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

BRK #598

A rainy Monday helped us ring in the DogStar Dog Pen SEPPer theme week...! The team came together today, and before quittin' time I heard the name, "Bark Park." I think it'll stick.

Here's Carissa cleaning up more junkpoles.



She and I were able to finish exactly 20 before the rain picked up again and we decided to wrap for the day.



In the afternoon, SEPPer Rio and SEPPer Jessie joined me up at the Lab. We felled a tree, then transported it in sections to the Sawmill. Here's Rio cleaning up the base of our tree prior to sectioning it into logs.



At the sawmill, we encountered a snag. Seems like the log is scorching and the blade may be bending, as it diverts to one side maybe two-thirds of the way along a log once you want to make 4" planks. We tried several things to make it work again, though the rain came back before we had a chance to change out the blade - which will be our next troubleshooting tactic. It'll happen tomorrow.



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

Check to make sure all the bolts are tight on the saw.  I had a weird thing where it was pulling to the side while doing the vertical cut and it was loose bolts that I think were holding a bearing block underneath...

Mike Haasl wrote:Check to make sure all the bolts are tight on the saw.  I had a weird thing where it was pulling to the side while doing the vertical cut and it was loose bolts that I think were holding a bearing block underneath...

We did find a spare nut in the sawdust, and attached it to a naked bolt on the frame that holds the saw in place. Replaced the blade, and things were looking good. Made it about halfway across the log on our first full run of panels, then the scorching issue reared its head once again.

Had a discussion with Paul about it, and what the team on-site (Ben and Rio and I) had thought to do about it. To sum it up: next time you see the Sawmill in action, it (and Leviathan) will likely be in a very different spot.

BRK #599

Black Spark, the hard-workin' mama kitty here, was the star of the show today. She's moved her four kittens up to the front porch of the House, so everyone's had a chance to fawn over them. The good news is that the kittens aren't so afraid of humans anymore, and I think they'll become socialized to get along with us in no time.



Meanwhile, we also found three additional kittens stowed up in the Kitty-Quarium, inside the Library. However, their mother isn't showing up. I suspect their mother is Carl/Carla, and she was AWOL pretty much all day. When I see her in the morning, I'll check if she's making any milk, then if so, usher her into the cat house to see if she can care for them. We're all concerned.



Some ups and downs with the Sawmill today as well. We tightened things up, replaced the blade, and crossed our fingers. The scorching problem persists. A major overhaul of the Sawmill location had been discussed and agreed-upon. Now it's all about when we'll find time to move everything to the new location and properly mount the sawmill frame on a sturdy foundation.

Here are Rio and Ben, as we tested out a few improvements.



Finally: I have a laser cutter, and it's a fantastic tool. I set it up today to test it out (it's been in storage for over two years now), and things are looking good. Next up will be to make some fancy things for the PTJ and additional events...



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

BRK #600
(it's a new milestone...!)

It was a productive day, and a surprise to me since I had started the day feeling stressed-out regarding the things I hope we can finish prior to the upcoming summer events. The team is a solid one, and looking back on what we accomplished today helps me feel grateful that they're all here right now.

The sweet potatoes up at the Truly Passive Greenhouse are going strong. They've sprawled-out impressively across the entirety of their garden box. I'm excited and curious to see what kind of potato harvest we gather from these in a few months.



The DogStar Bark Park (is that the name we'll stick with?) is coming along nicely. We all discussed how to finish as much as possible of the frame-out of the fence prior to wrapping-up the SEPPer Theme Week. Big thanks to Brian, Ben, Carissa, and Rio for coordinating their efforts in construction today.



In the afternoon, it was another team effort in event prep and continuing the Bobra Line project. Here, SEPPer Jessie (right) and SEPPer Roger try their hand at securing steel cable to the final deadman support.



Though we hadn't finished the support prior to the end of the day, things are all set up and ready to go for tomorrow, I think. We notched-out one side of the main support post so a 12-inch eye bolt could be secured through it. We'll slide in those cables that Jessie and Roger attached to the deadman, fill in the rest of the deadman trench, then address the final step: securing the cable to a tree (on the opposite side of the Classroom) and then hanging the Bobra weight.



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