Backfill: Rigs & Jigs

Trussed scaffolding plank. I make my own scaffolding planks using two 16-foot 2x4s with 9-inch blocks laid out on 32-inch centers. Then I cover this framework with 1/2-inch CDX or 7/16-inch OSB. Last, I attach one end of a 17-foot length of steel lumber banding to one end of the plank with screws, stretch this framework tightly underneath, and fasten it at the other end. By inserting a 2×4 on edge beneath the banding at the center of the walkboard, I create a kind of truss. I’ve never had one of these planks break. —Thomas E. Knebel, Denton, Texas Afew months ago, we invited those of you who