Ok, now's your chance to give Scott Smith a hand

I just heard from Scott about his needs for help. He needs help this Sat(5th) and Sun(6th). This first will NOT be the glamorous "barn raising". It will be nasty, dirty clean up. I would advise than anyone coming bring some form of breathing particle filter. If you have any serious respiratory problems, I would recommend that you not come or find some tasks that will keep you away from the search & sort inside the structure. I personally will be using a either full face cartridge filter type of mask or a half face version of the same with goggles.

Here is what Scott had to say about his needs:

I can probably use 6 - 8 people or so each day; some sorting through the rubble inside and bringing it out, and a few more some sorting through it on tables outside and placing identifiable scraps in ziploc bags, etc.

As I mentioned before, my biggest need is to retrieve, identify and log anything from the rubble that can assist me with the insurance claim. the second need will be to separate what needs to go to the landfill versus what can be safely burned/burried. Example - roof shingles will go into the dumpster; wood siding and 2 x 4's can go to the burn pile (thus saving some dump fees).

I am attaching a poll which can act as a sign up sheet.
PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND THIS POLL WILL ACCEPT MULTIPLE SELECTIONS. YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR ALL 4 HALF DAYS

Scott will probably add more info tomorrow.

[FredP]

what time? I can be there any time after 5AM.

[scsmith42]

Why don't we shoot for an 8 - 6 each day. Show up when you can if 8 is too early (I know some folks have a ways to travel).

We'll have food brought in for lunch, and plenty of water and soft drinks.

Thx.

Scott

[FredP]

Originally Posted by scsmith42

Why don't we shoot for an 8 - 6 each day. Show up when you can if 8 is too early (I know some folks have a ways to travel).

We'll have food brought in for lunch, and plenty of water and soft drinks.

Thx.

Scott

see ya sunday. dozer said he would like to come also. we may need the muscle! I dont know about his boy but if he comes we may hafta bring a buffe'! spelling? do we need to bring any tools?

fred

fred

[Canuck]

Please put me down as a maybe, for Sunday!!! I am nursing one of those July NC head colds and feel like crap today. Hopefully by Sunday I will be back to my 61 YO prime and can come by and help.

Wouldn't have been much good today! (Didn't even get out to make any sawdust yet this week!)

Hope to see you all Sunday!

Wayne

[Sanders Woodworking]

Regrettably, I am stuck at an install in Arkansas for my day job and won't be home in time to help this weekend. I'll be there in spirit though. I will definitely help out on the next outing to Scott's shop.

All of us probably have duplicates of some things (can't find it, buy a new one, find the old one, etc.). No insurance company gives 100% replacement. If Scott will post what he needs that insurance does not cover, I'll bet we could all chip in a pretty good list of tools. Just a thought.

[scsmith42]

Hi All.

Re what to bring, long sleeve shirts, gloves suitable for working through charcoal and ash (dish washing?), safety glasses, hard hat and a dust mask / respirator come to mind. Rakes and thin pitchforks also may help. An extra chainsaw or two wouldn't hurt either

I'm planning to pick up a bunch of ziploc bags, masking tape, and sharpie's for labeling the remains. Any other suggestions?

Thx.

Scott

[Bas]

Originally Posted by scsmith42

Any other suggestions?

I've never processed a fire site, but have sifted through a site where a roof had collapsed. Talk about a mess after it rained!

I suggest people bring some brushes - medium sized paint brushes, stiff nylon brushes, dust pan brushes etc. It will be very hard to determine whether something needs to be collected or if it's trash when it's covered in ashes. A brush could be very helpful. A small sling bag (like a canvas grocery bag) for collecting items can also be useful, to avoid walking back and forth every time you find half a chisel.

[adowden]

I'll be there Sunday morning around 8 am.

Amy

[Rocker]

Scott,
I'll be there Sunday at 8.
John (Rocker)

[ScottM]

I will be Sunday. I hope by noon.

[Travis Porter]

Best wishes to all. I would be there, but we are headed to the coast on Friday.

[Will Goodwin]

So sorry to hear about everything Scott. I'll be there on Sunday afternoon. (To work....not take pictures).

[scsmith42]

All - many, many thanks for volunteering to help. Today we started the clean-up activities in earnest (insurance investigators had requested that we wait until today). Two large construction dumpsters were delivered today, and we removed the tailgate from one of my dump trucks to use for hauling burnable material.

As of this evening about 2/3 of the upper floor has been removed (it was caved in on all of the equipment downstairs), and we succeeded in removing all of the debris from the upstairs floor.

We also set up several tables and brought in some hay trailers for laying out tools, etc. The replacement electronic lock arrived for the safe, but unfortunately there is an electronic problem inside the safe so I will have to drill out the locking mechanism. First though, I need to obtain a replacement safe because once I drill out the old one, there is no way to lock it! Thus, tomorrow late morning I'll be safe shopping...

The track hoe arrives mid morning tomorrow as well, and that should aid greatly in the wall removal. Tomorrow afternoon I will start arranging, categorizing, photographing and packaging up the items recovered thus far; it's pretty obvious that we'll need to clean off the tables multiple times in order to have room for everything.

Tonight Dick Cunningham and his wife dropped by to commensurate about the loss. It was great seeing them again; the last time that I saw Dick was when we met at George's place to help unload his new jointer.

The day ended on a very sad note... one of my closest friends had loaned me a custom saddle that he had made back in the early 70's in Texas. It was a very ornate saddle, and it meant a lot to me. I haven't ridden much in the last year or so, so both Laureen and I had forgotten that it was in the shop, until we dug it out tonight...

I've done a fairly decent job of managing my emotions though the loss, as most of the tools and equipment are just that - replaceable items. It's not a fun thing to go through, but in the end things will be ok. But losing the saddle is different; this is truly something that is not replaceable and it also represents something that was special to one of my closest friends, and thus to me. We'll muddle through, but it has been a real awakening to realize just how devastating that fire can be.

That's about it for now - more tomorrow.

Scott

[Bas]

Scott, I can't even imagine what you're going through. I'd be heartbroken if I lost my shop, and I don't even have all that many tools or anything really special. But tools are personal. Sometimes there is quite a history in the acquisition as well. Throw in something like a custom saddle which is truly irreplaceable, and ugh - it's break out the Scotch time. That or break out the Kleenex.

I suppose it will help once it's all cleaned up, and the constant reminder is gone, but yeah, I can understand this is really really hard.

[sapwood]

Ok, I'm on the poll for Sunday afternoon or earlier
Family event foundered, so y'all get to be my family Sunday!
Don't have a hard hat
But I have a hard, shiny head
Also have rakes, shovels, etc if needed.

Roger