3.08.2011

DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!!

This beauty of a pic was taken by on-site "chippy" (New Zealand lingo for carpenter/framer), wood sculptor, and photographer (-the list goes on): Douglas Meyer.   While Doug may not have reacted as intensely as the Double Rainbow dude (those unfamiliar with the video can view the epitome of emotional reaction: here ), he did take advantage of the week's rainy weather and snap some fantastic pics.  With this hopeful photo, we are all reminded of the beauty and scale of this build, and ponder its relation to the earthly cycles that provide for such endeavors.
Despite the abnormally rainy summer, the crews on site and in the joinery site are chugging along and nearing the milestone of enclosing the interior space.  With Fall starting to drop hints at it's coming arrival, primal instincts for shelter completion are kicking in and upping the pace.  With all hands on deck, Tom Jennings was found working in precarious perches & exemplifying 'sweat equity':

Tom in the 'power-drill' stance!

Jonny on the Study roof ridge
 Meanwhile, over at the Bat Cave (aka the Joinery shop), Simon and his minions have been prepping up timber components and the beautiful windows that will provide solar access to the home.  Here is a peak inside the workshop:

Cedar planks marked for various doors

A near completed door & its frame




Trent and Simon with the master bedroom door

























In this sequence one can get a quick idea of the fabrication process of the interior doors made of cedar planks.  In the top photo is the stack of planed down cedar with correlating letters and numbers for the correct alignment.  Held together by wood glue and "biscuits" (which are mini peg like 'key' connections sandwiched on the narrow side of the boards), the timber is also precisely drilled through width-wise for a threaded metal rod to 'clamp' the pieces together (the holes in the sides in the 'stack'/top photo show the viewer that there are 3 threaded rods in each door).  Another exciting experiment taking place in the Bat Cave, is the scaled model of mad architectural scientist Trent Laughton's abstract front door.  Below he can be seen manning the chop saw-cutting down pieces for his top-secret masterpiece.


 Before the straw-bale walls can be placed and packed, the custom wooden joinery windows must be put into the framework so that they can be built around.  Coating these pieces of fine craftsmanship with protective varnishes and stains has been a mission which has been a multi week undertaking, reveled in by Roarke, Jared, Travis, Loren, and Trent.  But the light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter, and the boys will soon be back on site working on the entry and earth-bagging.  Here is a small sample of some of there tasks:


 



 Up and to the left is a frame and it's sash awaiting a final coat.  To the right we have a picture of all of the beads which will help to hold the glass in place, applying coats to them was rather awkward.  And to our left are a few more of the frames and sashes laid out for drying underneath some of the Cyprus weatherboard/siding for the home.  Well, as they say down here in New Zealand (and apparently Charlie Sheen as well), 'we are winning' and going 'full-out'.  As we head towards the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, we savor the sights and events of the undertaking and (try to) recognize that without rain, such brilliant ribbons of spectral light wouldn't occur.  Here's to the quest!  

1 comment:

  1. I hope you are going to publish a book of your incredible artistry and efforts. You are an inspiration to all! Love, love, love...M

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