DAY SIX AT "L" SHED

COLD AND WET. I TARPED THE WHOLE STRUCTURE AND STAYED OUT OF THE RAIN.

KEEPING IT ON THE LEVEL, WITH MY NEW BRIGHT-YELLOW LEVEL.

I LAID OUT AND BUILT THE FRAMING FOR A 'FLOATING BENCH' THAT WILL PROTRUDE FROM THE EXTERIOR WALL. THIS REQUIRES A LOT OF REINFORCEMENT AND OVER-BUILDING OF THE WALLS, BUT IT'LL LOOK GREAT WHEN IT'S FINISHED.

I WENT TO THE LIBRARY AFTER WORK AND PICKED UP "SPACECRAFT" AND "SPACECRAFT 2." A COUPLE OF WONDERFUL BOOKS ABOUT 'FLEETING ARCHITECTURE AND HIDEOUTS' 

DAY FIVE AT "L" SHED

I FINISHED UP A SHORT WALL WITH A WINDOW OPENING AND CHECKED TO SEE IF THE WINDOW FITS.

PERFECT!

LUNCH WAS PASTRAMI AND SWISS ON HOMEMADE FOCACCIA BREAD FROM "ETSUKO'S CAFE"

THE LUMBER I PICKED UP YESTERDAY HAS A MILL STAMP THAT SAYS "BUILD HISTORY." KINDA ODD THAT MY 2X4s ARE EXHORTING ME TO DO SOMETHING HISTORICAL AND EPIC. IT'S ALSO NONSENSICAL AND VAGUELY ORWELLIAN, BUT MAYBE I'M READING TOO MUCH INTO IT...

BUILT THE LAST WALL AND LIFTED IT INTO PLACE. 

THE VIEW FROM 'INSIDE'

DAY FOUR AT THE "L" SHED

THE FORECAST WAS FOR RAIN ALL DAY, SO I STARTED OUT WITH A BREAKFAST OF FRIED EGGS, BACON, CHIVES AND YELLOW CHERRY TOMATOES FROM THE GARDEN.

MY 'RAIN HAT'

I MEASURED AND CUT ALL THE PIECES UNDER THE WORK TENT...

...NAILED THEM ALL TOGETHER...

...AND LIFTED THE WALL INTO PLACE. THIS WILL BE THE SECOND DOORWAY.

I MEASURED OUT ANOTHER WALL, BUILT SOME OF IT, BUT RAN OUT OF 2X4s. I HEADED TO 'MR. PLYWOOD' FOR MORE LUMBER. I LOVE THIS VINTAGE SIGN OF ANTHROPOMORPHIC PLYWOOD. (PLEASE NOTE THE PENCIL BEHIND HIS EAR.)

DAY THREE AT THE "L" SHED

THE SUN WAS OUT. I PAINTED THE WALL, TILTED IT UP AND NAILED IT OFF.

AFTER FRAMING OUT THE DOORWAY FOR ONE OF THE TWO DOORS, THE SHED IS REALLY STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE.

BACK AT THE STUDIO, I RECEIVED THE "MICRO-STRUCTURES" DOOR MAGNETS FOR MY LITTLE TRUCK.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

DAY TWO AT "L" SHED

I BUILT THE SECOND WALL, BUT IT WAS TOO RAINY TO PAINT IT (IT'S EASIER TO PAINT WHEN IT'S LYING FLAT ON THE GROUND). I COVERED IT, AND WENT TO PICK UP SOME NEWLY SHARPENED SAW BLADES.

THE SAW TEETH ARE DIPPED IN SOME SORT OF WAXY RUBBER TO PROTECT THEM UNTIL THEY'RE PUT TO WORK.

BACK AT MY STUDIO, I TOOK APART A FEW OLD WINDOWS AND GOT THEM CLEANED UP AND READY FOR INSTALLATION IN THE "L" SHED.

DAY ONE OF BUILDING THE "L" SHED

THE CONCRETE SLAB IS CURED AND READY-TO-GO

SET UP SHOP AND PUT OUT THE SIGN

LUMBER DROP!

A FEW RAINY HOURS LATER, THE FIRST WALL

The First Post, Like The First Pancake from the Pan, Is a Little Raw

This fall, I taught a "Backyard Structures" class at the Oregon College of Art & Craft. Ten students and I designed and built this micro-structure so the OCAC students could get together someplace out of the rain.