Posting a Post on Posts

Happy Labor Day Everyone,

Windy and pleasant weekend.  Worked on finishing up a porch post.  Painted and striped it.  Then we put it up and took two more down to work on.  This has been a cumbersome job the way we were doing it.  We were taking them completely apart and Lynn came up with the idea that we would just take off one side and drop the solid core into the middle and put the piece back on top.  Now why didn’t I think of that?  The thought was to run it through the band saw and do it that way, but those are 8 foot posts and would be quite a job handling the bulky post.  If you remember from previous posts, no pun intended.  The posts were hollow and the original glue failed.  Well a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes.

Taped and painted the colors on the turned post

Here comes the wind and the dust.

Dust storm headed this way.

Two more posts ready to take the top off and drop in a solid core.  We decided that it might be easier to do it with a skill saw than a band saw.  Well I don’t like handling the skill saw, so that little chore is all Lynn’s.  The band saw I would try as I feel more confident with a stationary piece rather that something I could actually drop on my toes.  Too clumsy for a skill saw.

Raw posts needing attention

As you can see there are a lot of cracks to be glued and Bondo’ed and primed and painted then striped and finished.  I bet someone could turn that into a country song.  🙂

Look at the cracks in the posts where the glue has failed

Hmm, even bigger cracks.  That large crack will be the top that we take off on this post.

Bigger crack

 

See what I mean by hollow?  There are actually two wide sides and two narrow sides.  We will be taking off one of the wide sides.

Hollow posts which had been glued with inferior glue.

Makes a nice trenched-out post.  Nice working outside when it is beautiful.

One with the top taken off

Another angle as you can see how the glue has failed.  We will be using construction Type II Elmers Carpenter Glue.  With our research, that is the glue that holds up better in exterior projects.  We used it on two previous post that we did 3 years ago and they are holding up really well.  With a good primer and paint, they will last for years.

This is the one where we will glue in a two piece solid core.

Clamped and drying.

One will be ready for putting Bondo on and sanding and more Bondo and more sanding.  I’m gonna be a busy girl this week.

Give the glue a chance to cure overnight.

Only six more to go.  Going to have burn some of the after-work oil.  No rest for the wicked as they say.  Just hope the weather holds along with my stamina.  They both have a good chance of wavering.

Annie, the novice post repair princess 🙂

 

3rd Post Primed and Riding Mower fixed

At least the weekend ended on a good note.  Remember the mower was in pieces when we quit for the day yesterday?  Well, we got that fixed after about 2 hours of taking the mower deck off, removing the blades, broke a few bolts, crawling around on the ground on our knees, but we managed to get it done.  Yes, I helped.  Even though I hate all things mechanical, but I sure do like it when the weeds are mowed down.  In between times when Lynn ran to the hardware store, and when he was doing things where he didn’t need my help, I worked on the post.

The “Post.”  That would be the post that we glued up toward the end of last year.  Well I spent 2 days sanding, filling holes with Bondo, sanding again, more Bondo, sanding again.  Got the picture?  Its not perfect, but it will do.  Ending the evening painting on the primer coat.  Kilz Premium Primer.  The only kind I will use.  Note to self – Google Bondo and see if there is a hardener that dries slower and gives you a little more time to apply it.  I have about 3 – 4 minutes before it sets up.  I do all things slow, so this is a challenge.

Why do I use Bondo and not wood filler?  I thought you might be wondering about that.  I tried wood filler and wood putty and neither held up outdoors in the weather.  It was harder to apply and harder to work with.  I figured they use Bondo on cars and they are almost always in the outdoors.

The mower has new blades, it has been greased, has a new starter, and it should be good for another year before we have to replace it.  Because Momma is broke and we will just have to make do.

Have to get 3 more 4X6 posts to hold up the porch roof so we can remove a couple more posts.  That will probably get done during the long Holiday weekend.  Have to have 12 more 2X4’s to cut and make solid cores in the post.  History of the posts is noted in previous posts from about 2 years ago.  I have 6 more post’s to do.  It’s a lot of work, but they will not be flawless, but they will look good and be stronger than before.

Big sigh 🙂  This weekend is coming to an end.  Need to jump in the shower then kick back and watch a little bit of TV, then off to bed.  Then we get to do this all over again.

Now for a few photos:

This is the French doors leading out to the upper deck looking north over the back pastures

Handy dandy weed wacker. Momma’s toy. RIP 😦

This is the bonus room with pocket 10 light French doors

Now I bid you all Goodnight.

Annie, The gopher and mechanical assistance

All Things Mechanical

This has not been one of my most productive weeks.  Blew the engine up on my weed whacker last Sunday.  Lynn has been working on the riding lawn mower for over a week now, and it hasn’t run good in about a month.  The weeds are a growing.  Took the deck off and broke the screws off, had to put on a starter and other assorted thing.  It is in pieces until tomorrow, hopefully.

Oh, and flood insurance has reared its ugly head again.  With the appraisal came the inclusion of the outbuildings.  A detached garage, Lynn’s shop, the stable, and the pole building.  Well, get this, we have to do an elevation certificate on each building, and then purchase flood insurance.  So I have the surveyor scheduled for Tuesday, and I haven’t a clue how much this is going to cost.  I just paid $2000 on the house alone.  Haven’t a clue where that money is coming from.  I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

On a better note.  I am starting to work on finishing the posts that had to be repaired on the front porch.  I just won’t look at the 7 acres that are in dyer need of mowing, with weeds galore.  This place has never looked so bad.  But that will just have to get done later.

Back to the post.  I have been using the palm sander and scrapping the old paint and applying Bondo.  That is some neat stuff.  Have to get a little creative, but that is the part I like.  I will be spending the whole day on it tomorrow and possibly begin on another one.  That is my task for the rest of the week.  So, I will not be spending much time on the computer.

I feel like I am juggling, just to keep all the balls in the air.  Never going to get it all done.   Yes I can, yes I can, oh yes I can.

Update:  The appraisal didn’t come back as high as I had hoped, but it is enough for the Bank and that is what is important.

The house is moving along.  The plumber and electrician have been there all week.  The upper deck is almost finished.  Need front steps and the ramp to the porch done, then most of the rough carpentry will be done.  We will get it inspected and then sheet rock will go up.  That is when I will see it come together.

Now for some pictures:

Looking at the back of the house. Upper deck almost done

Love this deck. Going to spend a lot of time on it.

Well, maybe more tomorrow.  Right now I need to kick back and get ready to watch Outlander while eating a quart of ice cream.  Then all things will be right in my world.  🙂

Annie, the juggler