Weekly What's Up?

I'm tearing down a plaster and lath ceiling hung from beams to replace with sawn boards sitting on top of the beams. Not only are board and beam ceilings nicer to look at, I gain an attic floor. The boards are sawn from trees cut from the communal forest two years ago.

Recycled/repaired a sofa and a workbench, next planning to build better kitchen furniture with the materials I have left so I can replace the old bedside table with a plastic box on top that currently serves as drying station for washed dishes, preferably before it dissolves into kindling.

Finally ordered parts for a new ram pump and laid out my existing but dismounted pump to reassemble and offer to others for testing and use. I really should get the one left in the stream before autumn rain makes it impossible.

Happy DIYing everyone!

to answer my own question, i'm installing some rainwater catchment barrels at my house hopefully this week. all but one (we have four) were sourced from local folks. once these are installed, i have purchased a zero-pressure drip irrigation system and am going to try to have that installed before the first big frost, usually about two or three weeks from now where i live. there won't be any water in it this season, but it will be ready to go in the spring - or so i hope!

Finished the transparent greenhouse roof I mentioned last time, but had to do some further modifications against high winds. Seems solid now though (fingers crossed).

I finished the poured concrete 45° blocks for my neighbor's raised bed. I'll post pictures soon, though it isn't terribly nice looking since the local rabbits got to the new flowers before I could get a picture (they're perennials so they'll be back next year).

About an hour ago I 'fixed' our washing machine - the lid switch failed yesterday, which prevented it from draining. Great design btw. I disconnected it, and added a jumper made from lampwire so it thinks the lid is always closed. That let us finish the laundry and skip hiring a repair company. I could get a replacement switch online but I don't really see the need, it'll just break again someday and I don't feel like the marginal safety benefit is worth it. Just leave the lid closed while it's running.

Well, I was working on laying a 4in isolated flexible airpipe to go from the first floor, through an airshaft aside the chimney down to the first floor to heat the ground floor with the stove on the first.floor (our living and bed room). Bought a thermal camera to see results (and winter optimization) but nothing happened. Turned out the pipe had ruptured inside the air duct. Now have to redo the work... At least I do not have to finish it tomorrow

Finished the fence across the back of the adjoining lot. Can't reach the owner of the property next door, so I had to get creative with building right up against their garage without risking damage. I'm just glad it's done, now I can focus on other things, like panelling the master bedroom.