Author: Chris Wells

Installed by Termite-Free Naturally

https://www.termitefreenaturally.com.au/

 

 

Waiting for something to happen….

This should do the job.

Those of you who have read The Lord of the Rings will no doubt remember Grond, the massive battering ram from Mordor used to destroy the (otherwise invincible) gates of Minas Tirith.

I built the double doors with Grond in mind. They are, as you might expect, made to last.

Sam and I set up the southern door on Saturday, and I must now work out how to fasten the hinges. I spent today adjusting this and that, measuring here and there, making unnessary calculations, and generally prevaricating.

Tomorrow – or the day after – I will hang the door.

 

It took a while, but the northern weatherboards are installed – and that is the end of weatherboards.

Dad was right: patience is the most aggressive virtue, although at times during this last year or so I have felt inclined to be less than patient, and therefore less than aggressively virtuous (or if you prefer, less than virtuously aggressive).

At any rate, the wall is completed. I will tackle the fascia board, and the adjustable shutter on the ventilation outlet, when I feel inspired.

Progress was hindered by a mother blackbird, who wove her nest in the branches of a sheoak growing at the eastern end of the wall. I chose to approach the wall from the western end, despite urgings from persons un-named to destroy the nest (since Australian blackbirds are considered to be pests). But as Sam observed (possibly recalling the wisdom of the Tibetan Lama in Kim): blackbirds are bound to the Wheel, just like us, and deserve their opportunity to acquire merit. And so be it – there are now four adorable nestlings acquiring merit under the protective wing of the northern wall.

My next task is to finish the cypress lining on the western side of the boatshed, where I plan to install one of two sturdy work-benches.

The double doors are on hold: they need to be clad and then hung – but my attitude to the making of double doors, as you may have noticed, is ambivalent – there is a degree of confidence, but it is quite modest.

We shall see what’s what when the time comes….

I have been polishing up a few of Dad’s woodworking tools.

Here is one of the saws: a formidable instrument, which came out well. It didn’t need sharpening, and is now ready to take on the fine joinery.

 

I am working on three fronts at present: the entrance, the northern weatherboards, and the cypress lining.

I proceed cautiously with the entrance; it is unfamiliar territory. The cladding for the doors (10mm tongue and groove Cypress) arrives this week.

Weatherboard goes up easily enough on the fine days.

The cypress lining can be tricky. I have had my moments; a few boards had to be removed and replaced, with much ado. You may be wondering why the lining stops at about two metres (six feet five inches), and there is a simple explanation – that top point marks the extent of my ‘current financial capacity’.

Later on I will be able to climb to the ceiling, if some of those wooden spoons can find worthy homes….