Measure for measure?

[fencerm2]

Ok, so while I claim skills as a carpenter, I have always spoken about my lack of math abilities. Anyhow, that's neither here nor there - except, during the construction of the chuppah, I figured the bolts I would need should be 6" long. My thinking was thus:

4" (4x4 post) + 1" (1x4 plywood) = 5". Thus 1" remains for the wing nut and washer.

Right. So how come I've got almost 2", and run out of thread as such?

Because the 4x4 post is NOT 4" x 4"...it's closer to 3.8" or 3.7". Also - the 1" wide plywood is not QUITE a full inch.

Huh?

So is this perhaps the best argument for the metric system?? 

So another trip to the Home Despot later, and I now have 5" bolts.  Far better fit!  It appears this thing WILL go together well...I'll just need a couple people to support it during its raising.

Anyhow - long promised - photos of the work in progress! 

 

These are the posts, stained.



This is what the forward posts look like. Eventually, there will be faux fall foliage wrapped around all 4 posts, as well.



This is the front piece of this monster. Loved the chair rail I found. 

So the chuppah will be 8 feet tall, 6 feet wide, and 4 feet deep.  Yes, a monster - but thus far I have total approval from the sister, and this is for HER wedding, after all.

A week from Sunday.  Wow.

 

Comments

[sylvie.livejournal.com]

It's also basically the same reason that the meat patty on a 'quarter pounder with cheese' weighs closer to 3 ounces. Buesinesses measure/label things with pre-cooked weights and pre-cut sizes because what you pay is proportional to what they spent on raw materials. Also, 'cause it sounds better. Also, 'cause it leads to more consistency on their end, if slightly less on the customer end.

According to my boyfriend, who used to do contracting stuff, wood blanks no longer actually start off quite as large as their labeled measurements; the milling machines and whatnot have gotten more efficient, so there's less waste. So 4x4 is the dimensions that they used to need to start at to wind up with your actual 3.75ishx3.75ish. Exciting, eh?