The purlin ring was glued together on the yard, chocked up so that it didn't twist on the slope, then held firmly together with the strop. (for non-British readers, in the UK the 'yard' means just the hard surfaced area outside the back door - everything else is the garden! It gets very confusing at times when blogs talk about their yard, then show you the garden!)
Moving swiftly on from discussions on the joys of a common language........!
The purlin ring.
We roped in several of our strong male friends, Garth, Big Dave and Big Dave's FiL - Pete, to help with the manouver. The next 10 photos show how it was done. Apparently it would have been a lot easier without a big deep pond in the way!
Once the purlin ring was safely in place and tea and biscuits had been devoured by the workers (got to look after your staff, you never know when you might need them again!), Himself took all the 'bird's beak' wedges he'd saved when he'd previously cut them out of the rafters where they rested on the main beams. He turned them over and glued them onto the purlin ring under each rafter to give extra support - always thinking that man!
He then did the final adjustments to the corner post...
cut the appropriate sized piece out of the corner rafter.....
and tried it for size! It fitted - naturally!
He put the corner wedges in place.......
then cut the bottom edge at an angle.......
and worked his way along the front and back sides of the roof fitting the remaining rafters.
and worked his way along the front and back sides of the roof fitting the remaining rafters.
Until he got to the point of feeling that the roof frame was finally secure enough to take off the extra batons!
And what was I doing whilst all this was going on? (apart from clambering over scaffolding and making tea!) .......... that's in the next post!
And what was I doing whilst all this was going on? (apart from clambering over scaffolding and making tea!) .......... that's in the next post!
35 comments:
Dear Liz, I can only marvel at this whole ambitious enterprise. I know nothing about constructing anything, beyond a house of cards as a child, but I do really think that what you are doing here is more than impressive.
What strikes me in looking closely at the pictures is the excellent quality of the workmanship which is going into this teahouse. I am most intrigued, and cannot now wait, to learn what materials you have decided on for the roof and walls.
At the rate of progress shown, you will soon be having tea and biscuits INSIDE!!
Hi Liz,
It would've been easier without a deep pond in the way?? Really?? Well, who'd have thought it...
:D
Looking good, oh and yes I will take those lovely pieces of wood, driftwood and large stones off you. Thankyouverymuch, they'll look lovely in my garden ;)
Can't wait to see what you were doing... were you in bed dying or were these taken some time ago?
Hi Liz
Looks great!
I guess I don't win any medals for stating that himself is a perfectionist.
Absolutely no corner cutting there then!
This is exciting to see! It's much bigger than I was thinking it was. Himself would be horrified if he saw how we did things around here :)
Can't wait to see what's next there.
Hello Edith - some (usually Himself) would say overly ambitious, but I'm loving the outcome!
Himself has 'perfectionist' writ large right through him - just like a stick of Blackpool rock!
Posts on the roof and walls coming soon ....!
Hi Liz - maybe we can come to some arrangement over stones and driftwood once I've done the bottom pond and the rest of the Japanese garden?!
Ha ha!This was back in July 2009 - I was in a bed ....but it didn't have sheets or a quilt! :)
Hi Rob - you have Himself SO well sussed! Not a single corner was even rounded, never mind cut!
Hi Catherine - I am the slapdash one in this marriage when it comes to doing 'technical' or precision stuff ....I get way too bored way too soon! Himself is well used to that - although he continues to despair of my 'oh it'll be fine' attitude at times, so I suspect he'd be fine with your projects ...if they're not his responsibility!
If you don't mind my saying so, that man is wasted on your teahouse: he should be building entire cities. Seldom have I seen a garden building constructed without "oh it'll be fine" six inch nails whacked in various places!
You better drink a lot of tea in there once it is finished.
Ah, taken in July... Well, that's just cheating!
I'll assume that your tea house is now finished then... I hope it is, wouldn't want it being ruined by rain, snow or sleet!
Were you deep in a flowerbed enjoying the flowers instead?? I know where I'd rather be! :)
Dear Nutty One: The teahouse is fab (American for extra special) and I hope you get a lot of use out of it!
And thank you for the nod to the language barrier - I was raised in a bi-lingual home, except both were English. One was Australian English and the other was United States/Delaware Valley English. When talking to classmates, I often had to think - is this word AE or USDVE? Went way beyond yards and gardens to stockings/nylons, lifter/spatula, la-BOR-atory/labRAHtory....
It was also great to see the GREEN in your yard/garden when we are covered in several feet of white!
OH MY GOSH! I can't believe how far it's come along. It's beautiful! I can just image it now. I really can't wait to see how it all turns out. I'll have to send you some home grown chrysanthemum tea later on this year to enjoy under your fabulous tea house. :)
Yay, progress! if the blue metal in the middle of all the wood temporary scaffolding, or part of the design? And why is it that the German term for scaffolding came to me earlier than the English one. (Or American, one, anyway!) I think of my yard as the entire land I own (gardens, lawn, hardscaping, driveway) and the garden as the garden.
Hi James - he's not allowed to move on to doing cities until my tea house is done! Himself doesn't 'do' nails when half a dozen screws will do instead - he's meticulous and worries that it'll fall down, I'm the 'oh it'll be fine' one!
There will be lots of tea drinking in there ... and teaching of Tai Chi plus reflexology, reiki and massage treatments. It's going to be my work room - can't wait!
Hi Liz - I know, I keep promising I'll get the tea house construction into real time, and here I am, back in last July.... what can you do eh?! It's not finished yet, but it is protected from the weather.
I was indeed deep in a flower bed - but it was no bed of roses, let me tell you!
Hi Shirley. Oh dear - I though the differences between English English and American English were bad enough, but that sounds like a nightmare!
The green is a bit of a cheat really - I'm still back in last July on the posts! It's just turning green here now, having had a longish covering of the white stuff this year!
Hi Thomas - it is indeed a thing of beauty and it gladdens my heart just to look at it! Himself says it's a labour of love, bless him - I am SO lucky!
I would LOVE to sit there on the veranda, overlooking the pond, drinking your home grown chrysanthemum tea .... maybe you need to deliver it by hand and share the experience?!
Hi Monica - oh crikey, now you've confused me even more with your description of a yard!!!
So what IS the garden???
Actually the blue metal is a modern art sculpture, a bit more structured than the orange one you favour! LOL!
Language is a funny thing! I speak reasonable French and have a smattering of other languages. I often find that the word pops up in a different language to the one I'm trying to use at the time!
Purlin ring -- I thought you were going to show us how to knit! :-)
The construction is amazing!
Cameron
I really like the notching design approach which provides a true home for the fittings between the pieces of wood. Its like special attention was given to each piece to make it feel like it was an important component of the whole of which it truly is.
Its certainly all coming together in so many layers and ways.
Liz, the top of that tea house is artistic perfection! beautiful lines! Can't wait for the next episode!
Liz, this whole process is amazing! I hope you have these posts all printed into a book for posterity! Isn't it exciting to see the stages as they come about... it won't be too terribly long, now. :-)
This project amazes me.
Wait..Technician...thought you were the Supervising Manager. lol
Hi Cameron - LOL.I can do many craft things, but I can't knit! This is the only kind of purlin you'll get from me!!! ;)
Hi Bernie. Himself is a lot more spiritual than he thinks he is - especially when he's working with wood. He just seems to understand it so well.
Hi Di. Team work! I told Himself what I wanted and drew the world's roughest sketch of it and he made it! ;)The man is a star!
Hi Shady - a book? Are you serious?!
I love the tea house and Japanese Garden - even now, in their still unfinished state, they exude a calm peacefulness that is a joy to be in ...oo-er, I'm waxing a bit lyrical this morning!
Hi Patsi - I can do both jobs at the same time - I'm a multi-tasking woman!lol!
What can I say but "wow". Hey, it's almost time to put that kettle on!
I dropped in for my next language lesson. (Impressive craftsmanship. This will be stunning.)
Hi Camellia - don't worry, you'll all be invited when it's time to put the kettle on! :)
Hi Altadenhiker - glad yer like it, it's reight gud. Arl be mashin soon, ista comin?!
Goodness! This is all very technical and full of terms which mean nothing to me, curlin ring! 'bird's beak' wedges! chocked up! How nice to have a diy perfectionist for a husband. I am a bit of a perfectionist but with no ability whereas HLH (His Loyal Highness, my husband) probably does have the ability, but not the patience to be a perfectionist! Consequently if we ever get round to home improvements it is a case of GAMI (get a man in!), the expensive option :(
Seriously though, it looks like a wonderful job is being done there and it will be interesting to see the final result.
I hope you are feeling much better now and that you aren't too troubled by snow!
Hi ShySongbird - I think knowing your own skills levels and personality traits are the key to knowing when to go for GAMI and when to DIY!
I tried my hand at plastering once and it was a total disaster!!!
We are going to have to go down the GAMI route on decorating the house as it's just taking me so long to do it all on top of everything else!
Me and Himself make a good team because we balance - I have the daft ideas and dive in head first to get things started, enjoying doing the heavy digging or demolition. Himself does the detailed planning and technical stuff that I find boring. We work together to bring my grand idea to fruition(and it is usually MY grand idea!), then I do the 'arty-farty' finishing off that Himself finds boring!
It works for us anyway :)
I'm back to normal now thanks - feeling much better, but I was jolly glad that I had last week off for half-term so that I could fully get my strength back.
The snow has made a suprise return visit! We had about 3 inches on Sunday, down to about an inch now, but with more heavy snow forecast fot tonight and the rest of the week really. Even I ,as an adrent snow lover, am begining to get just a teeny bit tired of it now and am longing for some sun on my face!
Nutty Gnome: Your tea house is a work of art! I love the roof line; very elegant. Kudos to Himself ;-)
Just from the outline you can tell that this will be a very interesting building. I'd love to have tea there!
Hi Ms. S. It is indeed a work of art - and it looks even better with the roof on! (but you'll have to wait a bit for the post on that!)
Hi Pondside - you will, of course, be VERY welcome to come and have tea in my tea house ...when it's done! :)
Well, obviously, I certainly have to hang around your grounds to see the teahouse when it's eventually finished! So, we'll meet again.
Have a great weekend!
- well I'm very glad you're going to be staying around, it wouldn't be the same without you! :)
You have a great weekend too. I just hope it stops raining here so I can get outside!
You are such a tease, Nutty! I can't wait to see the tea house finished, better yet, imagine joining you for a cup :) So glad you are feeling better!
Hi Joey - I just can't help it some days!!!
You'll be very welcome to come for a cup of tea (or a G&T!) once the tea house is finished - or, better yet, come now ....there's still plenty to do!
Yes, this is a well done project! What else were you doing? Taking photos of course! And thanks for the translation about yards and gardens, we had no idea about that. Yes, you will be enjoying this building soon, it looks strong and secure. Good for Himself and his burly friends. :-)
Frances
Hi Frances - I think it's fair to say that I was in a bed!!!
Glad you like the building - it's getting there. We managed to doa bit more today before the sleet and wind stopped play!
what an operation!!! I just cannot wait till it's done! I bet you are impatient and excited like I would be!!!
Hi Tootsie, good to see you. I have to confess that I'm not exactly known for my patience, so three years is an awful long wait ...but it's worth it!
Wait till you see where we've actually got to with it.......! :)
That's already a small house! How wonderful when there are helps for a team. I know what you are doing aside from giving them what part they need for construction, serving snack and be the inspiration of Himself. haha
Just saw that you are having a birthday and wanted to send you my very best birthday wishes.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY my Nutty sould sister across the pond. May you have a wonderful amazing time..and sleep through all the subsequent regret and embarrassment that comes after having an amazing wonderful time.
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