All by myself ...

10 - 15 August 2015

A day on my own, then a few days, and then a full week on my own, and bales itching to be put in the wall. 

 My first solo bale-splitting - into five 20cm bricks, to stuff up the left side of the window in the South West corner, by the front door:

 Which started out as an open structure with a large plywood box frame for the window.

  Some time later: straw stuffed up the left side, along the bottom under the plywood, and one full bale put up on top - Dave was here for that, but even so, it was an effort.

 From the outside, the ladder frame that will be the edge of the front door entryway - holding the split bale blocks in place.

 But as this corner is a very peculiar twisted-diamond shape it requires a lot of loose straw stuffing (around the bale blocks), so I had to put some vertical laths in this bit of wall (to the left of the front door from the inside).  Straw can be shoved in tight against this structure.

 From the outside - pics above and below - the front door area as the blocks and loose straw go in.  I had to stop here because the front door lintel will rest on the ladder frame, and I didn't want to pack it out with straw before the woodwork is done.

And, my ultimate triumph: another nearly-full bale on top of the window - installed entirely by me!  Not easily, either.  It involved a rope over a high beam and a lot of pushing and pulling, and loads of straw pieces and dust sticking to my sweat all over.  Required a cold shower immediately on completion - but very pleased with myself  ;-)