September 16 - Final Grading

Heavy Equipment Returns -
Size large gear returned to the site today to do the final grading on the parking lot, preparatory to asphalt installation. Machines ranging in size from a road grader and a large compacting roller to hand shovels with intermediate stops at a skid loader and hand operated vibrating compactor, were all on hand to smooth out the surface. Rumor has it that the parking lot will be paved next Tuesday.

Pew Refinishing Continues -
Ed and family are becoming quite proficient at removing old varnish. But, alas the end of this phase of the job is nearing an end. If my reckoning is correct, by the end of the day no more pieces remain to be stripped of varnish.

 When I departed the scene, sanding was still continuing. It is possible that all the sanding was finished today. Aare and Ami kept the sanders busy throughout the day, stopping only occasionally to empty the accumulated dust.

Inside the building, away from the dust, Phil and Aaron added color to the wood, so recently divested of its old covering. With the old finish removed and the new one coming on, it cannot be long until they are reassembled, can it?














Trimming Windows - 
A new worker was on hand today. A Finnish, finishing carpenter and employee of Niemela construction, came to install window trim. Being originally from Finland he goes by the very Finnish sounding name 'Artu'. His tool box, however, offers a different spelling of the name, R2. No matter, the spelling, the trim work was excellent.

The side and bottom pieces are joined using pocket screws. R2 is drilling holes using the machine especially built for this use. 

The result of his efforts.

This piece is then attached to the two vertical casing pieces with screws.

 Bob and R2 assemble frames.

Two hands and one foot are required to position the frame on the window.

A granite window sill is dropped in before the frame is installed.

Sam shows off the result of all this effort. I asked if the window was now complete. Not quite. Trim pieces like Sam is holding will be added to cover the light lumber showing in the picture.

In the end, a beautiful window.

Bob trimmed and then shimmed the bottom piece of the frame. When I inquired why, he quickly responded "Juice and coffee." Being in the dining area, any liquid spill will not be left under the wood to soak in. With a small air gap the liquid will be allowed to evaporate without damaging the wood. Clever fellows, those carpenters.













A New Thing Out Back -

It seems that some concrete culvert pipe was available from a place a mile or so down the road. Available for free. There is something about FREE that makes it highly desirable. Well, it showed up out behind the church.
It seems a congregation member had seen such an arrangement on a playground and passed on the idea to the landscape folks.

Sam uses the mobile forklift to jockey the first section into place.

With Daniel on the front end loader and Sam in the forklift, these two machines nimbly cajoled the second section into place.

A little more maneuvering and a three section play tunnel appears.

Naturally, to be a really-o, truly-o tunnel it has to be covered with dirt. Daniel and the loader accomplish this under the watchful eye of a potential tunnel customer.