My Version of a Kids' Play Structure

The Challenge:
I had a lot of wood I couldn't burn inside (i.e., cedar and pine), and I wasn't able to burn it fast enough in the outdoor fire pits. We also adopted a slide from grandparents and need to put it to use or give it away. I didn't want a monstrosity of a structure dominating the yard, so I came up with my own design with nontraditional materials, I suppose.

The Solution (for now):
I added a second log stack (supported/flanked by 4 t-posts) and connected it to the existing (taller) one with a pre-cut, 3-step staircase. I used standard posts for railing, leftover cedar shingles (from roofing the adjoining hut) for a small shelter on top, and tongue-and-groove cedar for the floor.



To access the slide, I staggered longer logs on the back to serve as climbing steps (above). I also added a climbing wall (below) as a second access point for the covered tower (on top of the taller log stack). I connected climbing holds to signboard (MDO, not to be confused with MDF) with the usual 3/8" t-nuts. The planters in front of the stacks is a nice addition for summer snacking on tomatoes and mint.


Overall, I'm happy with the results. It was a good use of the materials I already had, and the smallest members have given their seal of approval. I am told the tower "is the perfect reading spot" and great for relaxing out of the sun. The biggest challenge was positioning the log stacks so the pre-cut stairs would line up. A little 10th-grade geometry came in handy--thanks Mr. Herder.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Oh $#@%, My Captain!

Taking on Water (the engine and pontoon in the foreground is sinking)

Day 1: Tuesday, July 20
Last Tuesday morning started like any morning. I got to work early hoping to get some writing done. The am hours were clipping along quite well until I receive a call at 10 o'clock. It was the marina manager who told me, "I hate to tell you this, but your boat is taking on a lot of water." I immediately left for the marina, drove who knows how fast, and arrived to find the boat dramatically tipping up on the front right-hand side.
"What do I do?" I wondered. What would you do? I had no idea. Fortunately, the water had not reached the deck, but who knows how long until it did. I knew that I had to drain the pontoons, but how? I was going to get that lesson from the previous owner when they returned from a trip to Mexico. That wasn't until the 25th, and this was the 20th. I searched through the closet, found what looked like a miniature pump (it had two places to attached a hose, one labeled "in" and the other "out"), loosed what I knew to be the pontoon plug, and got to work.
In the meanwhile, I needed to figure out how I would get the pontoon fixed. That required getting it out of the water, but we don't have a trailer. The marina manager suggested Wain (not Wayne), a guy who works at a nearby welding shop. I called Wain, but he didn't think his trailer would work. I call three other places: one was retired, another had a trailer but it was out west, and the third didn't think his trailer would fit our boat. I called Wain back, and he agreed that we could give his trailer, with some modifications, a try the next day.
The rest of Tuesday, I prepared the boat for an overnight stay. I was able to fix the air conditioner. (I can't give myself too much credit, because I really don't know what I'm doing. I just opened the cover and pushed on what looked like a suspended drum. That apparently loosened it enough to get it spinning and cool air blowing.) This was the first night any of us had slept on the boat, and this wasn't the type of occasion I had in mind. I just wanted to be able to monitor the amount of water that came back in the pontoon.
The "slumber party of one" was fine. I dug out my old Nintendo Entertainment System (the old 1985 console) and a few games, hooked them up to an old tv and basically just hung out. That morning, I boiled water for the coffee percolator on the grill. I also baked a few eggs over some sausage I cooked in a cast iron pot. Under other circumstances, it would have been the perfect morning meal on the boat.

Getting the Boat out of the Water

Day 2: Wednesday, July 21 Wednesday was pretty low key. I pumped more water out of the pontoon, went back to the house to get cleaned up, and began assessing what work I would want to get done on the boat while it was dry docked. The marina gave me a one-week permit to be parked near the dock. After that, I would have to beg for a few more days or move the boat elsewhere. What could I do in a week? Well, I knew I wanted to:

1. repaint the railing and railing panels,
2. repair the outside decking,
3. lay new carpet, and
4. fix the gas line for the oven and hot water tank.

The interior needs work, too, but I figured the four tasks I listed above would be easier to accomplish with the boat out of the water. And I was actually looking forward to beginning the restoration process. In fact, I recognized that I was building a weird relationship with this vessel that had just about did me in. It was as if I had been presented with an immense challenge I was determined to accomplish. It was either the boat or me. (I never read Moby Dick, but I imagine that the sailor had a similar fear/respect/admiration for that karn-sarn whale. The sailor doesn't die in the end, right?)

That evening, Wain called for me to meet him out at the dock. There, he had the trailer hooked to the front of his tractor, which he was able to drive further into the lake to load the boat. It just took two tries for me to get the boat on the trailer. It was a tight fix, and navigating that boat is definitely an acquired skill. He slowly pulled the boat up the ramp to the spot where it finally rested.
Now, the next challenge was bracing the pontoons on the left-hand side. Since there was still so much weight in the boat, it was buckling the entire structure. The only part of the boat resting on the trailer was the middle section. The pontoons hung out on the sides, unsupported. I raced to a few different stores and finally found the proper 3 ton floor jack. I picked up a couple of friends and headed back to the boat. By dark, we had the pontoon properly blocked.

Day 3: Thursday, July 22
Around 1:30 am, my dad arrived from Missouri. My mother had already been here helping us take care of our daughter while her daycare is closed for a two-week vacation. That morning, my dad and I got to working labeling and removing the railing and panelings around the boat, tearing up the carpet, and assessing the plywood decking. That afternoon, I wasn't able to work on the boat because I had to finish writing and submitting a conference presentation proposal. Later that evening, we took a break and went to 17th Street BBQ for dinner and another hardware store to check about outdoor carpet. I finally got a hold of my engine guy, Jerry, and made plans to meet him at the boat on Saturday morning.

Day 4: Friday, July 23
Today, we continued to take off the railing and panels. I went to check about paint and borrowed an electric pressure washer to clean the pontoons so Wain could assess where our leak was. We soon discovered that the electric washer would not do the trick as quickly as I had hoped. So, my dad and I are now the proud owners of a 2700 psi gas-powered pressure washer. That night, I finished spraying the grime off of the pontoons. Washing the outer sides of the pontoons was no problem, but washing them on the insides underneath the trailer made it a miserably wet and uncomfortable process.

Day 5: Saturday, July 24
We met Jerry at the boat at 7am. While he assessed the motors, we scraped the sides of the boat. Fortunately, the engine work will be minimal, at least when compared to the rebuilds we feared. That afternoon, we went to a birthday party at the Trail of Tears park in the Shawnee National Forest. It is absolutely beautiful there.

Culprit #1: Crack in side of Pontoon that Allowed Water to Reach Culprit #2

Culprit #2: Crack (center of photo) on Top of the Pontoon

Day 6: Sunday, July 25 Today has been the most pleasant day (weather-wise) so far. This morning we scraped the panels. Around 10:30am we went to the boat to begin supporting decking. Wain and (another) Jerry finished welding the cracks in the pontoons. As you can see from the photographs, the spot where they had to weld supports is where the engines are attached. They had not been attached properly and had been pulling on the old welds. We took measurements for boards to support the rest of the flooring and headed back to the house. Right now, we've been resting and I've had enough time to update this blog. I'll continue to post updates as the restoration progresses. Here's to Moby Dick.

The Naked Boat (Let's Hope She Looks Better in a Week)

Projects (Small, Large, and Mostly Incomplete)

It's been over a month since my last post. Since the winter holiday break, the time I have had to work on the house has been limited, to say the very least; however, there have been a few opportunities to get in an hour here and there. Instead of waiting to make a post when the countless projects are finished, I decided to give an "in progress" update. (Perhaps looking back at the rough conditions these items are in at this point will make me even more appreciative--I hope--of the final product.)

MODERN LOG HOLDER (status: need to construct and paint center "element")
Several years ago, I grabbed this inspiration photograph off the web. This was a time when I was new to modern home design and desperate to find any ideas online. It was also before I ran across (or even considered the possibility of) resourceful blogs. During the holiday break, I decided the 20-degree weather was no reason to stay inside. I built the bottom "sled" out of scrap wood and attached cables at both ends to serve as inconspicuous supports (the inspiration design has posts instead). Right now, the logs are stacked, and all I need to do is build and paint the rectangle "element" for the middle. I imagine I'll use the left over orange paint we used for the front door.

INSPIRATION PHOTO

Inspiration photo via... (I lifted it from the web in 2007 but don't remember where)

Working in 20-degree weather is a good excuse for a fire

Photo of cable supports attached to ceiling of overhang

FRONT COURTYARD FENCE (status: need to paint posts as well as stain and attach cross pieces; redirect and rewire new lights; weld, paint, and attach new gate)
We've been really missing our front courtyard fence. The old one was totally shot due to dry rot. Instead of painting it the new house color, I decided to tear it out last fall and wait until spring for a proper replacement. (I uploaded inspiration photos in a previous post.) The time has come, and though the progress has been slow, we should see this project completed next month. The bonus will be the addition of gate. I have a design in mind; I just need to see if I have some brother-in-laws willing to help me with the welding.

Construction begins on the fence with new posts set in concrete

Design idea for front gate (correction: cut pipes crosswise, not lengthwise)

A guy buys 6 jugs of rum... (or Happy Holidays)

Ah, yes, the holiday season is upon us. That means decking the halls and lovin' the libations. Speaking of which, we started something last year that is quickly becoming a yearly tradition: giving our friends and family homemade spiced rum. The inspiration came from a super simple recipe in Luscious Liqueurs. All you need is:

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (we suggest fresh)
1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
3/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 cups white rum
3/4 cup simple syrup (add in week 2)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
and 5 weeks

Sure, you can buy pre-made spiced rum, but it doesn't compare. We're also trying a new recipe for homemade chocolate liquor. We'll hold out on the recipe until success is confirmed. It's basically cocoa nibs and whole vanilla beans in white rum, which should be excellent any way you shake it. Happy Holidays, everyone.

Soldiers lined up for the occupation (of our holidays)

Sunny Modern San Diego (2 of 2)

Doors, doors, doors. The entryway to a home can make an immediate impression and disclose the aesthetic that lies beyond the threshold. To say the least, I was greatly inspired by the dwellings that surrounded my hotel in San Diego. During a conference last week, I stayed at the Porto Vista Hotel in downtown (just a block off of India Street in the center of Little Italy). My mile walk to and from the conference hotels was a real joy, as you will see from the photographs above. These are several examples of inspiration that will likely find their way to our upcoming plans for renovations. The first photo is bland (admittedly); however, the stoop/step made from aluminum sheet metal typically used for truck bed tool boxes is wicked smart. This material would make a great base for our recently purchased Come In/Go Away Doormat from Phorm in Springfield, MO. The second photo won't likely make it in any of our designs, but the pivot point being a third of the way in on the door is really cool. It's not entirely clear in the third photo, but the use of rusted metal makes for a very modern look, especially when paired with a simple design. (Do I hear planters and a few welding lessons in my future...? Why, yes I do.) Finally, the slim door windows in the last two photos take the prize. We've been considering some Doorlite Kits from Crestview Doors; now we're convinced that it is a great look. The bonus: all it will require is our existing door, $79.00, and a little patience.

Sunny Modern San Diego (1 of 2)

CUT METAL DETAILS: It is amazing what a laser, high-pressure water, or torch can cut. Above are several examples of details I saw over the last week in San Diego, primarily near Little Italy.

Oh, that Eero Saarinen

Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum via kcmodern

In our fascination with all things modern, we've grown quite smitten with Eero Saarinen's furniture designs. Big favorites are the Womb Chair (1948) and the Executive Chair (1957). The latter was part of Saarinen's innovative use of a fiberglass frame that fits to the body and flexes with its weight. Covered with cloth or leather, it makes for an incredibly comfortable chair. On a much larger scale, his architectural design pursuits included one of the icons of the Midwest, the St. Louis Gateway Arch. Through a post on kcmodern, I saw that the traveling exhibit, Eero saarinen: Shaping the Future, has made its most recent stop at the Mildred Lane Kember Art Museum in St. Louis, MO. The January issue of Metropolis magazine reviewed the exhibit, which is now in St. Louis through April 27th. We cannot wait to go.
—Grant