!! SEPP to Boot: Stephen's Experience (BEL)

Stephen, I hope helpers (new boots, or SEPPers) are coming soon.
These junk-pole fences look like too much for one person.

BEL #814

Continuing the rebuild of the three sections of fence today. I felled a few more trees, cut them to length, and started connecting things together. I did a lot of shuttling back and forth to Basecamp today, switching the positions of sprinklers to do our best to keep those gardens alive.

Here's how things looked at the start of today's Booting:



I shot more video of what I did today, and will cut it together to show the process. Here's a still of me fine-tuning a chainsaw notch in one of the horizontal supports.



And hey Inge, I am able to do this work on my own...! All it takes is a few straps to hold things upright. Holding one end at this level allows you to raise the other end of the post as you work.



So, while one end of a post is being supported by the ratchet strap, I hold up the other and fasten it in place with a single nail. I then return to the ratchet-strap-secured end, and fasten that in place completely. I then return to the original nailed-in end of the horizontal support, and finalize the nailing.



It took me a while, but the horizontal supports were all in place this afternoon.



At the close of the day, I finished two and nearly finished the third panel. I have maybe 20 or so more pickets to put in there, and then this section is done. On to the final three sections tomorrow.



That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

BEL #815

Another GAMCOD Project update from the Wheaton Labs plot. Here you go:



Thanks for watching, and enjoy your day...!

BEL #816

Welcome to SEPPers Russ and Emma!

Here's a tale of a stuck door and its un-sticking. So here's how much the front door to Allerton Abbey was opening on Saturday, when our SEPPers arrived. Not much.



No amount of knocking compelled anyone to answer the door, or let me in. So I climbed in the window and took a look at what might have been causing the sticking.



I recalled how fellow Boot Seth had mentioned that when he last worked on the door, that he would focus on removing floor as opposed to removing door. So that's what I started to do. However, that was only after I had brought with me tools best suited to removing door instead of floor.

So I tested things out with the oscillating saw. After 10 minutes or so, the door was still stuck and the saw blade was done.



After some consideration, looped round to Basecamp and on the return trip I brought a proper tool for the job: the angle grinder.



While it kicked up a lot of dust, it did the job and quite well, I'd say. After the first, tentative pass, I had seen a fair amount of progress (through the dust cloud).



I would grind away a little of the floor, then try opening the door, and then repeat. Lots of trial and error in this process.



Progress began to show, and after opening the door this far I could breathe a little easier.



I managed to ease the door open all the way after chipping away at a few separate, raised sections of the floor. So while I entered by crawling through the window, I was able to leave by walking out the door.



Our two new SEPPers used the rocket cooktop at Allerton Abbey Sunday night, then joined me Monday morning for some Boot tasks. Here they are dismantling the fallen section of junkpole fence at the Abbey.



While surely tempting, I suggested to Russ that the hand-held auger wasn't intended to be a stabbing instrument.

Seriously, he took care of drilling three new holes for posts to be installed in an effort to repair the fence sections.



Meanwhile, I coached Emma in chainsaw use. She'll fell a couple trees for replacement posts, and hopefully by the end of the day tomorrow the fence repairs will be complete (and the deer will stay out...!).



That's all for now. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your day...!

Stephen,
What seems to be the major flaws in a junk pole fence? They seem to be very maintenance prone. Is it the post going into the ground or is it the cross posts or is it the uprights?