Session 1: Purchases

The first day of many work sessions to come, this session consisted of a drive to Niece Lumber in Lambertville, where we acquired the lumber needed to work on the project. The date was 7/12/14. The lumber purchased were cedar boards for the trim and a wood-like plastic material called Wolf White. The material will last longer than normal wood and will not rot.

Driving to Lambertville with Dave and Ford. Jackson is the cameraman here.

This is all lumber purchased in Lambertville. Approximately $1,000 of 8 Wolf White panels and 2 cedar planks

Session 2: First Day of Panel Construction:

The second session took place on 7/27/14, between 11:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. During this work session, we cut the Wolf White paneling into the appropriate shapes and began drilling pilot holes. While there was still work to do, almost half the paneling was sized and cut appropriately

The group (Ford, Jackson, Nick, Zak, Nicholas, Sid, Uttam, Philip, and Jack), watching Dave demonstrate safe usage of the power saw

The same group from a different angle.

Session 3: Final Cuts and Paneling:
This session took place 8/07/14, from 11:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. During this session, the remainder of the panels were cut and drilled to the specs needed, along with the cedar trim. The next sessions will have the kiosk cleared of old materials and the new panels attached and painted.

The Group, finishing this particular panel.

Last panel of the session! Cutting is complete!

Session 4: Demolition Day 1

The first day of construction of the Kiosk itself was 8/30/14, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Our first priority was demolition of the existing panels. To begin, we started by removing staples from the trim and irreplaceable parts of the woodwork. We also began working to uncover the screws holding the current paneling in place, which came out with some difficulty. The result was this:

As it turned out, much of the surface paneling was mounted over even-older paneling dating back to the Kiosk’s original construction. It contained thirty-year-old staples, graffiti, and evidence of multiple paint jobs in the last 30 years. The lower trim was also damaged from rot, necessitating repair with wood putty.

The view a passerby would have of the work site. Philip is examining the DO NOT TOUCH signs

A hard day’s work. The discarded paneling is on the left-hand side of the photo, along the street.

Session 5: Demolition Day 2

The following Sunday of 8/31/14 saw our work session extend from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. Like the previous day, we spent much of our time removing staples and applying wood putty. While normally this would seem like a trivial task, the sheer number of staples and their rusted condition meant getting them out was a time-consuming job, not to mention the sweltering heat. We used needle-nosed pliers, staple-removers, chisels, and flathead screwdrivers to pluck, snap, pull, and work out stapling from the interior panels.

Nick and Aaron, removing staples with a pair of needlenose pliers in 95+degree heat

Uttam (Team Ireland), demonstrating the practicalities of needlenose pliers in removing staples over Jackson’s wire-strippers

Session Day 6: Demolition Day 3/Construction Day 1

This session on 9/1/14 ran from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The day was once again spent removing stapling from the kiosk’s interior paneling, as well as applying wood putty to the rotting portions of the trim. However, the final hours saw us completing the cleanup well enough to attach the new paneling. Due to a clerical snafu, we did have to recut new panels for the doors and one of the alcoves, but it worked out fine. The construction phase was almost entirely completed that day, save the painting.

Aaron and Nick, back on the job. The discarded panels can be seen on the bottom right.

Session 7: Construction Day 3

This session took place on 9/6/14, from 11:00 to 2:00. This was the first of the painting sessions, where we disassembled the kiosk to apply a new paint scheme. Originally, plans were made to simply paint the entire kiosk to its original color. As we uncovered the interior panels, however, we found that the kiosk had several “original colors”, ranging from a matte grey to an off-yellow. It was eventually decided that the kiosk needed a bit more visual flair than the battleship grey we had originally imagined. We settled on a paint aesthetic similar to the Hamilton Jewelers building across Witherspoon Street: black trim with white paneling. We also elected to add an orange stripe and ceiling just for a splash of color and an homage to both the Town and University that the Kiosk sits in immediate proximity to. First, however, we needed to sand some of the sharper edges of the new paneling, as well as the coarse wood putty. After this sanding, we removed the paneling for better access to the trim in and around the site of each panel. The bottom trim was first painted with an oil-based primer stain to prevent rot. The upper levels and trim then received a coat of their respective colors. We planned on applying more coats the following day.

First coats of black and orange paint on the kiosk. The white paint has not yet been applied in this picture, evidenced by the grey/faded portions on the top strip

Aaron with the black paint, Nick with the orange

Charles, unamused with the black paint

Ashwin, arriving on-site

Jackson, ensuring a clean seal on the orange paint

Session 8: Construction Day 4:

9/7/14 was the final day of work on the kiosk, again from 11:00 to 2:00. We continued applying coats of paint to all pieces of the trim, as well as fixing whatever smears and splashes we had left from the day before. We also left a few graffiti scribbles on the interior paneling for posterity. As these boards would be covered up by the new Wolf White paneling, we wanted to leave behind a memento for any group in the future who would work on the kiosk. These scribbles boiled down to names and dates where we worked. By the end of the day, the kiosk was painted and dry, thanks to the sweltering heat. We reattached the panels, erased any pencil marks left over from cutting the boards, and walked away. Excluding light bulbs and a new doorknob, the kiosk was entirely complete.

Jackson and Nick on paint duty, Phil helping Akil sign in, and Ford explaining the details to a passerby

Charles and Nick, applying white coats to the stained base.

Same angle from later in the day. The white coat on top is being completed

The panels, reattached. Nick, Jackson (behind the kiosk), Sid (behind the kiosk) and Phil installing the door panel.

The practically-complete kiosk from the view of a passing local

The completed kiosk, with a group picture. From the left: Aidan, Philip, Jackson (Group Leader), Charles (ladder), Aaron, Sid, Dante (ladder), Nick, and Ford