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  • #31
    I'm doing some large beams made from 2x12s, one is 24 feet, and two are 22 feet. giving them an old beat up look. went at them with all manner of pillaging. axe, hatchet, chisels, chains, nails, awl (for worm holes), and rasp. Oh, and sander for the 24 foot beam since hands can touch the supports. The two 22 footers will be pulled up with ropes and secured to the ceiling joists. Each beam weighs quite a bit, but I'm fairly confident I can inch them up via a 3 rope system. My wife is not so sure. I know I will win.

    I'm a little nervous on the staining, as I don't want this to look pooey. We've stained several test pieces to get the right color and look. It will get a satin clear coat, or maybe a flat. haven't decided...

    I'm not very experienced with staining, and making things look believably old. I'm a little worried about doing it. Especially with all the time, $ and bodily soreness I've already invested in this enterprise.
    Anyone done this before? Tips, recommendations?

    Here are a few shots of what I've been doing to them.



    worm holes!!!








    These pictures didn't turn out great, but they kind of show the look on the single 24 foot beam. The bottom isn't finished as there is a support post going somewhere along it. So waiting required.




    here's from the other side, a little easier to see...



    And finally, last night we made some new plates. 24 plates for $24, and ceramic sharpies.
    I made a series of 4 plates, of cats wearing a baker hat. here is plate 1 in the series.

    Last edited by Brian; 05-05-2014, 07:39 PM.
    I intend to live forever.
    So far, so good.
    --Steven Wright

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    • #32
      Originally posted by Brian View Post
      I'm a little nervous on the staining, as I don't want this to look pooey. We've stained several test pieces to get the right color and look. It will get a satin clear coat, or maybe a flat. haven't decided...

      I'm not very experienced with staining, and making things look believably old. I'm a little worried about doing it. Especially with all the time, $ and bodily soreness I've already invested in this enterprise.
      Anyone done this before? Tips, recommendations?
      I've done this before with some box beams. We used a dye/stain process to get the grain to "pop"; using a stain-only process just gave the wood a very flat appearance. The dye/stain process is not complex: apply the dye, wipe clean, allow to dry, apply stain, wipe clean, allow to dry, finish with a marine grade teak oil, wipe clean.

      Here is a sample picture:

      1204_beam_wrap_final_2.jpg

      To get the dye/stain solution, we took a finished wood sample we borrowed from a furniture store to a nearby paint store. We used a local place called Daly's, but one of the national chains (Sherwin Williams, et al) may also be able to help you.
      You're actually pretty funny when you aren't being a complete a-hole....so basically like 5% of the time. --Art Vandelay
      Almost everything you post is snarky, smug, condescending, or just downright mean-spirited. --Jeffrey Lebowski

      Anyone can make war, but only the most courageous can make peace. --President Donald J. Trump
      You furnish the pictures, and I’ll furnish the war. --William Randolph Hearst

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      • #33
        Got the big beasts up. Had to use two come-a-longs to get them up. It was harder than I thought it would be, but I did get them up without help from a single person.
        This led to an interesting discussion with my wife. I didn't have a come-a-long before Saturday. Now I have two. The come-a-long seems to be a tool that only the most ardent of DIYers will have. I bet that less than 4% of the population owns one. Let alone two. I'm willing to bet that everyone has a grizzled old second cousin with a shed full of tools. And buried in that mess somewhere is a come-a-long. It might take him a while to find it, but it's in there. And he'll gladly show you how to use it, how to crank her up, then flip the switch and crank it down. So then we started to identify people we know who likely had a come-a-long, and those who definitely did not. My daughter heard and came in to join the fun. A good time was had by all. Some people were clear cut, others required a little more debate. In every ward we have lived, it was pretty easy to identify the one guy who definately had a come-a-long. Maybe a nice family night activity for everyone.

        I believe that the come-a-long is a dividing tool. By definition it divides people into two groups, those with, and those without, but I think it's more than that. It divides the truly devoted, lifelong DIYer from the guy who fires up his Craftsman circular saw wearing his ironed 501s, stain-free lumberjack shirt with sleeves rolled up, and so-new-they-squeak leather work boots.

        So come at me bro. My come-a-long dexterity allows me to use them as nunchucks.

        Here they are after stain and satin coat. The discerning eye will notice the huge mark on the floor I caused when I accidentally kicked over a can of stain.





        Really heavy. Both fit like a glove right up against either wall.




        Two smaller beams for the entry way





        and even smaller beams installed in a hallway

        Last edited by Brian; 05-15-2014, 07:58 AM.
        I intend to live forever.
        So far, so good.
        --Steven Wright

        Comment


        • #34
          Very cool, Brian.

          I don't own a come-a-long.

          But darn it, my dad has a pile of them and I can borrow one when I need to.
          "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
          "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
          "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

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          • #35
            Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
            I don't own a come-a-long.
            Ya, we had you in that category.
            To be honest there was no debate about it.
            I intend to live forever.
            So far, so good.
            --Steven Wright

            Comment


            • #36
              Is there a special category for those who have no idea what a come-a-long is?
              "I think it was King Benjamin who said 'you sorry ass shitbags who have no skills that the market values also have an obligation to have the attitude that if one day you do in fact win the PowerBall Lottery that you will then impart of your substance to those without.'"
              - Goatnapper'96

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              • #37
                I've got a come-a-long. But I'd really like to see pics of yours in action with those big beams. Now you have to take them down to show the process.

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                • #38
                  nice beams and nice framing work.

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                  • #39
                    I have a come a long.

                    Just wanted to give you some material for your next discussion.

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Beam has just acheived lift off from the saw horses. powered by two come-a-longs (the yellow straps, plus the big cranky thing up in the attic for you 96%-ers), and my biceps.



                      Beam nearing it's destination. Orange power cord can be seen hanging down.




                      Two beams in the entry way are sealed and hung in place. come-a-longs not required for this part.




                      I intend to live forever.
                      So far, so good.
                      --Steven Wright

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Originally posted by Brian View Post
                        Beam has just acheived lift off from the saw horses. powered by two come-a-longs (the yellow straps, plus the big cranky thing up in the attic for you 96%-ers), and my biceps.
                        Thank you.
                        "I think it was King Benjamin who said 'you sorry ass shitbags who have no skills that the market values also have an obligation to have the attitude that if one day you do in fact win the PowerBall Lottery that you will then impart of your substance to those without.'"
                        - Goatnapper'96

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          General Upgrades & Ideas

                          So unless something drastic happens or the house doesn't appraise high enough, it looks like we just bought a house. Structurally the house is in great shape, and the kitchen has a lot of the upgraded features we want. The exterior cosmetics are fine. There are some glaring cosmetic updates needed on the inside, though. The house was built in the early aughts, but seems to carry with it some late 90s stylings (i.e. we'll be swapping out a lot of gold fixtures for brushed nickel, if you know what I mean). New floors and paint are priority 1A. Priority 1B will be figuring out what to do with the plexiglass inserts in the pony walls around the stairs and loft areas. For some reason, this was a fairly common trend amongst LV builders from about 1996 through 2003. It is a way to make the house feel more open without dropping $25k on railing/banisters, but there is no way around how hideous it is. Here's a pretty standard example of what I'm talking about:

                          plexiglass.jpg


                          With the amount of flooring we'll be installing, there just isn't money in the budget to knock the walls out and install railings. But the plexiglass has to go. One option, of course, is to knock those windows out, add some furring strips and just drywall right over the openings. I could even add a painted cap trim and under mold to the tops of the pony walls to deck them out a bit. Mrs. D is worried, however, that without a way to see through the walls, our younger kids will be tempted to climb up on the walls and peer over down into the open areas below. She's actually terrified about this.

                          So here's my question: do you think there's a stylish way to insert some wrought-iron balusters into those openings?

                          My other thought is maybe Brian can just take a week off and come to LV to install railing and banister for me? I wouldn't even make him do the nose trick if he didn't want to.







                          Last edited by Donuthole; 05-21-2014, 05:15 PM.
                          Prepare to put mustard on those words, for you will soon be consuming them, along with this slice of humble pie that comes direct from the oven of shame set at gas mark “egg on your face”! -- Moss

                          There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese. --Coach Finstock

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                          • #43
                            Originally posted by Donuthole View Post
                            So unless something drastic happens or the house doesn't appraise high enough, it looks like we just bought a house. Structurally the house is in great shape, and the kitchen has a lot of the upgraded features we want. The exterior cosmetics are fine. There are some glaring cosmetic updates needed on the inside, though. The house was built in the early aughts, but seems to carry with it some late 90s stylings (i.e. we'll be swapping out a lot of gold fixtures for brushed nickel, if you know what I mean). New floors and paint are priority 1A. Priority 1B will be figuring out what to do with the plexiglass inserts in the pony walls around the stairs and loft areas. For some reason, this was a fairly common trend amongst LV builders from about 1996 through 2003. It is a way to make the house feel more open without dropping $25k on railing/banisters, but there is no way around how hideous it is. Here's a pretty standard example of what I'm talking about:

                            [ATTACH]4284[/ATTACH]


                            With the amount of flooring we'll be installing, there just isn't money in the budget to knock the walls out and install railings. But the plexiglass has to go. One option, of course, is to knock those windows out, add some furring strips and just drywall right over the openings. I could even add a painted cap trim and under mold to the tops of the pony walls to deck them out a bit. Mrs. D is worried, however, that without a way to see through the walls, our younger kids will be tempted to climb up on the walls and peer over down into the open areas below. She's actually terrified about this.

                            So here's my question: do you think there's a stylish way to insert some wrought-iron balusters into those openings?

                            My other thought is maybe Brian can just take a week off and come to LV to install railing and banister for me? I wouldn't even make him do the nose trick if he didn't want to.





                            I've always like the look of wire, but it depends on how you plan to style the house.



                            I don't know how the price compares, but it would be pretty easy to do. (drill some holes in side of pexiglass holes, stick in the wire thingys, tigten the wire). LV is way too hot now. my nose would melt in place.
                            I intend to live forever.
                            So far, so good.
                            --Steven Wright

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Whoa. Is that a Nimbus 2000 on the wall at the bottom of the stairs?
                              "There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
                              "It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
                              "Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Originally posted by Brian View Post
                                I've always like the look of wire, but it depends on how you plan to style the house.



                                I don't know how the price compares, but it would be pretty easy to do. (drill some holes in side of pexiglass holes, stick in the wire thingys, tigten the wire). LV is way too hot now. my nose would melt in place.
                                I love contemporary style, while Mrs. D loves traditional style. We've both compromised with a contemporary craftsman plan going forward, though it will take a while to execute. While I love how clean wire railings look, I'm not sure anything horizontal is a good idea with young kids. My first kid didn't climb at all, but my last two have been climbers to the max. Still, that might be worth the < $50 it would cost to do one opening just to see how it would look.
                                Prepare to put mustard on those words, for you will soon be consuming them, along with this slice of humble pie that comes direct from the oven of shame set at gas mark “egg on your face”! -- Moss

                                There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese. --Coach Finstock

                                Comment

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