What kind of climate are you in?

I am in Philly and it is too wet here to go wood only without major sealing.

If you are going for height, consider a ball or wheel in the post below the
stringers.






"Steve Turner" wrote in message
...
Jay R wrote:
I used a router to run a groove the length of the top of the cross
stringers wide enough to take a cut down 2 x 4.

I set the 2 x 4 in it and then cut dado's in the cross pieces.

I still put scres in but went in through the 2 x 4 and into the dado.

Yes, I would like to cut interlocking notches (dadoes) in the joists and
rafters (and stringers, or whatever you call them in this context), and
that would certainly make the whole thing much stronger, but I'm trying to
eek as much height out of the structure as I can and I'm limited by the
height of my vertical posts. I'm thinking dowels would make the structure
stronger than if everything were toe-nailed. I also think it would also
be spiffy to build the whole thing without using any metal.

--
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