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Di'.CEMB£R 2()()6/j.-\NU .... RY 2()07

9

letters

CONTINUED

floor apartlIlt:nt. The t~n;mb

were out ofwwn when the h ••se failed, and it took a while to identify the problem and force entry to the apartment. fly then, water had flooded the apartment and the adjacent unit, and

damaged another three below hcforc roo1inp; in the underground parking area. The tenants were probably resp..Hlsible for the finanClallosses In all the :iffected apartments.

"

''Vater had flooded the apartment and the adjacent unit, and damaged another three below. " As a home inspector, I :;ee lots oflaundries in condos and OIl the upper t100n ofhouscs. Most of them have common problems. ror one thing, many

building codes don't require a tl():')f drain below a laundry. and some reqUIre only a drip pan below the washer, whidllso't going to he much help i(the tuh overflows or if a supply hose fails. (See "Q&A," p. 100.) To my mlncl it's irresponsihle not to in-

NT

stall a floor dram, ideally within a curhed floor, when putting a laundry abo\'e finished ~p
which connects to the wa~hing­ machine's water and electrical supplies, and shub off the water automatically whenever the machine i~ inactive. The d.:~\'ice also incorporates a leak sensor that activates the ~hutoff feature. Placing a laundry c1o~r to the sourcc of dirty clothcs makes a lot of ~en~. but it sometimes t~lkes a bit of extra eHon to do it right. -TOM

O'DONOVA~

-JOE KAYE

Highland Park, III.

PhenIX. Va.

Sealing foundation holes I'm writing in reference to (he letter from Andy Engel, "Flood I nS\lrance of a diffen'nt kind" (FHB #182, p. 8). I've been amazed how the sImple concept of water s<::eking its own level

OA

DECEMBER 7, 21, JANUARY 4, 18: Hear Fin/E> Homebuilding editors Kevin Ireton and Charles M iller on The Faith Middleton Show at 3 p.m. ET on WNPR. 90.5 FM, in southern New England, or online ('It www.wnpr.org. DECEMBER 16, JANUARY 13: Hear Fine Homebuilding editor Kevin Ireton inter· viewed on The Money Pit radio show, with hosts Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete. To find a local ur to listen online, visit their Web site at www.moneypit.com. FEBRUARY 7-10: Look for Fine Homebuilding editors at the International Builders' Show in O rla ndo, Fla. If you're in the area, please stop by booth W2787 to say hello. For more information, go to www.buildershow.eom. CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Gary M. Katz regularly tcaches workshops on finish carpentry (It shows and events around the country. Visit his Web site wW'N.garymkatz.com to find out when he'lI be in your area. Rick Arnold conducts seminars on all nspects of home building. Visit his Web site, www.buildingevent~oIutio()s.com. to learn morc. 10

FIl\' E HOMEBUILDING

catches so m,Jny of us off guard. Th~ prohlem that Mr. Engel has encountered I solved many years ago in several similar situations and with 100% success. My simple method can he used instead of Mr. Engel's or in addition to It. [ seal the utility penetration 10 the masonry wall as follows: I mortar from the outside, penC[rating just a few inches in. After that hardens, I waterproof out~ide and do the regular backfilling. Back on the inside, I use an expanding foam m the penetration hole, extending from where the mortar ended to within a f~w IOches of the: inside wall. After that hardens, I finish up with mortar to the inside wall. The mortar is for physical integrity. The cxpandc-d foam is thc water seal.

Window sashes need stronger ts A~ a long time sash-maker anJ student of old sash methods, I read the artidc "Building a Divided-Lite Storm Sash" (FHE #182, pp. 82-8'5) to sec how the author ed rail to stile using modern methods. Apparently he doesn't, rdying on glue: and the co]Xd cut. This method would work well to hang a deeoratiyc frame on an interior wall. but outJoOTS, the moisture cyele would cause enough wood movement, even with waterproofglue, to open the t and allow mOIsture in. After a few year~, the storm sash would need replacing. There necds to be some sort of mechanical conneCTion, ideally mortise and tenon, hut even biscuits, dowels. or deck screws wuuld be an improvement. -MURRAY YUNGBLUT

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11

letters

CONTINUED

Author T Ii. RnhardJ r('plit!-'-' I h~ve he,mj this assertion before, hut my own experience doesn't bear it out.

The first s.ct of storm sashes I huilt th is way f()T a d ient has been in service fo r more than

" Unless the sash has been maintained properly, whatever glue was used eventually gives up the ghost " iO yean ;JoJ shows no signs

of deterioration. Although tha t's not an extreme length of time, it is a respectahle one,

and those sashes happen to he lI1~ta l led In a particularl y hostile location. TIle temperatun~

ra nges from 3SoC do",,'o

to _40°C, and [hcre is no trtt coverage to protect t he sashes from 50-knot wi nter w inds. Ten years of rhose conditions woulJ he equivalent to tWICe rh;"! t length of time in southern Ontario. I also restore onginal sashes when they can be saved, ami a faIT number of the 40-plusyear-old storm sashes rhat J have see n were built using cope-and-~t ic k Jome r),. Yes, the ts are often loose in som e of these old sashes, hut t hey a re also luo.o;e in equally aged mortise-and -tenon sashes. It seems that un less the sash

When I add to these observations the fact thaI the g reat ma jori ty of factory-bu ilt wood doors and w l1l dow~ tod'lY are man u factu red usmg cope-andstick Joi nts. I fl..d m ore than com fortable recom mending this techniq ue to the readers of Fint H omebuildi!lfi.

Toggle-bolt tip Concerni ng toggle bolts and the problem of no t being able to remove the ~rew (FHH #ISU, "What's the D ifference;>" p. 102), I believe I have a solution . The Snaptogglt is expensive and can be used only on drywa ll.

has been maintained properly,

W hen I'm using toggles on

whateve r g-lue was used eventually g ives up t he ghost. The type of t doesn't seem to he the determining factor in the windows' failure.

drywall or on hollow concrete block, and r want to he able to re nlOVC t he screw, J put a dab

of construction adhesive on the wi ng tips. Unce installed,

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. • your safety Home building IS Inherently

rhe wing will adhere, and once hardened, the adh(;"!>ivt' prevents the wing from falling d ov. nllllO the- cavity when YOll remove (he screw. -JOE KAYE

dangerous From ace.dents

Pheni)(, Va.

with power tools to fill Is from

ladders, 5oCaffolds, and rools, bu; d('~ risk senous u"'fu ry and even deam. We try to promote sale work habits through our articles But what

IS

safe for

one person under certa in

circumstanCe5 may not be safe for yol,l under different

eircumMa nces. So don', try anything you leam about here (Of

elsewhere) unless you're

certain that It 15 safe for you

Please be careful. "eVIN IRETON

editor

Detailing the top of a valley is simple I wa5 excited to sc:c the article on roof ,'alleys by Stephen Ha7.ktt in the O:.-toberl November is.ue (PHE #182, "A Dumble Roof-Valley Rt:pair," pp. 53-57). However, he doesn't address the peak of the valley. Could you explain the best option to aVOid water penetration ? I ha\'en't ~n a good derail of peak lfanslTion~ with W-typc: metal f1a~hing. -SCOT R MAX W ELL

Des Moines, Iowa

Awhof Sttphm Hazlell rt:pftt:s. If you (I re u~mg aluminum \V-type v.lltey and asphalt ~h lllgles, there arc no esoteric secret! in this situation. If we assume two valleys m(."(tin~ at the top of a dormer and tying" ml
extended up to overla p the first valley's main-roof ~iJe. Install ridge caps along the ridge, righ t across the valley, and (uck the final caps under m(! field shingles on the main fCX)f, Just as you woulJ on any other valley. If you fed the ,;alley profile don not allow.,l smooth--enough lransition, you can pe(·n the top fl'W inchc.>S of the W-valky a bit flaner. (I have not found this to he necessary). The ridge caps will cover the top of the valley fiJ.sh ing by Gin. or ~O. The last eap on a dormer or main ridRc will require two to f'Our expru('d nails, which I )j('al with Gcocel caulk (www.geocdusa.com). This techmque is very sImple and very neal, and it sounds more complicated than 11 actually IS.

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IN BRIEF

ASH RAE gets into the sustainability game

Housing development boosts the bottom line of families and community Affordable housmg isn't really affordable unless ()pt~rating and maintenance txpense~ are within reach of low-income families. Unfortunately, many developers don't take the long view, concentrating instead on huilding low-cost housmg with the cheapest materials availahle. A nonprofit organization in Missoula, Mom" is devdoping housing that not only is cheap 18

FINE HOMERUlLDJNG

to buy but aho to own. At rill: same time, home\VORD, a organization of the group Vlt,lllen's Opportunity and Re~()llrCe Dr'Cvdopment Inc., hopes to improve the community and advance the cause of green buildinJoj. "Vie see our projects as a way to demonstrate to the community the best practices for design, including self-sufficiency and community

development," says Betsy Hand, the pr()i~ct's coordinator. Orchard Gard~ll5 is a hom~­ WORD development consIsting of three buildings that house 35 t~uni1ies on a little mor~ than 4 aer~s. Half the land is r~5 ~ r\'~d for garden plots for residents and a larger plot for the local food bank. A fourth building is a community harn that provides storage spae~ for

a biodiescl tractor and farming tools as well as meeting space for community gatherings and block parties. Tucked under the biggest apartment home is a parkmg garage that reduces the cleve!opment's f()otprint. cuts down ""' on a.~phalt use, and mak~s WInter mornings a little easier. The ~ wdl-de.~ign~d housmg complex ~ serves Missoula residents with it

j

1

CONTINUED

Income levds below 50% of the area's median family income of$42,103. Low-cost land for Orchard Gard~ns was found on the wrong sid~ of a busy tour-lane road, but a bike-p:nh tunnd under the highway maintains a link to the cOnlnlunity\ hike ;md pedestrian trail system. which runs along the Clark Fork River. (A bike shed is homed in the commun ity barn.) "What we were able to provide is an alternative development strategy that preserves some open space," says Hand. HomeWORD has developed eight affordable-housing projects sinc~ 1997. To l~arn more, go to www.homeword.org. -Daniel S. Morrison is an associate editor at Fine Homebuilding.

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prmciplr:s (or the overall v;ilue tor their clients dnd for thc ~lkc ot thl' environment." The' I.>weck cour<;c co~e'" 1') topln to two-huur weekly lessons: buildin,!!; ~il;ncc. indoor environmental quality. fllundations, framing, roofing, insulation, IIVAC, dee trlGII, renewahle cnergy, appliJnces, plumbing. exterior finishes, mt<:nor materials and finishes. landsC'dping, and marketing. The cost IS $49'5 for NARI and Sl/J,) for nonmember... To 1c.arn morc, c;lll NARI .11 8OO·flI 1·62i4. or "i""l w\\'w.n.trl.f)r~. -D_M.

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tips&techniques Quick, accurate shims Obtaining the right-size shims for a job can be quick, easy, and

Miter·s;,w

f"'n~'"

precise if you put in about 10 minutes' preparation. Begin with the shim stock. A proper shim has grain running its entire length-no end grain

allowed. To that end, r glue 3Vz-in.-long 2x4 blocks together edge to edge, as shown in the drawing at right. The number of blocks depends on the length of bar clamps a\lailable for gluing. r label the glued pieces "Shim Material" so that this wood isn't used for something else. Next, on a piecti of masking tape affixed to the miter-saw fence, r draw index marks exactly 3 in. left of the blade. These marks represent both sides of the sawcut. If I wanted to cut a shim 13/u in.

thick, I would mark the shim material at 3 plus '¥3l in. from the right end, as shown. Then I would align the mark on the wood with the right index mark on the mittlr

exactly

1Jh~

!>

When I cut the wood,



piece

in. thick is the result.

It's also easy to cut wedged shims this way. A useful rule of thumb is that for every mitered degro:>e you cut through a 3'h·in.·wide

"h2·in.·thick shim

blocks glued edge \0 edgl<

2~4

pieclf, the wedge becomes YlI. in. thicker on one end than it is on the other. - NILS OMHOLT Sterling Heights, Mich,

• submit a tip "Tips & Techniques"

electrical box

is ;:; forum for readers

to e)(changt> i"lorrna·

tion ~bout methods, tools, and jigs they've de',ised. We'll pay for ~ny we publish, Send details to Tips, Fine.

Iih5 tab

Homebuildmg, P. 0

for wire-

Bent

hanger

Box: 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5~, or email them to us at FH@Tauntoncom

Foam gasket

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FINE HOMERUII.DING

Working with airtight drywall hoxes Running wires intu airtight electrical boxes can be a pain. When the wires are stripped frUID their casing, one of them in(;vitably catehes:J. rih on rhe bnck side of the wlre-retenrion tab or bends off in a different direction than the re~t of the wires because of the pres~ure rC:<..Juired to lift the tab. I've even seen the foam gasket surrounding the box torn by an errant wire. My EIther, Tom, improvised a little tool that m,lkes it e~lsier tu nm the wires. A~ shown 1Jl the drawing at left, my father bent a length of coat hanger into a hook shape thaI lifts the tab from the bnck of the box and locks It in pl;1ce, allowing tht" wires to be inserted without damaging the seal. Even better, the hook allows the wires to l:x: pulled back out. In cold weather, you '\-voo'r hreak :l_, many rahs. -IAN McMURRAY Gloucester, Onto

tips&techniques ,,

CONTINUED

Gelting a grip on a grommetless talll

2.

Hold stock against fflnce

3.

-

to saw table_

and pU5h backward

Cordless-driH service slation

Te)(ture after ~

Malching rough-sawll baln boards V,'hilc hui lding a pair of faux barn doors for a building facade, I ran into a predicament with tht (euar material the customer wanted. Tht work required variOUS widths of2x (cJar; the customer wanted them to have a

rough-sawn surf;lce. The probkm was that 2x6s weren't available with a rough-s.nvn surface to match the 2x8s and 2xl1s. The boards I was matching were rcsawn on a bandS.1W at the mill. I had a handsaw. 50 that wasn't a problem. But I didn't want to reduce the stock thickness by slinng off another layer. Instead, [ dalllr>ed a tall rcsaw fence to the bandsaw's table, sb:wing it away from the blade cmlme about 150 , as shown m the drawmg <1hove. To get tbl: desired texture, I simply pushed the stock backward past the mnoing blade while guiding it along the fenc(: to gd <1 conslstt"nt appear;llJ<;C. _MATTHEW C. JACKSON Rapid City,

S.D.

Speed Square holster Speed Square}

If you use a Speed Square and ar(: frustrated by the excessive amount of room it takes up in a tool pouch, ~,.--" thls idea might be perfea for you. As shown in the dr<1wmg <1t left, I've taken to keeping my Speed Square in a leather hobter made lur a Cordlesscordless drill. The leather takes on the sh<1pe of drill the square after just a couple of days. Stored in holster I • its own pouch, the square docsn't wear a hole m the bottom of my tool ha.l( or puke me in the stomllch when I kneel down.

..

•

-MARK WILSON Bolton.Ont FIN!' H()MI'8UILDI~C;

-R.W. JOHNSON Costa Mesa. Calif.

p
Texture before

28

When I'm trying to tie down a plastic tllrp or some plastic sheeting over anything, the grommets often arc m th(: wrong place. And m the case of plastic ~heeting, there are no grommets. Here's another W.lY to get a grip on II tarp. G<1ther up the plastic where you want to affix a bungee cord, hold a golHJ
For all the b:l.ttery-operated power tools I usc, r sometimes f(lrget to bring my chargers. You need to run out of juice only once to know you have to rememl)(:r the chargers. So I solved that problem hy huilding;l portahle charging ~tationltool tote. I started with a plastic tote OOX with a Ii, I, :waildble for less than Sl() ata big-box store. I measured the bottum and cut a piece of scrap .):I-in. plywood slightly .~m.JlI e r than thl' bottom of the hox. I then chose three of my Cordless drills Finger holes at opposite

Plastic tote box

~~

(OmIlIS

Posts at each

(orner - --\.-i" s"ppor! tool shlC'lf.

I~

M"Itioutlct power strip

mmt commonly u~ed chargers and fit them on the hoard, mounting them through theIr mounting hoks, or using ties as needed. I also mounted a mlllriollrlcr mip to the board and drilled a hole through the OOX for the corel. Then, based on LlK" height of my tallest battery, I cut s to aecomnHxlate a second storage level for my drills. r glued .md screwed the suppom to rhe bottom scrap uf plywow\. Then J measured and cut a piece ofYHn. plywood f()r the second level, drilled some finger holes, rounded over the edges, and sanded. I HOW carry the whole box with me to the lob ~ite, and I know if! have my hox ofh.Jtt~ ry-ope.r<1ted drills 111 til.., field, I've always got my chargers, too. The entire station is kept in a handy place in my shop lin daily use. -TOM O'BRIEN New Milford, Conn.

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FeeHnch.f"n.ction

Construction-Matn Cak:ulrrtor Use In the fi eld ()( oific e to get f a~t,

READE R SERVK E NO. 209

'_,1100,,,.·,,,,

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accurate sol:ltions 10 construcl il;l(lmath orobl ems, Helps you complete plans. bid s and ~ st; m
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OECEMliER 2006!) Al'
29

tips&techniques CONTINUED

Rcmo\ing a sawblade knockout

Caulk-tube rt'suscitation

$eve ral yean 3j!O, after watching mor(' tha n o ne 7"" -ln.

I nevn wa nl to th mw a wa y ,I lube of caul k until it empty. Some t l me~. howevu , I c.ln go for da y\ ()r weeks wit hout using caul k. L.ut:x e;l\Il k is 110 problem: lust ru n the w ire on the c.tul k guo dowo the spOut of the wbe, ~4 uceZK out the d ried caul!... and you :Ir!:' in busin($. Sil icone ca ulk, huwo:ver, presents a d ifferen t prohlt:m . No rn;,lltt: r how tigh tl y I try (0 seal the end, r :l lways ~et a filirly b rge sol id ified plug-Ill the ~ P()ut. Running the cau lk-gUll wire down the spOUt docs noc do Ih c jnn occauf>C the wire ju~t pushes the pl\lg u p thl' spout; tho:n it pl ll~ S up again when I try to Uf>C the gUll . Ont' way 10 gt t the: plug out is [ 0 cut off the tJ.{kred eod of the spout, but then you w md up w ith a large spout ope ning-, which i$ u ~ l c: i;!o when trying to fi ll a ~mall opening. A ~ impl e trick i, I.) run your util it), knife lengthwi-;c d nw n t he spout tip ,ll·•.lut '4 in. ThIS will produce [wo sH t~ thJ.I allow [he Sp OUl TO ope n enough to J",rce ou t the plug. Afte r the' plug IS eiec.teJ. the ~puut will re turn to i ~ o riginal size. a nd you arc rcad y 10 go. W rap thc: lip wi th a lillie dlXlnr,,1ta pe••1m..! you can ~e'Tl reduce it~ d iameter. _ I FE H l l D ENBRAND T Hilton Head Island, S.c.

cm:ul;u sa w blade mangled and bent hy dJlpremict:s u\ ing frammg h3mmcrs to heal th~ knockout from the center, I came up w ith t he nletholl illmtraK-d he re. I no ticcel thai the:'

anwes on a hc x-h~d nut (ur holt Hex·head

head) were the sa me (U'jQ) as those on two \idt:$ of the

knockl)Ut. The key to thi s nick is fi ndmg a nm or holt that is between Yl in. and Ji m. in size.

Place the nut on the km1Ckout so that thei r si
allel, as ~how n in the drawing. Center the blade ovcr a shore length of pipe, and give the nut a W h ;LCk with a hammer. T he nu t ddive rs the fo ret of the blow (';uCIlv whe re yot! w.m t it. - GLENN HO LLOWELL

Cordova, Alasl(a

i~

Helical drywall backing Our company builds three or four circular stairs a week,
Lilm inated

finished with a drywall soffit on their underbellies. This is especially nica with a circular stair because it shows off the sweeping curve of the stair. Problem is th
plane is twisted, or mor£> properly, it's a helical surface. Builders often overlook this fact until the last minute, when the drywall crew shows up wondering how to affix the soffit to the stair. So how do you provide backing for

D.ywall soHit

)

a surface that's constantly twisting? The best solution I've s_n yet is to use steel studs under every other ri:>er. As shown in the drawing (right), a stud is djppeod near iho .nd and then folded to form a flange. This Range then is screwed to the inside of the stringer. A corresponding flange at the other end of the stud is screwed to its stringer. The steel stud sort of rolls over between the stringers, making an almort perfectly ' C" n" d l""1olding

twisted backing block The floppiness of a metal stud becomes its v
30

F I N E HO M H lU ll,l)JN ( ;

Palmyra,

Nj.

stringer

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FINE HOM E BUILDING

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tools&materials NEW AND NOTEWORTHY PRODUCTS

ROOF SHEATHING: SILVER SIDE DOWN

.'-'--

-.

•

RADIANT· BARRIER SHEATHING

• Manufactured by several companies, induding Louisiilna-Pacifjc, Georgia.Pacific, and Ainsworth

• wwwJpcorp.com; www.gp.com; www.ainsworth.ca

J I

_ Cost: About $5 more per 4x8 sheet (:ompared with conventional sheathing

To undcr~tand how a hOI attic heats your hou~, you need to tllrgct _'iOmcthing you've said your whole life: Heat rise~. \Vrong. Heat docsn't know up from down. HOI air rises ~\:'lUse it's less dense than cold .Iir, but otherwise, helt moves from hot places to cool places.

When the sun shines on a roof, the plywood or OSB (oriented strand board) sheath in.': 34

W:UIH."

up and r;,di:m's heat.

FJl\Ji IJUMFIlUILD1N(;

radiant-IJ;lrrier ~heathing installs like any other roof ~heathing. You just have lO keep the shiny side face down. You might wonder why the shiny side faclIlg down wouldn't just rdleet heat h..1ck into the attic. The short answer is that it doe~, whICh IS a benefit in the winter, but radiant-barrier sheathing is actually not designed to keep ;Ittin cool hy reflecting heat. It keeps them coni by lIot emitting heat ill the (irst place. All materials either n~fll-ct or ahsorb radiant heat, and those that absorb it wdl abo radiate it wdl (think of a woodstO\,cj. Hut mat~~ri;ll~ that rdlcrt heat (like the aluminum coaTing 00 radiant-barrier shc.1thing) don't radiate, or emit, it a~ well. These latter materials arc called low-emissivity, or low-e, mate:ri;lh. Yuu've probably hC
which in turn warms anything solid,like raf(ef~, ioi~ts, air handlers, and ducts. The warmer these things gd, the Warml"r the ceilings ~('t, and the harder the air conditioner hn~ tu work to cool the hOllS<.:. To comb~H this problem, many builders in hot climate., haw;, made radiant-barrier r<Xlf ~heathing standard on thltir house~. Basically plyw()(xl or OSB she:lthing with a thin :lluminum facing on one side,

I.

Andy Engel is a carpenter and writer in RoxblJfY, Conn.

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tools&materials

_;,.;;.;;,.;.;,.;,,;;,;,.;,;;;..;;..;,.;....;;.;;;.;;.__ CON TIN U E D

DESIGN SOFTWARE, ON THE HOUSE GOOGL.E SKETCHUP _ Available from Google • http://skl'tchup. 9 oogle .com • Cost: Free

When r was in architccrurc school, I spent [ot.s of ti me using a hot wire to wt foam models of my work to help potential dients to visualize a project. Thl' trouble. though. is that moods don't lend themselves to qUick TI:~'isiuns as new ideas and changes take place. tn a few minutes with (;(X)gle's SketchUp. you can accomplish a similar goal, a nd even octter, you call achieve it in a formal that you can send via emaiL SkcrchUpdocs nOl.ntempt to present it.~[f asa full CAD (Cotllpl1teraided design) program, but I've never found a CAD progmm with

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