Two Boards and a Dowel

First of all, Nina asked if I would post the pattern for the screen from a couple of days ago. Here it is, but I am afraid that you will still have to draw it on graph paper to get it right. I am not sure how easy it will be to blow it up to the correct size.

The longest side is 8". The shorter side is 7 1/8" and the width of the half is 3". The pattern is actually an eighth of an inch longer, but that was a mistake on my part. You will see that there is a half square across the bottom of the screen that really doesn't have to be there. Good luck.

Now about the boards and dowel.....Tessie has been after me to make a ladder as a means of getting to the second floor of the cottage. Since everybody needs a utility ladder sooner or later, I decided to show you how.

I went and measured to see how big the ladder would have to be to reach the second floor. The ceilings in the cottage are a bit low. I only needed a 7 1/2 " ladder. The hole in the ceiling is only 2" square, so I made the ladder 1 1/2" wide. That would be 18" wide in real life. Plenty of space to put your feet.

I cut side pieces 7 1/2" long. Then starting 1" from the bottom, I marked each one at 1" intervals all the way to the top. I cut a tiny dowel in 7 pieces, each 1 1/2" long.

My drill was just a bit smaller than the dowel in question. I drilled the holes where I had marked. I shaved off the tiniest bit from the ends of each piece.

Next, I dry fitted them together. The tough part is getting all of the dowels in all of the little holes at once. Tessie helped....She stayed out of the way.....That helped more than you know.

I took the ladder back apart and stained all of the pieces. After they were dry, I put just a touch of glue in each hole on one side and stuck the dowels in place. Then, easing them in one at a time, I put the other ends in the second side.

As soon as I got the pieces together, Tessie, with Zar's help, grabbed it and ran. They set it against the wall into the opening to the second floor. All the while Tessie was shouting, "Me first! Me first!".

Zar was left with the job of steadying the ladder whilst Tessie tried it. It's just a good thing that I used Fast Grab glue. It stayed together.

After she got all the way through, Tessie crouched down and tried to coax Zar to try it.

He was having none of it. He was waiting for the glue to dry.

Later when he started up the ladder, I noticed a rip in his trousers in the most embarrassing place. I guess he is due for new duds.

No more cottage today. Poor Balthazar can't possibly go around like that. New pants are in order....Gotta go do some tailoring now.

See you tomorrow.