|
|
|
perfectly plumb
Thursday, September 13 2007
This morning I took the chainsaw with me on the morning walk with the dogs because I needed to clear a largish tree (either a Hophornbeam or an Elm) that had fallen across the Mountain Goat Trail. This trail derives its name from the steep terrain it passes through. Since it is aligned more closely to the contour than it is to the grade, it makes for an easy hike. But it's also terrifically narrow, meaning that any obstruction effectively closes it completely. The chainsaw made quick work of the obstruction, which suggests it as a formidable tool for the creation of future trails. In the past when I cleared paths for new trails, the only tool I had was a human-powered bow saw, one that couldn't cut any deeper than about twelve inches (Though I could cut deeper if I cut wedge-shaped widenings in a cut to accommodate the width of the bow.) I did a lot of cutting with that saw, but using it was a hell of a lot of work. Then again, carrying a heavy chainsaw a mile down a trail and a mile back is no picnic either.
New technology is scary for anyone, particularly when it has the power to cut, burn, or otherwise destroy. Like most people, I have a certain amount of anxiety when dealing with a dangerous new tool, but eventually that anxiety fades to healthy respect. The first time I used an electric soldering iron (circa 1982), I found myself stopping to unplug it every now and then for fear that it might overheat. The first time I used a butane torch, I had an irrational fear that the flame could somehow back up into the tank and cause it to violently explode. With the chainsaw, my concern is mostly about slipping and falling while the blade is moving, although I'm also a little concerned about what should happen if the blade gets pinched in the wood. But since I've done so much cutting with manual saws, I'm already in the habit of cutting in ways that minimize the potential for pinching.
Early this afternoon I spent several hours digging a hole for the northeast pillar of the new woodshed. Since this was to be the second pillar, I had to be careful to position it accurately with respect to the first pillar. Height wasn't important, since that can be evened up later, but I had to be precise with its placement on the ground: precisely ten feet from the first pillar and precisely parallel to one of its faces. As I dug, I kept checking the placement (using a tape measure, two levels, and simple sighting — never underestimate the accuracy of sighting). Corrections to the placement of the hole gradually gave it the shape of fat banana as I spiraled in on the place it needed to be. The hole was never more than about eight inches deep, which was all that the bluestone bedrock would allow (though I chipped at it for a time with a hammer and a cold chisel). The rock here was much more solid than any I'd encountered while digging drainage ditches through the driveway, so it was good that my goal here was modest. All I really needed was a shallow depression in the rock (for the base of the pressure-treated pine post) and enough bare bedrock to firmly attach a large lump of concrete. When I was done digging I used my shopvac to slurp all the dirt and rock chips out, making a good attachment site for the concrete. To hold the pillar in place until the concrete hardens, I attached four ropes near its top. Getting these ropes to hold it perfectly plumb was much easier than I would have expected.
For linking purposes this article's URL is:
http://asecular.com/blog.php?070913 feedback
previous | next |
