14 x 24 Olympic Peninsula

[secordpd]

Thats great to hear roxul isn't much more expensive then fiberglass!     I'm in the same boat you were in a few months ago, my face pressed against the window watching the rain come down,  I completely disassembled my old deck(salvaged the best material for a small shed for my riding lawn mower) this past several days, and now I'm ready to start digging my footings and they are predicting rainy weather for another week!!!  I'm not happy, but what can you do...

So do you ever dig any razor clams out there on the coast?  I lived in Kent a couple years in the late 70's and had a friend that lived in Westport and we used to go to the seashore and use this contraption - I guess now they call it a 'clam gun'



You wiggle it in the mud, put your finger over the hole and pull it up, take your finger off the hole and the clam and mud slides out,  a couple beers and them babies pan fried was like heaven!!!

Course nothing like digging east coast clams, we use a clam fork out here...

[considerations]

Razor clams are now so protected that there are only a few days on the sea coast (not the Straits) when the thundering herds can show up for a "derby" of sorts. 

I'm a butter clam fan, frankly because I can drive about 1-1/2 mile and dig to my hearts content. The license is $14 for the year and then all I need is a tide table.  This weekend is supposed to be good minus tides.  I'm far enough west on the peninsula and facing the straits.  These beachs are seldom close because of contaminants and red tides.  Go east near Port Angeles and Sequim and on the Canal and they close all the time.

[PEG688]

Whats the R-value of that insulation?

Thats a odd shaped window on the gable end , it looks to be out of level , low on the right side , maybe the camera angle? You might check that before you start your siding.

The storage shed idea seems to be working!

Nice job , your at a "no show" point right now , keep plugging along and you'll get to some "show work" again.

G/L PEG   

[John Raabe]

http://www.rockwool.us/sw34086.asp

Looks to me to be good old fashioned rockwool insulation which has always been fireproof (being made of rocks!)

They have an interesting chart showing the melting temperature of mineral wool to be perhaps 1,880ºF while fiberglass will melt at a mere 1,300º or so. If the house reaches any temperature over the combustion point of the wood and plastics in the place (600-700º?) I'm unlikely to be worried about saving the insulation!

That aside, mineral wool (rock wool) can be a good choice where it is available. It is isn't as common as fiberglass so proximity to fabrication plants will likely determine local prices.

"Rockwool performance is higher than that of common fiberglass: approximately R-3.7 per inch, which amounts to high-density fiberglass batts or cellulose R-values.

Mineral wool has a higher density, and can provide better acoustical and insulating performance than fiberglass. Besides, mineral wool doesn't lose its insulating value when wet and has an outstanding resistance to fire."

The above info from here: http://www.house-energy.com/Insulation/Fiberglass-Mineral-Wool.htm

[glenn kangiser]

Good on the salvage, Considerations.

Things eat our cats around here too, but our dogs have slowed them down.  Our dogs also have considered eating the cats though.

[secordpd]

I've never had butter clams, just New England soft shelled steamers in lots of butter .  Your not to far from Forks,  I went camping and hiking  south of Forks, I think it was call Mosquito Creek.  We followed the creek out to the ocean then camped on the beach -  it was so BEAUTIFUL.  You really live in a piece of heaven Considerations.    I have a good friend that used to build log cabin homes on the islands, He lived on Orcas Island.  Visited him there - it was just incredible!!!  Hope to get out that way in the next few years.  My brother still lives out there in Enumclaw.

[Sassy]

It's looking really good, considerations!  I like that oval window - adds a lot of character.

[considerations]

Insulation:
Roxul mineral wool is made from basalt rock and slag, and there are no added flame retardants in Roxul products.  John's right about the 1800 F melting point.

The wood will burn before the insulation, but I think Roxul would buy some time for getting out and won't off gas some of the nasties that can be as dangerous as the fire itself.  There is no perfect system to eliminate house fires, we all just make the choices we're comfortable with.

Clams:
Hardshell clams include Manila and Native littlenecks, Butter clams, Cockles, Macomas, Eastern Softshells, Horse clams, and geoducks.

[Phssthpok]

Clams:
Hardshell clams include Manila and Native littlenecks, Butter clams, Cockles, Macomas, Eastern Softshells, Horse clams, and geoducks.

Pronounced "GOOEY-duck" (go figure) for those who ain't from around here. 

[glenn kangiser]

One of my favorites but in Lincoln City it was more commonly known as a Horseneck Clam.

This guy has a big one.

[considerations]

The name of the clam is derived from a Nisqually indian word meaning "dig deep" the gringo spelling is roughly phonetic.

Averages of one to three pounds but over 15 pounds and as much as 6 ft in length are not unheard of.  They make good steaks.  (with a little pounding)

Horse neck clams (gapers) are similar and also native to the area but, a lot smaller, up to 5 lbs.

[secordpd]

Is the belly soft and the neck tough?  I've heard a little about the clams you mentioned, just never tried.  Mmm butter clams sound delicious...  I love the belly of the clams, so I imagine I would like the belly steaks of the geoduck pan fried, which I saw them do on TV before...

[considerations]

"Borrowed" from another site:

The meat below the siphon is "breast" meat, and may be split down the median line and cut into small lengths. Once the tough outer skin is removed, the remaining breast meat is quite tender.

The siphon meat is much firmer. It can be sectioned and pounded gently with the smooth side of a meat mallet to tenderize the sections into thin steaks.

Tenderizing is not necessary if you intend to use the siphon meat in chowder or if you intend to eat it raw as sashimi, sushi or ceviche.

[considerations]

Stair railing


Room with a view


West end of loft


East end of loft


Lower railing


More


More

[ScottA]

Looks like you been taking lessons from Glenn. Very snazy. 

[MaineRhino]

Very nice!

[poppy]

I really like your stair railing.  What type of wood is it?  I'm sorry if I missed the post where you told us.

I have a newly dead corkscrew williow that I have considered using for some railing, but I really don't know anything about the wood.

[considerations]

Its cedar.  My neighbor was clearing a new area on his place and a cedar tree had some branches all tangled up in the under brush.  The twists and turns they took to reach the light was providential for the project.  He brought them over and suggested the use.  So then he just "took on" the project, taping them up to see if it would work, then stripping the bark.  He wanted some hard wood to fasten them to the posts, so we stripped a big leaf maple branche I had trimmed while clearing and he has this tenon attachment on a drill, and made them work.  There is one more crazy S shaped piece that he's using to join the two railings together.  As crazy as it looks, your hand glides up them quite naturally as you go up the stairs.  There is some more trimming and shaping of the ends to be done, we're waiting for them to cure a little more before finally securing them as they were alive just recently.  And the material is free.  Love it when I can shop for material in the woods.   

[poppy]

I never would have guessed that it was cedar.  Boy that should look really good with a finish stain.

The red cedar in these parts don't twist like that, but as I said before the corkscrew willow might work; plus I have some other standing dead trees that are small enough and crooked enough that they may also do the job.

I couldn't agree more on free shopping in the woods. 

[MountainDon]

That's a very cool hand rail. I like it a lot.

[glenn kangiser]

That's the way - shop the woods - great job.

[considerations]

I'd like to see that corkscrew willow.  This is a cool country. East coast to west we have so many different kinds of trees.

[Sassy]

Really nice, considerations - your home will truly be Your home with all the special touches.   

[Phssthpok]

I'd like to see that corkscrew willow.  This is a cool country. East coast to west we have so many different kinds of trees.

FYI: Corkscrew willows grow like WEEDS here in the PNW. 

All you have to do is find a doner tree, lop off a limb, branch, or twig, plop it into a bucket of water for a few weeks (no special rooting compound needed), then plant your newly rooted tree.

[poppy]

I'd like to see that corkscrew willow.

I will try to get some close up pics on my next trip to the farm.

FYI: Corkscrew willows grow like WEEDS here in the PNW.

That's interesting.  They are considered exotic in these parts.  Weeping willows are more common, but they may not be native to this part of the country either.