And now for the main level! - Part 1

I finally started welding the benchwork for the main level. 

My design is 20' x 30" sections. Weld them together down on the driveway. Since I've decided to use drywall for the sub roadbed, I decided to put risers every foot. It may be a bit of overkill, but I want it to be strong and well supported. So, I add cross members every foot. Legs will be every five feet. 

I started welding the frames as the weather became more accommodating. For those who don't know, steel comes with a coating of oil on it. The first step of my process is to clean the 20' sticks with lacquer thinner to remove most of the oil. This makes it much easier for handling as well. Next is to cut the cross members. I use heavier gauge steel for the outside frame and the cross members where legs will be attached. 

This is what 80' of benchwork looks like in it's assembled form. There are 4 sections stacked there. It takes me about 1.5 hours or so to build the sections. That includes the time to clean the steel, cut the steel, and do the welding. 

The next challenge is getting the 20' sections of benchwork upstairs into the layout room. My original plan was to lift the sections up through the window as I had done with staging. The difference with staging was is that I passed up the frame without all the cross members up through the window. Once in place, I welded the 60" cross members on top of the frame. This time around, the cross members are inside of the frame make is MUCH heavier. 

The window in the center of the picture is my target. I need to be able to move the benchwork up through that and NOT break the glass. That is another aspect of the challenge. 

I decided that I would make a rack where I could use a a lever for moving the pieces up stairs. So I broke out the scrap lumber and made frame. The white bag is full of packing peanuts and provides a cushion.

With the frame built, it was time to tip it up. the construction is 2x6s and heavy. i was able to stand it up myself. Not an easy task.

Where are the helpers you ask? Well, I was working solo and decided that I'd give it a shot. I was on vacation and trying to get work done, before I left for the Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society annual convention. 

Well, it was a great idea when it started, but a failure in execution. You can see the frame tilted up, but it wasn't going to work. Not to mention the unwieldy 20'x30" steel frame that I was trying to maneuver. Suffice it to say, this was not a success. Now it was time to create a Plan B. 

I did a Plan B design revision and found that Plan B wasn't going to be successful either. 

I skipped Plan C and went right to Plan D. 'D' in this case stands for desperation. I went with a new option. I have side windows on the building, so I carried the frames over to the patio cover. Carried each up a ladder and put on the top of the cover. Once those were up, I carried each across the tile roof (no broken tiles) and passed them in through the side window. 

In this picture, you can see the frame coming through the window. And other frames on the right on top of the patio cover, just before the lawn 

You can see the cart I used to help relieve the weight of the frame as I moved the frame through the window. Good thing the cart is sturdy!

I finally got all four frames into the room. Success! Now time to mount them to the walls!