31 July 2019
Put the second (and final) coat of paint on the
barn’s exterior trim. Other than
installing two outdoor spotlights high on the east wall and having Tammy Walsh
build some gravestone steps for the people door, the barn is officially
done. (Hold that thought!) Chree headed to Maine to visit her parents
while I hooked up the trailer and schlepped up to Lowe’s in South
Burlington. Among many other items,
procured the two spotlights for the barn.
Also bought a ton (literally) of Black Jack Drive-Max 1000™ driveway
sealer (40 buckets @ 52 pounds apiece), hence the trailer. The cash register clerk neglected to charge
me for 39 of those buckets, which, fortunately, I caught before leaving the
store. Now I may not be too good at
mental math, but when the bill is $1,000 less than expected, even I can tell
something ain’t right! Started to
thunderstorm just as I left South Burlington and was threatening the same upon
arrival Fern Lake. So, in a rush, tried
to back the trailer into the barn before first removing the Kubota. Let’s just say that the trailer now needs a
new sidelight, the south-side overhead door trim is all torn to hell (and back
again)… and I got wet anyway.
30 July 2019
Steve came over at 2:30 and we took apart the
house front steps, which had pretty much fallen apart from settling due to not
having a solid base established when they were built back in mid-August
2016. Good thing Steve is strong, ‘cause
them gravestones ain’t getting any lighter as they age. Took us 45 minutes (in 90°+ heat!). Only 6 of the 18 stones that had been “permanently”
glued together with PL300 construction adhesive were, if fact, still glued
together… and a little “persuasion” from a cold chisel and my big pry bar soon
rectified their reluctance to separate.
29 July 2019
Steve Ingram here at 10. In a couple of hours, we put up the 1x4 Koma®
trim at the top of each wall. After
Steve left, moved the staging around the barn one more time, lightly sanding
the newly installed trim and the vertical corners, then caulking the seam
between the trim and the soffit. The
lake sure did feel good when that work was done.
27 July 2019
Out early to remove the temporary (since last November)
covering over the cupola base (the hole and associated structure at the top of
the barn roof where the cupola is to rest).
Also swept copious slippery pine needles off the metal roof. At 9, Mike & Pikey Many, Steve Ingram and
his good friend Hank Prensky, and Jordan Ahnquist (Kate’s boyfriend) all
arrived. In very short order we hoisted
the cupola (using the Kubota’s forklift) to the top of the staging, and then lifted
and slid it (manually) from there to the top of the barn. Easily done with enough beef! The cupola fit over the base absolutely
perfectly… almost like it had been designed that way! Even better, only two of the eight tie-down
bolts needed any “encouragement” to slide into position. Once the staging was down and everyone else
was gone, I installed the flying pig weather vane on the cupola peak. Then, at exactly 12:58:48 pm, when the sun’s
azimuth was 180° true (i.e., due
south), I aligned and locked into position the weather vane’s directional
indicators. In the afternoon, with some
help from Chree, I cut 45° bevels in the ends
of the 1x4 Koma® trim that will be installed on Monday… the
penultimate step to finishing the barn. Marty, Merry, their daughter Heather,
her daughter Gabby, Kate, and Jordan came up for drinks and shrimp on the barbie…
plus some chicken wings, and dogs, and…
Don’t think anyone wanted dinner after those “appetizers”.
26 July 2019
Put a coat of Behr Premium Ultra®
Pure White paint on the barn corner vertical trim and the 1x4 Koma®
trim. Put a section of aluminum ladder
on the south side of the barn roof to allow safe walking access to the peak
from the roof edge, and also serve as a “track” to slide the cupola up. Late afternoon, went over to Mike Many’s to
help load up his truck with staging, then the two of us erected the same on the
south side of the barn (where there is the least distance from the ground to
the roof edge). Proved that the Kubota’s
forks raise high enough to reach the top of the staging.
25 July 2019
The barn concrete floor being completely dry
(finally), got the seven pieces of 1x4 Koma® trim that I’ve been
storing since last summer ready for painting.
Much easier to put a first coat on those pieces with them laying flat on
saw horses than once installed at the top of the exterior walls. Calculated that I won’t need one of the 18
foot pieces of Koma. Riiiight!!!! Maybe I shouldn’t be in a rush to return that
piece to Goodro’s for credit… After putting
the trailer and snow blower back inside the barn, moved the cupola into the
barn as well so that I could put on the final top piece (a small piece of lead
that had to be trimmed to fit) and the base for the flying pig weather vane.
24 July 2019
While waiting for the concrete floor sealer to
dry, sanded the four exterior Koma® corners preparatory to painting
them later this week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)