Did something dumb today.

[SawyerTed]

The top rail "should" be the same height along their length and parallel to the bottom rail.  I don't know what happened.  In the end I got it worked out.  


These are last week's steps 


Today's steps 

Knowing that most outdoor stairs are comfortable at 30 degrees is a start.   From there it's a matter of laying out the risers and treads the appropriate heights and lengths.  7" risers and 10" treads works for 30 degrees.  

Now measuring and cutting rail post heights can be challenging for some reason unknown to me.  

[aigheadish]

It looks great! 

[Hilltop366]

You can put the post in a bit long and run a straight edge down the tread nose then you can measure everything from there and cut to length in place.

This is especially helpful on longer stairs with post in-between the top and bottom post, you measure the top and bottom post and use a string or chalk line to mark the rest. Way easier than trying to get pre-cut post in and fastened just right.

I know.....too late now. 

Same idea for putting your deck boards on a bit long and cutting them all off at once, just remember to pre cut the one closest to the building so you don't have to saw that one up against the siding, and keeping in spirit of the thread title please make sure you are standing on the correct side of the board when you are cutting them off.

[SawyerTed]

You can put the post in a bit long and run a straight edge down the tread nose then you can measure everything from there and cut to length 

Yes, that's how I measure all my rail component heights.  

Apparently, my 62 year old mind made up a measurement between the finished stairs and the one I was building.

[Hilltop366]

Apparently, my 62 year old mind

Can't help you there, I'm only a couple of years behind you.

[caveman]

My turn.  I was hoping to post in a shade tree post, but it will be more relevant here, although I was working under the shade of a live oak tree.  

Yesterday after a wood customer called and said he would arrive around 11, I decided to pull my center console boat out of the shop, put the batteries that have been powering the trolling motor in my skiff for the past few months back in their primary role as cranking batteries.  They are a little large for the openings and there are several wires that go to each battery (I should tidy up that wiring) and after installing both batteries, I checked all of the pumps, lights, graphs, GPS's and pulled around close to a water hose so I could run the engine prior to going to the lake.  I bumped the key and no response from the engine, but the fuel gauge and other meters responded.  I checked the voltage with a voltmeter of both batteries, and they were above 13v.  I checked the voltage at the starter, again over 13v.  I figured it was a ground or a bad connection somewhere, so I started pulling wires off of the battery switch and both batteries, cleaning them with a wire brush and spraying them with Corrosion X (I still need to get T-9 Boeshield per Tulepeak).  As I was reinstalling wires, wondering what I missed, I found the main ground wire coming from the Honda 225 that I had not attached to a battery.

The rest of the afternoon was shadetree for sure as the motor would not tilt up but an inch or so.  The hydraulic steering system was galvanically bound to the tube that goes through the motor bracket (aluminum corroded to stainless steel).  Anyway, after a few more hours, that was freed up and I took it to the lake to ensure it would run properly before it gets put back to use over the next several months.

I should have taken pics but did not.

[Old Greenhorn]

Aw, that's not so bad, I have done that a lot of times, and yet I still don't learn.

I'll take the focus off your dumb move and raise you with this one.  About 6 months ago I got a good buy on a family sized box of the better quality fabric band aids that really stick well. Since I bought them I have used one and thought maybe I got too big of a box. This weekend I made up for it. 

Trying to adjust a chainsaw but having the screwdriver in the same hand as the pull cord (right) with the tip pointed at the hand I am holding the saw down with (left). One quick hard jerk on the cord made me realize I should not have done that.


Now you may note in that photo that there are two bandaids on my middle finger. That was from yesterday when that finger dropped down into the fins as I was pulling the same saw over checking for spark. That event split the nail about 3/8" straight up the centerline and still stings a fair amount. Anyway, todays 'event' was bad enough that it would not stop bleeding and I was getting blood on my saw (can't have that). I was forced to come in the house clean it all up and redress everything.



 I guess I amd getting my investment back on those bandaids.

[SwampDonkey]

Can never have enough band aids at times. I buy some once in awhile and they seem to disappear around here. 

[doc henderson]

Now Tom, tell the truth.  The middle finger is supposed to be longer than fingers 2 and 4.    maybe just positioned that way.     It is bad with two colors of blood and Band-Aids at different colors from the ages of repetitive wounds.  

[SawyerTed]

Tom I liked your post for solidarity not because I liked it.  Hope those heal quickly.  Sometimes those cuts aren't as clean as we hope.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Yeah, might have been cleaner if it was a knife, certainly less painful, but a screwdriver makes a rough tear. Doc, the reason for 2 blood colors was the one on the heal of the hand clotted pretty quick and the one on the finger kept right on supplying fresh output. I just took the bandaids off again to wash up for dinner and I will leave them off for the night at least except the finger, which is still oozing a bit.
 No big deal, life goes on. This is what happens when you get frustrated working on something.

[Nebraska]

Ouch , umm and also yuck. Hope you heal soon. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Gee thanks! it's always satisfying when I can make a medical professional say 'EEEW!" I once went to my family Doc with a badly infected  ankle wound from fire ant bites. Oozing, lots of necrosis, real ugly. When he unwrapped it to look, he actually stepped back, grimaced and said "eewwww, that's gotta hurt.... a lot", then shook his head and got to work but he kept muttering "this is really gross, y'know?". For some reason, unknown to me, I found that experience very satisfying even though I was miserable for quite a while.. We don't get a lot of fire ants in NY, so it was his first time, after 30 years as an MD. He retired shortly after that, but I'm pretty certain there was no connection. I think.

[TimW]

He retired shortly after that, but I'm pretty certain there was no connection. I think.

[aigheadish]

I tried real hard to do something dumb today but I lucked out. 

I'm using a circular saw with a metal cutting blade to cut the metal barn siding for my planter boxes. Well, it's real flimsy and I don't have a great place to set it, so it's bouncing around as I cut and the saw blade likes to get stuck and kick a bit. I can usually get about 3/4 of the way through a 4ish foot wide piece before it becomes an issue and if I hold the hanging side up the blade usually goes through a bit better. I grabbed the hanging side to hold it up but that was with the hand that didn't have a glove on it and sure enough the blade gets stuck and kicks a bit. I got lucky and it was a factory cut side which is not nearly as sharp and jagged as the cuts I'm making, so it didn't slice my hand off.

I'm using the bandsaw for my last few cuts now that it's in manageable sized pieces. 

[SawyerTed]

For future reference, put a piece of rigid foam board on top of your work surface as a sacrificial separation between your sheet goods and work surface.  Saw through your sheet goods into the foam.  The foam will support the sheet goods from pinching and space not to saw into the work surface. 

[Texas Ranger]

Just for reference

[doc henderson]

well least you did not get your pinky.  from the past I hope!  

[Texas Ranger]

Yes, a while back.  I keep in handy to remind me meat loses to steel every time.

[aigheadish]

Yikes TR! 

Good tip Ted, thanks. My biggest issue was not having a surface to cut on, just random piles of too-small other stuff, as I didn't want to drag a tabletop or work surface out to the barn to attempt to cut a few feet off a 16 footer. 

The bandsaw tore through it beautifully.