Mark

Travel information

I am currently

Activities i am interested in:

I am a stonemason and timber framer. I specialize in restoration work of old buildings and furniture and that is what I want to do through Workaway! I like working in a team and prefer small towns.

Description

Hi! I'm Mark. When I WorkAway I seek to do traditional craftwork. I am a third generation craftsman working in stone and wood my whole life (see examples of my work in my photos :). I am a skilled stone mason and very much prefer to work "dry", without mortar. Just stones. I love to fit stones together! I have studied dry walling with the Dry Stone Wallers Assoc. of Great Britain (DSWA). I enjoy and am very good at designing a new project and creating it from nothing and repairing/restoring existing stone work. I am a competent brick and block layer (with mortar), have repaired chimneys, steps, walls etc.

I have considerable experience with timber framing having built many barn and house frames from scratch but I prefer to make structural repairs to antique frames (see in photos). I have lifted many buildings, made very substantial repairs and then set them back down again...very carefully! This is very challenging and methodical work and I enjoy it very much. I was a member of an international team of framers building a synagogue replica in Poland, an office building in England and various public and private structures in the U.S.A.

I have over 20 years experience restoring antique furniture... mostly American pieces from the 17th-20th century vintage. I also make furniture from scratch (like my Sicilian grandfather and my father!) ... including Windsor chairs.

I have some experience with natural plastering as I have applied lath and lime-based plaster to three substantial buildings...one is quite a large barn.

I am quite competent at blacksmithing and moderately capable with welding and fabrication.

More recently I have begun designing and building bicycle-powered machines for processing grains (see photos). I was inspired to do this during a trip to Colombia and it's very rewarding.

I enjoy a challenge, problem solving and finding solutions!

I have 8 siblings and 26 nieces and nephews!...so I am very good with people and have a lot of patience. I am excellent with children. My friends call me the "baby whisperer". For five years I was a teacher of teenagers at an organic farm. I taught them construction skills and together we built several substantial and pragmatic buildings.

I attended Rhode Island School of Design in the U.S.A. and spent one year based in Rome for an honors, independent study program. I have relatives in Sicily and Calabria. I have been to about 14 countries, mostly Europe.

I love teamwork and having the opportunity to offer my skills for a good cause. I also require some alone time almost every day.

I do not smoke and have little patience for cigarette smoke. I am drug free including legal drugs. I don't smoke marijuana but I don't mind if you do. I practice and study natural medicine. I rarely drink alcohol.

Interests

Art & design

Cooking & food

History

Outdoor activities

Plant care

Vegetarian or vegan

Nature

Languages

Hiking

Farming

DIY & crafts

Architecture

Carpentry

Sailing / Boating

Yoga / Wellness

Culture

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
Italian: Beginner

More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.

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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

Some knowledge of:  

Light gardening

Life at a Farmstay

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Able to teach about:  

Creative DIY projects

Babysitting and creative play

Eco Projects

Art Projects

Teaching

More details about your skills

natural building (stone, wood, clay, straw, brick)
stone wall building/repair
timber framing
restoration/structural repair
antique furniture restoration
furniture design/making
cooking
gardening/farming
animals
drawing

Age

53

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements