What’s up, everyone! It’s Studio V, coming at YOU with another blog post this fine Monday morning, featuring yet ANOTHER weekend recap!!!
On Friday we had quite the productive day. One portion of the class headed out to the site to move the flags to the pavilion’s new placement, as the landscape architect wanted to shift the structure about 14 feet north of where we originally proposed. I can only assume the team had fun out there with the bugs… and Tarzan?
Meanwhile, back in the shop, there was an abundance of activity. Of course, there was welding being done for the trellis, but let me introduce you to a side quest I’ve been a part of: DECKING OUT THE TRAILER!!!! YAYYYYY!
David proposed that we spruce up the trailer to make it more efficient for when we head out to the site. The goal was to optimize the space so we could easily move around inside the trailer while also making sure there was plenty of room to store all the tools we’d need to bring out there. The first design we came up with was a flop. David hated it. He told us it was awful and stupid. I’m kidding… kind of. Ummm, anyway, a new design was quickly developed, and after a few discussions with David, we were good to go! For real this time.
The final design utilizes both an E-track and a French cleat system. It was interesting looking into the E-track system and all the different accessories that come with it. We intend to use buckets to store some of the smaller tools and miscellaneous items we may need on site. By using some of the loop accessories, we can clip the buckets into the E-track with carabiners so they don’t tip over and spill everything during transport. Not that we intend to be whipping the trailer around or anything. They also have a wood beam socket accessory that would allow us to span beams across the top or bottom of the trailer. This could potentially be used to store ladders, sheet materials, a mattress if needed, really whatever we want, without having everything sitting on the floor of the trailer.
Then it was Saturday, and nobody went into the shop because we all love fall so much and wanted to frolic around a corn maze, carve pumpkins, spend quality time with friends, eat good food, and sleep in.
Next was SUNDAY FUNDAY YIPPEE!!!! Time to WORK.
I clocked in at the everything-takes-longer-than-expected factory at precisely 9:33 am. I immediately got to work measuring and chopping some wood for the Reynolds Avenue Homecoming project with Metanoia. Then Hamilton took over, and I shifted gears back to the trailer.
I started cutting the excess E-track and determining the heights for both the E-track and the French cleat 2x6s. After taking entirely too long to find the correct socket size for the screws we were using, free-agent Shane and I finally got the first few tracks installed! We ran out of screws pretty much instantly. We had approximately 17 of the 100 screws we needed, but David showed up at the perfect time and went out to buy some more.
While David was out, the everything-takes-longer-than-expected factory turned into the everything-goes-wrong factory. We turned our attention to the French cleats, hoping to cut the 45 degree angles into the 2x6s while we waited for more screws. Unfortunately, the table saw didn’t want to cooperate, so we gave up and got lunch. Side note: East Bay Deli has some INSANE sandwiches, sweet tea and pickles, if you’re into that.
Tummies fed and hopes high, we headed back to the shop. Table saw still didn’t work. BUT, yet again, David walked in at the perfect time and confirmed there was an issue with the saw. He told us to use the other one after switching out the dado blade, and just like that, we were #ripping those boards.
At last, all we had left to do was screw everything into place inside the trailer. I think I blacked out during this part because I don’t really remember doing it, but somehow, by 4:46 pm, it was all completed!
Ain’t it something 🙂 Now we just need to design and build the French cleat tool holders!
