Projects - Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear

TREAT FARM PRESERVATION PLAN FOR SUMMER 2010

2010-04-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

We will be stabilizing the outbuildings at the Treat Farm off Stormer Road at the July 23 and 24 volunteer workshop. Pre-work will include excavating the uphill side of these buildings to prevent rain water flowing into the buildings. For the metal clad building, we will be replacing boards to fill gaps in the siding, salvaging hardware, making the interior more visitor friendly, and breaking up some of the fallen concrete. For the well cover, we will repair the wood cover and resurface with roll roofing. For the concrete garage we will add plexiglass to the window to enable viewing. For the pig shed (downhill from the concrete garage) we will level the building, level the entrance stoop, install hinges and latch on the door, and replace the tar paper with roll roofing. For the small shed near the smokehouse and privy, we will level the front, add a plastic or boarded window, and add a hasp and latch. For the privy and smokehouse, we will repair the doors and add hasps and latches. For the root cellar, we will repair the doors.

Phase I - Rebuilding the Katie Shepherd

2009-08-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Inserted in the slideshow to the left entitled " The Plan" is a sequence diagram showing the major tasks to be undertaken on the Katie Shepherd project August 13-23. Job work ups show the operations on the sequence diagram as well as the material and skill requirements. This is a good time to let us know what task or tasks you want to tackle.
For example, one of the first and trickiest tasks will be removal of the existing floor for reconditioning and re-laying on a strengthened and realigned structure. Two teams of three or four can be loosening floorboards and severing (sawzalling) the nails that attach them since there are two porch runs - front and side. So we may be able to have two pryers with thin flat bars and two sawers attacking each porch run.
I will post comments on each major task that will indicate what tools will be needed. Some tools are available on the island but not multiples for the kind of simultaneous, parallel work as the floor removal task.
Lets hear from you and we'll bring the minimum but necessary things cause there's no running over to our trucks for something we initially forgot, on the island.
As we describe in the comments below how we plan to accomplish each task, if you see a better way, just call or insert a comment by clicking on the "add a comment" tag and typing it in.
One final question - do we have someone with arc welding skills- masonry skills?
Len

The July worksession

2009-04-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

We accomplished a lot in the July 9&10 work-session. There are a few mop up projects that can be worked on at the convenience of the volunteer or volunteers that can be available this summer. These include:

+ the Charles Olsen House

- Completion of the drywall repairs to the kitchen

- Stripping and staining of the new longer heritage windows installed in the kitchen

- Milling, staining and installation of the interior window trim

- Completion of the storm window sizing, painting, glassing, glazing, and hardware attachment

+ the Martin Basch

- Completion of the stone work on the wall and pillars

- fabrication and installation of hardware for the new carriage shed doors

If you have time, opt for one of these tasks , and need the key , supplies or help please contact me, Susan or David and we'll make the necessary arrangements

Preliminary 09 job Work-Ups

2009-03-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

Project Group - I have roughed out job Work-Ups with the major operations that will drive logistics this season. The sheets are to the left in the slideshow column.
David Watt has started the process of identifying project leaders and will look to Jerry to help phone contacting all volunteers to identify their preferences.
The dates for the two main thrusts are - Port Oneida, July 10 and 11 with a backup, alternative date of July 17 and 18 for work on the Martin Basch and Ole Olsen farmsteads, and August 14-21 with a backup, alternative time of August 21-28 for the Katie Shepherd project on North Manitou Island.
We will need to identify smaller work groups and target dates for pre work - a lumber milling session in mid to late June (in the woods), either a painting or milling and fabrication session for windows and storms, a stone masonry session for the Martin Basch porch foundation, and a shipping session to get equipment and materials out to North Manitou Island.

The Martin Basch involves stone masonry, concrete work (foundation capping) and Carriage Barn door construction. Siding installation and interior completion tasks on the nearby Ole Olsen Granary and Pig House that we worked on last year will provide plenty of tasks and work zones for a large group.
The Katie Shepherd requires some serious logistics - marshaling everything and getting it out there - Seeing whether we have enough leader and volunteer availability to hold a rolling weekend, week in between and wrap up weekend continuous work effort.

Jim Ristine and I have detailed the window, sash and storm needs for the Olsen House and now its a hunt to locate sources for "Heritage" casements and storms. I've called the sizes to my source in New York State and I would encourage all who read this to do the same with sources they may know of.

I'll be working up the Bill of Material and Major Equipment Needs, visiting the park lumber and material stocks with Kim, Mark Presnel (mainland super) and David Chew (island super). I'll also be working with Dan Zizulka from Interlocken on sawing and milling work to defray cost.
The tasks at hand now are to identify sources for material and project leaders via every possible avenue.
Thanks for your help!

Our Process

2009-03-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

Candidate PHSB projects for the next three years are chosen with the park and an assessment process begins (see photo slide shows - left) on the most likely projects for the next season. We photograph each job's major operations, call out the materials, skills and equipment needed for each operation, and go searching for those resources. The final selection of projects for the coming year is made towards those projects for which we can identify sources for at least 80% of what is needed by mid April. The resulting job Work-Up form (right) is used as a materials list for early season sawing of timbers and dimension lumber and for acquisition of all other materials prior to commencement of the job. It is also issued to our volunteers as early as possible so that they can weigh in on work they would like to perform, and their availability for purposes of best work session scheduling. Finally, the job Work-Up functions as an on-the-job instruction form

Work Scheduling

2009-03-02T16:53:00.000-08:00

Each project targeted for a work session this year will be described and an Assessment Form with visual descriptive material will be posted for your examination. I would appreciate your feedback on how you want to be involved - be it for preparation work prior to a general work session or the session itself. Most important is your availability so that we can pick the best dates for the work sessions
We are adding a worthy objective to our plate this year. The Traverse City Youth Choir is being restructured as a stand alone organization due to loss of state funding through the school system. An function important to alternate sources of funding is the exposure of young participants to skills and work experiences that help them choose a vocational path. We will be looking for learning opportunities for Youth Corp members to work with our volunteers. So consider the option of requesting a Youth Corp member or team to assist and learn from you on tasks you are able to volunteer to do this year.

This tool

2009-03-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

We're trying this tool (blog) to get 2009 Project Assessments (photo slide show) and Job Work-Ups out to everyone as early as possible for their feedback and input. A blog systematizes sharing of information, knowledge and constructive comments topic by topic, chronologically, making the conversation that determined how we arrived at conclusions and approaches visible to everybody. It hopefully will move us forward more effectively toward continuous informed, shared, supportable choices, decisions and outcomes. Visuals are stored on Google's server so that we don't have to ship large files to you that take forever to download. You can even post your picture so that participants should instantly recognize each other the first time.
Let us know how this works for you!