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Friday, April 15, 2011

LEARNING HOW TO MAKE A STAIRWAY/STRINGERS

This was tough, a true challenge to our patience, wits, thoughts, anger management, skills or lack of, but we did it. We read, watched movies, laid things out, and when that didn't look right, we read some more, watched more movies, and laid things out again. Over and over. Finally, we decided, we just had to do it and see what happens. The worst would be we would have to buy more boards. So with the framing square and the "stair guides" attached, herself laid out the pattern. What if this isn't right? What if the angle is off? What if the distance between steps isn't right? What if it doesn't come out right at the top? What if the steps aren't level? What if they aren't plum? And on and on. Heck with all that. The pattern was laid out on the 2X10 by herself,and then what?  She deserted me!!! Say What??? She left!!! "I did my part" she said as she prettied herself up and headed to town. There I was with 2 huge boards with a pattern that I was to cut with the old circular saw. No one to help lift the boards, hold the boards while I was cutting, no moral support, just deafining silence.
Oh, well, here we go. I started cutting the first board and all went well. Laid the cut board on top of the uncut board and used the first board for a pattern for the second. BUT, I didn't allow for the huge bow and it threw all my cuts off for the second board. Not even close, but I used the framing square and remeasured the angles, recut the second board, and it came out perfect. And I did it without "herself". 
So, we now have now built a stairway, and this will be great knowledge, as we have to build steps for the porch. It wasn't easy, it took alot of time and patience, a few tense conversations, but as usual, common sense prevailed again.
We also started building the wall for the bathroom. At least we know where its going to be. The next trip we will purchase studs for the rest of the walls and hopefully get some built.
 Still the BOI

1 comment:

Nance said...

And the desertation wasn't quite like that -- Himself wanted me to go and leave him to it! Sometimes he likes to figure things out by himself.