Fldg Schnr Mast Adventures
After being told by several lumber salesmen that they had 16 Ft D Fir 4x4 only to be greeted by guffawing yardmen when I told them what I was looking for and being worn done by the consensus for laminating, I started looking for suitable 16 ft 2x4 material. Oddly
enought the best stuff I found was at the local Home Depot. Though it was not too good but I found 4 sticks that were reasonably straight and with reasonable edges. I contemplated the rope trick which I know can deliver very significant clamping, it is what guitar
makers use. I decided to pull together all my clamps and buy a few more so that I could use the relatively flat floor as an edge to work against to press out as much crown as I could. I found a good deal on clamps at the local Woodworkers Warehouse, big 6 in C Clamps
for $5. I put a big roll of wax paper on the flatest part of the basement floor and laid the 2x4's out crown up. I painted mixed resin on both surfaces and then made up some glue with silica for filler and used a squeege to cover one 2x4 completely. I had a little over
and put it down the middle of the other side and put them together crown up with the 2' side facing up. With the help of my youngest son we brought the ends together as even as we could and I put a big wooden cabinet vise in the middle. We just had a delivery of
softener salt in 30 lb plastic bags which I hope won't stick to epoxy and we put one bag either side of the cabinet vise and when the crown came out tightened the clamp, not too tight but with a little run out. We then repeated the process halving the distance with
good 6" clamps and more bags of salt and filling in with smaller clamps, monkey wrenches etc. There is something pushing it together at least every foot. Tricky to bring the twisty, crowny sticks together without squeezing all the glue out. I think we will get
something straighter than we started with. Let you know.
Leander
enought the best stuff I found was at the local Home Depot. Though it was not too good but I found 4 sticks that were reasonably straight and with reasonable edges. I contemplated the rope trick which I know can deliver very significant clamping, it is what guitar
makers use. I decided to pull together all my clamps and buy a few more so that I could use the relatively flat floor as an edge to work against to press out as much crown as I could. I found a good deal on clamps at the local Woodworkers Warehouse, big 6 in C Clamps
for $5. I put a big roll of wax paper on the flatest part of the basement floor and laid the 2x4's out crown up. I painted mixed resin on both surfaces and then made up some glue with silica for filler and used a squeege to cover one 2x4 completely. I had a little over
and put it down the middle of the other side and put them together crown up with the 2' side facing up. With the help of my youngest son we brought the ends together as even as we could and I put a big wooden cabinet vise in the middle. We just had a delivery of
softener salt in 30 lb plastic bags which I hope won't stick to epoxy and we put one bag either side of the cabinet vise and when the crown came out tightened the clamp, not too tight but with a little run out. We then repeated the process halving the distance with
good 6" clamps and more bags of salt and filling in with smaller clamps, monkey wrenches etc. There is something pushing it together at least every foot. Tricky to bring the twisty, crowny sticks together without squeezing all the glue out. I think we will get
something straighter than we started with. Let you know.
Leander