Beam me up!
My father has been trying to convince me since Christmas that we had to have one. Wendy's uncle was even trying to talk us into buying one while he was up last weekend, and I poo-pooed it. Wendy wants nothing to do with it. I have been wary since FD doesn't recommend them and I have read the statistics on the number of DIYers who get hurt each year with them.
After my injury on our nation's birthday (hopefully we can all party it up for many years to come), and coupled with a shoulder (rotator cuff) strain Wendy has been fighting since the early days of this project when we climbed in and out of the cellar hole without a ladder, I decided to break the taboo and buy a framing nailer. After consulting my experts, I decided on the Porter Cable FR350A, considered to be state of the art.
I won't go on longer except to say two things: Wow. This thing cranks through production - if we didn't have it, we would still be just starting what we got done this weekend. Also, people get hurt on all sorts of tools, mostly because they have no respect for the tool, have little understanding of how to use the tool properly, and are cowboys. Use it properly and safely and nobody should get hurt. At least that is what I have always been taught.
Saturday, Uncle John cut all the lumber for the beams to get us started, while we set about making some saw horses to work on. Getting my toes wet took a little while, but once I got my feet under me, we were able to get 10 of the 21 twelve foot beams we needed assembled and put in place.
Today, we finished up 5 more beams and straightened everything out before the threat of weather caused us to pack it in and send my father driving home.
Wendy learned to use the chop saw under my father's tutelage today, and has earned herself the title of sawmistress from now on. If I need something cut, Wendy is whom I will go to.
In return, if the nailing power of the nailer is needed, I will be the go-to guy I guess. What is left to do - get the short wall built, get the beams across the back sill, start decking! We are off next weekend for a wedding in Boulder, CO, but will return with a vengeance the following weekend.
We also had some surprise visitors this weekend. Saturday, our Realtor stopped in to see what kind of progress we have made and she seemed impressed. Today, Wendy's other uncle and aunt dropped by. It was pretty cool to get to give the 2 bit tour to people who hadn't seen it yet.
After my injury on our nation's birthday (hopefully we can all party it up for many years to come), and coupled with a shoulder (rotator cuff) strain Wendy has been fighting since the early days of this project when we climbed in and out of the cellar hole without a ladder, I decided to break the taboo and buy a framing nailer. After consulting my experts, I decided on the Porter Cable FR350A, considered to be state of the art.
I won't go on longer except to say two things: Wow. This thing cranks through production - if we didn't have it, we would still be just starting what we got done this weekend. Also, people get hurt on all sorts of tools, mostly because they have no respect for the tool, have little understanding of how to use the tool properly, and are cowboys. Use it properly and safely and nobody should get hurt. At least that is what I have always been taught.
Saturday, Uncle John cut all the lumber for the beams to get us started, while we set about making some saw horses to work on. Getting my toes wet took a little while, but once I got my feet under me, we were able to get 10 of the 21 twelve foot beams we needed assembled and put in place.
Today, we finished up 5 more beams and straightened everything out before the threat of weather caused us to pack it in and send my father driving home.
Wendy learned to use the chop saw under my father's tutelage today, and has earned herself the title of sawmistress from now on. If I need something cut, Wendy is whom I will go to.
In return, if the nailing power of the nailer is needed, I will be the go-to guy I guess. What is left to do - get the short wall built, get the beams across the back sill, start decking! We are off next weekend for a wedding in Boulder, CO, but will return with a vengeance the following weekend.
We also had some surprise visitors this weekend. Saturday, our Realtor stopped in to see what kind of progress we have made and she seemed impressed. Today, Wendy's other uncle and aunt dropped by. It was pretty cool to get to give the 2 bit tour to people who hadn't seen it yet.
posted by SKelly | 9:20 PM
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