Another "Why Wood" - moment

  A couple of seasons ago I helped a friend make two large planters that sit on either side of his garage doors and feature bougainvillea in the summer months.  It was not a big project and didn't cost much money to do but the result are solid, unique and attractive planters. Built according to his wife's careful, and correctly drawn design.  Certainly there were cheaper planters available from store that sell extruded plastic stuff, but wood is better. 

  About eight days ago we in the Great Lakes Region experienced prolonged heavy winds, 35 - 40 mph with gusts to 60 - 70 mph. (100 kph).  The havoc wreaked was significant and one of the victims of the winds was a wooden planter. The planter was blown about and broken as you can see in the picture below.

    Had this been a plastic or an injection moulded fibre resin thing it may well have been battered to pieces, then embarrassingly blown all over the neighbourhood.  Since it was stout, and wood one corner's collapse was the only real damage.  AND, the damage can be repaired with a bit of 2 by 2 and four self taping wood screws.

  

   I don't really know how I would get along without self taping screws.  It seems I am just too lazy to pre drill holes all the time as I know I should.  I don't suppose that self taping screws are as useful a convenience as instant coffee but... they are pretty close.

  The holiday's are coming quickly, I am working on a couple of projects that will be gifts, you can hear about them next year.

 cheers,
ianw