Category: Material

Updates

10/10/2012

Just though I would throw some updates on here, things have been very busy since the last post. Just built and installed a tv mount for the Innovation Center. The interior design is industrial/innovative, so I used 2" sqaure tubing and 1/4" plate and went from floor to ceiling. supporting 30 lbs of tv.....no problem. Also, just finishing up privacy issues in an office for another commercial client. Black out flim on glass doors and installing verticle blinds in front of 9 foot tall windows, that should do the trick.
The entry wall in my house has been framed and drywalled, currently waiting for mud to dry so I can sand and apply the next coat. I'm thinking of putting marble on the floor for a grand entrance. Over the summer I have also installed some new windows and insulation and removed alot of plaster and lath.
A couple of large projects still in the works and I'm hoping these will come through to get us through the winter. Keep checking here or an FB or Pinterest, or LinkedIn for updates and project info and even pics.

Contractors

3/12/2011

I have read a few articles on msn.com lately about contractors and home projects. These articles are good thought provokers and bring to light some good points, but maybe some that don't apply to your particular area, county, or city. Obviously if you are doing a home remodel project on a house you plan on selling, you want to make sure the project will add value to your home as well as functionality. If you don't plan on selling the home, then adding value may not be as important as funtionality or "want to". It's your decision and your home, take your time and make lists.
In these difficult times there may be some shady contractors or even fly-by-night guys out there. If you want quality work there is a price to be paid. Here's a good saying: "Cheap work isn't good and good work isn't cheap." Not always the case, but something to keep in mind. I know statistically the price of work has come down, but the price of material has not. So you might find the contractor cheaper, but expect to pay the same if not more for material. Many contractors out there are willing to discount their work just to get the job and there's nothing wrong with helping those in your community out. The things I would watch out for are guys you charge not only for material used on the job, but all the material they bought and maybe even contractors who charge by the hour. In remodeling you don't know what you are going to find behind drywall or plaster or under the floor or in the pipes until you get into it. There's nothing worse than under estimating and over paying. For me it's just easier to charge by the job and then however long it takes is on me. It also may be a good idea to check with your local Chamber of Commerce to see if the contractor is a member. The guys who invest in their community are the ones you can normally count on. Also, if something should happen to be wrong or go wrong after completion, a good contractor will come back and fix it at no cost.
There may be some unique situations also. If you know a contractor personally or have a good relationship with one, there may be times where some "experimentation" comes up. New systems or new materials may be introduced or maybe it's just gain some experience, the contractor may approach the home owner with this idea. I guess the home owner may approach the contractor with this idea, who knows it's a crazy world. If this situation does come up you ,the homeowner, could possibly get the work done for the price of materials. Just saying, if you don't mind being the guinea pig it might be a worth while venture.
All in all, remodeling and renovation don't have to be scary or bad projects. Make some lists, decide what you want and start asking questions. Contractors may not have all the answers and may have questions themselves. It's going to take time, life isn't a one hour tv show, it going to take some money, and there will be dust. Remember, the lowest bid isn't always the best and the job will only be as good as the material you are working with. Don't expect a million dollar bathroom for two thousand dollars. Happy remodeling!

Plate Rail Complete

27/10/2011

Today I finished the plate rail and here is how I did it. If you read the previous post, you would know that I started with a 5 panel door that was at least 60 years old. Getting this door apart was a challenge, the tenon joints were extremly tight and, of coarse, there were little finish nails hidden below the surface that had to be removed before anything was coming off. I wasn't sure of the type of wood the door was made from since it had a finish over it, come to find out it was pine and extremely soft! My client wanted the rail to be about 80" long so the ledger needed to be 78" ( a one inch over hang on the ends is standard if the plate rail is to be used as a shelf), the door had plenty and I could even saw off some bad places. The rail and ledger are made from the long side beams of the door, the vertical parts that hold it all together, the panels and horizontal beams sit in grooves cut into the vertical beams. After the door was apart, I had to come up with a plan to fill these grooves since my client wanted the routered detail to remain. I decided to use the panels, they came from the gooves anyway so they fit and it would save time by not having to cut a piece down from some other stock. I cut them so that the filler pieces would sit flush with the front of the routered edge, I think it looks better this way. I had to cut two pieces per rail because the panels were not 80" long, but it worked out fine. I glued them in place after they were sanded and polyurethaned. I also wanted to use them to give some light contrast to the already dark finish on the wood, this allows the routered detail to stand out and be noticed. I also cut a groove into the top rail that is 1/8" deep and 3/16" wide so that plates or other things will have a place to sit and "grab" the rail and not slide off. When that was complete, I proceeded to assemble the rail and ledger, I used construction adhesive and brads to hold it together, made for a nice fit. The dental blocks were made from one of the smaller beams, I just used a table saw to cut them down to size, in this case the larger ones are 2" x 2 1/2" and the smaller ones are 1" x 2 1/2" and they are just glued on. I drilled holes in the larger blocks and into the ledger so that the knobs could be screwed into them and to allow extra space for the long studs. Now it's ready to be attached to the wall. I left the rails the original thickness, normally plate rails are thinner than this one, so it's chunky and it goes with the style of my clients house. It's a good DIY project that gets you that high end distressed look everyone is looking for right now, it also keeps good material out of the landfill. Use what you've got, it might just start a trend.

Plate Rail

18/10/2011

I am doing a couple of reclaimation projects, one on a front porch ceiling and one for a client who wanted a plate rail. My client, lets call her Jane, has a house built circa 1900 and had doors that came from the house at least 60 years ago. Well, instead of just throwing these away, Jane wanted to use one of the doors to make a plate rail. The doors came from the house, fit the houses' style, and it is a good use of the material, so that's what I set out to do. Getting the old door apart was a J-O-B. The crafstman sure did build them to last, but with the help of a motivator, a rubber mallet, and a couple of hours of using it to beat my head, the door finally gave up the fight. Whew, not a moment to soon, my head was getting sore. Anyway, I have the pieces cut and got a few details with Jane ironed out, we decided on dental blocks for moulding, I am ready to proceed with this project. I will get more pics up as the project progresses.

Sunday

14/8/2011

It's one of those lazy Sunday afternoons and I decided to do some research. I'm looking at ways to build radiused wall (walls with curves) and completely new custom shower systems. Like all things, construction materials are getting lighter and more composite, in a shower situation this is good. Traditional materials are subject to water and mold in a wet environment, but the new systems are impervious to water, at least in theroy. The ease of use has also improved over time. The new shower systems now have a styrofoam cored board covered in a water proof membrane and these can be used on concrete walls, cinderblock, and even over studs. Then the tile is installed the same manner using thinset. This foam is even structure to the point that benches and seats can mbe made out of it and installed in the shower. No 2x4 studs or concrete board, just lightweight styrofoam. For those that like warm floors, manufacturers even make a floor warming system to be used in conjunction with this light tile backing material. Although, a fire rating has not been established by the manufacturer, so maybe putting this off is a good idea. How does a radiused wall come into play? The foam board can be cut in such a way that it can be bent around a radius and therefore making your custom shower design a reality. So far I like Kerdi board and Wedi products for shower systems. There are not any local distributors of these materials, but regional contacts. So, if you are looking to get a high end design with cutting edge construction technology, what are you waiting for? I have requested price lists and catalogs and I am looking far anyone who is wanting to experiment.....

Antique Iron Fence

17/5/2011

The iron fence is up and on the ReStore. According to the oldest person in the neighborhood, this fence has been standing for over 100 years. The iron is still solid and sound and would be a great garden or yard décor item. Plenty of life left in it, If taken care of, this will last another 100 years. Stop by and check it out, the total length of the three sections is 12 feet.

Antique Iron Fence

14/5/2011

Coming soon: Antique iron fence, over 12 linear feet. Watch the Re store for pics and purchase info.

Spalted Maple

14/5/2011

Well the wood blanks or chunks that I have are Spalted Maple. Spalted because of the markings in the wood. This is sought after for its unique markings and if you look it up online, it's pricey stuff to get. I have several hundred pounds and if anyone is interested in it please let me know. Here is some info from spaltedmaplelumber.com

Spalting

Spalting is any form of wood coloration caused by fungi. Although primarily found in dead trees, it can also occur under stressed tree conditions or even in living trees. There are four distinct types of spalting. However, only three of them are actually considered pleasing.

Contents 1 Types 1.1 Pigmentation 1.2 White Rot 1.3 Zone Lines 2 Conditions 3 Commonly Spalted Woods 4 Common Spalting Fungi 5 Spalting Research 6 References

Types Spalting is divided into three main types: pigmentation, white rot and zone lines. Spalted wood may exhibit one or all of these types in varying degrees.

Pigmentation Also known as sapstain, or in its most common form, bluestain, this type of spalting occurs when the darkly-pigmented fungal hyphae grow in the sapwood parenchyma of a tree [1][2]. A visible color change can be seen if enough hyphae are concentrated in an area [3]. These pigmentation fungi often colonize wood via the rays, but are not considered decay fungi due to their non-destructive use of easily available wood carbohydrates [4][5]. The most common groups of pigmentation fungi are the imperfect fungi and the Ascomycetes [5]. Mold fungi, such as Trichoderma spp., are not considered to be spalting fungi, as their hyphae do not colonize the wood internally.

While pigmentation fungi do not degrade the wood cell wall, this type of decay can lead to a reduction in toughness (amount of energy absorbed before breaking), and increased permeability [6]. Pigmentation can occur on both hardwood and softwood, unlike other types of spalting which are more host specific.

White Rot The mottled white pockets and bleaching effect seen in spalted wood is due to white rot fungi. Primarily found on hardwoods, these fungi 'bleach' by consuming lignin, which is the slightly pigmented area of a wood cell wall [7]. Some white rotting can also be caused by an effect similar to pigmentation, in which the white hyphae of a fungus, such as Trametes versicolor (Fr.) Pil., is so concentrated in an area that a visual effect is created [8].

Both strength and weight loss occur with white rot decay, causing the 'punky' area often referred to by woodworkers. Brown rots, the 'unpleasing' type of spalting, affect these same properties, but at a much faster rate [3]. Both types of rot, if left uncontrolled, will turn wood useless.

Zone Lines Dark dotting, winding lines and thin streaks of red, brown and black are known as zone lines. This type of spalting does not occur due to any specific type of fungus, but is instead an interaction zone in which different fungi have erected barriers to protect their resources [5]. The lines are often clumps of hard, dark mycelium, referred to as pseudosclerotial plate formation [9].

Zone lines themselves do not damage the wood. However, the fungi responsible for creating them often do.

Conditions Conditions required for spalting are the same as the conditions required for fungal growth: fixed nitrogen, micronutrients, water, warm temperatures and oxygen [10][3].

Water:

Wood must be saturated to a 20% moisture content or higher for fungal colonization to occur. However wood placed underwater lacks sufficient oxygen, and colonization cannot occur [6].

Temperature:

The majority of fungi prefer warm temperatures between 10 and 40°C [6], with rapid growth occurring between 20 and 32°C. [11]

Oxygen:

Fungi do not require much oxygen, but conditions such as waterlogging will inhibit growth [12] [13].

Time:

Different fungi require different amounts of time to colonize wood. Research conducted on some common spalting fungi found that Trametes versicolor, when paired with Bjerkandera adusta, took 8 weeks to spalt 1.5" cubes of Acer saccharum.[14] Colonization continued to progress after this time period, but the structural integrity of the wood was compromised. The same study also found that Polyporus brumalis, when paired with Trametes versicolor, required 10 weeks to spalt the same size cubes.

Commonly Spalted Woods The Ohio DNR found that pale hardwoods had the best ability to spalt . Some common trees in this category include maple (Acer spp.), birch (Betula spp.) and beech (Fagus spp.).

Common Spalting Fungi One of the more tricky aspects to spalting is that some fungi cannot colonize wood alone; they require other fungi to have gone before them to create more favorable conditions. Fungi progress in waves of primary and secondary colonizers [2], where primary colonizers initially capture and control resources, change the pH of the wood and its structure, and then must defend against secondary colonizers that then have the ability to colonize the substrate [2] [16].

Ceratocystis spp. (Ascomycetes) contains the most common blue stain fungi [17]. Trametes versicolor, (Basidiomycetes) is found all over the world and is a quick and efficient white rot of hardwoods [2]. Xylaria polymorpha (Pers. ex Mer.) Grev. (Ascomycetes) has been known to bleach wood, but is unique in that it is one of the few fungi that will erect zone lines without any antagonism from other fungi [18].

Spalting Research Initial lab work was conducted on spalting in the 1980s at Brigham Young University. A method for improving machinability in spalted wood using methyl methacrylate was developed in 1982 [19], and several white rot fungi responsible for zone line formation were identified in 1987 [20]. Current research at Michigan Technological University has identified specific time periods at which certain spalting fungi will interact, and how long it takes for said fungi to render the wood useless [14]. Researchers from this university also developed a test for evaluating the machinability of spalted wood using a universal test machine[21].

References ^ Corbett, N.H. (1975). Micro-morphological studies on the degradation of lignified cell walls by Ascomycetes and Fungi Imperfecti. J. Inst. Wood Sci. 14, 18-29. ^ a b c d Rayner, A.D.M., and Boddy, L. (1988). Fungal Decomposition of Wood. Its biology and Ecology. John Wiley and Sons: New York. ^ a b c Zabel, R.A., and Morrell, J.J. (1992). Wood Microbiology. Decay and Its Prevention. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Academic Press, INC: New York ^ Dowding, P. (1970). Colonization of freshly bared pine sapwood surfaces by staining fungi. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc., 55, 399-412. ^ a b c Rayner, A.D.M., and Todd, N.K. (1982). Population structure in wood-decomposing Basidiomycetes. Cambridge University Press: New York. ^ a b c Eaton, R.A., and Hale, M.D.C. (1993). Wood. Decay, pests, and protection. Chapman & Hall: New York. ^ Liese, W. (1970). Ultrastructural aspects of woody-tissue disintegration. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 8, 231-257. ^ Blanchette, R.A. (1984). Screening wood decayed by white rot fungi for preferential lignin degradation. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 48 (3), 647-653. ^ Cease, K.R., Blanchette, R.A., and Highley, T.L. (1989). Interactions

Wood available

8/5/2011

What we have here is a tree that was cut as standing dead. Using what little bark was left on it, I belive it is either maple or ash. Very unique, cool looking wood, very rustic. All of the colors and patterns are as they occured in the tree. I have this up on the ReStore. This would be good for wood workers to make bowls or tables or seats, will clean up very well! The bigger chunks are 100+ lbs. Let me know if you are intersted. Awesome project material!

Re-Store up and running

21/1/2011

If you havent' stopped by lately, the Re-store is up and running. I have several items there and I would like to move them. I can also foresee construction materials coming, so check back often to see what's avaiable.