On the side of the MicroEichler, there was an under-used space that needed a purpose. I had been wanting to put either an outdoor shower or a potting area (we need to latter more than the former) and both could have benefited from a flat, even surface. It gave me the perfect opportunity to further test the new CaliBamboo BamDeck and perfect the install technique with the Camo Marksman driver. Ironically, the key to success was with a competitor's product.
[Facia still needs to be installed, but the structure and deck-top are complete...]
In working with the WPC BamDeck material, the "crumbly" nature revealed itself when we lt screws "blow out" the backside and pre-drilling became obviously essential. However, that pre-drill needed 2 stepped-sizes — one for the head of the screw and one of the body... this would require two passes with two bits or a single stepped bit. I was about to start fabricating a stepped drill bit when I ran across the pre-drill bit used by the Kreg deck system — a direct competitor to Camo. The Kreg kit is inferior to Camo in a few ways, but it has a stepped bit ... and with a few tweaks to the Camo jig — namely grinding out the ferrules just a bit to accommodate the bit — I had a stepped but with a collar ready for use. It was the ideal solution.
When preparing the Camo jig for use with the Kreg bit, you need to make 2 modifications: (1) you'll need to loosen the "throat" of the driver guide just a bit to accommodate the bit... do this with a dremmel-typet tool and a small grinding stone just until you can pass the bit through. And, (2) you'll need to trim back the plastic shoulder on the front of the driver to accommodate the collar of the bit... do this with a dremmel, too. But in 10 minutes, you'll have a Camo jig that works with the Kreg bit. With a bit of adjustment of the collar, you can get the perfect one-step pre-drill: not too deep, but with enough shoulder to keep the side from pushing out because of the head of the Camo screw. Given the "brittle" nature of the BamDeck, this is essential.
[The new frame for the deck... it's small at 2x8 feet, but a perfect size for 8ft BamDeck planks]
[The prefect pre-drill into the BamDeck using the Kreg bit and the Camo driver]
[The kit: the drill with the Kreg bit, the modified Camo jig, the DIY hole spacer jig for any top-screws needed, the impact driver, and a box of Camo screws... ready to go!]
One other technique that worked well was the removal of the end piece (the back part of the Camo jig) for tight quarters use. It's not nearly as steady as the entire jig, but in areas like this where the full jig wont fit, this is a viable solution. In this install, I only had to use top-screws for the row closest to the wall.
Otherwise, I'm beginning to find all sorts of new uses for the BamDeck around the yard and house... so far, I've used it as a post stand-off for Mendi's door, lateral support brackets for the trellis (replacing cumaru which has split) and as a top plate for a low retaining wall adjacent to the MicroEichler-MicroDeck. The uniformity of the material is quite nice. It does dull carbide blades fairly quickly and you have to pre-drill or risk blow-out, but it should hold up well in exterior conditions, which is the goal.
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