7/15/19
(Above: Jacobhouse’s bathroom lit by a new light-source.)
Building Summary: Today I began by slotting in and measuring the galvalume that surrounds the above-shower area. This was followed by my locating / marking / cutting an additional length of paneling to not only smooth out the curve but to make the sheet metal overlap the shower edges ever so slightly (for more fastening capabilities). I did this, tested the new fits, took them down, notched them to account for the stall’s top, and then riveted the pieces to one another*. I next covered the aluminum adapters with silage-bag plastic and fastened that plastic in place with hose clamps – a task which was followed by my applying additional glue to the base of the adapters to ensure there was a proper seal and by my taking down the large PVC tee that I no longer needed to use**.
Right after I had slotted in the trimmed galvalume metal once again, I was met by the sight of a man at the door of Jacobhouse. At first glance, I thought it was my Uncle Wag making his way to the door, but this fellow had a different sort of gait and commenced to stride right up, knock, and let himself in. By this point I comprehended that it was not Uncle Wag, but instead Terry Hendrickson who was followed shortly after by Alan. For first part of the ensuing visit, I watched as Terry neatly bent the power lines up and around into the electrical panel, and for the second part, I prepared the cover for the panel box***. Within 20 minutes, we were testing every fixture and every outlet within Jacobhouse. They all worked.
(3:07 PM Update): Just returned to oldhouse from going to town with Padre and Madre. While in Ocala, we stopped by: Weeks’ Auctions (same place we got Jacobhouse’s original container from), Svinga Brothers’ where we obtained all the aluminum trim needed for Jacobhouse, and Sushi Bistro. The trim was an excellent bonus to an already very productive day.
Commentary: I still am having difficulty getting over the fact that Jacobhouse now has power. To think that such a simple connection as four wires has resulted in such a vast leap forward… It is difficult to find words to describe the feeling, but I shall do my best in the following account:
After Terry hitched up the wires, the first thing we saw was that the kitchen’s GFCI outlet had a red light. At first, this caused me some alarm until he pressed the test switch and that light went away. What came next was the outdoor light. I couldn’t see if it turned on or not, because I was back in the bathroom hall, but I did see as he next flicked the kitchen light switch. It was strange; he operated those two little levers rapidly – not carelessly, but instead as if he expected the lights to turn on as they would in a fully constructed and well-established house – whereas I would have been slightly more tentative (I’m still amazed and not entirely accustomed to how tough Jacobhouse’s electrical fixtures / switches / outlets are despite my utilizing similar fixtures at Oldhouse just as Terry was.)
With the kitchen light’s turning on, Jacobhouse was transformed from a construction site into a place that looked as if it would very soon be a residence. The spell of suspense broke, and I went about the container home, proceeding to flick every switch on (haltingly, of course): the hall light worked, then the bathroom exhaust fan and strip light****, and then the bedroom / office lights. Every single one of them worked, but then I realized I still had to test the outlets. For that, Alan gave me his plug-tester, and I checked to ensure that each outlet had two orange lights (and no red light). It was nifty little instrument, and allowed me to verify that every outlet was properly wired within a span of two minutes.
As I made my way back to the front of Jacobhouse, I was given another sudden start, for it was at about that time that Terry opened the refrigerator door and I saw that the light was on within. I don’t know what it was about that light compared to all the others – it ordinarily seems like such a mundane thing – but on espying that iconic incandescent glow, that was the moment I think I began to realize (or at least half-realize) that Jacobhouse did indeed have power.
So, to make a lengthy and somewhat detailed description succinct (TLDR); Jacobhouse now has electricity, every fixture and outlet is working, and I am presently filled with a mixture of relief, awe, and maybe even a wee bit of pride at how far the project has come. I would not be surprised if I walk down to the house tonight and test the lights to see what they all look like in the dark.
Final Note: Tomorrow will be a shorter morning on account of my preparing to leave for Colorado Springs, but I believe I may still be able to fasten in the above-shower Galvalume and possibly cut / fasten in the lengthy piece of paneling to the shower’s left (northern) side. (3:07 PM Update) And/or I could trim around the panel box’s face plate via jigsaw and fit it into place.
*Originally, I thought riveting all the pieces together would not allow me to slot the pieces in, but with only one rivet holding them together, I was able to ‘hinge’ them into place.
**And that unfortunately has a hole in it due to yesterday’s efforts.
***Knocked out the appropriate breaker holes and the top portion where the main breaker is. Tomorrow, though, or when I next have time, I’ll have to trim around the entire edge of the panel box’s cover so it can fit into the wood frame that presently surrounds the entire console.
****Both the kitchen light and hall light have a short ‘load time’ for the LED’s to light up, thus providing a miniature moment of suspense the first time I tested the two of them.