This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Scaffolding
Aug
6
2015
Some of you may recall that we recently moved. Part of the move process involved getting furniture from the 2nd story down to the moving van.
This was a complicated process, as some of the furniture was too big (queen box spring, long dresser) to fit down the stairs, as the stairway makes a turn at the bottom and larger items can’t make the corner. We knew it would be a problem getting those items out, as we had a problem getting them in.
Back then, we borrowed a scaffolding and used that to load the furniture in through the upstairs window. This time, we went to borrow the scaffolding and someone else was already borrowing it.
Not to be deterred, I went to the nearby store and bought 2 sheets of plywood and 3 dozen 2x4s. And some nails.
A few hours later, and with some help from friends and relatives, we had a scaffolding:
The bottom of the window is about 12 feet off the ground. So I made the top platform 8 feet off the ground (added benefit of not needing to cut the 2x4s) and the bottom platform 4 feet off the ground.
The platforms had a full span down the middle for support, plus a couple of side spans to prevent anyone’s foot going through the plywood.
We got everything into approximate location, then scooted it over a little for final adjustment, then we attached the final bracing to make it more solid. Or rather, less rickety.
We started moving things out the window. First the big items that needed it, then everything else, because the people inside realized it was a lot faster to hand things out a window than to walk them down stairs.
I was expecting to be on the top platform, so as not to endanger anyone else, but someone else scrambled up there before I could say anything. If he was happy being up there, I didn’t mind being on the middle platform. And then we had a few people taking things from the lower platform and loading them onto the vehicles.
After a few trips back and forth with the vehicles, we got everything of note out of the upstairs. Then I happened to glance at the scaffolding from the side.
I think we forgot to check for level when we added the final bracing.
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”
Nehemiah 4:3
This little article thingy was written by Some Guy sometime around 6:37 am and has been carefully placed in the Mishaps category.
