CALAIS – A retired tin knocker’s Yankee ingenuity saved the Calais Free Library nearly $3,000.

Dale Churchill, who retired after more than 20 years in the tin shop of the pulp and paper mill in Baileyville, volunteered his time to build the Calais library a new stainless steel book drop.

Librarian Marilyn Sotirelis had been checking catalogs to find a replacement book drop. The old one was held together with duct tape.

The old book drop had design flaws, so that when librarians opened its door, books would tumble out onto the ground, sometimes into snow and slush.

Sotirelis discovered that even cheap replacements were expensive. A few cost $2,000, while the stainless steel versions cost more than $2,500. On top of that was a $300 shipping charge.

Sotirelis said she happened to mention the need at a Calais Free Library board of trustees meeting, and trustee Jane Eaton suggested asking someone from the pulp and paper mill to help.

Gaile Nicholson, a spokeswoman for the mill’s current owner, Domtar Industries Inc., said Wednesday she also had explored the costs. She contacted the company’s maintenance manager, Tim Lowe, who said the mill would donate the sheet metal and open the tin shop to Churchill.

“He said, ‘Dale Churchill is the best tin knocker I have ever met,'” Nicholson said. A tin knocker is a person who fabricates and works with sheet metal.

Churchill said it took him about 60 hours to build the unit. He designed an insert with a spring-loaded platform that goes down as books are added. The insert allows the library crew to pull the cart into the library to remove the books.

Towns Auto Body in Baileyville sandblasted the metal. “When the sun shines on it, it absolutely sparkles. It’s beautiful,” Sotirelis said.

In return, Churchill has been given a new library card: “I just got it today. I haven’t been in for a while,” he said.