I am redoing my upstairs bedroom, an addition by the original owner that was done on the cheap. Mid ‘70s, two large aluminum framed windows, mediocre insulation and sealing, flat roof and pen to the downstairs. In the summer, hotter than outside. In the winter a huge heat loss. Silver paint on the roof I did years ago helps a lot, but still …

Now the fiberglass batt is out and R19 rigid is in. Before drywall, the walls are already much tighter than the old batt plus ‘70s wood paneling. Now it is windows time. I will take the longest window, replace it with one half as wide and another of the same on that wall and a slightly smaller window over the roof on the north wall that sees no neighbors yards, just trees and branches and sky, a view I love. All are framed in. I just need to cut out the openings. I want to do a flush cut and thought that using a router with a bottom bearing from the outside would do it nicely. Well the plywood plus siding is over an inch. Longest bit for my ¼” router is one inch. Need to go to a ½” router. My friend, a very strong contractor has one. Borrowed it and bought an 1 ½ bit. Mocked up some scrap plywood and tried it. For these far less strong arms, a wild ride! Using this approach the cut has to be done from the outside. I had already built some sturdy scaffolding. (Most of you know I have already put this body through enough body slams for several lifetimes.) But being thrown around like hose jockey by a heavyweight ultiomate fighter while on that scaffold? Scary. I engineered and built a hook I can place over the far edge of the flat roof and rope into , but still.

Went to play music last night and mentioned this to the fellow musician I was sitting with. He said “ Why are you using a router? Why not a Sawzall?” Yeah, why not? I’ve got one. Still thinking form the outside, either cutting freehand along pencil lies or using an nailed on guide. Go to my Sawzall box this moring to see what blades I’ve got and what do I find? Some DeWalt blades, really long, 10 teeth to the inch and rated to wood with nails! I can do this from the inside! Bracing the saw against the framing.

I‘ll report back when done. (Actually, I may not finish the cuts today. I’ll stop short of the corners, Then I can put on handles. And I’ll probably just pull the cutouts in a couple of inches, exposing the siding edges, then sealing the edges with boatbuilding epoxy. If I do that, I will never have to tink about them again.

He who hesitates is (lost? No, sometimes) found.

Ben