A New Old Hobby

After a hiatus of around thirty years, well, maybe twenty-five, I've decided to take up smoking a pipe again. I decided I missed playing with all the accoutrements of pipe smoking, and the smell of the different tobaccos (and, man, are there a lot of high quality tobaccos on the market now).

Three of My New Tobaccos

The Other Three New Tobaccos

It's very hard to say just which is my favorite now. I'm leaning toward Bengal Slices, but then Three Nuns Green, or maybe Smooth Sailing. And, there's so many more on the market to choose from.

What is really cool, is so many of them are available in classic tins, which I just love. Although, I'm passing my tins to Dianna for her craft needs right now. I only have so many trinkets to store in tins.

As soon as I open a tobacco tin (they come vacuum sealed), and break the vacuum, to prevent the tobacco from drying out or molding, I transfer the tobacco to a Ball Mason canning jar for airtight, long-term storage

And, then you get into the pipes. Lordy, lordy, there is a whole universe of pipes out there. Everything from a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe for $3.00 USD, to an artisan crafted briar pipe being sold new for well over $1,000.00 USD. Don't look for one of those in my collection. Sure, I'd love to have one, but that much money for a... Pipe? You gotta be shittin' me.

I know I showed you and talked about the tobaccos and pipes previously (https://www.winjama.net/2018/09/something-about-well-packed-bowl.html), but that was before I had actually received my shipment of tobaccos, and hadn't been able to try out these wonderful pipes.

Butz-Choquin Dauphine Rhodesian

This pipe, the Butz-Choquin Dauphine Rhodesian, like all of these four pipes, came to me through Ebay. It's a gorgeous briar. Similar model Butz-Choquin pipes sell new for around $80.00USD. I won the auction for around $24.00. A little cleaning, polishing and such to rehab it, and it's once again, a delightful, cool smoking pipe. A bit heavy to leave unsupported in your mouth, but sitting on the pool deck, puffing away with a bowl full of Bengal Slices, wow! Very relaxing and satisfying.

Bruce Peters Bent Billiard

Bruce Peters pipes, are examples of 1950's smoking elegance. This model, sold when new for around $60.00USD. But back in the 50's, that was some real money. I paid $15.00 for it. It smokes, nice, but does require care to not draw too much and overheat the bowl.

Wally Frank Red Root Oom Paul

Wally Frank, Ltd. was one of America's oldest and most respected names in pipes and tobaccos in the early 1930’s. It's hard to say when this pipe was produced. It could have been a selection of Wally Frank's Pipe of the Month Club. Who knows? It's got a nice, deep bowl, and is very cool to smoke. Not bad for a $12.00USD bargain on Ebay.

Bando Full Bent Apple Briar

Bando, is, I think, a Danish pipe maker. This briar sells for around $30.00USD when new. I scored on Ebay for $10.00. Haven't smoked it yet. I have to go to the Post Office on Monday to pick it up. It was on the slow boat from New Jersey or somewhere.

Oom Paul Freehand Briar
By Nowakowski, Poland

Stanislaw Nowakowski is a Polish Pipe maker. In fact, when I won the auction for this pipe for $18.00USD, the pipe was shipped by mail from Poland, but not from him. I haven't smoked this one yet. It's an intimidating looking pipe with a wide bowl, that looks heavy, but is surprisingly light and very comfortable feeling in the hand. I might give it a try sometime today.

Here's some new pipes I've purchased, but not yet gotten my grubby little mits on them. the first is actually seven corncob pipes from Missouri Meerschaum Co. It's a pack of seven factory seconds. They might have blemishes in the finish, etc., but each is smokeable and in serviceable condition. For a little more than $26.00US, I get seven new pipes - for about $3.70 each, such a deal.

Missouri Meerschaum Seconds Sampler

The last one is a Falcon Pipes two-part pipe. The stem is metal with an acrylic bit, and the bowl simply screws onto the stem. There are several different shaped bowls available, so it can become more than one pipe. I'm curious to see how well it works in practice.

Falcon Pipes Two-Parter

Progress on Patio Palapa

After several days of forced inactivity because of rain or things being wet because of rain, and just generally waiting for them to dry out, the past two days have seen a lot of activity.

Short Recap - the Old Thatch

In short, our old patio palapa thatch had deteriorated past the point of no return. We liked the way the parking palapa now looked with its new zinc roof and felt that was the way to go with the patio palapa.

We also thought it would be a short (ha, ha) project. A couple of weeks and we would be benefiting from having a quiet little retreat to read, meditate, zone out, or whatever.

So, of course, it has become one of those projects that seems - no, does drag on interminably.

Framing Added

Getting Angles

Mahogany Varnish Going On

Once the framing had been completed Mario's boys, started varnishing all the remaining wood of the palapa, a striking mahogany red varnish. This activity went quickly and was able to be finished before the rains started up again.

At first, we thought that it might be a bit too red, but not only does it grow on you, but the color darkens a bit and seems like the right shade

Varnishing All the Lumber

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Making the Screen Frames

Just like with the pool enclosure, the frames by themselves, look massive. Of course, those get the same varnish treatment as the framing pieces.

Screen Room Doorway

Looking Up to the Center

A lot of Wood to Varnish

Screen Panel Trial Fitting

Like Stretching a Canvas

Applying Varnish

Getting Ready for Screen

Another Can of Varnish

Looking Substantial

Pouring More Varnish

Anchoring the Doorway

Screens Up!

It seemed as though the varnish and the screens were installed simultaneously. They actually wern't, but it was a close thing.

Then suddenly, the zinc was here and they began cutting angles so the pieces would fit on the roof. No other way around it, there was a fair amount of waste, but surprisingly, a lot of scrap pieces were able to be used.

Zinc Has Arrived

And the First Piece

Being Fitted

Make Sure It Fits

Leftover Pieces

Showing Gaposis

Daisy Checking Everything

Checking the Work

Stuffing Foam Gap-Tape

Then we had a momentary distraction. On the front of our house was this huge tarantua. She was about 5-inches, wing-tip to wing-tip. And, she had a bright red behind that didn't really show up all that well in the left photo, but is really bright in the right. After taking a couple of pictures, we left her up to her own devices. As long as she stayed outside, we'd get along fine. They're actually pretty docile creatures.

Momentary Distraction

Nice Red Behind

Filling In the Holes

Endher Filling Ridge Cap

Better Doorway Shot

Fabricating the Palapa Cap

Fastening the Cap

Magnetic Screen Door

Now, we're just waiting for the wood screen door. We got a magnetic screen door from Amazon.com, but we need to have the wood screen door installed to be able to fasten the magnetic door to the wood frame of the wood screen door.

Let's See Now, Where Were We?

Last time I posted about the patio palapa, the project had barely gotten started and that post was on 24 September 2018.

I suppose it would be better to give a brief synopsis of the project from the beginning.

Getting thatch from the bush, where you have to get it, has become expensive. The plants are still further into the bush and are becoming scarce, so it was time to rethink roofing materials.

We were very happy with the way the parking palapa turned out, so we thought, continue with a good idea for this.

What It Looked Like To Start

It was really looking raggedy and neglected. We waiting about as long as we could. Any more, and the lumber used for the structure would begin to rot before our eyes, and we'd be looking at completely starting over. So this was the perfect time.

Mario's crew, the same guys who redid our pool and its enclosure, were just finishing up a house for Sonja and Dan, friends of ours, building over in Ranchito near the airstrip.

We like their work, and attention to detail, so hiring them was really an easy decision.

Lots of Air Vents

I think in places, there was more air and daylight than thatch. It gave us a good indicator that it was time, time, time to get something done.

They got started removing the thatch and broken wood. That took pretty much all of the first day.

Once all the thatch was gone and the patio swept, it almost looked presentable again.

Framing Started

With things cleaned up, it looks nice.

You can see that the framing for the soffit area (I guess) and the framing for the screens which will go floor to ceiling is underway.

We have a ceiling fan that only works slowly. I suspect its capacitor is failing. It was in the utility room off the kitchen and has spent the past few months in a box.

Dianna suggested we replace the lantern chandelier with the fan and light because there are times when we used to use the palapa, where there was no breeze. It becomes stifling, and a fan might just do the trick to make it a nice, relaxing reading and relaxing nook.

Tool Repair

As with most tools down here, things break. One of their cordless drills, with a keyless chuck, naturally broke. Not good timing. Almost everything with this project involves screws, so it was really needed.

Forty-five minutes work, and it was back functioning again. I don't know if they were able to repair the chuck or if it required a replacement from Lano's Hardware.

Adding More Varnish

The next step after getting all the lumber in place was to apply a liberal dose of varnish.

Of course, when they started that, they were only able to do a partial coat when it started to rain. The rain continued off and on for three days.

Even after it stopped, it still took most of a day to dry the lumber out enough to be able to apply more varnish.

Screen Framing Done Too

Getting some real progress now. It's looking almost like it's time for the zinc roof to be installed.

But wait, there's more. I'm sure the framing for the screens will need a coat or two of the varnish.

I Think There's More To Do

Refilling a painting cup must mean that more varnish has to be applied.

That's what they're doing this afternoon. It was really doubtful that they'd be able to work this afternoon.

The forecast was calling for more rain and thunderstorms all afternoon.