Finials, Faux Timbers and More Photos

51 degrees and the birds are out and there is still no sign of the dreaded mosquitoes.

Yesterday and today I have been working on the exterior of the playhouse by adding faux timbers to the front second story.  These are supposed to look like actual timbers that would be used to frame the house (in olden days) and so I spent a little time researching pictures of homes built a few hundred years ago in Europe for ideas.  I tried to make it look real but these are just 3/4 inch pressure treated boards that will one day turn to gray.  It was very time consuming getting all of the angles cut just right but it was fun.

Faux timbers added to the outside of the upstairs.

The diagonal timbers are actually cut in a slight curve.

Ready to relax...

I also installed window containers for the German style ivy geraniums, which was very difficult to find at this time of year from our local nurseries.  The forth store that I went to had them and they said that they were not planning put them up for sale for another week because they were still a little small.  There are now three different types of grape vine planted around the playhouse and I have been filling in composted material for the new plants.  All of this compost was from my leaf pile that I have been accumulating over the recent years and turning over to get this result.

Baby grape vines planted on either side of the door.  New composted soil to go with the new step.

Red ivy geraniums with another small white flower in the center (can't recall the name).

I wanted to get more work done yesterday but the rain really got in the way.  Much of the day was spent in the garage designing and making the finials that are now installed under the ridge beam.  This is an old piece of dried oak that was purchased as firewood.

You must really hit the spur center into the end to get it to grip.

Rough design.

Lots of wobble at the start.  I had to cut as much waste away at the band saw but it was still unbalanced until I got it to be round.

Layout lines to guide me.

Spinning at 1600 RPM.

Finished with the turning and now ready for the tongue oil.

Ready to go up under the ridge beam.

This one is installed - one more to go on the other end.

Well, that is about all for now.  I'll try to get the upstairs on the other side done this weekend so that I can return my neighbors ladder to him (and a nice bottle of wine).