Posted on 07/10/2016 8:54:19 PM PDT by Eddie01
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts over the years, while I’m not the handiest or craftiest guy, I do make an effort to expand my DIY skills when I can. One thing that often leaves me scratching my head is purchasing lumber whenever I take on a project that requires it.
You’d think lumber would be simple; it’s just going and buying a piece of wood, right? But it’s surprisingly complex. There are so many choices that, even with a supply list in hand, I often find myself wandering the lumber section at the home improvement store for 20 minutes trying to figure out which pieces of wood I should buy. Common board? Structural? C or D grade plywood? Pressure treated?
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(Excerpt) Read more at artofmanliness.com ...
I bet lady’s think of wood more often then we know.
The Contractors let you come onsite and peruse their scrap piles? Or do you wait until after dusk and take what you want?
While someone is there.
Well,barn wood support beams are old oak and such. A lot of those old barns were drilled with a brace and bit and “pinned” with dowels. It depends on your area for old lumber. I was talking about South Jersey.
Thus, the dumpsters (which are all on the property and not on the street) are fair game.
I only go when the workers are absent, and during daylight. I leave the blinkers activated on my truck so any observer will conclude I am not being sneaky. I also only go when there is no temp fencing, because that is de facto trespassing.
I have observed that the contractor is rarely on site - It's always the mexican workers and they have no idea who is who.
I want to build a shed. I am biding my time.
I’ve tried that but am rebuffed. They say that insurance and safety concerns don’t allow for that. But...I’m in MA...so it’s not an unexpected thing.
Wood appear so.
A "chick"? Wow, nobody's called me a chick. And lived much longer with all their parts.
While my brother was off with his friends playing ball or some such, I was helping my father fix everything around the house. I soon outstripped my dad's fixit talents. I inherited my dad's ability for design (he was an engineering draftsman) and have been designing and building stuff for my own use since I'm a little mite. I like to fix things, too. Can't stand having to throw something away for want of a little repair.
My dad used to call me "the cardboard engineer" (remembering that brings a smile to my face, as my dad's been gone for 20 years) because until I was about 10, he didn't allow me to use a saw. So I fabricated usable stuff from cardboard.
As I said, my home is full of beautiful things I designed and either built myself or had built to my spec. Much of it is in oak, because I adore that gorgeous wood.
Folks like you would never even look up at my doing these things if I didn't own an X chromosome. Get with the program, bud. Tools don't come in pink and blue.
Just harvested about 450mfb of Douglas fir from my property last month. Used local timber cutters, sold to local mills, to build local homes. We are blessed to have helped our local community and to be a whole lot richer!
Make that a PAIR of X chromosomes. Off during the summer, not thinking biology.
I am surprised you’re female simply because I have been interacting with you for so long and never gave it a thought.
If I knew you were female I would not have directed crude haikus your way.
PS: My daughter is almost 5 and she uses the power drill and drives real nails using a small but real hammer. I make the pilot hole, though.
lol....
Actually, they do nowadays. Get with the program, bud.
Bring a measuring tape. You may be able to sue if that 2x4 is not actually 2x4....
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/09/18/lowes-hit-over-the-head-with-a-2x4.aspx
My grandparents home was built solid. Up in the attic you could see the real 2x4’s and 2x6’s and the planks for the floor. Not that shredded wafer plywood that disintegrates if it gets damp.
He mentions “structural grade” softwood dimensional lumber. That designation is usually from stands of “southern yellow pine” or “douglas fir”. The doug fir is usually straighter with less culling needed.
One of the other treatments we should consider is fire treated lumber. But usually, lumber that has been fire treated is not also pressure treated for moisture exposure. Moisture exposure “pressure-treated” lumber is generally used anywhere that the lumber touches concrete walls or slabs as well as exposed to moist air or some rain. The bottom plate in a stud wall is always pressure treated in my book. It stops insect infestation, dry rot and mold.
Any area that gets wet during construction must dry out completely before enclosure. It cannot have been soaking in water for days and then enclosed by sheathing or drywall. If it is, mold is going to form.
Most saw dust should be avoided. Hardwood, especially oak, has a saw dust that can kill.
Often the retail yard like Lowes or Home Depot does not carry commercial grade lumber of all the types. Try a commercial lumber yard.
Never saw pink and blue versions of power tools at Home Depot. What hardware store do YOU shop at?
I shop online for tools for my daughter.
But to the point: I meant no offense.
Interesting.
I did buy the DF from a lumberyard and it sat in the house for close to two years before installation
After the DF floor was installed, the dude sanded it and then packed sawdust into the minor imperfections. (I think he skipped the part where sawdust is to be mixed with wood glue, then applied). After he left, I vacuumed that sawdust considering that when poly will be applied that sawdust will mix with the poly and create a visual nightmare.
No offense intended here either. I am happy to hear that you are training your daughter to use tools. It makes no sense for anyone, of any gender, to be helpless and dependent. My dad was very proud of my ability to fix things and build stuff from scratch, and the memory of that makes me smile.
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