Well, like they say, there's no rest for the wicked! I got a break from some of my other duties, so it's time to start construction of the Gothic tower and fireplace. I don't know about where you live, but it's been hotter than hell here in Houston; upper 90's for the past 2 weeks with not even a hint of any kind of rain where we live. That, however, does not matter because with the clock ticking towards Halloween, I still have to get these pieces completed. So, it's back out to my sweat box (garage) to start the cutting process; convert the foam core prototypes into wood. Luckily, I have 2 - 52" ceiling fans, a 36" fan mounted over by back garage door (gives a little extra flow through ventilation), and another 12" fan blowing right in my face on my work bench. And guess what, I still sweat like crazy, not to mention looking like someone who had been sprayed with a water hose. You get use to it; all part of living in a humid, and I really mean HUMID climate!
So, with the prototypes approved, it's time to fire up the saws. Actually, this is probably my favorite part in the whole process. In addition to using the templates to make the finished tower, I also had to cut 3 new window holes. Then, after building the 2 pieces, I cut notches into the roof on each side of the structure so each piece would fit flush to the house ... so far, so good.
Babette said she wanted the house to look like it had a basement. To give it that appearance, I modified the base by increasing the height of the entire house by 3/4", and cut 2 small window holes supposedly looking down into the basement area. The new lights she just ordered will give an orange glow emanating from these 2 windows which should add to the spooky effect. All of the window trim will be added a little later.
Next on my list will be to build a set of stairs leading up to the front entry; and, a root cellar entryway with working doors leading down into the basement. We plan to add this to the same side as the chimney.
Here is 1 set of the orange lights Babette found online. They will be placed inside the main house, tower, and basement areas to give this baby that wonderful Halloween glow. The new lights just arrived today, and they also come complete with a remote control. That should make them easier to turn on and off. To play it safe, Babette actually bought 4 sets to make sure we had enough lights. One thing for certain, you don't want to come up short.
With another day of modifications complete, Babette's vision is well on its way to looking more like the plans she envisioned. The major building process is now done. Now comes all of the fine tuning details. Babette has a lot more patience than me when doing this stuff. This will include things like making and adding brick, new shingles, plus all types of assorted wood trim. We still have to repaint the entire structure before adding the lights and ghoulish Halloween decorations. Here is where we are after today's work. Best part, I am now inside where it is cool, and having a glass of wine; plus, some cheese and crackers with Babette. That's the best part of my day!
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