FMO Platform

I've gone on a bit about the FMO and the work I've done on it.

Here's a whacky innovation to solve some space issues. I've built a sort of levitating platform that I can raise and lower by ropes and pulleys.

It's meant as a storage platform for either people or supplies. By having it on a pulley, I can raise it up to the rafter ties (as it is in the photo), or even down a few feet, and still walk under the clear space below. It can be lowered to within a foot of the the floor and secured for seating. Though I think two people sitting on it is the weight limit. Should post a sign somewhere....

Haven't worked out all the pulley system stuff yet and may try another system when I install one on the other side.

There's also another rope and pulley shown in the photo for raising and lowering the ladder/stair ('lair') to access attic storage.

Deerwood FMO Status

I've gone about as far I'm going to on FMO construction this year.

The exterior siding will wait until...some point in the future.

Now it's time to clean up and organize every little thing inside the place.

I'll make full use of my dry storage container. That is, once I've dried it out from the flood.

Using a chainsaw tool to stir peanut butter. Yum.

The Roar

I stood on the steps of Deerwood's FMO last night and looked up at the sky.

It was full of stars. A velvet blanket with a billion suns.

Then I let in the faint sound of vehicles speeding north and south along the 400 highway. It's so strange to be surrounded by the wild and yet hear the low roar of civilization so near. Living in the city, the roar always in the background. My mind can filter out the noise, and only notice it by trying. It's an inescapable hell of sorts. But in the city it's like living inside a machine.

Though, I must admit, there's a part of me which is reassured by the sound. It's also a comfort to go deeper into the woods and listen as the roar dies away.

Who Are You?

Yesterday I had a nice philosophical conversation - part of which had me saying, "I'm a cloud".

So it was interesting last night to entertain notions of interior design of the FMO as I began construction of a ladder/stair ('lair'). This combined with drop down shelves reminded me of a mighty, morphin' performance space for Greek dramas and Mozart's Don Giovanni in particular. The wood stove (newly lit) represented the fires of hell below the descending lair from the gods above.

I said to myself, "I am, I am...".

All in the interest of space. I'm reminded of C.G. Jung's thirty year build of his home on the shores of Lake Geneva as the subconscious revelation of self and wonder what other embedded messages are formed within my architecture.

O, the satisfaction of design/build!

'B I L L P O C O C K'

My postings are slowing a bit at MOSSONWOOD because I've begun an additional blog to capture my creative activities which I've simply called 'BILLPOCOCK'. Click and see me some time.

Meanwhile, I've got the day off my day job due to thunderstorms and high winds (bad for seafaring). I plan to make a start of screwing the 1/2" plywood to the interior of FMO at Deerwood.

Some drawings to guide my cutting around the attic windows. As I need to cut these somewhat straight, I'm going to do that in Ma Pocock's garage, then transport them to the FMO. I don't think hand sawn would give me the design effect I'm looking for....

More Insulation!

I've spent the last few days finishing off the nailing lumber on the interior of Deerwood's FMO and installing insulation. There's only a half bundle needed to finish it. I could toss in some surplus pink fibreglass insulation, but I like the Johns Manville while non-embalming fume stuff better. Time to go back to Rona.

Not the easiest thing in the world getting up and down into the upper section of the FMO without a ladder. Sort of twisted my ankle all over again coming down the last time. Better strap the high boots tighter for a while.

Wet In The Wild

After a big downpour I whistled my way out to the office to find the big tarp I'd placed over the half unroofed FMO had blown over the roofed side.

Inside the plywood floor was covered in a pool of water and some other stuff - mostly wood cutoffs. So, I spent this evening mopping up with a couple pair of torn jeans. I also managed to assemble some of the stove pipe and heat shield along with figuring out how the new safety harness works.

At least I think I know how it works. I ain't the instruction readin' kindo guy. Pretty straight forward. Looks like there's even a beer holder on it and everything.

What could go wrong?

Half and Half

I've shaked up one side of the office in the woods with the more difficult side yet to be done.

Due to a change in the weather toward rain, I've tossed up a make shift tarp to stop most of the rain coming into the structure.

For the last few days I've built a chimney support structure and somewhat assembled the chimney. And let me tell you that hoisting a six foot long stainless steel chimney pipe into a support socket when one foot on a 1x4 piece of wood strapping is the only thing between me and solid granite 20 feet below, a new form of sweat is discovered.

Sister Sue is bringing up another 4 bundles of cedar shakes and 5 lbs of nails.

Gonna buy that roof harness with my next paycheque. Falling is just a matter of time.

Shake Up

I decided to go ahead and take the tarp off the FMO around noon yesterday. Algae was beginning to form in some water pools.
It's time to put some cedar shakes up on that roof there.
And it only rained about four or five times. But it was a light
rain. Today's supposed to be better.

Managed to do five rows before daylight and the damn mosquitoes called me quits.

Was about to start the sixth and realized I was putting the tar paper
in wrong. With these things, I'm supposed to slide a half sheet of
tar paper over the top half of every row. I was just laying them in
behind them. Must've been the beer.... Am I gonna take the old ones
off and start over. NO WAY. But at least I'm improving. besides, these hand spilt shakes haven't been drawknife dressed and sit quite a bit up from the shake they've been nailed to below it. Believe me, there's plenty of room for them to dry out between rains.

Five rows is about all I can do from standing inside of the structure. Why from the inside? Well, as it's almost an 18/12 pitch roof, it's too steep to stand on, and either side of the forest office is a steep rock drop off that makes ladder or scaffolding work very difficult. Now
I've gotta nail a 2x4 about 1/3 the way up the other rafter side and
stand on it and lean over the ridge to work. This will take slow
going as I have to hand pick each shake to fit into the next spot.
And I thought crouching down under the low rafters was bad before.
Gonna have to come up with some kinda efficient system or it'll take
me weeks and rain is on the way. I think I may have an idea....

I've tried standing on that 2x4 to test it and it isn't the safest
thing I've ever done. I was actually pricing roofing safety harnesses
today. Comes out to $300. Too much for now. One day, unless I'm
dead by then.

Sorry to say that there won't be photos for some time as both my cameras have died from
impacts. And all my money is going into building materials right now.

Oh, and I'm going for the rustic, uneven rows look. I'd forgotten my chalk line at my day-job construction site, so bought a new one. Was going to shift the shakes up and down a bit along the new row chalk line. Then it dawned on me that instead of trying to mimic a no-chalk-line look with a chalk line, just don't use a chalk line.

It takes me a while sometimes.

Shake Down

Mooning over the cedar shake packing labels last night I discovered something I didn't want to see.

The label says I need 5 - not 4 - bundles to cover 100 square feet. In the roofing world, 100 square feet is referred to as a 'square'. Both owners of Pacific Cedar in Hamilton told me it was only 4 bundles per square.

So, I went all the way to Hamilton and back - because I thought I was getting a deal - and now I'm five bundles short. Maybe I can get some more bundles in Parry Sound....

Rookie mistake. Read the label. Buyer beware. Trust no one.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

Blah...blah...blah....

Cedar Shakes!

Yesterday I did the long haul down to Hamilton and picked up the cedar shakes for the FMO roof.

I really did make an effort to use some local pine to make shakes of my own, but decided on cedar instead because...

• Pine shakes need to be treated with preservative to have a fighting chance against sun damage. As I want to test a rainwater storage system on the office roof, I don't want wood preservatives added to possible drinking water.
• The pine trunks I tried to split either didn't split straight, or were to knotty and wouldn't split at all.
• I couldn't skid the large pine logs to an area where I could work on them.
• A shingle froe would cost me $100 used probably once. I'd also have to purchase a draw knife and build a special work bench.
  
• The FMO tarp is leaking from the near constant rain now and I want to close the roof ASAP. Spliting pine shakes for roofing takes a loooooong time.
• Buying cedar shakes is EASIER!!!!!

So, while the rain comes down, I'll pre-nail the shakes inside the leaky office in preparation for the hand nailing...when it stops raining.

Wood Stove Blues

Guess I shouldn't wait too long between blog posts when reporting that Deerwood is practically crawling with bears.... It is amazing how quickly I've accepted that 'crawling with bears' thing and am willing to walk through the forest at night without a flashlight.

Even yodelling or whistling is often too much of a chore now as I embrace my ultimate fate of going mono e mono with a bear. Having a loud whistle and sharp sword strapped to my back is a comfort, though. My only hope is that I'll be able to blog the tale and thus secure my glory!

Anyhoo, my current struggles are with Deerwood forest management office (FMO) wood stove installation. After half-carrying my Drolet Compak stove to the FMO, I laid out some flat granite on a sand bed and mortared them together a few days ago. This stone pad for the stove stand on. Then it was off to Home Hardware to drop another wad of cash for the chimney parts. See the diagram below for the installation diagram...

Installing a cathedral ceiling wood stove chimney.
Not as fun as it looks.

Complying with the building code requirements is a juggling act as I try to keep the internal stove pipe away from combustible surfaces. At one mad moment last night I considered covering the entire north wall with 29 guage galvanized sheet metal. The challenges of actually cutting the metal to size and mounting it pulled me back from the edge, though.

As much as I'd like to get the chimney install done and over with, I realize that the tarp over the roof must go. If that's the case, I need to strap the roof with purlins and nail up the cedar shakes just before the chimney inspection in order to reduce the amount of time that the roof is open to the rainy elements. Submit building permit for wood stove, almost finish roof, assemble and install the chimney, get inspected, finish roof. Oh, and because the roof is a steep 18/12 pitch, I have to make my own chimney flashing from sheet metal stock so the roof doesn't leak. Now I'm researching MIG sheet metal welding techniques....

So, next step is getting the cedar shakes up from north Hamilton (Pacific Cedar) on ma's next run down south. That means the FMO will be choked with chimney parts all over the place for the next few months. Hope the holey FMO roof tarp doesn't drip too much between now and then.

All I Need Is A Fire Extingwisher...

Went into Home Hardware today to order the Forest Management Office's (FMO's) wood stove for cold weather heating. I always wanted to install a wood stove and chimney.

What could go wrong?

It's the smallest fire code box I could find - heats 400 to 1200 square feet. But the office is only 108 square feet. Do I really need insulation?

So, Ma Pocock fairly demanded that a big fire extinguisher would be nearby just in case. So, now the office has got the big red can at the ready. Just in case.

Shed Light

I busted my kerosene hurricane lamp trying to fit in a new wick. Cheap metal crap. To be fair, my first response to most challenges is to smash. Now I've got ten gallons of fire excellerant to play with.

So, now I'm onto the cheap plastic crap with a solar powered LED shed light. It's charging in the sun as I type.

Gotta have something to read by in the Office when the sun goes down!

FMO Windows Installed...Sorta!

It was another dawn to dusk day. The main construction of the forest management office (FMO) is nearly complete.

I started with a supply run for final building materials and ended by installing the three windows and firming up the blue roof tarp. The window placement and tarp are only temporary and will be adjusted (windows) or removed (tarp) in the autumn when permanent boarding and pine shakes are installed. I'll rough it until then once the door is installed tomorrow.

I'm getting a little bored with posting these construction photos. This will be the last lot of FMO photos for a while. Time to look for a paying gig.

Installed the bottom ridge board with some love taps from Baby Sledge.


Sledge hammering made for many water breaks.


The gable end plywood and sliding window is installed.


A parting photo of the exterior. And I promise to fix the loose tarp.

FMO Top

The forest management office (FMO) at Deerwood got its roof structure mostly up today. It's the first time I've build a rafter style gable roof - usually a truss guy. Thanks to David baby's advice, I went ahead and did it. There's a special nervous sweat the gods reserve for nailing the end rafters on with solid granite below.

First the ceiling joists, then the roof's ridge board is set.

Then the small matter of sawing 36 cuts for the rafter boards...

...and not cutting my fingers off.

Then it's time to put the rafters up
(notice the temporary diagonal braces).

Looking down the ridge board where the rafters meet.

Think I'll add another ridge board under the first one later.

At last, a tarp wrapper on top.

Sheeting Death

Back to work on the Forest Management Office (FMO) at the Deerwood Estate yesterday. The blackflies started to bite around 7 pm and I finished the day at 8:30 pm.

With the fourth wall up in the morning, I went on to nail all of the plywood sheeting on. It was a bit of a challenge to put the top row of plywood on and figured out a way to do it from the inside of the structure.

That meant screwing a 2x6 board (jack) on the outside wall where the bottom of the plywood would be nailed to the wall studs. After pre-nailing the plywood, I'd hoist the sheet up and over the inside wall, while climbing the ladder.

A pre-nailed plywood sheet before it's set on the outside wall.

The final up-and-over moment was a little death defying as the weight of the ply pulled me up the final ladder step and white knuckled the sheet down the outside wall to rest on the 2x6 jack - if I was lucky. Holding onto the sheet as it levered over the top meant some anxious moments.

They say there's no plywood hoisting atheists. And Jesus was a carpenter!

All of this may not seem like much to accomplish in a day, but it's all hand nailed (every six inches) and hand sawn. So...phhhttttt!

Now it's time to start the roof.

Stick Buildin'

Today was another sun-up to sun-down work day on the office.

It was good to insulate and seal the floor deck with plywood. I was able to toss up three of the four walls today.

Just too tired to think of anything else to write. Oh, the mosquitoes are emerging from the woodland pools. They fly around a bit in the evening and land on my arm, but aren't sure what to do yet.

Redneck Deck

Without the sunblock, today's sun and 24 Celsius was nice until the 40 km/h gusts of wind.

The day was spent securing the post and beam under structure of the forest management office. I still need to put braces in to firm it up.

Then I constructed the office floor from 2x8s. Had to cut all fifteen of them with the handsaw. Cutting 2x board is a lot easier than 6x post.

But all day was spent hammering every nail. This increases the labour hours 3x. Think I'll try to use the cordless drill to pre-drill and drive in the lag bolts for the post and beam....

I've decided to turn the underside of the office into my screened-in wildlife blind (eventually). Lying or sitting on the rock under the office provides shade and a nice mossy rock to 360 survey the surrounding area. In winter it could serve as a covered firewood shed if I installed a small wood stove for cold weather work.

Time to saw.


I actually get a little sleep, sawing wood.


Marking nailing lines under the office.


The deck is nailed up. Later I covered it in plastic sheeting
as there's rain in the forecast.

Barfing Materials

Sometimes I make abstract photo art.

After a long, hard, wet day I'm just gonna blammo ya some highlights.

• Digital camera monitor smashed. Cool new abstract monitor image. Shooting blind.
• Building materials delivered to site.
• Corduroy trail is a mud pit.
• 6x6 office piers cut to level height.
• One pier includes three small posts stack. Will connect with hurricane straps as a reference to the metal in my leg.
• Had a nice visit from Lynn and Bob to the office site. Good to see mom's friends come by to visit. They've helped mom cut wood for her winter fuelwood needs in the past.
• Realized the office is not a building, but really a housesled. Y'know, like a houseboat, only it slides on snow runners formerly known as beams. It could also be a houseboat as it would float. And with the entry ladder, it'll be ready for when the icecaps melt. Oh, and has creative playground and one room chapel elements too. You'll see.
  

I passed along a weblink to Bob and Lynn in the hope that they're interested in the new forestry ideas I'm applying at Deerwood. The 'Ontario Tree Marking Guide' serves as the basic policy document of the forest management system I've begun so far. It's the Ministry of Natural Resourses' (MNR) brain dump of all the best sustainable forestry practices and a real 279 page turner. The MNR and local non-profit organizations like Westwind Forest Stewardship are truly at the cutting edge of New Forestry and I'm grateful that we all have access to this world class knowledge resource.

It was hardcore loadin' with an eight plywood sheet delivery.

Then onto the lumber hauls. The Foreman rocks but don't roll.

And the building materials are delivered!

The first sawcut. After a bad start, I slowly
remembered how to saw.

My humiliation makes me want to improve my craftsmanship.

One set of piers are cut...

...and the other is fitted in twilight. Hurrah!