'retirement project'

 

ALL IN, ALL DONE !!

as the saying goes, my part of the project is finished.

Lincoln Coderre, of Domain Doors, hung the overhead door on

Will's carport on Thursday, and while he was doing that, i finished up a corner

workbench inside the shop that i started Wednsday, so, i am 'all done'  !!

It has been and interesting 6 month exercise.

 

From 1974 to the end of 1979 i worked as a carpenter for

Mark Breen Builders in the Manchester/Stratton area. during that time,

 i think at one point we counted up 30 plus houses that we worked

on in that time ... things were simpler then, for sure!

for instance, some houses take a little longer these days ...

we started doing some work on that one in late 2021 and i'm

not sure if it is completely finished yet!

 12.12.2024

 i tried the 'retirement thing' once before,

back in 2018 ...

but for many reasons back then it didn't 'stick',

and i spent the next 5 years working with and mentoring

our nephew Kristian Moore, who is now taking

on the new furniture projects that come our way ...

at this point, he can do anything i can do,

only he can do it better !

my 'executive function' has left the building, and,

i realize that at 77 it ain't coming back. 

so, what to do with all that free time since my 'last project'

 well, i guess you can't have too many buildings, and Will 

is taking up quite a lot of space in Sam's shop

with the mills and lathes for his banjo business.

to be located just outside of Sam's shop

so, here we go!

this one will likely be the last building at 

the 'west dorset industrial park'

below, the rafters will start to go up tomorrow!

nothing like three weeks of concrete and carpentry

to make you feel all of your 77 years ...

more process photos below

slab by ashley waite, of waite foundations ..

AKA 'hippie foundations' in 1974 ...

ashley poured the foundation for our first house

in arlington in 1974 ... it was great to work with him again.

red mountain road  arlington, 1974

this past tuesday 8.27 ... progress has been made ...

 

we had some professionals here from Scott Thompson Builders 

for 4 days the week of september 3rd, and they got us going pretty good

 

they got the ridge beam up, the rafters and the plywood and paper on the roof .. 

they also studded the gables and got the plywood on them ... thanks guys!

 

Luke and i trimmed the roof and we are ready for the slate, which should 

start to happen soon ... first day of rough wiring by brophy electric last Friday ... 

10/13  Update ... 2 months and 10 days since the dydo and company 

backhoe arrived, things are really happening now.   

the siding is complete most of the way around the building 

and we should be able to wrap it up on the next sunny day .

the beautiful purple slate is being installed by Dave and Zack Wilmott of

Battenkill Slate and is complete on the right side and on the carport,

and, as with the siding, the roof will likely be done the next sunny day too ...

the sheetrock has been hung by versatile drywall, and the taper 

will be here 'first thing Friday' ... 

seth of longboardlumber.com will be here  tomorrow

with some ribbon stripe mahogany for the the double doors

on the front.

then, some paint on the walls and floor, the big doors on the front, 

and we'll be ready for the lights and Will's machines!

more soon!

 

november 1st ... three months to the day since 

Dydo and company showed up with the backhoe ...

the slate is all on now ... 

Dave finished it up last saturday ...

 

the attic stairway went in yesterday

and the doors are hung with temporary plywood panels ...

i have to detail the sapele panels and make 64 moldings 

to fix them in place ... we hope to move

 the machines in next week!

the heat is on thanks to GSK Climate Control

 

11.15. 2024 ... OKAY!  the machines were moved yesterday 

and they are in their rough locations now ... thanks to

Sparky from Dydo & Co. for his help moving some

 heavy and sometimes awkward stuff!

 

the super accurate hardinge lathe

the spinning lather and horizontal mill

the leblond in the corner

and Sam has his shop back!

with LOTS more space!

and the new brazing station is almost set to go

a 360 degree video view here

12.12 ... the big sapele doors are done, and all

of Will's machines are wired up and ready to run

for me about all that is left to wrap this up is

a nice overhead door for the car port.

we are meeting with the overhead door guy tomorrow.

i am hoping to do something on the left there 

in keeping with the big doors  ... i need to order 

some sapele marine plywood to match.

 

four buildings plus a sawdust shed .. that should about do it !

home stretch on the overhead door, the last piece of the puzzle

the glass is in and the finish is on!

there is a hardware part that is back ordered and 

will not be here until early February.

we're ready to go!

the beautiful music all around us .. stephen wade stops by ....

we had a great event in manchester last wednesday evening.  the verrmont council of the humanities 'first wednesdays' program featured stephen wade, a grammy winning banjo player and music historian.  he is a stunning performer and great story teller.  he spent an hour or so describing his travels through the south, meeting and playing with the old time musicians in the 60s and 70s interspersing the story with song on about 7 or 8 historic banjos from his collection.  naturally, at the end of the show, will needed to buy his book, 'the beautiful music all around us ... field recordings and the american experience'.  more about that book at this link.  while doing that, he struck up a conversation with stephen and his friend sandy, a banjo collector.  next day, wouldn't you know, they showed up at the shop for a visit and to test out a few of will's banjos.  great music, great banjos, and a great time was had by all ...

sandy, with a new one, hot off the press

 

and will plays a tune for stephen ..

see more photos of will's banjos and their construction on his seeders instruments instagram feed.

wood and metal furniture and summer in vermont

 not much blogging this month  .. it is summertime in vermont and there are lots and lots of 

distractions.  you've got your birthdays early in the month ... dan, sam, and will .. wow! 68 for me this year.  at my birthday dinner, i had a distinct and extremely lucky 'pop the champagne cork event'.  we were outside, and when i popped it. the cork went straight up about 8 feet and came, seriously, right back down into my outstretched hand .. didn't even have to move to catch it ... for other distractions you've got your golf, your tennis, your horseshoes and general beer drinking, your convertible rides, your live music here and there .... summer's short in vermont, so we try to make the most of it .. we have been working though .. below are some highlights ... 

click the photos to see them better ...

 here's the rundown

 

a reclaimed oak bethlehem steel coffee table .. left tuesday ..

ditto on the cherry and steel huntboard

leaving next week

and a couple of crotch walnut bedside tables coming along ...

a small claro walnut and steel coffee table out the door ..

some new belt buckles by sam

chalkin' up the states .. sam's just finished new jersey, michigan, virginia,and new york above,

and now the south carolina palmetto thing ...

and will has updated his website with his five latest banjo projects ... lots and lots happening in his shop.

check it out on his website or instagram feed

a steel base for a 3m acrylic table top .. can't wait to see that when it's finished

with the polish and clear coat

and a couple of steel and white oak nesting tables .. after

before

and a 'sap spout maple' bethlehem steel console

cool wood ...

parts and pieces

a couple of add on railings to get folks down the steps in north bennington ... 

 

and we have a nibbler for a conference table using the crotch mahogany 

slab we are trying to find a home for .. so we made a model ..

it'll be sharp .. hope it goes through ...

steel base in 3 x 3 square tubing and angle iron

finished the bar ... see the previous post ..

 and there's a cool project coming up involving a python snake skin ... a new one for us ..

and we've got a 10' walnut table going with self storing leaves..

should be ready for the finish process early next week

and we cut about 70 mdf stair balusters on the cnc for an architect friend who's building a house in florida

  and then you have your yard and garden ... crazy apples above ..

 the garlic is in .. bumper crop ...

and we're about to be buried by everything else that kit grows ...

the employees will be lockin their car doors once it all starts coming in ..

                                                   all for now .. i'm sure that's enough