So, it's been a while since my last post, but hey, I've been busy!
Collar ties. Yes, collar ties are used to connect pairs of rafters to each other and keep the roof and walls from spreading due to weight on the roof, which in Alaska, is usually in the form of snow! The loft contained two of the three collar ties and so one of them had to be completely cut away and one of them had to be cut to form the beginnings of a loft railing.
I cut the first collor tie away with a handsaw and it took lots of careful sawing to extract the beam from its home. The second tie was a bit easier as I could use a Skilsaw to cut into the beam on four sides and finish the work by hand, which was much easier than doing the whole job manually.
I realize that cutting away the structural collar ties seems like a dangerous operation to the stability and strength of the cabin, but I figured the 3 clear span beams supporting the loft would help perform the same function and so far, this seems to be the case.
After cutting away the collar ties, I decided to put up some sheetrock on the eave wall to cover the vapor barrier and make it feel more finished. First, I patched up all the small holes in the 4-mil thick black vapor barrier plastic and also made sure all the edges were sealed using "Black Death," otherwise known as acoustic sealant. Then, I cut the sheetrock to fit in the space, making sure to leave about 2 inches of clearance for the eventual settling of the roof and ridgepole, screwed it in with sheetrock screws, and called it good for now.
Next step was to finish the "floor" of the loft somehow. I decided to just use Verathane finish, as it is waterproor, durable, and not too much trouble. I sanded the floor to knock down any splinters or fuzzy bits a few times and used tackcloth to remove the dust. Then I wiped down the wood with a rag dipped in lacquer thinner to make the surface as clean as possible. I purchased a task-specific mop and "lamb's wool" head for the application of the finish and applied it as directed, which is to say, starting at the back, moving the mop in slightly-overlapping strokes and working from wet to dry. I had to use a brush to get around edges, but all in all the result was quite nice. The grain in the 1 1/4" plywood was more prominent, and pleasantly so, after the Verathane was applied and besides the longish curing time and VOC stench, I was pleased with the outcome.
Next, I moved on to building the loft railing. I decided on using the cut out collar tie for the vertical pieces and notched them to fit into a mortise I cut on the partially-removed collar tie. This ended up being quite an exercise, as it involved cutting through the collar tie while laying directly below the beam and cutting with the Skilsaw over my head with the blade guard wirhdrawn. Not a move for the shy or unsure! Sawdust dumped all over me, and I was glad to move on to the handsaw and chisel work to finish up the notches.
I used 5" long galvanized lag screws and fender washers painted black to hold the whole thing together, and left a tongue on the end of the vertical supports that hung down below the level of the loft floor and tied them into the front loft beam with more lag screws. A nice effect, I thought.
Next, I needed to trim out the windows and doors, which had been installed, but not finished in a manner fitting with my tastes, that is to say, not at all!
