The Stonebuilder's Primer: A Step-By-Step Guide for Owner-Builders | 
 enlarge | Author: Charles Long
Publisher: Firefly Books
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy New: $11.29
You Save: $6.66 (37%)
New (23) Used (9) from $10.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 72023
Media: Paperback
Edition: Revised and Expanded
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 128
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 10.8 x 8.7 x 0.5
ISBN: 1552092984
Dewey Decimal Number: 693.1
EAN: 9781552092989
ASIN: 1552092984
Publication Date: October 1, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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Product Description
Writer Charles Long has a well-earned reputation as one of North America's self-sufficiency experts. More than 20 years ago, he and his wife, Elizabeth, fled city life and conventional employment for the country, and have flourished there ever since. Now back by popular demand Long's The Stonebuilder's Primer is a highly readable account of the couple's successful effort to build "a house that will outlast anything made of wood." Developing a compromise method of stone construction that is both simpler and truer to the stonemason's art than the popular slipform method, the Longs built an aesthetically satisfying home of stone on a limited budget and no previous construction experience. In this classic how-to book, the author describes the complete building process in clear, easy-to-follow steps and, in so doing, dispels the myth of difficulty that surrounds stone construction.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Witty, humorous and informative; a pleasure to read January 6, 2009
I just finished this book by Charles Long, which I read thru in just a few sittings. The authors witty and humorous voice comes thru in a way that makes it a pleasure it read. It also has a very positive "you can do it too" message that resonates with me. The practical and experienced based advice, along with instructions for his particular method, makes it well worth the read for anyone considering building with fieldstone.
Good Stone Primer December 4, 2008
Good book. Very serious approach to stonework. The author has strong opinions and conveys them as such. I like this because true artisians have developed their style over time with a lot of critical thinking and experience (meaning things that didn't work out) Should be in your library if you are interested in stone work.
Wonderful resource! October 17, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I was very pleased with the level of detail in this book. I was specifically looking for information on stone fireplaces and chimneys and the author does a fine job of being quite specific about measurements and practicalities of building a heavy, tall stone structure. All of the chapters appear to have explicit and careful directions. Many thanks for this valuable resource. It will remain in my library long after the house is built!
 "Primer" is probably a good word. December 28, 2006
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is an excellent beginning book on building with stone. No mention of necessary information regarding general house building is included. You are supposed to find that elsewhere. This is about building stone walls to become a building. The technique it presents is different than slipform wall building and creates walls that are remarkably good looking, straight and will endure for decades, maybe even centuries. Great book and I highly reccomend it for anyone thinking about using stone as a building material.
Diary of self-taught mason April 7, 2005
25 out of 27 found this review helpful
The experiences of Mr. Long will interest many 'would-be' masons, contemplating construction of a stone wall of any form. The book is not a 'how-to' guide as much as a 'how I figured it out' or 'how I got the rock to the top of the wall.' Those with masonry experience will probably find this unnecessary, but anyone considering a masonry adventure will find the reading well worth the effort. Mr. Long's experiments in man-handling rock, using ramps and building scaffolds are exactly what amateur masons need to read.
The book if fairly shy about the author's handiwork. The finished house is never displayed, and 'example' photos are generally shots of 19th century buildings. Additionally, there is nothing on how long it took to accomplish their tasks. There are lots of photos showing the author and wife man-handling rocks, though.
The book seems to be set in the north-eastern United States, and Mr. Long's advice for finding rocks may be unsuited to other areas. As best I can tell, the book advises picking up a suitable rock when ever one one. This might happen on the shoulder of a highway, while driving past a farmer's field or wandering around old quarries. Mr. Long suggests all non-masons are overjoyed when anyone hauls away a rock. I'm not convinced.
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