This, that, and the other

[wroughtn_harv]

We got back from vacation and went straight to Eddies for the Octoberfest get together.

Since then we've stretched and tied in about eleven hundred feet of eight feet high fence. The posts and braces were done by others. We stretched and tied in one strand of barbwire top and bottom. Posts were set on fourteen foot centers and the pulling brace was in the middle.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The client had a forty foot opening and wanted a slide gate. I talked them into a thirty foot slide with a ten foot swing gate for those rare occasions they need the extra clearance.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

While doing this job I also got to work in Dallas in the high rent district. I didn't take any pictures but it was interesting. That work earned me an invitation to bid on a unique fence. Unique in that it's proprietary, my concept and done my way. If we get it it will be fun. It's extremely expensive, but that's okay.

I've also been invited to bid on another fence job. What's neat about this one is I'll be competing against professional designers and real fence companys. I'll know more next week but as it was explained to me over the phone last week I think I've got a good chance to at least be competitive on the design. I hope that I can get it for a lot of reasons. Most of them are ego and I'll admit it. But I don't know a high school drop out that wouldn't die for the opportunity to whup up on the degree professionals at their own game.

It was one of those things where the wishes of the client were expressed and a couple of hours later I saw it. It was like the stone staircase in Highland Shores where I not only saw the finished product, I envisioned how to accomplish it.

We've also been given the opportunity to work with a couple on their private residence. It's one of those places that has to be seen to be believed. If I described it you'd probably turn up your nose a little more than a tad. But if you took a tour you'd be blown away by the creativity and beauty. We hope to be able to contribute in our own little way.

I've also been give two tentative go aheads on big timber entryways similar to what we're wanting to do at Don and Karens. These are within twenty miles of each other so we should be able to do both of them at the same time. They will be different from each other and totally different from anything else in the area.

Back in August we started a staircase with a client.

They bought into my idea of a eastern red cedar staircase. So back in August we went into the woods and cut us some logs.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Then we took the logs to a friends place and cut them into slabs for use as runners and treads.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Life has been busy for both of us, the client and myself.

Here's what we're looking at.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

What the client fell for, my ideas, unproven, unusual, etc and so on, was big cedar treads mortise and tenoned into a steel skeleton hidden in a cedar runner.

Something like this:

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Like a lot of my projects, this is a twofer one. What I mean by that is we get not only the fun of building the project, we get to build the tooling etc too.

One of the pleasures of this particular project is the client is an artist and can visualize concepts immediately. It's growing as it's going up.

As of now here's the plan. We're taking the nine worst treads for the lower staircase. Worst as in the most un-nice unfinished edge that goes to the rear of the tread. The poorest of the poor will go to the bottom two treads, you'll have to be on your knees to inspect them. The next two poorest will go at the top of the bottom section where they'll be facing the wall of the pantry/fridge pedestal.

We've got to build a temporary carriage to handle the completed section as we move it in and out cutting the runners in. The inside one will be tricky because the bottom half will have handrail and the upper half will not.

The treads will be cut into the mortises of the quarter by eight inch steel skeleton. We're also attaching the skeleton to the treads with stainless screws. Then the runners will be cut to accept the skeleton. The runners will also be attached to the skeleton by way of semi-hidden stainless screws. Hopefully the steel skeleton will noticed only by the most observant.

The runners are four inches wide. On top of them we'll attach a three by three rail drilled to accept the pickets. Right now our plan is to cut out and lathe round the pickets out of scraps. We want red and white with no knots. The hand rail on top of the picket will be cedar cut and shaped by us also. The hand rails along the hallway at the top of the stairs will match the construction of the staircase.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll try to update the photos as we go along.

 

[MossRoad]

Ahhh! A nice Harv project to relax me this evening.

I love cedar. It is the first wood my dad showed me that I can still smell to this day.

 

[EdC]

Harv
When you put pictures like that up on the forum you make it a joy to come home from work and look at your artistry. Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[3RRL]

Wow Harv, what a project!
It must be great to be able to visualize and then make what you see come true. I really like all the photos and great documentation to go along with it. All that cedar is awesome looking.
Can't wait for the next batch of pictures and the rest of the story.

 

[Chuck K.]

Wow. What I would give to have your talent, or at least have the knowledge to make a decent living doing something I really enjoyed..

I am trying to figure out how to make my ~12' sliding gate bigger..

Look forward to future pictures.

 

[BB_TX]

But I don't know a high school drop out that wouldn't die for the opportunity to whup up on the degree professionals at their own game.

As an engineer, most of the best engineers I have worked with have been those non-degreed ones with lots of common sense who worked their way up from helper to engineer. Many a degreed engineer can't engineer their way out of a cardboard box.
As usual, some incredible work. I too wish I had that kind of talent.

 

[EddieWalker]

Harvey,

You are an inspiration to me!!! I really enjoy your projects and the detail you put into explaining them. Sometimes I get it right away, but then in other cases like this one and the rock stairway, it takes me a bit to understand what you are doing. of couse, the best part is HOW you are doing it, and that's where the pictures make is so much fun.

Thanks again for another fun project!!!

I've been playing with cedar myself lately on a much smaller scale. I have a client that wants his exam room done in a mountain theme, so I'm using cedar for his shelves. Lots and lots of sanding.

Did you clean off the bark with the preasure washer that you were telling me about when you were out here? Did you have to do any sanding at all?

Any pics of the preasure washer in operation and the tip you use?

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[AlanB]

Echoing what Eddie said, always inspirational, and as I sit and squirm and try and visualize the whole thing coming together.

Thanks for taking the time to do the pictures.

Something I saw on a landscape show, that you may already be doing Harv, but it went over big on the show, (and I think it will with some of our customers) is the landscaper gave them a picture book of the work as it progressed as a "thank you" gift to the customer.

 

[rtdiggr]

nice work Harv...


Shane

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Thanks for the complements guys.

Eddie, Craig has discovered that you need a thirty two hundred psi power washer with a swirl tip. If you are careful you don't need to do much more than power wash and then bleach to remove mold. He also uses what he calls an "Osborne Brush" on a polisher, says a grinder goes too fast.

Alan, we like to give cds or dvds. The laborers who helped us on the pond project all got dvds with about thirty six hundred photos on them to send home.

Today was a good day. It got even better when I was able to break away from work work and go over to the staircase project.

They had finished cutting the tenons on the treads and so we got down to carving a runner for the steel skeleton. We used a circular saw, a router, chisels, and finished it off with belt sanders.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The way it will work is we'll attach the treads to the steel skeleton. Then we'll remove the excess tenon material. Then the runners will be attached.

We countersunk all the screw holes. Some of the holes are for the treads and some are for the runner.

Of course we had to do a trial fit.

 

[weldingisfun]

Nice!
I am looking forward to seeing the finished project.

 

[dbdartman]

Harv,

I've been watching your posted projects for the last couple years with more than a passing interest. Having over 25 years experience in welding & fabrication, including doing a few large & small hand & stair rail jobs, I find your work fascinating & your artistic/engineering vision inspiring. I, too, know the joy of dealing with a "book learned" college boy engineer. Frustrating, isn't it!

I like the way you're marrying the wood & steel. That's always a challenge, eh?

Anyway... I'd love to work for you for a year or two. I'm certain it wouldn't be boring! Too bad you're 1500+ miles away. Heck, I'd enjoy just following you around for a few days & picking your brain!

Keep up the good work, & keep posting the pics! Like Eddie, I may not always understand what you're doing, but the pics always make it clear. Plus it's funny how the finished product seems to be better than I envision it (IE: the stone steps were absolutely stunning).

Thank you, sir, for taking the time to show us your work. I, for one, truly appreciate it!

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Thanks again guys.

Maybe the best way to explain how I come up with these things is to define it as a reaction. In an empty room with no stimulus I'd be as creative as a log. But when something stimulates me I'm along for the ride. I can't take credit for the ideas because I have no control over them. One minute there's nothing and the next there's not only a concept but a good idea about how to make it happen.

These stairs are a classic example of that phenomena. Client/friend asks me for ideas on some stairs. He wants something unique and he hasn't found anything that catches his fancy. Out of clear air I suggest big beam cedar open stairs. What's funny in it's own way was as I was explaining my idea to him I was seeing the finished product. Of course he had questions about the details. I was able to answer his questions and we decided to go ahead as time allowed.

Today was one of those great ones. I got to see in three D touchy feely what we'd discussed initially. What is even more fun or rewarding if you will was the client/friend's reaction.

It started off with us assemblying the parts.