April 18 - Pouring the Stoops and Other Interesting Sights

The Big Blue Box Revisited -
I was impressed by the vain efforts to move the blue container where it will be out of the way of the landscapers. The tractor, the forklift and the tractor-forklift tandem struggled mightily and vainly to move the box. Friday I was at the building site and notice the doors on the blue box open. Peering inside, I could start to appreciate why the wheeled vehicles charged with making this beast move were thwarted. The box is full of stuff. Heavy stuff. While the in-floor heat tubing is of trivial weight, and the blue duct pieces add very little, the generator and the dirt compactor are somewhat heavier.

These trifling details pale by comparison to the front half of the box. Therein lumber is piled half way up to the top of the box. Seeing the contents makes it a little easier to understand the stubborn resistance of the box. Maybe we have to add the entire congregation tugging on a tow strap attached to the forklift which is chained to the tractor which is finally secured to the big blue box in order to make it move. Whatever it takes, it still needs to move.




The Lift is Repossessed - 
Steve Redman apparently needs to use the lift that he has so generously allowed us to use on the project. Accordingly, he showed up with a truck and trailer to cart it off. The lift is an amazing device and it has been an invaluable resource, used both outdoors on the roof and high on the walls as well as inside for the ceilings. Thank you, Steve, for making it available for use on the project.

Here Steve, well out on the end of the boom, drives the lift up on the trailer.


It seems like a good idea to secure it to the trailer with chains before trucking down the road. Here Steve uses a cheater bar to tighten the chains holding the lift in place.

Having now seen how chains and cables are used to combine motive power or keep heavy objects in place, I am once again puzzled by a sight on this construction project. I admit to novice status on construction and its associated machinery, but I cannot figure out the need for or the use of the electrical cable attached to this wheelbarrow. Maybe one day I will understand.



The Foam Block Cutter -
I came out Friday afternoon because I heard that concrete progress would be made on door stoops. It happened that the electricians were on site, so I had the opportunity to see the foam block cutter in action.

Pull the trigger, add a little heat to the metal wire and voila! A really-o. truly-o hot wire, foam cutting, channel making electrician's tool. It melts the foam but creates no smoke. And it leaves no burn marks in its wake. It does, however, leave a neat, clean channel in its wake. Clever fellows, those Americans (or whoever figured this out).


Exterior Doors -
Bob's trailer was packed with doors. Not the scavenge from a demolition site, used doors. But brand new still in the box doors.

 Even after Kevin and Bob carried the doors inside the church, they remained exterior doors. I think I heard Bob say, "Look, Ma, one hand behind my back."


I was not able to get there on Saturday, but I understand that some of the doors were installed. I will send along a photo or two after I get out there.














Friday's Main Event -
The really big thing on Friday was pouring more concrete. Outside stoops need to be poured before those exterior doors are installed.  The Chronicler was not the only observer on site to watch the first concrete of spring be poured. Pete showed up form next door with Eve and Lacey, riding in style on the high power lawn mower. Now maybe this is another vehicle to add to the chain for moving the blue box.

Some final dirt rearranging was required before the concrete truck arrived. Kevin demonstrated his multi-tasking skills, talking on the phone while holding the shovel upright.

The pad outside the front door was the first one poured. Dave guides the chute from the truck while Paul and Aare push the heavy mud around. Bill and Phil use the 2x4 as a screed before they trowel the surface smooth. 

 Aare and Bob get a good start on the second stoop.

Reinforcements soon arrive as Phil and Bill man the screed while Dave massages the heavy, gooey mud.

Phil takes multi-tasking to impressive new heights, with a trowel in his right hand, the screed in his left and the cell phone tucked up in his ear with his shoulder. Such coordination is rarely matched on the job site and perhaps only topped by the mother of a large family fixing dinner while minding the kids.

One More Big Thing -

Last Monday the well drillers showed up. They drilled down deep enough to strike water.

So now we have water available to feed the plumbing fixtures and a sewer system available to dispose of the waste. It hardly gets any better than this.