Hale construction 4

Let me add some additional notes on the hale project summarizing as best I can. The design and construction are informed by traditional practice but modernized for various reasons.

• Chainsaw is much faster and easier than cutting by hand.
• Traditional materials have become endangered or rare or not locally available.
• Nylon cord is easier to work with and last longer.
• Some building code requirements apply.

There is a recognized exam to become certified to build a hale which includes knowledge of Hawaiian, suitable materials, construction techniques, and so forth. The modern methodology is based on research into extant old hale - one from Kauai was dismantled in the 1970's and reconstructed in the Bishop Museum on Oahu, providing much of the details. Many newer innovations were developed - better lashings, adapting techniques to modern materials and tools - with an eye to maintaining the original intentions.

The hale construction began in December (had I known about I would have been there). The structure is 30 feet long and 20 feet wide and over 20 feet high at the roof peak I would estimate.

The base is made of igneous stones collected in the Lawai valley where the hale is located. At this stage is surface is quite uneven. Exactly how the floor will be finished is still to be determined - they may put in some cement to afford handicapped access, or it may be finished with gravel to make it easier to walk on a safe.

All the wood is ironwood also from the valley. I helped de-bark it which can be done by scraping it with a garden scythe or (my preference) beaten with a hammer, splitting the bark and separating it from the hard light-colored wood and peeling it back.

Roughly, here is the sequence of building:

1. Rock foundation, rough
2. Vertical pillars (with notched joints cut) are planted and secured
3. Scaffolding is secured to central pillars and braced forming a 45 degree pyramid
4. Scaffolding rungs are tied at "knee hight" interfaces with a few vertical purlins
5. Roof framing with jointed ends are lifted and lashed onto the pillars
6. A top piece is joined running lengthwise along the roof ridge line
7. Roof subframe and purlins are lashed to form a lattice
8. Long ends jutting out are cut and ground smooth, extra lashings are cut off at one inch
9. Dried fan palm leaves are laced onto the purlins overlapping 50%, bottom row working up
10. A special horizontal cross piece is lashed across the end near the roof peak
11. Two long wood poles are tied on top of this running just below the ridge line on either side
12. Green fan palm leaves are folded in half widthwise and tucked under the two poles to cap roof
13. Scaffolding is dismantled in opposite order of its construction
14. After a few days the roof tightens up and needs some patching to make it watertight
15. Rock foundation finish

Currently we have the scaffolding dismantled on one side (step 13) and I suspect there are more steps yet to come. Work continues on Thursday and should be done within a day.

Lashings are mostly "U-joint" securing poles together, with a pueo (owl) variation that has an aesthetic chevron design in the cord, and combinations of half-hitch knots for tying. Most lashing is done with nylon cord tied into shakas (I learned how to tie shakas but won't attempt to describe it in words.) In Hawaii you see the shaka hand-sign -- closed fist with thumb and little finger extended -- as a visual "aloha" exchanged for example, when someone pulls aside to let you pass on a narrow road. Lashing shakas are cord tied "figure eight" on your hand making the sign, finished up by winding around the middle of the "eight". You leave the starting end long so the lasher knows to start there and then as they work they can tug cord out one loop at a time making it easy to pass the cord through when needed (without having to deal with long pieces to repeatedly pull through). Roofing is lashed with cheaper plastic twisted cord.

Messing up the shaka is a dreaded error - making it too tight, tangling, or knotting up - as it breaks the flow of work. For instance, building the roof you have people on the ground sorting and checking the leaves, passing them "bucket brigade style" up for a holder to pre-position and a lasher to tie them in. Obviously, holding up the process idles a lot of people and slows things down considerably.

There is much more to it of course, but this gives an idea of the steps in the process.

You can see the hale now on the NTBG McBryde Garden tour beyond the Canoe Garden to the back of the valley away from the ocean on the east side of the stream.