Big Sturdy Loft

Step 6 But seriously, folks

OK, enough of my self-indulgence.
Pile everything into the target room. Figure out how high the ceiling is. My ceilings are about 7'6", so I used the circ saw to cut my trunks (those are the 4x4s, remember?) to 7'

Figure out how much floor space you have
I had over 8' in one direction, and about 7'4 in the other. I kept two of the stalks(the 2x4s, eh mate?) at the normal 8' length, and cut the other two to 7'4

Remember, your stalks are gonna overlap your trunks, so just focus on the stalk length.



Also, this is wierd. My 2x4s were really like 2x3.75s, and my 4x4s were more like 3.75x3.75s. Is that normal? Or am I getting gypped out of killing perfectly good trees?

Comments

[blaineak]

correct  2x4s and 4x4s  and 1x6s and 2x12s  are never actually those dimensions,  they used to be but they are not any more,  it has something to do with the finishing process,  it is so they wont rot or bow as quickly if i am not mistaken

[shooby]

Correct. Initially, members are cut true to their dimensions. The fresh (wet) wood needs to be cured (dried) however, which results in warping, bending, bowing, etc. After this has occurred, the members are planed into more techtonically agreeable forms.

Site note: The difference between the nominal and actual dimensions of lumber is increasing (in the U.S.) because we've used up all of our good quality wood. As a result, we now use wood that grows faster so it is cheaper but not as strong, and deforms more severely when curing.

[naomi1431]

Ah! I have that chair in a wavy gray. Got it at the thrift store for $6. Love it. :)

[sansuifidelity]

Milwaukee FTW!!!

[joel.r.bradley]

When I built my loft, instead of 4x4's which are expensive, I nailed 2- 2x4's together, back to back. As far as being smaller then 2"x 4", I heard that is how big the lumber is when it is cut at the mill, but shrinks when dried prior to shipment. Or so I heard.

[KGD]

I'm sorry, but it is NOT the "reality" that you are being 'cheapskated,' but are in fact having a SERVICE performed for you. Originally, two by four lumber was pretty much just that (though standards were looser back then). But, the lumber had a very, very rough exterior, straight from some very large, gnarly-toothed mill saws. If you think carpenters now probably exceed the general population in splinters, it was really bad with the lumber of yore. So mills started 'planing' lumber, running it over long, horizontally mounted blades set axially in a rapidly spinning drum. This removed the roughness -- and about a quarter inch -- off of each face. Hence, a "two by four" is usually a "one-and-a-half by three-and-a-half" (Prank got his a little thicker apparently). Truth be told, all these sort of DIY projects would really be impractical were it not for this added service. Just take a look at some old construction that's being torn down or repaired. The stuff was totally unsuitable for interior use, unless it was behind plaster and lathe (itself now replaced by sheet rock). The moral? Be careful what you don't wish for. LOL

[blnkfrnk]

The wood being too small..that's totally normal. A 4 by 4 is not actually 4 by 4-- it's cut somewhat smaller. I forget why. If you actually want a 4 by 4 that is what it says it is, you have to ask for "full measure" when you buy lumber. Most places have full measure lumber or they can get it for you. It's more expensive, but it's what you need if you want slightly more sturdy construction or you're repairing/rebuilding and old house that was probably built before they switched over to cheap-ass measure instead of full measure.

[killerjackalope]

the usual excuse is that a saw blade obviously removes part of the wood from existence, our circ. saw takes 3mm out of every cut so they have a great excues that the blade comes done on 4 but in reality they're just taking a wee bit extra off to cheapskate the laymen or me (B&Q = giant hardware store for yanks) B&Q got my order wrong and gave me 7'11 x 4' of H.D.F. for my art project... and 8' tree shelving unit which I plan on instructablating eventually but it was murder to put up because instead of weighing in a 100kg thereabouts it weighed much more plus the thicknesses of board can vary like 5mm in one batch

[alexxxxandria]

how much did all this cost. i'm interested.

[prank]

I think it was around $250 with all the wood and bolts and stuff Steal all your wood and use bolts you already have lying around--I bet you can do it for $50 or less!