The Workshop: "The man is obsessed!" (3)

Shovel in hand I cleared away snow on the small wooden deck outside my workshop door. And once the deck was ready I set up my table saw and chop saw. I was eager to cut into the red cedar deck boards and begin the process of turning $20 worth of lumber into four log cabin birdhouses.

["Four piles of lumber = four log cabins"] 

["The 3/4 in. logs are cut and stacked"]

If a dog is still ranked number 1 as man's best friend I'd have to say that table and chop saws come in a close second. My lumber was soon stacked in neat piles and the chop saw was quickly replaced atop my small workbench with a belt sander. (Safely stored on its own shelf, below).

["I removed burr from the cedar logs in a jiff, and found
my long lost work gloves while putting the sander away!" (Above)]

After 30 minutes of easy sanding I am ready to start assembling the first of four cabins. The first tier of four logs is screwed into place around the (approx.) 5" x 6" base. Once the house is fully assembled, the base screws can be removed, the base can be lightly trimmed (I remove 1/16th in. per side), and then put back into place to serve as the clean-out door. 

["I trim off corners of the base to allow any rain water to drain"]

The brad nailer is loaded with 1 and 3/4 in. nails and within ten minutes I have all sides and faces attached to the first cabin.  

["The ridge pole, seen sticking out of the partially assembled

cabin, will be attached atop the roof once slats are in place"] 

Even as recently as two months ago, I would have told people I would never get a brad nailer and compressor because of the noise they would create inside my small shop. A very sore elbow (Was it bursitis caused by constant hammering? Was it a hockey injury? I'm not sure.) gave me reason to relent and birdhouse building will never be the same again. My assembly line process is now much faster and my elbow is feeling much better.

Now, on to the roof I must go.

Photos by GH

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Please click here to read "The man is obsessed!" (2)