We’re beginning an effort to catch up on long overdue maintenance of the 4 Winter Shelters (Swampy, Nordeen, Swede, and AC/DC) that our club maintains. We’re starting with the AC/DC Shelter at Edison.
The exterior cracks and “checks” in the bottom 3 logs that face upward get filled in with a time-tested and traditional product – Oakum. It is strands of Hemp fibers that are soaked in Pine Tar, and then worked into the cracks to repel water. It is a straight-forward task, and I believe will be much more efficient if the work is executed by a team with specific task steps assigned. I anticipate we will have 1 Oakum strand preparer, 2 crack fillers using putty knives, and I Oakum strand soaker. I volunteer to be the Oakum soaker – it is the messiest task.
I anticipate that at least 2 workdays will be required to complete the Oakum work. Our 1st workday will be Tuesday 10/6. We expect to apply a sealant in the spring to complete the preservation work.
Please note that Pine Tar is both messy and has a strong odor. It is wise for each participant to test their tolerance of the Pine Tar odor and not participate if unacceptable to you. We will do this at the Carpool meeting site.
Also, the hike into AC/DC is about 1.4 miles each way and some of the paths are rough and require log step-overs. Hiking boots are strongly recommended and at least one hiking pole for additional balance is strongly recommended.
What to bring: please ensure you have the following required PPE:
- hard hat (let me know if you need one)
- Sturdy footwear – hiking boots strongly recommended. It is likely that Pine Tar may drip on your footwear.
- Hiking poles for balance
- Long sleeved shirt and long pants – it is likely that some Pine Tar/Linseed Oil mix may get on your clothing. I recommend old clothing that you don’t mind getting messy and smelly.
- Eye protection – will be provided if you don’t have it.
- a pack with pack lunch and plenty of water. We will bring in supplies in (2) 5-gal buckets. Two volunteers will need to carry a bucket each (with modest weight).
Provided personal equipment:
- Disposable Nitrile gloves
- Safety glasses
- Towels to clean gloves/tools/hands of Pine Tar/Linseed Oil mess.
- Tools, Liquids, and messy towels/gloves will be carried out in the covered 5-gal buckets.
Carpooling: Meet at the Cascade Lakes Welcome Center at 8:15 to sort out carpooling. Contact me if you want to meet us at the Edison Sno-Park instead.
Contact person: Gary Elnan
