Sunday, November 25, 2012

Walls

As per the instructions, I built the walls and ceiling flat on sawhorses, just stacked them on top of each other as I went, so it was easier as the stack got taller. I used the recommended square-drive stainless screws. I didn't like them, their shanks would twist right off occasionally, or the stupid things would strip. I got the big box of them and probably threw out 100 or so. In their defense I was using an ancient craftsman drill that had zero clutch adjustment and I wasn't drilling pilot holes. My previous experiences with deck screws led me to imagine I wouldn't need to. Once I did start using pilot holes, it was easier, if not faster.

I also used kiln-dried 2x4s in 8' and 10' lengths. HD doesn't have 10' kiln dried lying around, so I ordered it from a local lumber outfit for about $30 more than it would have been at HD. 2x4s were $200, including extra ones I have bought since then for adjustments I made to the ceiling design. I used kiln-dried because it was the path of least commentary from my Dad and husband, though my carpenter friend said it was overkill.

Here I am making walls: I'm the zaftig suburban lady in the middle. Fortunately, this area of the yard is shaded, because it was 95°F outside—it had cooled off! You can see the layers of walls stacked up, the bottom layer is the back wall, front wall, and 2 side walls that are identical. I was using the clamp to make sure the wood made a fairly flat plane at the joins. Even kiln-dried, it wanted to twist a bit.


After my husband and Thing 1 helped me raise the walls. Lots of screwing things down still had to happen, the walls were connected by the boards at the top corners.


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