Five Mixes to Go

After a very full weekend of work we have about 5 mixes left to finish the hemp walls. Work continued over the weekend despite bad weather. Friday we hemped the top of the main pavilion, catching up on the work that rain had prevented us from doing the previous weekend. The irony was that it was raining again, but this time from the usual south west direction, which meant that work on the north side of the building could continue under the protection of the eaves. Most of the work above the upper windows was done from inside the house on two milk crates on the scaffolding, however a rafter right on the line of the wall rafters meant that the two upper corners could only be done from the outside.  Awkwardly this was done by placing a ladder on a piece of scaffolding. The scaffolding was able to stack together, but the awning did not allow enough height for this to occur. Thankfully these were only small sections.

Hemping the outside corner at the highest spot in the house

In the clear weather we also attached the rafters for the awning on the front pavilion, but were behind our schedule and were still putting up form work on Saturday when help arrived in the form of our friends Martin and Nerida. They put in a full day of work, clocking up our latest ever finish as 6.20pm. Thanks to their efforts we were able to catch up and finish the front pavilion up to the bottom of the upper windows, and with Martin's assistance we finished the awnings on the front pavilion too (aside from the battens), including working out how to attach the hip rafter.

Working inside the top section of the wardrobe

Awning in the front pavilion finished

Awning on the front pavilion goes around the corner

Martin attaching form work above the awning

Work on Sunday took us up to the top of the upper windows, leaving about 20- 30cm to finish above the windows and along the front and top of the side wall. At the end of the weekend we only had 5 bags of binder left. I estimate that the work remaining may take about 5 or 6 mixes plus all the spacer holes we are yet to fill. The end is in sight.

Small sections at the top left to finish

Five bags of binder left

500 pieces of string from opening all the bags of binder

Nicole, a fellow member of the South Coast Hemp Builders Co-operative and I have come to an agreement to overcome our possible binder shortage. Next Saturday she is coming up to borrow the pan mixer for her hemp build and will lend us a bag of binder or two, which we can replace when we later go down and assist with her build.  

Hemp walls nearly finished

Awning over the front door

Front pavilion left to finish