GOT DEM TOOLS! Saga cont. to LA

RICK FITZPATRICK

New member
Well, you can't build without tools, so tools it is. And another trip. Another convoy. The last one I think. I searched for 3 days on ebay, to find the appropriate sized tools to accomplish what I set out to do. Part of that goal is to build the studio. The other is to make a living. The studio is a tool. A fun tool. But I have to build it. So tools it is.
Tools to build other tools. A shop is also a tool. I have to build a lot of shop stuff too. And fix the house. And.. and.. and....

I found 5 major shop tools. These aren't your run of the mill craftsman build your wife a table tools. Although I better do some of that or my name is mud. I built my wife new cabinets in the old house, and she was thrilled with them. After waiting 5 years. Only to sell the house the week I finished them. Oh well. It got us to Oregon and that made her happier.

So, I bid on said tools, first because of price, second, because of location. One was in Grass Valley Calif, which is outside of Sacramento about 30 miles. My folks live in Sac. The other 3 tools are in LA. Good. One big round trip which is about 2000 miles long, and a lot of work. I still have two storage units and various family porches full of collected, studio, and home stuff. Not to mention other tools. A Hamada printing press, 4' paper cutter which itself takes a forklift, bindery equipment etc. etc. My wifes business tools.

The woodworking tools consist of a Delta unisaw, which I just picked up in Tacoma Washington. I just returned from that 2 day trip. Beautiful trip. Now for the rest. I'll pick up the tools in LA first. A Laguna 16" bandsaw, which is 7' tall, a powermatic tablesaw, which is almost identical to the unisaw, and a 8"x6' powermatic jointer. Cool
Now back to Sacramento. There is 2 days loading time there. Short visit with my folks who are in their 80's. Probably won't see them for a long time. I'll miss them. Then I'll swing over to Grassvalley and pickup a powermatic 12" planer. Perfect size for what I do.

Then it's back to Coos Bay. At least that is the plan. Of course, you know the old saying,...."the best laid plans of...".

I've now got a job. A contract of sorts. I've been hired by a local contractor to help build a greenhouse. And build/install all the millwork. But this isn't your run of the mill greenhouse folks. High end toy for the owner. Actually a tool now that I think about it. The contractor just finished with the slab a week ago. Now, a concrete floor doesn't sound like something to describe as beautifull. This one is. Friggin beautiful. The property overlooks the Oregon coast. The house cantilevers over a cliff. You would have to see it to believe it. But this is the greenhouse floor. The concrete is the color of the ocean. A shade of grey/green that matched the sea exactly. It was spec'd for that color. Even concrete color samples had to be submitted to the Architect. Everything is spec'd. Even the color of the Logs. The Port Orphard Cedar logs. Beautiful ochor yellow. 12" diameter. They are at the jobsite, ready to be installed. The ridge cut and seat cuts have already been made by Scott, framer extraordinair. Unbelievable skill.

Now the other day, I went down to Port Orphard to measure and calc for the Port Orphard Cedar log rafters and gablewall framing in the Greenhouse. I have to input the dimensions in cad, to produce approval drawings for the architect. The eave walls are up. Now for the gable walls. The roof is 12/24. TWO differant pitchs!

Easy as pie you say. Ok, now for the framing. Naturally, nothing in this little building is normal construction. The gablewall framing is no exception. Imagine. Instead of your run of the mill 2x4 studs, 2 x 10 instead. Clear heart vertical grain S$S KD Doug Fir 2x10 studs. Do you know how much clear kiln dried Doug Fir is now. Ha! Don't ask. Somewhere between an arm and a leg.

Who in thier right mind would use this for wall framing? This architect. Thats who.
He's milking this project for every cent he can. Why not. The owner wants "different"
Thats what hes getting. Whoa! Gotta save every scrap for my craft work. And for diffusers in the studio :D Along with the other scraps too. I built my woodcraft business in the 70's from scrap wood. That is why I named it "Environmental Woodcraft". Everything was built from recycled wood. This greenhouse is no exception.

Priced redwood lately? Ha! There are 2 redwood beams in this project. 6"x 14" x 20' long. Recycled from a barn. Mucho bucks apiece. And guess what they are used for. Get this. Gutters. Ha! Fucking Gutters. We have to plough out the upper edge as the actual gutter, and dado the bottom edge for sliding barn door track hardware. The doors are one of the shop projects. They are a candidate for " The overkill spend as much as you can but tell the owner he needs it award" Both faces clad in special custom zinc plated sheet metal with a powder coated finish to match guess what. The concrete/sea. Then a resawn 2x6 redwood frame on the face w/ diagonals. Hence the bandsaw. I can resaw boards 9" wide now. Cool. The gutters also get custom sheetmetal zinc plated and soldered in place liners. Hmmm, how much money you got.

OK, we got this here set of opposing gable wall frames to build. But these are not wall frames. Well, they is but they ain't. Part of the design, is they are shelving units as well. 2x10 vertical studs, and 2x10 shelves, or blocking, whichever way you look at it. Ever been in an old barn. There is always some old piece of greasy farm equipment parts, or a can of oil, spider webs, dust, and what have you, laying on the blocking. Remember.

Thats the idea here. Exposed framing. But finished. Deep, for shelves to display ORCHIDS. The design appears as symetrical cubicals, with some of them acting as window jambs. Holy shit. That means rabits in those particular framing/shelving members for windows. Special too, naturally. Custom ordered green glass with a color to match.....yep, you got it, the ocean. In custom MILLGAURD bronze aluminum frames. Some 2'x2', others 2'x4'. The stud/partitions are 24"on center. Now I don't know if you have ever worked with KD Doug fir, or vertical grain. It is a great color. But nasty grain to sand on the edges. You can catch a long sliver real easy. If your not careful. I've done it and its no fun. Nasty little buggers. Doug fir goes great with redwood and cedar, especially Western Red, and Port Orford Cedar. Resawn.

Ok, now this framing, like any open to the roof room, goes all the way up 12' to the underside of the roof line. At the rafters, which in this case are Port Orpford Cedar logs. The framer milled off a flat spot the length of the log for the top plate of the wall framing, which in this case is finished millwork shelving units/window frames. Because of the angles of two different roof pitches, I have to lay these out in CAD, hence the measurments.

Now with normal gable wall construction, the carpenter would calc his vertical end angle cuts, cut all the studs to length, which each one is different. Layout the wall on the floor, nailgun em together in 5 minutes, stand it up, nail it in place and whamo, your done. On to the next project. But nooooooooooo, in our case, there can be NO EXPOSED fasteners. This is finish millwork. In a damp environment, with EXPENSIVE plants and an owners and architects approval at stake. The architect takes no chances. He specifys jointery solutions to match the task. Blind dados in the stud/verticals and stop shoulderd shelving to prevent the joints from opening. Oh my god. In 2x doug fir. Shit. This will take special jigs. And custom router bits. Not only are the dados blind, they are DOVETAILED. Double that OH shit. :eek: I tell my boss "no problem". Ha. My ass. That means the shelf ends are stopped shouldered male dovetails. Seen it done on panels, never solid in 2x doug fir. OMG.

Hence good tools. But it doesn't stop there. We still have the exterior shiething to put on, and in this case, will be the back to the wall framing/shelving units. And of course, the material is anything but normal. The architect spec's custom laid up 1/2" Western Red Cedar ply with a resawn face. This will face into the room. No problem. Opps. What does this spec say? OMG. 6"wide bookmatched veneers with alternating grain? Who the fuck does this guy think he is. That aint all. All substrates in this project have been spec'd to be FORMALDAHIDE Free, and 100% recylcled wood cores. HOLY BILL GATES. I aint paying for it so lets get on with it. I ordered 16 sheets. $150 per.

You remember the barn. Sheithed in 1x8 or 1 x 12 pine or cedar, or maybe in the north a long time ago, redwood. Not any more. Ply is the usuall choice. Like a little wood shed. You know. Simple T-111 shiething. In this case the ext. face is facing the room. And its western red cedar. So, you say. the other face is facing outside, and it looks crummy. You;ve seen the rear face of ply. Thats why they resaw the finish face. To make it uniform. Well hold on. The architect specifies styrofoam insulation panals to be placed in between vertical furring strips nailed to the ply. Then another layer of 1/2" ply, which is you got it, special order, pressure treated, formaldahyde free, 100% recycled wood ply. With one face custom veneerd with special impregnated paper. Then a black coat of paint. Special paint elixar mixed by the gods. Ha, the lumber yard clerk laughed when I tried to order it. Then ANOTHER set of vertical furring strips. Then 1" thick, 6" wide Port Orford Cedar planks, custom milled with a ROUND sawblade resawn face. Ha, I wish I had a uncle with this much money. OK, remember this is on the coast, and the fog here is like a shower. And 90" of rain a year. That means ANY metal object exposed to the weather with out a coating will rust and disentigrate like a nail in Coke. The architect takes no chances. He specifys all fasteners to be STAINLESS STEEL.
Now I've been spoutin here about square head recess screws for a long time. The builders up here already know. Thats why the local fastener supplyers stock them in every conceivable type, length, head, and thread. And alloy, metal, and finish. In this case, stainless steel. Thats because of the salt. And the rain. Fuck rusting, use stainless. Especially on watercraft. And expensive little greenhouses. But don't stop there. The architect didn't. He specifies countersinks and PLUGS. Port Orford Cedar custom milled cost an arm and a leg plugs. Holy shit. No wonder the contractor bid so high.
And here I thought Macys budgets were rediculous. This makes their projects look like a doghouse, money wise per square foot that is. So this is how the other half does it. Hmmm.

Well, I leave tuesday. Another chapter still to come. Does this move ever get done.
Tune in next week to find out. Same time, same station kiddies. For more of "the adventures of .......STUDIOMAN!! I think. 2000 miles is a loooong way. Later

fitZ :)
 
Sounds like fun to me. It is always fun to work with great material. I wish I could afford that.

If you don't already have one, get yourself a flush cutting saw for all those plugs. It will make your life much easier. Veritas makes a nice one.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Hey, thanks guys, mucho appreciation.
:) :)

Well I went to the local version of home depot this morning to check on their stock of Clear Heart s4s Doug Fir. They had a small amount, just as home depot does. Nobody uses it, cause its so damn expensive. How expensive?


$14.93 expensive. A FUCKING LINEAR FOOT!!!!:eek: :eek:


HOLY MOTHA OF HARDWOODS.......

we need about 300 linear ft. OMG.....:rolleyes: hope this contractor has bid HIGH enough.

GEEEEEZUS.....thats more expensive than WALNUT. Go figure.

It turns out, one of the guys on the analog forum just won a Tascam 520 mixer on ebay, so I guess I'll pick that up for him on the way, so I finally get to meet someone from the bbs. Cool. Always nice to make new friends:)

Well I have half my radial arm cabinets set up, so I better go finish that, and do the CAD shit for the cabinetry tonight. Leaving Tuseday. Thanks for the luck wishes.

2000 miles. LA here we come.
fitz
 
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