On 12/19/2019 9:02 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
I recently took a walk through a conservation area in upstate NY. The following
boardwalk zigged and zagged through the area, creating a loop about 1/2 mile.
The curves were of various radii, some fairly sharp, some more sweeping.

https://i.imgur.com/hKswjPY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AlxlcRA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/SqEXbcL.jpg

At every curve, and I mean every one, the boards were tapered to fit, sometimes
just a few, sometimes a dozen or more. If you zoom in on this image, you'll
see about 8 tapered boards in the center, and then a few more to left near the
posts that support the railings. The entire boardwalk is built like this.

https://i.imgur.com/CkWhb97.jpg

In addition, at each double post, the floorboards are notched to fit tightly
around the uprights. This notches are cut at all different angles, whatever
it took to get them tight around the posts.

https://i.imgur.com/dSW6AMH.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/B6l7Mir.jpg

I can't imagine that these cuts were made one by one, in the field, by a
person with a tape measure, a straight edge, and a circular saw.

Perhaps there is a computer program, which lays out each cut, numbers
each board, etc. so that the boardwalk is put together in the field
based on a printed plan? Thousands of boards, all individually cut by
a CNC machine? Gotta be done like that, right?

Even so, getting them this tight out in the field, the wet marshland in
fact, even if created and cut by a computer, is pretty damn amazing.


Maybe a portable table saw. Looks very well done. I guess you can walk
back to the shop and do a few at a time but that would take forever.

I'd like to take the walk though. Nice area.