As difficult as it might be to believe, a previous post contained a factual error. The red sided boards being used in the firewall construction are not fire resistant. There is fire resistant plywood on site, that is red, and will be used as sheeting over the top of the firewall and eight feet to either side of it. The chronicler confused a comment about the red plywood with the red banded manufactured wood boards regarding being fire resistant.
So, it turns out the firewall is stuffed with combustible material. The fire resistance relies on the plywood decking on the top, the concrete floor and blocks below, the double layers of Sheetrock on both sides, and, not to put too much pressure on Dave, a layer of intumescent paint.
The doors and windows must be installed and they also will hold a fire at bay, but at the moment I am not sure how that works. Like a former workmate and metaphor mixer used to say, we will burn that bridge when we come to it.
Building the Wall -
Constructing a custom wall is a painstaking process. Each stud must be carefully measured for its location with no two studs the same length. Since the top plate is sloping up into the sky, the top of each stud must be cut on an angle. With the studs being so long, it takes three people, a lift and a laser level in addition to the tape measure to figure the correct length. Here we see Bob at the bottom, and ...
Loren in the lift, getting the measurement for the first one.
Ami uses a circular saw to sculpt the top end of the stud. Like works of art, each stud is unique, sculpted to the proper measurement and top angle to fit its spot.
On the left is a completed stud top sculpture.
The first stud, fastened with screws at the top and bottom, the stud is securely settled in its new home. We will pass on a house warming party since we dare not get the stud too warm.
Each stud in succession then must have its spot measured for length. Ami holds the tape at the bottom while Loren and Bob maneuver above, locating the correct spot for the stud using the laser. We see the laser on the bottom plate in front of the tape and, in the picture below, the spot on the upper plate where the stud must be placed. The whole process looks a bit tedious but its gotta be done.
I asked Bob a question about some detail on the firewall and he responded with this picture. I include it without further explanation since it came with none. Now you, too, can frame a firewall.
More and Brighter Lights -
Phil brought the other lift inside, making the building resemble an industrial parking ramp.
He used both of them to string up more lights inside.
The new lights were powered from the same generator that powered Bob's saw. The poor little generator was not up to handling all the demand. The saw motor starting caused the lights to dim unevenly. It also caused Loren to fade out of the picture.
The new lighting did make for a pretty picture as the darkness descended on the building site.
One More Interesting Sight -
There is a room being built above the restrooms that will house some furnaces. Dave and Ed (legs shown dangling from above) are adding some needed framing members. Dave is using a lever, and a good deal of muscle, to force the long 2x4 upwards to raise the horizontal member that Ed will then secure with nails when properly placed. Hercules meets Archimedes.
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