How Wood Roof Tiles are made by Hand in the U.K. (Shakes, Shingle Making)

[@TAOutdoors]

Watch every episode of the Woodland Life series here: kzbin.info/aero/PLxnadpeGdTxCwRkZTLMhjbT_EAu6bAIZy

[@johnnygogo6032]

In Finland and I assume in Scandinavia too it's normal to use tar to protect the shingles. Same stuff they used on ships and ropes back in the day. Some old churches and such are still roofed that way to keep them true to the originals. Smells awesome.

[@BearTheManPk]

ah the smell of a stavkirke is the best

[@D-B-Cooper]

Most people don’t realize that when you say tar it is referring to tree pitch and not bitumen tar.

[@TheLarsPlay]

To make tar, you try to find dead pines, aspecially dead trunks and roots. When a pine dies it sometimes concentrate sap into the wood. You extract the sap as tar by heating the wood up without making the fire connect with it or the gasses it produces, since tar and the gasses are really flameable. As it heats, it slowely pours out of the wood as a black very slimy liquid, like a really thick paint. This is super water resistant and absorbs somewhat into the wood you use it on. Makes wooden houses and roofs last for ages.

[@johnwalker7592]

@@D-B-Cooper bitumen tar has been known and used for thousands of years. to say it wasn't ever used on something like a roof- is silly.

[@D-B-Cooper]

@@johnwalker7592 this is about Scandinavia and there are no tar pits there. Stockholm tar has been famous for thousands of years and that is what was used on sailing ships. I once watched someone repair his traditional gondola in Venice with it. The EU has banned the making of it because of carcinogens and pollution from making it as it is a byproduct of charcoal manufacturing. You have to make your own now. I am a retired shipwright. Moron.

[@steveandjacquie]

I'm Western Canada we use Red Cedar My Dad and I did a roof on his cabin over 40 years ago. Still water proof . The best part was we salvaged the cedar from a logging operation that was 50 years old . The logs had 2 inches of moss on them. They were absolutely sound.

[@escapetherace1943]

cedar is the best. I imagine with non-cedar and heck maybe even softwoods you would have a few to several good years of life on them. Personally I'd paint each shingle with teak oil, probably would make it outlive any of us

[@pawsnazzy01]

As a kid I spent the summers with my Aunt & Uncle in Oregon. And on my 13th summer I got the pleasure of splitting Western Red Cedar Shakes to reroof his home. A loud rumble was heard coming down the road and a huge logging truck turned into the yard and the driver rolled two logs off the load and after he left my Uncle showed me how to make the shakes and how to stack them so they got the proper air flow between them to dry as the temp was around 100 every day and hot at night so they dried quickly. I spent several days splitting them about 3 weeks after I finished on Saturday morning there were about 10 of his friends there waiting outside and my job was to keep everyone supplied with shakes, I wore a backpack that would hold a bunch of them and all day long it was up and down that ladder passing out the shakes. I think I fell asleep before dinner...it was a long day.

[@jaymeswheeler]

You guys are such woodland nerds. And I am too for watching every single video. Plus I like them and subscribe.

[@TAOutdoors]

Thanks! I’ll take it as a compliment 😊

[@alansimmonds9030]

Never heаrd of woodsmen being referred to as nerds before.....'Wood-nerds' perhaps.

[@JamesYoung61]

I have seen several people make roof shingles before but I have never had anybody explain in such detail the ins and outs of the process, another excellent video.

[@TAOutdoors]

Cheers James, glad you enjoyed it.

[@Fefo419]

​@@TAOutdoorswhy do you only put 1 nail in each shingle ?

[@glorfendell2967]

I worked as a colonial restoration painter in New England for 40 years and always had a deep respect for the craftsmen who built them with no power tools. Seeing Ben do this has really brought the skill and patience needed to reality for me. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@TAOutdoors]

Ben has a wealth of knowledge on woodlands and woodland craft. He’s a top guy!

[@brain8484]

he used a chainsaw

[@privateerwoodworksnmore]

​​@@brain8484 understand that using a chainsaw properly takes skill n craftsmanship. As well is absolutely part of woodland life. From your comment history I believe you to reside under those stone bridges

[@mikecumbo7531]

and he likely drove a car/SUV to site, used credit cards and probably used a cell phone too.

[@kingrafa3938]

Ben really knows what he is doing and a very knowledgeable guy.

[@cgamejewels]

I'm glad he explained why he uses only one nail. It's cost and labor effective too.

[@TAOutdoors]

Yeah it’s something that is easily looked over.

[@CleoHarperReturns]

This was great, Mike! I love in-depth learning like this. Thank you and thank Ben for me as well. Two excellent teachers.

[@TAOutdoors]

Thanks!

[@smartbort4397]

I love it, your videos are relaxing and i watch all of them together with my mom ❤

[@TAOutdoors]

Thanks! Appreciate it.

[@Richardjdocherty]

Thoroughly enjoy the videos you’ve made with Ben - you’re good at drawing the information out of him in a natural way and he clearly knows what he is talking about

[@jamesellsworth9673]

BEN strikes me as a close family member of yours. He certainly has paved the way for outdoor living! This has been a fine tutorial for us!

[@lifeoftreedom]

How aptly timed - I'm planning on building a thing in a woodland that will use shingles!

[@yvonnebailey9973]

Great video again Mike, I love the dedication and work ethic you both have. It must take many hours to create the shingle tiles. Thank you for sharing. Best wishes.

[@stevebaker9341]

Really interesting and informative! Thoroughly enjoyed watching the process thanks 👍

[@TAOutdoors]

Cheers Steve!

[@SamsonsLeader]

Hi Mike, really good to meet you briefly this afternoon out with the dogs. Good to see you back in this part of the world. I enjoy these videos - learning from experts and sharing knowledge. As we both know education is so important! ATB Jon

[@artwerks]

as a young teen i spent weeks packing cedar blocks out of the bush in bc canada,,then more weeks spliting and trimming shakes for my dad.

[@BraxxJuventa]

Thanks for sharing this with us Mike. 👍😁

[@bencollyer2296]

Yes mate ya Neighbor Ben knows his woods skills. Side axe and a throw

[@gallopingg1]

BRILLIANT.

[@stewartmoore]

That was the best video on the subject I've seen for quite some time. Very very informative in a low key way. Thanks for posting.

[@JohnBoyJoy]

this is very high quality cinematography. You're really good man.

[@TAOutdoors]

Cheers! I appreciate it.

[@funkyprepper]

Mike I really enjoyed this. It certainly goes to show the amount of effort required when using natural materials and hand tools. Very important skill share. Thanks for making the video

[@timhyatt9185]

The japanese make shingles very similarly, but instead of splitting out whole diameter width ones, they make the first split across the log, then take the half long and split THAT in half, so it's quartered. From there it's successive radial splits, which helps minimize any problems presented by branches. Yes, they're narrower but you get more of them..... (spliting with a froe like this is called "riving") I was shown how to make shingles by my grandfather who showed me using oak or cedar, and was done by the radial rive out method. I found out years later it was actually the japanese technique.. I've always wondered why there are some subtle differences in methods between East and West...Have to wonder if some of it comes from the limited availability of the wood itself.

[@escapetherace1943]

that isn't unique to the japanese, in fact I believe that's how they traditionally made shingles in the west, too. This guy's technique isn't bad but it's not the common way.

[@steveplace1232]

It very much depends on the diameter of the tree chosen. For smaller logs this works fine. The quartering method is also traditional in the UK as well.

[@Anomalous-Plant]

Aspen, pine, spruce and oak all work beautifully for this as well

[@crmsoldier6568]

Hi you dont need to reply or read but i just want to say i love your content and you are so inspirational...keep up the good work

[@TAOutdoors]

Thanks! Really appreciate the kind feedback.

[@Druforithe]

That’s so cool! I love watching and learning about traditional crafts.

[@susiegray8968]

Amazing, I just learned a lot, and the wild flowers are beautiful....

[@seedy-waney-bonnie4906]

Great video, I love it.

[@મહંમદમુલ્લા]

Nice collaboration. I learnt a lot from this.

[@TAOutdoors]

Thanks! More to come

[@મહંમદમુલ્લા]

@TA Outdoors I'm looking forward to it. Ben seems the type to have gained his knowledge through past experience. This form of experience and knowledge I find most beneficial because it's based on tried and tested methods on getting the job done most effectively.

[@PatBot]

Thanks for the upload Mike 👍

[@TAOutdoors]

Cheers!

[@outdoorsbeyondnature1980]

14:31 good traits to learn you are teaching a lot of people bushcraft skills.

[@dLnug]

A lot of the r or shingles shakes are cedar here in the north east of the United States

[@ladoboyo5452]

This guy was interesting. More with him please. Great video.

[@amerwhiteang]

OMG first man since a long Time i see using this natural cut technic ! Well play . Love that. Nobody do this anymore . 💪💪💪👍

[@mattbrown5511]

Using a farm tractor jack and an attachment point for the splitting blade would help make that job less taxing on the body. But great information you and Ben shared. Thank you very much.

[@electrician1602]

Love it. It’s a beautiful structure, even though it’s shape is completely functional.

[@badmoon7549]

Roof tiles. We call wood shingles shakes here in Oregon. I never heard them called tiles before. I learned something new today. Thanks.

[@janycemackenzie2160]

In the Pacific Northwest in USA we use cedar for shingles. They wear well usually lasting at least 50 years and turning a beautiful silver grey colour with age.

[@robreesor5011]

Never would have thought to use ash as a shingle...here in Canada we would use Cedar for any roof and even some exterior walls.

[@TAOutdoors]

Yes, first time I have seen it too. But as Ben says, Ash is really an interior wood. The only reason it is working in this case is because he has put such a steep pitch on his roof. So rainwater does not have a chance to sit and rot the ash away. Cedar is also really popular over here too, but it is all made with machinery.

[@robreesor5011]

@@TAOutdoors yes cedar shingles are made in a shingle mill here...in my early twenties I used to buy loads of firewood from the shingle mill as well as the telephone pole mill for $5 a load and cut/split I sold it for $150 a cord lol made really good money back in those days doing that. Also used to help out hauling what they call cedar shakes to town...was loaded up in 1 cord blocks on a 5 ton truck and delivered to that cedar shake mill...hard work but well worth the pay haha.

[@TonyM540]

Fantastic natural looking out house and great to see these skills being kept alive.

[@annalorree]

In my portion of the USA (Northern California), we call that a shake roof. We would split them out of Redwood, my dad enlisted my labours as a child to help him trim them. It’s been a few decades since I have pounded a froe with a mallet, now.

[@njts6862]

Ah another video to watch while relaxing

[@rubenskiii]

The great thing with wood is that no matter how hard you mess up, _you can always use it to stay warm..._

[@mustangunique3214]

Nice video!! Nice way to show it and cool way to interview. The place looks incredible, so cool! Great job :)

[@glennwilck5459]

Dont be afraid of using your humanure! Ive been using a compost toilet for about 8 years and as long as you compost it long enough and let it turn into nice rich dirt its great for growing vegetables in the garden! Humanure handbook is the book i read that got me on thos pathway.

[@ArielleViking]

Great explanation and really brilliant watching how to make roof shingles. That clamp idea was really neat. 👍

[@bosse641]

Very knowledgeable, Ben.

[@andyc972]

Thanks both Mike & Ben, seen this done a number of ways and certainly other timbers, but always interesting to hear alternative views, using what you have locally is something we should all consider more ! I keep mashing up "beetles" using them on my froe so perhaps I'll try a copper hammer too - should point out - use copper, aluminium or brass not steel or you can deform the top of the blade in time !

[@savagepro9060]

Anything from the tropics that you recommend, particularly the Caribbean?

[@Mattblaster0]

There’s a chapter in the original Foxfire book, about the old ways of living in Appalachia, that details log cabin building. I read that chapter recently and was impressed to read that a good shingle maker could make 1000 per day.

[@weslockley6684]

Really fascinating. Your friend is cool as by the way

[@privateerwoodworksnmore]

Keep bringing it Mike always enjoyable

[@troopygino]

Very good stuff! That guy is a good teacher fairplay.

[@firearmssanctuary2448]

can further weather proof them by charring the outside. also makes them a little fire resistant.

[@williamirelan9332]

I've worked on 100 year old cedar ,but the oldest roof I helped with was 150 year old cypress. My employer had flat tipped nails made because pointed tipped nails spread the fibers of the grain and split the shingles, where as the flat tips punched a clean hole. Now you know how to get flat shingles no more pie wedges like on the pizza oven 😅

[@grahammctygue724]

Great lesson in reading that grain similar to mauling good to know Peace to you n your family

[@Tumshiz]

to think the number of guys n gals in here, that would benefit me myself included, from just spending a day with folk like yourselves

[@jayfromtexas6718]

Fantastic video! Great tutorial.

[@civiprepper]

To improve the rot/water durability you can can also lightly char the wood shakes. The Japanese call it the Yakisugi method and vikings also used a similar approach.

[@Pygar2]

One of the first six Foxfire books covers riving shingles.

[@torque9889]

I’ve been making sweet chestnut ones over in Italy. Absolutely beautiful wood for making them. Splits perfectly you can almost pull the shingles apart they’re so easy to split. I use the pizza method though

[@turinhorse]

8:02 great idea

[@Rabbi_Dollarstein]

Impressive👏🏻

[@TAOutdoors]

It sure is!

[@bilalkurdish.berlin5237]

Super beautiful

[@BeepBoop2221]

Can you also make a video on forest management? Replacing trees and wild plants in the woods?

[@anthonypiligno7618]

🎉 I say that looks pretty nice and also very peaceful😊... JJ... Jonjon...

[@ddoherty5956]

Most interesting part of the video is 1 nail, I think you could use a longer frow blade so you can drive it a bit deeper? Thanks for the info though👍

[@DaveCollierCamping]

Really neat

[@pyeitme508]

Amazing 🤩

[@wattyler9806]

Brilliant. I've always wanted to know how to make them and from what wood. Thank you for the information.

[@freddyoutdoors]

Really informative and a great watch

[@olalindberg833]

There’s another man with the same first name who’s very skilled and inspiring when it comes to forest management and traditional building, and that’s Ben Law. I guess you may know about him already, but if not maybe you could try and get in contact with him. I believe he’s somewhere in Wales.

[@Grendeloak]

Great vid, very well explained and look forward to trying it out one day.

[@savagepro9060]

With that speed of workmanship, I guess you can deliberately race against an approaching storm!🤭

[@nathanmoak1515]

here in the southern united states, shingles are split from cypress. it has nice grain and splits easily and is rot-resistent.

[@freakygardener8033]

Awesome video! I WISH I had the energy to do that!!! 👍👍

[@colinst.claire2198]

Cozy! ☕️

[@SeekKnowledgeOFC]

If we ever need to start a civilization from scratch, I’m going with this guy😂

[@Oscar.-.]

That's incredibly cool.

[@Musrusticus-]

Wonderful.

[@sosteve9113]

Nicely done

[@claudioruiz4367]

en la patagonia argentina se usan para las tejuelas el alerce hoy prohibido ,pero se encuentran tejuelas de alerce hoy dia,una madera de fibra muy recta muy adecuada para las tejuelas

[@vevenaneathna]

rust and boiled linsead oil was commonly used in the american frontier as an antifungal coating/sealant. the linseed oil polymerizes and basically acts as a water repelling epoxy/enamel. the iron oxide /rust was naturally antifungal and stopped the breakdown of wood. thats why the barns were all red in the US... atleast before paint came available

[@paullambert4445]

Thanks again Mike.🔪🎸

[@iangregory3719]

Making things in and from the woods is an ancient skill. Is Ben what is known as a "Bodger" or is that another type of woodland craft ?.

[@alansimmonds9030]

That's one high-end, executive dunny.

[@ZoonCrypticon]

Very nice! A question, couldn´t you heat and burn the surfaces of the shingles at the open fire, as to prevent future pests infestations of the wood ?

[@kennethgorum6519]

Great video, if you haven't done a video on how to make saw horses in the wild I would like to see a how to video

[@rtoguidver3651]

Herrs potato chip has a Historical site in Willow Street, Pa. and the shingles are Red Oak... Too & Fro !

[@stevenfaber3896]

Why not cut the whole length shakes into a pie wedge keeping the froe on the same face and splitting like one would for a swedish torch, but in more pieces. You can take an old bike tube and keep it together. I would choose that method but curious about his choice.

[@ephagon]

That is just the absolute best content for me. Combined with your style of filming and everything else, I truly enjoyed this. Thanks to both of you. P.S.: I‘ve honestly been in love with wooden roof tiles as long as I can remember. Now I might just know enough (as far as crafting the tiles, and wanting learn more goes) to some day try making my own. Oh and… does Ben have his own channel?

[@johnhenrytweed488]

Would a longer bladed froe make the splitting easier? If it had a couple of inches sticking out the side of the log you could hit it further.

[@johnhenrytweed488]

Or a smaller diameter log ?

[@lildevilgamer]

That is really cool. I'm wondering if this is possible without a froe. Like could you do it with like a basic bushcraft kit (bushcraft knife, folding saw and a hatchet) and if so then how would you go about it?

[@StickJock819]

The froe has a wide blade perpendicular from the handle, and a long handle to use as a lever. If you simplify it, the real tools are the wide wedge and long lever. With a hatchet or knife, you'd be limited by the width/length of your blade, but you could hammer either tool with a wooden mallet for the first clean cut. A hatchet or knife could act as a good wedge, but not a good lever. The froe has a handle perpendicular from the blade unlike a hatchet or knife, which you use to lever and split the wood after making a cut. Because the handle is not perpendicular the rest of the split with the other tools would be a twisting motion instead of a pulling motion, and it would require a lot of strength because you don't have the right leverage. You could cut a stake out of a harder wood to use as a lever instead, with a point that's as narrow as your knife/hatchet blade. A stake is something you can craft easily with just a knife or hatchet. So yes, you can do this with just a knife or hatchet, but only because you can use the knife or hatchet to craft another tool to act as your lever, instead of having the froe do double duty as wedge and lever.

[@TAOutdoors]

It’s doable, but it would be far harder without a Froe. You could always test it out on smaller pieces of wood. The thing with the Froe, is it’s the handle that allows you the lever to pull on it. Plus the profile of a Froe blade is designed so that would can be split clean and straight. Have a go with an axe. I’d say the first part of splitting a log in half and then quartering it will be easy enough. It’s once you get to cutting 1” thick planks that it would get hard.

[@YourArmsGone]

Alaskan red or yellow cedar makes great shingles.

[@Peter-od7op]

Great vdo

[@ifell3]

Love this!

[@1clinkerman]

Very good video, thanks from the colonies.

[@aaronaldrich4317]

Very nice