3rd Level Walls: Too Heavy, Too High

Added a 4' x 12'-hi wall. The challenge then was to get that 5" x 12" x 8' beam atop it.

I considered all the options, then just manhandled it up the 12' ladder alone. I'd placed the ladder at an unusually shallow angle, the better to fit in the framing; but on reaching the top, cradling the unbalanced monster member, i realized that the last essential heave (to place it atop the wall) would all-too-likely cause the ladder base to slide laterally on the sawdusty-slick plywood floor, releasing beam & i to freefall. Pure-luck-ily, i'd earlier tied a safety line from the central post, when i'd raised the wall, to prevent the wall from toppling over; now i looped that line around a precarious corner of the beam, teetered the other end to a brace, and retreated down to re-consider things, out of the fall-line. (i safety-blocked the ladder, cinched another line around the beam, scabbed a 2x4 shelf-block up high to give me some leverage, then remounted the ladder and gave the beam that last, successful, heave.)

3rd Level Walls: Minor Details

Spent a couple days in town, icing a swoll-up left knee. Back to site, i add the missing last-3-feet to the tall south wall.

3rd Level: Deck Floor

3rd Floor: Another Wall, Another Sunset

Level 3, Wall #4

Windowed & stained, but out of caulk! To town!

Level 3, Another (Short) Wall

This 3' wall is at the head of the stairs. The unstained center will be door to a firewood dumbwaiter. Framing for the next wall is on the floor.

3rd Level, 1st Beam

This beam will support the 3' roof overhang.

Level 3, Raising Wall#2

And it's up...

3rd Level, Wall#2, Windowed, Stained, But Not Up

This wall actually's not as wide as it needs to be, cuz the center post's in the way. Will add the rest some other day.

3rd Level, 2nd Wall

I build 'em complete on the floor, then will lift to position, because i'm so hi up.

'New' Truck

Almost out of (non-retirement) $$, i bot an old-but-very-heavy-duty truck, cheap, hoping maybe the Forest Service will hire me to haul stuff on fires. We'll see. Meanwhile, i added wooden racks to it, the better to enclose cases of MREs and toilet paper, used paper sleeping bags, & filthy fire hose.

3rd Level: First Wall

Lazy this week, due to heat (~100 degrees, no shade out there on the floor) and confusion: The upper wall tops will be complicated; to match the roof pitch, all studs different lengths, and odd-sized beams jut inconveniently. So i did a lot of calculating. Plus, re: my build-walls-on-the-deck/then-raise-'em methodology, i forgot that the big central post will be in the way. So i did a lot of re-planning.


I just realized how shabby this looks! But someday all the green house-wrap will be covered by wide trim.

Can't get enuf of the pass...

A Weaverville 4th

Weaverville, a historic Gold Rush-era town, population 3500, is a great place to spend the 4th of July.

Flying the Generator

Running up & down ladders is such a waste of time, so i hoisted it up to the new work level.

3rd Level Floor: All But Complete

Except for a couple narrow sections plus the deck, the OSB's all laid.

3rd Level Floor: Deck Framing Complete

Placing the posts was quite a trick. For each, I had to balance it vertically, climb the ladder, then let it fall into place horizontally. Likewise, i wish someone had been there to photograph me hanging out on the joists, placing the 2x8s out on the ends.