Construction Journal Entry Week of 4/17/16

4/19-21/16 I went up to Camp Serendipity for 3 days: Tuesday through Thursday.

I arrived at 12:40 and had brought so much stuff with me that I brought the wheelbarrow down to the truck to get it after I carried my bag and the cooler up to the cabin. The temperature outside was 74° but inside the cabin it was a nice cool 60°. Since it was going to get hotter outside, I didn't turn any of the heaters on or build a fire. The cabin warmed up to about 70° by mid-afternoon and was comfortable all the rest of the night.

I am really happy about how the cabin stays comfortable all year around. The solar gain keeps the place cozy in the spring and fall and it helps in the winter. In the summer the big eaves protect it from the sun and it stays cool from the night until late in the day when it starts cooling again. The wood stove, the electric heaters, the ventilation fan, and the ceiling fan do an excellent job in keeping the place comfortable no matter what the weather.

I watered Brian, the giant sequoia, and brought the chainsaw, gas, and oil down to the truck. A neighbor needs to use it when I get home and I didn't want to forget to bring it home. After lunch and a nap, I spent the rest of the afternoon hauling a pick-up load of yard waste over to the compost pile. It was a big load and took many trips with the wheelbarrow.

On Wednesday I started out working on the back staircase by moving the gauge board stanchion that was too close to the cabin. After it was moved, I re-leveled the gauge board. There was now room for the first tread to fit. I mounted the tread above its intended location and secured it in place with boards and clamps similar to how I had done it on the front staircase. Then I calibrated and aligned my scriber and scribed the tread and the two stringers for the notches.

Next, I took the tread down and set it on sawhorses to be ready for cutting. I will notch these treads the same as I did those on the front staircase by notching partway into both the tread and the stringers. I drew the lines on the tread and stringers to mark the flat rectangular interface between the tread and the stringers. Then, before the sun reached around that side of the cabin, I stopped for lunch and a nap. The temperature got above 80° outside so I definitely did not want to be working in the sun.

This, being my birthday, was the day when I make my annual measurements of the giant sequoia trees. On my way into the woods to measure them, I brought a big box of wood chips with me in the wheelbarrow and spread them on the trails as I went. There were enough chips in the box to reach from the privy to Brian and nearly to John and about 30 feet up the pipe trail. I still have a lot more chips so eventually all the trails should have chips on them.

Before I got started measuring the trees, Bill called so I returned to the cabin and we had a nice conversation. He had had a hip replacement a couple weeks earlier and was recovering at home. Our conversation was interrupted because of something he had to do so I went back into the woods and measured all the trees. In the process, I watered Brian again.

When I got back to the cabin, Bill called again and we finished our conversation. It was delightful. Not long after we hung up, Harold Samdal called to wish me a happy birthday and we had a nice long conversation. It ended up being a very pleasant and happy birthday with me doing exactly what I wanted to do.

On Thursday morning, I watered Brian again and went back to work on the staircase, which was again in the nice cool shade. I tried a couple different saws on the stringers, but quickly discovered that the Bosch reciprocating saw was by far the best tool. That, in conjunction with the Bulldog, fitted with the wood chisel bit, made the best combination for the notching. I had used a chainsaw before, but this method is much better and makes much bigger chips. I will keep the chips for fire starter and I should get a supply that will last for several years.

I finished cutting the notches on the stringers and then decided that I needed to make a protractor to help in notching the treads. I designed and built one out of three pieces of wood and a few screws. It will work great. It is adjustable and uses a 1-inch C-clamp to secure it once the angle is set. A combination square and a small level work great in measuring the required angle and then transferring it to the protractor.

I got a start cutting the notches in the tread before I left for home at 12:45. I have gotten a lot of one-time things done for the staircase project so from now on, it should be fairly straightforward to install the treads. I hope I can do one per week like I did on the front staircase. We'll see.



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