New stuff!

Well we had an exciting day. Elaine's sewing table/ bed was delivered.

As you can see, it is large. And that presented a problem, stairway is 28 1/2 inches, table is 32 1/2 inches. Tried to angle up but no way. My 1st option was to have carpenter take back to shop, cut off 8 " of legs drill a 9/16 hole in the top and bottom at 8", then insert dowel rod, 4" into the leg when we got it into room. 2" in top & bottom, and that would work and allow us to move table. BUT the carpenter didn't have a big enough table saw to do that accurately. Option 2- take table outside on street and then hoist up 20FT. and pull over wall. however we only had 2 men to do it, and the table was too heavy.
Called Davis, and he brought his brother, and we went with that plan. Used my old rigging experience boilermaking, not quite the same as being on a rigging crew where we lifted 253,000 lb duct work in Ohio with a huge crane that was floated up the Ohio river, but it was just a bit smaller scale. About 120 lbs up and over a 20 ft wall onto the upstairs patio/ laundry area, then we could bring in thru the doorway around the corner and into Elaine's sewing room. So after going over our jobsite safety sheet. and realizing we're in Mexico, where anything goes, no OSHA rules, we made decision to go for it.

I rigged the sling, made a few adjustments and signaled lift crew to go. Of course we padded the table well. Tom Lipperd's "home depot" came in handy. he has everything there including the kitchen sink, tools, etc. So got his moving pads, duct taped them to protect the freshly painted table. By the way the painters compressor quit, again. So Tom took him his compressor to allow carpenter to finish the painting yesterday. I didn't even know that. Tom told me later.







Then here is the lifting in stages, courtesy of "cub photgrapher" Kari Vince, our neighbor. My usual photographer was busy(me).

There is the crew, David on right, Alex in yellow shirt, Davids brother, Victor on left. You Can't see Carpenter, Alberto below those guys on the patio roof, and me. We were hanging on to the rope & Sling as the other 3 got their hands on legs and table to hoist out over the tile that caps that wall at top.

Almost there, got it past the tipping point! Albert & I are below receiving the table.











Then its over and being lowered down to floor of patio/laundry room.

So we got it done, didn't have to cut the legs, and NO SCRATCHES! We had the inspector ( Elaine) get her inspection glasses on to be sure. Then we put the cloths lines back up on the laundry roof, so everything was back in shape.
But don't think we will be able to dry anything for awhile the thunder just hit, and its pouring rain, and lightening and thundering like crazy here! Maybe we will finally see actual water in the rio's here?
Back to the tale of the sewing room/ bed. Here is the final product in place for her sewing table.

Albert really built it nice didn't he? The original thought we had was make a Murphy bed, that could be a sewing table in everyday use. So looked up plans on internet for Alberto. He said he didn't know what we were talking about, So get him some pictures to look at. So after talking to him, and going over dimensions of a table that would double as bed for company, looking at mattresses, we came back to him and decided we would not worry about having it fold up.the walls here are all masonry, so that would be feasible. So decided we'd just have mattress stand on side, and Elaine will have a drape type material cover it when she company isn't here. The she can use as a shelf, for sewing. Have her layout table, and we will have a spare dining rooming needed, upstairs. Will hold a 72" x 32 inch mattress. In out efforts to explain to Albert the dimensions, I wanted the legs to have 24" clearance, for a chair. Then have top on that level. But Alberto, added 8" to create a better looking piece, in his mind. I had figured 24 inch legs with maybe 3'4 plywood top. But he built the 8 inch band board to wrap the table with, and allow cross supports. I believe it will support "Andre the Giant" weight wise. Maybe not length wise. Now it stand 32 inches high. So I told Alberto he owes me a 2 step ladder to be able to get on top of an 8" mattress on top the 32 " = 40 Inches to top of mattress!
But as we say in the boilermaking work, after a Big lift. everyone had all there toes & fingers, so it was successful. No one got hurt.
Never a dull moment here in "Casa Plank"
Rained hard for 20 minutes , so maybe we are past the heavy stuff. Can't find a good waether map with dopplar radar here.
Love,
Tom & Elaine