Tuesday, December 14, 2010

DAYS SEVENTEEN AND EIGHTEEN AT "L" SHED

THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS HAVE BEEN A MUDDY MESS. WHEN IT WASN'T RAINING, IT WAS HAILING.


I PUT THE SEAT ON THE BENCH AND NAILED UP SOME SIDING ON THE WALLS.


I LINED IT UP SO THAT THE BENCH AND WALL APPEAR TO BE ONE CONTINUOUS SURFACE. 



THE CORNERS AND EDGES COME TOGETHER IN GOOD MITERED LINES. 



Friday, December 10, 2010

DAY SIXTEEN AT "L" SHED

THE MORNING BEGAN WITH A CORD OF WOOD DELIVERED TO MY HOUSE.


I STACKED IT ALL UNDER THE BACK EAVES. IT'S A GREAT FEELING TO HAVE A LARGE SUPPLY OF WOOD LAID IN, AS THE WEATHER TURNS. 


AT THE "L" SHED, I SET THE SECRET CODES ON A PAIR OF COMBINATION LOCKS FOR THE DOORS.  


THIS GREAT OLD CHISEL MADE EASY WORK OF THE MORTISES FOR THE STRIKE PLATES. 


ALL LOCKED UP! IT'S NOT REALLY 'DIGITAL'. IT JUST USES DIGITS INSTEAD OF A KEY.  


THESE ARE JAPANESE LOCKS SO, OF COURSE, THE NAME IS POETIC. WHAT WOULD YOU CALL A 'LOCK' THAT INCLUDES ITS OWN 'KEY'? YES, A 'LOCKEY'  

Thursday, December 9, 2010

MEMORIES OF SUMMER

TODAY WAS COLD RAINY AND MISERABLE, BUT I REMEMBER A BETTER, SUNNIER SEASON... (CUE THE 'I-REMEMBER-WHEN SWIRL')


THIS SUMMER I BUILT A BEAUTIFUL MODERN DECK WITH MULTIPLE LEVELS AND SEATING AREAS.


IT WAS DESIGNED BY CALVERT HELMS, OF BOORA ARCHITECTS, FOR HER PERSONAL RESIDENCE.


IT WAS A GREAT DESIGN, WHICH FILLED THE AREA BETWEEN HOUSE AND GARAGE AND TRANSFORMED AN UNDER-USED YARD INTO A PLEASANT OASIS.


THE DESIGN INCLUDED A PLANTER BOX FOR A BANANA TREE AND A PLACE TO HIDE THE RECYCLING BINS.


ALL OF THE BOARDS HAD TO LINE UP PERFECTLY, SO THE DECK WOULD BE SEAMLESS. THIS TOOK A BIT OF TIME, BUT THE EFFECT WAS REALLY COOL.


Wednesday, December 8, 2010

DAYS FOURTEEN AND FIFTEEN AT "L" SHED

I WORKED A COUPLE OF SHORT DAYS, PUTTING ON A SECOND COAT OF PAINT AND FINISHING OFF THE SOFFITS. THEN I 'FIRRED OUT' THE EXTERIOR WALLS, SO THEY WILL BE THICKER, AND THE INSET FOR THE WINDOWS AND DOOR WILL BE MORE PRONOUNCED.


BEFORE PUTTING ON THE SIDING, I LAID IN CEDAR EDGING AROUND THE PAINTED AREA.


THE EDGING REALLY DEFINES THE PAINTED AREA.


I HAD A CHANCE TO NAIL UP A VERY SMALL SECTION OF THE CEDAR SIDING. THIS IS BEAUTIFUL MATERIAL -  CLEAR WITH NO KNOTS - AND IT'LL AGE WELL OVER THE YEARS.

Friday, December 3, 2010

DAY THIRTEEN AT "L" SHED

A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR PAINTING. DID THE BAND OF COLOR THAT CONNECTS THE WINDOWS AND DOORS.


THEN I WENT TO LUNCH AT THE FOOD CARTS ON BELMONT - EXACTLY ONE BLOCK FROM THE JOB-SITE.


I GOT A CHAI FROM 'DA-PRESSED COFFEE'...


... AND A BURGER FROM VIOLETTA 



BACK ON THE JOB, I NAILED UP THE SOFFITS AND CALLED IT A DAY.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

DAY TWELVE AT "L" SHED

THIS WAS A SHORT DAY, WAITING FOR PAINT TO DRY. ALL I DID WAS PRIME THE FASCIA AND THE DOOR-TO-DOOR TRIMWORK.



I MAKE EFFICIENT USE OF MATERIALS, BUT I ALWAYS END UP WITH SHORT LENGTHS OF WOOD THAT ARE 'UNBUILDABLE.' 


EARLIER THIS WEEK, I GOT A STOVE INSERT FROM CRAIGSLIST AND INSTALLED IT IN MY FIREPLACE. IT'S LIKE A BLAST-FURNACE. A SMALL FIRE RAISES THE TEMPERATURE IN OUR HOUSE BY TWO OR THREE DEGREES.


I HAVEN'T USED MY BASEMENT OIL HEATER SINCE INSTALLING THE WOOD-BURNER, SO MAYBE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO ALL WINTER WITHOUT IT...

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

DAY ELEVEN AT "L" SHED

I HAD A GREAT TIME IN JAPAN, BUT NOW I'M RIGHT BACK AT IT.

INSTALLED A COUPLE OF SOLID WOOD DOORS FROM PORTLAND'S GREATEST SALVAGE YARD - THE REBUILDING CENTER. PAINTED A SAMPLE SECTION OF THE TRIM/WALL COLOR.


MOCKED-UP THE TRIM PIECES TO MAKE SURE I COULD 'DRAW' A STRAIGHT HORIZONTAL LINE.


IT LOOKED GOOD, SO I PUT IN THE VERTICAL PIECES, FINISHING THE DOORS AND WINDOWS.


THE TRIM AND THIS SECTION OF THE WALL WILL ALL BE THE SAME COLOR, WITH CEDAR SIDING ABOVE AND BELOW.


BACK AT THE STUDIO, I PRIMED AND PAINTED GABLE TRIM AND SHEETS OF PLYWOOD, WHICH I'LL USE FOR THE SOFFITS. IT'S EASIER TO PAINT IT NOW, RATHER THAN WHEN IT'S OVERHEAD.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

TRAVELS TO TOKYO

I'LL BE IN TOKYO FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. I HOPE TO POST PHOTOS FROM THERE, BUT FREE WI-FI IS APPARENTLY LIMITED IN JAPAN. WE'LL SEE. STAY TUNED...

BATHTUB ART MUSEUM ON TV

ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I BUILT A SCULPTURE FOR A GALLERY SHOW IN CHINATOWN. THE SCULPTURE WAS A VERY SMALL HOUSE ON STILTS THAT PEOPLE ENTERED BY WADING THRU A BATHTUB.

CARYE BYE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PIECE AND DECIDED TO BUY IT AND TRANSFORM IT INTO A MUSEUM IN HER BACKYARD. CARYE HAS A HUGE COLLECTION OF BATHTUB POSTCARDS AND CURIOS, AND NOW THOSE ARTIFACTS HAVE A HOME.

THIS NEWS PROGRAM FEATURES CARYE, HER 'BATHTUB ART MUSEUM' AND OTHER ODD MUSEUMS AROUND PORTLAND. (THERE'S AN OBNOXIOUS COMMERCIAL AT THE BEGINNING, BUT AFTER THAT IT'S OK. ENJOY!)

Monday, November 8, 2010

DAY TEN AT "L" SHED

TODAY THE "L" SHED GOT WATERPROOFED. HERE'S THE GEAR FOR THE 'TORCH-DOWN' ROOF:


IGNITION!


TED LEACH DID THE ROOFING. HE'S A TRUE CRAFTSMAN AND PAYS ATTENTION TO ALL THE LITTLE DETAILS, WHICH IS ADMIRABLE, SINCE WE'RE UP ON A ROOF THAT FEW PEOPLE WILL EVER SEE...

TED HEATED THE ROLLS TO ADHERE THEM TO THE PLYWOOD AND SEALED THE SEAMS, CREATING A CONTINUOUS MEMBRANE ACROSS THE ROOF.


 A BEAUTIFUL ROOF WITH SKYLIGHT.


AND THEN IT RAINED. AGAIN.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

DAY NINE AT "L" SHED

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE:


WHEN I'M WORKING BY MYSELF, THESE CLAMPS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR HOLDING THINGS IN PLACE. THEY'RE LIKE MY THIRD AND FOURTH HANDS.


I NAILED DOWN THE PLYWOOD FOR THE ROOF, TRIMMED IT...


 ...AND BUILT A CURB FOR THE SKYLIGHT, TO RAISE IT ABOVE THE ROOF AND PREVENT IT FROM LEAKING.


THE VIEW FROM BELOW:

Friday, November 5, 2010

DAYS SEVEN AND EIGHT AT "L" SHED

A COUPLE OF DAYS WITH GREAT WEATHER FOR BUILDING. I ROUGH-CUT THE PLYWOOD FOR THE WALLS, PUT IT IN PLACE AND MARKED THE WINDOW OPENINGS.


CUT OUT THE CORNERS WITH A HANDSAW...


....AND NAILED IT UP



MY INITIALS ON A PLYWOOD RATING-STAMP.


NEXT DAY, I LAID OUT THE ROOF JOISTS, CUT THEM AND PUT THEM ATOP THE WALLS.


IT CAN BE A LITTLE TRICKY, ARRANGING THE 2X6s OVERHEAD AND NAILING THEM TOGETHER AS THEY'RE BALANCED ON THE WALLS. BUT IT CAME OUT WELL.