Unity Bell Stand bolted and ready to rivet. Previous Unity Bell Stand posting: https://www.facebook.com/vernon.mesler/posts/4221904121270542
Riveted Unity Bell Frame
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Carlos Nielbock of CAN Art Handworks, passionate about preserving the cultural heritage of Detroit, toured us through his facility on ...
Riveted Railroad Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Riveted Railroad Bridge, Grand RiverLansing Michigan River-walk
Berkeley Steam Ferryboat
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
It was one of those unexpected and memorable experiences on our 2018 West Coast trip, the 1898 Berkeley Steam Ferryboat ...
James Cooper
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
James Cooper, in April 2001, wrote: “Fellow Pontists - A lot of comment has come my way over the last ...
SIA 2021 Award
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Vern Mesler receives the Society for Industrial Archeology’s General Tools Award during the 2021 SIA annual business meeting and conference ...
Visit to Bach Steel
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Visited Nels Raynor, Bach Steel, in St Johns, Michigan to talk about eyebars, forge welds, and to get an update ...
Lansing Recreation Center
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
REO Town (as the area south of Lansing’s downtown is known by the locals): We were in REO Town to ...
Calhoun County Rivet Demonstration
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Restoration of the five historic riveted truss bridges for the Calhoun County Historic Bridge Park required the repair and replication ...
Park Street Bridge, Alameda California
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Park Street Bridge, a double leaf bascule bridge connecting Alameda and Oakland Park Street Bridge Park Street Bridge Pilot house ...
Golden Gate Bridge: missing rivets
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Golden Gate Bridge: missing recorded rivets “There were about 600,000 field driven rivets in each tower. The rivets were heated in ...
Lansing Community College Rivet Demonstration
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Rivet demonstration for Lansing Community College President Dr. Steve Robinson at LCC West Campus Technical Careers Welding Lab. Vern Mesler ...
Riveting on the Golden Gate Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
One million two hundred thousand field rivets were driven in the fabrication and erection of the Golden Gate Bridge in ...
What’s In A Name
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
On display: black twisted steel bent to resemble scrolls, welded to spindly round metal stock and labeled wrought iron lawn ...
The American Bridge Company’s Ambridge Works: The Eye Bar Shop
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
[pp. 10 – 13 in The Iron Age, September 15, 1904] (Re-formatted for clarity by Vern Mesler, Nan Jackson, 2021) ...
Gale Road Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
There is nothing more satisfying for craftsmen after months of hard physical labor than to experience a moment when there ...
Bauer Road Bridge, Clinton County, Michigan
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Small stones crack under the iron straps on the heavy freight wagon wheels, and a light spring breeze creates small ...
20 Mile Road Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
“Township meeting minutes, newspaper chippings, engineering records, historic photographs, and written personal recollections and oral histories. No primary or secondary ...
Crossing the Brazos: Rehabilitation of the Waco Suspension Bridge
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
After visiting Austin, San Antonio, and Waco in December 2019, we left Texas for our drive back to Lansing, Michigan, ...
You Can Always Learn Something New
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Steve Tarrant (left) and Vern Mesler (right) at the Richmond Virginia Railroad Museum Railroad museums are often housed in historic ...
Honoring the Original Engineering Design
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Cut River Bridge Repairs (Heath M. Robinson Memorial Cut River Bridge) Mackinac County, Michigan Steve describes the hydraulic press he ...
Barista as Craftsman
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
Christine, barista at Espresso Royale Café, Lansing, Michigan Dark brown and boiling inside a thick glass bulb, brewed coffee, percolated ...
Restoration of an Iron Gate from Arlington National Cemetery.
By Historic Bridge Restoration |
From Left: Vern Mesler, Ty Zimmerman, Brian Howard, Collin Howard, Braeden Howard at B.R. Howard & Associates, Inc: Carlisle, Pennsylvania. ...