Building the Beams

I considered several alternatives for the pedestal beams and the enclosure beams. I visited a saw mill to ask about cutting the timbers to the specs I wanted, but didn't get much encouragement. I tried to figure out if I could make adjustments and use standard beams from the lumber yard such as 4 x 4's and/or 4 x 6's, but that too wouldn't work. The only other alternative was to build laminated beams. I asked around and was encouraged to go that route. Laminated beams are strong and they don't tend to split as solid wood might. I was also encouraged not to use hardwood, but something soft like pine or poplar, readily available at the local lumber yard. I had one other major problem though. If I was going to laminate the beams, I would need a planer. I knew I could borrow one, but that wouldn't be convenient. One afternoon I was talking with my neighbor nextdoor and told him of my dilemma. He told me that a planer was something he would like to have too, so in jest I told him he needed to buy one so I could borrow it. No deal. But then I asked if he would like to go in halves on one so we both could use it. Deal. So soon after, we bought a planer.

I decided to use 2 x 6 pine boards for the beams. I cut the boards a little longer than the finished beams needed to be. I then ripped them a little wider than they needed to be. I glued them together with Titebond carpenter's glue. After the glue dried, I passed them thru the planer until they were the exact thickness I needed. My neighbor cut the beams to length with his cutoff saw.

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