Replies

1. 
   Piffin | Mar 13, 2003 05:37am | #1

   I've done three like this one with a smooth radius instead of the elliptical and i find that I can get by with blocking at about 12" OC instead of solids like you framed it.

   The tighter the radius, the closer you need the blocking

   .

   Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   Piffin | Mar 13, 2003 05:40am | #2

   let's try it again....

   Excellence is its own reward!

   
1. 
   Timuhler | Mar 13, 2003 05:51am | #3

   Thanks for replying.  I used to put in a lot less backing, but the taper we were using was complaining that there wasn't enough backing for him the make that bend at the bottoms of the arch.  Now I just use up scrap so I don't have to listen to him whine.

2. 
   DaveHeinlein | Mar 13, 2003 05:56am | #4

   When I've built a large arch like yours, I cut the plywood arches together on horses, then tacked them in place and did the 2x infilling afterwords. No heavy lifting.

   The cove on the cieling I have done by splitting plastic water pipe(12") on a bandsaw, then veneering with a fancy wood. It worked quite nicely, and minimal framing was needed behind it.

3. 
   JohnSprung | Mar 21, 2003 02:29am | #5

   >  Does it look like I have enough backing in the inside corners of the cove?

   The way mine was done back in 1926 was that they ran the horizontal lath from the first direction a little past the inside corner, and then brought the lath from the second direction up close to it.  Then they ran a little expanded metal over the corner before plastering.  I hate having to demo those to do termite repair, because I know it won't be easy putting them back.

   -- J.S.

1. 
   Timuhler | Mar 21, 2003 03:28am | #6

   Thanks John.  When I do this again, it'll be a bigger radius and I'll have learned (at least a little) how to do this better.  Thanks for your suggestion.