Beam Me Up, Scotty



Nailing the posts to the Simpson piers.

  A physicist might tell you that nothing is as solid or permanent as it seems.  Solid stuff, like wood, cement and the like are mostly moving atomic particles with a lot of space in between. 
A carpenter would tell you the same.  Building a structure, like the deck in these photos, is working with basic materials: metal, wood, cement, stone, dirt, etc.  It's done with amazingly simple tools: hammers, circular saws, string, a level, a square, and a pencil.
Using these tools to make a sturdy structure takes skill, experience, and the eye of an artist.


These are the 3 main beams each 24 feet long.

 Thank goodness I have my brother Scot to help with this process.  He patiently levels, measures, plumbs and squares these materials. 
And it seems like they are always in motion! 
A matrix of movement.  Just when one section is set and in place, something shifts, bows, or moves a bit, making the whole enterprise interact and shift slightly out of kilter. 
Maddening!



Almost done with the 4 x 8 beams.  Just
a little nudge here, a little push there,
maybe a cross brace...

  Eventually, with a bit of re-shifting, prying, pushing, hammering, cursing, and head scratching, it comes together.  Straight and true.
All within a quarter of an inch or so, converting thousands of pounds of material, 24 feet in diameter, over uneven ground into a first class deck.

Admiring our handy work.

So many thanks to Scot for his time and efforts.

My jobs at this phase is go-fer, tool-hander, beam toter, nailer, photographer, and blogger. 

Oh yes, and learner.
In a day or so, it will be a done deck, yurt ready.
And although I am enjoying the process...
I can't wait!
-P