Saturday, October 20, 2007

A Break in the Action




Well, school started again and so did a new project. Son Ned and I began working on a tree platform which evolved int0 a two story tree house with a third story observation post. Daughter Emma was a big help, too. It was a chance to spend more time with the kids, really... I finished framing and roofing it last week.

I have the sill plates down out back and six or seven posts up. Several of the anchor bolts had been set off center as I wound up using 7 1/2" p.t. sill plates. I discovered STRONG-BOLT™ Wedge Anchor bolts down at the local hardware store... about a buck each but worth it. Gibson's has just about everything you might need squirrelled away here and there in a creaky floor 19th century building. You just tell Dale what you need and off he goes on the hunt.
It would be awesome if I could get the downstairs framed posts and joists before snow. Ain't gonna happen. I still have a trailer load of timbers to unload from three weeks ago and have to pick up a final load maybe next weekend at Dick's sawmill in Fair Haven Vt.

Last night I finished digging the ditch for the radiant heat supply and return lines down to the furnace. Ray and Rob, the radiant installers, want to come soon, weather permitting.

What have I learned lately? Some new swear words at the sawmill to use artfully when snagging the existing underground heating supply lines with the backhoe as I dug through the rocky soil down to the furnace. No water spilled, though.

Still, nobody could have done it any better than me. Maybe faster, but not better.

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