Drew/Bock Syllabus 3/13
Course: Old-House Primer: Moldings and Interior Woodwork Workshop #13SHPW17 Credit: 0.8 CEU
Meetings:
Thursday May 2, 7-9 PM; Saturday May 4, 9AM-4PM
Instructor: Gordon Bock ghbock@comcast.net; PH: 301-565-0538 (Maryland)
Course Description:
Moldings, door and window casings, and other woodwork are the primary building blocks of interior
architecture. This presentation looks at the design history of moldings, from their origins in the classical
shapes of the ancient world through 200 years of American House styles, and how they were made and
applied in various eras.
The evening session will cover the design and history of moldings and related woodwork through
PowerPoint presentations and examination of actual samples. Saturday will concentrate on how moldings
are made and applied, beginning with demonstrations of molding-making methods old and new, as well as
basic trim carpentry techniques. Attendees will have the opportunity to practice cutting and fitting moldings
if desired. Schedule permitting, the class may also study the molding installations in a historic building on
campus.
Course Basic Outline:
Thursday Evening

Review of North American house influences

Origins of moldings
o Classical and Greco-Roman molding shapes
o Gothic molding shapes
o Other cultural influences

Interpretations in North America
o Colonial moldings
o Georgian, Greek, and Neoclassical moldings
o Gothic and Italian moldings
o Victorian moldings
o Arts & Crafts era and early modern moldings

Nomenclature and typical installations
o Baseboards
o Door and window casings
o Wainscots (board, panel, and beadboard)
o Cornices and faux beams
Saturday AM

Historic moldings and reproductions

Matching and making moldings
o Planes
o Shapers and table saws

Recording and copying shapes

Ordering knives
Saturday PM
Dealing with historic moldings
o Removing moldings (prybars, hacksaws, pullers)
o Trim carpentry basics for installations

Miters

Coping

Scribing

Nailing techniques
Course Format: Tuesday evening sessions, and Saturday morning will be illustrated Powerpoint
presentations with class discussions and some carpentry demonstrations. After the Saturday morning
classroom presentation, the class can explore selected carpentry methods themselves with the materials at
hand. Time permitting, we may also visit a historic campus building such as Mead Hall for some onsite
study of period molding installations.
Useful Reading:
Theory of Mouldings by C. Howard Walker; W. W. Norton & Company, 2007; New edition of classic 1920s
architectural textbook. Written for the designer and academic (in arched language and with a soft spot for
the classical), this little book is nonetheless probably the most specific, concise, comprehensive and useful
explanation of what moldings are all about, made even better with a new introduction by architect Richard
Sammons.
Old-House Woodwork Restoration, by Edwin Johnson; Prentice-Hall, 1983; Covering a wide range of
projects, from salvage to refinishing, this guide -- though “very 1980s” and now out of print – this is still the
only such book around and can be had used from Amazon for pennies.
Roberts Illustrated Millwork Catalog, by E.L. Roberts & Co.; Dover Publications; 1988; Reprint of 1903 mailorder catalog, this book is late-Victorian in flavor, and includes lots more than moldings, doors, and
windows, but is valuable for some of the illustrations of rooms and millwork suites and, like all Dover books,
is affordable to own just as a general reference.
Historic Millwork, by Brent Hull; John Wiley and Sons, 2003; Annotated compendium of mass-produced
molding products and installations from catalogs of the 19th and early 20th century by a longtime
professional in the millwork industry. Useful for context and historic design ideas.
Online: Good articles on modern trim carpentry techniques are available from Fine Homebuilding magazine
and its parent company, Taunton Press.