Aging nicely

[jinman]

Harv, that's a very, very nice job you did, and the way you tell the story adds a lot of color and personality to the mix. You really have a talent for the one-of-a-kind fabrications. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

You especially got my attention with those post supports. On my deck, we used 6x6 cedar posts, but the builder just drilled the concrete bases and put 3/4" rebar in there for the posts (see attachment). I don't think they will rust out during my lifetime, but sooner or later with moisture under the posts, they are gonna give out. Like you said, your stainless will be there for a long, long, time. Do you think I should do a retrofit? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I don't know what your professional was thinking. I'm sure he's done it right.

Not being a trained professional I had to cover my backside. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I knew the deck would be wet often. I knew the presence of water expedites the deterioration in cedar.

So I designed a plate for the post to set upon that was above any standing water. I used stainless because of it's corrosion resistance.

What was fun was making the blocks to hide the cavity under the posts. They had to cover but they also had to vent. I got lucky and it worked.

In your situation I'd worry more about exposure to water on the end grain than I would the rebar anchor-studs. If your posts are sitting flat on concrete and water can sit there, the cedar will be gone long before the rebar.

I love your place, stone gorgeous as they say around here.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

If you run into a Walter Johnson and he looks like could have been a redheaded freckled fair skinned boy at one time mention "Shady".

September of 66 the 196th Light Infantry Brigade set up in Tay Ninh. We were there to put in communications, telephone cable, etc for them. The 267 Signal company did that for the 196th, 4th Infantry Division, 9th Infantry Division, 173rd Airborne, 11th Cav, and I don't know how many others. I was in the 267 from July 66 to July 67.

It was tough. There wasn't much of a perimeter. It was so hot that most of the guys got badly sunburned even though we'd all been in country for awhile and thought we'd tanned up enough not to ever get burned again, ever.

We had to place telephone poles and cable without much of our equipment. The duece and a halfs and five tons stayed stuck. It was tough.

Now we all had nick names. It's part of the thing men--boys do when they're trying to get where they are and what they are doing off their minds. Most of the nick names can't be repeated in a family friendly forum.

We were a couple of hundred yards off the road trying to pull cable. Covered in mud, hot, sweaty, bone tired, whupped on, over, and up if you know what I mean. There was about six of us cooking in the sun.

The section leader mentioned he was thirsty. He asked us if any of us was thirsty too. Almost no one acknowleged thirst. I say almost no one because one of us agreed with the sergeant.

That red headed fairskinned freckled fella was standing there in the shade of a telephone pole. He had his head sorta tilted so that the down guy protected his eyes from the sun.

He said he was also thirsty.

So the sergeant said, "well Shady why don't you go and get that water barrel and bring it here so we can all have a drink?"

That's how Walter L. Johnson of Raleigh, North Carolina got the nickname "Shady".

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This morning I stopped by to take some pictures of a job we figure we did in 94. I've been wanting to get some good pictures for the new web site. This is the only fence in a fence I know of.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

here's one of the walk gates. All the brands we made one at a time and represent either a family brand or a fantasy one from the kid's initials.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

fence with Bluebonnets and Indian paint brush in the background

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This is a very tight family. I remember when we were talking about the drive gate I left with the impression that a tree would be representative of them from my perspective.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

another shot. I just couldn't get the green of the fence away from the green of spring, life's tough.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Here's my favorite gate latch. When it's closed you can only see one horseshoe. And when it's open you see two.

Yest the gate has sagged a bit over the last ten years. Time while generous isn't always kind.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

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