Hey folks,
I am about 40% into my ceiling and I'm wondering if anyone has some tips on installing the T&G 6" on the cathedral ceiling. I have been doing it on my own and it has been a tedious process to say the least. My boards are 16' long but I have not been able to get more than 8' up at a time. I also have been culling out the more warped planks and I'm worried that I will have nothing but crap boards to complete it. Any tips on holding longer boards up while I am at one end or ways to pry the boards together would be appreciated.
Thanks
Quote from: mpls_ham on September 12, 2012, 01:50:27 PM
Hey folks,
I am about 40% into my ceiling and I'm wondering if anyone has some tips on installing the T&G 6" on the cathedral ceiling. I have been doing it on my own and it has been a tedious process to say the least. My boards are 16' long but I have not been able to get more than 8' up at a time. I also have been culling out the more warped planks and I'm worried that I will have nothing but crap boards to complete it. Any tips on holding longer boards up while I am at one end or ways to pry the boards together would be appreciated.
Thanks
I ran into the similar problem working by myself. I made a temporary jig or helping hands so to speak. Just using scrap 1X material and deck screws. Using one piece of scrap T&G say 4"X6" which I would use to screw to the rafters. Then get another piece of the same demensions and attach it to the previous (permently) allowing it to stick past the other say 4". When you have the two pieces put together you can drill a couple holes in the bottom piece in the center. These will be for temporiarly attaching to the rafter. When you attach it measure down from the previous installed T&G board and allow 3/4" wider than your T&G material. You will need this much to allow the board to be installed twist inside the jig. That is another reason to make the top piece shorter so the T&G will just slip down into it. In essence you will be inserting the end farthest away from you into the jig. Then start on the end that you are working and tap the tounge into the groove as you go and nail. If you are not confortable with it going in at a little angle you can go to the jig and insert a shim between the bottom of the T&G you are installing and the jig. You will have to attach the one end so it will not teeter totter back and forth.
It is easy to make but hard to describe. Maybe you will get the jist oif what I described. Just have a cordless drill handy to remove the screws and reattach on the next course. If you have any problems understanding just buzz me back and I will try again.
forcing the wood together - with an offcut about 6-10 inches long - with the reverse profile of what you want to push together
screw a block to the nearest rafter and use a small crow bar between the block and the offcut
or set the block closer and cut the offcut into a wedge and hammer in till your good.
there is a special tool you can get - but usually its for floors and quite heavy
I had a similar problem and found it very frustrating. There was no way I was going to be able to get the cabin ceiling together myself. I was working with 16 foot 1x T&G. That's the main reason we ended up with fake redwood beams across the width. I cut it all down to four foot lengths.
Thanks for the input! I will read and re-read your posts. Were you able to use all of your planks or did you have to cull some out?
Quote from: mpls_ham on September 13, 2012, 05:00:27 PM
Thanks for the input! I will read and re-read your posts. Were you able to use all of your planks or did you have to cull some out?
I used the majority of mine. The only ones that I discarded were those with major defects and even then I would cut them out and use what was remaining unless they were too short to look right. It is very hard to get decent wood anyway and you can look to "not so perfect" boards in every batch. I Probably had to pull more than most as I had finished mine before installing and that allowed them to bow some before I could get them installed. The end result is that it turned out fine.
I will try to post something to resemble what I made if I have time.
G/L John
I wonder if something like this would work?
http://www.amazon.com/Cepco-Tool-BW-2-BoWrench-Decking/dp/B0000224UP/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1IZC69P4D4SZ7&coliid=I2Y2XTM28UFKE9 (http://www.amazon.com/Cepco-Tool-BW-2-BoWrench-Decking/dp/B0000224UP/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1IZC69P4D4SZ7&coliid=I2Y2XTM28UFKE9)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51H3D8GTEEL.jpg)
Quote from: mpls_ham on September 13, 2012, 05:00:27 PM
Thanks for the input! I will read and re-read your posts. Were you able to use all of your planks or did you have to cull some out?
Well after repeated attemps to scan a little sketch of what I was talking about I gave up in trying to convert it so that Photobucket would except it. I just photographed it and we will see how it turns out. You might have to make some adjustments to the demensions to fit you particular board width and the space between the jig and what you have already installed to allow the board to slip up into it. An alternative would be to use a thicker block for attachment to the rafter and the retaining strip(outside block) could be extended to meet (lap over) the previous board. Then when it is attached to the rafter at the end of the board being installed you could just slip it into the opening. As you work your way from one end of the present board to the jig you just remove it for the attachment to that last rafter.
As for the tool Erin pistured is good to pull the bow out but doesn't do much to hold the other end. I have used one similar and it worked great. But you will need to cut a scrap piece of T&G to fit up against the pressure point on the tool. If not you will mar or damage the T&G edge. The one that I used I could convert it to 4" beams to put my 2" flooring T&G down with but the bars on either side of the beam began damaging the beam side and I abandoned it and went with pipe clamps and chisels to but them in place. But with rafters or floor joist/beams that damage will not be seen.
Here is the basic design that I used.
(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_2020-1-1.jpg)
I had a very nice shipment and wasted less than the 10% I allowed for when ordering.
Thanks for the input guys.
Red....I have been running my boards tongue down/groove up. I would think the groove end would be more resilient to bashing then the other?
Maybe that is my major malfunction.
(https://i1008.photobucket.com/albums/af203/mpls_ham/Camp%20Hamilton/043.jpg)
It is easier to nail the other way and most are installed tounge up from the bottom to the top. Normally the nail is set in the intersection of the tounge/board at a 45 deg angle. As far as bashing you need a piece of scrap edge (corresponding) to put against the board and tap on it. Unless you get completely out of hand it will not deform the edge.