Research

Prinsenkasteel Ruins of the Prinsenkasteel At a stone’s throw of the Guldendal, in the middle of the Prinsenbos pond, the vestiges of the Prinsenkasteel loom high above the trees. A water castle surrounded by a park and other properties, this once mighty bastion used to be the home of the lords of Grimbergen after their fortress at the Borcht burned down during the Wars of Grimbergen (12th century). The castle has undergone many refurbishings over the course of the centuries.In 1944, retreating German soldiers set fire to the castle, after which it declined further into a ruin. Only the castle keep, i.e. the fortified residential area, remained intact and is currently being restored. Once the restoration works are completed, this tower will be repurposed as a part of the museum.

Calendar Coming up in the MOT This text can only be consulted in Dutch.

Workshop MOT & GO

Visit the MOT in Grimbergen for exhibitions, demonstrations, workshops, class visits... and discover more about technology and hand tools!

Squaring the trunk Although not strictly necessary, it is recommended to debark the tree butt and remove the sapwood, the outer wood with the latest growth. Despite watering, these outer layers between the heartwood and bark can contain nutrients, making the pump susceptible to weathering, fungi and wood-boring insects. Removing this outer layer is done by squaring the trunk. This can be done both before and after the boring process. A practical benefit of squaring beforehand is that you take excess weight off the trunk which makes it lighter to handle. The trunk is fixed with heavy iron clamps low above ground level. After removing the bark with the barking shovel, we opted in this experiment to square the trunk in an octagonal shape using broad axes. You can use a carpenter's adze, but this works a lot slower. The octogonal shape works best for removing the sapwood and fixing the trunk on the boring trestle and in the well. After squaring, the diameter of our pump body was reduced to about 25 cm. However, pump...

A bread oven is a brick oven used to bake bread. These characterful old bread ovens and bakehouses are under threat. Not only the buildings themselves disappear, but also the knowledge to build and use such bread ovens. With this project the MOT would like to do something to prevent this. Here, we offer a multitude of technical knowledge on the restoration, build and use of bread ovens.