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Our laser cut parts are specifically cut to very fine tolerances to ensure a snug fit and
therefore it is wise to check all fits before gluing parts together. You may need to trim
a lug here and there to make assembly easier.
PAINTING YOUR PRODUCT
We would strongly advise you to finish the product with paint or wood stain to make
them as appealing as possible. The parts should be primed (2 coats) and painted
before final assembly. Spray paint can also be used to get a very smooth finish. Oil
or water-based paint can be used and specialised paints like chalk paint can be used
to give unique finishes.
Generally, it is highly advisable to paint/spray before gluing. You may not be able to
get to the inside of the structure after it is glued together. Covering all the parts that
must not be painted or sprayed with the same colour can be a tedious process. Pre-
painting will avoid this process.
Please ensure that no paint clog a sleeve where a lug must fit in later. The
tolerances are often so tight that too thick a layer of paint may cause problems. It is
our experiences that a small foam roller instead of a brush, will produce a better
finish and far less clogging of sleeves.
Applying a base or undercoat normally makes life easier afterwards. Two coats of
primer are advisable because the MDF absorbs a lot of paint. Using a single colour
for the undercoat of all parts works quite well from personal experience. You can
choose the paint of your preference, whether it is oil or water based. Cleaning
brushes and rollers are just so much easier if you use a water base paint. A chalk
paste can give a unique finish to walls and give a weathered look if so desired. If you
prefer to protect the paint work of your structure you can always apply a clear spray
coat.
LET’S GET STARTED WITH THE ASSEMBLY
Place the one bridge side (A1) on your worksurface. Select the landing (B) and glue
the three nubs on one side of the landing into the corresponding slots in the bridge
side (A1). Proceed to glue the nubs on one end of the threads (H 1-16) and the
special threads (J 1-4) into the slots in the side of the bridge. NOTE: The top and
bottom threads on each side should have a hole (J 1-4) to accommodate the feet of
the handrails. Proceed to glue the nubs on one end of the top brace (C) into the slots
in the side of the bridge.
Next, you can consider to fit all the nubs on the other ends of the landing, brace and
treads loosely into the corresponding slots of the second side (A2) without applying
any glue. It should now be easy to remove one after the other nub, glue it and
replace it and then move on to the next one. It is advised to start from one end and
work your way to the other end by matching nubs and slots one by one, almost like
closing a zipper tooth by tooth. Once all the nubs are snugly into their matching slots,