Expanding a Double and adding a Boat-Port in Calgary
- Thread starter JohnnieMo
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Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Johnnie, I do feel better now. I know exactly what you mean. Boating took my mind off everything else. We spent summers on Lake George, the Hudson River (less than a mile from home) and the Great South Bay. My daughter and son learned to water ski when they were 8 and 7 back in 1971. This, our first boat had a flat bottom and a giant 50hp V4 Evinrude so you'd have a hard time wake-boarding. The skier was the only one not wearing a sweater. The birgee was from the New Hamburg Yacht Club and was very helpful when we needed help on the water. It was founded in 1869 as an ice boating club on the Hudson. Cost $20 a year plus 20 hours work to belong back then (http://www.nhyc1869.com/index.html).
Your son will remember these times for as long as he lives (trust me).
Your son will remember these times for as long as he lives (trust me).
Great memories as always Bob. My son has been on the boat since he was 6 weeks old, but I'd be lying if I said he loves it. He always comes, but mostly just enjoys pushing everyone else in the water, but occasionally that backfires
Other times he likes to just play on his iPad (I see another techie pending here)
And lastly curling up under daddy's feet for a snooze.
We did get him out on the tube this summer a few times, so that is progress.
For a little further entertainment, here is a little surf video mashup I created. Not our best surfing by far, but a fun day on the lake.
--
Now back to the shop. I've ignored the thing while the weather was nice. But the fire is now returning. Fall is beautiful here, so it is a great time to work outside and still be cool enough that you can wear overalls. Evenings are cool and best fitted to a fireplace and a glass of wine. My kind of style.
I can always tell where my passions lie on any given day but where my mind wanders when I'm lying in bed. It has been all about boating this summer. However last night I started to think about drywall mud. That is a good sign of things to come
Other times he likes to just play on his iPad (I see another techie pending here)
And lastly curling up under daddy's feet for a snooze.
We did get him out on the tube this summer a few times, so that is progress.
For a little further entertainment, here is a little surf video mashup I created. Not our best surfing by far, but a fun day on the lake.
--
Now back to the shop. I've ignored the thing while the weather was nice. But the fire is now returning. Fall is beautiful here, so it is a great time to work outside and still be cool enough that you can wear overalls. Evenings are cool and best fitted to a fireplace and a glass of wine. My kind of style.
I can always tell where my passions lie on any given day but where my mind wanders when I'm lying in bed. It has been all about boating this summer. However last night I started to think about drywall mud. That is a good sign of things to come
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Love the video and looking forward to the mud slinging.
Well I got back at it today. I was hoping to work on the exterior all day but it was miserably cold. Today was +6C. Yesterday was +23. Tomorrow is supposed to be +15. Calgary weather makes no sense.
So I started with some interior work. Got my wrenches up on the wall.
As you can see I put my label maker to good use also. I love that thing. The racks are removable if I need lots of them. It also frees up another drawer.
Then I got the Vibe on the lift for an oil change. The longest part of the job was going to Costco to buy the oil I thought I had. ($27 for 5L of Castrol Edge BTW).
After this the sun came out so I started installing some hardiboard. This stuff is harder to cut than I expected. My little Bosch did it but with some resistance. Here is the result.
Unfortunately I only got three pieces in until I put the screwdriver bit through my thumbnail. Now I'm typing one handed.
It's been a bad week for me actually. I whacked my head on the lift last Tuesday so bad I laid on the ground for five minutes. Then later that night at football I tore up my left shoulder making a sack.
In related news I'm trying to figure out a way to fasten sponge to the underside of my lift runways......
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So I started with some interior work. Got my wrenches up on the wall.
As you can see I put my label maker to good use also. I love that thing. The racks are removable if I need lots of them. It also frees up another drawer.
Then I got the Vibe on the lift for an oil change. The longest part of the job was going to Costco to buy the oil I thought I had. ($27 for 5L of Castrol Edge BTW).
After this the sun came out so I started installing some hardiboard. This stuff is harder to cut than I expected. My little Bosch did it but with some resistance. Here is the result.
Unfortunately I only got three pieces in until I put the screwdriver bit through my thumbnail. Now I'm typing one handed.
It's been a bad week for me actually. I whacked my head on the lift last Tuesday so bad I laid on the ground for five minutes. Then later that night at football I tore up my left shoulder making a sack.
In related news I'm trying to figure out a way to fasten sponge to the underside of my lift runways......
Sent from my BlackBerry Priv
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55cadillacking
Well-known member
I couldn't agree more.
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
JohnnieMo, you might want to stop reading my thread in case what I have is contagious. One-handed typing is one symptom. A hard blow to the head might be confirmation -- left me permanently cross-eyed. Just sayin'.
JohnnieMo, you might want to stop reading my thread in case what I have is contagious. One-handed typing is one symptom. A hard blow to the head might be confirmation -- left me permanently cross-eyed. Just sayin'.
It does appear to have gone sideways lately.... although I've been reading your thread for many months. Perhaps it is a slow osmosis.
As for this hardiboard, I need to paint it when I am done. (although my wife says it looks far better than the tar paper) However before I paint it, I need to fill in the cracks and the screw heads. If this was an interior job, I would be using drywall compound. However what does one use outside?? I am thinking about some sort of silicone, but maybe there is a proper product for this. It will need to handle expansion and contraction.... as well as bond to paint well.
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
JohnieMo, my son was a professional painter for more than a decade and he uses caulking for the cracks and screw heads. You need to use an interior/exterior caulk but make sure it is paintable. I've used others but the DAP Alex Plus has worked well for me. Supposed to be good for 40 years.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DAP-Alex...lic-Latex-Caulk-Plus-Silicone-18103/100097524
RickP
Well-known member
40 years? Okay, maybe it's time I gave that DAP caulk another try. I used it a long time ago and wasn't happy with the results at all. I used it on cedar siding and it lasted maybe 5 years. But I do like that it's latex and easy cleanup.
Lately I've been using OSI Quad, which is what the carpenters used for the siding on my house when it was built - still looks great 11 years later. I think it might be branded Lepages in Canada. It's great caulk, but it's a lot harder to use than latex, because it's solvent cleanup. It says 30 years on the label, but it just seems a lot tougher than latex to me.
But I can see the reasons to use latex - it's just so easy (and probably half the price too).
On siding and trim **** joints, however, I've never had caulk last the way I wanted it to look. It always squeezes out and looks terrible. For PVC house trim, I'm using G-Flex epoxy from West System - it's a little bit flexible, but a lot firmer than caulk.
Good luck with the sealing and painting!
I've used the Alex plus indoors before to fill nail holes in baseboard. It worked okay, but I didn't love it. If you don't get it right when you apply it, you can't sand it down like drywall compound. I rarely get things right on the first try It is shockingly cheap too (under $3 a tube) so my knee jerk assumption is that it isn't very good.
I'll take a closer look at it (and the OSI Quad). It likely comes down to which one I can buy at Home Depot! Come to think of it, I think I have a tube of Alex Plus already...
It is shockingly cheap too (under $3 a tube) so my knee jerk assumption is that it isn't very good. I'll take a closer look at it (and the OSI Quad). It likely comes down to which one I can buy at Home Depot! Come to think of it, I think I have a tube of Alex Plus already...
Couple things today. In order to make the shop more habitable I managed to find a better TV for it. The old TV had colour issues and no Hdmi (hence no chromecast support). So my wife found this 39" RCA on sale at Superstore for $178.
It's not a great picture but it does the job just fine. Now I can stream hockey or movies from Plex or Netflix for Johnnie Jr.
I mounted the TV on hinges so I can flip it up and access the shelf behind for storage. I'm pretty proud of that idea. The TV also rests at a slight downward angle for better viewing. I'm proud of that too.
Next I am still trying to organize my larger tools. I have been running in to things all over. Despite all my new space I'm finding it very cramped in there. The biggest culprit is that 8' DeWalt mitre saw stand. As lovely as it is, it hogs one whole side of the shop. I've been debating stowing it away....But then I had an idea!!!
Rather than putting in a new table I decided to buy some extra brackets and mount more tools to it! These are about $65 a pair up here (almost as much as buying a while stand)
And here is my inspiration.
Why two mitre saws you ask? Well I had to buy the 12" to cut my 4x6 posts for the lifting blocking. So the old 10" needed a job. As you may recall I put a metal cutting blade in it and was VERY impressed. So it is now my metal chop saw.
Then in the middle is my little old drill press. Best part is that a board or pipe can be used on each one with out hitting the other tools. Worst case I can remove any offending tools.
So this solves three major tools. With the table saw now sitting beside the island I only need to find space for my band saw, sander and bench grinder.
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It's not a great picture but it does the job just fine. Now I can stream hockey or movies from Plex or Netflix for Johnnie Jr.
I mounted the TV on hinges so I can flip it up and access the shelf behind for storage. I'm pretty proud of that idea. The TV also rests at a slight downward angle for better viewing. I'm proud of that too.
Next I am still trying to organize my larger tools. I have been running in to things all over. Despite all my new space I'm finding it very cramped in there. The biggest culprit is that 8' DeWalt mitre saw stand. As lovely as it is, it hogs one whole side of the shop. I've been debating stowing it away....But then I had an idea!!!
Rather than putting in a new table I decided to buy some extra brackets and mount more tools to it! These are about $65 a pair up here (almost as much as buying a while stand)
And here is my inspiration.
Why two mitre saws you ask? Well I had to buy the 12" to cut my 4x6 posts for the lifting blocking. So the old 10" needed a job. As you may recall I put a metal cutting blade in it and was VERY impressed. So it is now my metal chop saw.
Then in the middle is my little old drill press. Best part is that a board or pipe can be used on each one with out hitting the other tools. Worst case I can remove any offending tools.
So this solves three major tools. With the table saw now sitting beside the island I only need to find space for my band saw, sander and bench grinder.
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Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Brilliant! 
Denwood
Well-known member
Johnnie, the shop has come along brilliantly. Your idea to use the Dewalt stand for other tools is an excellent one. I keep mine folded and hung on the wall, but your idea to add other platforms is one I may just emulate
Brilliant!
Thank you sir. Sometimes my brains fires properly.
Johnnie, the shop has come along brilliantly. Your idea to use the Dewalt stand for other tools is an excellent one. I keep mine folded and hung on the wall, but your idea to add other platforms is one I may just emulate
Please steal this. I know I've stolen enough of your ideas!
I find that I am fairly lazy and I want my tools immediately accessible. I don't have the patience to set up and take down each day. So I want my saws ready to cut; I want my sanders ready to sand, and my grinders ready to grind. At most I'll open a drawer to grab something, but if it takes more than that, I check out. Not sure why I'm like this, but I am. I don't have your diligence to fold up a saw stand every day.
In as much as I am lazy like that, I also hate clutter and leaving things out. If I can't walk around freely, I am upset and prone to hurting myself.
I feel that just this weekend I finally found a happy place. My major tools are all in position, and they are not in the way. The chop saw stand has worked out nicely. As you can see, I tied all the wires in to a power bar so it only takes a single outlet. (I've been finding all my outlets are getting full, despite installing 20 of them)
I took this picture partly to show the stand, and partly to show the massive amount of daylight I get from that south facing window!
And here in its spot. If I turn the 12" saw to 45 degrees it tucks in to the wall better. A quick tug out from the wall and it can be used to full extension.
That saw stand is nice because the legs are very strong and the feet are sticky, but not so sticky that you can't tug it from any angle.
And next - my $178 TV. For the first time in 2 years I got to watch my Roughriders. Ironically, they even won the game. Maybe it's been my fault that they've sucked for two years.
After that I tackled the remainder of the Hardiboard. For some reason Lowes calls it "Sel Sierra" but the label clearly says Hardibacker. It is $49 per sheet. I used 5 sheets to do the entire garage. It is nice stuff, but you need to wear a respirator to cut it, and it eats saw blades for breakfast. It's not really meant for what I am using it for, but I see no reason why it won't work.
Here is my fresh jigsaw blade after cutting out Higgy's door. I assume my Bosch circ saw is about the same state.
As a parting thought, here is the garage today. Still some clutter but finally very functional.
Next step is to prep the Hardibacker for paint. I also need to find a paint that will stick to it. I am in the process of digging through the Hardiboard website.
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North Run Grader
Well-known member
Porch and floor paint for the hardi board. We used to use it every 5 years or so on roll off construction bins. Most isn't uv resistant so stay with a lighter neutral color.
I contacted Hardi and they refused to answer on the basis that Hardibacker is not "approved" for exterior use. However in a related question for indoor use they suggested "a good water based primer and a good water based paint".
I think I will stick with something from Behr as they never disappoint me.
FWIW I got some of that OSI Quad (and yes it is branded Lepage in Canada). It came in grey so that is really the only reason I picked it over the Alex Plus (which I also happened to have two tubes of)
This weekend I will get down to finishing that.
I think I will stick with something from Behr as they never disappoint me.
FWIW I got some of that OSI Quad (and yes it is branded Lepage in Canada). It came in grey so that is really the only reason I picked it over the Alex Plus (which I also happened to have two tubes of)
This weekend I will get down to finishing that.
Guster
Well-known member
RickP
Well-known member
Good deal - I hope that Quad works well for you. When applying the caulk, you might try keeping a rag damp with mineral spirits close by. After the caulk has been in place for a minute or so, swipe your finger on the rag and use it to smooth out the bead.
I like that Hardiboard under the siding - it looks pretty good and it's a heck of a lot easier than stucco.
Good luck!
GRN - sorry I just realized I never replied to this comment.
Shuswap is a funny lake because it can rise and fall by up to 15 feet per year. Some years the water comes right up into the towns, and some years it is so low you can't put your boat in the lake. The lake is entirely filled by spring thaw, so the amount of water is directly related to the snow pack.
So what does that mean? Well your dock needs to go up and down a lot. So a permanent dock would be 20 feet in the air in September, but almost submersed in June. So people generally build floating docks.
You put a wharf line out to a piling in the lake (which drops off rapidly BTW). And you put a buoy up to from that piling. The wharf line runs up the to the shoreline and ties to a big tree. Your floating dock then rides in and out along that line. You clamp it at different spots throughout the year.
Here is what it looked like two springs ago (reminds me of Huck Finn for some reason)
And then this year
Typically I leave the boat out in the lake as big storms can really toss it around. You can either swim out to it, or get a dingy. It can hug in against the dock and it is deep enough across the end, but I wouldn't leave it there over night.
Honestly if I owned the place, I would find something better. However I just rent, so we take what we get.
I think the bees knees would be one of those floating boat lifts.
I forgot all about this. Dennis's system would likely work for me, but is probably more complicated than I need. I might take that 3M adhesive approach though!
Off to Canadian Tire!
squatch
Well-known member
A tornado recently struck the Shuswap Lake area. I read a thread on another site and the damage looked pretty bad.
http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/shuswap-life-204029/index124/#post3578089
http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/shuswap-life-204029/index124/#post3578089
Interesting. Thanks for taking the time to reply.GRN - sorry I just realized I never replied to this comment.
Shuswap is a funny lake because it can rise and fall by up to 15 feet per year. Some years the water comes right up into the towns, and some years it is so low you can't put your boat in the lake. The lake is entirely filled by spring thaw, so the amount of water is directly related to the snow pack.
So what does that mean? Well your dock needs to go up and down a lot. So a permanent dock would be 20 feet in the air in September, but almost submersed in June. So people generally build floating docks.
You put a wharf line out to a piling in the lake (which drops off rapidly BTW). And you put a buoy up to from that piling. The wharf line runs up the to the shoreline and ties to a big tree. Your floating dock then rides in and out along that line. You clamp it at different spots throughout the year.
Here is what it looked like two springs ago (reminds me of Huck Finn for some reason)
And then this year
Typically I leave the boat out in the lake as big storms can really toss it around. You can either swim out to it, or get a dingy. It can hug in against the dock and it is deep enough across the end, but I wouldn't leave it there over night.
Honestly if I owned the place, I would find something better. However I just rent, so we take what we get.
I think the bees knees would be one of those floating boat lifts.
I forgot all about this. Dennis's system would likely work for me, but is probably more complicated than I need. I might take that 3M adhesive approach though!
Off to Canadian Tire!
Some more progress this weekend. Firstly here is my TV flipped up. I got it all wired properly plus have the chromecast installed. All set now.
Next I got my reverse helmet installed. This is just a sleeping mat I found at Army and Navy. (For the record, Army and Navy is the best hookup for foam and foam related paraphernalia)
I stuck it with Carpet tape but it's not holding well. Some 3M adhesive could be in my future.
Next I installed a hook for my central vac. The hose was always in the way. I also wired up the remote turn on so it starts whenever you plug in the hose.
Eventually this wall will have a desk with a band saw and a bench sander but for now it is a coat hook.
Next I got to the hardibacker. It was a beautiful day to work outside. I decided to use the Lepage Quad because it specifically said it was meant for fiber cement.
Whoever suggested using mineral spirits on my finger - thank you. I didn't know this trick and it saved my bacon. I found using a trowel with the paint thinner on it worked as well. Even a rag. It acted just like sanding drywall mud. Got a nice finish.
With that left to dry (it was still tacky after 5 hours) I turned to a pet project.
My wife has been bugging me to get the last of my plywood out of the shed. I've been avoiding it because I had no where to put it. So I just threw up my hands today and started on my wood closet. Pictures tell the story.
Only got part way but you see the idea. Eventually I'll enclose it and put the siding back on it. The top will have a little roof although since it is under the shed eave and the boatport eave it won't ever see water. The challenging part is that the shed is not parallel to the carport, nor is it level.... so the closet is wider at the back and the whole thing is sloped towards the alley. This makes the roof a bit of a challenge. Every single board in this thing is a unicorn.
Anyways the wood is now out of the former wood shed and into the wood closet.
This week I need to get that hardibacker painted up!
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Next I got my reverse helmet installed. This is just a sleeping mat I found at Army and Navy. (For the record, Army and Navy is the best hookup for foam and foam related paraphernalia)
I stuck it with Carpet tape but it's not holding well. Some 3M adhesive could be in my future.
Next I installed a hook for my central vac. The hose was always in the way. I also wired up the remote turn on so it starts whenever you plug in the hose.
Eventually this wall will have a desk with a band saw and a bench sander but for now it is a coat hook.
Next I got to the hardibacker. It was a beautiful day to work outside. I decided to use the Lepage Quad because it specifically said it was meant for fiber cement.
Whoever suggested using mineral spirits on my finger - thank you. I didn't know this trick and it saved my bacon. I found using a trowel with the paint thinner on it worked as well. Even a rag. It acted just like sanding drywall mud. Got a nice finish.
With that left to dry (it was still tacky after 5 hours) I turned to a pet project.
My wife has been bugging me to get the last of my plywood out of the shed. I've been avoiding it because I had no where to put it. So I just threw up my hands today and started on my wood closet. Pictures tell the story.
Only got part way but you see the idea. Eventually I'll enclose it and put the siding back on it. The top will have a little roof although since it is under the shed eave and the boatport eave it won't ever see water. The challenging part is that the shed is not parallel to the carport, nor is it level.... so the closet is wider at the back and the whole thing is sloped towards the alley. This makes the roof a bit of a challenge. Every single board in this thing is a unicorn.
Anyways the wood is now out of the former wood shed and into the wood closet.
This week I need to get that hardibacker painted up!
Sent from my BlackBerry Priv
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Few updates today. I installed a roll of LED lighting to the underside of my shelf along the workbench. I picked them up for about $30 on Amazon from ALED. To mount I used a few L channel metal lengths that are designed for suspended ceilings. This way I don't get glare in my eyes and the light goes down only.
Next I got down to hooking up more of my security cameras. I had someone rummaging through my truck last week and although he didn't take anything of value, I was still annoyed. I got a video of him doing it too, but it was so far away it didn't help much.
I ran the line for this alley camera back before I insulated so it's been patiently waiting. The painful part was getting it through my conduit. As you can see, Winter is Here.
And here is where I hid it:
And here is the view from the new "Rumplecam"
That's going to be it for a while. I'm starting another busy 30 days here. Heading up to northern Scotland for a bout and then circling around the UK. Should be back sometime in early November.
Next I got down to hooking up more of my security cameras. I had someone rummaging through my truck last week and although he didn't take anything of value, I was still annoyed. I got a video of him doing it too, but it was so far away it didn't help much.
I ran the line for this alley camera back before I insulated so it's been patiently waiting. The painful part was getting it through my conduit. As you can see, Winter is Here.
And here is where I hid it:
And here is the view from the new "Rumplecam"
That's going to be it for a while. I'm starting another busy 30 days here. Heading up to northern Scotland for a bout and then circling around the UK. Should be back sometime in early November.
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Slycox
Well-known member
Been following your thread for a while, always enjoy your updates and the place looks awesome.
Love the name you gave the camera.
Love the name you gave the camera.
Home for a weekend here and I got a few things done. It was actually nice here at +13. I cleaned up the yard and found a home for the 12' ring of bouncing joy.
After that it was a lot of fall cleanup. We had some snow before I left and things are still a bit soggy. I did at least get the boat winterized and the bottom bit of the garage covered. With some luck I might get paint finished next weekend.
Next I ran a fourth siamese cable for my security system. This fourth camera will double as my boat backup camera.
And here is the quad view as it is now.
I still have two camera left to add. The first is the same as these ones and will likely go in the back yard. The final camera is one I just ordered.
This one is obviously pan/tilt/zoom but it also has 4x optical zoom. These cameras have a nice 1080p picture but when you spread it across a 90deg field of view there isn't enough left to see details. I actually had someone loot through my truck on the street about a month ago and although I have a video of him, he is too far away to identify. My hope is that the 4x zoom will remedy that. This camera also does colour at night which is kinda cool.
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After that it was a lot of fall cleanup. We had some snow before I left and things are still a bit soggy. I did at least get the boat winterized and the bottom bit of the garage covered. With some luck I might get paint finished next weekend.
Next I ran a fourth siamese cable for my security system. This fourth camera will double as my boat backup camera.
And here is the quad view as it is now.
I still have two camera left to add. The first is the same as these ones and will likely go in the back yard. The final camera is one I just ordered.
This one is obviously pan/tilt/zoom but it also has 4x optical zoom. These cameras have a nice 1080p picture but when you spread it across a 90deg field of view there isn't enough left to see details. I actually had someone loot through my truck on the street about a month ago and although I have a video of him, he is too far away to identify. My hope is that the 4x zoom will remedy that. This camera also does colour at night which is kinda cool.
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Weekend_warrior
Well-known member
Nice work! I read though the whole thing. I was linked to your thread from another.
If I had a lake spot like that I might be out there more often!
I like your security system. I don't have a real problem around here, but would like to install something similar. Something to cover the entrances, garage, and gate.
I dig the "wood closet" as well. I have a bunch of wood that is taking up space in my garage as well. going to put together a ceiling hanger and maybe a something for the wall to get it off the floor and free up some space.
If I had a lake spot like that I might be out there more often!
I like your security system. I don't have a real problem around here, but would like to install something similar. Something to cover the entrances, garage, and gate.
I dig the "wood closet" as well. I have a bunch of wood that is taking up space in my garage as well. going to put together a ceiling hanger and maybe a something for the wall to get it off the floor and free up some space.
Thank you very much. It takes commitment to get through the whole thing
I still have about 10% of the work left. It is getting hard to prioritize that last 10% when there are so many other things I've neglected to get it to 90%. However we have a very nice long weekend coming tomorrow and I intend to at least do some work outside. It has been around +15 to +20 all week. We are setting records up here. Makes up for our miserable summer.
My wife has forced all my stuff out of the shed, so I'm still scrambling to find room for everything. The 10' walls are nice because you can hide things up and out of the way.
I'm still very thrilled about the security system, however the software (for the terminal, the PC and the phone app) are all hard to use. That is one thing I will credit DropCam for.
Hopefully I'll get my PTZ camera up this weekend and post the results.
BTW there is a terrific thread on camera systems here:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=319710
55cadillacking
Well-known member
Glad to see you taking advantage of the amazing weather. I remember Calgary having an Army and Navy store, but thought for sure it was gone. Might have to check the place out.
Yes it still exists. It is right behind T&T Supermarket off 36th Street NE. It is no prize, but it has a lot of foam
--
Well given it was above 10C today, I could get my painting done. I used this product from Behr called Deck Over. I looked at all kinds of products and the reviews were terrible. Most of these textured products are designed to be walked on. As a result they wear a lot. So most of the reviews **** because nothing lasts on the ground! However, vertical surfaces can also be a challenge for application as if it is too heavy, it will run off.
This seemed like a good compromise, and I always have good luck with Behr.
It looks a lot like bondo putty, and is not very viscous. I applied with with a 10mm roller as per the instructions.
Here it is after the first coat. It ended up taking one entire can to do the whole garage. I had two cans, so I didn't need it all. Here is the finished specimen.
I'm not in love with the colour, but my wife liked it..... It should dry and be more uniform.
My impression overall is it is a decent product. But let's see what happens the first time I bang a garbage bin into it.
While my first coat was drying I also got this baby installed:
Overall it is decent. The zoom feature makes a difference, but not a great difference. Here is a sample from this evening. This poor donkey decided to park in front of my house tonight, so he gets to be the model.
1x Zoom:
4X Zoom:
Now it also says it has Colour Night Vision, and it doesn't seem to always be on. I played around with some settings and pulled this out. You be the judge.
Anyways, that was it for today. Was good to get back to work.
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Denwood
Well-known member
Johnnie, you've been busy! The shop is looking amazing.
Can you post up a link to the Led strip you used? It looks bright! How are you feeling about the product?
Can you post up a link to the Led strip you used? It looks bright! How are you feeling about the product?
Why thank you sir. I still have a ways to go before I get it actually looking nice. Some paint for instance
Here is the LED strip I bought:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01GZUJSGU/?tag=atomicindus04-20
I have purchased an assortment of strips over the years.... starting 5 years ago in my kitchen. I really haven't found any bad ones yet. As such, I order the cheap ones. This particular set is waterproof, but can also come in non for a dollar less. The 5050 bulbs are brighter, but the "300" rating means fewer bulbs (300 bulbs). So you can do 3528 with 600 bulbs to get a similar result.
Here is a nice little explanation (but I get the feeling you already know all this)
https://www.flexfireleds.com/pages/Comparison-between-3528-LEDs-and-5050-LEDs.html
My intention is to buy a few more to put down the inner rails of my vehicle lift. So this set was actually just a test. So far so good. The only problem I tend to find with these is the backing strip doesn't stick that well. So look in to some adhesive. Oh... and they seem to have a slow turn on time. It takes about 1.5 to 2 seconds to turn on.... but that is likely due to the power supply and not the strip.
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Busy day today. I had a full Sunday (known as Daddy's day off in these parts) so I decided to tackle something indoors (its's a touch cold today) and something I've been wanting to do. So I started to finish my bamboo countertops!
As you may recall I just cut them to fit and threw them in. I just needed something in there for the time being. The downside was that they would move around (obviously) and they were starting to get soiled.
Now step 1 was taking 3 counters and turning them in to 1. The bamboo blocks I bought were 6' long each and my counter is 15'. As a result I have a 3 piece counter...
So my plan is to use my dad's recently borrowed biscuiter for this task, but alas, where am I gonna assemble this beast? Then a light goes on.... I have a gorgeous, flat, adjustable, 15' long work bench:
I covered it in paper to keep the counters clean (and to keep paint off the lift). Then I assembled the pieces.
Now to do some biscuits. Thanks to Denwood's recent foray into this art form I already felt sufficiently learned on the subject. Note that this is my first ever biscuit as well. My dad had a Freud biscuiter and I got some #10 biscuits (although in retrospect #20 would have been better). Overall very easy to do.
I also learned from Denwood's thread that the biscuits expand when they get wet, or when they get water based glue on them. I just used standard lepage. I also learned you put the glue in the hole and not on the biscuit (otherwise it will swell and not fit in said hole) Easy peasy.
The next part was tricky.... how do you clamp a 15' long counter top? Well the answer is you don't. You use ratchet straps
It worked fairly well, but might have gone better with another pair of hands. By the time I got all the biscuits in, it took too long to get the straps cinched up. Oh well, it worked pretty well.
Now the next step was finishing. I decided to use this triple thick Varathane. I didn't want to do too many coats, so this should multiply my efforts by 3.
Unfortunately the island had 6 months of grease, paint, burn marks and dirt mashed into it. I was a bit concerned I couldn't sand it out. Either way, I set in with my finishing sander and some 80 grit. You can see how it progressed.
It all came back to perfect so I am pretty happy. For the counter against the wall I was able to just flip all the pieces, so it didn't have the same issue. I sanded both sides of each counter and stained the backs. Then I flipped them and started the tops.
I still plan to hit each one with a few coats. I don't want to do this again for a long time. Only regret is I think I might have preferred the gloss finish. This satin finish doesn't look as easy to wipe clean. I guess we will see.
The hard part will be re-installing that 300lb countertop
--
And on a totally random note, I am looking for a new image hosting service. I've been using Photobucket since I joined GJ. I like it because it is easy to send pictures from my phone. They just assign me an email address and I send pictures to that address.
Where this ***** is that iPhone and Android don't resize before they try to create the email. As a result, they reject batch uploads as being too big. I don't see why they don't ask to resize the image BEFORE attaching it to the email. That is what Blackberry does. Sadly I'm stuck with an iPhone now, so this just doesn't work. With my Blackberry Priv (Android) I installed a resizer that would also trigger an email, but I haven't found such an app for iPhone yet).
I don't want to upload the large photos as not only do they hog my storage space, but they also slaughter my monthly bandwidth (and then I have to pay them).
For this post, I tried Imgur, but it made the photos the size of Rhode Island. So that is a big fail.
So if anyone can weigh in, I would appreciate it. Here is what I want it to do:
1) Allows me to easily upload multiple photos (i.e. up to 20) at a time from my iPhone.
2) Ensures the photos are resized to a manageable level before uploading
3) Provides an easy to access "message board" posting link
4) Doesn't cost me much
As you may recall I just cut them to fit and threw them in. I just needed something in there for the time being. The downside was that they would move around (obviously) and they were starting to get soiled.
Now step 1 was taking 3 counters and turning them in to 1. The bamboo blocks I bought were 6' long each and my counter is 15'. As a result I have a 3 piece counter...
So my plan is to use my dad's recently borrowed biscuiter for this task, but alas, where am I gonna assemble this beast? Then a light goes on.... I have a gorgeous, flat, adjustable, 15' long work bench:
I covered it in paper to keep the counters clean (and to keep paint off the lift). Then I assembled the pieces.
Now to do some biscuits. Thanks to Denwood's recent foray into this art form I already felt sufficiently learned on the subject. Note that this is my first ever biscuit as well. My dad had a Freud biscuiter and I got some #10 biscuits (although in retrospect #20 would have been better). Overall very easy to do.
I also learned from Denwood's thread that the biscuits expand when they get wet, or when they get water based glue on them. I just used standard lepage. I also learned you put the glue in the hole and not on the biscuit (otherwise it will swell and not fit in said hole) Easy peasy.
The next part was tricky.... how do you clamp a 15' long counter top? Well the answer is you don't. You use ratchet straps
It worked fairly well, but might have gone better with another pair of hands. By the time I got all the biscuits in, it took too long to get the straps cinched up. Oh well, it worked pretty well.
Now the next step was finishing. I decided to use this triple thick Varathane. I didn't want to do too many coats, so this should multiply my efforts by 3.
Unfortunately the island had 6 months of grease, paint, burn marks and dirt mashed into it. I was a bit concerned I couldn't sand it out. Either way, I set in with my finishing sander and some 80 grit. You can see how it progressed.
It all came back to perfect so I am pretty happy. For the counter against the wall I was able to just flip all the pieces, so it didn't have the same issue. I sanded both sides of each counter and stained the backs. Then I flipped them and started the tops.
I still plan to hit each one with a few coats. I don't want to do this again for a long time. Only regret is I think I might have preferred the gloss finish. This satin finish doesn't look as easy to wipe clean. I guess we will see.
The hard part will be re-installing that 300lb countertop
--
And on a totally random note, I am looking for a new image hosting service. I've been using Photobucket since I joined GJ. I like it because it is easy to send pictures from my phone. They just assign me an email address and I send pictures to that address.
Where this ***** is that iPhone and Android don't resize before they try to create the email. As a result, they reject batch uploads as being too big. I don't see why they don't ask to resize the image BEFORE attaching it to the email. That is what Blackberry does. Sadly I'm stuck with an iPhone now, so this just doesn't work. With my Blackberry Priv (Android) I installed a resizer that would also trigger an email, but I haven't found such an app for iPhone yet).
I don't want to upload the large photos as not only do they hog my storage space, but they also slaughter my monthly bandwidth (and then I have to pay them).
For this post, I tried Imgur, but it made the photos the size of Rhode Island. So that is a big fail.
So if anyone can weigh in, I would appreciate it. Here is what I want it to do:
1) Allows me to easily upload multiple photos (i.e. up to 20) at a time from my iPhone.
2) Ensures the photos are resized to a manageable level before uploading
3) Provides an easy to access "message board" posting link
4) Doesn't cost me much
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Lyndon
Well-known member
Johnnie
Great work on the benches. They look fantastic. But I would have gone gloss too. IMHO it just looks better. . . . .
Also, I use the public folder in Dropbox for hosting all my pics. I started out using GJ to host, but they take too long to re-size and upload. Because I use a DSLR for the photos, when I first put them into Dropbox, I then re-open them with MS Paint, and re-size them to 33 % of the original size. Then I save them again and use the public link for GJ.
Works a treat, and I think Dropbox is only US$15 for the year. (I think)
I use DB for storing all my photos and files. Nothing is stored on the C drive. I now have over 30,000 photos in the clouds. Every now and then I back them up to a 1TB external hard drive.
Lyndon
Hope that helps.
Great work on the benches. They look fantastic. But I would have gone gloss too. IMHO it just looks better. . . . .
Also, I use the public folder in Dropbox for hosting all my pics. I started out using GJ to host, but they take too long to re-size and upload. Because I use a DSLR for the photos, when I first put them into Dropbox, I then re-open them with MS Paint, and re-size them to 33 % of the original size. Then I save them again and use the public link for GJ.
Works a treat, and I think Dropbox is only US$15 for the year. (I think)
I use DB for storing all my photos and files. Nothing is stored on the C drive. I now have over 30,000 photos in the clouds. Every now and then I back them up to a 1TB external hard drive.
Lyndon
Hope that helps.
Here are a couple more shots. The light changes their colour a fair bit. These pics are taken with the LEDs only. They are a warmer colour.
I think I could still finish with gloss if I wanted to. However after more coats the satin shines up a bit.
Another cool aspect of using the lift as a workbench is I just hit a button and it goes up and out of the way. I can park the car underneath while my counter dries.
Lyndon - thanks for the comments. It sounds like your Dropbox approach is even more labourious than what I do already. I typically do all my posting from my phone. It doesn't help that phones tend to get less useful as time goes by. All these apps are riddled with ads and extra steps.
What I really want is to be able to select photos from my phone in bulk and have them automatically shrunk and hosted. Then if I get a convenient link to copy and paste it would be perfect.
Right now I can't find anything that does all this.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I think I could still finish with gloss if I wanted to. However after more coats the satin shines up a bit.
Another cool aspect of using the lift as a workbench is I just hit a button and it goes up and out of the way. I can park the car underneath while my counter dries.
Lyndon - thanks for the comments. It sounds like your Dropbox approach is even more labourious than what I do already. I typically do all my posting from my phone. It doesn't help that phones tend to get less useful as time goes by. All these apps are riddled with ads and extra steps.
What I really want is to be able to select photos from my phone in bulk and have them automatically shrunk and hosted. Then if I get a convenient link to copy and paste it would be perfect.
Right now I can't find anything that does all this.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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1949 caddyman
Well-known member
I think you're going to need to support the counter top with a 2x4 or somthing under it when you move it. I don't think the biskets will like being lifted up, don't want to brake your new top. You probably already thought of this. Love the way you lifted your garage! I have the satin poly on my bench top, it cleans easy & dosent show scratches easily.
Agreed. My plan is to fasten it to a 2x6 and then get some burly friends to help relocate it. Since the bottom won't ever be seen I can put plenty of holes in it. I just need to be able to slide part of it in to place and then remove the 2x6. The challenge will be getting it to fit since the walls are exactly the same distance apart as the width of the counter. We will see how true my walls are!!
The other hard part will be photographing that horrible exercise for y'all.
Here is a picture from today.
Now that it has dried, it is much more uniform and slick. I don't think the satin is a bad choice any longer. Given your experience, I think I'll stick with it. This picture is with two coats (or 6 if you believe their advertising). I'll throw on a few more just because I can. I'm pretty pleased how it worked out.
(Note that I fought with photobucket for 15 minutes to rotate this picture and it still failed. I have no idea why photobucket cannot rotate photos (or respect their initial rotation to start with). If I was in the business of hosting photos, I would think this would be a key initial feature... not something that has been broken for 6 years)
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TurboEuro88
Well-known member
I much prefer using Imgur for my hosting. Far simpler, no (or very few) ads, and IMO more robust of a service than anything else I've used. It also is the second best at not messing with the quality/compression of images uploaded. The winner there is Flikr but its not the easiest to manage.
Dropbox/Google Drive are alternatives but you're limited on space unless you purchase a subscription for additional storage. Dropbox starts at 2GB free whereas Google Drive starts at 15GB free. That said you don't get the nice photo album management you get with sites like Flikr or Imgur but since they are basically folders on your PC/phone you can upload directly to, it makes it super easy for managing your photos.
Dropbox/Google Drive are alternatives but you're limited on space unless you purchase a subscription for additional storage. Dropbox starts at 2GB free whereas Google Drive starts at 15GB free. That said you don't get the nice photo album management you get with sites like Flikr or Imgur but since they are basically folders on your PC/phone you can upload directly to, it makes it super easy for managing your photos.
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