Closing in the forms.

Another day of work. ...except I can't exactly call it "work", because I absolutely love what I'm doing... maybe I should call it another day of creating. Yeah... that's much better. Words have meaning, and I need to use the right ones. Creating. Building. Shaping my world like I'm a force of nature.

All of the studs are in place for the air face of the retaining wall. This went slower than it should have, because I had to dismantle some previous work to do it right. I had put these studs in place with duplex toenails, but I needed to use screws to get them in exactly the right spot. Also, pulling toenails is a complete pain in the ass. 

Isn't this an ominous photo? Chucked up with a 18" auger bit and ready to do some serious drilling!!

Here's the first of the form ties in place. The auger-bit from the previous photo made the hole between the form boards. I used these anchors to line up the studs on the back side of the wall. Mostly, I just wanted to see at least a couple of these in place to feel like I'm making some progress.

Here's my little gastropod-mollusk-buddy for the day... I think he's cute.

Nice shell!!

A return to awesome materials... I've been obsessing over form release materials. Yes, I need to get out more. The usual hillbilly method is to use red-diesel, but I am going to re-use the boards in the house, and I don't want to be breathing diesel fumes for the next few years. I was also considering buying 5 gallons of vegetable oil from Costco... but the silly part is: this 5-gallon bucket of form release compound cost $35... cheaper than any other alternative. I feel silly for spending any time worrying about this part of the project. Just get the right stuff, get it done, and move on. 

Building a cradle for newborn concrete. Getting closer to the pour!!!

Sound track: Live