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Nobadays
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2023 09:02
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Finally getting to work on the log steps for the west deck/porch. It's been unseasonably warm and so far the monsoon rains have yet to start. The biting black flies are driving us crazy, but with a head net It's possible to get things done. They are teasing us that the afternoon rains will start this week....
Got both stringers cut yesterday, kind of a puzzle! In the pictures the pointy end is the bottom. The slots are 2"x2" and the half round logs will have a corresponding 2" tenon that will slide into the mortise. First time I've done this design for stairs, have always notched them in, in the past... my notching skills have faded over the years! This felt like a safer, simpler design.
Big step
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Treads
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2023 16:16
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All the treads cut today and everything stained. Hopefully it all goes together tomorrow. I can see that the tenons aren't perpendicular on at least one of the treads... twist in the log... A little trimming will be in order I'm sure!
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ICC
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2023 22:09
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Nice treads. Cut on a mill or with a chainsaw? I sometimes have a heck of a time keeping the cut straight without rotating slightly if I cut with a hand-guided chainsaw.
Quoting: Nobadays It's been unseasonably warm and so far the monsoon rains have yet to start.
Unseasonably warm here to the point that if I go up to the cabin in the early evening with the intent to stay for 3 days or so, the closed-up cabin is too warm. Noticeably warmer than most years. Half the nights have been virtually windless so it didn't even cool much naturally. So I solved that by dragging a portable A/C unit I took out of a rental this spring when we installed a set of split minis. It won't run off the battery and inverter very long but it that is one use for the new generator. Once I'm there a night with the windows open it cools down nicely to 67 or so inside. It will then usually stay below 75 with the windows shut throughout the day.
No useful amount of rain for a couple of months here. I dug a few fence post holes for h-braces with a hand auger. The soil is so dry that it wouldn't stay within the auger to be lifted from the hole. It was almost like powder. I had to add water to the hole to be able to remove the soil down to the 43" deep bottom.
No black flies though. A friend was just in southern AZ and said the rains started there and brought out the gnats which are a plague and leave welts everywhere they bite.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 26 Jul 2023 23:29
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All but one tread were cut free hand with a chainsaw, hence possible twist, plus they have set since last fall. I had a local Amish mill cut the stringers.... 14" log with 5" slab cut off one side. I used one of the slabs. My shoulder is getting stronger after surgery in May but not ready for cutting logs in half!
We have hit 91° twice in the last couple of weeks and it has been mid to upper 80's the rest of the time for a good 3 weeks! Have had a couple of thunder showers but not much. We have lived here now going on 5 years and had never seen it above 85° until this year. Just hoping once the monsoons start that they don't go on too long... we still have some backpacking to do this, late summer/ fall!
We are early to bed, early to rise folks but the last several weeks we have been trying to stay up so the cabin cools off enough to go to sleep. We open it all up in the morning and get it down to ~60° then shut things up. Stays cool until 4-5:00 then inside equals outside. No A/C ...
Rain forecast for tomorrow so hoping we can get the stairs erected before they start. We hot into a swarm of no-see-ums over by Pagosa Springs a few weeks ago.... mean little buggers! Itch, welt, drive you crazy for a week or more! Same or similar to the bugs in AZ, we've had experience with them too!
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2023 10:18
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For sure real work yer doing there; Well Done!
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2023 13:19
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Final assembly this morning. It went surprisingly well and only needed a bit of trimming here and there on the tenons to slide into place. Surprised myself that my log working skills are still pretty good 
Fastened through the log siding into the double 2 x rim joist. Three 10" Timberlok screws on each side. Treads just held down by 3.5" deck screws.
Going to nurse my black fly bites the rest of the day! They make me swell and itch something terrible!
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jsahara24
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2023 13:24
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Looks great, nice work....
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2023 15:22
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I use 'hot packs' on bug bites; hot as your skin can take w/o damage. Hot water cloths or a hot rock or one of those microwave heat therapy bags. Hurts at first, then soothes and sure shortens the bite pain.
Feels good on tired muscles too; a two-fer 
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