Mark

I store all my clamps and weight in one area of my shop so I can find them when I need them. And as you know I have a lot of clamps and weights.. Twice this week I have been in the middle of gluing something and needed more clamps and/or weights and the storage area was empty. I guess I need to buy some more and find more storage space.

And on an on it goes! I find a narrow shelf is good for storage for most of my clamps. I just clamp them to it all in a row. Very space efficient.

While my photos are still showing fine and I'm having no problems posting (besides having to log in almost every time I post and only being able to post three photos per post) I'll keep going with my thread on the other forum. I'm just copying and pasting text from here, (apart from these sorts of conversations) so not a lot of time is wasted if it all falls down. Activity seems to be way down, along with responses to my posts. I'm pleased to be able to keep up with your own progress with your new thread here, and look forward to your new layout build thread.

Cheers, Mark.

Mark,
Really impressed with your ceiling build. That is a lot to lift over your head and turn! Good luck with the rest of it, and can't wait to see it fully installed.

Scott

Thanks, Scott.

I've been watching 'Blacktail studio' on youtube where Cam flips some pretty sizable flitches of redwood for his table tops as he works on them. Although awkward, my lid certainly doesn't have that much weight to it...yet. I managed to bend and wiggle a 3mm 8x4' sheet of MDF into place around the 'lid'. I marked and cut 300mm long slots for the fins first, as well as marking the position of the studs and the nailing lines on the front. I had to prop the sheet up on saw stools and clamp timber 'sliders' to the fins. I was then able to slowly slide/ wiggle the sheet up, adding small chocks to the saw horses as I went. Its in position, but I will definitely need some more clamps to finish the job.

Cheers, Mark.

Mark

I'm trying to decide what is the best solution for me on posting. I'm very happy with the response to the thread I started here about a month ago. I sure like the way your pictures look here on this forum compared to the smaller format on the other forum.

Hi guys.

Well, I'm almost ready for the big lift.

Photo 1 - Underneath and behind this module is my Fault lines layout on which it is sitting. If you look closely you can see the red framework in the bottom right of the photo. I worked like this, putting on the curved sheet of 3mm MDF and attaching the studs behind it. Everything was glued and screwed or nailed or clamped. You can see I still have some more studs to add. I used a sheet offcut wedged between the backdrop and the layout benchwork to stop the bottom of the backdrop flaring out.


Photo 2 - after I had attached the rest of the studs I added the other longest one at the front left and added to extensions temporarily to another two studs to make four legs. No glue was used here as I will need to take these off again. I then lifted the module slightly and added chocks under the four legs. The Fault lines layout was then rolled out from underneath.

Photo 3 - in this position I was then able to mark and cut slots in a piece of 600mm high 3mm MDF, and, with a little help, wiggle/ slide it up into position. Things were then clamped and the board was glued and nailed to the top and bottom plates of the ceiling. I worked from the join to the left end. I then attached a splice backing to glue the join and keep it nice and tight and finally attached the studs to keep things nice and true while gluing. All these studs will have to be removed when the 'lid' is lifted, rotated and lowered into position.


Photo 4 - and here is a photo showing the 'lid' in the room. The plan is to remove all the studs around the 600mm high backdrop at this end, lift it and move it back towards the far wall. Once it is in the narrowest section (where the benchwork is only 250mm wide) it will be rotated 90 degrees anticlockwise. The 600mm section will rotate over the existing Tellynott layout at right, and once rotated the full 90 degrees it will then be able to be lowered into position with 40mm tolerance. That is the plan. Although I have tried very hard to get things perfect, I'm almost certain there will need to be a bit of 'fudging' to get the two pieces to splice together. Just hopefully not too much fudging! I will then add the remaining studs - although this may get done during the process. I'm thinking of purchasing a plasterboard lifter which I can use for this process and other such upcoming exercises, and then sell it again when done. I have done some calculations and I believe the whole assembly weighs about 45kg (99 pounds). Gib lifters are generally rated to lift 68kgs. The problem, of course, is that the benchwork will get in the way of the lifter, and so the 'lid' will still need to be slid into position. If all of my studs were the same length things would be easier, but I have four different lengths of stud, depending on which bit of the benchwork they are being attached to.


More soon, cheers, Mark.

Really love watching your inspiring construction.

The base for your next level of inspiring construction.

so you got a few friends coming over? The woodwork is impressive.

Bob

Mark

I agree with Bob, you need to stock up on your friends favorite beverages and get some help moving this. It looks great and your plan is sound. I hope you measured twice and cut once. Standing by for a report on how this goes.

Thanks so much for your kind words, Karl.

I'm itching to get this piece installed, but I'll certainly need some help - so I'll have to wait. It gives me time to think through the process many times over and (hopefully) think of every possible problem and have a solution ready to go. I've just thought of another thing writing this!

Cheers, Mark.

Getting it organised, Bob.

It will either be an evening next week or next weekend.

Cheers, Mark.

Quite right, John.

I've measured a lot more than twice! Trouble with curves as they have a bit of a mind of their own. I've been doing a bit of tweaking in an endeavor to get a seamless splice... One can dream...

Cheers, Mark.

That is really impressive!! Wonderful carpenter work Mark.

I'm looking forward to the big installation.

Thanks, very much, Jerry.

I believe all I have left to do is get the area around the move cleaned up.

Cheers, Mark.