Getting close to do or die on the helix...

Well, I now have everything I need, less the Masonite backbone, to start building the helix.  I got some of the carpentry students at school to cut out the helix pieces according to my diagrams on the two, 4x8 sheets of 1/2" plywood I had gotten.  They spent the last week and a half studying the diagram, laying out a template, and finally cutting and sanding all the pieces for both radii plus some straight sections too.  They delivered the helix parts to my shop and I rewarded them with brownies. :)  The boys did a nice job and it was a good carpentry lesson for them.


All I need to do now is go to Home Depot and acquire a 4x8 sheet of 1/4" Masonite.  I'll have them rip that down the middle length wise, and this should be enough to make the backbone of the helix. Then it's time to call a work session and hopefully get a few of the guys over to help me with this.  I think this will definitely be a two to three person job to get the helix figured out and up.

Earlier in the week I got the first half of the helix parts delivered.  This was the larger radius curve, the straight sections for where the helix transitions from outer to inner loop, and some of the supports for the backbone.



Thursday I received the smaller radius curves which means I have all the parts except for the Masonite spline.  Here are all of the pieces stacked against the helix frame.




I laid out a test section of one radius just to see how well the carpentry students did.  They did a great job!


No excuses now.  We'll find out soon enough if we can get this backbone style helix figured out and up.  Stay tuned.