2017 Continued
7-23-17
We hauled all our triangle windows up the hill to the dome using Josh's trailer.
It was the slowest trip up the hill ever.
We hauled all our triangle windows up the hill to the dome using Josh's trailer.
It was the slowest trip up the hill ever.
7-23-17
We temporarily put up the window triangles so Dan could drill the riser walls for bolts. We will need to take the triangles back to the shop to make the blocking to hold the windows.
We temporarily put up the window triangles so Dan could drill the riser walls for bolts. We will need to take the triangles back to the shop to make the blocking to hold the windows.
These are the "uppies" that will hold the windows. The "downies" in between will also hold windows.
Dan built temporary support walls to hold the triangles until we get far enough up that we can remove the supports and triangles for the entrance.
Back to home page
7-28-17
We got the rest of the windows hauled up the hill.
Now Dan can stop having nightmares about that.
We got the rest of the windows hauled up the hill.
Now Dan can stop having nightmares about that.
We decided to use our new basement area to store the windows, hopefully out of harms way during construction.
7-29-17
Nolan & Ron moved a lot of timbers up onto the floor deck. Then they started moving a few of the dome panels up where they can be reached by the crane.
Nolan & Ron moved a lot of timbers up onto the floor deck. Then they started moving a few of the dome panels up where they can be reached by the crane.
7-30-17
With all the timbers for the first frame up on the floor deck, Dan & Mike have enough room to do some fitting of the frame. With a couple of pieces being stubborn they worked hard to get two bents fitted for the day.
With all the timbers for the first frame up on the floor deck, Dan & Mike have enough room to do some fitting of the frame. With a couple of pieces being stubborn they worked hard to get two bents fitted for the day.
This heat is making painting the steel deck a bit of a sizzling job!
7-31-17
Dan got some of the sanding done on the pieces that have now been prefitted. This is the kind of finishing I enjoy doing. Just look at that beauty wood!
Dan got some of the sanding done on the pieces that have now been prefitted. This is the kind of finishing I enjoy doing. Just look at that beauty wood!
Amazing weekend. Smokey, but amazing.
8-4-17
Friday Bryce came up and helped Dan fit timbers. They fit one bent out in the hot sun then moved into the shop to fit a second bent.
Friday Bryce came up and helped Dan fit timbers. They fit one bent out in the hot sun then moved into the shop to fit a second bent.
8-5-17
Nolan, Dan(ny's) swim teammate from high school days, and his brother's Ron and Alex moved more timbers onto the floor deck.
Nolan, Dan(ny's) swim teammate from high school days, and his brother's Ron and Alex moved more timbers onto the floor deck.
Then they moved all the rest of the triangle dome panels out of the shop. This was no small task.
All the panels are stacked in the driveway where the crane can reach them. The number five's didn't get painted when they were built so they are spread out so I can paint them.
8-6-17
Sunday Dan & I (mostly Dan) fit the first bent for the tall deck frame.
Sunday Dan & I (mostly Dan) fit the first bent for the tall deck frame.
Dan having a zen moment.
8-7-17 With time getting short and needing help on a weekday we hired Lorenzo to help. Dan and Lorenzo started the day fitting a large bent on the floor deck. Then they moved to the shop and fit TWO more bents. At one point when Dan needed a rafter Lorenzo went to the pile, picked up a rafter and put in on his shoulder and carried over to the bent. A surprised Dan told him they should move the large pieces together!
8-12-17
Dan and Lorenzo fit three more bents of the deck frame on Friday, while I applied finish to the complete entry frame. Then Saturday we decided to raise the lower part of the entry frame.
Dan and Lorenzo fit three more bents of the deck frame on Friday, while I applied finish to the complete entry frame. Then Saturday we decided to raise the lower part of the entry frame.
The Genie lift is a big help with the crossties.
The Lorenzo lift is a big help with the posts.
The rest of the entry way frame will be completed once the crane is on site.
8-13-17
All fifteen bents are now prefitted and ready for a final sand and some finish.
All fifteen bents are now prefitted and ready for a final sand and some finish.
Next Dan has to build window casings and blocking so that the triangle windows can be installed into the tapered triangle panels.
The windows are all different sizes so that when installed into the different sized triangle panels they will have an even height across the top.
Starting with the empty triangle panel Dan makes a window casing to hold the window. Then adds blocking to hold the casing in place.
After attaching plywood sheeting to the outside the panel is ready to be installed. Each panel is unique and is taking a little longer than anticipated.
We have ten of the first row of uppies installed.
Meanwhile I have been sanding timbers and applying the first coat of finish.
The bedroom frame is a lighter color than the exterior frames. I stained the part of the rafter that goes through the wall to the outside the darker color to match the exterior frames.
The dome panels are all painted and stacked.
8-21-17
We started raising the bedroom frame during the solar eclipse. The lighting on the floor deck was very unusual.
We started raising the bedroom frame during the solar eclipse. The lighting on the floor deck was very unusual.
8-24-17
Dan finished the last two window panels. The crane was delivered to the dome today. Bruce was there to meet them and all is set for morning. Erection Day is almost here!!!
Dan finished the last two window panels. The crane was delivered to the dome today. Bruce was there to meet them and all is set for morning. Erection Day is almost here!!!
With the crane in place our goal for today is to raise the lower portion of the deck timber frame.
8-25-17
Friday
Friday
They rig the timbers on the floor deck for the crane to pick up.
With a little trial and error they get a plan that works. The first post is guided through the steel deck joists by Dan and Bruce to Doug and Lorenzo below.
The second post is added. These posts are about 18 feet tall. Because of the post height this frame not only has a crosstie between the post at the top of the frame, but also a cross tie under the deck joists. Then they are guided into a bracket on a concrete support pad.
Charlie flies a crosstie down to Lorenzo and Doug.
They wrestle the crosstie onto the Genie lift so it can be raised into place. The posts are spread out slightly at the top so the tenons of the bottom crosstie can be started.
Once the bottom crosstie is started the top crosstie is placed. The trick is to spread the posts enough to accept the top crosstie without losing the bottom crosstie. Sometimes dealing with twists in the wood while also lining up the tenons of the braces.
Another post is added.
Then another bottom and top crosstie.
After two of the lower bents are raised a girt and two side braces are added. The outer posts are leaned out so the tenons of the girt and brace can be placed into the mortises in the post.
Charlie flies the final crosstie into place.
The last girt is placed.
The deck frame was the most difficult frame to raise because of it's size and the double crossties on each bent. But it is a beautiful frame and was worth the extra effort.
8-26-17
Saturday
Saturday
Josh and Bob are installing the rest of the uppies on row one. These take awhile because Dan has to mark and drill the bottom strut before they can be bolted to the riser wall.
Our goal today is to erect row one of the dome. Dan rigs up a panel to be installed.
Joe helps with the rigging.
And Charlie flies another uppie to Bob and Josh.
The downies go slower. They have to be persuaded to fit in between the uppies. If they aren't down all the way the tops of row one wont be even and row two wont fit.
Joe and Dan sending a window downie.
These panels hold our triangle windows. The two window arrays are main features of our dome.
The window panels have extra blocking. The panels are more difficult to install and are taking more time.
Time for a recharge.
Coming around the dome.
The two panels with no blocking or plywood sheeting are where dormers will be built. One for the bathroom and one for a guest bedroom.
Joe and Mike start applying sill seal to the uppies for row two.
Row one is complete.
8-27-17
Sunday
Sunday
The first triangle of row two.
The uppies of row two are going pretty quickly.
The cool of the morning quickly changed to the heat of the day.
Mike and Dan apply sill seal to more uppies.
Mike sends another uppie on it's way.
Bob and Josh waiting for the last uppie of row two.
The uppies of row two.
The first downie of row two.
The downies take awhile. Everyone of them has to be worked down to keep the top of the row even.
While they work on the downies Mike and Dan start assembling the cupola walls on the ground.
Dan cut out the window openings and Charlie hooked onto them and lifted them in place.
The last downie of row two.
Long day but they finished the row.
Row two is almost finished.
8-28-18
Monday
Monday
Buck took ownership of the cupola while Christine and I were working on attaching sill seal to the next row of uppies.
Rafter day. All the rafters for the three timber frames are on the floor deck of the dome.
Bruce rigs them to the hook, adds a strut and away they go.
Dan signals to Charlie as he and Robbie work the rafter and strut tenons into the mortises.
With Doug working the rafter tail end from the ladder they get them in place.
The rafters were finished by 2:00 so we started the cupola roof.
With two sets of two bolted together they bolt those together.
The last panel was a challenge.
Time to call it a day.
Time for row 3. This is where the pattern really starts to change.
In rows 1 & 2 there was a downie (colored blue) in between every uppie (colored red). Only the different sized triangles bringing it inward a little.
In row 3 there are two uppies together in five places, which really starts bringing the dome inward.
Bob and Josh were unavailable today so Lorenzo and Dan worked on the lift. After having some troubles with the two adjoining uppies they bolted them together on the ground and flew them up as one.
This worked better.
Then a single uppie.
And another single uppie.
Another double uppie is put together.
Dan and Lorenzo bolt down the second double uppie.
And around they go till all five double uppies with two singles between them are installed.
A pentagon is created where the two uppies are installed.
Mike rigs up the last double uppie of row three.
The shadows are long as Bruce swings the last uppie of row three to Dan and Lorenzo.
9-1-17
Friday
Friday
9-2-17
Saturday
Saturday
The first downie of row three.
The downies never just drop into place. It often seems they are just too big to fit into their intended spot.
Bob and Josh use pry bars, marlin spikes, and clamps to persuade the panels into place.
Moving the crane hook to the last panel and lifting up while pounding down on the current panels is one of their strategies.
With a lot of patience and hard work they get the panels all aligned. Each one is a victory.
Bob and Josh come to the top to enjoy a little breeze at the end of the day.
9-3-17
Sunday
Sunday
Bob and Josh start the day by installing the last five downies of row three.
Row four also has two uppies that connect together. They are assembled on the ground.
They install two of the double uppies first.
Then add one single uppie between them.
Dan and I send up the last uppie of row four.
The first downie of row four.
We finished the day with two downies of row four installed. Eight more to go.
It was a pretty clear day to begin with but we could see the beginnings of the fire now called the East Crater fire in the Indian Heaven area.
9-4-17
Monday
Monday
Monday Dan and Lorenzo prefitted the secondary rafters for all the frames.
I started the final sanding surrounded by a smoke filled view.
Dan started preparing the panels for row five. We decided to try to install three at a time.
Row five has two adjoining uppies with one downie in between.
Time to go home.
9-8-17
Friday
Friday
Dan installed the hurricane ties and lag bolts on the cupola, while I put a coat of finish on the secondary rafters.
9-9-17
Saturday
Saturday
Today was all about downies of row four.
Gravity was really not our friend today.
And they fought......
And they fought.
We need to hit it fresh tomorrow with some new strategies.
9-10-17
Sunday
Sunday
Using more upward pull from the crane and removing a little sill seal in the tight spots helped. The further away from the problem area the more doable it became.
Much to everyone's relief row four is complete.
Dan rigs up the first tri-panel.
Bob and Josh placing the first tri-panel.
As the dome started to grow Charlie couldn't see the guys on the lift and signals had to be relayed.
With no interference from other panels the first tri-panel fit into place. After that it was too difficult to adjust the heavy tri-panels into position so we went back to double uppies and single downies.
Dan added cleats on the corners.
I applied ice and water shield to the cupola roof.
Row five is changing shape.
Two downies left as the shadows begin to lengthen. Bob and Josh are working fast and furious to try to finish before dark.
The last panel of our dome.
We quickly get the cupola rigged to the crane hook.
But then we decided that we need to wait. We have to tighten bolts and remove cleats and it is getting too dark to raise the cupola safely.
Bob and Josh spend the last few minutes of light tightening bolts.
We say THANK YOU and goodnight to Charlie.
Bob and Marty fought really hard to get the downies into place.
9-11-17
Monday
Monday
Time to cover the last pentagon with our cupola.
Up, up, up and away!
Dan held a guide rope to keep it from spinning and swinging too much.
I folded back the ice and water shield so as not to tear the edges during flight.
Bruce lifted the cupola slowly into the air....
And set it down on top of the dome.
After some adjusting he lowered the hook and Dan removed the shackles.
Bruce moved the crane away from the dome. I asked Dan to accompany me in a man lift ride to the top so we could look out our cupola windows.
Hello Everyone!
It was pretty awesome. What an amazing weekend. What an amazing summer.
Looking down on our dining room.
The view from the ground.
The view from the cupola window.
I have much media from multiple cameras of the dome erection. As soon as I have a little time I will make and post a complete time lapse video of the dome.
9-15-17
Hauled the 2x6 tongue and grove roof decking for the timber frames to the dome.
Hauled the 2x6 tongue and grove roof decking for the timber frames to the dome.
9-16-17
Mike, Brandon, & Dan put up the secondary rafters in all three frames.
Mike, Brandon, & Dan put up the secondary rafters in all three frames.
With rain in the forecast I unloaded the 2x6's into the shop.
9-21-17
Kathy and I spent two days sanding and staining the 2x6's.
Kathy and I spent two days sanding and staining the 2x6's.
The more pre-finishing I can get done now the less overhead finish work to do later and the more protected the boards will be.
2017
Cont.
Cont.
Cont.
Cont.