Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT Nick's Two-Car Detached Vdub Garage

[nicholam77]

The explanation I learned many years ago is that the inside of a gas tank can condensate with the presence of air. So, if the fuel tank is filled to the brim to remove as much air as possible, this reduces the amount of condensation that can happen. This happens more with ethanol fuel.

Thanks, that makes sense.

 

[nicholam77]

Last night I tested out some new shop vac parts I ordered on Amazon. For a long time I've been using a Rockler Dust Right Flexi-port small tool hose kit with a flexible rubber end:

It fits most tools I have but the large end is the same size as my shop vac hose, so I would always duct tape them together. Using just the shop vac hose for 2 1/2" outlets like the table saw and router table fence as well as general clean up, and then duct taping the Dust Right hose on for track saw, sander, biscuit joiner, and miter saw. This became annoying to keep taking apart and re-taping it. I even bought a 2 1/2" coupler for $10 on Amazon and it didn't fit, so after that frustration I decided to figure out a new solution.

I ended up ordering:

Bosch VAC005 16.4 ft 35mm vacuum hose

Bosch VAC003 35mm-to-1 1/4" adapter

Bosch VAC004 2 1/2"-to-35mm adapter

The hose itself seems high-quality and similar in design to the Festool hoses but w/o the anti-static properties.

The 35mm end fits my DeWalt RO sander and plate joiner natively. The 1 1/4" adapter fits my Ryobi jigsaw, so I can FINALLY have some dust collection on the inverted jigsaw table. The 2 1/2" adapter fits the table saw and my router table fence. And the 2 1/4" end of the hose fits both my Craftsman shop vac as well as my Dust Right cyclone separator. The only thing I haven't tried is the miter saw, but hopefully that will work, too.

Very pleased to have finally found a hose and adapters that fit all my tools well.

 

[nicholam77]

My wife was working this weekend so I had a lot of daddy-daughter time, and more yard work during her naps. On Saturday my mom watched her for a few hours though, and despite having a ton of winter house prep stuff to do and against my better judgement I popped out to the garage for some quick woodworking.

Sometimes with limited time I want to do something, but not sure what I can accomplish and feel good about. I had this idea to make some push sticks for my table saw. I printed off some templates for John Heisz and Matthias Wandel style push sticks and used the inverted jigsaw. This is what I ended up with (the Heisz-style one):

I had to cut this one out twice, and I have to say my inverted jigsaw setup is pretty mediocre. Same as using a jigsaw right side up, the blade bends. Also struggle with burning, and vibrations in the table. I would really like to buy or build a bandsaw.

I stopped here, and will do the Wandel-style at a later date. I figured these plywood options could supplement the Gripppppppppppper, which does work well but not in all situations.

Then I started a new project, another picture frame. I bought an original pastel on Etsy a long time ago and it's been sitting in my basement waiting to be framed. I even bought the wood for it about 6 months ago.

Basswood for the frame and will have cherry splines. I read basswood is often used for picture frames because it is light weight, but not too soft, light color, and has a very mild grain pattern. It had been ripped on one side but not a perfect edge so I attempted jointing it on the router table.

Might have been my setup or technique but results were.... okay. Good enough to run through the table saw, though.

I ripped it into the correct size pieces. Even with the shop vac hooked to the dust outlet this saw produces a ton of sawdust on top and out the sides. Especially with this basswood. I wish I could contain in better.

Set blade height to cut the rabbet:

Despite using my thin-kerf ripping blade I got a lot of burning on the basswood:

Cut miters on the crosscut sled and then inside I glued it up:

I do two sides at a time, let them dry, and then put those pieces together.

After doing my first frame for the hallway, I am a firm believer that no special clamps are necessary to do a picture frame. Just blue tape. As long as the frame piece lengths are consistent and the miters accurate 45º, it comes together real nice.

More on this when I can get to it...

 

[bj383ss]

Nick all I can say is a bandsaw will change your woodworking life. A Grizzly 14" is the best bang for the buck in my opinion.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-14-1-HP-Deluxe-Bandsaw/G0555LX

Bret

 

[bepjrfan]

Nick all I can say is a bandsaw will change your woodworking life. A Grizzly 14" is the best bang for the buck in my opinion.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-14-1-HP-Deluxe-Bandsaw/G0555LX

Bret

I have to agree with this statement. Building up a woodshop as well, did not realize how many situations the bandsaw is the perfect tool for the job. Use it significantly more than I was expecting to. Definitely an invaluable tool and more than worth the price.

 

[nicholam77]

Nick all I can say is a bandsaw will change your woodworking life. A Grizzly 14" is the best bang for the buck in my opinion.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-14-1-HP-Deluxe-Bandsaw/G0555LX

Bret

I have to agree with this statement. Building up a woodshop as well, did not realize how many situations the bandsaw is the perfect tool for the job. Use it significantly more than I was expecting to. Definitely an invaluable tool and more than worth the price.

That Grizzly looks nice, and I don't doubt it's worth the money. A bit out of reach at the moment I'm afraid but I'll put it on the wishlist.

Do you think it's unwise to invest in a smaller benchtop bandsaw? I see Grizzly also has a well-reviewed 9" model. Like you said I am surprised at how often I want to use my inverted jigsaw setup for stuff. But realistically I don't have that much time to make stuff at the moment with work and kid life, so $700 for the 14" is a little steep. But I also wouldn't want to get something that's too underpowered or not sufficient and have to replace later. I'm also running out of space to put floor standing tools.

Things I'd still like to add include a small drill press, disc and spindle sanders, hopefully lunchbox planer and some sort of jointer, probably other stuff.

It's also crossed my mind to make a homemade bandsaw like this:

To hopefully get more capacity, height, and power for less money. It seems to work pretty well to my eyes but I don't really know much about bandsaws. Would be a LOT of time and effort, maybe it is a foolish endeavor.

In any case, I think my main problem is I'm still learning, still figuring out what I want to be building and the tools needed, still trying to figure out how to maximize my small space.

 

[nicholam77]

I made some minimal progress on the picture frame last night cutting the splines:

My splining jig works okay but it's really tricky to cut the slots the same width as the spline material. The first corner I did I centered the blade on the frame which was an accident because my blade is thinner than the 1/8" strip of cherry I'm using for the splines, so two passes are needed. I overcorrected and cut the first one too wide for a loose fit.

To fix I glued two of the cherry strips together for thicker material, then sanded down with the orbital sander.

It worked but kind of a PITA for a silly mistake. I also don't have a flat-toothed blade so the slots end up with a little tooth kerf in one corner. I'm going to try and fill with sawdust and glue.

Ideally I think I would take one blade pass or cut the slots thinner than the spline material, and then either sand them down to fit, or if I had a (bandsaw! ) rip them to dimension from thicker stock. My current way of doing it is a bit tricky moving the table saw fence and trying to get it right the first time.

 

[isonic]

I don't remember you hanging a heater out in your shop. Did you? If not then kudos to you, it has been like 20 degrees over night lately, that would make for some brisk work conditions.

 

[nicholam77]

I don't remember you hanging a heater out in your shop. Did you? If not then kudos to you, it has been like 20 degrees over night lately, that would make for some brisk work conditions.

Nope! No source of heat out there. Last night was not too bad with jacket and hat. At least you're out of the wind. But being detached it gets damn cold mid-winter. Biggest problem is keeping the hands warm. I definitely do much less compared to the rest of the year out there, but it doesn't always stop me. I've done work on my car when it's negatives out. I remember times my crosscut sled runners wouldn't slide smoothly it was so cold. Built my old miter bench in January / February.

I'd kill for an attached garage with climate control, or an indoor basement shop, but that's not what I have right now and I can't let half the year go to waste!

I think a gas heater or getting 220v service plus an electric heater is cost prohibitive at the moment, but I've been meaning to look into infrared heaters in case that's an option.

I'd like to tackle a bigger project this winter, something I can take my time on in the evenings. Not sure what it will be yet but I'm hoping I can bring my MFT cart inside and use the track saw and hand tools in my basement for part of the winter.

I still need to get my snow tires on, do an oil change for my wife's car, maybe both this weekend. Monday is supposed to be high of 19º F low of 8º. Time is running out...

Remind me why we live here again???

 

[isonic]

I still need to get my snow tires on, do an oil change for my wife's car, maybe both this weekend. Monday is supposed to be high of 19º F low of 8º. Time is running out...

Remind me why we live here again???

I hear ya, I have a detached un-heated garage as well. Like you said, it is dry and out of the wind

 

[bj383ss]

That Grizzly looks nice, and I don't doubt it's worth the money. A bit out of reach at the moment I'm afraid but I'll put it on the wishlist.

Do you think it's unwise to invest in a smaller benchtop bandsaw? I see Grizzly also has a well-reviewed 9" model. Like you said I am surprised at how often I want to use my inverted jigsaw setup for stuff. But realistically I don't have that much time to make stuff at the moment with work and kid life, so $700 for the 14" is a little steep. But I also wouldn't want to get something that's too underpowered or not sufficient and have to replace later. I'm also running out of space to put floor standing tools.

Things I'd still like to add include a small drill press, disc and spindle sanders, hopefully lunchbox planer and some sort of jointer, probably other stuff.

It's also crossed my mind to make a homemade bandsaw like this:

To hopefully get more capacity, height, and power for less money. It seems to work pretty well to my eyes but I don't really know much about bandsaws. Would be a LOT of time and effort, maybe it is a foolish endeavor.

In any case, I think my main problem is I'm still learning, still figuring out what I want to be building and the tools needed, still trying to figure out how to maximize my small space.

Nick totally understand. I was there in your shoes. It's tough to make those big purchases when the little ones are young. I made a deal with my wife during those times to buy one big tool upgrade a year I would save up for and I usually got it around income tax check return.

I do not recommend the small bandsaw you will be disappointed. However if you could find a used 14" one maybe on craigslist or Facebook Marketplace that could be an alternative.

It's crazy how much the prices have gone up. I have that same bandsaw. I bought it in 2008 for $375. It was a stretch for me at the time but I have never regretted it. It truly is one of those tools you can't understand how you lived without it.

I don't know of an easier way to make splines without a planer. You will enjoy a flat tooth blade as well. It will make your dado and rabbit joints tighter.

Bret

 

[nicholam77]

It felt like Fall a few weeks ago:

But I think it's officially Winter now so I figured I better get my *** in gear and get my winter wheels on before we get real snow.

Also washed it. And cleaned up the BBS which were caked in brake dust.

Then clay bar. I'm no detailer but a tip I've always liked is not to forget about the glass.

Using the MFT to hold bottles. Love this table, it's so handy.

Gave the car another rinse and another dry. Then apply sealant and buff out by hand.

Final result is looking pretty good.

Added air to the winter tires and reset TPMS.

My arm and lower back were so sore that evening.

Sunday... my wife asks me to do the oil change on her car i've been procrastinating on for a few weeks. My entire body aching, I protested, but she said you just spent 5 hours on your car yesterday... fair enough. So with it being a balmy 25º F and windy, I did the oil change. Managed to get her car on ramps and close the OHD with inches to spare.

I don't even want to look at another car for a bit. Back to woodworking.

Sunday afternoon we got a dusting of snow. Great time to finish raking and bagging leaves! Afterwards I lit a fire inside. Nice to warm up after being outside all weekend.

Hope everyone had a wonderful and productive weekend!

 

[isonic]

Hope everyone had a wonderful and productive weekend!

Nice work taking advantage of the warm Saturday we had. That fire looks like a nice reward, especially today with temps only in the teens now. A fire certainly would be nice

 

[nicholam77]

I do not recommend the small bandsaw you will be disappointed. However if you could find a used 14" one maybe on craigslist or Facebook Marketplace that could be an alternative.

It's crazy how much the prices have gone up. I have that same bandsaw. I bought it in 2008 for $375. It was a stretch for me at the time but I have never regretted it. It truly is one of those tools you can't understand how you lived without it.

I don't know of an easier way to make splines without a planer. You will enjoy a flat tooth blade as well. It will make your dado and rabbit joints tighter.

Bret

Thanks for the advice, Bret

Nice work taking advantage of the warm Saturday we had. That fire looks like a nice reward, especially today with temps only in the teens now. A fire certainly would be nice

Thanks! The first year we lived here we didn't even touch the fireplace. Last year we looked at gas inserts, but the one I was interested in was going to be ~$7k installed. It would have been a serious help heating that front living room which gets very cold due to poor insulation, but I didn't want to make that kind of investment in the house at the moment, which "re-kindled" my interest in wood burning fires. I've even been thinking about rigging up some firewood storage off the back of our shed. Maybe next year...

 

[dubber]

Sad time of year, but nice work getting that done before the snow flies in your area. Every time i see those wheels..........dayum.....

 

[topcok88]

Really enjoy watching the progress you make in the shop and around the house. Although my shop is located in the basement and does not necessarily face the same winter woes I am most definitely afflicted by space constraints. I look forward to your future tool purchases and what kind of projects you crank out. Excellent work man!


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[nicholam77]

Sad time of year, but nice work getting that done before the snow flies in your area. Every time i see those wheels..........dayum.....

Thanks dude! Think of all the room you'll have to store wheels are your new place

Really enjoy watching the progress you make in the shop and around the house. Although my shop is located in the basement and does not necessarily face the same winter woes I am most definitely afflicted by space constraints. I look forward to your future tool purchases and what kind of projects you crank out. Excellent work man!


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Thank you! Small spaces are definitely tough, especially if you have a lot of hobbies. If it's any consolation, the winter factor is a big one. I actually wish I had an indoor basement space for the woodworking stuff like you. There's a lot of benefit just in having a dedicated, comfortable, climate-controlled space. On that note, it looked like your drainage project was a big one! I'll definitely be following along with your future projects as well.

 

[nicholam77]

Some picture frame progress:

I trimmed the splines with a flush cut saw.

The saw is very sharp and the basswood is somewhat soft so I had to be very careful not to hit the frame. It trims them pretty close:

There is something VERY satisfying about using that pull saw.

Then I sand flush with the random orbit sander:

I don't think this is the best way to do it, especially with this soft-ish wood, because it can be tricky to hold the sander co-planar with the frame, resulting in some rounded corners, or sometimes accidentally taking off too much material.

To trim the inside corners of the splines I used an oscillating multi-tool.

I find this works really well, and it allows you to set the splines at whatever depth looks good without worrying about blocking the glass and artwork.

I've always used water-based polyurethane as a finish on everything. I wanted to try something else this time. I was going to do Danish Oil, but my dad had some Teak Oil on hand so I tried that. It was easy to apply and popped the grain WAY more than polyurethane would have. I like the way it looks and lack of sheen.

**ignore the saw blade burn marks on the inside of the frame, I did not bother sanding them out, due to laziness, efficiency, or both**

Hope to finish this sucker up in the next week or two.

 

[topcok88]

Thanks Nick! After watching everyone around me using track saws to break stuff down I decided to go buy one this morning. I got the 55” guide rail with it and am probably going to bite the bullet at a later date and get a long one to breakdown sheet goods length wise. They talked about connecting two together but I dunno if I care for that idea. Hopefully once I get a little time off work I can crank out a few shop furniture projects. [emoji481]


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[dubber]

Thanks dude! Think of all the room you'll have to store wheels are your new place

Hahaha, indeed. Feels like I'm hording already having three sets per vehicle as I'm in the process of flipping a couple sets.

 

[Ronin22]

I like that new finish way better! The color turned out so warm, so... cozy?

 

[nicholam77]

Thanks Nick! After watching everyone around me using track saws to break stuff down I decided to go buy one this morning. I got the 55” guide rail with it and am probably going to bite the bullet at a later date and get a long one to breakdown sheet goods length wise. They talked about connecting two together but I dunno if I care for that idea. Hopefully once I get a little time off work I can crank out a few shop furniture projects. [emoji481]


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Ooh, nice! Even though I see you have a fancy pants SawStop I think you will love it. It's a really fun tool to use. Which one did you get?

I still need to make a proper table for mine with integrated rail for crosscutting, and a better setup for breaking down large sheets.

I can't remember the name but I believe there are some track connectors out there by a 3rd party that are much better than the ones from Makita or Festool. That self-align. One long track would be slick but downsides are storage and price.

Looking forward to your shop furniture projects, I'm always looking for ideas and inspiration.

I like that new finish way better! The color turned out so warm, so... cozy?

That's a nice description, I like that. And thanks. I've always worried about light woods yellowing, and keeping that "natural look", but I am loving the way it turned out too and I think it will suit the artwork well. I might have to try oil as a finish on some other stuff in the future, too.

 

[topcok88]

I bought the Festool Emerald Edition TS55 and 55” guide rail. I continue to be more and more concerned with dust collection. So I have been starting to gravitate toward Festool.


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[nicholam77]

I bought the Festool Emerald Edition TS55 and 55” guide rail. I continue to be more and more concerned with dust collection. So I have been starting to gravitate toward Festool.


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Awesome!! I originally wanted the Festool, because, you know... it’s black and green [emoji16], but in the end decided to save a few hundred bucks with the Makita. Very similar saws but the Festool does have a few advantages like the underside splinter guard, riving knife, and better case with the T-Loc system. Dust collection on mine is great so I’m sure the Festool saw will be excellent in that regard as well. It had better be given their reputation! Let us know what you think after you’ve had a chance to play around with it.


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[nicholam77]

This lil' cutie showed up this weekend:





Waited for the $19 sale w/free shipping.

I was also able to finish my picture framing this weekend, which involved MATH... YUCK!



Speaking of Woodpecker's tools I even used them laying out the matte, foamboard, etc.



Because the artwork is pastel, chalk dust can fall off if disturbed and therefore I cut the matte with a reverse bevel, so it will hopefully catch any particles that fall off inside the frame.



To do this I taped the matte board down to a piece of MDF and extended the layout lines since the "blade line" on the matte cutter was on the "wrong" side.



This is the pastel artwork which has to be carefully protected until framing. It's of an Icelandic vista.



I didn't take pictures of this but I also cut foamcore strips to use as framing spacers so the glass is spaced off the matte/art.



I will hang it on the wall after I screw in some hanging wire, but here are some daylight pics in it's final destination:







I am really happy with the way the Teak Oil worked out, I think it complements the artwork really well.

 

[Ronin22]

It complements the artwork, AND the floor!

 

[nicholam77]

Did not have a chance to do any projects over Thanksgiving, despite having Thurs and Fri off. It snowed a bunch so all "free-time" was devoted to that.

I was able to try my new snowblower, though

I picked up this 22" snow joe electric snow "thrower" on sale for about $180 earlier in the season.

I followed your guys' advice about winter-prepping the mower w/stabil. But wasn't looking to add another small gas engine or spend a lot, I have such a small lot to do.

The snow was real wet, pretty deep, and it was a tall order for an electric snowblower. It did clear it though.

The next day it snowed again, this time not as wet, still over 6", and it worked really well.

Ice dams already on the usual spots so I broke out the roof rake.

It's amazing how quickly it turns to full-on winter.

On the plus side my daughter got a kick out of seeing the snow for the first time (that she can remember), we got a tree, and burned several fires in the living room.

 

[Arclitgold]

Looks like a cozy weekend!


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[nicholam77]

It complements the artwork, AND the floor!

Ha, yes it does!

Looks like a cozy weekend!

It was!


----------------------------------------------------------------------


I don't know if Santa will be visiting me this year because I've been naughty and already bought another tool:

It's the Festool ETS 125 REQ Plus (random orbit) finishing sander.

You might be thinking, wait, Nick, don't you already have a random orbit sander? What's the matter with you? Do you not like money, or having it??

Yes... I do already have a similarly-purposed DeWalt random orbit sander. But, I recently did one of those online "focus groups" where I shared my opinion on soda for $225, and this seemed like the right thing to splurge on.

In all honesty it wasn't a necessary purchase. But I've admired Festool for while - a lot of aspects of their tools (aside from the price) are attractive to me. I haven't used it yet, but if the DeWalt becomes superfluous, I'll likely end up selling it. I'll definitely do a comparison of the two and see if the green koolaid is hype or not, but just in feel and turning it on, impressions are good. I'm excited to give it a test.

It's also the cheapest Festool you can buy in the US, I'm pretty sure, at around $200 with Systainer.

I figure a finishing sander is something I'll use on almost every project.


---


On another note, we have some slow plans kicking around to do a kitchen remodel. I've not showed pictures of the kitchen much but here's one I have on hand:

It's a much warmer space than the rest of the main floor, which I love, and will be aiming to preserve. When we got the house it was actually the best, most updated feature. But as we've made other improvements, things start to stand out. The housing market is crazy here, and I've come to terms with the fact that will be staying at this place for a good long while. Maybe not forever, but for the foreseeable future. As such I want to continue facelifting everything.

The plan would be to replace the floor, which currently is a stamped sheet vinyl, replace appliances with stainless steel, and replace counter tops with something less busy.

The wife convinced me to take advantage of BLACK FRIDAY and get a head start with appliances, so we have a gas range and fridge on the way.

We've also explored some flooring options and of course I have Sketchups, so if you like the "house renovation" component of this thread, stay tuned, hopefully some stuff will be happening within the next 6 months or so.

 

[Mr. Roboto]

I love the warm shaker style cabinets you have in there, they're a great starting point to work around for your reno. New appliances, floor, and counter will really transform the space! What are you leaning towards for a floor?

 

[M-technik-3]

Love how the house is coming along, and the artwork looks great. I need to get over to the base and use the skills center they have a framing shop with all equipment and you just pay an hourly rate and materials.

 

[topcok88]

Love the picture frame. One of those projects that will be almost scrutinized as much as what it is holding. I have a print sitting on my dresser I have been wanting to frame for over a year...

Also love the addition of the Green! Hopefully my Calavera Green apron will arrive soon to match my growing collection. Looking forward to more projects!


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[nicholam77]

I love the warm shaker style cabinets you have in there, they're a great starting point to work around for your reno. New appliances, floor, and counter will really transform the space! What are you leaning towards for a floor?

I like the existing cabinets, too. If I was able to start from scratch I'd do Eurostyle frameless all day, but shaker is nice, too. Ours have a bit more of an orange-y tone in certain lighting than I'd like, but we'll definitely be retaining all the cabinetry as-is. At least they are maple. I'll just have to be conscious not to bring out the orange too much with the other finishes.

We've talked about several options for flooring, some of them being cork and Marmoleum. Marmoleum is the only thing we've gotten a quote for so far, and it was higher than I wanted it to be, so still thinking about that. For anyone who isn't familiar, Marmoleum is a linoleum-type product sold in tiles or sheets, glued down to a plywood substrate, and is very thin but also durable. The specific color I was considering is called "Cocoa White Chocolate", and it has real flecks of cocoa in the composition, giving it a very subtle speckled pattern. Here is a swatch from their website:

The specks aren't visible in the screenshots, but this is the texture used in my Sketchup models. I like that it's minimal, mostly monochromatic without being a total solid color, but has the natural cocoa bits that remind me of a subtle version of terrazzo tiles.

Cork floors interested me because they come in a variety of colors, are natural, and sustainable, have good insulating properties which is nice in our climate, and are somewhat soft, providing relief in an area where we would be mostly standing.

I'd love to continue white oak hardwood in the kitchen, but due to what's underneath and not wanting to disturb the cabinetry, that's out of the question, and so is tile.

Any suggestions for flooring would be totally welcome at this point.

Love how the house is coming along, and the artwork looks great. I need to get over to the base and use the skills center they have a framing shop with all equipment and you just pay an hourly rate and materials.

Thanks! The framing shop sounds really cool. I've watched some videos with big fancy matte cutters that look fun to use.

Love the picture frame. One of those projects that will be almost scrutinized as much as what it is holding. I have a print sitting on my dresser I have been wanting to frame for over a year...

Also love the addition of the Green! Hopefully my Calavera Green apron will arrive soon to match my growing collection. Looking forward to more projects!


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Thank you! I'm certainly one who looks at the frame when I'm looking at a piece of art.

I've only made two frames but both times I had the art sitting around for 6 months or more prior, waiting. For me it's one of those things that is fun once I convince myself to do it, but there are so many steps if you include the glass and matting and finishing and everything, it's not something you can bang out and complete in an afternoon. We have a lot of store-bought frames, some nicer, some not so much. A goal of mine to to acquire and replace stuff over time with original artworks, and original frames to go with them.

 

[nicholam77]

Not a real update, but I came across this old photo recently of our living room as it was 3 years ago. Our first XMAS in the house:

Complete with fake tree.



It looks a lot different now:

Granted one pic is at night and one is day, but still. I'm always thinking about all the stuff I still want to do to this place (and believe me there is a long list). Sometimes it feels overwhelming. But rarely do I remember where I started and how much work we've done in a few short years.

The previous homeowners left a filing box of house documents for us when we took over. Today I was looking for the specs of our existing gas range in preparation for the new one as there are some funky things going on with the measurements. As I was perusing the box I came across, amongst all the papers, a slip of film negatives. A little hard to make out but I can see pics of the living room, kitchen, basement, and master bedroom. Some of them feature wallpaper. They seem to be the photos the previous owner's took when they first moved in.

So just as I have been reminded to where things stood when we were new to the place, there is yet another layer of the story to discover. I love tangible history like this and I can't wait to get them developed.

 

[bj383ss]

This should be interesting.

Bret

 

[nicholam77]

I dropped the film negatives off at the photo shop (Linhoff Photo for all my Minneapolis peeps) and they wanted 10 days to scan them, so I'll have to wait a bit. Busy for the holidays I guess.

The range and fridge are due for delivery/installation on Jan 2. Other than that I'll probably be laying low, spending time with family.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday!

 

[sawduststeve]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for all the posts this year, I enjoy following along, you've done some great work. and made some brilliant purchases. keep at it.

Have a wonderful christmas and a happy new year , from my family to yours.

Steve


Re, negatives, could be interesting, what was the PO wife like.

 

[nicholam77]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for all the posts this year, I enjoy following along, you've done some great work. and made some brilliant purchases. keep at it.

Have a wonderful christmas and a happy new year , from my family to yours.

Steve


Re, negatives, could be interesting, what was the PO wife like.

Thank you, Steve! Hope you and your family had a wonderful as well! Thanks for reading and I always appreciate your posts. Hopefully I can get to some more interesting projects this next year.

 

[nicholam77]

The holidays were a whirlwind of family events. All of them good. Our daughter is walking now, too, which has been both liberating, exciting, and time-consuming.

I got the film scans of the house back from the photo shop. They are... quite hideous.

KITCHEN:

The faux brick vinyl is still there under our current vinyl... you'll see that when we redo the floors.

HALLWAY:

Not exactly "subtle".

The trim and doors are the same ones I replaced a year ago. The blue baseboards are a nice touch.

MAIN FLOOR BATHROOM:

That's the tub and toilet we took out.

LIVING ROOM:

Unfortunately there wasn't a good pic of the fireplace or anything.

STAIRCASE / MASTER BEDROOM:

"MASTER" BATHROOM:

Carpet, nice

------------

In all honesty I was kind of hoping the photos would be hideous. It makes what I'm trying to do with our home even more attractive to me. I like the idea of completely changing a space without really changing it's structure. For Christmas I received a book I had wanted as a present, a profile of David Salmela's architectural work. He lives and works out of Duluth MN, and the majority of his projects are Modernist and located in the upper Midwest. A few lines stuck with me when I was reading it yesterday:

"Design is about making great things happen in any situation, regardless of the constraints."

"Contrary to the view that architecture is only for the rich and powerful, Salmela has made that process available to people of all sorts, in projects as small as stand-alone saunas. He believes that architecture can be created anyplace and that anyone can be involved in the process. What matters, he says, is having the right attitude: that we can make everyday life more memorable and more enjoyable through good design.

These statements mirror my own feelings very much, and seeing how radically different the house is now than it was 40-50 years ago gives me inspiration for more radical changes in the future, with the ultimate goal of making everyday life more enjoyable.

 

[bj383ss]

Those photos are "Groovy" Nick. I wonder if the pine wall planks in the Master Bedroom are still there behind dry wall. That would be some very good wood if it came from the 60's.

Bret