...soon, structural lumber as we've known it will be entirely replaced by Structural Composite Lumber...
Also new (as opposed to old) growth is growing in depleted soil. In a natural state the old growth would fall, rot, and replenish the soil. When the trees are hauled away, the soil is not replenished, and it will take a lot of work to convince me that the lumber companies add enough fertilizer to bring the soil back to anything like it's original condition.
So my deck project continues Front deck was falling apart. 5 bad posts, rotted planks and railings. It escalated quickly! Wound up re-skinning the entire horizontal surface. I'm no carpenter. Everything is on a 45. Going around the posts is the biggest pain in the ass ever. I had to make paper templates because I couldn't wrap my brain around figuring it out with my speed square. I got it done though And these 4x4s aren't precisely square. They're a little off. But not bad for an amateur. Finished the top surface. Now onto railings and stairs....again
And yes, my OCD made me mark all the planks so every nail was in a straight line. A couple are a little off but I'm not sure anyone will notice, except me. I keep reminding myself that it isn't a kitchen. And yes, I used 10d hot dipped galvanized finish nails like it was constructed originally. All by hand. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I had mis matched nails
dad has it 16 on center and i cant really tell a difference vs the deck boards. Tbh its the only way to go. It faded a little but none has warped splintered or rotted.
I'm actually building cabinets for the house. Admittedly, I am less a carpenter than a wood butcher and as such I would never even think of building stained kitchen cabinets. These, however, are simple painted shaker cabinets for the living room and family room, and paint allows wood filler to hide a multitude of sins. Cabinets from 3 years ago came out okay --- the need for 7 doors and the presence of a 45 degree bend in the wall complicated life -- but I think the three 33" wide ones I am doing now will be better. Appreciation of the results is improved by poor eyesight and increasing distance, and knowing the cost savings doesn't hurt either.
Looks good from my couch. Been three years and the top still isn't screwed down because wife can't make up her mind on stain. Same with shelves.
If you consider yourself to be a "wood butcher" and made those cabinets, your standards for "carpenter" must be a hell of a lot higher then mine.
Tried to find a clip from Unforgiven from a respectable web site. but no dice. Gene Hackman's deputies talking about his skills: "There ain't a right angle in his house. I'm just saying -- he ain't no carpenter".
So my 40+ year old craftsman jig saw finally died yesterday. I had to bite the bullet and buy a replacement. I bought a Makita. What a difference! The cuts are so much more precise. And there's a little roller that keeps the blade from bending. Came in handy making the birds mouth cuts on the railing section I'm working on.
I had one ridgid cordless saw with a rough blade that cut great. Had another with a finer blade that didn't cut for sh..., so I never used it. Two years later I turned the blade around. Wow. what a difference!
