Beetle Mania

Its a new season, according to the insects. Several beetles were out and about.

Solo weekday Plastering

Solo weekday Plastering

Sticky plaster can be applied and spread and finished in one go. 

Going around the jar lights

So legit! 

what the hell am I looking at?

Yo

Wide angle mess

W.I.P. 

Not many rows to go!

Wide angle lens flare

Humble Abode er Adobe

Mandatory

Geometry

More stucco revelations

      Wow, only a master knows that he has much yet to learn. We took stucco to the next level, making a perfect sticky mix that can be applied in globs with a sponge, and then smooshed and manipulated into place pretty much right away. The result is clean rows, smooth surfaces, and hardly any waste. Today was focused on details, and with a bit of a late start and less sunlight, productivity suffered a bit. But today was a quality vs quantity day. The arch between the domes was mostly finished and the area around it is looking really good. I only did 2 rows of bag in the main dome, but they look really clean. The solstice is racing toward us, and I am not sure if floors will be finished by then, with only one work day a week. I may have to stucco on a weekday or two this week, before I start a new gig next week.

Oh yeah, tonite was the night before the Super Moon, but it looked pretty SUPER to us. I'll be in the city Monday so I wont see the moon pop out over the horizon like we did today. Raquel said look at the moon and I looked and it was like the moon said, "Boo!"

A look at the moon through the binoculars 

A Supermoon -1

Dog Ear cubby all dry

Other dog ear cubby from side view 

Not too shabby 

I see Raquel's Thetan

Sweet rows

Back off Moon!

In the details, the devil is.

The smaller dome is 100% covered with stucco! Don't get me wrong, there are some UGLY spots, but when you stucco upside down standing on a ladder, craning your neck to avoid the hanging porthole, you take what you can get. For some reason this stucco looks great in photos even when there is some unevenness. Raquel made some really nice looking rows and did half of the connecting archway too. I finished around the porthole and dog ear cubbies, and FINALLY did a first pass around the window. I almost nearly screwed that up though. Maybe I'll show the mistake followed by the fix and then what the difference is in small print at the bottom, like a quiz.

The worksite. btw I actually do reuse this Target bag. It has towels and clothes in it, not Target stuff. 

The lead singer of the desert rock band The Silverfish. 

Okay Google. those pics were in order, why can't you just put them together, why did you have to over think it, and reorder them? It looks 75% less cool! That could be their slogan: "75% less cool photos with Google Photo Assistant®"

Before 

Oops! Do you see it?

That was a close one. Do you know how pissed I would have been... ?

I have some touch up work to do, for sure, but in photos it looks amazing. Good for me and Air B&B. Kidding, not kidding.

Those rows look sweet! Actually they look really, really nice. But yeah it's hard not to stare at that crack. Well, I shoved some wet stucco in there and fixed it! Let's take a look at it next week. The other cracks I like.

The flash is on, because this was done all in the dark! The sun had set and Raquel was pushing through because there was a half a pan of stucco left! What a trooper. Raquel does not get angry! She kicks anger's ass and makes smooth walls! XOXO

Now I get why my Grandpa always said I was gonna break his camera with the faces I was making.  XP

The magic hour approaches!

It was actually 10X more orange and contrasty but the phone camera lightened it up. :(

This was pretty close to true color and exposure.  

Where did Goat Mountain go? Peekaboo!

Nothing witty to say.

Answer:

I accidentally made the rows uneven around the window. After you cover the rows with stucco, you must let it set and then articulate the bag rows. I had covered it so much I made the rows wrong. I had the wrong row go up and over the window and it was not symmetrical. Luckily this stuf can be forgiving if you work it before it sets. Once it gets stiff, it just crumbles if you try to move it.

Sponges are everything

Short build day today because our tools were not doing the job. I was able to get the porthole dog ear cubbies plastered and looking good and the small dome pretty much sealed with the exception of some touch up work and fill some tight spots. (like the back of a Volkswagen)

Raquel stayed in the big dome, covering a decent amount with only 2 bags worth of stucco. We decided to call it a day when the sponges gave out and had zero structure, disintegrating and sticking to the wall as it simultaneously was pulling off stucco. We will get back at it next week with solid tools and materials. I'll finish the small dome and join Raquel in the big dome to crush it. I think we may even need another, bigger ladder! But it was a stormy wonderful day and the god rays were out like crazy! Even a bad build day is a good day in the desert. It was nice to spend the day with Raquel.

Just another day in the Mojave Desert XD

Digital clouds not convincing

Plastering upside down is not easy, neither is chiseling upside down.

Just wait... 

Then you clean it.

Epic doorway view

Dog ear recess established.

 Close up of porthole dog ear.

Extreme close up of porthole dog ear.

Matching stucco ladder

Plaster Elf 

Almost impossible to capture the Mojave Plaster Elf in action.

Indeed we are fortunate to witness this. 

The Tree.

Bob Ross in Heavan