Forever House #39

Saturday 30th November, 2013
I had good intentions to have everything packed up yesterday afternoon to drive away from home nice and early this morning. But, that didn't happen. I arrived at the Forever House around 3pm.

next window to go in when Dave comes back

I had a trailer load of stuff that I intended to bring too, but nothing in it is needed prior to Dave's next stint of work on the house. Last time I brought out a loaded trailer my four cylinder Honda struggled on the really steep hills. The trailer stayed at home waiting for either Jeff or Dave to tow it out in the next few weeks.

In the trailer are the remaining metal studs that Dave needs to complete the framing above the block wall. I got twenty five metres at the fourth place I tried in Lismore yesterday - that amount was a guesstimation on my part so it will be interesting to see if it lasts the distance. I also bought timber for Dave to build the surrounds around the second set of French doors and another smaller window in the block wall.
I went to my darling cousin Lolly's house to collect the French doors which she has very kindly been stripping and sanding for me over the past few months. These are also in the trailer, ready to be installed very soon. Exciting.

Bird light I made 30yrs ago - to be dismantled for windows

part of bird light in window for bathroom door,
before it blew down and broke...

Jeff was supposed to come out with me this weekend to continue the wiring for power and lighting throughout. But, unfortunately, he is too snowed under with work and had to stay behind. When I arrived it began to rain reasonably heavily. I didn't know whether I was happy or sad about that - couldn't dig dirt...maybe I would have to lay on the bed and read for the afternoon! But the shower didn't last long, and I had enough materials prepared from the last trip to mix up a couple of loads of mud and lay them. That means that a row tomorrow and another on Monday will see the bathroom and mudroom walls completed, ready for painting.


After laying the mud, I washed the mud of the ceiling where three walls are complete, ready for the ceiling's final coat of paint. The ceiling sheet was undercoated and given one top coat prior to going up. I brushed down the completed walls as far as I could to the 'scaffolding' which is still in situ (this constitutes layer upon layer of pallets, besser blocks, forty four gallon drums, planks, work horses and milk crates from the floor half way up the walls.) I mixed bond crete and water and sprayed the brushed down walls ready for painting. I'll have the scaffolding moved out by the end of Monday. And hopefully I'll have prepared and painted most of the mud room as well. The proof will be in Monday's photos before I leave.

Bird window being repaired.

second of three bird windows -
this and a matching one go above the large sliding doors

During the two weeks since my last visit (sounds like I am making my confession!) I've been working consistently on glasswork at home. I'm pulling apart a bird light I made thirty years ago when I lived in Redfern in the inner city of Sydney, when I started learning stained glass. I've separated the six panels into three lots of two - there is only one surviving tail (as you can see in this window); the other two birds are tail-less... I remove solder from the central join of each 'bird' to flatten them out (as best I can), and then I draw them onto the page and make a design around them. The one with the tail goes in the window in the external bathroom door. I got that window completed last Saturday and sat it up in various poses to take photos with the light behind. It was up against the open lounge room window so that I could enjoy it that evening when a gust of wind blew through and down it came. Shit Bugger and Damn.

One of two high-lights - so no need
to use clear glass - no view to see

So, instead of resting in front of the teev, I went back out to the verandah, and unsoldered the five broken pieces that night and cut the pieces to repair it the next day.
Out of solder, and over that window, I  got on with the other windows that will house the remaining two birds. These two windows are for highlights above the large sliding doors onto the verandah. I'm using up lots of the textured glass that has come out of various doors and windows that I'm working on. I'm hoping to have both of these windows ready for Dave when he gets to framing above the sliding doors.

Some time soon my other Currawinyan friend Phil will have completed resizing the four doors he has of mine, and will bring them out to hang. I'll take the stained glass panels out to fit in their respective doors. Paint and fifty metres of very fine quarter dowl to tack around each window pane are purchased and waiting on stand by. Nearly a thousand dollars was spend yesterday on material for the house. Yikes - there is still so much to buy...