HOTFR8
Banned
You have been busy, again.
Above 1200 Sq/FT Bailey's Barn Build
- Thread starter mwbailey
- Start date
Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.
xtremek, do you ever have to get out the ole mule to move the vehicles??! But with six drivers, you might have had some help moving vehicles here and there. Oh, wait, I DO get advice from the other driver in the family.. .is that considered help?!
HOTFR8, busy but not very productive. Still no chips delivered!?
HOTFR8, busy but not very productive. Still no chips delivered!?
xtremek
Well-known member
xtremek, do you ever have to get out the ole mule to move the vehicles??! But with six drivers, you might have had some help moving vehicles here and there. Oh, wait, I DO get advice from the other driver in the family.. .is that considered help?!
The Old Mule only moves vehicles when one of my ladies gets stuck in the snow by trying to make "new" roads. But I frequently get the same kind of "help" with vehicles you do. Especially from the princesses who are too young to drive.
xtremek
Well-known member
I think we're more like court jesters.
Many posts/threads on Garage Gallery show beautiful and/or meaningful signs and decorations. I've tried some Coke signs, etc., but ended up with a leftover sign from a project I had been working on. An industrial plant that had operated in Rock Hill for almost 60 years -- and where I had worked for a dozen years -- shut down around 2005. Several former employees felt the facility deserved to be remembered for its significant contributions to the community. So, besides erecting a South Carolina Historical Marker and publishing a Legacy Book, we raised about $250,000 to install an environmental artwork plaza at the former site. We didn't make progress as quickly as we had wanted, and the "coming soon" sign had to be updated. Even then, we were still a little late, having the Grand Opening just this past November.
But, I spent too much effort getting that work completed to just chunk the sign on the trash heap, so here it is in the workshop:
It's hard to tell, but the "2017" date is a tape-over of "2016"!
Now, speaking of those Legacy Books, we seemed to be a bit over optimistic with them, as well. Instead of ordering 250-300, we ordered 750. When you have a little extra floor space, a lot of folks like to help you fill it. So, in the neighborhood of 400 Legacy Books reside in my workshop:
Besides that, we had a second set of kiosk signs produced since we figured we would need them 10-25 years down the road when the originals faded in the sun. That saved us a good bit of money on the second set, but guess where THEY and the crate ended up:
I hope to consolidate the second set of signs and books some day. . . or maybe find someone else who wants them. Oh, and I can make you a special deal on a memory book about the Celanese Celriver cellulose acetate fiber plant -- only $35, shipped to your door. Let me know how many you want.
Nevertheless, we're proud of the Plaza and have received nothing but compliments.
No compliments, yet, on the new sign in the workshop. . . .
But, I spent too much effort getting that work completed to just chunk the sign on the trash heap, so here it is in the workshop:
It's hard to tell, but the "2017" date is a tape-over of "2016"!
Now, speaking of those Legacy Books, we seemed to be a bit over optimistic with them, as well. Instead of ordering 250-300, we ordered 750. When you have a little extra floor space, a lot of folks like to help you fill it. So, in the neighborhood of 400 Legacy Books reside in my workshop:
Besides that, we had a second set of kiosk signs produced since we figured we would need them 10-25 years down the road when the originals faded in the sun. That saved us a good bit of money on the second set, but guess where THEY and the crate ended up:
I hope to consolidate the second set of signs and books some day. . . or maybe find someone else who wants them. Oh, and I can make you a special deal on a memory book about the Celanese Celriver cellulose acetate fiber plant -- only $35, shipped to your door. Let me know how many you want.
Nevertheless, we're proud of the Plaza and have received nothing but compliments.
No compliments, yet, on the new sign in the workshop. . . .
xtremek
Well-known member
It's interesting how people love to "help" you fill up your space
Seems things got busy around here, and not much was garage-related. The best I can do to speak for myself is the sad state of affairs with my gravel drive -- the driveway was my excuse for Ole Paint, the Ford 8N tractor. The Wife decided to get rid of my justification; we went from nice gravel drive with large asphalt entry apron installed by the county:
to a lot off impervious concrete and stone with "landscaped" plantings and mulch:
What a shame. I'll have to find another use for Ole Paint -- well, actually, there were still be a lot of opportunity to move chips around.
Along the way, "we" decided to save some money, which was a good thing, and let the pseudo-handyman in residence install the irrigation system. The Wife was very worried that the newly planted items would not have enough water although it's been raining two out of three days and Alberto is now headed our way. Nevertheless, it didn't seem to be too big of a hill for a stepper, so I accepted the challenge.
First order of business was to obtain 300' of tubing and the associated accessories for the couple of dozen plants installed. So far, that only took three trips to Home Depot.
The next order of business was to find the sleeve the concrete guys put under the drive. Most of the plants were on the other side of the driveway from the source of water. After an hour or so of searching, the concrete guys were contacted and within 10 minutes, the sleeve was found!
Then the tubing needed to be slipped through the 2-inch PVC sleeve. No problem, right? Wrong. The tube would get about 5' into the sleeve and hang up. From the other side, the tube would get about 9' into the sleeve and stop. Out came the water hose. These almost right angle nozzles don't fit in a 2 inch pipe, but even without being able to slip hose down the sleeve, it was apparent that water could run all the way through the sleeve. After an aborted try to push a metal pipe through the sleeve -- too short -- a 16' 1 inch square steel tube showed that the blockage was not large. It began to dawn on me that there was probably a joint in the sleeve and the irrigation tube was catching on a shoulder. Tried again to get the tube through, but no luck. So, luckily, there was a smaller PVC pipe sitting around that was about 16' long, so a temporary sleeve was installed inside the sleeve to allow the tube to be inserted all the way from one side to the other.
Success!
The rest of the installation was a no-brainer, but not without some physical pain. To unroll the tubing without kinks required the 300' of tubing to be rolled and picked up as it was laid out. Not easy. Then about two dozen emitters had to be installed. I even purchased a hole punch to aid the installation, but the hole punch was as difficult as the emitter, so that step was left out. Kneeling on freshly-installed hardwood mulch in your shorts is not too much fun, either. But that got done:
A small hoe worked pretty well to dig a shallow trench in the mulch. After Alberto gets by, we'll see how much of the tubing is showing.
After cooling off on the porch, I opened the kitchen door to smell something baking in the oven. Could it be The Wife was baking me some brownies to show her appreciation for all the irrigation installation work completed and money saved? Why, no, no it could not be. She was baking beets!??! Go figure. . . .
to a lot off impervious concrete and stone with "landscaped" plantings and mulch:
What a shame. I'll have to find another use for Ole Paint -- well, actually, there were still be a lot of opportunity to move chips around.
Along the way, "we" decided to save some money, which was a good thing, and let the pseudo-handyman in residence install the irrigation system. The Wife was very worried that the newly planted items would not have enough water although it's been raining two out of three days and Alberto is now headed our way. Nevertheless, it didn't seem to be too big of a hill for a stepper, so I accepted the challenge.
First order of business was to obtain 300' of tubing and the associated accessories for the couple of dozen plants installed. So far, that only took three trips to Home Depot.
The next order of business was to find the sleeve the concrete guys put under the drive. Most of the plants were on the other side of the driveway from the source of water. After an hour or so of searching, the concrete guys were contacted and within 10 minutes, the sleeve was found!
Then the tubing needed to be slipped through the 2-inch PVC sleeve. No problem, right? Wrong. The tube would get about 5' into the sleeve and hang up. From the other side, the tube would get about 9' into the sleeve and stop. Out came the water hose. These almost right angle nozzles don't fit in a 2 inch pipe, but even without being able to slip hose down the sleeve, it was apparent that water could run all the way through the sleeve. After an aborted try to push a metal pipe through the sleeve -- too short -- a 16' 1 inch square steel tube showed that the blockage was not large. It began to dawn on me that there was probably a joint in the sleeve and the irrigation tube was catching on a shoulder. Tried again to get the tube through, but no luck. So, luckily, there was a smaller PVC pipe sitting around that was about 16' long, so a temporary sleeve was installed inside the sleeve to allow the tube to be inserted all the way from one side to the other.
Success!
The rest of the installation was a no-brainer, but not without some physical pain. To unroll the tubing without kinks required the 300' of tubing to be rolled and picked up as it was laid out. Not easy. Then about two dozen emitters had to be installed. I even purchased a hole punch to aid the installation, but the hole punch was as difficult as the emitter, so that step was left out. Kneeling on freshly-installed hardwood mulch in your shorts is not too much fun, either. But that got done:
A small hoe worked pretty well to dig a shallow trench in the mulch. After Alberto gets by, we'll see how much of the tubing is showing.
After cooling off on the porch, I opened the kitchen door to smell something baking in the oven. Could it be The Wife was baking me some brownies to show her appreciation for all the irrigation installation work completed and money saved? Why, no, no it could not be. She was baking beets!??! Go figure. . . .
Mike.ASC
Well-known member
Man you do nice work, your wife must be very happy with the results.
The Wife is probably a lot happier about drive than about irrigation system, but I was pleased with the overall results. A lot of things I do are sort of: I'm happy to have the experience, but I sure wouldn't want to do this for a living. That describes the irrigation installation.
HOTFR8
Banned
A lot of progress and updates in one post. I hear you on the irrigation work and install when you do not do that sort of thing every day.
xtremek
Well-known member
Everything is so PURDY. Seriously though, very nice.
Well, xtremek, I'm sure The Wife agrees that it's PURDY whether or not it's what I wanted! But I did get something out of it. When we bought the property, it came with two dilapidated docks and a 50-foot loading ramp on the water. Regulations can restrict what you can do, but replacing the docks with one dock was not tough, and I just left the ramp as is:
During site preparation when the house was built, we had a little too much dirt so the contractor piled it up at the top of the ramp. Between the steep incline and a slight jog to make room for some azaleas, getting down the ramp backing a trailer was not too easy. Since the guys were here putting in concrete anyway, I suggested that they just add to the ramp and connect it to "The Wife's driveway". They were happy to do that and they improved the slope and the jog a good bit.
You can see where the old ramp connects to the new paving. You can also see that one of our May gully-washers pointed out the need for some drainage work, too!
Now, on another tack, I had been so pleased to get the boat under the workshop lean-to:
Beforehand, I had stored the boat outside with a cover. The cover usually lasted about two years and on the third year I tried to make it work. On the fourth year, I started with another tarp. This new arrangement was to solve that problem. . . but it didn't. It had not crossed my mind that birds would like to roost in the lean-to and also wind would blow water and debris into the boat, anyway.
Before I could test out the new ramp addition, I needed to clean things up a bit. This boat is twenty-two years old. I'm amazed at how easily the upholstery cleans up -- and even more amazed that the upholstery is not totally deteriorated. Today the rain let up enough to finish the clean-up. I had given the outside a once-over, but went so far today as to pull out the cushions I could and wash them, the seats remaining in the boat, and the inside fiberglass as well. It's not hard to see the difference!
Now the boat is clean enough to be launched, but wait. The Wife doesn't want me backing down her new driveway until maybe next summer!?!?! Oh well, the boat is clean, has a new cover (hope it will last more than two or three years), and is just waiting for permission to be put in the water.
I was also able to get Ole Paint a little further under the lean-to. I had used it to maneuver the boat. I gotta do something with it since I can no longer grade the driveway.
During site preparation when the house was built, we had a little too much dirt so the contractor piled it up at the top of the ramp. Between the steep incline and a slight jog to make room for some azaleas, getting down the ramp backing a trailer was not too easy. Since the guys were here putting in concrete anyway, I suggested that they just add to the ramp and connect it to "The Wife's driveway". They were happy to do that and they improved the slope and the jog a good bit.
You can see where the old ramp connects to the new paving. You can also see that one of our May gully-washers pointed out the need for some drainage work, too!
Now, on another tack, I had been so pleased to get the boat under the workshop lean-to:
Beforehand, I had stored the boat outside with a cover. The cover usually lasted about two years and on the third year I tried to make it work. On the fourth year, I started with another tarp. This new arrangement was to solve that problem. . . but it didn't. It had not crossed my mind that birds would like to roost in the lean-to and also wind would blow water and debris into the boat, anyway.
Before I could test out the new ramp addition, I needed to clean things up a bit. This boat is twenty-two years old. I'm amazed at how easily the upholstery cleans up -- and even more amazed that the upholstery is not totally deteriorated. Today the rain let up enough to finish the clean-up. I had given the outside a once-over, but went so far today as to pull out the cushions I could and wash them, the seats remaining in the boat, and the inside fiberglass as well. It's not hard to see the difference!
Now the boat is clean enough to be launched, but wait. The Wife doesn't want me backing down her new driveway until maybe next summer!?!?! Oh well, the boat is clean, has a new cover (hope it will last more than two or three years), and is just waiting for permission to be put in the water.
I was also able to get Ole Paint a little further under the lean-to. I had used it to maneuver the boat. I gotta do something with it since I can no longer grade the driveway.
xtremek
Well-known member
I'm betting the cover will last quite a bit longer, and the seats look like brand new.
Why are milking stools three-legged? We learned in geometry that three points define a plane; getting four points/legs to all touch the ground is difficult. Seems I learned that lesson again this past week as The Wife and I helped her sister and our BIL move into a "new" house in FL.
First, to make this about garage/workshop, I should show a shot of the new barn/shop WITH loft in the back yard:
But that wasn't the problem. The problem arose when I tried to install a grab bar for BIL -- he's got some age on him AND he's going through some pretty stout chemo treatment for esophageal cancer. He didn't need something to pull up on, just something to help maintain his balance.
I was very proud of myself for getting a tile drill bit, taping things off real well, drilling the holes, and inserting the anchors.
And, the finished product looks pretty good
That is, it looks good if you do NOT look underneath. Only three of the four holes in the fixture lined up with the holes in the wall! I'm sure that's some kind of corollary of the milking stool geometry lesson; I'm just not sure which corollary.
Still, the bar is pretty sturdy and will meet the need.
Now, back to garage/shop stuff. We did pick up a VERY sturdy shelf unit from Home Depot that was on sale. It may be bigger than he'll need -- and the car may not fit in the garage with the shelves installed -- but I was pretty impressed with the unit.
First, to make this about garage/workshop, I should show a shot of the new barn/shop WITH loft in the back yard:
But that wasn't the problem. The problem arose when I tried to install a grab bar for BIL -- he's got some age on him AND he's going through some pretty stout chemo treatment for esophageal cancer. He didn't need something to pull up on, just something to help maintain his balance.
I was very proud of myself for getting a tile drill bit, taping things off real well, drilling the holes, and inserting the anchors.
And, the finished product looks pretty good
That is, it looks good if you do NOT look underneath. Only three of the four holes in the fixture lined up with the holes in the wall! I'm sure that's some kind of corollary of the milking stool geometry lesson; I'm just not sure which corollary.
Still, the bar is pretty sturdy and will meet the need.
Now, back to garage/shop stuff. We did pick up a VERY sturdy shelf unit from Home Depot that was on sale. It may be bigger than he'll need -- and the car may not fit in the garage with the shelves installed -- but I was pretty impressed with the unit.
xtremek
Well-known member
Good to see you back. We won't tell about the shelf if you don't.
Over a year and 50 some odd posts ago (#720), I promised to consider two more compartments on the "other" garage's cabinets. I guessed then and still pretty much agree that the first two looked lost on the large wall.
So, a couple of months ago I asked The Wife if one cabinet on each side of the existing two would be good -- especially since we still had two more doors that the kitchen cabinet guys had left us. She thought that was a great idea, but she wanted the two new compartments a little lower. After some thinking and measuring and adjusting, she settled on three inches lower!
I guess I shoulda planned for that in the beginning. This time around I'll need to add three inches to the facing and a three-inch "false" side extension to keep it from looking really goofy.
So, in the middle of May, I got started. Still used pine and Kreg jig but decided not to make two whole boxes since that would cause the "facing" to be twice as big. I'd just fasten one side of each compartment to the existing side wall.
Didn't get too far in May:
After two weeks of vacation, of sorts (see a couple of posts prior to this one), I found that an important date was approaching -- The Wife's birthday. I figured some extra storage in the garage would be a great present, so work on the two additional compartments picked up a bit. Just like many things, if I had to do it over, I'd do it a little bit different, but I did get the cabinets completed -- sans knobs. We'll have dinner in nearby Charlotte, NC, tomorrow to wrap up her birthday celebration, and we can stop by Blackhawk hardware to pick up some knobs.
So, one little sideline: I've often said that I prefer corded electric tools to battery operated. It seemed to me that when I was ready to use the battery powered tool, the battery was dead and I had to wait for it to charge before I could do the work. Then I would be out of the mood or something. That was until I got a combination of drill motor and hammer drill. With that setup, I found that if one battery was dead, I could swap off the other. The dead battery would charge while I was doing the work. That was fine until today when I was holding one of the additional compartments up to the wall and inserting the BOTTOM screw. Lo and behold, the battery died. Luckily, a few seconds "rest" and I could get the top screw started -- at least enough to give me time to swap batteries. Still, I may be back to preferring corded electric tools. . . .
So, a couple of months ago I asked The Wife if one cabinet on each side of the existing two would be good -- especially since we still had two more doors that the kitchen cabinet guys had left us. She thought that was a great idea, but she wanted the two new compartments a little lower. After some thinking and measuring and adjusting, she settled on three inches lower!
I guess I shoulda planned for that in the beginning. This time around I'll need to add three inches to the facing and a three-inch "false" side extension to keep it from looking really goofy.
So, in the middle of May, I got started. Still used pine and Kreg jig but decided not to make two whole boxes since that would cause the "facing" to be twice as big. I'd just fasten one side of each compartment to the existing side wall.
Didn't get too far in May:
After two weeks of vacation, of sorts (see a couple of posts prior to this one), I found that an important date was approaching -- The Wife's birthday. I figured some extra storage in the garage would be a great present, so work on the two additional compartments picked up a bit. Just like many things, if I had to do it over, I'd do it a little bit different, but I did get the cabinets completed -- sans knobs. We'll have dinner in nearby Charlotte, NC, tomorrow to wrap up her birthday celebration, and we can stop by Blackhawk hardware to pick up some knobs.
So, one little sideline: I've often said that I prefer corded electric tools to battery operated. It seemed to me that when I was ready to use the battery powered tool, the battery was dead and I had to wait for it to charge before I could do the work. Then I would be out of the mood or something. That was until I got a combination of drill motor and hammer drill. With that setup, I found that if one battery was dead, I could swap off the other. The dead battery would charge while I was doing the work. That was fine until today when I was holding one of the additional compartments up to the wall and inserting the BOTTOM screw. Lo and behold, the battery died. Luckily, a few seconds "rest" and I could get the top screw started -- at least enough to give me time to swap batteries. Still, I may be back to preferring corded electric tools. . . .
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cvairwerks
Well-known member
I use the same Husky racks in my storage units as well as my office in the house. They make great temporary desks. For the storage units, I only use two levels, so buying a second set, I can use the left over cross beams and make three racks out of the two sets.
xtremek
Well-known member
I need some wall cabinets made for the barn. Now that you're a pro, you wanna build some for me?
Hey cvairwerks, good idea with the desk. Those Husky units really are pretty sturdy. My BIL wants to put a workbench in his garage; maybe on the next visit we'll pick up another unit and convert it to a workbench like you did for the desk.
Sure, xtremek, if you have the doors already available, I could put together a few cabinets. . . for a price!?!?! Of course, while my hourly charge is not very high, the time it takes me to get something done is pretty extreme; at least, that's what The Wife says.
Sure, xtremek, if you have the doors already available, I could put together a few cabinets. . . for a price!?!?! Of course, while my hourly charge is not very high, the time it takes me to get something done is pretty extreme; at least, that's what The Wife says.
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cvairwerks
Well-known member
I typically use a piece of sanded 1/2” ply for the desktop. If you are adventureous, then maybe 3/4 or thicker with a rabbited edge to overhang the cross beams.
xtremek
Well-known member
I sure wish oldironfarmer didn't have quite so many posts. Every time I see his title about cleaning up his shop, I think of what I need to do to mine. . . .
So, today I spent an hour or two pretending to clean up. It seems my bicycles have taken over a corner of the shop, so I mounted a poster about my 1970's Schwinn Varsity high up on the wall:
Now, I wonder what I'm going to do with the 1960's 10 hp outboard motor my BIL dropped off? I don't think I have a corner for it. . . yet.
I also managed to empty a couple of tool boxes that I had picked up at "estate auctions" in the area. The Wife loves to go to look at the items that are up for auction and drags me along with her. I almost immediately go to the garage and see what might be desirable. Turns out the "heirs" have usually cleaned out the good stuff. But, I have bid on a couple of toolboxes WITH contents and "won" a time or two. I really don't think I'm winning anything since usually I have enough Phillips head screwdrivers, pliers, and hammers. So, now I have two extra, empty, small toolboxes and a few more hand tools in the tool cabinet.
I guess I can call that cleaning up my shop; lots more to do.
So, today I spent an hour or two pretending to clean up. It seems my bicycles have taken over a corner of the shop, so I mounted a poster about my 1970's Schwinn Varsity high up on the wall:
Now, I wonder what I'm going to do with the 1960's 10 hp outboard motor my BIL dropped off? I don't think I have a corner for it. . . yet.
I also managed to empty a couple of tool boxes that I had picked up at "estate auctions" in the area. The Wife loves to go to look at the items that are up for auction and drags me along with her. I almost immediately go to the garage and see what might be desirable. Turns out the "heirs" have usually cleaned out the good stuff. But, I have bid on a couple of toolboxes WITH contents and "won" a time or two. I really don't think I'm winning anything since usually I have enough Phillips head screwdrivers, pliers, and hammers. So, now I have two extra, empty, small toolboxes and a few more hand tools in the tool cabinet.
I guess I can call that cleaning up my shop; lots more to do.
Still trying to "clean up my shop" like oldironfarmer. Making a little more progress. I had hoped to move a big wooden box of approximately 3X5' signs into a corner with a few hundred copies of a book -- both items being stored in MY workshop because nobody else on the charitable organization's committee had room. . . . However, the box was too heavy and the area the books were in was too small. So, moved on to something else.
When the white shelves came up from the house, I had to remove a shelf I had installed for the stereo "system":
The shelf is empty in the first photo and the stereo receiver and CD player have been placed in the white shelves in the second photo.
That left a "nice" shelf with no use. . . until I decided I could get some jack stands off the floor. I agree with others' comments that the less you have on the floor, the better you can clean things up! The three or four small, dark circles on the floor are just what you'd suspect on a July evening in SC -- a few drops of sweat dripping from my nose. Not hard work, except for a few boxes of books I moved, but the temperature is still high at 9 pm!
Of course, the other question is, "How many jack stands does a guy need, especially after he's convinced The Wife that the installation of a lift will make all the work safer?" But they do look neater on their own shelf.
And, to address a concern from the last post, if the box of signs is not going to be moved to the books, maybe the outboard motors can be moved there. That might not have happened except I noticed a Johnson Outboard sign where I was installing the jack stand shelf!
Relocating these two motors did free up some space even if getting to the 442 hood and doors will be more difficult. If the future is anything like the past, those parts might be there for a while longer. . . . Also moved the Johnson Outboard sign; so maybe the outboards DO have a "corner" now. Oh, and, yes, the outboard on the left IS an Evinrude, but that's maybe closer even than a first cousin to a Johnson, right?
When the white shelves came up from the house, I had to remove a shelf I had installed for the stereo "system":
The shelf is empty in the first photo and the stereo receiver and CD player have been placed in the white shelves in the second photo.
That left a "nice" shelf with no use. . . until I decided I could get some jack stands off the floor. I agree with others' comments that the less you have on the floor, the better you can clean things up! The three or four small, dark circles on the floor are just what you'd suspect on a July evening in SC -- a few drops of sweat dripping from my nose. Not hard work, except for a few boxes of books I moved, but the temperature is still high at 9 pm!
Of course, the other question is, "How many jack stands does a guy need, especially after he's convinced The Wife that the installation of a lift will make all the work safer?" But they do look neater on their own shelf.
And, to address a concern from the last post, if the box of signs is not going to be moved to the books, maybe the outboard motors can be moved there. That might not have happened except I noticed a Johnson Outboard sign where I was installing the jack stand shelf!
Relocating these two motors did free up some space even if getting to the 442 hood and doors will be more difficult. If the future is anything like the past, those parts might be there for a while longer. . . . Also moved the Johnson Outboard sign; so maybe the outboards DO have a "corner" now. Oh, and, yes, the outboard on the left IS an Evinrude, but that's maybe closer even than a first cousin to a Johnson, right?
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xtremek
Well-known member
I like the jack stand shelf. The jack stands, funnels, and grease/suction guns are my most nagging organization issues. I can't find a good way/place to store them. Those, and taper drills.
So, the Son-in-Law is working up a pheasant hunt with his brother and some friends back in Nebraska. Asked if I'd like to go. Never hunted pheasant, but why not? Other than I'm not a very good shot with a shotgun. . . . Oh well, SIL is only 20 miles away, maybe he would come down and shoot with me. A friend has a 25 acre hay field that we could use as long as we shoot over the gully and not into the hay! Now the only thing needed is some sort of trap. Amazon to the rescue. Ordered a "Trius One-Step" trap and put it together. Apparently, this design has been around for five decades. But, the last time I worked with a trap was five decades plus six years. It was tough to **** the thing! But, this design uses foot pressure to **** and release. Great idea!
Interestingly enough, a couple of reviews said that assembly was difficult. "THEY GIVE YOU ABOUT HALF THE INFO YOU NEED. YOU HAVE TO FIGURE THE REST OUT FOR YOUR SELF." Besides being pretty straightforward to assemble, the instructions were pretty good AND they have an assembly video online. That probably wasn't available 50 years ago, but I'm not sure when the review was posted. Bottom line, I don't think I'd want to be at the shooting range with this guy, and I got it put together. Just need some clay pigeons and a SIL to come down:
On the other hand, I was out for a nice, easy bicycle ride last Wednesday and halfway out the shifter cable popped. That left me in high gear on the rear cogs for the return half of the ride. Not much fun. Obtained a replacement cable and fought with removing the broken end from the shifter at the handlebar. After about 45 minutes of trying, failing, thinking, and trying again, I decided to remove the whole shifter/brake handle assembly. That meant removing the handlbar tape first along with the rear brake cable. Oh well, here we are with the last step before removal of the gear/brake lever from the handlebar
Another 15-20 minutes of cutting, drilling, pushing, and PB Blaster and I finally pushed the old cable out with a small Allen wrench. Jiminy Christmas that was a fight. Surely there is an easier way.
Reassembly of the parts was not difficult; just a matter of patiently retracing removal steps!
But, I'll take success. Now on to The Wife's to-do list. . . .
Interestingly enough, a couple of reviews said that assembly was difficult. "THEY GIVE YOU ABOUT HALF THE INFO YOU NEED. YOU HAVE TO FIGURE THE REST OUT FOR YOUR SELF." Besides being pretty straightforward to assemble, the instructions were pretty good AND they have an assembly video online. That probably wasn't available 50 years ago, but I'm not sure when the review was posted. Bottom line, I don't think I'd want to be at the shooting range with this guy, and I got it put together. Just need some clay pigeons and a SIL to come down:
On the other hand, I was out for a nice, easy bicycle ride last Wednesday and halfway out the shifter cable popped. That left me in high gear on the rear cogs for the return half of the ride. Not much fun. Obtained a replacement cable and fought with removing the broken end from the shifter at the handlebar. After about 45 minutes of trying, failing, thinking, and trying again, I decided to remove the whole shifter/brake handle assembly. That meant removing the handlbar tape first along with the rear brake cable. Oh well, here we are with the last step before removal of the gear/brake lever from the handlebar
Another 15-20 minutes of cutting, drilling, pushing, and PB Blaster and I finally pushed the old cable out with a small Allen wrench. Jiminy Christmas that was a fight. Surely there is an easier way.
Reassembly of the parts was not difficult; just a matter of patiently retracing removal steps!
But, I'll take success. Now on to The Wife's to-do list. . . .
So, Post #774 showed the addition to the driveway/boat ramp that should have made launching the boat much easier. That same post showed that we still had a drainage problem to deal with. Well, the guys working on the driveway did pretty well with drainage -- some landscaping fabric, river rock, and a couple of small boulders helped get the rainwater down the ramp without too much sediment.
Now that the newness is off the drive, The Wife felt it was OK to try to put the boat in the water. I can say that it was a little bit easier but I managed to push a couple of the "small boulders" down the ramp a foot or two. The Expedition didn't seem to want to continue the work of maneuvering the boat trailer, so the '76 Ford six cylinder pick-em-up came to the rescue. Got the boat off the trailer and the trailer to the top of the hill. Made a few outings with boat and family, then the rains started coming!
Used the bilge pump to empty the rain one time and kept waiting for a window between rains and appointments to pull the boat out. By now, the boat had a few inches of water!
Today had a break, so I tried backing the trailer back down the ramp with the tailgate of the truck down. Now I KNOW it can be done. Problem is, when the trailer is in the water, it has leveled off a bit but the truck is still on a steep part of the ramp. That angle causes the tailgate to interfere with the wench!? A little persuasion of the tailgate and repair of the wench with vicegrips and the boat came smoothly onto the trailer.
I'm not sure my clutch has much surface left, but the boat is back up the ramp on level ground. Even after having pumped out a bunch of water, there was still a lot draining out after the plug was removed. I hope that might have been the cause of clutch slipping. . . the extra weight.
Everything back in its storage/parking spot until the next time!
Now that the newness is off the drive, The Wife felt it was OK to try to put the boat in the water. I can say that it was a little bit easier but I managed to push a couple of the "small boulders" down the ramp a foot or two. The Expedition didn't seem to want to continue the work of maneuvering the boat trailer, so the '76 Ford six cylinder pick-em-up came to the rescue. Got the boat off the trailer and the trailer to the top of the hill. Made a few outings with boat and family, then the rains started coming!
Used the bilge pump to empty the rain one time and kept waiting for a window between rains and appointments to pull the boat out. By now, the boat had a few inches of water!
Today had a break, so I tried backing the trailer back down the ramp with the tailgate of the truck down. Now I KNOW it can be done. Problem is, when the trailer is in the water, it has leveled off a bit but the truck is still on a steep part of the ramp. That angle causes the tailgate to interfere with the wench!? A little persuasion of the tailgate and repair of the wench with vicegrips and the boat came smoothly onto the trailer.
I'm not sure my clutch has much surface left, but the boat is back up the ramp on level ground. Even after having pumped out a bunch of water, there was still a lot draining out after the plug was removed. I hope that might have been the cause of clutch slipping. . . the extra weight.
Everything back in its storage/parking spot until the next time!
The workshop is about five years old and has acquired the "patina" I was pretty much looking for -- newness is gone, aged look has arrived. Instructions suggested a coat of Sikkens sealer with a second coat applied two or three years later. I was following that schedule and had the second coat sprayed on. That seemed to be a good approach since the siding is unfinished/rough cut and a roller or brush would seem to be tough for getting into all the cracks and crevices. I guess that was good, in theory, but I'm not sure the guys doing the work were "high quality". Within a year, there were several boards that looked like they had dried out, especially the fascia boards.
So, I decided to go behind them and try to cure the problem. Five gallons of sealer and a couple of ladders would be a start. Here is one fascia board just getting started on the right.
Here's a view of the end. The "dried out" fascia is pretty obvious, but there are other boards looking a little bad. Interestingly, the battens seem to show more issues than the board siding.
This view also convinces me NOT to use a ladder for the peak (a decision I had already made).
Pretty much finished up one side below the "parting board" where the light is mounted.
If nothing else, I found that I really like this multi-adjustable ladder! It worked well on the slanted ground!
This end was completed in a few mornings in the shade. The other end will need to be done in the afternoon. Neither end is/will be cool, but better than basking or baking in the South Carolina sun!
Now, for the upper section, I'm thinking about renting a Home Depot towable 35 foot "cherry picker" lift. Problem is, they seem to be in high demand. . . . But, no hurry, yet. Got the bottom part to seal first.
So, I decided to go behind them and try to cure the problem. Five gallons of sealer and a couple of ladders would be a start. Here is one fascia board just getting started on the right.
Here's a view of the end. The "dried out" fascia is pretty obvious, but there are other boards looking a little bad. Interestingly, the battens seem to show more issues than the board siding.
This view also convinces me NOT to use a ladder for the peak (a decision I had already made).
Pretty much finished up one side below the "parting board" where the light is mounted.
If nothing else, I found that I really like this multi-adjustable ladder! It worked well on the slanted ground!
This end was completed in a few mornings in the shade. The other end will need to be done in the afternoon. Neither end is/will be cool, but better than basking or baking in the South Carolina sun!
Now, for the upper section, I'm thinking about renting a Home Depot towable 35 foot "cherry picker" lift. Problem is, they seem to be in high demand. . . . But, no hurry, yet. Got the bottom part to seal first.
HOTFR8
Banned
The weathered look gives the place more natural character.
That was my thought, HOTFR8. I agree. I may have mentioned before, but I remember as a kid (many years ago) getting a brand new pair of WHITE Keds. The first thing I looked for was a mud puddle. That was about the same thought I had when the workshop was first finished! It was just a bit TOO clean. But, I do want a certain amount of protection from the elements. . . .
HOTFR8
Banned
Having some sort of protecon is a good idea and if it keeps its character look you have done well.
Sealing the other end of the workshop is not moving very quickly, partly because of other "engagements" -- a Panthers game, granddaughter's ballet, etc. But, the ballet in Charleston gave me an opportunity to pick up a birthday present a month or so early. My DIL has tried pretty hard to help me "decorate" the workshop, mostly with Coca Cola and other "period" signs.
I've seen some outstanding neon signs, tin signs, etc., on GJ, but don't know that I've seen anything like this in a shop. That yellow contraption hanging from the rafter was in my DIL's colleague's classroom and was being thrown out.
Yep, I used one of these in my college days, a smaller version (!!) and it was a Post not a Pickett. But my DIL felt it would go well in the shop. I had thought about a shadow box with my slide rule, my dad's sliderule, and I believe I have my grandfather's slide rule. But this trumps it all.
I looked up the model number and found that these things are priced at $400-500 on Ebay; that's not to say the seller gets this price, of course.
It was a bit dirty from years of non-use in a classroom, so I pulled out the Simple Green and Kaboom which both worked well.
I also tried to clean up the aluminum brackets at each end. . . first with a wire brush (didn't work too well, left too many scratches) then with Mother's Aluminum and Wheel Cleaner. That worked fairly well (compare the before on the left side of bracket with after on the middle and right sections).
Hmm, come to think of it, I don't think I've seen an Electron Energy Level chart in too many other shops, either. I guess this is what happens when you teach high school physical science, chemistry, and physics for a few years.
You may note that the slide rule is missing a cursor. Fortunately, maybe, I picked up a nice piece of clear Plexiglas when we were visiting the in-laws in Lakeland, FL. Maybe I can fabricate a cursor in the not-too-distant-future; or maybe it looks OK just like it is. . . .
I've seen some outstanding neon signs, tin signs, etc., on GJ, but don't know that I've seen anything like this in a shop. That yellow contraption hanging from the rafter was in my DIL's colleague's classroom and was being thrown out.
Yep, I used one of these in my college days, a smaller version (!!) and it was a Post not a Pickett. But my DIL felt it would go well in the shop. I had thought about a shadow box with my slide rule, my dad's sliderule, and I believe I have my grandfather's slide rule. But this trumps it all.
I looked up the model number and found that these things are priced at $400-500 on Ebay; that's not to say the seller gets this price, of course.
It was a bit dirty from years of non-use in a classroom, so I pulled out the Simple Green and Kaboom which both worked well.
I also tried to clean up the aluminum brackets at each end. . . first with a wire brush (didn't work too well, left too many scratches) then with Mother's Aluminum and Wheel Cleaner. That worked fairly well (compare the before on the left side of bracket with after on the middle and right sections).
Hmm, come to think of it, I don't think I've seen an Electron Energy Level chart in too many other shops, either. I guess this is what happens when you teach high school physical science, chemistry, and physics for a few years.
You may note that the slide rule is missing a cursor. Fortunately, maybe, I picked up a nice piece of clear Plexiglas when we were visiting the in-laws in Lakeland, FL. Maybe I can fabricate a cursor in the not-too-distant-future; or maybe it looks OK just like it is. . . .
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xtremek
Well-known member
It's so funny you're bringing up a slide rule. My wife and I were reminiscing about having to use one in high school. Chem teacher wouldn't allow the use of those new fangled contraptions, the hand held calculator.
Well, extremek, those "new fangled contraptions" didn't really hit the market until my senior year in college. However, the introduction of those devices made it much more difficult to tell what year in school a guy was (yep, no gals at NC State to speak of when I was there in the mid-1960's).
The freshmen, having just purchased possibly their first slide rule, worn it hanging from their belts with the loop and case that came with it. The sophomores were too cool for that, the slide rule was in the case, but stuck in a rear pocket. By junior year, the slide rule became a useful tool and not just decorations, so it was carried with your books and notebook under your arm -- yes, before book bags and backpacks became "the thing". Seniors were on the downhill slide and didn't even worry about carrying a slide rule at all!
Hand held calculators were too small to be decorative and could fit in a pocket or get hidden in the books too easily to determine your year in school. Besides, I never could figure out the reverse Polish notation of HP calculators. . . .
The freshmen, having just purchased possibly their first slide rule, worn it hanging from their belts with the loop and case that came with it. The sophomores were too cool for that, the slide rule was in the case, but stuck in a rear pocket. By junior year, the slide rule became a useful tool and not just decorations, so it was carried with your books and notebook under your arm -- yes, before book bags and backpacks became "the thing". Seniors were on the downhill slide and didn't even worry about carrying a slide rule at all!
Hand held calculators were too small to be decorative and could fit in a pocket or get hidden in the books too easily to determine your year in school. Besides, I never could figure out the reverse Polish notation of HP calculators. . . .
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The BIL had helped my sister pick out a birthday present, so I got something useful -- not that she doesn't do a good job of selecting presents. But she probably would not have picked a set of three ****** wrenches. Then I had to decide where to keep them. They are small enough to get lost easily, so it seemed appropriated to put them on a tool rack. The spot that was supposed to be a general work area has turned into a bicycle area, so I went all the way.
A Craftsman tool rack was on sale a good while ago and I couldn't resist. I just hadn't chosen where to put it. One of the two panels seemed just the right size for a bike tool rack, so up it went. The ****** wrenches are at the bottom in the center; did I mention that they were pretty small?
Don't know where I'll put the other panel, yet, but with the purchase of the second bike, a cycling work center seemed appropriate. Maybe the second panel will never get hung. . . .
Also, after a significant hiatus, a few more exterior boards got another coat of sealer. The weather is pretty enough that my goal is to spend 2-4 hours a day to work around the barn. Then I'll need to reconsider the lift rental to get to the fascia boards on the high ends. Hard to tell, but today's effort was just the corner to the left of the door and the door itself.
A Craftsman tool rack was on sale a good while ago and I couldn't resist. I just hadn't chosen where to put it. One of the two panels seemed just the right size for a bike tool rack, so up it went. The ****** wrenches are at the bottom in the center; did I mention that they were pretty small?
Don't know where I'll put the other panel, yet, but with the purchase of the second bike, a cycling work center seemed appropriate. Maybe the second panel will never get hung. . . .
Also, after a significant hiatus, a few more exterior boards got another coat of sealer. The weather is pretty enough that my goal is to spend 2-4 hours a day to work around the barn. Then I'll need to reconsider the lift rental to get to the fascia boards on the high ends. Hard to tell, but today's effort was just the corner to the left of the door and the door itself.
xtremek
Well-known member
Welcome back. Ok, I give, what's a ****** wrench?
From the school of a picture is worth 1000 words:
But, I should mention that this week I finished applying sealer to 1/2 of the lower wall of one side of the workshop. I may have said, at that rate, it will be Christmas before I finish. . . . That's why I like to do other, however non-essential, tasks to make me feel good. Really nice to look at my cycling tools, although my chain whip is missing. And, no, I'm NOT into ***
But, I should mention that this week I finished applying sealer to 1/2 of the lower wall of one side of the workshop. I may have said, at that rate, it will be Christmas before I finish. . . . That's why I like to do other, however non-essential, tasks to make me feel good. Really nice to look at my cycling tools, although my chain whip is missing. And, no, I'm NOT into ***
xtremek
Well-known member
Well, extremek, I actually AM into science and math. I'm helping to coordinate a FIRST LEGO League regional qualifier tournament where about 24 teams of 4th through 8th graders will show their skills at robot designing, building, and programming as well as present solutions to the problems of extended space flight for humans! Come visit us November 17! But, no, that wasn't quite the *** I was trying to stay clear of, as you know. . . .