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

[wingblaze.livejournal.com]

It's not just you. Everyone goes through this. Eventually you learn to accept it and even say "Of course a 2x4 is neither 2 inches nor 4 inches. Why would it be?"

As mentioned. it dates back to a time when you would more often by rough cut lumber and it was 2x4. By the time you cut it more cleanly and planed it, you ended up at smaller dimensions. These days we can actually buy the finished product, and its dimensions are remarkably consistent, but are not 2 nor 4. If they were, it'd ruin everything.

If you get a piece that's labled 5/4" (five quarters) then that probably really is the size.