Building the Octagon Pt.20 Outer beams.

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The floor plan requires a beam to be fixed to each pair of North and South posts and running E to W. These must be long enough to provide support for the cantilevered veranda and parts of the obs. floor.

The image shows all four beams now in place. The far beam is still hanging from cord loops while I pause for lunch.

The plan calls for 2x8 beams [nominal 50x200] and that is what I shall use. Fixing the beams to the posts requires flats to be cut on their outside faces and corners. This will provide a small notch for the beam to rest on and avoid localized pressure from the sharp, vertical edges of the posts. Bolting such a sharp edged joint would simply crush the fibers of the beam locally and provide very little support. 2x4 timber brackets, fixed to the posts, will help to support the outer beams.

After lunch I added the 2x4 brackets and used screws and bolts to fix them to the posts. The image shows only one 1/2" x 7" bolt but I shall use two for each bracket when I have regained my strength tomorrow. I forgot to use the NMN adhesive, too. So they'll have to come off and start again.

I used some 1x4 timber as crossed braces between opposing posts. This had a remarkable effect on the stiffness of the entire structure. Even enough for a fuzzy snap of "our hero" posing on the edge of the top deck to give a sense of scale.

Somehow my wife seems to have found a way of overcoming the image stabilization. Or perhaps she simply wanted to save my blushes? Unaccustomed, as I am, to public appearances. No doubt the NSA is running its facial recognition algorithms as we read this.  If they can sharpen the picture a little they might like to send the improved image back for use on my blog. If it's not too much trouble. 😎

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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