'Foz Farm Restoration'

mefast · Sep 14, 2015

Foz Farm Restoration

Hello,
I've been looking at a lot of everyone else's builds on this forum for a little while and it has been an awesome resource for helping me fix up my garage, so I thought it was time to post up my progress.

This is what the property looked like when we bought the house last fall:
View media item 76518
The garage is about 40 ft wide by 25 ft deep. The issue is the 15 ft on the left side was an add on (which we call the lean-to). This area was not properly framed and still has a dirt floor (sorry, no picture of this area). There is also an alleyway at the back that goes the width of the garage and is about 10 ft deep.

I decided to start with the main section of the garage so we will have a good place to store our vehicles this winter

Step one was removing the old abused OBS on the original side wall to run additional electrical:

I ran some 14/2 for standard 120 VAC electrical outlets and some 8/3 to use for 220 VAC outlets. I don't currently own a welder, but would like one (as well as a big air compressor, plasma cutter, etc...). For right now I just ran the wires from the wall location to the panel, but the panel will need upgraded before I can use it for everything I want since it's only a 30 AMP service. Also the current panel is fuses.

mefast · Sep 14, 2015

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

Here is a picture of the back wall of the main garage. The door on the right leads out to the alleyway and the door on the left leads to the rear room of the lean-to area:

About a month ago I had spray foamers come in and do the 3 wall of the main garage

Since the rear wall's OBS was decent and there was access from the rear in the alley way, I left the sheathing up. At least all of my electrical outlets on that wall are in place.

A couple weeks ago my fiance and I installed a new people access door on the front:

Nothing too fancy, but it's not all dented and has a bottom threshold. We also ordered a new 12'x8' garage door and have roofers on the way to redo the shingles on the house.

This past weekend we installed a new rear people access door and started installing metal siding on the back of the main garage in the alleyway:

Eventually the alleyway will be our dog kennel, but there is still a long way to go in there.

So far that is all of the progress my fiance and I have made. Our big hurdle now is how to address the lean-to area. Our current plan is to dig holes to put concrete and verticle posts. From there we can frame the walls and at least prevent rodents from getting in (unlike last winter). We'll leave the dirt floor for now, but likely put a vapour barrier on top of it to prevent moisture.

Any advice is accepted.

mefast · Sep 16, 2015

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

No progress so far this week, but I took some more pictures. Here is the view of the back alleyway from the open end:

As you can see from the 'framing' on the right side, I have a lot of work ahead of me in order to have a decent wall. Don't worry about the electrical hanging down either. There's no fuses in that circuit and I'm not planning on putting any back in until it's all been rewired.

Does anyone know the best way to calculate loads for a beam? I'd like to remove the center wall between the lean-to and the main garage area. Obviously I'll install a solid footing and uprights to support the beam. I like the idea of using a 26' wooden I-beam and cutting it to length as needed.

Yet again, any advice is accepted.

SliderJack · Sep 16, 2015

Re: mefast's Garage Build

mefast said:
Does anyone know the best way to calculate loads for a beam? I'd like to remove the center wall between the lean-to and the main garage area. Obviously I'll install a solid footing and uprights to support the beam. I like the idea of using a 26' wooden I-beam and cutting it to length as needed.

Yet again, any advice is accepted.

Well, I'm a newbie but maybe I can point you in the right direction until someone who knows what they'are talking about can answer.

I'm not sure you want to calculate the load as much as you want to determine what's needed to "span" a distance based on a known load.

Not sure from your post if you're talking about a ceiling joist or floor joist. I think there are some standard loads for both. For example for a floor for normal living quarters you might use 40 pounds/square foot (psf).

If it's a ceiling then you might have different loads based on where you live, if there is snow for example.

Knowing the load you can look at span tables to see based on the size of the lumber, spacing of the joists (12" OC, 16"OC, etc) the maximum length you could span.

Different species, grades of wood, or fabricated beams will be different.

Try Googling span tables to give you a rough idea.

mefast · Sep 17, 2015

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

SliderJack,
The beam I'm looking to put in will hold the one end of the main roof's ceiling joists and support one end of the lean-to's ceiling joists. I'll be replacing the lean-to ceiling with 2"x8"x16' spruce joists as the current ones are in rough shape. As for the framing of the lean-to, I think I'll build it using a pole/stick hybrid method. Use 4"x4" posts on concrete footings (to a depth of 5' to meet Ontario frost depth, but frame in the walls with 2"x4," 24"OC. I'll bolt the corners of the walls together in a modular type method so when I have the time and money to pour a concrete floor, I'll be able to remove the sections and reinstall later on.

This view is from inside the garage looking at the wall that separates the main garage and the lean-to:

As you can see, there are two people doors into the lean-to and a people door into the alleyway. The big garage door is out of frame to the left. Eventually I want the wall straight ahead removed so this would open up into the lean-to. Hence the need for a beam to support the weight of the roof.

NedNorton · Sep 18, 2015

Re: mefast's Garage Build

mefast said:
Does anyone know the best way to calculate loads for a beam? I'd like to remove the center wall between the lean-to and the main garage area. Obviously I'll install a solid footing and uprights to support the beam. I like the idea of using a 26' wooden I-beam and cutting it to length as needed.

Yet again, any advice is accepted.

Normally I am a back of the napkin kind of guy for rough calcs but in the instance, it pays to have a structural engineer spec what you need. You have to take into account lots of variables. Just a few being dead load, span, uplift and shear. They should be able to tell you what you need for the cost of an hour or two of their time. Well worth it.

Keep up the great work.

Subscribed for updates!

Cheers,
Chris

mefast · Oct 5, 2015

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

We've chosen to leave the lean-to for the winter time and focus on prepping the main area for when the snow starts to fly.

I was able to get some paint on the new plywood wall:

After doing that, we organized the stuff in the garage, got the benches back in and mounted the kitchen cabinets:

I ran out of white paint, but did enough to be able to mount the cabinets. The kitchen cabinets are also going to get painted black and chrome on the outside to match my tool box. Was also able to mount another florescent light over the tool box. The lockers and benches will also get black paint at some point too.

mefast · Oct 9, 2015

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

NedNorton said:
Normally I am a back of the napkin kind of guy for rough calcs but in the instance, it pays to have a structural engineer spec what you need. You have to take into account lots of variables. Just a few being dead load, span, uplift and shear. They should be able to tell you what you need for the cost of an hour or two of their time. Well worth it.

Keep up the great work.

Subscribed for updates!

Cheers,
Chris

Chris,

I'm also thinking it would be a good idea to get someone in the field to calculate it for me. I am an engineer, but an automotive one (similar to mechanical, but with vehicle specialization). The civil engineers will likely know what variables to leave in and which ones to ignore. Also, where I live, we can get a pretty good dumping of snow, so I wouldn't want to wake up to a caved in building. My fiance and I already had the 'pleasure' of waking up to a caved in above ground pool this summer. Luckily no one was in the pool at the time and the pump was shut off, meaning no one was hurt nor any damage to the expensive parts. The trees just got to drink 15,000 gal of salt water. Since then we've taken the pool structure (or what was left of it) down and a neighbour purchased the pump, salt machine, filter and ladder. Now there's a weird curved deck overlooking a circular sand area. Anyways, enough rambling on that story, but I will be sure to approach the garage differently.

mefast · Oct 9, 2015

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

I've been having a issue keeping the images working, but I will try to keep uploading them if they go bad.

Here is the main reason to get the garage to be a nice safe spot. To store my 2012 Mustang:

View media item 76531
It's only a V6, but still quick enough for me.

As for garage updates, I don't have any. Been fighting the well going dry this week and working OT, so my time has been limited. This weekend I get both Saturday and Sunday off (a big deal for me even though I have to work the holiday Monday), so I'd like to get a good chunk of progress. After calling the building center yesterday, it sounds like the new main garage door will be coming in 2 weeks. That should make the front of the garage a lot more appealing until I'm able to go at the lean-to (next year).

jbmatth · Oct 10, 2015

Re: mefast's Garage Build

Foster,
Your garage has plenty of potential and you are making some good progress on it. I'm sure you are really glad to have been able to use the spray foam and hopefully it'll really help out with the crazy temps ya'll get up there. That little Mustang is sharp looking and with 305hp from a 3.7L and still able to get close to 30 mpg I don't think you have anything to complain about. I'd second the thought to have a qualified engineer look at the beam to replace the lean to wall and hopefully it'll work out for you as I know I won't be able to in my setup without spending way more than it is worth. To really cut down on the size of the beam you could use steel and have one or two columns that would significantly cut down on the required beam size. Keep it up and I'll be tagging along.
JB

mefast · Oct 12, 2015

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

jbmatth said:
Foster,
Your garage has plenty of potential and you are making some good progress on it. I'm sure you are really glad to have been able to use the spray foam and hopefully it'll really help out with the crazy temps ya'll get up there. That little Mustang is sharp looking and with 305hp from a 3.7L and still able to get close to 30 mpg I don't think you have anything to complain about. I'd second the thought to have a qualified engineer look at the beam to replace the lean to wall and hopefully it'll work out for you as I know I won't be able to in my setup without spending way more than it is worth. To really cut down on the size of the beam you could use steel and have one or two columns that would significantly cut down on the required beam size. Keep it up and I'll be tagging along.
JB

JB,
Thanks for reading my thread. I'm still not sure about the beam, but a professional will have to be involved to do it correctly. We started working on reframing the back wall this weekend and I really don't trust the previous owner(s) construction of the lean to (I'll post pictures later on).

As for the spray foam, I can already feel the improvement in temperature. Putting the two new people doors on have really helped with drafts as well. I can't wait to get the new garage door installed as I'm sure there's a lot of heat lost (or gained) with the current one.

The Mustang goes when I want it to, but can also be thrifty on gas. I've had it out to the local drag strip a couple times with a best time of 14.02 @ 99 MPH. At autocross, it finished mid-pack, so I was happy with that too. Need to work more on the driver compared to the car on that though. Not bad for a stock vehicle that's averaging 8.7l/100 km (~29 MPG) on my daily commute to and from work.

Hopefully by the end of the day, the metal will be completed on the alleyway wall and I'll have something worth showing.

Is it possible to change the name of threads? When working this weekend, there was a 2 of Clubs stuck to the bottom of one of the floorboards and I thought that it would be an appropriate name for the garage.

jbmatth · Oct 13, 2015

Re: mefast's Garage Build

To change the name of your thread you'll have to contact an admin, I know I've seen it done before, but all of the previous comments will still have this title rather than the new title. I'm a fan of the newer Mustangs and Camaros with the V6 engines, just over 300 hp and close to your 8.7l/100km mark. You have the modern lines of the classic cars we have all longed for but with modern technology, comfort, and convenience, what more could you ask for.
JB

mefast · Feb 22, 2016

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't updated this in a while. I've been working on the property, but don't have any major updates. The garage housed my Mustang for the winter. However, with the garden tractor inside as well, there wasn't enough room to house my fiance's truck or my old beater. Since spring is just around the corner, we're trying to plan where to put our funds for this year. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to focus on the garage, but I have been planning the build all winter. It would be ideal to get a proper foundation set up (at least pole barn style) for the lean-to and electrical upgraded for both the house and garage. Both of those will be completed only if there's funds available. The more practical project this year will be to open up the wall between the main garage area and the lean-to. After talking with the local hardware store, it seems like it will be easy to frame in an 8 ft x 8 ft opening. I already have the lumber and just need the time to complete it. I'd like to put in two of these openings which would leave only about 2 x 2 ft section walls at the front and rear of the garage as well as about a 4 ft 'pillar' between the openings. I think this would do the trick for now, allowing the tractor and attachments to be stored in the lean-to or even my old truck if needed.

Since I have an office job, I'm considering converting the back corner of the lean-to into a gym area. Similar to the other upgrades, that will depend on cost.

mefast · Feb 24, 2016

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

After looking through my photos, I did realize I forgot to post up some of the late fall progress. The wall between the lean-to and the alleyway was completed:

That old 'framing' was a pain to tear down and we unearthed the weirdest combination of flooring I've ever seen in a garage: carpet, plastic vapour barrier, plastic shelves, laminated wood from a semi trailer, welded metal grates and a large void underneith. All that remains is the grates and hole, but once I can afford a couple loads of gravel that will disappear:

Next phase was the new garage door! I love it! It's insulated, seals at all sides and even had windows. Of course the biggest improvement over the old door is a working opener (and a fancy shaft style one at that):

Now with the main area of the garage cleaned up and it sealed it, it's actually been a pretty good workspace and storage area (photo taken before the garage door was installed):

mefast · Feb 24, 2016

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

Here's what I've been up to all winter, besides just trying to survive the odd storm:

Most of these are honey do jobs. The first was to install a new sink, which involved cutting the stone countertop. You should have seen the dust, but unfortunately I don't have any pictures of it in that state as I was too busy cleaning and getting cursed out from using a grinder. It did a good job cutting and I'm very happy with the outcome:

Next job was to install a new stacking washer and dryer. Of course in order to do so, I had to fix the previous owners terrible plumbing, install a GFCI outlet above the sink and reroute the dryer ducting. Those parts I knew about, even though they should have been prior. What I didn't know was that the 220VAC cord wouldn't reach. After finishing plumbing, venting and two electrical outlets, it turned out pretty well:

Finally, the last job on my list was to replace the pond pump and garden hose with a proper sump pump. All in all this was the most straight forward job with only one missing piece of pipe that I had to go get. I made sure to install a GFCI outlet here as well. I'd never done a sump pump install before, but I've tested it and heard it kick on a bit with the recent snow melting and it seems to be holding together and doing the job so far. The one area I wasn't sure about was the check valve placement. It's near the pump with about a 6" chunk of pipe below it:

We also had mother nature throw a job our way when one of our pear trees got snapped over in a wind storm. To make good from a bad situation, my fiance took cuttings and we made up this growing rack:

The greenhouse on the property (like a lot of other things), was not properly cared for by the previous owners. As funds allow, we'll be repairing that as well. We have plans to move it away from the rear of the garage and if we do, I have a plan to hopefully make the alleyway into a drive shed of sorts. Hopefully more on that in the future.

jbmatth · Feb 25, 2016

Re: 2 Of Clubs Garage Restoration

You haven't been letting any grass grow under your feet that is for sure. Keep it up and keep us informed of the happenings.
JB

mefast · Apr 18, 2016

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

I made some decent progress, but no pictures at the moment. Managed to open up the interior wall with an 8' x 8' opening. Now the lawn tractor can be parked out of the way and wife's truck can be parked inside. With the temperature warming up outside I've dusted off the Mustang and have been daily driving it again. Feels so good to be back in it. Although if everything goes right in the garage, hopefully someday I'll have the time and money to fix my old beater truck into a daily driver.

mefast · Nov 6, 2016

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

It's been far too long since I've posted on here. Unfortunately, in that time, there hasn't been a lot of progress on the garage. This past spring we upgraded the house furnace and A/C. This was especially important because not only was it one of the hottest summer's on record around here, but my fiance had to endure it while being pregnant.

Although with the nice new upgrades, the insurance company wanted the oil tank and furnace out of the house. So our neighbour (he's a licensed oil tank installer) helped us get it functioning in the garage.

Here is the tank in place:
View media item 76527
Apparently I forgot to take a picture with the furnace installed. Since my phone battery is low, I'll end my post here, but this week I'll get some more photos to post up.

runt262 · Nov 7, 2016

Re: 2 Of Clubs Garage Restoration

First time that I have seen your garage! Great looking building. Great looking property too. How many acres did the house come with?

Are you still debating on taking the wall down and supporting the roof in a different way? What would be the purpose and benefit of the extra space? You could just create a pretty large doorway into the new space, and keep the wall up. Keep all your tools, or build a separate workshop from the main space. It could be a clean room, or even a dirty room, like a sandblasting area or something.

I completely understand the sentiment of "this garage is taking longer than I expected". Seems like every time you want to work on the garage, there is something on the house or something else to take your attention. Congrats on the upcoming dadhood.

mefast · Nov 7, 2016

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

runt262 said:
First time that I have seen your garage! Great looking building. Great looking property too. How many acres did the house come with?

Are you still debating on taking the wall down and supporting the roof in a different way? What would be the purpose and benefit of the extra space? You could just create a pretty large doorway into the new space, and keep the wall up. Keep all your tools, or build a separate workshop from the main space. It could be a clean room, or even a dirty room, like a sandblasting area or something.

I completely understand the sentiment of "this garage is taking longer than I expected". Seems like every time you want to work on the garage, there is something on the house or something else to take your attention. Congrats on the upcoming dadhood.

Hello Runt,
Thank you for checking out my garage thread and the positive encouragement for our son. The property is 4.7 acres and feel bigger than that this time of year since the farmers have taken the surrounding crops off.

I've decided to leave the wall in place, but added an 8 ft opening (ends up being about 7.5 ft due to the jack studs) about 2ft from the front wall of the garage. I'll get a photo of this though. Eventually I'd like to do a second 8 ft opening roughly the same distance from the back wall. After cutting the concrete lip on the ground, I've been able to park the garden tractor in that side of the garage along with the oil tank and furnace (pictured above, but I'll get an updated picture). This means my fiance's truck and my Jeep can fit in the main part of the garage.

Oh! By the way, I bought a 2016 Jeep 75th Anniversary Edition:

The goal for the back section of the lean to would be a home gym area and storage for our summer/winter tires depending on the season.

Most of the yard tools got hung on the back wall now, so that's one less mess, but I still want to hang up the weed eater and its attachments. Yet again, I'll get a photo of this.

Aiming to get the photos taken and posted this week, but as you said sometimes things take longer than planned. Trying to repair some mold damage in my fiance's closet before the baby arrives, so we'll see how the week goes...

jbmatth · Nov 14, 2016

Re: 2 Of Clubs Garage Restoration

Congrats on the little one on the way, you just think things take long now! Awesome that you now have heat in the garage, mornings like today make me wish for heat, but oh well. Also I like the JKU, my wife picked one up this summer 75th anniversary, and Sahara package. It is very nice and fun for sure.
JB

mefast · Dec 23, 2016

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

Well, so much for being able to post up pictures quickly. On Nov. 8th, this little guy arrived:
View media item 76736
Since then our world has revolved around him. The next two weeks I'm off of work, so hopefully I will make some progress worth noting.

To anyone that might be following along to my random and not frequent enough posts, thank you. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful start to 2017.

Bib Overalls · Dec 23, 2016

Re: 2 Of Clubs Garage Restoration

mefast said:
I've decided to leave the wall in place, but added an 8 ft opening (ends up being about 7.5 ft due to the jack studs) about 2ft from the front wall of the garage. I'll get a photo of this though. Eventually I'd like to do a second 8 ft opening roughly the same distance from the back wall.

Smart. I have a 30' x 40' and that is plenty of room for my projects. However, I am running out of wall. Shelving, lockers, and machines line every available inch and I am looking for a way to accommodate more. Leaving that section of wall in place will eventually have a payback. Trust me.

Bob Heine · Dec 23, 2016

Re: 2 Of Clubs Garage Restoration

mefast said:
Well, so much for being able to post up pictures quickly. On Nov. 8th, this little guy arrived:

Since then our world has revolved around him. The next two weeks I'm off of work, so hopefully I will make some progress worth noting.

To anyone that might be following along to my random and not frequent enough posts, thank you. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful start to 2017.

We'll be here whenever you have time to post but enjoy your time with your son. You'll be surprised how fast they grow up. Your son shares my daughter's birthday just 54 years apart.

jbmatth · Dec 27, 2016

Re: 2 Of Clubs Garage Restoration

Congrats on the little one, he will certainly change your pace on projects, but they are well worth it once you have them trained to do the mundane tasks like mowing and dishes so you can play a little more.
JB

mefast · Feb 20, 2017

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

Bib, Bob and JB,

Thank you all for the words of encouragement! As expected, I haven't posted too much lately. I have been following along with the Woodworking 101 thread http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=344153, which has got me buying more tools lately.

Here's some photos I've been neglecting to post up.

Here's the lean-to opening with the garden tractor in its new home:

View media item 68343
I've changed my mind a bit, but I think it will eventually turn into a gym area and tire storage.

Within that area, here is the oil furnace and tank (ignore the clutter):

View media item 67554
Here is the tool wall at the back of the main area:

View media item 68344
Finally, here is the terrible framing I uncovered yesterday:

View media item 68342
How is that header supposed to carry a load? Glad that I found it and it will be replaced with a proper header like I did for the furnace area.

Thanks to anyone following along to my ramblings. Hopefully I can become more regular with this.

jbmatth · Feb 21, 2017

Re: 2 Of Clubs Garage Restoration

I like the saw and the scythes are very cool, I need to keep a look out for some of them around here. As for the framing is that a load bearing wall? If not it is still ugly but as been functional this long,I would still change it though.
JB

mefast · Feb 21, 2017

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

jbmatth said:
I like the saw and the scythes are very cool, I need to keep a look out for some of them around here. As for the framing is that a load bearing wall? If not it is still ugly but as been functional this long,I would still change it though.
JB

JB, the saw came from an antiques barn (he threw it in for free because we were buying so much), the brush/shorter scythe came from a local hardware store and the other one I bought at an auction for $2 about 15 years ago. The scythes work, but the longer one needs a new handle. These old tools are around and best found at estate sales or next of kin clearing out old barns. I'd love to start collecting axes.

As for the framing, I believe it's a load bearing wall, but maybe only partial. From what I've uncovered behind the mixmatch plywood/obs/mdf/scrap pieces, it looks like it was the original outside wall of the garage. Since the lean-to was added on, the wall helps take some of the load for where the main area trusses and lean-to joists connect. Even if poor framing can do the job, I'd like to frame it in correctly and be able to sleep at night. Makes me wonder what other quick fixes might have been done around the property....

jbmatth · Feb 22, 2017

Re: 2 Of Clubs Garage Restoration

It is always scary to uncover what others have thought was a brilliant fix. I'm sure when I'm long gone or have moved out someone will see what I've done and shake their heads in disbelief. On the other hand I plan to live forever even if that means my head in a glass jar with wires to a Robo Cop body. That is my plan and I plan to stick to it. LOL

JB

mefast · Sep 5, 2017

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

I finally have some progress worth noting.

Earlier in the summer, my dad gave me a hand hanging the new metal on the lean to side of the garage. To hopefully keep rodents out or at least detered, we trenched the side and put mesh down into the ground:

View media item 74377
The posts looked good and we were able to clean out a lot of the animal destroyed insulation and dear knows what else. I didn't take an after photo of the new metal with Tyvek underneith. I'll try to snap one later on this week.

Not long ago, my neighbours cut the hay off:

View media item 74378
Not too bad for having less than 5 acres. I've also been collecting vintage (1950's) Beaver tools:

View media item 74379
This past weekend I went at filling in the lean to floors. Here is the 24 tonnes of gravel:

View media item 74380
I had to remove the metal ramp flooring, buried rail road ties, then started filling in with the gravel:

View media item 74381
View media item 74382
View media item 74383
I still have a bunch more gravel to move, but it's coming along. My plan is to add rubber stall mats on top of the gravel for the time being as concrete isn't in the budget. Maybe in 5 years...

jbmatth · Nov 3, 2017

Re: 2 Of Clubs Garage Restoration

I know this is a late reply, but I like the progression nonetheless. Keep at it and you'll have it ready before you know it.
JB

mefast · Nov 5, 2017

Re: Foz Farm Restoration

JB,
Thanks for checking in. It's good to hear from you. I've really loved keeping up with your adventures.

All,
Sorry yet again for the lack of progress updates. Even with 2 weeks off for my pat leave, I barely stepped foot in the garage let alone made progress on it or the other items in it.

However, I have been making an effort to go back over some of my old posts and re-upload the photos. I'm slow going with this as I'm using my cell phone, as I rarely use an actual computer anymore. Did I mention that free time has been at a premium :dunno:

The gravel did get put into the garage, rubber matting got installed in one of the rooms then everything taking up space got pack in. So much stuff that I'm embaressed to take a photo until it's a bit more organized.

I do have a question for anyone that ever used a rear box scraper to smooth a laneway. How the heck do you operate it to avoid washboard?

It did a decent job at getting rid of the big piles, but then gave me a very bad (although very consistent) washboard. Eventually I just got frustrated and hand raked it as smooth as possible. Any tips are welcome.

mefast · Dec 19, 2019

Hi everyone. This is a very long overdue post. Amazing that it's been over 2 years since I last added anything to this.

First off, we've added another member to our family and both kids have been growing like weeds:

View media item 99420
For a long time, I've been dealing with depression. It's been tough times and on everyone in our family. I've been getting professional help and it seems to be working. That is my main driver to getting this thread going again. Time to get back to being interested in hobbies and happiness again.

The garage hasn't changed too much unfortunately. My outlook on it has though. It's a good place to store a couple vehicles and some tools. Beyond that it starts to have limitations of ceiling height, space for working in, etc. That is why this thread has been updated to represent the whole property.

The new plan is to start a mixed farm. That will require a much larger barn (likely around 48'x 60'-72'), hopefully a chicken coop and fencing in the yard. Those structures will help fuel the long term plan of quitting my desk job and farming full time.

I do have some updates though.

Here's another picture of the family (my baby momma and partner in crime, Sam, and our two kids, Logan and Hazel):

View media item 99417
This past summer we harvested our first crop of grapes. Part of the mixed farm plan will be a small vineyard and orchard, which are both growing. The livestock (hopefully eventually chickens, cows and goats) and row crop vegetables will be the long term plan. Here's our yield:

View media item 99419
Finally, Sam bought a new mower and snow blower this fall. It's a Kubota F2690. In our first test run of grass mowing we cut our time down to 5 hours instead of 8-9 hours with our old garden tractor. Ideally we'll get faster as we get used to the machine. Here's Sam running it:

View media item 99418
That's all I have for today. I'll aim to fix some of the broken photo links in the old posts in the upcoming weeks and keep this thread moving forward. Thanks for reading.

ZRX61 · Dec 19, 2019

mefast said:
For a long time, I've been dealing with depression. It's been tough times and on everyone in our family. I've been getting professional help and it seems to be working. That is my main driver to getting this thread going again. Time to get back to being interested in hobbies and happiness again.

Garage related hobbies are a great aid in dealing with depression. I find losing myself in the garage for a few hours to be very therapeutic... especially if it's restoring old tools. :thumbup:

In related news: Chopping a couple of cords of firewood is great for dealing with anger issues & as an added bonus, it's productive.

jbmatth · Dec 20, 2019

Nice to see you back again, I agree with ZEX61, just staying busy in the shop really seems to help my overall health. Congrats on the growing family and farm, I'm still here watching so please keep us updated.

JB

mefast · Dec 20, 2019

Thank you ZRX61 and JB for the words of encouragement!

ZRX61, I agree about cutting wood. Also moving the wood pile or picking stones from a field is also a good way to cure a hangover and build some character, at least that's what I learned growing up.

I'm hoping with some vacation for the next 2 weeks I'll have some QST and in turn something worth reporting on.

If I don't get a post up before it happens, Merry Christmas everyone and happy New Year. I'm looking forward to 2020.

Bob Heine · Dec 20, 2019

Good to see you back and happy you are working on your depression issues. I lost my brother to depression so I know it's a serious issue. I think the key is to find those things that break the cycle and then find ways to spend more time doing those things. Kids also help a whole lot.

Don't feel pressure to post but do post if it helps. A lot of us here on GJ would like to help if you let us know what's working and what's not.

mefast · Dec 20, 2019

Thank you Bob!

Having support is key and I appreciate the family that is here, which is part of why I'm back. I've also realized that I never read through your thread, which is one of the things I've started doing since frequenting GJ again. I'll post up once I reach the end (just don't hold your breath for me to finish soon because you have quite the impressive read going :bowdown:

).

Same for you JB, I'm trying to get back to the end of yours, but still quite the read ahead of me.

As you have both said before, spending time with our kids is key, so I don't want to spend my nights starring at my phone or computer while they run around. Otherwise it would look like a bomb went off in our house and that's after cleaning what they immediately got into. Did I mention they're at a busy age? :headscrat

The garage is in much more disarray than the house though. Don't expect any new photos of it until I thoroughly tidy it. Assuming everything goes to plan, that will be Monday's job.

Until then, I appreciate the kind words and aim to post progress when possible. Thanks!

mefast · Dec 26, 2019

Hello, everyone. Finally getting around to posting this. Got into some small projects between celebrating Christmas with the kids on the 24th and going to my parents most of the day yesterday.

Here is Sam finishing off our garbage bin to hopefully deter critters:

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We also started getting new lights up on the front of the garage. I hope to have more progress on this by the end of my holidays. Our property is not fenced (yet) and we're close enough to Lake Erie that we get lots of different species coming through. Usually raccoons, opossums, skunks, deer, coywolves, and feral cats however seen foxes, mink/martens and muskrats. Anyways, here's the one new light:

View media item 99614
Also rearranged some stuff in the garage and will continue to work on the 2+ years of clutter this break:

View media item 99616
That's all for now. Slow progress, but progress.

Bighead38 · Dec 26, 2019

Little mixed farm sounds pretty cool.

'Foz Farm Restoration'

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