...and so it begins

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Hi 4XFord
I like the view out your porthole. You have a nice clean look on the exhaust. Keep us posted when done. How are you going to adhere the hammered paint. Would you use a primer and if so which one. Will you just do a thin coat or lay it on for a real deep hammered look?

Now that I know what your build looks I will be able to locate you quicker for that BBQ and golden elixirs

 

[fourbyford]

I made the improved version of the wall thimble from 20 ga. galvi so I'm not concerned about corrosion... the area where I cleaned up the weld was relatively minor... so I just cleaned the steel with acetone and sprayed. No primer. I've used the Rustoleum hammered paint both with primer (Rustoleum red oxide) and without and have had excellent results both ways. The paint is very durable. I apply it fairly heavy, I like the hammered effect.
I keep a supply of steaks in the freezer so I only need a bit of notice to be able to fire up the barbie... although, if you might catch me by surprise, we might just have to pass the time it takes for steaks to thaw by having a few of the elixirs you mention! You're welcome any time!

So, today was back to cutting and threading pipe for the gas supply. I'm actually on the home stretch with this thing. It's amazing what you can get done when you have the time to focus!

 

[fourbyford]

Here are the tools I use to cut and thread pipe. Yep, there are motorized versions but (a) they're expensive and I dont do enough of this to justify the expense and (b) I get a certain satisfaction from working with hand tools. Hmmm... sort of like machining... I ran cnc machines for years and they do have their place but, given the choice, I'll use manual machines any day. But, I digress...

I'll take a few minutes to explain the process for any of you who haven't worked with pipe. For those who have, feel free to skip ahead... lol.

The first thing I do is position a couple of fittings and measure between them to determine the length of pipe I need to cut. I measure to the outside of the raised "flanges" on the fittings. The pipe I'm using is commonly referred to as "black iron" pipe, although it's actually made of steel. Point being, you cant use galvanized pipe for gas lines. The line I'm running is 1/2" diameter. I take the dimension I've measured and add 1" to it to allow for the amount that threads into each fitting... approximately 1/2" per side with 1/2" pipe. Then, using the pipe cutter, cut the pipe to length. Once cut, I take the pipe to the belt sander (Kalamazoo 2" x 48") and slightly chamfer the end. This makes it easier for the die to grab hold. I like these "zero flute" countersinks... they give a nice clean cut with no chatter. Keep rpms low and use good feed pressure. We just need to remove the debris and any rough edges on the ID of the pipe by creating a slight chamfer. Now, the pipe is ready to thread.

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[fourbyford]

So, I grab my vintage die stock, complete with the new die I recently bought... and the OIL. When I first got into machining, an old machinist told me "people think these machines run on electricity and that's not entirely true... they run on oil." Same with thread cutting tools... they run on oil... lots of it. So... put a good amount of oil on each segment of the die... and a bit on the pipe for good measure. I'll just mention that it really helps to have something on the floor thats impervious to oil before you start this operation... it gets messy! Then, start turning the die stock... righty tighty... I normally stop after each half-turn and back the die stock off about a quarter turn to break the chip. Then, back to cutting... breaking the chip every half-turn. Once you've cut the thread about half way, it's a good idea to turn the die stock all the way off the pipe... to clear all the chips from the cutter and... to add more oil. Use care when restarting the die on the pipe... make sure you "pick up" the thread. Keep cutting until you can see the pipe/threads in the end of the die. You're done! I clean the threads with a wire brush and wipe the oil from the pipe and threads with a rag. Careful! The threads are SHARP! Next, I use a "store bought" fitting to check the threads. Then, coat the threads with pipe thread sealant and assemble. Tighten with a pipe wrench. Then, on to the next one.

Pipe "*******" under 12" in length are available in 1/2" increments and aren't terribly expensive. Saves a lot of work!

I think I only need to cut and thread one more length of pipe tomorrow to finish this portion of the install. Then, I'll connect the propane cylinders.

I just might get this done!

...D

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[fourbyford]

...and speaking of the wall thimble... I found some fiberglass insulation to fill the "air gap" I created while leaving the actual air gap created by the wall thimble unmolested...

I'll get this installed tomorrow as well!

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[fourbyford]

I think I mis-spoke when I said pipe ******* under 12" are available in 1/2" increments... I think it's under 6"... from 6" - 12", they're available in inch (or two) increments. At any rate, it's pretty easy to find pre-cut pieces to make up whatever length you might need. Many times, you can complete a job using off-the-shelf parts. When I lived in Wyoming, I lived about 6 blocks from an Ace Hardware... while I was installing my air lines, I would measure the parts I needed and run to the hardware where they cut and threaded the parts I needed... at that time, it wasn't all that expensive. No matter how carefully I planned, it seemed I always forgot something... about 5 or six trips to the store and I finally got that job finished. Considering the drive I have to make to find civilization, that approach just wont work for me here... thus, the necessity of cutting and threading the pipe myself. Its actually an enjoyable process. Once I finish the heater install, I have a bit left to finish the installation of my air lines. Then, I'll put the pipe tools away for the time being. They'll come out again when I start working on the garage extension.

...D

 

[drivesitfar]

4by: i'm watching, reading and learning cause I'm pretty sure I'll need to run a gas line around my house to make a gas fireplace. I personally like wood burning, but gas is easy and my bride likes to be able to just flip a switch.

I was going to ask if you were using teflon tape and happy you showed us that you are using pipe thread sealant that you brush on. i'm guessing that is better and probably the direction i'll go too.

nice tip about the hardware store cause I'm pretty sure our Home Depot has the pipe threader so i can have the pieces of black pipe cut and threaded there. I agree most plumbing projects require at lest 3 or more trips to the store hence me having several cabinets full of plumbing and electrical supplies now to maybe avoid that.

keep up the great work and again STAY WARM while you are getting your heat installed.

cheers

 

[fourbyford]

Hey Drives,
We're actually having a warm-up... I'm reluctant to say it out loud but, looks like spring may be on the way???

Yep, if you're close to the H.D. they'll cut and thread the pipe for you... easy peasy! I'm using 1/2" pipe because I'm only running about 15 feet... I think the flow will be fine. If you have much distance involved, you may need to step up th 3/4". There are charts on the interwebs to help you with this.

We have a wood stove in our dining room that heats most of the original part of the house. I like wood heat and the best part of it is that the wood stove doesn't stop working when the power goes out... some winters outages can be somewhat frequent. I also like that I can cut my own wood... and at the same time, clean up various parts of our place. The bad thing about burning wood is that it produces a LOT of dust. There is an open fireplace in the "new" part of the house. I tried using that the first winter i was here... dang near froze to death... lol. My misses wants an insert... before this next winter. And, she wants gas as well. We looked at a few and i think she's already figured out which one she wants... remote control and all! You know what they always say... happy wife... and if the guy cant sleep at night... too dang bad... hahaha
I have to admit that i won't miss the dust and debris in the living room. The insert she likes will still operate without power, although without the blower. And, our woodstove will keep the whole house from freezing.
So, I guess, this fall, I'll have that to look forward to as well.

Anyways, I think I read that your weather is clearing and warmer too??
You'll be planing lumber before you know!!

Cheers!
...D

 

[fourbyford]

Awesome day today! Mid 40's and sunshine!

I hadn't made the trek to the pond recently so thought I should check on the water level. Last summer was pretty hot and dry... by late September, the water level was down about 4 feet. Pleasant surprise! The level is up significantly... another few inches of water and we'll be at the overflow stage. One of these years, I want to build a cistern to store the overflow so we can use it to irrigate the garden later in the season... so many projects!

I actually finished with the gas supply line today! One thing I needed to figure out was how to locate the hole on the outside of the building for the gas line. So, I measured the center line (above the girt) of the fitting I needed to connect and drilled that dimension into a scrap of 2x material.

The idea is that the "guide block" would slip behind the post and into the corner while holding the pilot drill at the correct height above the girt. Worked like a charm!

Then, I took my hole saw outside and quickly cut the hole for the pipe.

A few minutes later and the final joint inside the building was complete.

Another quick cut and thread job and the supply line was complete outside the building where the propane cylinders will live.

I started working on mounting the regulator... ran into a bit of a snag. I can't believe i dont have any 8-32 machine screws handy. (required to mount the regulator to the bracket) I did find a couple that i can shorten... will look for more tomorrow and have a plan for the mount. Getting closer by the day! I'll call the propane company tomorrow with the hope they can come out early next week. Can't wait!!
...D

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[drivesitfar]

4by: happy to hear you are getting some of the sunshine that blessed us the last week.

I'm guessing that first picture is of your pond with snow on the ice?

looks like you are making nice progress on your gas line and was the pipe vise big enough or did you end up using clamps or other things?

you should be warm in your shop/garage/barn next year and won't that be a good thing.

cheers and keep doing what you do.

 

[fourbyford]

Hey Drives,
Yep, snow and ice... but melting now! So far, we've had a pretty mild winter. If the trend holds, we'll be seeing spring soon. I probably shouldn't be getting my hopes up but, with as nice as it has been, it's hard not to.

We waged a battle on the cat tails in the pond last summer. We got rid of about three quarters of them by spraying... waiting a few weeks for that to work, and then burning as they were dieing off. I'm hoping it will be warm enough that I can spray before I head out. Dont know if you noticed the "dingy" on the far bank of the pond... we got that to help with clean up/maintenance. I could only spray out about 15 or 20 feet from the bank... the misses and I tried to use an inflatable that she had bought a couple of summers prior. So, the two of us and a back pack sprayer in a "boat" a bit bigger than a large bath tub. I was trying to row us along the edges of the cat tails while keeping the sprayer pumped up... her job was to sit in the front of the "boat" and operate the spray wand... oh yeah... and tell me everything I was doing wrong. We were lucky we didn't capsize! Actually, it was pretty comical. Wish there was some way we could've had a video! Anyways, a couple hours after that adventure, I went on the interwebs and found the dingy... pretty reasonable and delivered to our door. Now, spraying and clearing some of the unwanted vegetation will be pretty simple!

The pipe vise is absolutely AWESOME!!! I honestly dont know how I've lived without one! I've used it far more than I ever thought I would. And, not just for cutting/threading pipe. I've used it to hold a variety of objects for cross drilling, or whatever. The clamps you might have seen are there to clamp the vise to the temporary top on my temporary work bench. The "bench" frame is from where I used to work. It was a work table they were getting rid of... the top that was on it was 3/4" particle board and was trash, so I got rid of it. I threw a 4 x 8 sheet of 3/4" ply on top just so I would have some place to work. I dont really want to drill holes into the ply since its temporary. At some point, I will "overhaul" the bench. I want to cut the frame down to about 3' x 7' with the top cut to match. That will fit in my space much better. The final top will be a sheet of 3/8" plate... I will reinforce the frame so that the plate will be adequate for what I need to do. Once I get that far, I want to figure out a clever pattern to drill a series of holes (drilled and tapped... the plate will be doubled up in the corner where I want to do this) so that I can quickly and easily mount various vises/ fixtures on the front left corner of the bench, depending on the task at hand. But, for now, the bench worked and the vise was a God-send. I remember helping my dad cut pipe back in the "old days" ... one of us would try to hold the pipe in a pipe wrench while the other would cut, thread, or whatever. He grew up during the depression and was never one to waste money on "frivolous " things... like a pipe (or any kind) vise.

Today, I'll get my vent pushed through the wall and get that whole thing buttoned up... and, set and connect the propane cylinders. I'm about to call the propane company to see if they'll come out Monday or Tuesday! Have a few maintenance items to get done on my truck before I head out as well... will be great to work in a warm garage!

Cheers!
...D

 

[Pressingonward]

Your shop is coming along nicely. That's beautiful country out there; I bet you're excited to move in full-time.

I'm sure it was a lot of extra work to pull the osb back off and add more insulation, but I think it will be well worth it in the long run. I'm really wanting to get my shop fully enclosed, insulated, and heated.

 

[drivesitfar]

4by: glad to hear the old Reed pipe vise is working out for you. it sure is nice to have the right tool for the right job.

if you remember to take a few pictures whenever you think something is interesting whether it be turkeys or how you frame in a project do and then post them up if you like or have time cause some of the stuff you do is not easy and the younger generation doesn't get the shop time or parents teaching them as much now.

take care and STAY WARM.

 

[fourbyford]

I actually didn't get to work in my shop yesterday. Had to go to the big city... my misses had been away visiting family and I had to pick her up at the airport. And, I was able pick up the remaining few odd bits I needed to FINALLY finish the install of the heater.

Busy day today. Ryan, one of the service techs from the local propane company, showed up this morning at 8:30. Ordinarily, this wouldn't have too big of a deal... but I had a few things to get done before he arrived. So, my day began at 5:30.

A couple days ago, after I finished running the iron pipe for the gas supply, I built a device to pressurize the line and installed a gauge. Pumped the pressure to 35 psi. Checked this morning, still at 35 psi... so I'm pretty sure we can call that good! So, I removed the gauge and pressure cap and installed the flexible supply line between the ridgid plumbing and the heater. Also, wired up the thermostat. And, although I had run the wiring to the service panel, I hadn't actually connected it. That done, I went outside and installed the supply line from the regulator to the ridgid line. Just as Ryan drove up, I was starting on the propane conversion on the heater. Ryan was actually at our place to replace the regulators on our home system. They were well beyond the recommended replacement date. As Ryan was working on replacing the regs, I completed the conversion. It was actually pretty straight forward. I had to remove and replace the orifices in the burner assembly and replace some parts in the gas valve. We both finished our respective tasks at about the same time. Ryan connected a manometer to the gas valve on the heater and we fired it up. Much to my surprise, the reading was very close to the manufacturer's recommendation... close enough that no adjustment was needed.
So, after about 3 hours of steadily running, the heater brought the shop from 34° to 62°... WE HAVE HEAT!!
My shop is a bit under 1,200 s/f but, I have a high ceiling/loft, so a lot of cubic feet... and, I have quite a bit of (cold) "iron" in my shop as well... a project truck, machinery, tools... etc... and, the concrete floor was cold as well. I thought 3 hours for that much of a temperature swing was actually pretty good. And, once everything inside warms up, I think it will be much more comfortable... today, I noticed "warm" and "cool" areas... depending on where I was standing. Humidity seemed pretty high as well. I'm sure, by morning, it will be very pleasant. As it was, a flannel shirt was comfortable... seemed nice not to need my Carhart and gloves while working... tomorrow should be even better!

Tomorrow's project will be to keep working on insulation and getting the walls closed up. Still have one light to wire in and need to run conduit for the 3 phase wiring for my lathe. Probably won't get all that done tomorrow but, should at least get more insulation... I'm liking this heat thing!

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[welder57]

Love the pictures, great work on the propane heater and all the plumbing required. Keep up the great work.

 

[fourbyford]

Thanks for stopping by!

...D

 

[drivesitfar]

4by: WOW!!! congrats on getting the heat to your garage!!

any chance you might have shot a picture of how you tested the new plumbing's pressure that stayed at 35 pounds overnight? i need to run some black pipe around my house for the new gas fireplace (mama wants it instead of wood) while i'm putting in water pipe for her new outside garden area and new sink.

if my weather yesterday hits you today you are in for a good one cause i bet it was almost 60 degrees here. it's pretty foggy so far today, but supposed to be mid 50's and sunny so we can hope.

have a great day and glad to hear you have heat in your garage now.

 

[Pressingonward]

I stole your sunrise picture for my phone's wallpaper, hope you don't mind

Nice job on the heater - looks great and I'm sure it feels great too

Now, on to the important things...what kind of lathe do you have?

 

[fourbyford]

Hey Drives... I did get a few pics for you...

In the first pic, you can see the 1/2" line as it comes through the wall. The installation manual said to install a "T" with a 1/2" to 1/8" NPT reducing bushing to allow a manometer to be installed to check the gas flow. As it worked out, the maker of the gas valve inside the heater wanted the flow check to be done via a port on the valve itself... which made sense to me. But, I wasn't sure where the service tech would want to check it so, I installed the "T" and a 1/8" plug. (we actually ended up checking the flow at the valve) I then installed a ball valve to shut off the gas supply near the heater should the need ever arise. In the pic, the flexible gas line is installed into the valve. But, I did the pressure check before this line was installed...

In the second pic, you can see a "T" and the reducing bushing and plug. The space between that and the cap/valve stem assembly is where the shut off valve would be, with the cap/valve stem threaded into the valve.

In pics 3 and 4, you can see the way the bushing, plug and "pressurizing assembly" are configured. I had a pressure gauge (temporarily robbed from one of my air filter/regulators) with a 1/8" NPT thread so I removed the plug from the bushing and installed the gauge at that location. I used teflon tape to seal the threads on the brass fittings. After the test, I removed the gauge and reinstalled the plug.

The pressurizing assembly is just a black iron pipe cap drilled to accept a threaded valve stem. Since I was going into the female end of the shutoff valve, I needed a short pipe ****** to make up the connection. If you look closely, you'll see that the ****** is galvanized. This was used for the pressure test only and was removed from the system once the test was complete.

This set up worked really well... it was easy to use an air chuck and watch the gauge to achieve the desired pressure. Once the line was pressurized, I closed the shut off valve... effectively removing the valve stem from the equation. Because I got busy, this actually sat for 2 1/2 days... with not the slightest drop in pressure. As I mentioned, once I was satisfied the line was good, I removed the gauge and installed the plug in the bushing, then removed the "pressurization assembly" and installed the flexible line to the heater. I'll also mention that I had a second ball shut off valve installed outside the building near the propane cylinders. This allowed me to test the assembly from valve to valve. All the flexible connections are checked with a liquid "leak detector" under gas pressure only.

Installing the valve stem in the cap is pretty straight forward once the hole in the cap is drilled...
Drilling the hole was a minor adventure... the iron drills easily but, as the drill is breaking through, the iron gets a bit "grabby"... especially with the larger sized drills. I ended up holding the cap with Vise Grips... setting that on a scrap of wood on the floor... stepping on the 'grips to hold it with my foot and drilled it with a hand drill. Heck of a way to go about it, but it worked. I thought about different ways to clamp it onto my drill press but... expedience... decided I wasn't making a part to go on the space shuttle... let's just git 'r done!

I'm thinking you'll be using 3/4" pipe when you do your install (depending on the btu of your fireplace and the distance) but, if you want to borrow this pressure set up, I'll sure 'nuff send it to you!

HTH

...D

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[fourbyford]

Hey Justin, thanks for the visit! Of course you can use the pic... I'm honored that you would want to!

The heater install was definitely worth it... was really nice to walk into a warm shop this morning. Everything had pretty much reached "room temperature "... and, the humidity was down. Very pleasant!

The lathe is a '70's vintage Summit... 16 x 60...
I would ordinarily think of a lathe that size as being a fairly nice size machine... but...
You should have seen the shop I bought it from... this thing looked like a toy compared to all the other machines on the floor. He had lathes 30" x 120" and larger... blocks of steel that you cant really even imagine chucked in them... Absolutely unreal...

I also have a '70's vintage Bridgeport Series II mill. Both of these have been sitting in packing crates for far too long. Cant wait to get them set up and running!

Couple more pics... if you're interested...

First one is coming home after checking the mail this afternoon

The rest are sunset pics off the back deck. Cant decide which one I like best. We dont often get a lot of "color" during sunrises/sets but, when we do, it can be spectacular.

I'll do some barn pics tomorrow

...D

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[Pressingonward]

Beautiful pics!

That's a nice sized lathe. I'm spoiled at work with a nice little Hardinge (not an HLV unfortunately, it's the model that doesn't do threading), but I've really been wanting one for my shop. Need to finish cleaning up first though so I have a spot for one...

 

[drivesitfar]

4by: "red sky at night sailor's delight" or at least that's how I remember that saying going. "red sky in the morning sailor's take warning" is the other end of it. not sure if 100% correct way to predict the weather, but i've heard that saying or at least in my mind for years.

funny how you say you drilled the hole in the top of the galvanized cap while in GET R DONE MODE. i'm guessing another brass ****** might have worked too if you had one handy?

thanks for the offer on the tool and maybe when i'm ready to do that project it might be time for a summer road trip for a weekend to Idaho instead of paying shipping. it might be cheaper to ship, but you might need a hand with something unless you are spending this summer in Wyoming.

anyway i'm very happy to hear you have heat and it's making me wonder why I don't in my little garage since I wired up a 220 plug for an electric heater close to 30 years ago.

have a great day and guessing it will be wet for you since it was pretty wet here last night.

take care and stay warm (lucky guy that made his own luck)

 

[fourbyford]

Hey Drives...
They do make electric versions of these heaters... since you already have 220v wired in, would be a pretty quick and easy install... especially since you wouldn't be hanging it under a sloped ceiling!
And, you're welcome here any time, although I'm afraid I'll be spending quite a bit of the summer in the land of big winds... (and this winter, big snows).

Thanks for the visit Justin... for both of us, the thought of getting our toys up and running is great motivation to keep on slogging through the chores!

...D

 

[fourbyford]

Sunny and warm today with a light breeze... in Wyoming terms... (the locals call it windy) it was a good day because my ladder did NOT get blown over a single time! Anyways, I've been meaning to fix a few nagging drips from my roof but always seem to have more important things to do.

Today was the day! I grabbed an extension ladder and went for it. Things had melted enough that I didn't even have to set the base of the ladder on ice...

When I initially went up, I knew of a couple of screws that had been mis-driven because I could see them from inside. I quickly found them... driven at almost a 45° angle... because on the first try, they completely missed the purlin. The angle was necessary in hopes of hitting actual wood. I lucked out because, a while back, I mentioned I was doubling up my purlins out of concern for the heavy snows we usually get. I removed the screws, put dabs of 100% silicone in the screw hole and drove the screws straight down into new wood... got lucky on those two! The rest of the roof was a chore. I literally had the driver on every screw on the back side of the roof. About 3 hours worth. I didn't count but, pretty sure I replaced about 75 screws with longer ones to get purchase into the purlins. A few screws were never driven to the correct depth to begin with... which of course, leaked. Trying to tighten those screws only resulted them spinning in the holes. So, I removed them... applied the silicone and then drove in longer screws. That approach worked on all but a couple. For those, I siliconed and then had to "fish around" with the screw until I could find solid wood.

I found several screws from when the shop was first built that had missed going into a purlin... so, they just left those... and covered the errant screw with another one. Friggin brilliant... I've read things from others of you that share my sentiments... Whenever something needs attention, my misses usually says... "let's call someone" It's having to clean up shoddy workmanship like this that makes me never want to "call someone" again. To be fair, I had the propane guy out last week and he did a great job... had to have a guy out the next day to look at a room heater I know nothing about. Same thing... a great job at a fair price. But, I get really aggravated seeing the "work" done by a lot of the "pro's". When I would sight down the lines of screws in this roof the only thing that comes to mind is "S" curves. I dont really care if the screws line up perfectly straight but, when they veer off so far that a fairly significant number of them didn't even hit the purlin... inexcusable! I swear, I think the only thing on the minds of some of these guys as they're starting a new job is to HURRY UP and get this one finished so they can get paid and get on to the next (rush) job. I realize that if I was building for a living I'd probably starve to death but, there's just no way I could leave a job not done correctly. There was evidence that someone had been up there trying to fix leaks before... probably a call-back... but those efforts failed as well. Rant over...

I'm sure I solved all the leak issues for now... and that's a good thing. But, I'm sure I'll be back up there in a year or two trying to find the cure for some basic design flaws that will result in future leaks. But, I do have a plan!

All in all... a good day!

...DView attachment 983982View attachment 983983View attachment 983984

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[fourbyford]

Not sure what happened to the pics... I'll try again

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[drivesitfar]

4by: great job climbing on that cold metal roof and fixing all those screws.

just curious if the ladder does blow over (hopefully without you on it) what happens then? do you call your bride to come set it back up or do you just jump off into the snow?

It was windy or breezy here yesterday so i didn't want to set up my 12 foot A frame ladder to do some outside work at my storage unit. I can't recall falling off a ladder, but I don't want to have that happen either especially now that i'm a bit older and I won't bounce as good off asphalt.

glad your weather is getting nicer.

 

[fourbyford]

Yeah... ummm... I was considering that situation (getting off the roof if the ladder went)...
Since my misses was in the house, there's little chance she would have seen or heard me and, i didn't have my phone with me. So... in the event I would've been stranded, I would've waited for a bit... and then jumped, hoping to land in the snow. But, there isn't that much left and its certainly not soft... lol. My eave height is a bit over 11 feet... not that I'd make a practice of "roof jumping" but, if I had to, I think I would survive it!

Kinda funny, last fall, I was trying to get some last minute things done on my building in Wyoming... part of which involved the sills of the loft doors... 15' above the concrete. Extension ladder time. But, the WIND was relentless, blowing fairly hard (40+ mph) day after day. I really needed to get the job done so I talked my buddy into coming out with me to give me a hand. We did the east side, no problem... the side away from the wind. Once we got to the west side, whole 'nother story. It took both of us to even get the ladder stood against the building... then, he was holding onto the rope used to extend the ladder to keep the ladder from blowing away. I figured once I got on it, the ladder would be fine. Not so much! I felt the ladder trying to go a few times... even though he was using his full body weight to keep it standing. I did manage to get the work done without being blown off the ladder... but, there were times when I wouldn't have bet against it! I probably wont be doing anything like that again... like you, I dont bounce anywhere near as well as I used to! ...lol

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[fourbyford]

So, I thought I'd post a few pics from around our place. The original part of our house was built in 1911... the barns were probably built somewhere around that time frame as well. All are original timber framed buildings. At some point, this became a small cattle operation... I've cleaned a ton of manure and old, moldy feed from the oldest (looking) barn. There are remnants of an old milking parlor in the red barn and I think the smallest one may have been used for calves. There are still a few pieces of an alley way that led to a holding area but, we lose a bit more of that with each passing year.

The first pic, the oldest looking barn, is in fair condition... but, there are a couple of framing members that I will replace. Also, I will replace the roofing and siding but I haven't yet decided what I'll use. I like board and batten but some years, we have a heck of a time with wood peckers. This last summer wasn't so bad... just have to see.

The second pic is what I think was a calving shed... also timber framed. The previous owners did a complete renovation/addition to the house around 2004-2006... they did some resto work on this shed and the red barn at the same time. New board and batten siding (for some reason, the peckers dont seem to bother this one) and a "new" roof. The left side is a kennel... where we secure the dogs if we have to be gone for a bit... the center is where we store lawn/garden hand tools and the right side belongs to my misses... girl house don't ya know. Firewood around back... concrete floor, covered by the roof and enclosed by chain link. This was built as an outdoor run for the kennel but none of our dogs ever use it... it's perfect for firewood! We had 5 cords in it last fall... kindling and starting wood and still had room to move around.

The third pic, the red barn, is my favorite. It had extensive work done to it during the resto... the timber frame is in great shape, tongue and groove wooden floor in the main part of the barn. Two lofts and you can get into the crow's nest. The original track and hardware for a hoist is still in the peak of the roof... I've found enough hardware laying around to restore it completely... which I will do, once I find a lift to get me high enough in the ceiling to reach. The P.O.'s restored this to be "party central" and it would be well suited for that. My first thought was to put my wood shop in this barn but, the Commander in Chief thinks we should keep it as is for family gatherings... we're doing more and more of that. Also, thinking along the lines of Laine O's barn, I've thought about using it for weddings or functions... dunno... we'll see. We currently use it to store some excess machinery (woodworking... that I dont yet have a place for) the 4 wheeler, and lawn tractor and other power equipment.

Last pic is another view of our pond. The ice is finally starting to melt... we've been having some really nice weather... should have open water soon. And, that's a good thing... my misses wants ducks for her birthday. Should be interesting!

...D



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[fourbyford]

forgot to mention the old "dock" in the last pic. The rebuild of that is pretty high on my misses' list... so, I guess that means its toward the top of mine... lol
That will be a late fall project... when the water level is low. The old original structure is still there, but completely rotted... I'll need to get in and pull the old posts out of the water... the rest will come right out. Was thinking I might use steel tubing (powder coated) for the frame of the dock... haven't yet decided what to use for the posts. Stainless pipe? This is my first experience owning a pond and building a dock. Any experts out there? I'd definitely appreciate hearing your ideas!

...D

 

[drivesitfar]

4by: wouldn't it be smart for those guys with garages in the windy areas (or everybody for that matter) to have sort of an old library hook system attached to their roofs for ladder work?

your bride should have had her iphone in hand taking video of you and your friend wrestling your ladder in 40mph wind.

glad you survived and I bet you won't be doing that anytime soon again.

as far as a dock most of the ones i see are added on to the old posts due to permitting in the big lakes around here.

on the smaller lakes some just have a couple posts at the shoreline holding their floating docks made with barrels full of air or Styrofoam under the docks to keep them floating. I think i've seen a few that put cement in sonotubes that looked pretty industrial sort of like they do for bridges and road building.

good luck!!

 

[Brian R]

forgot to mention the old "dock" in the last pic. The rebuild of that is pretty high on my misses' list... so, I guess that means its toward the top of mine... lol
That will be a late fall project... when the water level is low. The old original structure is still there, but completely rotted... I'll need to get in and pull the old posts out of the water... the rest will come right out. Was thinking I might use steel tubing (powder coated) for the frame of the dock... haven't yet decided what to use for the posts. Stainless pipe? This is my first experience owning a pond and building a dock. Any experts out there? I'd definitely appreciate hearing your ideas!

...D

I've used this outfit for components to build two docks. I'm sure there are others but this should provide some different ideas and potential solutions

https://www.mercoboatdocks.com/product-category/dock-hardware/stationary-dock/

I'm really enjoying your thread, thanks for posting.

 

[fourbyford]

Hey Drives... a smart guy wouldn't be on a ladder in high winds to begin with... but, I'm not often accused of being smart... lol. You're right, I'm not anxious to do a repeat of that performance... I'm pretty sure i used up all of my luck on that job!

I had considered concrete in sono tubes for the dock then, as i thought about it, thought about using 6" schedule 40 PVC pipe that would be left in place. It wouldn't disintegrate over time as the sono tube would, and would keep the water away from the concrete posts... dunno...

Hey Brian, thanks for the link. That web site is awesome and their galvanized pipe and accessories would make a build quick and easy. I hadn't considered using smaller diameter pipe but, thinking about that, i think 2" would be plenty for what I'm doing. If i put those auger fittings on the end, they would just screw into the ground... I'm liking the thought of that.
And, thanks for the kudos on the thread... i should have started this long ago... i enjoy posting. As others have said, posting tends to motivate me to get more things done... so I'll have more to post! That's a good thing!!

I had considered "floating" construction for the dock, but, I think I'd prefer a more ridgid set up. As it all shakes out, I'll probably have a ridgid dock platform with a couple of floats strategically placed to keep the dock at water level as the seasons change.

Chores in the big city today... back in the garage tomorrow!

...D

 

[C_F]

I just found your thread today & read it "cover to cover". You sure have great looking views around your place, I'd love to find a place like that one day.
Nice work you have done so far on your garage. Looking forward to your continued updates & photos!

 

[fourbyford]

Hey C.F.
...thanks for the visit! We absolutely love living here... picture post card views in every direction... 4 actual seasons... fertile farm land... everything I'd ever hoped for. I lived in Utah for many years in the 80's and 90's... loved living there as well! But, it was growing so fast, I could see the handwriting on that wall... had to leave. But, I still like to visit! You should think about a road trip to north Idaho some time. Not that much of a drive from SLC... lots to see and do here... in our area, it's not uncommon to see a parcel of land for sale... or, a move-in ready place. Living in Wyoming, I found our place on the interwebs... contacted a realtor and road tripped out to look at 6 - 8 places. Didn't take long to decide on this one!
PM me if you'd like more info!

...D

 

[fourbyford]

Back on 2/17, I mentioned taking the fabricated parts for the parts washer to powder coat. They told me they were busy and would call me the following week. I didn't think much about it and had plenty of work to do so, I just kept busy. By the end of the following week, I still hadn't heard... thought that odd because they usually do exactly what they say. On Saturday, the 29th, I had a voice mail notification on my phone. Checked that one... then noticed another from a number I didn't recognize. Listened to it and found that Custom Color (powder coat) had called the NEXT DAY! So, to answer the question Drives asked a while back... I some times have a 1 day turn around! Usually, 2... lol.

As I've mentioned in the past, there are a few minor inconveniences living so far out in the sticks... one being my cell phone notifications dont always come through on a timely basis. And, depending on weather conditions, my cell doesn't always ring when someone tries to call. And, occasionally, a text will show up days after being sent. Minor inconveniences. I will say that, I've never NOT been able to call out and, we do have a land line that works pretty reliably as well so, if someone needs to contact us in an emergency, there are ways...
So, since we live a ways from the big city, our next scheduled trip was last Thursday. I went and made my apologies for my parts being on the shelf for so long... no worries. They're a great crew!

When I last worked in the machine shop, many of our products were proprietary and manufactured on-site. For assembly, we used socket, button head screws. Over the years, I gained a real appreciation for the little fellas. A few weeks ago, I had a need for some 8-32 x 3/4", so I stopped into the local (nationwide) fastener place. About $8.50/box of 100... nuts extra. Needed them, bought them and got on with life. Got to thinking... hmmm... bet I could find a deal on the interwebs. After a brief search, found a site that, after a small learning curve, is actually pretty easy to use. Decided to place a fairly sizable order since I use these things (button heads) on a regular basis. Order placed... a bit over a "C" note including shipping. I received a small part of that order in my mail box THE NEXT DAY! The rest followed the day after. The screws I had paid $8.50 for (at the local/nationwide) were a bit over 3 bucks on this site. And, for over 10 pounds of hardware, the shipping was a bit over a tenner. Duly impressed!

So, to get to it... I got out the tub, turned it upside down on a couple of horses and wiped it down. Started to assemble the parts. Thought about "clocking" the screws but, the 5/32" hex sockets are a bit hard to see for these old eyes... guess I could have paid attention to the position of the "T" handled Allen wrench but... I wanted to get this thing done. Apologies if I've disturbed anybody's OCD... guess if I'd let it, it would disturb me... but I decided not to even look... lol. Much to my surprise, most of the holes in the legs that I'd made and the holes in the mounting tabs actually lined up! I did have to "float" a couple with a drill bit but, not a big deal.

The reason I welded the slight extension on the angle, to which the casters are mounted, was to allow enough room for them to fully swivel. I had originally intended to mount the swivel casters on the front of the body. Guess I was distracted with fit-up of parts... they ended up on the back. As it turns out, I actually like this better!

And, lastly, I mounted the factory supplied shelf down low. Angle mounting-bracket (for casters), shelf and legs all secured with the same screws. In addition to simplifying the assembly, another reason I mounted the shelf so low was from an idea I saw on the 'Tube. One guy places a large covered container below his washer and drains the tank when he's not using it. Uses an automotive 12v fuel pump to pump it back as needed. Two reasons. First, it minimizes the possibility of fire and, minimizes evaporation. Not sure I'm going to go to this extent but, wanted the shelf to be there if I do.



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[fourbyford]

I forgot to mention... concerning the fastener order...
For sizes under 1/4", I have to buy the nuts from the fastener supplier. Sizes over 1/4", I buy by the pound from the farm store. I buy grade 5... have had good results with them. I'm not sure of the origins of theses"bulk" fastners... not sure I'd use them on anything really critical... but for most of what I do, HUGE savings! And, it makes it easy to have a supply in the drawer and ready when I need them.

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[fourbyford]

So... heeeeere's Johnny! (hmmm... maybe the younger guys wont get that one??)

I'll have to admit, this thing looks a little odd with the long legs... but, it's a perfect working height for me. Cant tell you how many hours I've spent leaning over this washer working on parts... all the while, my back killing me. Those days are gone!

I bought a Little Giant washer pump for this thing as well as a few other parts. Probably wont be working on plumbing it up for a few days... I have a few decisions to make on exactly how I want to set it up. Then, I'll need to find some fittings. I'll keep you posted!

As it turns out, I've spent waaaay more money on this than a new one costs at HF. But, I'll have a premium pump that's intended for solvent use, a convenient working height and stable/ridgid construction that's easy to move around. AND, I like the colors!! When we were using this in the shop (where I formerly worked) the pump and nozzle were missing... it was just a tub to hold solvent.. so, I had to buy a pump and parts to make it work. Guess I've gotten a bit of satisfaction by rescuing this from the scrap heap... even if it started out as a cheap little washer.

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[drivesitfar]

4by: great job getting you old washer spiffed up and ready for action and glad to hear you customized the height for you. i'd love to see how you set up the tank and pump underneath if you eventually do that too.

I have one similar (red and blue) that has a pump and a brush in it that's been sitting in storage for years cause I don't really have a spot for it. at the moment I'd probably only fill mine with simple green or evaporust and clean up my old vises and tools if it was set up so maybe i'll find a spot in my parent's basement to put it.

keep up the great work and the stories are great too. hope you are enjoying your weekend even if the weather isn't perfect.

I know the clocks went ahead last night which is always a good day for me cause I'm not a fan of it getting dark early. I wish they'd stay on this time and forget setting clocks back in October.

 

[fourbyford]

A few things going around the farm...

As we were leaving on Sunday for an impromptu trip to the big city, I spotted this herd of elk that have been hanging around for a couple weeks now. About 15 -20 most times... all cows. Wasn't quite fast enough with the camera... in the time I took, they started getting a bit nervous and went up and over the ridge in our fields.

Time, once again, for the up close and personal air shows.

Pics 2 & 3 are from yesterday... I think they're applying pre-emergence weed control onto the winter wheat.

Pics 4 - 6 are from last spring... late June if I remember correctly. These guys are phenomenal pilots... I can't believe how close they fly to the tree tops, powerlines and our roof lines to get into position to cover the fields

...D

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[fourbyford]

In other news, and the reason for the unscheduled trip to the big city, my misses wants ducks for her upcoming birthday.

Ducks ordered, brooding necessities bought and are being set up. But, since they grow so quickly, I figured I'd better be getting something set up for when they outgrow the "nursery". I had originally intended to build a seperate poultry house/run on the edge of our garden space. Time and money I'd rather not spend at the moment. So, we decided to take a few square feet from the kennel area (small barn) that gets little use anyway.

Started in on that yesterday. The previous owners had the building wired at some point... a few lights and outlets. As you can see, (yellow romex) purely functional. This set-up has made me nervous since the first day I saw it. Living on a farm, we have rodents. Primarily mice... some chipmunks... don't think I've ever seen a rat but, you never know. Anyway, it wouldn't take much for a rodent to chew through the insulation... and, the outlets are located very close to the ground. That really bothers me since we use straw for bedding. So, the first step was to finally get around to upgrading the wiring. I'm using 12/2 mc cable (same as garage) and will be moving outlets to approx 4' height.

It's amazing how much time things take. I managed to make a good deal of progress on the wiring yesterday and am headed out to work on it again this morning...

But, while I'm waiting for it to warm up a bit, will continue working on the insulation for the 3rd garage door.

Always something to do!!

Later,

...D

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