Hello to all our friends and family .
June 2008 Extended
Hello to all our friends and family .
Now that's a stick of wood! Here on Ometepe we have no wood mills so all the woodsmen use chainsaws to cut timbers such as this Guapinol tree, about 90 years old. It blew down in heavy winds months ago and I bought it for $350.
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Two chainsaws took five days to cut up this tree,....... 57feet long. They were paid about $450. As you can see we have no tractors or backhoes to help us move these heavy pieces. It's all by pure man power.
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Tom and the kids examine a slice of the tree. |
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This tree became beams for the school building in a number of different dimensions, the largest was an 8x8, 20 ft long weighing about 900 lbs! It will be the main horizontal cross beam to support the roof. Lifting this beam 9 ft high to put in place will require about 12 strong men. |
I will have pics for ya when we are ready to place this in postion, should be interesting. This is a hard wood that is so hard you can't drive a 16 penny nail into more than a quarter inch before in bends over! You have to pre-drill any holes needed in this type of wood. It can burn out drill bits from the heat of drilling!
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Keep checking our web page for current updates as I will be taking lots of shots as we raise up the 2nd floor walls and beams. |
Thank all of you who help us by investing in us on Ometepe.
God bless you,…………..
Tom and Esther Fritz
Our home church is:
Green Valley Christian Church
390 Ridge Vista Ave.
San Jose, CA 95127
USA
1-408-251-0821