OK, it's the one for which you've all been waiting

[Ed Harrow]

Rather than continue to add picts, which can take a long time to download for those of us on phone lines, I'm just going to keep replacing the picture and adding new notes weekly. I'm going to create a file on Photopoint just for these weekly picts, for those who wish to look back and see if they can detect the change. If I really get my act together I'll create a website.

Still running into dead ends attempting to find an inside storage location for the mast. Those who are willing are too short (once by mere inches), others who may have the required length feel they are full up. Also still puzzling on the shelter bit. I thought the bow-roof design made with strapping would do the job, but I'm seeing some limitations, and my call to Dave Stimson has not been returned, so I'm looking more to the PVC hoop idea, but I'm concerned about it's ability to carry snow loads...

I'm starting to shop for major timbers (keel and sternpost for certain). I guess next on the agenda (in addition to the cover) is to continue to empty her out, which requires that I have a suitable storage area (read that build one) and continue efforts to find long-term storage for the mast.

Back to work next week, tho on Friday I think I am going to the Lawley shin dig.

[J. Dillon]

Ed,

An idea occured to me about storage for your mast. What about putting it in a length of PVC pipe ? Or how about using clyindrical concrete form tubes. The kind they use in bridge construction. I don't know what lengths they come in, or dia. or where to get them,but if too short some means of butting them together and perhaps duck tape might be adaquate for water proofing.

JD

[PaulSch]

Ed:

I once found myself in possession of a 32 foot wooden mast, and a 24 foot garage. Fortunately, my garage is attached. So... the interesting end of the mast resided in my study. Mr true friends understood, and the others, well, they just didn't understand.

Good luck

[RGM]

Ed, where I work we frequently have to provide temporary covers for the boats that we are working on. We have a green house building outfit bend up frames/arches for us. It's actually inexpensive, the whole thing is basically a kit made from galvanized steel tubing that is assembled with sheet metal screws. We cover our frame work with skrink wrap but you could cover yours with whatever you wanted. When you are done with it you can sell it or modify it and keep it as a green house. There must be a similar green house building business close to you.

[PugetSound]

RGM has the right idea. What he has described is exactly what the U.S. Navy does when it has to paint the topsides (you should see the entire superstructure of a carrier sheathed in this stuff).

Just for luck, you might check with DRMO (Defense ReUtilization & Maintenance Office) to see if they have any of this stuff cheap.

[Concordia41]

Someone posted this a while back. www.FarmTek.com They have the entire gamut of shelters from lightweight tents to permanent greenhouse-type buildings. They also sell by the piece vs. buying a whole kit.

They also have lots of tools and things like gloves, dust masks, etc. at a lot better prices than the cataloges with boats on the front...

Thanks to whoever posted it first...

[Rich VanValkenburg]

Ed, Rather than store my mast at ground level in the way of everyone else, they hung it from the trusses with nylon straps. Good long term solution.

[Dale Harvey]

As I posted elsewhere, old trampoline frames are usually thrown out as useless. The one I have will produce four semi-circles of about twelve foot. You are not supposed to weld galvanized pipe because of deadly fumes, but a bit of work with a grinder and carefull attention will get you by. Any cheap buzzbox welder will do this kind of work with 1/16 rod. Cutting half off the leg collars and welding onto the other side, produces a frame that can be joined with sections of old TV antenna or chain link fencepipe. The resulting framework is stronger than most kits I have seen. Heaviest tarps from the farm supply, or an old over the road truck tarp, will make a dandy shed. Cost savings will allow the shed to be long enough for the mast.

[Phil Young]

Ed, the mast will be stored for a few years. Can you remove a few tiles, or a sheet of metal or whatever your house is roofed with, slide it in and close it up? Depends how your house is built I guess.

[Ed Harrow]

Dale, I'm concerned that soon the Hopkinton Police blotter will note the mysterious disappearance of multiple trampolines rather than (And this is a TRUE entry) "7:09 AM. A Wood Street teenager called 911 to complain because his parents woke him up to go to school."

I'm going with the bow-roof on a 3 or 4' kneewall. Maybe next week's pict will show a pile of lumber...

Phil, I was measuring the house today because I want to get some additional ventillation/fan etc. The house is about 54' long, so that is a possibility, but right now it gets hot as hell up there and that doesn't seem like the best arrangement.

Friday it's off to the Lawley Owners' shindig. If there's anything of general interest I'll have the camera at the ready.

[John B]

Just think what you could do with 3 or 4 dog kennels and some scaffold tubes for ridge poles. Much lower profile crime too. Whats a few uncomfortable dogs compared to a bunch a kids complaining about heavy landings?. The dogs wouldn't be so vocal either.

[R Joynt]

Just a wild thought; why not tuck it under the eaves on the rear of your house? Pulleys should do it and it would be out of the weather.

Or just call me 'silly'

Bob

[Ed Harrow]

Bob, that's a great plan, I've used it in the past, but even tho our house is 50 whatever feet long, there's a couple of jogs partway along so the longest bit that I could hang the mast from is less than 30 feet.

Now if I could just figure out how to get it into the basement...

"Whats a few uncomfortable dogs" ROTFLMHO, somehow I don't think THAT would play out around here, John.

Margo, thanks for the tip on Farmtek. I found their site a wee bit hard to navigate, but, like you said, interesting stuff at reasonable prices.

[TomRobb]

There's no basement window where you need it?
Install one

[Andrew]

Here in NC the Dept of Agriculture has a website which, among other things has a classifieds of misc. stuff. Barns sheds and outbuildings often show up, form 14' to 40' and greater in length. These are often yours for the removal. Maybe your ag-extention service has something similar.

[htom]

I'm not sure what "inside storage" you want for the mast, but if it's only for weather protection (rain, snow, ...) I'd look for some damaged (hence cheap) 10" and 12" PVC pipes, a bit more than half the length of the mast in both sizes, cut them in half lengthwise, make the 10" pieces into a trough, lay the mast into it, and cover with the 12" pieces. 'Twould be ugly, I admit, but easier to get the mast into than most places.

[jeff pierce]

I'm liking the general PVC pipe concept, although I have absolutely 0 experience to back it up. However, why slice the pipe lengthwise? PVC pipe comes with standard coupling fittings to join lengths together using PVC cement. You could make a continuous sleeve for the mast this way. You could end it with standard end caps to make a watertight, airtight, mast eating insect tight "mast case". You would, of course, have to make sure the mast and the pipe were completely dry before closing it up. It should survive just about anything mother nature doles out (except maybe a tree falling on it). If its too difficult to feed the entire length of the mast into a completed sleeve, slide the stock lengths of pipe and the couplings on individually and assemble them around the mast.

Does anyone see a problem with this method?

[steve sparhawk]

I have a 36 foot wood mast which has been living out in the weather for several years with a good two coats of exterior house paint. I figured that, without covering, it wouldn't accumulate any pockets of moisture as a growth medium. It's here in South Dakota where all sorts of weather is usual and it looks as nice as when set up on supports. I have made sure it was stored straight and has stayed that way. The white paint keeps it cooler in summer and disguised in winter.

[Lima Bean]

There is always the idea of having a flag pole in the yard for next three years to have ole glory waving.

I like the idea of the pvc pipe, since it could afterwards be converted into several nice sets of steam boxes for bending wood.

One would think that you have a daylight window in that house somewhere for the basement, now would be the time. As if you need another distraction to spend time and money.

[Ed Harrow]

There is a window in a relatively suitable location re this house, but the next house is, I think, a wee bit to close to get the mast in going in the needed direction. Then, of course, there's all the stuff that's now hanging about the basement.

If moisture could be eliminated the PVC sounds possible. I could pack it with activated charcoal, pump on it a bit with a vacuum pump, and that would probably keep it pretty good. Still and all, having it indoors where I might even be able to work on it seems far and away the best idea. I'll keep plugging.