Who put these things together? (Sequoia)

[HankB]

Many have noted the stair stepping on my sequoia. The top is clearly out of square. Today I set to work trying to square it up and it is not going well. I put a tie-down strap diagonally across the top to pull it back into shape. Before I did anything with that, I turned it upside down and found the bottom at least as bad. That part is only held in by he axles for the wheens so I pulled them out and this is what I found:



It is not loose allowing it to go wonky. It was put together that way! Some of the nails missed the mark and split the stringer they are fastened to. Rather than pull against the fasteners, I knocked the boards off and am waiting for glue to dry where I repaired the stringers before I reinstall the slats.



I turned the cart back upright, preparing to fasten the boards with additional nails to hold the top square. Incidentally, it took more tension than I expected to pull the top square.



Looking carefully I noticed that pulling it square opened small gaps between the boards in the top. If you have a Sequoia, please confirm to me that the boards on the top but against each other. I think I'm going to have to pop them off too in order to close the gaps.



The gaps are nominally 1/16" (~1.5 mm.)

You can find more information in the master thread and other sub-threads.

[MartyG]

Great progress Hank! Great photos too. Very helpful. I don't know for sure, but I suspect the gaps you see are shrinkage related. I'm almost sure they would have been butted together when built to allow for some gapping over time.

[Duke]

Nice work Hank. Also keep in mind they were delivered in a flat box and meant to be assembled by the buyer. I bet it's going to be better than new when you are finished.

[1buckie]

Hank......in the finest Weber Kettle Club Tradition........

THIS IS THE................... "Pic-of-the-Month" !!!!!!




As Golly would say:
              "Won't Take  No for An Answer !!!!"


PS: Just checked mine & it's 1/8" gaps all the way across the top......thereby proving "Duke's Theroem" that each person did their own & may have been about as adept as me at woodworking......
Seems like some of the boards are done with square nails left over from the Gold Rush......

[HankB]

... I suspect the gaps you see are shrinkage related. I'm almost sure they would have been butted together when built to allow for some gapping over time.

As it sat the boards were butted together. Picture a parallelogram with the boards running at a slight angle across it. As the parallelogram is pulled square, the boards rotate and along the cross piece the distance across each board becomes the width of each board rather than the slightly longer diagonal. that's what's happening and I should have seen it coming.

... keep in mind they were delivered in a flat box and meant to be assembled by the buyer.

It's pretty clear what parts were put together at the factory and later assembled by the seller or user. The nature of the fasteners on these boards is a pretty clear indication that the boards were put together off kilter at the factory.

PS: Just checked mine & it's 1/8" gaps all the way across the top......thereby proving "Duke's Theroem" that each person did their own & may have been about as adept as me at woodworking......
Seems like some of the boards are done with square nails left over from the Gold Rush......

After giving this a little more thought I've decided to leave mine with the gap. But before I fasten it down, I'll test fit the bowl. It occurs to me that if I change things too much, the bowl may no longer fit.

I'm a little surprised that the original owner accepted it like this. But who knows, perhaps this is a warranty return or QA reject that leaked out of the factory.

thanks,
hank

[Golly]

great work hank
looks like you know what ya doin

[HankB]

looks like you know what ya doin

I put on a convincing show.

Bottom shelf - square!



Stair stepping on the top slats - fixed.



Squaring up the legs.



This last aspect really is a poor design. The only thing holding the legs square are the carriage bolts with wing nuts. That's guaranteed to come loose and allow them to get sloppy. I put 6 18 gauge x 2" brads around each bolt to provide additional support. (Love my air brad nailer ) That's actually a problem they carried through to the SS Performers. They really need some cross bracing on the frame and I intend to add some when I get to my SS Performer. But first I need to finish the Sequoia. I've filled all of the brad holes and with a little more sanding, I should be ready to stain.

[Harbormaster]

Looking good Hank.

Patience is the key my friend. And just think how damn cool that Sequoia will look when you're done!