One Step At A Time

   The goal this week was to build a step going from the brick pavers installed last week up to our entryway on the porch to the house.    It was our desire to build it out of cedar wood.   There is something about the look of cedar when it is new that always looks pretty neat.    One has the desire to want it to look that way forever, but long term exposure to the weather eventually takes away that "new" look.  (Kind of like the human race.)  We were still going to give it a test and see how long it will last.   

   As was happening everywhere, the temps were extremely warm this past week, taking away one's delight to work in the shop in the garage.   It's times like this when one has to recruit some help.





   Above is a picture of my granddaughter, Blair, who came down from the cities for four days this past week to give grandpa a hand in building his cedar step.   Of course, before we could start we had to run through the sprinkler system in the back yard a few hundred times to cool down, thus the reason for varnishing in one's swim suit - (Something that mothers never allow, but grandpas seem to overlook).    What you see in this picture is the bottom side of the step.   We were applying an exterior spar varnish everwhere.    My helper and I put on 3 coats.     We are going to allow this cedar step to adjust to the weather for a year and see how it will handle being exposed to the Iowa elements.  Once that happens, we will decide if we will stay with this plan or if we will have to come out with some other creative idea.   (Another one of those Dagwood shop "try as you go" plans.)

Grandma Pam and 3 year old Blair enjoying a Sunday morning talk on the new step.

    This will wrap up the front entrance project for now.   Next week it will be time to teach a little wood working workshop 101 to a very eager bunch of students.   (Or maybe it will be grandpa who will have something to learn.)   See you then.