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October 2 - Meetings, Grading and Pews

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Another Status Meeting in the Church - A week ago Sunday the second status update meeting was held at the church. While there were some assembled pews, they were all in the sanctuary, and not in the dining hall where the meeting convened. So, everyone that wanted to sit had to bring their own chair. In the picture, Bob is standing but not because he failed to bring a chair. He wanted attention so he stood up in the front to give his status update. After Sam reported on the finances discussion ensued about whether or not to increase our self imposed debt ceiling. While the church could be 'completed' without the increase, some desired items like an epoxy sealed kitchen floor would have to be deferred. The congregation agreed to up the debt limit. Sam stated that the bank is fine with the new debt ceiling. Sam also said the projection stand in the picture is only temporary. With the current projected spending, we will still not have a completed kitchen so the eagle-eyed shoppers ...
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May 2 - A New Month, Spring Weather and a Burst of Activity

Spring Weather Arrives - 

What could be more fun than nice weather, a dirt pile and puddles.

More Doors -
Winter's encore performance was fortunately very brief and springlike sunshine and warmer temperatures returned. Maybe it is the nice weather and a new page on the calendar that inspired the burst of activity. Many workers showed up and significant progress was evident in three areas of the building.
The door frame Sam was installing last Saturday now has doors attached. The size large openings on either side, however, allow easy passage for both outside air and peripatetic chroniclers. Once inside, I find actions being taken that will inhibit such freedom in the future.





Pete and Kevin are fixing to install another door. First get the frame ready.















Next, install air-flow-reducing glass.


Finally, recruit additional help, Sam, and hang the door in an opening. Once installed, both free air and wandering chroniclers will need to be more resourceful to get inside the church.








Setting the Stage in the Pulpit Area -
The stage on which the pulpit will reside is taking shape, giving a preview of the completed sanctuary.

Adrian secures hangers for the stringers on which the stair treads rest. Matt Grangroth, in the background, is aligning pieces to assure proper fit.


Many hands make light work. Bob, in the foreground, is measuring and trimming. Sasha, Amber and Rebecca, in the background, tidy things up a bit. Ben, scratching his head in wonder, and his son Laif are securing the base piece to the floor.




Bob, under the watchful eye of Felix the shift supervisor, measures and fits the end piece where the stage joins the wall.














Meanwhile Out Behind the Church - 

Tom noted with all the progress on the building to date, it must be time for an addition.

The concrete  piers that Brent poured on Saturday now have posts attached. And on top of the posts, a beam needs to reside. Size large steel brackets are affixed to the posts to keep the beam from wandering off to undesirable positions. However, the brackets seem to be a bit tight for the beam. So, the brackets need expanding. Here, Andy uses a bracket expander to stretch the gap.
 Matt Forstie uses the same tool and a wood block to try to open another bracket.

Then Andy and Matt collaborate to increase persuasiveness while Tom supervises.




















Ken uses the forklift and a strap to raise the beam skyward. Matt and Andy merely need to jockey the beam into the hole in the wall on the far left and over the two brackets such that when the beam is lowered it drops snugly into the desired position.

That, however, is easier said than done. Perhaps in a friction free perfect world, the beam could  be dropped into the brackets and slid into the hole in the wall. But this is not a friction free world. Given the newly discovered realities, it is noticed that, if there was a bit less roof over the wall notch, the beam could be aligned with all three support spots and dropped into place.

Andy says, I can fix that.



Just a few licks with the sawzall and there appears a bit more room over the wall support.

A  gentle nudge or two from Andy's hammer and the beam glides quietly into place. Give Andy a sawzall and a hammer and he can make anything fit.

The beam is up. Let the porch construction continue.

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