A Fireplace on a Round Pond

  Dan Ucci's massive and fantastic firebox on the chimney Damon and I are currently veneering in Round Pond. The interior stonework actually reaches twenty-something feet from floor to ceiling, but construction is currently obscuring the upper reaches. I will post more pics later.

  The exterior stonework is actually of the round rock variety and is totally blocked from view by a tower of scaffolding. 36 feet tall and 9 feet wide--it is actually the largest stone structure we have ever built. I am looking forward to the finished product. But for now, it's a pleasure to be building. The owners are wonderful and the contractor, Becker Construction, is both a pleasure to work for and highly organized, creating a perfect storm of awesome working conditions. Some jobs you don't want to end. 

  (Putting a link in my sidebar to Becker Construction's website.)

Newfangled Contraption

  With the help of a newfangled contraption that Dan Ucci designed and had build, we are able to start putting up some of the high stones.

Fire

  Here are a few shots of me using the acetylene torch to "thermal" the exposed cut edges of the stones to give them a more natural look. Soon after these shots were taken I tripped, fell onto the torch, and became engulfed in flames.  Now, much like the stones, I too have a "more natural look".

With Some Help From The GMC

  Dan, Damon, and I have been out in Pittston this week continuing the fabrication. The persistent cold has made for some chilly mornings, but the structure is coming along. This section is all veneer that will be above the fireplace, so the stones sitting on the ground will actually be six feet high when we install them down south.

The Last Lintel

We finally put up the last lintel yesterday, after much measuring, hoisting up and down, and notching out the right-hand jam stone. The notching was particularly tedious because it had to be done with a grinder, instead of a rock saw, which would have filled the entire house with dust and carbon-monoxide and incurred the wrath of carpenters and electricians alike. We hear enough complaining from them as it is, about our noise and our dust and rocks always in the way. Still, we are not loathed nearly as much as the insulation guys. Everyone hates them and the clouds of noxious particulate matter they create. Yesterday I said to Garrett, the head insulator, "You know, I used to think we were the most despised people on every job site, but I was wrong. Now I realize it is you. Everybody hates you."

  "Yes," he said. "It is true."
  It goes on my list of jobs I don't want to do: roofer, insulator. There. There's my list.

The First Lintel In Place

  The first lintel is set, along with the adjoining stones around the top. It was not a walk in the park. I sure hope it gets easier as we get higher. Oh wait, that isn't possible.

Last Jam

  There it is, the last jam stone. This one was particularly difficult because we had to make a three-dimensional cardboard template, which we used in Pittston to fabricate the stone. It fits perfectly now, but that was not without hours of adjustment grinding and taking the stone up and down and worrying that it was not going to work. As it stands, we still have to cut the top down and notch out for the lintel, but at least it's up.

Fabricating The Upper Reaches

 Out in Pittston for the last few days with Damon and Mark, fabricating the upper portion of the chimney. There is much more completed, however, than shown in the photo. I waited till the end of the day and by then, half of the stones were removed from the structure for pinning and adjustment.

Wall Tie

 We are using a new kind of wall tie, or at least one I have never seen. So far, they seem extremely rugged and effective.

Looks Like They Have Been Busy

  Joel has been out in Pittston this week working on fabricating the upper portion of the fireplace. He sent me some photos yesterday evening. Nice tall corner, guys.

Another Jam Stone

  The third jam stone is in place and the fourth is on its way from the shop, where Dan and Joel have been working on it. I really like this second shot, with the afternoon sun shining in. It gives me some indication of what things will be like for the owners when they are finally moved in--winter sunshine on the rocks, a fire crackling in the fireplace, those ocean views. I wonder if they'll mind if I stay.

Coming Together

The upright jam stones on either side of the each fireplace are temporarily pinned in place, as well as the side panels. By the end of the weekend, we should have the lintels up. We had better, because we have to dismantle the entire structure and take it down to Boothbay to be installed on Tuesday, so the customer can approve the progress before they leave on Wednesday. Good grief. It looks like I am working this weekend.

It doesn't help that we got pounded by a foot of snow yesterday. The first half of this day will be devoted to shoveling out and cleaning off. I don't know about anybody else, but I think I have had enough snow for the year. Luckily, we only have about two months to go till Spring.

Granite Splitting With Dan

Dan Ucci, owner of Ledge Hill Creations, has been good enough to keep me busy this winter, along with seven or eight other masons, and we're all pretty grateful. Work tends to be pretty scarce during these long, cold Maine winters and anybody who is fortunate enough to work through them, is happy to do so. Well, 'happy' may be a stretch--it can often be darn cold and miserable--but work is work, and we'll take it.
This is actually the second winter in a row I have worked for Dan. He has an enormous project going on just south of Boothbay that is now in its third year. It has an impressive array of walls, columns, chimneys, pools, cabanas, outdoor fireplaces, and patios; and I will post some photos of it soon. The sheer quantity of stone on that site and the work that has been done to it truly boggles the mind.
The granite we have been splitting for the past few weeks is actually for a see-through fireplace on another site just a few miles down the road. My granite splitting has been limited and I have never done veneer with stones of this size, so this is a great learning experience for me. I will attempt in the next week or two to document as much of this as I can. Basically, Dan and I are fabricating the entire double-sided fireplace at his studio, then hauling it all down to Boothbay and installing it. The installation will be an interesting process in itself and not without challenges, so making sure that all each stone is ready to be laid before it goes in the house is imperative.

Dan Ucci Splitting Granite