This, that, and the other

[txdon]

"One of the attendees was a TBN member. I asked him tonight what his username was and he couldn't remember. I know I cut it in for him with the plasma in the state of Texas on the bridge because he wasn't there when we did the signing. But I can't remember his user name either." Harvey

I could have used the search but I felt adventurous tonight. After taking the golf cart into the woods, past two sets of unidentifiable eyes, and hearing some loud breathing in the creek (the place we call the killing field because of all the animal bones) I walked down the stairs with the dimly lit flashlight to get this picture to jog your memory! Hope it helps!

 

[rox]

Harv,
Gettng the "spokes" in the staircase makes all the difference in the world. It relly looks classy. I lean more towards the craftsman style rather than pure rustic. I like wood to have some "style" to it and this staircase really does. the homeowner really finished it off great. You are an inspiriation to us all.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

"One of the attendees was a TBN member. I asked him tonight what his username was and he couldn't remember. I know I cut it in for him with the plasma in the state of Texas on the bridge because he wasn't there when we did the signing. But I can't remember his user name either." Harvey

I could have used the search but I felt adventurous tonight. After taking the golf cart into the woods, past two sets of unidentifiable eyes, and hearing some loud breathing in the creek (the place we call the killing field because of all the animal bones) I walked down the stairs with the dimly lit flashlight to get this picture to jog your memory! Hope it helps!

I'm wanting to say hayseed was his username. He started when it was kubota.com and Muhammed wasn't out of middle school. (for those who don't know the owner of tbn is/was a whiz kid with a memory like no other for kubota tractors and parts.

 

[rtdiggr]

The staircase came out perfect, it looks great. The house is really coming together.

txdon you are a brave man in the woods of Texas at night all the noises Have you seen "The Blair Witch Project"?

Shane

 

[TBDonnelly]

I came up with an idea and convinced someone that it was nothing but a thing.

Now it's a thing of 'beauty, 'charm' and 'Olde World' style Craftsmanship.

Well done!

Don

 

[MF1455v]

Dang Harvey, that is one great stair case. The combo of wood and iron really makes it pop.

James

 

[jinman]

Here are some more. I don't know if you can tell, buy I'm prouder'n punch as they say in France on beautiful spring mornings. (be quiet Rox, it's my illusion)

Harvey, how are you ever gonna top that? You may do bigger, but you'll never do better. It grabs your attention and holds it...and holds it...and holds it.... It's an instant family heirloom.

 

[jinman]

I'm wanting to say hayseed was his username. He started when it was kubota.com and Mohammed wasn't out of middle school. (for those who don't know the owner of tbn is/was a whiz kid with a memory like no other for kubota tractors and parts.

Harvey, I won't post his picture, but he had on an Adidas t-shirt and a blue cap that day. You made sure he was well represented because you put his name first on The State before anyone else.

BTW - Don, that picture you took looks as good as the day the bridge was finished. The paint looks fresh. You aren't painting it every year are you?

 

[txdon]

You aren't painting it every year are you?

Jim, No, that would be Harvey's secrete paint recipe.

 

[mikim]

Don -- what about putting the cattle guard out close to the road then the gate 50' inside? There wouldn't be any issue then of one getting in the way of the other. What I'm saying is - put the guard inline with the current fence (such as it is) then run new fence to the gate 50 - 60 feet from the wings of the guard.

 

[EddieWalker]

Harvey,

The stairs really are impressive. Once again, I was expecting one thing, and something much better appears that suprises me in how it comes together.

Very NICE !!!!!

Eddie

 

[patrick_g]

Harv, The stairs are very nice but I have a question and a comment. First the comment... The first several pictures I looked at made the balusters look like rebar to me. I couldn't accept that as being your work and was happy to see the balusters better in another picture where I could see they were NOT rebar.

The question... Did you do anything special to toughen the surface of the wood where it will be walked on? A concern I have had using eastern red cedar (juniperus virginiana, actually a juniper tree complete with juniper berries) is the ease of scratching or dimpling the surface. I have been considering using a heavy epoxy coating like a bar topping with good scuff and wear resistance but thought I better check with you before I gallop off in all the wrong directions.

I finally traded enough email with the pitless cattle guard folks to get price info. I guess I probably won't be ordering a bunch of those at a couple grand a pop. I'm sure I can build a suitable substitute if I can't live without the automatic feature.

Pat

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Pat, I'm not sure what kind of finish the client is going to use for the cedar flooring. He's looking at different flooring options for the rest of the flooring. One of those options is raw wood and in place finishing.

The ballusters are hammered tubing from King Metals.

I figured the cattle guards would be very expensive.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Harv, you were right. My wife and I both said "WOW" at the finished product.

TxDon, you are brave! I was with you when you saw the big black cat. Probably a Jagurundi??? We know he's out there.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

The question... Did you do anything special to toughen the surface of the wood where it will be walked on? A concern I have had using eastern red cedar (juniperus virginiana, actually a juniper tree complete with juniper berries) is the ease of scratching or dimpling the surface. I have been considering using a heavy epoxy coating like a bar topping with good scuff and wear resistance but thought I better check with you before I gallop off in all the wrong directions.

Pat

My question is, Does the wood need to dry for a while prior to coating it with something?

 

[patrick_g]

My question is, Does the wood need to dry for a while prior to coating it with something?

Kyle, Yes indeed, it is best to let it dry thoroughly before building with it in situations where a good fit is important as the wood shrinks along and across the grain. Some guys say about a year per inch of thickness but that is a midrange rule of thumb that is not good for really thin or really thick pieces.

If you were building, say, stair treads bolted to steel frame with risers where shrinkage would not be visible then you could shorten the drying time but you do want to let enough moisture escape so the finish isn't hurt or rot isn't promoted by trapped moisture.

I use "OOPS" paint (mis-tint paint sold super cheap at the big box stores where the employees are not good color matchers) to coat the ends of my logs. Then when they are sawn up into individual pieces they are already painted on the ends (I don't have the ends cut square) You want to seal the ends of the wood ASAP after harvesting as the end grain dries much faster than the sides of the wood and the drying promotes cracks in the ends. Painting the ends before drying reduces the cracking considerably. I do it to the log as it is quicker and easier than painting all the individual boards.

If your rough cedar lumber is cut to 1" for planing to 3/4 later then if a little shrinkage is not a problem for your particular application then 6 mo should be OK. A lot of drying time depends on relative humidity, air movement, and temperature as well as species and thickness.

I have planed and used some cedar in less than a week after cutting the tree but you have to accept the risks and not require precision fits.

I have used both polyurethane and cab acrylic on cedar dried less than a year ( an inch or less finished dimension) and now a few years later it looks like it was just finished yesterday and no problems at all.

Pat

 

[txdon]

Don -- what about putting the cattle guard out close to the road then the gate 50' inside? There wouldn't be any issue then of one getting in the way of the other. What I'm saying is - put the guard inline with the current fence (such as it is) then run new fence to the gate 50 - 60 feet from the wings of the guard.

Mike, at the front fence line I have a 35' opening. Several big trucks and trailers use every inch of that when turning from the 20' wide gravel road onto the property. I would need a 35' cattle guard. I hope after they get 50' inside they will only need a 16' opening. If anyone thinks differently PLEASE let me know very soon.

Let's add some tractor pictures to this thread!

Today I spread 45 yards of gravel on the first 100 yards of entry. I made the road wider and moved it east 6'.
I started off with the blade to cut in the ditches and ended up with the box blade to distribute and smooth the gravel. Pictures below.

Harvey below is a picture of the cattle guard we need to gate after it is in place. We may or may not have to modify the wings for the gate swing.

 

[ronjhall]

Road looks good.
Made for a RV.

 

[jinman]

Today I spread 45 yards of gravel on the first 100 yards of entry. I made the road wider and moved it east 6'.
I started off with the blade to cut in the ditches and ended up with the box blade to distribute and smooth the gravel. Pictures below.

Don, as I remember, your county road is a bit of a "challenge." Your driveway looks far nicer than the road. Now, all you need is for Ron to come down and drive his motorhome over it a few times to really get it packed before the spring rains. It looks to me like your gravel is 6"-8" thick, maybe more.

 

[patrick_g]

TXDon, Maybe you could set the cattle guard back away from the road farther and fence on both sides at an angle that would accomodate the trucks. The cattle guard would only need to be as wide as the driveway (plus a little wiggle room) and any gate would only need to be as wide as the cattle guard so it would be much lighter/easier for manual or automated opening and closing. A side benefit would be that there would be plenty of room for you to get a pickup and trailer off the road while opening or closing the gate.

The reduction in cost of the cattle guard and gate will greatly exceed the cost of the diagonal fencing.

Pat