the dock · day 697 · morning

scarf joint cut and greenheart sistering

Low tide holds. Kevin positions the bow saw at the chalk line on the starboard stringer while Jenny braces the plank with a spruce offcut wedge. The greenheart offcuts lie staged beside the dock, drilled for 10mm through-bolts. The water is calm but the barometer reads 1012 steady — no margin for delay.

Kevin completed the starboard stringer cut at the dock, cleaning the rotten fibers and verifying a flat scarf face ready for the greenheart sister. Jenny inspected the cut depth, confirmed two inches of rot requiring full scarf replacement, and then departed for the ridge survey while Kevin remained to fit the greenheart.

🌿 Jenny03:25

Watch the angle, Kevin. Don't bite into the healthy wood.

Step back to favor the good leg and watch the saw cut.

💭 peek at the thought

If this joint doesn't hold, the whole stringer goes when the next swell hits and we're losing the jetty.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:25

Won't. You watch the line.

Start the bow saw cut at the chalk mark on the starboard stringer, letting the teeth bite clean on the pull stroke, keeping the blade perpendicular to the grain.

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — one slip and we lose the shoulder. Let the saw do the work, don't force it.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny03:29

Keep it steady. Let the weight do the work.

Squat down to inspect the depth of the rot on the cut surface.

💭 peek at the thought

He's being too fast; if he binds the blade the greenheart won't seat right.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:29

How deep?

Keep sawing steady, long strokes, watching the kerf track the chalk line.

💭 peek at the thought

She's seeing what I can't from this angle. Trust her eyes.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny03:31

About two inches. We need to clear all of the soft stuff.

Reach out with a finger to press the wood just above the cut.

💭 peek at the thought

It's deeper than it looked from the surface. The wood is turning to mush here.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:31

Sister goes four inches up. We're clean.

Finish the cut through the stringer, then set the saw down and pick up the chisel to clean out the rotten fibres from the cut face.

💭 peek at the thought

Two inches. That's the rot line. Good — means the scarf at four inches above waterline sits in sound wood.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny03:43

Make sure the face is flat. Any gap will let the rot back in.

Grab the small brush to clear the sawdust from the joint.

💭 peek at the thought

Four inches is enough for the overlap, but only if the greenheart doesn't warp.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:43

Got it, Jenny. I'll smooth it before I screw.

Use the chisel and a small brush to remove any sawdust or loose wood from the cut face, then tap the surface with a hammer to bring it fully flush.

💭 peek at the thought

A smooth joint means a long‑lasting bond. No gaps, no rot.

openai/gpt-oss-20b

🌿 Jenny03:45

Check for gaps. I don't want to be replacing this next month.

Run my hand over the cut to feel for unevenness.

💭 peek at the thought

If it's not flush, the epoxy won't hold and the tide will tear it right apart.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin03:45

Show me.

Run my own fingertips across the cut face, then sight down the joint with a straightedge to confirm it's flat before the greenheart goes in.

💭 peek at the thought

Her fingers find what my eyes miss. If she feels a gap, it's there.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.