[Umby]

Finally got back to it!
Put another 8 hours in on Tues., beautiful day. The shingles are done (3 weeks ago), two layers, and not surprisingly, not matching...
Yesterday, I tacked back up the highest/top course of existing AL-siding. I then level-measured back across from the bottom of the sub-facia to the surface of the siding at both ends and snapped a chalk line. I cut up and tacked up a 2x4 nailer whose bottom was flush with this line. But here was the big problem of the day: Not only could I not get the 3.25" framing nails to go into anything after passing through the 2x4, but in the end, I never used the nailer for anything! It was a waste $5 (2 eight footers @2.50 each). Actually about three of the 15 or so nails hit something and stuck, but none of it mattered in the end. The idea for the nailer was to have something solid for the J-channels to be nailed to (they were to be tacked up horizontally to receive the soffit panels). But stem of the 5/8" J-channels were too long, and I had to nail them directly to the siding through the bottom of the 'J'. And of course these nails didn't bite into any wood either. However, because they were ringshank, they grabbed the channel and siding very well and won't be really loaded in the end. I then tacked up an opposing J-channel to the base of the sub-facia and cut and snapped into place 16, 1'x21" fully vented soffit panels (with a 2"x21" at the end). I know I didn't need the J-channel under the facia, I could have used the final facia trim piece to do this, but I didn't have time, nor do I have any idea on how to finish off the outer trim to this project. So before the hibernating wildlife found my wide open rafters and soffits, I thought I'd just close them off for now and trim over the unnecessary J-channels later. I'll send pics and draw up what my newest issues are.