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Making a turn of the century 16X20 collodion camera
It’s not every day I am asked to make a camera much less a camera that uses technology dating back to 1851. The technology known as the “collodion wet plate process” uses a colloidal silver mixture...
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The Interior of Alaskan Life 3: 40 degrees below zero
Reblogged from ExploreDreamDiscover Talks: Did this photo make you spit out your coffee? Well it's that time of year again in Fairbanks, Alaska where we carefully consider each chore we need to to do...
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Here the roads are built by hand…
The streets of Ecuador are a far cry from we are used to. Here men build the roads piece by piece, brick by brick. With low wages and no union these guys work from sun up until, well, I don’t know....
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A new client for Straight Ahead says “Straight Ahead Construction Delivers!...
“Straight Ahead Construction Delivers! Quality craftsmanship, on time delivery, and a man of integrity at the helm describe a business that turned my bathroom into a gem! Thanks Mike for your work and...
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Making a turn of the century 16X20 collodion camera Part 2
Last fall I built a 16 X 20 collodion camera for Fairbanks, Alaska photographer, Adam Ottavi. Adam has been working out the kinks with weight distribution, balance, and light leaks. While I was busy...
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Curbless shower install in a non-conforming bathroom area remodel
Custom curbless shower remodel in Fairbanks, Alaska This bathroom was not part of the original design of this house and was a closet before becoming a master bath. The original remodel was a disaster...
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Five smart tips for tile layout when using decorative or glass tiles
This article is intended to give you some ideas on how to layout glass and decorative tiles. When considering your decorative or glass tile 1. Tile layout- draw a simple diagram first. It does not...
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Fairbanks contractor and local photographer build 16X20 Collodion Camera
You may recall that I built this camera a while back for photographer Adam Ottavi. Recently Adam and I made the Anchorage Daily News because of the interest generated by the images this camera makes...
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Canning Copper River Red Salmon, Alaska
This is a brief and simple introduction to my basic method for canning Copper River and/ or Kenai Red Salmon. First, buy this book. “Cooking Alaskan” by Alaskans will provide you with all the basics of...
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Using corrugated steel siding on a residential home
Here we installed industrial style corrugated, galvanized steel siding. The look is attractive and very low maintenance compared to natural wood. Before- West After- West Before and After- East...
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New curbless shower in full home renovation
Straight Ahead Construction,llc is a full service general contracting operation with a residential endorsement. We specialize in home renovations, additions, kitchens, baths, and new homes in...
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Moose hunting in Alaska Fall 2013
Here are a couple pics from our trip to the flats from September 10-18 on the flats. On the second day there were 13 cow moose and 5 calves on the lake. Winter came quickly. My camera was acting up so...
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Framing a home on a block foundation. Fall/winter 2013.
October is actually one of my favorite times to be working outside in Fairbanks, Alaska. Generally, for the last few years, the first two weeks of October have been stellar weather. So far, it’s...
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Freezing rain, steel trusses, and hard workers.
The guys are keeping in good spirits despite the cold temperature. After numerous delays, the trusses arrived, were installed, and now the meticulous process of the associated framing is going on....
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Work hard, play harder! Denali National Park
It was a long week but the end goal made it all worth it. We drove to Denali National Park where the roads are closed to motorized traffic at mile 30 (of the ~90 miles road) this time of year. It’s...
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Fall projects for Straight Ahead Construction (Part 2)
Last week we got the addition post and pads on this gravel pad over permafrost built and after setting 48 hours we set beams and floor joists. This week was short because we went hunting after drying...
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Building a concrete bridge
I could not help myself from snapping this photo of these men working on a bamboo bridge under the concrete bridge. I can’t remember the last time I saw a concrete bridge being built, certainly not one...
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When mushrooms eat through your roof….
While I was working on this home with my crew the owner told me the roof leaked. From the ground it looked like there was nothing wrong. I jumped up on the roof and after a minute found tht in one...
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