Hi all,
Got to town today, it was “Getting Supplies Day” like in the good ole days. The Trex is ordered, should be arriving in 10 days. The salesman couldn’t figure out what I was building from what I was ordering.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm now that is different, was his comment. The girl at the checkout, who had to be told because it’s special order, said “What!”; turns out she used to be a dispatcher for CP. Comes from a family of conductors and engineers! Go figure, eh!
HEhehehe Same thing happened to me last weekend when I was getting Odd PT lumber…and kept coming back for odder pieces…
Bart,
So far they haven’t asked me if I play with trains. :lol: :lol: 
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Bart,So far they haven’t asked me if I play with trains. :lol: :lol:
Ken Brunt said:Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Bart,So far they haven’t asked me if I play with trains. :lol: :lol:
They don’t have to ask me…I have shirt that says so on the back…
Well good for you!
A friend of mine took his wife-to-be to one of the model railway shows. She was quite taken aback by the people - funny hats, coveralls, sweaters with flashing crossbucks and some of the oddest looking kids running hither and yon.
After they left the show she said to him: “If those people are representative of the train crowd, you need to change your hobby or we’re not getting married. Who could take the responsibility for having kids like that!”
Wellllllllll they did get married, he’s still in the hobby and they have a cute girl who is interested in trains. I sure laughed when he related the “dilemma” to me! 
Oh BTW in this house, if I’d like to go by myself to one of the train events, all I need do is dig out my engineer’s hat with the “Algoma Central” crest or wear a cowboy hat.
Kids interested in something, working with their hands, taking pride in their work? I’d take responsibility for that anytime.
Mine aren’t model railroaders, but I’m proud of them. Caleb is 15 now, Ethan 13.
Tom Ruby said:
Kids interested in something, working with their hands, taking pride in their work? I'd take responsibility for that anytime.Mine aren’t model railroaders, but I’m proud of them. Caleb is 15 now, Ethan 13.
Tomorrow is “pick up the Trex” day, between that and a few other “odd” jobs around here the long weekend should be taken care of.
Picked up a nice load of Allan Jr blocks today; that means digging, leveling, tamping, leveling some more etc. etc. BUT she’s moving along!
And then … I found out just how heavy a bundle of Trex 2x6 at 16ft is. Ahemmmm … it will be delivered on Wednesday together with a whole bunch more of the Allan Blocks that I need.
And back to digging!
Oh, yes! It weighs a bit more than normal lumber. They should probably warn a person about that.
Jack Hewitt said:Jack,
Oh, yes! It weighs a bit more than normal lumber. They should probably warn a person about that.
Yes, they should. :lol: The first warning I had when driving up with my Venture mini-van and the guy says “That will be a bit much for on the roof”.
OK, plan “B”. They deliver with the crane truck, so the driver and helper don’t “ding” their backs.
Now I’m contemplating … do I bring the table saw to the house (cut the stuff outside)? … or do I take the Trex (one by one) to the shop?
Meanwhile I keep moving mountains.
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:Jack Hewitt said:Jack,
Oh, yes! It weighs a bit more than normal lumber. They should probably warn a person about that.Yes, they should. :lol: The first warning I had when driving up with my Venture mini-van and the guy says “That will be a bit much for on the roof”.
OK, plan “B”. They deliver with the crane truck, so the driver and helper don’t “ding” their backs.
Now I’m contemplating … do I bring the table saw to the house (cut the stuff outside)? … or do I take the Trex (one by one) to the shop?
Meanwhile I keep moving mountains.
If you think that stuff is heavy, (I’ve used it embedded in concrete to hold track down), try TimberTech, almost twice as heavy!
If you rip the Trex, you would do well to seal it. It is somewhat absorbent after the protective outer skin is taken away.
Regards, Greg
Yep, it is heavy enough!
Comedy of errors today getting the stuff delivered. Typical Big Box boondoggle, but at least it finally got here.
Carrying that first 16 footer gave me some ideas on how to go about cutting it; more on that later if and when things work out as planned. 
Rather than using the Trex for stakes I decided on using PT 2x2s that are usually intended for balusters. The way they come from the store both ends are beveled, no cutting required other than the length.
Hans—
Trex and EPDM lumber make a lot of “saw dust” and will really gum up a saw if you don’t vacuum it out fairly often or utilize a dust collector with a static ground.
The chips seems to expand as you cut, possibly from blade heat, so don’t feed exceptionally fast. I use a shop vac with a trash can as a semi-cyclone in between two lengths of 2 1/2" hose.
I don’t like any of the composites for ground contact, but EPDM is supposed to be good.
Do Appreciate the translations when you can do them.
Mark
While beveled ends make it easier to pound them into the ground, it also makes it easier for the ground to pop the stakes back up! When the ground freezes and expands, it will push against the wedge of the stake, and force it back up out of the ground a bit.
Bob McCown said:Bob,
While beveled ends make it easier to pound them into the ground, it also makes it easier for the ground to pop the stakes back up! When the ground freezes and expands, it will push against the wedge of the stake, and force it back up out of the ground a bit.
Good point!
I guess I’ll give them the bandsander treatment and put a long round point on them.
No point HJ. They need to be blunt.
Warren Mumpower said:Actually do it to one to make a "starter hole" then pound the blunt ones home.
No point HJ. They need to be blunt.
Chas
I cheated I used PVC pipe for the up rights.