As promised, I got the pictures uploaded last night and have some exciting progress to share. I cut the largest piece last week (before the snowfall!) but it’s the result of months of planning. When I picked up 3 sheets of ¼” panel board at ReStore, I immediately set one aside in my garage. I curved it, set some weight on it, and let it collect dust for months (the last one is my specialty).
Finally, the day came to cut it out! I set the craft paper template on the sheet and was immediately disappointed. It’s not big enough! These are 4 x 8 foot sheets if that gives you a better idea of scale.
I wanted the bottom to be one piece for strength and safety reasons so I went with it. After cutting and fitting, I was left with a small triangular gap on both sides. I’ll be able to patch it easily but it means additional seams that I wasn’t anticipating.
It’s secured with a variety of roofing nails (thanks again, ReStore!) which held surprisingly well. I drilled 5/32nd pilot holes for fear of splitting the wood.
In the last picture, you can almost tell that the front horizontal struts are not level. I’m assuming that the prongs warped slightly. It’s disappointing for sure but can’t be corrected at this point so I went ahead and cut the nose cone panel.
Nothing says “I trust you” like holding a nail for your kid. That's as close as my hand got.
And here it is, how it sits in their room right now. Children for scale.
I have the top arch panel cut out as well but need to paint it before installation since there’s literally ½ inch clearance from the ceiling! I also need to trim down several edges and blend them together… a herculean task. Somehow, I don’t think wood filler will manage. Does anyone know if there’s a tape or something I can use? I’ve hung drywall in the past and I was thinking of something along those lines. Any recommendations would be appreciated. I guess if all else fails, I can use duct tape!
At any rate, I appreciate the support and encouragement of my fellow RPFers. I’ll keep building!
