A new follower ….

We ve a new follower watching us work … he’s been spotted on the Paddock a number of times, but today he sat, sunned himself, and watched us …..

He’d have seen us  putting render on the inside .. we ve opted for Lime rather than clay, and the first coat is nearly done, should be finished tomorrow, so we’ll give it a few days and then put the later coats on, and putting cables in … and closing up the eaves, and having a bit of lunch and a cuppa of warming tea!

While he benefited from today’s sun, he excellent insulation of the Straw did mean that building did not warm up very much, so it was cold work for our Volunteers even inside.

lunch, and a warming cuppa! did not stay hot for long though!

the window cills are being lime rendered too on the inside; this is Viv’s Work …

The Honesty window, masking tape to protect it from the render, and now surrounded by the first coat

We had an audience … this fine fellow sunned himself while we had lunch.

The East Wall, partly done

Another shot of the East Wall

Honestly

Well, more accurately honesty! a feature of all straw bale buildings is an “honesty” window, where the straw is left unrendered so that visitors can see that the walls are made of straw.

Ours is a second hand bullseye window that we blagged off Streetlife some while ago; the paint has been cleaned off, the glass cleaned and polished and, hey presto. it looks great.

they ve been playing with the shutters too, by the look of it. some artwork is planned to make them more interesting …

Our honesty Window; the render will go all round it but leave the straw on display in the window

Emerging from the deep … who gave Viv an electric drill to play with

Trying out the shutters … important for security of course

the view as you go through the gate; the Education Centre nestles behind some trees

John’s been working on the Eaves too, closing them in; we re using the burnt larch that we salvaged from the Rickyard at Walpole Park, and are fitting some downlighters that we ve been given, again recycled …. though they ll be fitted with LED lamps rather than the halogen that they were made for

 

Really Flying …

There’s great progress being made, and the project is really flying thanks to the amazing team … lots of photos but in summary … eaves now nearly boarded internally; soffits being closed, render on the inside, wiring going in … it is all amazing; another 5 tonnes of lime render to be delivered (fingers crossed, Tuesday) to finish off the inside …

we ve been rendering the inside with some left over lime, partly to use it up and partly to see how it goes; it goes well; this is a corner by the “boot room” door

Pleased to welcome Tom back on site; he worked with us a while ago and returned today … and was kept busy

Viv’s a dab hand at this lime render lark!

Me, looking busy; I stopped when the camera went!

John Morrells been busy putting ducting and cables in

Mike’s been busy too; this is a door we scavenged from Walpole Park, Mike has stripped the paint off and now Lindseed Oiling it; it looks WONDERFUL, richly grained.

We had a new delivery of lime; the lorry tail lift broke down; the 1 tonne crate had to be (carefully) man handled off.

Another of Mike and that Door!

Undercoat and top coat …

Johns wiring had an unexpected result; one of the hazel pins was driven right through the wall and out the other side!

Tom and John Sears closing up the eaves at the frong

South West Corner, almost completely rendered inside

John Morrell in his native habitat, installing ducts and cables

John ‘s quite good at the Render too

The Kitchen Window

New volunteer stanley is pulling his weight …

South and West walls rendered!

Chairman David Howden cleans up the “honesty window” that will show the straw behind the lime render

“X” marks …

… the GLASS – the windows are now glazed, and we ve put blue crosses on them just to remind us that there is now something in the way!

And our salvaged oak door has been spruced up and our honesty window is ready to go in … the idea is that there is a panel where the straw is not rendered over, so remains visible, so visitors an always see that the building is made from straw.

John has started installing the wiring; here the ring main is going in

putting the glass in

Viv cleaning up the “honesty window”

Glazing the entrance door

its getting quite lived in already!

Jerry at work on the windows

Our scavenged Oak Door, cleaned up! Great job, thanks Viv

Carefully fitting the glass

Reflections … so good you see double!

and the promised blue crosses!

Looking beautiful …

a few shots of the inside of the Education Centre, and the team have been working hard as ever; some Lime Render has been put on the south and west walls, to use up surplus Arthur had left; the floors been laid, temporary sheets only for the moment, and temporary lighting is in …

Looking north; what a beautiful space!

The South wall with one coat of Lime Render

this is a salvaged door, we obtained from Walpole Park when harvesting stuff there; its solid oak, weighs a ton, and is very beautiful.

another shot of the interior; the kitchen will be about where the ladder is

and the outside …

Getting plastered …

we have some of the lime render left over after Arthur left with his mangnificent splattering machine; so we ve done a bit of the internal walls with it to see how it goes. Looking good! and we re working now on the eaves and soffits, and the “first fix” electrics …

The first fix of the Electrics … cables run in conduit to be buried in the wall; and boxes fixed to hazel pegs driven into the wall

Viv paining our beautiful Sapele doors

John and Mike at work on the Soffit

A shot of the hip from above.

Mixing the lime render .. the bath is one we scavenged from a neighbour. and will turn into a pond when its finished with

the Lime applied by hand