Author: Dai

Indigo (Aizome)

I visit Okinawas for my T-shirt. I am making hand died T-shirt for my staff. Okinawas has very unique indigo that only hearvest on this island. All T-shirt will be die and dry, about 10 times, all hand work, very expensive! Push the cloth into indigo bucket, and squeeze without letting it touch to air for about three minute, once it lift from buket, it is green but only takes minute to change color to indigo blue.

This indigo is alive, they need to stair the bucket every day and add honey and “Awamori” Okinawa vodka in it. Awamori is only liquor they drinnk and they use it for many application, even as medicine.

Making white back ground was much simpler than I thought. The glue “chemical” just washed out once it drys up. It was very fun trying out. $70.00 a piece, I hope I have enough money left to give out to all my friend.

Chase bandshell in provincial TV commercial

I heard about Chase bandshell I designed last year and build this spring, was on commercial from three people, so I was watching TV to find out. Yes, there was! So I searched web to see if I can see more, then I found one very easy.

It is the project that BC is promoting, they call “Spirit Square” seems like trying to build people to get together and fun funded by provincial government. It was my mistake and my stupidity that had no press release or even job site sign on this project. Many people I meet they talk about this building without knowing that I actualy design the building and build this one.

But, today, I got call from Victoria office about bandshell for Victoria. They asked me if I can send picture. I hope they will ask me more than just picture!

Click picture to check the film, there will be more opportunity for other local people to build theirs!

Sprit square film

TV commercial

Our mission (Shin.Gi.Zai)

Shin also pronounce as “Kokoro” It describe heart, mind, ideas that comes out from sprits. But it also gives image of honesty, sincerity by looking at character. I am taking this as design in our activity.

Gi also pronounce as “Waza” It is skill that achieved from long continuous discipline, that experts from normal skills. This is part we are taking and I have to admit I still have long way to go.

Zai means material. This one character also combine from two character which is “Tree” on left side and “Talent”  on right size. I should take tree is excellent versatile materials.

I have been separating Design, Craftsmanship and material to be separate factors so we can focus to target higher achievement as we move on. This concept that I had for while came together more definite by writing in three character in Japanese.

Especially, material is important. We are cutting tree, finishing their life. If we do not make good use of this, we might just live in plastic house. Now, our mission is to design with the heart, train ourselves so we do give another good life to trees.

Kirl Willms sketch!

The picture was given by Designer Karl Willms. He described the three days of assemble on island and put all guys working on the cabin in a picture. He won over twenty award in just last year. He can sketch and paint very well and same talent goes into building space design. He still draw plan on table, use tracing paper for all his ideas. We do not want to lose this kind of ability by using computer too much.

Foreman

This is my foreman Taro. He may be not good help yet, but sure good motivator of my life.

D frame in Shuswap lake

Shuswap has been good weather up till we started putting this frame together this summer. Traditional style timber frame, all frame will be covered to protect from the weather and fully exposed inside house. It took almost 8 month by the time we started design the frame to complete set up on site.

I was very pleased with fiber quality and drying result. All tight grain, no loose knot and dried evenly with RF kiln, moisture content between 12% to 14%.

Main feature of this frame is hammer beam truss and beam with corbel and steel integrate in. House is not finished, no picture for the steel yet.

After a lot of study from past hammer beam truss, anyone knows the structural system, they will not say yes to design and build this truss without tension support system in place. Tension rod for this truss were very ordinary which is okay but I would wanted to put a bid more thought and twist the idea a bid but my idea was not supported this time…..

All fits well, some place needed to be adjusted a bid on site but nothing major. I am not 100% clear but I think there were about 400 pieces in this frame and it took 8 full days to complete assemble.

Another one good frame up on earth!

Jay Mckimm

Jay is free timber framer, his trade name is Blue Water Timber Framing. I got him helped us raising one complex frame and I was very impressed. I am in this business 20 years and I have set up buildings so many. With him, I found that raising are going much faster than my usual pace is. He is so efficient, think a two steps ahead, he is in good shape, he goes up and down so fast and does not afraid of height. I can strongly recommend him for any assemble and I will not hesitate to ask high pay for him, it will be great addition for raising team any time any circumstance.

John and Ingrid Boys

John is my most important business partner that I can share my issue also satisfaction with. He is intelligent and reliable parson. I have been learning a lot from him especially how to look at the things, reality and fairness. Between me and John, our brain storming will bring up un expected result. Ingrid welcomes me and my family all the time, she shows me the joy of life, teach me fun of life. They become more than just part of business, they will remain in my heart does not matter what is going to happen to me. I thank that I met them,and also became the part of their life.

Nicola Logworks

Cross brace with steel

This trellis bracket can hang the huge weight as long as wall can keep the bracket in place. Steel are not decorative, it is structural. Timber looks a bid dirty, but this is patina effect. Timber are sand blusted and prepared patina finish. Actual aged look finish goes on top of this, recipe are complicated, John did hard resurch and test to acheive the result client a happy with.

Impel rod were installed behind steel where moisture can capture. Impel rod will release the chemical once moisture content raise more than 20% to prevent wood to rot.

Installing curved brace on site

Installing curved brace and fitting steels went well without any trouble. Though, I simulated the process of lay out, cutting and placing for a couple of days before I went to the site.

The most important factor that need to be consider is the twist in a curved timber. I can not assume the flat on curve timber are really flat, they are twisted. To deal with you, lay the piece on saw horse and set flat in level on both X and Y direction. If you find all the surface is level after, it means piece is flat, but you will see if you set one side level then other side will not, so find happy medium.

Then lay out all with level, square on line does not work! I used several trick to lay out this also drill the hole in a corner without jumping drill bid all over the place, but I did not had opportunity to take picture.