Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial: Part 8

Another day in paradise. You can just make out Mt. Rainier emerging from the morning mist across the bay from our jobsite. The ferry comes by about twice an hour from early morning to late at night. We've learned to time our visits to the Espresso Shop to avoid the surge in the tide of traffic that coincides with the boat's arrival and departure.

Left: Wayne Kapitaniuk (BC) warming up the hollow chisel mortiser loaned to us by the remarkably well-equiped Armistead Coleman (WA).

Everything you have heard about the coffee culture around Seattle is true. Right: This carafe will pack a 45kva punch, which ought to get anyone through the day.

Leadership Team guru James Wiester (CA) dons his signature Samurai Board Oiler ensemble to lead the charge on the ceiling boards. It's a nasty job (note the respirator) appropriate for leadership to take on. The climate out here encourages the use of some particularly toxic wood finishes for exterior applications.

Many thanks to Tom Salisbury and company, who have turned their entire shop over to us for a couple of days (and nights). It has made a big difference in the success of this project schedule. It's a well thought-out shop, and we filled every corner of it with shavings redolent of cedar. All the roof boards were processed here, as were the fluted columns and the blind mortises for the seismic fasteners.

Detail of fluted posts and seismic gizmo in Salisbury's shop under the lights. Columns will be hand planed to that brilliant finish we have come to admire and strive to duplicate. These Alaskan Yellow Cedar timbers are nearly perfect.

Right: Allan Peoples (CA) gives his all with the roto-hammer to make the holes that will receive the spooge that will connect the seismic plates to the foundation.

Here is what a couple of days in the Salisbury Shop can do: all the red cedar ceiling boards for the pavilions, plus an 8 pack of fluted half posts. View show top tenons on those posts. The hole will receive another kind of seismic anchor. Thanks again to Tom Salisbury, and to Paul Webber, too. (It's his truck.)

Fit up begins. Left to right: Tim Brennan (CA), James Wiester (obscured), Allan Peoples (CA), Jesse Krause (WA), and Wayne Kapitaniuk (BC) muscle a flawlessly hand-planed plate into position as assembly gets underway. We are building the roof on the ground to simplify access.