The Meade Hall

[Chungas Revenge]

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world"

Archimedes with the assist. Well it’s not really a fulcrum in the pic but it’s a catchy quote and seemed to fit the moment. 24’ wall wrangled into place and stabilized via ATV winch and some creativity. Our Flintstone solution worked very well. Allowed us to manually maneuver the wall in place with only two sets of hands.

CB tying in the 16’ end wall. Cutouts for two casement windows and future resting place of a wood burner? Gas stove? Gas insert? Fireplace? Free standing? The jury was still deliberating.

Ole Man Winter is taking his coffee on the porch. Mid November temp starting to fluctuate.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

All forward momentum stops during hunting season. So there was a push to put up exterior sheeting to support the structural rigidity of the walls. This is where we stopped. Mid Nov 24.

Not bad progress all things considered.

1/2” 4x8 CG plywood used on the exterior walls.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Nary a drop for weeks. And then it came. Not just your garden variety fall shower. This was a torrent of frozen revenge. It wasn’t really rain or snow, it came down like little frozen pellets of buckshot. The open top Meade hall looked like an ice skating rink. Sorry no pics. It rained, froze, thawed and rained again most of the time we were in the field. At least the drought was over.

That annoying “I told you so” voice was clamoring for my attention, “You really need to get the Meade Hall under roof”. “Silence annoying voice of reason, it’s time for the lighting of the flame ceremony. Beverages for the hunters, let the feasting begin!!!
Hey, anybody see what I did with my horn of beer”???

Hunting Buddy (HB), Construction Buddy (CB) and (SOB) that’s me... We had a semi productive season.

HB scored a nice 8pt. CB scored a nice 8pt and SOB got a rock.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

The rifles were cleaned/lubed and the long handles were washed, folded and put away.

New tales were added around the fire pit ring that I’m sure “Charlie” would approve of. And, I’m almost certain it was Charlie who kept hiding my “horn”. He was pretty “deep into his cups” by the end of the night.

Back to work.

We were committed and holding fast to stick building the rafters. I kept telling myself, “Hey self, won’t it be fun clamoring around on a 20ft ladder in a biting wind while CB is yelling at you to make sure you set the birds mouth even on the top plate”. “Trusses??!! Who needs trusses, this is how Alaskan Dick would do it”. That may be true but Alaskan Dick didn’t have Construction “Dick” barking in his ear 24/7. Geeesh, you’d think he would he gotten over that 4 year enlistment by now..

It rained a toad strangler the night prior to commencing work. So, before work could start, I drilled some 1/2” holes in the perfectly good floor, IOT drain out the unwanted water. By noonish CB determined it would only be “semi suicidal” to crawl around on the wet walls and scaffolding to set the ridge pole.

When CB is not on the verge of a stress induced cardiac arrest, he’s actually a very skilled carpenter. Setting the initial pair of rafters against the old cabin and making sure we were plumb, straight and level on the ridge pole was done professionally, without broken bones or permanent scarring.


1st (1/2) days effort.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

With CB threatening to fire me if I didn’t start working with a purpose, I vowed to work and not quit until we finished setting at least 12ft of rafters. Besides, I really needed this job, Christmas was right around the corner.

13 December 2024.

An ambiguous start. Spent the better part of an hour shoveling snow off of the floor. Unloading trailer, stacking material, building another scaffold and bringing CB a hot coffee. I really needed that paycheck.

The weather was cooperating that day as temps began to rise. Wouldn’t have mattered if it was 10*F, I stayed toasty warm hauling material, climbing up ladders, climbing down ladders, fetching nails, charging batteries, and bringing CB more coffee. I was going to get that Christmas Bonus even if it killed me…

Slowly, one by one, we set a solid 12ft of rafters. I managed to add the hurricane anchors while CB was taking his pre quilting time nap. Half way to glory with 12ft to go. All in all not a bad geezer day.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

December 17, 2024. A day that shall live in the “How to” construction journals for generations. OK, maybe that’s a tad bit hyperbolic but, it was a good day.

The spine was secure and locked in place. Minus the barge rafters, this portion was wrapping up. The day was clear and cold without precipitation . Dialed up the lumber yard and had our next invoice locked and loaded for the next day. Sheeting was on standby.

Can’t stress enough how good it was to work with a family business vice big chain. Once upon a time, the owner hung a shingle and practiced the dark arts. Now he runs arguably the most reputable lumber yard in my neck of the woods. It’s not always cheap but, it’s always first rate. If it’s not, bring it back, no questions…

So, the Meade Hall in all its grandeur, is starting to look like a medieval ruin. A standing skeleton against a blue sky. The specters of Pict (Picti) warriors keeping to the shadows. Silent, curious, waiting…Thirsty.

And then there’s Charlie, making off with my Horn again!!! Not cool Charlie.

Hard winter is coming on but, now that the ribs are up, it’s not far from a good stopping point. Just need another week…Roll those bones..

 

[ferg]

What about that solid insulation trying to escape?

 

[Chungas Revenge]

What about that solid insulation trying to escape?

It wintered there till spring.

I’m certain it was the flunky helping CB who forgot to glue it down. You can’t find good help these days.


Reattached later with Solar Seal and a wire insulation hanger.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

The race was on..

19 December 24

Our two man circus was making progress. It was slow progress, but steady. 5/8” sheeting wrapped with Titanium paper on the Eastern roof line. I was starting to feel pretty good about the prospect of getting things buttoned up before hard winter set in.

At this point, we were two months on the job, minus two weeks off for hunting season. On average, we worked about three days per week and about 6 hours per day. Not bad for geezers on parade.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

We have top cover.

20 December 24.

Sheeting going up on the western roof line. It was a tuff couple of days for the Nursing Home Duo. I was only fired once that day. I’d somehow managed to pick up the wrong size nails, requiring CB to really put some @$$ behind his hammer swings.
I let him sleep an extra 10 minutes at nap time that afternoon.


A perfectly honest mistake...

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Christmas break.

I have no responsibilities today and I’m on my second cup of “Portside Blend Dark Roast”.

With the roof under Titanium paper I felt pretty good going into the Holiday. Our goal was to touch base sometime shortly after the 25th take a look at the weather and make the final push.


Back on the hill 30 December.


Finishing up the gable end. We decided to cut out both casement windows and use one as an ingress / egress point. This is not the last time the casement window openings would be the subject of head scratching conjecture.

At the end of the day, minus house wrap, we were buttoned up. A minor celebratory gathering at CB’s wood shop was in order.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

It’s a wrap…


Let it rain, let it snow let the winter winds come down out of the mountains. We’d beaten our goal of having the Meade Hall stabilized and ready for the long winter by one day. 2025 was just wink away.

I’d installed the hurricane anchors on the rafters earlier. I still had one last task inside the shell to complete before breaking contact for the season.

I was looking forward to some down time.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

January 3, 2025.

Last meanderings of the season.

Clean up day. It started snowing that morning. The light-fluffy dry flakes were a good reminder we’d beaten the odds with a late OCT start date. We packed up our kit and loaded up the Tundra.

We sat inside the shell for the better part of an hour going over our setbacks, accomplishments and where to go next. We’d stolen a move on Old Man winter. Time to think about some mid season bird hunting, and getting “The Mule (2.0) in for some PHII upgrades. Idle hands.


By the time we were sealing up the Meade Hall the snow was picking up some momentum.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

No idle moments.


The one and only base drawing. This was probably version 5/6. It would change again in the coming months. This version had a center island as the focal gathering spot. I like maintaining that rigid state of flexibility when comes to design evolution..

Placed an order sometime in JAN 25 with a big chain store for windows. I’d scouted them out earlier and not wanting to commit funds unnecessarily if I could avoid it, waited until winter to green light the purchase (min 6 week turn around).

CB worked up the material list for the metal roofing. There’s a family owned local shop just across the river in Ohio that got the final nod. They had me in the pipeline and would have my order out the door with two days notice. My local go to lumber yard had a handful of invoices stacked and ready to execute.

January turned to March. When the “Neihbor’s” show up for lunch, it’s time to start work again..

 

[Chungas Revenge]

Shaking off the frost..

Mid March 2025.

The windows I’d ordered touched down in lower Babylon sometime around the 1st of March. Sent out a Warning Order to CB and touched base with my vendors. Loaded up the Tundra /trailer the morning of the 10th and pointed the nose East.

Felt good to be back “out yonder” even though the ground was a little damp and there was still a morning chill in the air.

Unbuttoned the window and entered. Dry. The floors, the walls, the ceiling. Everything was dry. Shameless plug for Titanium paper..

First order of business after setup was to install the casement window on the northwest corner. Measure opening. Measure window. Look of disbelief on my face as CB measured again. The windows were bigger. Not by just a little. Significantly bigger.

With the multi week turn around taking them back was not an option. Starting the new season off with a bang. Well, it was something easily solved with the prudent application of the Sawzall. CB got busy building new headers and cutting our cripples . I got busy making sawdust.

Short days work produced two new window cutouts and a casement window installed.

Checked my invoice that night. For sure, the big chain store simply sent a larger window. Total cost to me = 0$ and a couple extra hours work. Thanks Big Chain Store.!!!

 

[majdomo]

No idle moments.


The one and only base drawing. This was probably version 5/6. It would change again in the coming months. This version had a center island as the focal gathering spot. I like maintaining that rigid state of flexibility when comes to design evolution..

Placed an order sometime in JAN 25 with a big chain store for windows. I’d scouted them out earlier and not wanting to commit funds unnecessarily if I could avoid it, waited until winter to green light the purchase (min 6 week turn around).

CB worked up the material list for the metal roofing. There’s a family owned local shop just across the river in Ohio that got the final nod. They had me in the pipeline and would have my order out the door with two days notice. My local go to lumber yard had a handful of invoices stacked and ready to execute.

January turned to March. When the “Neihbor’s” show up for lunch, it’s time to start work again..

View attachment 4042747

View attachment 4042748

View attachment 4042749

When they show up for "lunch" you mean turkey sandwiches! Turkey salad! Turkey gravy! Turkey Hash! Turkey a la King! Or gallons of turkey soup!

 

[Chungas Revenge]

When they show up for "lunch" you mean turkey sandwiches! Turkey salad! Turkey gravy! Turkey Hash! Turkey a la King! Or gallons of turkey soup!

I couldn’t look you in the eye and tell you I’ve never taken a “Yard Bird”.

 

[Chungas Revenge]

And there was light.


CB called with some family news that prevented him from making the trek out to the county. Sure, I could wait. But I couldn’t. I wasn’t going to pass on the prospect of earning more points on my apprentice card.


With the house wrap up and sheeting over our cutouts, it was muted twilight inside the shell. Gave the generator a tug to start, plugged in my new favorite tool and got busy making wood chips. I started on the 36x36 window on the eastern wall. Using the frame as a guide I zipped down the sides, top and bottom. When I shoved the sheeting turned to scrap wood out of the frame, sunlight flooded the room. Yesss, glorious golden light. It’s as if the room came alive and began to breath.

I spent the next few minutes cutting out the reminding 36x36”and 24x24” bathroom window. Sunlight poured in to the openings.

Revving up the Sawzall in my hand, I looked over at the door still covered in sheeting and smiled…Were going full Monty!!!

Mounting the windows was almost anticlimactic compared to the mornings breaching of the walls.

Photo #1 and #4 edited for context. Later photos to show bathroom/casement windows.

 

[RevISK]

This is fun.

I know which end of a hammer to hold most of the time and I have both metric and SAE circular saws. Holler for the next addition.

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

That is nicer than 90% of Berkeley county.