The bright shining star of my upcoming weeks - new Ike Reilly Assassination release 23 November!!!! I've been listening to the bits they've released and ohmigod I can't wait!!
I think this is my favorite from the last album - it's got a total Phil Spector Wall of Sound aspect to it that I adore. Which reminds me - holiday music season coming up, Ike did a song called Christmas Star that I don't have, gotta find it...
beta, if you are in chicago and would like to meet up, I'm always available.
n_, so jealous! I read dan savage most weeks. What was your halloween costume?
tuna, I applaud your effort with the trim -- it's always been one of my dreams to have the time and energy (and money) to buy an old house and fix it up myself, thereby truly learning the crafstmanship involved. I think it would be astoundingly helpful to my ability to design detail, not to mention fun in a dorky way. But I am a person who likes to watch This Old House episodes whenever they are on.
On the flip side -- I'm not sure if you know about this so I feel compelled to tell you -- it isn't all that expensive to have a custom blade made to match whatever the trim in your house is, and chances are your trim was probably relatively common for its time period and therefore a good craftsman's mill shop would probably have the blade for it lying around. You'd have to have a special run made by the shop, since they wouldn't keep that kind of thing in stock, but it's not actually as pricey as you'd think. Last time I had a new blade cut, it cost about $400 (if I recall) and once they had the blade, (or if they already had the blade lying around) well the design of the trim profile itself doesn't cost any extra, so you're only paying for the labor of a custom run at that point. It really isn't that expensive.
Thanks Manta - I didn't know about that. I still don't think it would be something I would partake in though unless a piece of trim were far too damaged to "restore". With my luck I'd damage the plaster in some way and have to fix that.
Besides my bathroom is small and the trim itself was the easy part. It was actually the doors (main and linen) that I had the most issues with as they are the ones that had all the crevices. But that's all pretty much done. All that's pretty much left to do is painting. Still haven't decided if I'm keeping the inside of the linen closet the color it is now (orginal to the house maybe) or if I'm changing it to match what the color of the walls will be. We'll see.
melt her in the New Old England it is common to find alot of planing blades for different mold trims. Conway Hardwoods does alot of profiles you will most likely find in the off the shelf stores or online.
Their just a bunch of mill shop guys and gals cranking out trim the ole fashioned way.
yes snook that's where i learned it myself -- we always used to use custom or historic trim profile blades, in Boston where I used to work. I love that new england craftsman ethic! You really learn a lot working with those guys, eh snook?
Orochi that is a cool tool, but comparable to similar machines I think it is rather affordable. I have my doubts about it, but i would love to see an architectural office application of it; like say make a detailed model maybe even a component and how well does it carve non-wood items? Can some of the shop guys give some insight?
monica ponce de leon pointed out in her talk last night that most pre-made classical wood moldings available from major suppliers are cut using digitally-driven tools. she said this in reaction to the proposition that parametric modeling and other digital fabrication techniques might not become mainstream, arguing that - while they may not be mainstream in the design of buildings yet - the production of many building components has already gone digital.
Nam - Good to hear about your sister's path towards recovery.
OK, something totally unrelated to what everyone else is talking about, but I wanted to ask something while its on my mind (WWTCD): Anyone know what the potential drawback would be to buying a rowhouse property that has vacant properties adjacent on both sides? I can actually live with the fact it looks like I'm surrounded by haunted houses, so thats not a problem with me. And from what I understand the property value has already taken a hit by the fact that its surrounded by vacant houses on both sides on top of the housing prices going down in general. And potentially I could buy up one those properties and fix them up myself. But am I missing something here? (BTW they aren't just vacant, one is basically a shell without even windows or doors)
One drawback is pests, Slart. Basically if your house gets infested (or is already infested) with rodents, termites, bedbugs, anything like that, you won't get rid of them until you have neighbors who care. No matter what you do to get rid of them, if they are in neighboring houses (esp. rowhouses with shared walls), they'll get back into yours again and again. Plus, vacant houses are a draw for crime, though you'll have to be the judge of that depending on your locale.
Slart, water infiltration into the party wall through your neighbor's open windows and roof is your biggest problem, along with the chance of the vacant property getting so damaged that it collapses and pulls your house down with it - I have photos somewhere of when that happened in the 1300 block of South Street a few years back. Then you not only lose your house but you'll be barred from going into your house to rescue your stuff. That's worst case scenario (assuming you're not sleeping in the house when the neighbor collapses - that would be worse).
beta, did you clock Michelle Bachman in the face?! I'd be OK with that, frankly.
Steven I'm fascinated by inlaid wood cabinet doors currently available - the intricate wood pieces are cut by computers, but then assembled into the door by hand. They look unconvincing.
probably they're too perfect. the charm of inlay is often the curves that end up segmented because of the action of the chisel and the little voids that happen where the materials don't quite kiss.
i'd guess that laser cut inlays probably have the same slickness of waterjet cut vct... but maybe the point is that they shouldn't be trying to achieve the same kind of thing you get from hand-crafted - that they could figure out how to leverage the perfectness of this different kind of inlay process to make something that is of a completely different character and quality.
I've got my kid trained to sleep till 730 or 8! It's wonderful.
Yay for recovory.
Hand crafted always looks better on woods, maybe they should gear rowards slicker stuff. Techno, let us know how it turns out after you buy that printer.
monica ponce de leon pointed out in her talk last night that most pre-made classical wood moldings available from major suppliers are cut using digitally-driven tools. she said this in reaction to the proposition that parametric modeling and other digital fabrication techniques might not become mainstream, arguing that - while they may not be mainstream in the design of buildings yet - the production of many building components has already gone digital.
damn straight - that's why I think parametric design techniques are also potentially a new way of looking at ornament (which, like it or not, people still want - maybe not necessarily the symbolism, but the more the texture and intimacy) . I think the real reason that it hasn't gone mainstream is that everyone is still applying it to the entire building in one grand gesture. We need to think smaller.
One problem with hand-craft... same problem with hand sewn.
Attractive, high-quality items produced by white hands in first-world countries are expensive. You can get handcrafted by "some shit hole country" but the labor difference is ghastly.
A 2-drawer nightstand can run as much as 4,000 dollars if you buy one from a traditional Japanese woodworker. I've got to take two classes with someone who specialized in Kyoto joinery. I think there maybe max 20 workshops left in the world.
So, for the price, I'm not sure you can really beat a machine that's almost programmed to do the same exact thing as a traditional woodworker.
this weekend am taking my 2 classes on 2 separate filed trips. modern arch class is going to see 4 buildings in ueno park, with such luminaries including ando, kunio maekawa (if you don't know him you should check him out, amazing work), taniguchi, and le corbusier.
tomorrow for tokyo/edo class we are off to see butterfly collection of buildings of edo and meiji period in an open air architectural museum. the prefecture just gathered em up and threw them down in a park. pretty cool actually though sad without original context.
we just had 3 new clients walk in the door. am hoping we can get at least one of them to give us some work. whew. suddenly we are insanely busy.
Thanks for the tips on the property. I did think about the water infiltration issue, which I'm going to have to look into by looking at the vacant properties. I didn't think about the rodent issue though. Might explain the stray cat issue in that area...haha...no but really... As for crime, the area is really getting better and I think it won't be much of an issue. Its a really quiet street and aside from the two vacant properties, is actually nice.
The interview for the fellowship is tomorrow so I wanted to have a quiet night. Sure... My neighbor below me burned his pizza in the oven and the fire alarm went off. No fire, but he called 911 because of the ridiculously loud alarm and what do you know, 5 firemen show up ready for action. And they can't turn off the alarm because the basement is locked. So my neighbor wants to knock down the door and starts ramming it with his shoulder. I suggest "Why don't we just unscrew the screws holding up the lock?" And 1 screwdriver and 4 tiny screws later, we're in the basement turning off the alarm. Anywho, wish me luck on my interview. This should be interesting...
slarti- good luck with the interview!
the other big issue for row houses with empty properties next door is heat loss through the party wall. those party walls tend to not be insulated, so expect very high heating bills until they get occupied. Maybe you can purchase them too and get a double/triple wide pad.
put wheels on it and you can go mobile with your row house. If you looking to really dress it up an save some energy they now have the insulated vinyl siding....varooooom!
Hi guys, long time no talk. How is everyone? I'm sitting here watching the Bengals - Steelers game on the edge of my seat... could both of my Cincy teams possibly win this weekend, after my Trojans lost miserably? I'm definitely living in bizarro land. I'm happy I got to see the Bearcats and the Bengals on TV though... unusual for the West Coast, for sure.
I went on a bike ride yesterday from my apartment West of the city, over a big hill and into Downtown Portland. It ended up being almost an hour, and it was beautiful and scenic... except for the first mile. The first mile was almost straight uphill, and because I'm out of biking shape, it took me nearly 25 minutes. Bad news! But I survived.
Anyway, I hope everyone is well. I hope you'll also excuse my lack of participation around here lately... I've had a lot on my mind and I'm just trying to get used to my new life.
Alexander Walter, of Archinect's back-of-house, has just gotten engaged. Congratulations, Alexander and your love!
I need more of this kind of news - the happy kind that reminds me that while the world may be deeply fucked up, the people who occupy my little portion of that world tend to be wonderful, hard working, life-loving folks. Anyone got any?
It stings a bit more because I made it so far. When I started it, I pretty much approached it like a lottery ticket; if I didn't get it, I had nothing to lose. And then I made it through to the final cut and I had about a 25% chance. Then I started hoping to make it; and with that hope, a bit more investment of emotion.
It really came down to the interview and I totally bombed it. Partly because I'm not exactly the most eloquent in such situations, and partly because there was a lack of understanding of architecture on the part of the interviewers. I don't have any delusions that it wasn't on me though, because I know I could've done a much better representing myself and my profession.
Slart, chin up! I applied for that AmeriCorps thing back in August and was one of four finalists too, but didn't get it. It ended up being better because I got a job with a real salary, instead of the meager $10,000 I might have gotten over the next year with that VISTA position. So this is just an analogy, but treat it as a learning experience and maybe something better will come along soon enough...
that is a pity slart. if it makes you feel better i have failed on interviews for grants fellowships and jobs. sometimes things just don't go the way we hope. but as wk says, something else comes along usually. hopefully you learned a thing or two too. so it all is good in the end.
Geeze....I was thinking Wonder had found a Moss Back Oregon cowboy, you know the green earth rugged Oregonian. Only to find out she has been burried in study books.
You know the joke, nam (and DubK if you don't you should):
St. Peter went down to visit the Devil. The Devil was overseeing the enslaved workers burning souls. They'd shovel the souls into wheelbarrows then dump the barrows into the fiery pits. Every now and then a worker would grab a soul out of the barrow and toss it into a pile off to the side. St. Peter finally asked "Hey Devil, why do those souls get pulled out before going into the fire?" And the Devil answered "Oh those are Oregonians - they're too wet to burn."
Melt, you wait four hours? I usually just repeat after going around the room once, so that's maybe 45-60 minutes in between coats. I haven't noticed any problems yet. Wonder if I'm doing something wrong.
Sorry slart.
Other than some furniture painting myself, my guestroom is finished. I don't want to post photos untilthe furniture is painted though.
Thread Central
The bright shining star of my upcoming weeks - new Ike Reilly Assassination release 23 November!!!! I've been listening to the bits they've released and ohmigod I can't wait!!
beta tell us about Chicago!
!!! an excellent window down sunroof open kinda tune.
I think this is my favorite from the last album - it's got a total Phil Spector Wall of Sound aspect to it that I adore. Which reminds me - holiday music season coming up, Ike did a song called Christmas Star that I don't have, gotta find it...
lb do you need anything from duty free?
beta, if you are in chicago and would like to meet up, I'm always available.
n_, so jealous! I read dan savage most weeks. What was your halloween costume?
tuna, I applaud your effort with the trim -- it's always been one of my dreams to have the time and energy (and money) to buy an old house and fix it up myself, thereby truly learning the crafstmanship involved. I think it would be astoundingly helpful to my ability to design detail, not to mention fun in a dorky way. But I am a person who likes to watch This Old House episodes whenever they are on.
On the flip side -- I'm not sure if you know about this so I feel compelled to tell you -- it isn't all that expensive to have a custom blade made to match whatever the trim in your house is, and chances are your trim was probably relatively common for its time period and therefore a good craftsman's mill shop would probably have the blade for it lying around. You'd have to have a special run made by the shop, since they wouldn't keep that kind of thing in stock, but it's not actually as pricey as you'd think. Last time I had a new blade cut, it cost about $400 (if I recall) and once they had the blade, (or if they already had the blade lying around) well the design of the trim profile itself doesn't cost any extra, so you're only paying for the labor of a custom run at that point. It really isn't that expensive.
Thanks Manta - I didn't know about that. I still don't think it would be something I would partake in though unless a piece of trim were far too damaged to "restore". With my luck I'd damage the plaster in some way and have to fix that.
Besides my bathroom is small and the trim itself was the easy part. It was actually the doors (main and linen) that I had the most issues with as they are the ones that had all the crevices. But that's all pretty much done. All that's pretty much left to do is painting. Still haven't decided if I'm keeping the inside of the linen closet the color it is now (orginal to the house maybe) or if I'm changing it to match what the color of the walls will be. We'll see.
still alive
melt her in the New Old England it is common to find alot of planing blades for different mold trims. Conway Hardwoods does alot of profiles you will most likely find in the off the shelf stores or online.
Their just a bunch of mill shop guys and gals cranking out trim the ole fashioned way.
puddles you been drinking lately? Haven't seen you much around these parts? Or are you just incommunicado?
Nite all?
yes snook that's where i learned it myself -- we always used to use custom or historic trim profile blades, in Boston where I used to work. I love that new england craftsman ethic! You really learn a lot working with those guys, eh snook?
There is a "printer" from craftsman that lets you do your own molding.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921754000P
It's expensive but if you do half of a house's worth of molding, it pays for itself!
I really want crown molding comprised of skulls and tobacco leaves!
Orochi that is a cool tool, but comparable to similar machines I think it is rather affordable. I have my doubts about it, but i would love to see an architectural office application of it; like say make a detailed model maybe even a component and how well does it carve non-wood items? Can some of the shop guys give some insight?
monica ponce de leon pointed out in her talk last night that most pre-made classical wood moldings available from major suppliers are cut using digitally-driven tools. she said this in reaction to the proposition that parametric modeling and other digital fabrication techniques might not become mainstream, arguing that - while they may not be mainstream in the design of buildings yet - the production of many building components has already gone digital.
you must get more Q&A in your lectures than we do around here, SW. Nobody ever asks questions after lectures around here...
i asked mark tsurimaki a few questions last night and nearly throttled a conservative state rep today during my questioning...
Nam - Good to hear about your sister's path towards recovery.
OK, something totally unrelated to what everyone else is talking about, but I wanted to ask something while its on my mind (WWTCD): Anyone know what the potential drawback would be to buying a rowhouse property that has vacant properties adjacent on both sides? I can actually live with the fact it looks like I'm surrounded by haunted houses, so thats not a problem with me. And from what I understand the property value has already taken a hit by the fact that its surrounded by vacant houses on both sides on top of the housing prices going down in general. And potentially I could buy up one those properties and fix them up myself. But am I missing something here? (BTW they aren't just vacant, one is basically a shell without even windows or doors)
One drawback is pests, Slart. Basically if your house gets infested (or is already infested) with rodents, termites, bedbugs, anything like that, you won't get rid of them until you have neighbors who care. No matter what you do to get rid of them, if they are in neighboring houses (esp. rowhouses with shared walls), they'll get back into yours again and again. Plus, vacant houses are a draw for crime, though you'll have to be the judge of that depending on your locale.
Slart, water infiltration into the party wall through your neighbor's open windows and roof is your biggest problem, along with the chance of the vacant property getting so damaged that it collapses and pulls your house down with it - I have photos somewhere of when that happened in the 1300 block of South Street a few years back. Then you not only lose your house but you'll be barred from going into your house to rescue your stuff. That's worst case scenario (assuming you're not sleeping in the house when the neighbor collapses - that would be worse).
beta, did you clock Michelle Bachman in the face?! I'd be OK with that, frankly.
Steven I'm fascinated by inlaid wood cabinet doors currently available - the intricate wood pieces are cut by computers, but then assembled into the door by hand. They look unconvincing.
probably they're too perfect. the charm of inlay is often the curves that end up segmented because of the action of the chisel and the little voids that happen where the materials don't quite kiss.
i'd guess that laser cut inlays probably have the same slickness of waterjet cut vct... but maybe the point is that they shouldn't be trying to achieve the same kind of thing you get from hand-crafted - that they could figure out how to leverage the perfectness of this different kind of inlay process to make something that is of a completely different character and quality.
Exactly, Steven, exactly.
Morning all,
Slart, thanks. It is great to think that this whole ordeal is almost/finally over.
re: buying rowhouse, what they said...
friday 13...friday 13...friday 13...
yes, i'm scared.
I've got my kid trained to sleep till 730 or 8! It's wonderful.
Yay for recovory.
Hand crafted always looks better on woods, maybe they should gear rowards slicker stuff. Techno, let us know how it turns out after you buy that printer.
Jump, I heard rumor of snow in Tokyo. True?
Yay for the weekend!
Oh, and where's dubbers?
damn straight - that's why I think parametric design techniques are also potentially a new way of looking at ornament (which, like it or not, people still want - maybe not necessarily the symbolism, but the more the texture and intimacy) . I think the real reason that it hasn't gone mainstream is that everyone is still applying it to the entire building in one grand gesture. We need to think smaller.
Hi all,
Guess we are all busy. Anybody got big plans for the weekend?
I don't...
One problem with hand-craft... same problem with hand sewn.
Attractive, high-quality items produced by white hands in first-world countries are expensive. You can get handcrafted by "some shit hole country" but the labor difference is ghastly.
A 2-drawer nightstand can run as much as 4,000 dollars if you buy one from a traditional Japanese woodworker. I've got to take two classes with someone who specialized in Kyoto joinery. I think there maybe max 20 workshops left in the world.
So, for the price, I'm not sure you can really beat a machine that's almost programmed to do the same exact thing as a traditional woodworker.
no snow sarah, but def cold.
this weekend am taking my 2 classes on 2 separate filed trips. modern arch class is going to see 4 buildings in ueno park, with such luminaries including ando, kunio maekawa (if you don't know him you should check him out, amazing work), taniguchi, and le corbusier.
tomorrow for tokyo/edo class we are off to see butterfly collection of buildings of edo and meiji period in an open air architectural museum. the prefecture just gathered em up and threw them down in a park. pretty cool actually though sad without original context.
we just had 3 new clients walk in the door. am hoping we can get at least one of them to give us some work. whew. suddenly we are insanely busy.
Thanks for the tips on the property. I did think about the water infiltration issue, which I'm going to have to look into by looking at the vacant properties. I didn't think about the rodent issue though. Might explain the stray cat issue in that area...haha...no but really... As for crime, the area is really getting better and I think it won't be much of an issue. Its a really quiet street and aside from the two vacant properties, is actually nice.
The interview for the fellowship is tomorrow so I wanted to have a quiet night. Sure... My neighbor below me burned his pizza in the oven and the fire alarm went off. No fire, but he called 911 because of the ridiculously loud alarm and what do you know, 5 firemen show up ready for action. And they can't turn off the alarm because the basement is locked. So my neighbor wants to knock down the door and starts ramming it with his shoulder. I suggest "Why don't we just unscrew the screws holding up the lock?" And 1 screwdriver and 4 tiny screws later, we're in the basement turning off the alarm. Anywho, wish me luck on my interview. This should be interesting...
slarti- good luck with the interview!
the other big issue for row houses with empty properties next door is heat loss through the party wall. those party walls tend to not be insulated, so expect very high heating bills until they get occupied. Maybe you can purchase them too and get a double/triple wide pad.
put wheels on it and you can go mobile with your row house. If you looking to really dress it up an save some energy they now have the insulated vinyl siding....varooooom!
hi all
Had brunch twice today.
Jump wish i coudl go on the trips. The edo and meiji period buildings sounds particularly nice.
Slart good luck?
Off to work a catering gig.
if you get chance to visit tokyo will be happy to take you nam!
heading out for pizza and beers with the lads in a few. Hope everyone is doing well.
I need to get out of here and back to somewhere with some mountains. I think my body is on strike until my brain relents and lets us move.
rocky mountain high...indiana.
Thats how I have felt ever since I moved to north florida 15 years ago LB.
Happy sunday all.
Hi guys, long time no talk. How is everyone? I'm sitting here watching the Bengals - Steelers game on the edge of my seat... could both of my Cincy teams possibly win this weekend, after my Trojans lost miserably? I'm definitely living in bizarro land. I'm happy I got to see the Bearcats and the Bengals on TV though... unusual for the West Coast, for sure.
I went on a bike ride yesterday from my apartment West of the city, over a big hill and into Downtown Portland. It ended up being almost an hour, and it was beautiful and scenic... except for the first mile. The first mile was almost straight uphill, and because I'm out of biking shape, it took me nearly 25 minutes. Bad news! But I survived.
Anyway, I hope everyone is well. I hope you'll also excuse my lack of participation around here lately... I've had a lot on my mind and I'm just trying to get used to my new life.
Hi Dubk! See you next weekend I hope!
Alexander Walter, of Archinect's back-of-house, has just gotten engaged. Congratulations, Alexander and your love!
I need more of this kind of news - the happy kind that reminds me that while the world may be deeply fucked up, the people who occupy my little portion of that world tend to be wonderful, hard working, life-loving folks. Anyone got any?
Alright. I didn't get the fellowship.
It stings a bit more because I made it so far. When I started it, I pretty much approached it like a lottery ticket; if I didn't get it, I had nothing to lose. And then I made it through to the final cut and I had about a 25% chance. Then I started hoping to make it; and with that hope, a bit more investment of emotion.
It really came down to the interview and I totally bombed it. Partly because I'm not exactly the most eloquent in such situations, and partly because there was a lack of understanding of architecture on the part of the interviewers. I don't have any delusions that it wasn't on me though, because I know I could've done a much better representing myself and my profession.
OK, now back to sulking...
i'm trying to sell and/or trade some zumthor books over on the archmart pages if anyone is interested. thanks!
http://www.archinect.com/archmart/threads.php?id=93828_0_56_0_C
Just checking back in to say one more thing...
Slart, chin up! I applied for that AmeriCorps thing back in August and was one of four finalists too, but didn't get it. It ended up being better because I got a job with a real salary, instead of the meager $10,000 I might have gotten over the next year with that VISTA position. So this is just an analogy, but treat it as a learning experience and maybe something better will come along soon enough...
OK, back to studying for my AREs. Le sigh.
that is a pity slart. if it makes you feel better i have failed on interviews for grants fellowships and jobs. sometimes things just don't go the way we hope. but as wk says, something else comes along usually. hopefully you learned a thing or two too. so it all is good in the end.
Morning all, I had a post up (an hour or two ago) but never made it i guess.
Hey dubs.. How you settling into new job and life in Portland?
Slart sucks, but there is always next time.
Sorry to hear that Slart. Chin up though, I truly believe everything happens for a reason and there is something better in store for you.
Anyhoo - off to paint. This whole waiting 4 hours between coats is totally cramping my style.
Geeze....I was thinking Wonder had found a Moss Back Oregon cowboy, you know the green earth rugged Oregonian. Only to find out she has been burried in study books.
Ugh, you all really need to learn the definition and history of the cowboy... also known as the vaquero.
"moss back"??
You know the joke, nam (and DubK if you don't you should):
St. Peter went down to visit the Devil. The Devil was overseeing the enslaved workers burning souls. They'd shovel the souls into wheelbarrows then dump the barrows into the fiery pits. Every now and then a worker would grab a soul out of the barrow and toss it into a pile off to the side. St. Peter finally asked "Hey Devil, why do those souls get pulled out before going into the fire?" And the Devil answered "Oh those are Oregonians - they're too wet to burn."
Lb, that's funny.
Melt, you wait four hours? I usually just repeat after going around the room once, so that's maybe 45-60 minutes in between coats. I haven't noticed any problems yet. Wonder if I'm doing something wrong.
Sorry slart.
Other than some furniture painting myself, my guestroom is finished. I don't want to post photos untilthe furniture is painted though.
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