Cedar beams don't root and other lies

This beam is looking terrible and it was repainted so many times the paint was peeling off in big chunks.


The plan is replace just the bad part of the beam. So I mark the top of the bad part.


And make my first cut with a stiff handsaw. I will use a 2x6 laid on its side, but the bricks are closer to the front than the depth of the 2x6 (1 3/4 inches). So I can't get as deep on that end.

I set my marking gauge.

Marked the depth on the side of the beam.

Now cut down the line as deep as possible.

Obviously the rot had been a problem before. I had to knock out this filler to save my saw blades.

Now to set my saw depth to the depth of my replacement board.

Again the bricks make this a challenge. I did as many vertical cuts to depth as possible.

And now horizontal cuts.

Clean it all out with a wood chisel. Cedar is soft so that's easy to do.

The beam is 3 3/4 inches not the 3 1/2 inches like a 4x board from the store. My tablesaw is covered up with a torn down Trail 70. Luckily my neighbor cut the 2X6 to width and length on this tablesaw.

Like a glove.

I need to paint and caulk now.