Today was plenty warm - the perfect day to be out in the sunshine - preferably at a beach. But we have work to do - and a short deadline to accomplish our task. I donned my heavy cotton work shirt and a welding helmet and climbed up to the top of the ladder to finish welding up some trees. It was hot work, but enjoyable as I worked my magic. The tree branches were formed with bent steel rod - one small piece at a time until the shape is complete. The armatures look spindly but they are plenty strong to hold the wire and concrete in place until it cures.
With the bottom of the trees established it was a simple matter to create a pleasing top to balance them visually. The ceiling will feature a barrel vault, running from the entry to the fireplace. The tree armatures were welded up to almost touch the ceiling, but not quite, making the process of installing the T-bars much simpler than if we had gone through it.
Looking into the restaurant from the entry, the magic of the space is readily apparent. I can hardly wait to see it done!
Stay tuned for more...
-grampa dan