I am impressed John.  Not just the drawing, but the teaching, the writing, the
negotiation, you sir, are a craftsman!

-jc

John Leeke wrote:

> Recently I had a student intern to help me do some porch repairs. As we got
> started it quickly became apparent that we would have to rebuild the whole
> deck structure. Ordinarily I might have just proceeded with the work, but
> since the intern was right there keeping track of everything I thought I'd
> better stick to the letter of the law and
> apply for a permit. So, we went down to city hall to fill out the forms at
> the codes enforcement office. We were just over the limit which required
> drawings. Well I did not want any further delays, so I just stood right
> there at the counter and drew out a set of plans and details free hand,
> which
> took about half an hour. I surprise myself at how well they came out. The
> clerk was please and smiling
> as she called over the other clerks to see the drawings. The chief
> enforcement officer busseled through on his way somewhere else and wondered
> what all the commotion was about. When he saw the drawings and heard that I
> had just whipped them up right there at the counter he did not believe it.
> He studied the drawings with a grimace, and said he would need a detail
> showing the nailing pattern for the joint where there joists meet the
> girder. I said I was not planning  to use nails, instead I would mortise the
> joists into the girder. I could see the red coming up his neck and into his
> face as he quoted the applicable code references one after another. I
> sketched up the
> required detail (3-dimentional) right in front of him, indicating  load
> flows through the joint.  He took a brief glance and began to smile. He
> looked around, held the sketch up for everyone to see, and said, "Approved!,
> Furthermore, I put you on Self Inspection," just let us know when you are
> complete, which ought to give me enough time to deal with this..." waving a
> thick file in his hand he wheeled around and stomped out, clearly headed for
> trouble on someone else's
> project.
>
> This was one of my finer days at the codes enforcement office.
>
> John
> by hammer and hand great works do stand
> by pencil and thought best plans are wrought