got called onto this job with Barry… just before he had his motorcycle accident
the job started 18 months before we got there.. small , one story-house with breezeway & garage.. Owners hired an Architect who designed an attractive 2d story..
job was supposed to take 6 months…. well by the time we got called in… the job was half done.. and all the money was gone…
the contractor was a crook… even took out the permit in a false name..never pulled a plumbing permit… never pulled an electrical permit
nothing on the job was right.. nothing..
we broke it down into completing the weather-tite shell… and then a 2d contract to complete the interior..
my computer hardrive crashed , so i lost the original pics of the exterior work
anyways… here’s some of the exterior.. the windows are all cased … but no membrane or felt behind the casing… picture framed the windows.. so .. no way to flash the white cedar shingles under the windows
and …. no roof trim.. but he shingled the roof anyways.. even the rake ladders were not installed
here’s a pic of the windows installed on the bare plywood… and a pic of the gable end rake with no ladder.. just a piece of plywood hanging out in the breeze
also .. a pic of the view from the front windows… this is as far North as you can go on the island…. that’s about a 3 mile fetch to the next island in the bay.. so the seas really build up when we get a northerly wind
Edited 1/27/2005 10:22 pm ET by Mike Smith
Edited 3/24/2009 12:58 pm ET by MikeSmith
Replies
inside... the framing was funky... the winder stairwell was a mess... the new 2d floor walls were not plumb over the first floor walls...
i got the permit transfered to us.... and then got the building inspector out for a framing inspection.....the winders didn't meet the code from the date of the permit.. came to a point instead of the 6" minimum
the roof blocking ( 110 mph wind load ) had to be drilled for ventilation...
the subfloor was 1/2" plywood .. you could put your foot thru if you weren't careful...
the doors were all framed funny.. ( wrong RO's ).......
hack job....
here's the winders.... some of the roof blocking ... and a pic of the holes we drilled in the blocking to comply with code
anyways.... we spent the early winter installing the SS. chimney for the wood stove...
redoing the window trim.... building the front entry deck..... and the rear entry stairs..
installing the roof trim... and shingling with white cedars..
i'll get some pics of that when the weather clears..did i mention how the wind comes out of the north ?
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in the meantime.. we're getting ready for plaster.. the board hangers will be here on tuesday..
we installed the PropaVents.. and built dams on the plates to keep our cells from filling the soffits
then foamed the dams in place..
here's a roof jack for the dryer vent..
and we stapled up our Insul mesh... because we're going to blow DensPak cellulose..
Roy talked me into using Elmer's White Glue for gluing the InsulMesh... best thing we've used yet ( we've tried all kinds of glue and fabric paste )
so... we're ready for 93 bales of cellulose
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 1/27/2005 10:46 pm ET by Mike Smith
we moved inside just in time... winter hit hard about two- three weeks ago..
and as usual , the wind is out of the northeast... luckily it blew most of the snow right out of the yard..
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here's half our delivery of cells.. we relayed it up the roof and in the window..
i got demoted to stair building... while Roy & Chuck took over the cells..
did i mention how hard it is ripping out the bad stairs and building winders when it's the only way in or out ?
Roy is blowing the slanted front portion of hte cathedral ceiling..
he's already done the walls and gable ends
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 1/27/2005 10:55 pm ET by Mike Smith
we've got our 100 lb. propane tank and heater going ... and every bit of insulation makes it that much more liveable... it was 8 deg. and 30 kts on Wednesday
some of the ceiling we will do from above... after the blueboard is hung..
here's a pic . of the attic area..
we've already blown the flat ceiling areas at each gable end
and the wind is still blowing ... 30 kts...out of the North... 15 degrees
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Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 1/27/2005 11:06 pm ET by Mike Smith
sounds like it was done by the general the other mike is having trouble with....who now works at HD.
This is how all us stand up guys geta bad name.
good luck....beautiful location but something needs to be done about that chimney pipe...lol
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the winders didn't meet the code from the date of the permit.. came to a point instead of the 6" minimum
I've probably done a couple hundred stairs in my life time
But I never got to do a winder set w/6" min. at the narrow end
and I can't for the life of me figure out how you would go
about doing that. Can you post some pic. ifn it isn't
to late.
Thanks in advance and thanks for taking the time to show and tell.
will do...
here's the exterior..sun came out today.. but the north wind is still blowing.. and it's 7 degrees....heh, heh,heh... thankful to be inside
this is the rear entry... the roof/attic is still uninsulated .. so thus the icecycles...
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and the front... we took off the casings and made trex sills for the the windows..
the gable end .. we framed ladders for the rakes .. and capped an abandoned fireplace chimney
the entry porch covers two concrete stoops..
and our camp set up.. the trailer, dumpster & portajohn ( behind the trailer )
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 1/28/2005 8:33 pm ET by Mike Smith
dino... here's my case for the EZ..
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been getting a lot of use... we're ripping lots of tapers for these out of plumb walls
notice, both guides and the clamps and spare inserts all fit
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 1/28/2005 9:05 pm ET by Mike Smith
Mike. It is depressing to take over a job like that but at the same time is very rewarding when you finish. One thing that we always overlook is how to deal with the homeowners as the second contractor in the house. Looks like this homeowners are in good hands. And looks like you know how to deal with this situation.
the case looks good, but do you think it will last? If you think is strong enough for the jobsite we have to get some of those.
The new EZ gadgets with the 8 1/4 saw coming your way Monday.
Good luck with this job.
YCF Dino
oh, yeah.... that case is plenty strong... good clasps too !
the job is already rewarding... it's interesting figuring out how to fix things, even though it's a little frustrating...Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
And who knows? you may pick up one or two tricks of how... not to do things.
Name for the case?
i'll look it up... bought it at Sport's AuthorityMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
here's some pics of the new winders..
this was tough... there really isn't enough room at the top after the turn.. if i had 3 more inches i could have full compliance.. as it is .. i met the 6" minimum.. but i'm also supposed to have 10" within 12" of the inside corner.. IE: they're supposed to open faster..
short of reframing the 2d floor , i'm stumped.. but this is a big improvement..
even the stairwell was out of square... it tapers 2" from the turn to the bottom..it gets narrower as you go down the stairs
here's the before.... they all go to a zero point in the corner
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and the after:
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a pic of the upper horses... i extended the lower risers with some glue-nail gussets
and a pic of the front view going up from the landing at the bottom
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i even had to rip out the ceiling.. he only had 6' - 2" head room over the nosing line
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 1/28/2005 9:16 pm ET by Mike Smith
Edited 1/28/2005 9:20 pm ET by Mike Smith
Edited 1/28/2005 9:20 pm ET by Mike Smith
Edited 1/28/2005 9:22 pm ET by Mike Smith
Edited 3/24/2009 1:06 pm ET by MikeSmith
I kept coughing and had to close the pictures of the cellulose being blown really quickly...LOLWhat brand trailer is that you have?AL or steeel?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
that's a CarMate.. aluminum...... 7 x 14Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
here's the rest of the white cedars for when the weather breaks ... and the rest of the cellulose.... for after the blueboard is hung
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 1/28/2005 10:24 pm ET by Mike Smith
Mike, I like your attic insulation dam method. The pieces coped for the prop-r-vents.
Tell us more.
Is the material rigid EPS board? Or is it closed cell iso stuff, like Dow blue?
Thickness?
Is it just stuck up in there, then foamed around perimeter to fix?
Are you using a hand foam gun? What brand?
the dams at the plate are just scrap foam... any kind we have
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we cut it a little loose and foam it in to lock them
our guns are whatever they're selling at Insul Mart, where we buy all our insulation
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 2/20/2005 11:14 am ET by Mike Smith
after the plaster.. there wasn't much for us to do.. the cure time is a week... then the owner's were going to start painting..
most of our work we have left is outside....so we started a basement darkroom job..
here's what the exterior looked like when we started
& now..
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Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 2/24/2005 8:56 pm ET by Mike Smith
walking around the yard.. there's a view to the north.. Providence is right over the "no Parking " sign .. about 20 miles
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off to the NW is the old abandoned lighthouse.. North Light
the garage gable end is just the way we found it.. stripped and waiting for paper
notice the leaner scaffold on the roof.. using it on it's side made for some make-do staging
the garden shed is pretty unique with those windows
and , a sign of spring.....only about half the wood supply is left
6" - 8" of snow forecast for tomorrow.. hoping to get back to the exterior in two weeks.. when we do we'll hang these gutters waiting in the snow
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 2/24/2005 9:05 pm ET by Mike Smith
inside.. we are going to install the finished stairs..
here's the rough with the plaster walls
the space for the skirts..
the pitch wall waiting for the newel & cap
a view of the landing
looking up ..
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and two views of the winders , upper and at the turn
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 2/24/2005 9:11 pm ET by Mike Smith
Hey, you'd better get that mud out of there or your skirt won't fit<G>Just in case you don't know it, you are so lucky to be working and living that close to the ocean...ok, sound...I'm envious, if you couldn't tell... Don't worry, we can fix that later!
Wow Mike...what a mess. Bet ya took that job home with ya a lot of nights(if you know what I mean)As I view all of the "before" pictures one thing runs through my mind...............Where exactly were the homeowners at when they were being shafted by this HACK? Seems like so many obvious things were being done wrong or hafassed why did they allow this to go on?
from what i understand... ( not much ).... the guy had a gift.... of gab
and this is not the first time he was in trouble
pretty stressful for the owners....
both very nice people, very intelligent, but , if you don't know anything about building houses, you hire someone who does... or so they say
but, how would you judge ?... pretty easy for me.. i get to look at the evidence up close & personal.. but living thru it ?..
at some point they decided enough is enough.. but then what ?... the house was barely watertight
for me ... all i had to do was figure out how much we were going to undo so we could go forward
sure hope we get it right
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 1/28/2005 11:47 pm ET by Mike Smith
sounds like the lady Cath works with ...
looked for a new home builder ...
read all the right books ... did all the right things ...
found a "reputable" builder ....
even looked at some of his past homes and talked to satisfied customers ...
then had a house built on their land ... a no-inspection area ...
got screwed big time.
I helped them out but looking at stuff and writting letters their lawyer used in court ... but a huge mess. I keep telling her to write a book ... someday I'll lay it all out here ... if I ever get the time .... and energy.
But very long story short .. they did everything right ...
and the "reputable" builder was and is a thief.
My guess ... he builds decent on inspected and public projects ...
and rips off every unsuspecting home owner that builds on their one land.
I'd like to stick a claw hammer in his forehead. Makes me sick.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Mike thanks for the pics
those sure are some cold working conditions.
With those winds wipping off that water.........
The older I get the more I like the south
be warm.....
Another detail I like on that house is the outside corner board detail
you don't have any close ups of those do ya?
I assume that is an applied extra on top of the 1x6(?) corner bd.
next sunny day.. i'll get some pics of the trim..
it is a nice detail.. wether it's the architect or the hack, who knows ?....
nicely done ... but again.. no membrane or felt behind it ..... we had to pry it out and slip ice & water in before sidingMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Any updates?
Mike
Nice save!
On your upper run of the stairs, the run and rise look almost the same on the top steps. Is that my eyes or the camera angle or were you still working your magic at that point? I appreciate what you had to pull off on this reworking.
On the lack of rake ladders: don't you recognize a close-trimmed gable when you see one - you're a Yankee carpenter...
With your white cedar shingles - can't tell from the pics, but when you terminate a course at the rake soffit/frieze, do you clip the tip back or run a cover course? I've seen both over toward the coast and we've got a shingle siding job coming up - looking for some dressup ideas.
i think the pic is deceiving.. the run is 9 (?) and i thing the rise is 7 3/4 (?) but
that 's from memory.. and the rough treads put the lie to how it will look
water.. we do it all kinds of ways.. usually with whites we use a rake board freize board
with reds , we usually run a rake course.. about 5" wide right up the rake
here.. in 8347.. we haven't applied the rake frieze yet.. maybe by june it'll warm up
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Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 2/24/2005 10:08 pm ET by Mike Smith
Edited 2/24/2005 10:08 pm ET by Mike Smith
>and all the money was gone
Whatcha getting paid with? They find more somewhere?
yup.... but all the money he had contracted for was gone...
so... they will pay twice...
and, of course, the contractor is broke with no assets....Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Having just been taken by an excavator for an advance for materials, I empathize. Some situations just suck.
Cloud ... what kind of materials would an excavator need an advance for? I got burned by my stoopidity and a stone mason who needed an advance for materials ... and it was my responsibility to provide the stone and the sand!
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
You blow your own insulation? Do you rent the tools or did you buy them? Is there much of a cost savings or is it more of a time flexibility issue? Tell us more.Love the photos. I am striving to have an operation like yours. You seem to get your hands into/ onto the work while still staying on top of the office issues. Now that's talent.F
it's also a function of having good employees watching my back..
our blowing machine is an old US Fiber ...probably about 1980 vintage..we have 100' of hose and remote control.... it takes two guys continually.. one blowing and one feeding the hopper
we burned up our Hurricane blower last year so we bought a new one and rebuilt the old one...
since we've got the machine, we get pretty creative figuing different ways to use cellulose.. the resultis our structures are very well insulated
i think you can buy used blowing equipment ...
big regional insulation distributors are usually dealers.. they have an interest in selling machines... it means they will also sell you product.. they know who is sitting on old equipment..
if you want new.. there is lots of good stuff.. take a look at Regal Industries.. they have a great site....
if you want newMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike...where exactly is that? How do you access it? Ferry?
Looks like a GREAT place to work....in the summer!
Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
it's Jamestown, you know..
that bridge pilon on the way to Newport
damn , son.. look at a map....from CT.. you go across the West Passage , across Jamestown, then over the Newport Bridge to NewportMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Jamestown, eh?
I sure wish I could drop in at Aidan's in Newport for a pint or two. My idea of a good way to wrap up the work week.
well, you could take me with you.. i could even find a designated driverMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
been hiding in a basement, building a darkroom, for a couple weeks while the Owners were priming their walls..
but eventually we have to finish the exterior of this ..
yesterday we shoveled the snow off the staging so it would be ready for today..
here's roy merrily shingling away....
Hi , Roy !
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meanwhile , Chuck is shoveling the east gable so they'll have some place to work tomorrow...
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 3/3/2005 8:11 pm ET by Mike Smith
finished the darkroom job..
snow, wind at 20 kts... 22 deg...
doing some of the interior work
here's an interesting detail.. there is a closet between the bedroom wall and the exterior.. so to show off the owner's stained glass window and let some natural light into the bedroom from the west..
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Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 3/9/2005 7:06 pm ET by Mike Smith
Edited 3/9/2005 9:46 pm ET by Mike Smith
started the finished stairs today..
got the newel bolted in
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and the cap on the pitch wall
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 3/9/2005 9:49 pm ET by Mike Smith
the weather broke , so we went outside to finish up
here's the back steps with the snow gone..
they were built angled to avoid the well tile right in the line from the back door
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we also finished hanging the gutters and leaders
here's our gutter saw.. looks like a chop saw , don't it?
and this is the bracket we use to hang our leaders... also.. we get custom tops made up in the gutter shop.... this is a 12 1/2" offset...
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 4/7/2005 9:57 pm ET by Mike Smith
Edited 4/7/2005 9:57 pm ET by Mike Smith
Edited 4/7/2005 10:00 pm ET by Mike Smith
and then back inside.. the tile guy is done wo we can work on the stairs again..
here's the rough sub-tread at the corner, it will stay in place.. all the other rough treads come out..
and two kinds of patterns for the pie-shaped treads
then .. cutting the corner tread with the EZ-Guide
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that's my new EZ-Smart Table the tread is resting on
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 4/7/2005 10:06 pm ET by Mike Smith
Edited 4/7/2005 10:07 pm ET by Mike Smith
cutting the ends...
and finishing the cut with a jigsaw
then dropping the finished tread in place
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Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 4/7/2005 10:11 pm ET by Mike Smith
Hey Mike, do yourself a big favor and do not glue those winders down to the plywood sub floor. Are you going to dock the guys pay for using so much duct tape on that pattern? Try a roll of the brown craft type paper HD carries, much better than felt, folds and cuts nice. Not too bad for some temporary protection too. The job is looking good.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
hammer.. you mean dock my pay?
i love duct tape , man
why don't you want to glue the corner tread to the plywood sub-tread ?
(that's the only tread with plywood under it.. it had something to do with the structure turning the corner )
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Last year I had a stair with some winders. Like you, I built a series of platforms that, in my case, were covered with Advantech for the winding portion. I thought I would add some squeak prevention and glued the angled treads. I actually should have known better than to glue solid wood to a substrate that doesn't move. Like the slow learner I am, I did it anyway. The treads moved and cracked. The owner did not put any finish on them for months but that would not have made any difference. Thought I'd save you some future aggravation.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
ham.... that looks more like a shrinkage problem than a substrate problem
( same thing, right ? )
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so, the advantech couldn't shrink .... but the oak tread did.... two things occur to me..
first, maybe the treads weren't on the job long enough to come to equilibrium
or.. after you left the homeowner dried his house out to a dangerous level
i thought about the substrate and the shrinkage, so i framed this corner turn differently
the plywood sub-tread is let-in to the framing... for one reason so i didn't have to adjsut my rough riser heights
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so , essentially , this oak tread will be glued and screwed just like the rest... i'm thinking Liquid Nails ..screws and bungs
the other thing that may save my sorry azs is that this house has a crawlspace that is permanently WET and will be forever..
whatta ya think.... maybe i'll luck out ?
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 4/8/2005 8:20 am ET by Mike Smith
As Franz and Franz would say, "Hear me now or believe me later". Solid wood moves over the seasons, especially a wide piece like a winder tread. My treads were built in the winter in my wood heated, warm and toasty shop. They were very dry. Job site conditions were not the same, although they seldom are with drywall work, etc. The treads went through a typical humidity cycle and you saw the results. I also do a lot of cabinet work. Anytime you glue solid wood to plywood, the wood will move more than the ply. I've seen the same thing happen in different situations. I leave off the glue now and let the whole piece move without restriction. The edges may open up but the piece won't crack without the glue. The long heat season in New England is hard on wood, it's not like we can just pick the ideal conditions to work in. At least my glue joints stayed strong on the treads. Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
What about using silicone instead of PL to silence squeaks but allow for movement?
That might be a good idea, Basswood. I'm not a big fan of winders and don't run into them very often. I've been using trim head screws or screws and plugs, they take the flex out of treads and don't loosen over time like nails. It seems most squeaks are where the riser meets the tread and a few screws helps considerably. A good fit to the stingers also makes a big difference. You don't have to use shims which can be another source for squeaks.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
then dropping the finished tread in place
Was that the initial 'dropping' or did you have to tweak it (even after using the template)?
Always an awesome feeling when you get something like that to fit perfect! Almost like it was made to go there ;)
jt8
Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful. -- Ann Landers
no tweak.. 1st time .. from the Smart table right in place...
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike, how do you like that Smart Table?
Sure makes cutting easy, eh?
i love it... how do you store it ? the three center supports make it 4' wide..
do you take them off when you store it ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Yeah, I love mine too.
As far as storage, I just pull all the support boards and throw them in a tool box that fits them well. This allows me to slide the table in a tight spot in my van.
Dino mentioned somewhere that he was going to start sending the kit out with extra track, that way you can store all the boards on the table and still store in 2'x4' area. You should shoot him a message and see about getting extra track. Seems like a great solution to me.
Always refining,
Shoe
yes.. the 3 center tracks sholuld be doubled and offset.. so the 24" pcs can slide by each other..
just got the 40" guide this week too.. so we can have our door trimmer..
guess i'll retire all my shooter boards
BTW.. the 7 1/2" blade barely gets thru a 2x.. much better keeping a dedicated 8 1/4" saw for the rough 2x work... and stick with the 7 1/4 blades for the finish work..
i use only Marathon.. so if i stick to 7 1/4" marathon i can switch from old blades to new without rezeroing my EZ
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Edited 4/9/2005 1:38 pm ET by Mike Smith
Hear ya on the 8 1/4 saw - I still need to get one.
Also a fan of the Marathon Blades.
Have you tried Freud Diablo blades? I think they cut better, stay sharp longer, and lose teeth less often (should you have to cut wood with nails).
Yep, use those too. That is what I have on my saw right now, in fact.
I don't really have much of a prefference between the Diablo and the Marathon - both work just fine for me. Used the Marathons for years until one day the store was out of stock on the Marathons and I got a Diablo.
just wanted to resurrect this before it slips into oblivion.. lot's of good EZ-Guide picsMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
some winder stair oics in tis threadMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore