Home Improvement Today?

The upstairs is typical 2x6 wall but there is a window seat in that one pic , projects 18" . Basement total wall depth is 14"

 

Looks like a nice clean job of hanging rock. From what I can see, the cuts look nice and fit tight. I don't see a bunch of busted corners on the sheets from rough handling. Nice and clean job of hanging rock.

4BYTOY

 

Started prepping the timbers today for the entry roof I'm building

When I buy timbers from my timber guy he usually can fill my orders with pieces he has in stock , which also tends to be less expensive than a set order .

For this entry I need a couple 8x8 posts and 2 / 10' 8x12 beams . He sent me this 20' 8x12 to split for the 2 / 10'ers I needed . I can honestly say that after telling that story about the guy I know that cut that timber an inch short I must have re-measured my cut line about 20 times this morning before I bucked this timber in two lol .




End cuts made on entry timbers and all elements belt sanded with 36 grit to remove dirt , stains and handling marks




I'm working alone tomorrow so I'm going to use my scaffolding lifting tower / chain hoist arrangement like we did with the big timbers on the covered deck




Roofers are coming back beginning of next week to finish this side so I hope to get it all knocked out Sat / Sun

 

I’m borrowing the 700 from a friend to build some doors. It’s nice having a friend that has a cabinet shop.

 

My thoughts: smooth is hard. If you feel like it, try it with topping compound (sands easier!). Focus on laying down lots of thin coats, rather than getting it done in just a couple. Forget the machine sander, but do get a round sanding disk by Full Circle International, the radius 360. It doesn't flip like those *&^&%$ rectangular ones. Once you've decided you're done, hold a 500w lamp sideways to the ceiling and find out how it looks. (In my case, with early work, the answer was, "terrible".) There's no shame in calling a pro at this point. Did I mention that smooth is hard?

 

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...^^^... Cool pics ... those walls look thick ... but it could be me having withdrawals from remodeling ...

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Edit ... I understand now ... I read up in the thread.

 

Got some work in on the entry roof timbers today

Got my 8x8 posts cut to length and made the plunge cut in the bottom of them with my electric chainsaw to mate up with the knife plates we cast into the concrete columns

Base of the knife plate plunge is widened to sit over the weld on the plate



Columns with knife plate




The post to beam connection consists of 2 / 5/8" x 18" galvanized lag bolts let into the 8x12 by 2" to get an 8" embedment and 2 / 3/8" x 20" GRK RSS screws to help fix the post in position while I set the lags

I predrilled the 5/8" holes through the beams from the underside to ensure that the bolts enter the top of the post where I want them to and not run out towards the edge of the post .

To help drill a plumb hole I rigged up this simple plywood jig consisting of an L of plywood on the flat with a fence screwed to that .

Clamped to the beam this gives an inside corner that is square in two directions to the beam surface , and running the drill in the corner starts the hole square for about 7" before I remove the fence and finish the hole




8x12 beams ready to go in place with notching for the connection at the house end .




Posts are in place already , I'll lift the beams in the morning , then start cutting rafters

 

Got my beams installed today

Connection at the house consists of a notch around the double 2x6 wall plates with the beam sitting on a 4 ply 2x6 cripple . There are 2 / 3/8"'x 16" GRK RSS screws that end up going through the top of the timber notch , through the double plates , through the lower part of the timber notch and 4" into the cripple studs . There are also 2 / 8" GRK RSS screws that just go through the upper notch and into the double plates .

I pre-installed the screws because the space above the beam where it is going to be installed is limited




Rigged beam on the timber cart , ready to lift into place




Beams both installed and screws installed




After this pic I laid out and cut my 2x10 rafter pattern and confirmed that they worked so I should have no problem finishing up in the morning

 

And you did this alone? I have to say I am not a construction worker but have been around it my whole life and helped out in all kinds of trades, and what you do amazes me, honestly it really does. That timber cart is pretty slick, and those GRK screws are bad ass. I have never seen 16"ers. Must cost a pretty penny. You got me hooked on GRK fasteners a few years back and I haven't turned back. I used them when I built out our maple sugar room with cupola and sliding door in my brothers barn, my deck, projects around the house, everything. Here's my sugar room, and one of my most proud things I made is these 2 brackets that hold an 80 gallon stainless head tank for sap. I made mortise joints and used GRK screws to hold it together and to attach it thru the pine wall boards into the 8x8 posts of the barn. It hasnt shifted or moved at all. My day job is an ER nurse but I love building stuff

 

finished up the front trim and painted the garage and the window where we replaced the window and tore the rock out. Looked back on whats changed in a year and its pretty crazy what can happen in a year.



Day we got keys and yesterday.



i need to get on the roof and paint the peak trim out so it looks good too.

 

End grain plunge cuts with the chainsaw are always exciting lol, just gotta go for it.

What's your attachment from the post to the beam?

 

2 / 5/8" x 18" galv lags and washers let into timber 2" plus 2 / 3/8" x 18" GRK RSS screws

 

does anyone know if you can buy an LED bulb compatible strip light? I need a 4' one but all of the LED fixtures are not "serviceable" per se, meaning I can't replace the LED bulb itself if it goes out. That means most of these only have a lifespan of about 5-6 years of full time use before having to change the entire fixture. Not really a fan of that idea. Either that or I go back to using fluorescent.

The reason I ask is I have a 4' LED strip light and it died, now I can't just change the bulb itself. Very inconvenient.

 

Is that straight into post?
When do you use bolts?

 

Yes

I only needed the lags per the engineer's spec , the GRK's just allow me to position the post and hold the connection together while we pre-drill the post for the lag and install the lags

 

Lags ought to keep the post from twisting quite nicely.

 

They make retrofit bulbs. Never used one for a 4' flourescent light

https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/t8-led-tube-lights/

 

I think you have to convert something in the fixture itself though, if I'm not mistaken.

EDIT: Nvm, website explains it!

Thanks for the link! Ordered an LED ready fixture and LED tube.

 

We've been doing this at work. Most cost effective to have a replacable bulb. It's worked out well.

This is the fixture, we strip the ballasts out...
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Metalux...4-ft-Fluorescent-Strip-Light-SSF240/305016129

And these are the bulbs...
https://www.amazon.com/Hyperikon-4-Pack-Rotatable-equivalent-Warehouse/dp/B00YVGUZVS?th=1

So for $90 you have 2 BRIGHT fixtures that you can replace the bulbs in. The Hyperikon bulbs have also proved to be very reliable. We've been rolling them out for about 3 years now, and as far as I know, haven't had one fail.

 

You can get direct replacement LED 4 ft bulbs for Fluorescent fixture that do not require the ballast to be removed form the fixture. I did this in a couple of mine where fixture placement was adequate.