Return from Paradise
I have returned from the wilds of southern Missouri, the land named by the French Aux Arcs because they encountered Indians with large bows, and I now understand just why those natives preferred hunting to carpentry and roofing; it`s definitely easier than construction work!
I arrived late Saturday, and had to attend to the usual chores-cooking, washing my oil lamps, etc. and ended up getting to bed after 2 a.m., so I did not get an early start. I wasn`t hungry so just nibbled as I worked; something I would regret at the end of the day when my biological gas tank went empty. Once I got cracking, I found that the actual work wasn`t difficult, merely laborious. First I removed the tarps which had been sheltering the shack, then covered it with tarpaper which I laid over the rafters vertically, then came the steel sheets. All day it was up the ladder, down the ladder, move the ladder, up the ladder, down! Also, my cabin isn`t exactly square, and the ridge didn`t match up very well.
I got about half the metal sheets up when I had to quit. My legs were jelly and the hour was late and I had to deal with the openings on the sides of the ``palace`` which had formerly been protected by the tarps. I fear that the unroofed sections may leak badly as I lapped the tarpaper over vertically and water will probably enter through the side joints, but I didn`t have the time nor the energy to worry about it. I`m probably not going to make it down there for at least two weeks to finish the job, so I`m praying for no rain! Also, putting the ridgecap on scares me to no end, but without it I do not have a roof. My next visit will probably be harder than the last.
I hope it will be worth it; I noticed numerous nails had worked themselves back out of the basic structure of the cabin, and I had to devote at least a half hour to pounding them back in. I fear that I will finally get the structure just the way I want it and it`ll collapse! Just my luck...
At any rate, I may have my cabin completely finished by my 80th birthday and then they won`t let me stay in it. I notice that each year it`s just a little bit harder to get moving than the last, and I fear complete immobility is not such a preposterous condition to my mind as it used to appear. (It felt like I had been struck by near total immobility when I tried to get out of bed this morning.) I hate to admit it, but time does catch up with us all.
I just hope it doesn`t catch me before I get this blasted shack finished!
I arrived late Saturday, and had to attend to the usual chores-cooking, washing my oil lamps, etc. and ended up getting to bed after 2 a.m., so I did not get an early start. I wasn`t hungry so just nibbled as I worked; something I would regret at the end of the day when my biological gas tank went empty. Once I got cracking, I found that the actual work wasn`t difficult, merely laborious. First I removed the tarps which had been sheltering the shack, then covered it with tarpaper which I laid over the rafters vertically, then came the steel sheets. All day it was up the ladder, down the ladder, move the ladder, up the ladder, down! Also, my cabin isn`t exactly square, and the ridge didn`t match up very well.
I got about half the metal sheets up when I had to quit. My legs were jelly and the hour was late and I had to deal with the openings on the sides of the ``palace`` which had formerly been protected by the tarps. I fear that the unroofed sections may leak badly as I lapped the tarpaper over vertically and water will probably enter through the side joints, but I didn`t have the time nor the energy to worry about it. I`m probably not going to make it down there for at least two weeks to finish the job, so I`m praying for no rain! Also, putting the ridgecap on scares me to no end, but without it I do not have a roof. My next visit will probably be harder than the last.
I hope it will be worth it; I noticed numerous nails had worked themselves back out of the basic structure of the cabin, and I had to devote at least a half hour to pounding them back in. I fear that I will finally get the structure just the way I want it and it`ll collapse! Just my luck...
At any rate, I may have my cabin completely finished by my 80th birthday and then they won`t let me stay in it. I notice that each year it`s just a little bit harder to get moving than the last, and I fear complete immobility is not such a preposterous condition to my mind as it used to appear. (It felt like I had been struck by near total immobility when I tried to get out of bed this morning.) I hate to admit it, but time does catch up with us all.
I just hope it doesn`t catch me before I get this blasted shack finished!
posted by Timothy Birdnow | 6:19 AM
4 Comments:
It sounds like you could use some help on your shack. I was lucky in that my swimming pool pumphouse only needed two four by eight sheets of plywood to complete the roof with only three two by six rafters needed between the two two by eights running the length of the top frame. I used special star headed screws you can find at Lowes instead of nails to do the framing work. I discovered them when replacing nails in the old wooden gates. They do not come out like nails will. My eighteen volt DeWalt makes quick work of placing them.
Hi Al! It`s good to hear from you!
I`ve built the entire goofy structure by myself, and let me tell you, it`s tough to put up roofing rafters and the like by yourself! I`ll be dragging for the next week. Not having power to run saws or drills is also a bear; I`d give my kidney to be able to use your DeWalt. I have to hammer nails back in periodically on my walls and floor as well.
It sounds like your pool pumphouse came out a lot better than my poor shack!
It sure is tough doing it by yourself. I would hammer and nail things up. Then I would drill a starter hole or two to line things up and use the star screws to set things in place. They make entire battery operated tool kits thses days powered by that eighteen volt battery pack. It only takes fifteen minutes to recharge and when the batteries are new they last long enough that it is time for a break by the time you need a recharge anyway. The pumphouse did turn out nice and water resistant. The only way water gets in is if the wind is blowing so hard it comes in sideways through the vents I designed into the structure.
Thanks for the tips, Al!
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