Author Archives: nickjtj

As good as their word Octopus paid (after some silly complications) the invoice for the generator.  I built the frame for the L-shaped workbench against the north gable/shower room wall that will serve a our temporary kitchen – great now having the mitre saw to make quick accurate cuts, despite having the noise of theContinue reading “Slipping behind…”

Things seem to have moved fast in the past fortnight or so and I’ve not found time for the blog.  Here we are The two flat areas, one near the firefighting tank and one by the swale, are now devoid of the towers of insulation that for months occupied them, each one representing several severalContinue reading “Enough plumbing…”

Much happened last week but not much building from me – Tash arrived last weekend and after an emotional reunion we spent a precious week rebalancing and finding out what we’d been unable to imagine about the other’s separate existence. Tash for instance found out that my cabin is fully equipped with a dedicated toastingContinue reading “Something completely different”

Thursday: my day’s work seemed minimal, though I completed the garage insulation in the west gable, above the platform. I realised I’d forgotten to add a hot water outlet for the proposed outside shower, so quickly bent some 15mm pipe and left it in a T to remind me it needed fitting.  I also wonderedContinue reading “The end of another week”

Monday13 July Like a Chinese puzzle I turn the hot water plumbing round and over in my mind, trying to see how to fit it now the cold pipes are in place.  I don’t think I can solder it all in-situ so will have to join most of it nearby then manoeuvre it into placeContinue reading “Days 32, 33, 34”

A busy and productive week, though not without a heart stopping moment when Andrew told me there was a mistake in the rafter manufacture, they were too short…  The moment passed as it turned out raising the walls with a couple of battens would take up the shortfall – the cut to form the horizontalContinue reading “Moving up…”

Monday 6 – Weds 8 July Sunrise and the view east over the loch is now framed by a three metre sliding window (left above), delicately muscled into position by the big telehandler, two pairs of hands and careful thought.  The larger sliding window – frame and everything – weighs about a tonne…  I’d consideredContinue reading “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday”

Wednesday 2 July. In February we all thought Tash and I would be taking over the wind and weather tight house a month ago… After pinging three blue chalkline guides onto the new chipboard floor I tried to become a human machine, putting screws in as quickly and accurately as possible. I finished a boxContinue reading “Friday 3 July”

Monday 29 June My first day building – I got out to the car, hoping I had all I needed, but went back for the waterproof phone case.  It looked like rain.  As it turned out the low cloud burned off and by midday sunstroke was more likely than drowning.  With new electric tools, advice fromContinue reading “Beginning at last…”

Yesterday the exposed edges of the Isoquick foundation trays of both garage and house were rendered with a lime mortar mix, two thin coats, applied with a standard steel plastering trowel. To compliment the lime’s flexible quality a fine plastic reinforcing mesh was pushed into the first layer – through which the mortar squeezed asContinue reading “25 and 26 June”