After the setback with the trestles for the new workbench, Seppi and Daddy figured out how to glue the split section back on, clamp it, and then reinforce it with decking screws. Of course then we had to re-trim the notches to compensate for the torque that split the piece off in the first place.
Trestle #1 is dry fit.
Seppi doesn’t have the muscle to chop out the notches, but he is very enthusiastic about trying, and it’s good for him to learn some of the technique early. It is physical, so it keeps him moving and uses his muscles, but there is also a lot of focus and attention to detail that goes into it. In short spurts he can listen and practice some fairly detailed work, which is a good way to begin teaching him to harness and control his 6-year-old boy energy.
He cannot hold the glue gun and squeeze it at the same time. It takes all his strength just to squeeze the handle.
So he squeezes and I direct the nozzle.
Then we tap the stringers in and set them with screws. Rex Krueger uses cut nails for this, but we don’t have any cut nails, and I don’t feel like paying for a specialty hardware just for historical accuracy.
The mallet and construction screws work just fine.
And there they are, two fully assembled trestles.
Little Farm in the Big City 