30 July 2018

Shlomo and I met Perry at his nearby job-site first thing this morning and borrowed his electric hand planer.  Using that handy device (tee, hee) slowly but surely transformed the 2x12 bevel hack job into an acceptable looking end result.  Then re-glued and added many extra lag screws to three areas of the eastern 24′ mid-span beam as the tops of the two LVL’s were spread apart up to ½″.  Since the strength of that beam depends on the two LVL’s being tightly bonded to each other, figured I’d better fix that problem ASAP.  Had lots more fun (again) shoveling and raking level the west side of the barn foundation.  Then started to backfill the electric conduit trench on the house side of the stone wall, plus dig out the bottom of one of the 4x4 posts that I want to move so that I can cut down the main electric pedestal once the sub-panel is moved into the barn.  Don’t recall this being done, but it sure looks like the bottom end of that 4x4 has been encased in concrete.  WTF, over!  Also the pedestal was put together with Phillips head screws… buried deep.  Let’s just say it’s a good thing I own a Sawzall… and I’m not thinking kind thoughts about the guys who built that structure.  Ian Birkett will be sad to hear this, but had to disassemble my trusty Craftsman radial arm saw (which has served faithfully and without complaint for over 40 years, Ian’s opinion notwithstanding) and, late this afternoon, took the motor and head to a machinist for some minor repairs.