Zendo Project Stage 11Installing the bamboo
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Even before all the sub floor art was done, the bamboo installation began. In many ways this phase has proved to be the most delicate and technical so far. |
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The first, and most technical step was to place the first line. If the first line is placed correctly the whole floor can be laid out at the desired angle to the walls (45 degrees in this case). We were very blessed to have Wayne and his assistant Tony, professional floor installers, come and help us with several of the most technical parts, including this one. Thank you Wayne and Tony! |
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The bamboo was put down against the first line. Sugar, Tony, Evan, Jonathan and Wayne are all working together putting down these long courses. |
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Sugar is working on the end pieces. First she measures and marks an end piece to be cut, and then cuts it on the chop saw. |
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She puts glue into the groove, taps it into place, and then uses a pin nailer to attach it to the sub floor (the big staple guns wont fit that close to the wall). With one end piece done, the next whole course can be laid down the length of the zendo. |
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| Walker cuts and places end pieces as well. |
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The bamboo flooring is tongue and groove. |
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The staple gun shoots the staples into the bamboo at an angle, just above the tongue. This attaches the bamboo to the floor, but leaves no visible marks on the surface. The staples must be shot into the bamboo at just the right depth, too hard and the tongue splits, too soft and the staple must be hammered in by hand. |
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David is using the staple gun. The staples are shot into the wood when the hammer strikes the end of the gun. How hard he strikes the gun determines how deep the staples go. Jogen is prepping the pieces for stapling. First he sweeps any debris off the floor where the next bamboo piece will go. |
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Then he fits the new piece into the space, and taps it into place. Thus the courses are laid, one person cutting and placing the end piece, one placing a piece to be stapled, and a third doing the stapling. |
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The boxes of flooring are brought into the zendo and laid around the perimeter. |
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Bamboo pieces that will be attached soon are laid out beside the finished floor. They are checked for flaws and color before they are used. The bamboo is brittle and scratches easily. Mindfullness is essential when working on this floor! Already you can see the bamboo is beginning to stretch over the zendo... |
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wider... |
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...and wider. Note the brass electrical outlet. |
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There are 3 of these outlets on the floor, which were raised up from the previous floor. |
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Ken and Evan laid down decreasingly thin slats of wood. |
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Over these supporting slats plywood was glued down, seen here with boxes of bamboo wieghing it down. |
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Our hero Wayne helps with the technical job of fitting the bamboo on the ramp. |
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With help from Walker, Evan and Shundo it came together beautifully. |
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Another bamboo hero is Shundo. Shundo took on the job of making all the cuts for the difficult end pieces around the founders room and the two entrances to the shrine room. |
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He measures each corner and angle exactly, cuts it straight using a jigsaw, and then fits it into place. |
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Here is his handywork by the shrine-room entrances and the founder's room. Of course all these beautiful cuts will be covered eventually, so please appreciate them now. |
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One of the highpoints about this whole project has been "elevenses" and "tiffin". This English tradition brought to us by Shundo (and encouraged by Evan) are tea breaks taken around 11am and 4pm. They are invaluable for regaining focus, strength, and mindfullness. This is essential when a single slip can mean pulling out one or many bamboo pieces, which could take 10 to 20 minutes. Shundo, Tobrina, Evan and Walker enjoy tiffin. |
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After much work, all that remains to be covered are the last two corners and the founder's room. Then a baseboard will be lined around the perimiter to cover the gap necesary for the floor to expand with changing temperatures. |
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Besides those already mentioned there have been many people who have helped with this stage of the project. |
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Fran, Jonathan and Emily |
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Katherine, Janet and Sean |
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Residents Kojun (with Shundo), Jikan, Ryushin and DT |
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Xiao Feng |
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and our foremen Walker and Evan |
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Thank you everyone! |
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