Thursday 9 October 2014

"All that glitters is not gold it's copper!"

 
There's not much Nick hasn't learnt about making copper tubes after 36 years in the trade, but what happens to them once they leave the factory is slightly new territory
...and that's where Lee comes in!



Watching Lee was amazing.
All those bundles of shining tube were cut, heated, bent and then joined together creating a jigsaw that will be our source of heating, hot and cold water for hopefully many years to come.
 



 

The sad thing, as Lee pointed out, is that all the shining copper will be covered up, never to be seen again...
...well for a long time anyway.
 
 


Neatly soldered joints!
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
There are holes to drill in walls, woodwork and floors.
 
 
 
The camera distorts things (Gary's stud walling)
...and Lee is really not this small!
 

 
 


 






 
 
The pipes have been left, waiting for insulation and floorboards to go over the top and in the Featherstone household trip hazards are to be avoided, as some trip over thin air it seems.
Anyway the pipes have been protected with 4 x 2 bits of wood on the floor.
 

 
 
 
 
This is the pump that will pump our water from the 2500 litre holding tank up into the tanks in the attics for all our water supply.
Thanks to Lee for advice, "Pumpmaster" for supplying the right pump and "WilliamMac" for delivering it.
We have yet to unwrap it as we are still waiting for a replacement for our hot water cylinder, which arrived damaged.




 
 
 
 
Jenny's Suzuki failed its MOT on many, many points, so she bought a Yamaha 125 on Ebay, which was brought from Wales to Kennacraig by a man in a van. So Jenny and I spent a whole morning on the ferry, leaving home at 6am to get to Port Askaig for the 7am sailing , a Calmac breakfast on the way over. Collected the bike, which failed to start a second time as the battery was flat, and Jenny had to push it on and off the ferry. I always am a hanger on in these situations, probably because I'm a mother!
 
 
 Jenny was amazed at how smoothly the new bike runs and it seems to start every time now the battery is charged. So perhaps the days of breaking down 4 times a week are gone! Time will tell.
 
 
 
 
Nick is digging drains!
 



 

Sometimes you really need a sense of humour to work at the Dower House and Gary's was tested when Nick showed him the new rain water gully he had designed. You know how much we like recycling don't you?



 
Almost there at the front.
 
 


 
Almost Autumn.
 

 
 
The very pretty, Kildalton Cows last seen heading for Seal bay.






We need lots of new exterior doors now and Gary's
friend is on the case...we hope!





Rainbows over Kennacraig.
 

The Red deer stags are rutting, you can hear them everywhere. This one is just up the road.


 

Nick resorts to Gary's Titan often, when the
going gets tough these days.
I think Bob wants a go.

 
 
 
Bob has the creative job of making gullies look pretty
and he found some ingenious methods!
 
 


 

 
Cassie is friends with the seals and swims
regularly when she sees them.
 
 
 
 

Just another sunrise!
 
 


Well that's it for this week, we are now working on fire places as well as many other things. Martin will finish the first fix downstairs before the end of next week we hope, because...
 
Gary's back and we all know what that means...
 
Mary-Ann (with a bit of help with grammar from Nick)!