Above 1200 Sq/FT Bailey's Barn Build

[mwbailey]

Well, doggone it, I think I'll go fishing tomorrow. The vortex didn't end, but the next step was taken with the sink in the kitchenette in the loft in the workshop. I got the diverter clip installed:

Here is broken and new clip; water flowing through sprayer; and diverter mounted under the sink -- no leak!!







With aerator re-installed, guess what; still had too much restriction for good water flow. At the time I purchased the "wrench" to remove the aerator, I didn't know for sure what my model was so I just took the one that said "Delta". The wrench included a new aerator. The wrench worked but the aerator didn't fit. Comparison:



Ordered a new aerator which will be in by Thursday -- so, that's about when I get back from fishing. Seems like pretty good timing!

 

[xtremek]

I'm so glad it's you doing the plumbing, not me.

 

[mwbailey]

Yep, got up to the mountains near Boone, NC, and caught a couple of Brook Trout -- I hate to pull them out of the water, so the photo is a bit blurry trying to see through the water; and here's Todd Island where they were caught.


In the meantime, the aerator for the sink in the kitchenette in the loft in the workshop came in. When it became evident that the O-ring was not staying seated and that was corrected, everything went together fine. Still turning the water off when I leave, but it seems that vortex has reached the bottom!

In the meantime, I've been trying to attack the Olds 442 chassis. I ordered/received the bushings for the font sway bar but when I tried to install the sway bar and links, I couldn't get the thing to fit. Come to find out, the idler arm was pointing the wrong way:



Then the issue was getting the sway bar links to reach -- missing the 500-700 pound engine might be the problem. So the idler arm has been corrected and the sway bar will be left in position until the engine is installed.



Decided to approach the shock absorbers only to find out that the front shocks will need the engine in place to depress the springs enough to install the top nut. Went to install the rear shocks and found that there were some already there. BUT, they were not correct. When I told The Wife that I swapped out the old for the new, she questioned my judgement, but I'm sure you can see the benefit:



Well, maybe not, just like it's hard to see the front sway bar. Maybe this can help with the shocks (old on the far right and new in the center):

 

[xtremek]

So the old ones aren't gas filled. Tell your wife, she'll appreciate it if you take a long trip.

 

[mwbailey]

Hey xtremek, And the car is not air conditioned. Chances are slim that The Wife will even TAKE a trip in this car!?!?!

 

[xtremek]

Two words- Vintage Air.

 

[xtremek]

Unless the lack of air is part of a plan to limit passenger occupancy.

 

[mwbailey]

How many days does doing something create a habit? Two days in a row I've moved ONE load of chips from "the pile" to a bed near the house. Today was around the Weeping LOOOOOVE Grass on the hill in front of the house. Good to have an excuse to ride Ole Paint:



Also, finally had a couple of days without rain so I could finish sealing the deck. Sure hope a few days aging will get a match between today's work and the work from a few days ago.



Also got the stairs to the screened in porch done. Maybe tomorrow will be a good day to do some of the vertical surfaces. . . .

 

[mwbailey]

Well, yesterday WAS a good day for sealing some of the vertical surfaces -- except that Jesus called the night before and said he could help me in the yard if I wanted. So, for a few hours we loaded and transported boxes of chips to a corner of the drive where the path to the workshop turns off. Since it was The Wife's idea to try to make that area look better, I was OK with the work. But, I must say that Jesus can put a guy through it. Even though he pitched two forks full for every one of mine, he also mentioned, "Mr. Mack, you worked hard this morning."



Once we had several loads dumped, I did get some sealing done on the deck:


And, when I finished that stretch, I loaded and dumped one other box without help. Jesus is the official spreader, but I was sore enough with just the work I did.

 

[xtremek]

Our bodies are telling us to knock that stuff off, aren't they.

 

[mwbailey]

Bodies are, but it's funny how The Wife isn't. . . .

 

[xtremek]

Funny you should say that. I'm still cutting down trees and cleaning up that mess.

 

[mwbailey]

Careful with the chainsaw, xtremek!

The Wife also mentioned as we pulled into the driveway this afternoon, "When are you going to move That Trailer?" Well, actually, the workshop was designed to allow room for the car hauler AND the boat trailer under the leanto. So, this:



Needs to get into the leanto on the far right:


The diagonal supports may give enough of a challenge, but I measured the trailer as about 104" wide; then measured from inside of outer post to batten on wall and got 128". That should give me a foot of clearance on each side, at about ground level.

So, maybe I should make a cheap and fast rack for some of the "stuff" I have deposited on the floor of the leanto. Can't brag on the design, but with leftover 2X4's and a few screws, I finished up with this:



This got a half-dozen 4X4's off the ground plus several pieces of galvanized pipe. A buddy had given these to me for air lines. I figured the valves, themselves, were worth the price. But, they were in the way. Plus two 4X8' sheets of particle board that probably should just be tossed. . . later

Still gotta move a picnic table, a pallet, 1967 442 steering linkage, and some of the rest of the leftover 2X4's. Then I'll need to get someone to help me steer the trailer in. Maybe I can us Ole Paint with the hitch on the front to give me a good view of where I'm going.

 

[xtremek]

Two questions, what is the car out behind the lean-to and what's the white and green(?) thing in the corner of the last pic?

 

[mwbailey]

Yep, I figured I should have done something to hide my "parts car"! The car on the far right of the leanto is one of three parts cars I obtained to restore the cameo ivory 1967 Olds 442 that my son wrecked:


The green barrel is left over from the cinder block house we demolished when we moved out here. Somehow I felt the fuel oil barrel lent an air of authenticity or something to the barn. . . .


I'm holding onto the parts car until I complete the second 1967 442 (which was, itself, a parts car at one time; third parts car was hauled off by a friend who needed parts from it) that's in the workshop now. You just never can tell when you might need a part. . . .


I don't know why I'm still holding onto the green barrel.

 

[xtremek]

If I were in your shoes, if gas ever got down around $2.25 a gallon, I'd get it filled with gas.

 

[mwbailey]

This past weekend a couple of dozen family members were at the house for a gathering. Most of the two or three weeks before were spent "getting ready". That included 17 loads of chips with Ole Paint, a good bit of help from Jesu, and a few odds and ends including "patching" a hole in the carpet of the boat.



This is a 1996 model so after about 23 years the carpet is getting a bit threadbare in places. Worst was a "hole" near the rear.


From purchase, there has been about a 6 foot by 18" strip of carpet that I never knew what it was for. Just determined a month ago that it went in the hold just under the carpeted floor. Since I don't use the hold very often and certainly don't need it to be carpeted, that piece of carpet was put to use.

Amazing how much sand and dirt collects under a carpet in 23 years!



First idea was to make a pattern and cut the piece I had from that. Then it occurred to me that I could remove the rear seat and let the carpet end under there and not need a pattern for the protrusion in the middle of the rear seat.



Well, looka heah, the gas tank is exposed. Since the gas gauge has not worked for a number of years, this seemed to be an opportune time for repair. Not wanting to work underneath the cramped dash nor having any interest in pulling wire and/or trouble shooting, I just ordered a new sending unit and gauge as a package. Funny how many tools you get out to do a simple job.



Had hoped that the gauge could be mounted on one of the rear seat supports -- remember, not interested in running wires! My first try didn't work for two reasons -- I used a 2 1/4" hole saw and the gauge was 2" and the support was thicker than the gauge was designed for (the hole is visible, below). So, just used a piece of scrap lauan plywood with proper size hole saw. Installed a switch just to protect things. Lauan will be replaced with plastic when I get the gumption.


All in all, a reasonable extension of the life of the carpet and nobody complained over the weekend.

 

[xtremek]

Time to hang the new sign out at the end of the driveway, "Boat Repairs". Nicely done.

 

[mwbailey]

After my side of the family invaded -- great time with ALL the relatives attending -- The Wife's brother showed up for a "few weeks". He's in the middle of some marital issues and we hope to get him back on his feet before long.

In the meantime, he's just about worked MY feet off of me. At 70, he's only a couple of years younger (and he has a bad back and a couple of other health issues that we need to deal with), but he "piddles" as he calls it and gets more work done in a day than I do in a week! In about the last ten days he's gone from having a hard time making it to the mailbox and back to pretty much completing three projects.

The first project was on my list: installing paver steps to the workshop.

We started at the top and worked down using some sort of "rubblestone" system that has polymer pads to lay the pavers on. We took about a step a day, but in 90+ degree heat and 125% humidity, it still wasn't easy.

Day one:


Second and third day:


Fourth and fifth day:


Almost finished product:


We're still sifting sand into the joints and doing a little clean-up work. The Wife wants to add plantings but we've used the excuse that Fall is the best time to plant to hold her off for a while.

Very satisfied with the slightly less than professional job, and the steps are a lot easier to navigate than the former slope.

Note, however, that around about the second or third day, BIL was pulling up the flagstones in the perfectly good flagstone and weeds walkway. . . . Sounds like another project is on the way.

 

[mwbailey]

So, project number 2 with BIL was started before project number 1 was even completed.

I responded to BIL's suggestion and worked with renewing the walkway to the workshop. Had used some plastic edging at other spots on workshop "landscaping" so continued that with the walkway. Even tried to add some artistically pleasing curves to the walk. This time we used landscape cloth to try to cut down on weeds. Got a load of bigger-than-pea-gravel river rock to fill in around the flagstones. And used some of the dirt from the steps to grade up to the edging. At one point almost every landscaping tool we had was nearby, powered, hand, DOT registered, etc.











Also spread some fescue seed -- trying to keep it moist, but in this heat surely it has sense enough not to sprout!!

 

[HOTFR8]

The path looks great.

 

[mwbailey]

Nope, BIL projects have not stopped. Along the way, he decided that the area behind the workshop needed help -- it did, just wasn't a priority. . . .

So, about four pickup loads of good scrap rotted lumber and other valuable remnants to the landfill had "overspent" my one-ton-a-month allotment from the county but had removed significant clutter from the area.

My hope was to be able to get the car hauler under the leanto. After considerable effort to remove humps in the entryway we took a measurement. We'd need another 8 inches lower to come close.

So, we just did some sloping and leveling in hopes that water flow will be taken care of. Of course, we plan to review after the first significant rain -- which has not occurred for two or three weeks, so far.

Fact of the matter is, the area looks a lot better. So, we'll try some fescue seed back there, too. Eternal optimists I suppose.









Oh, the parts car, classic that it is, has only be relegated to further down towards the woods. Even BIL saw the value of hanging onto it.

 

[DynoDave]

Boy, he has put you to work. Great to have the help though, and a spark to get things done.

 

[mwbailey]

Thanks, HOTFR8; I really do like what "we" have done so far. We have had a hard time finishing one project before starting another, but the progress has been pretty steady. DynoDave, I must agree that the help has been great. Now, tomorrow The Wife and I will attend a funeral. I'm thinking of telling BIL that I need to be there about 8:30 am (even though the service doesn't begin until 11:00 am). Maybe he won't question that and I'll be able to get some rest at the church. . . .

 

[xtremek]

Wow, you and the BiL have been kicking some major ****. It all looks really good.

 

[mwbailey]

The BIL saga continues, but this time with a little "fun" included! The summer after my sophomore year in high school -- yep, that would have been roughly 1962 -- I worked at my dad's Tenneco Oil Company filling station on Edgewater Drive in Orlando, FL. Let's just say Dad was going through a bit of late midlife crisis. He and my mother broke up but she encouraged her children to visit Dad during the summer. I really appreciated that.

So, I got my own Tenneco shirt:



The filling station only lasted one year under Dad's ownership, but it had improved from 6 out of 6 Tenneco stations in sales in Orlando to 2 or 3 out of 6. He was pleased, and I got to work with cars. Win-win. . . .

When we tore down the cinder-block fishing shanty on our property, a large fuel oil tank was left behind. I've held on to it and moved it a couple of times. BIL has had me move it two more times.

But the second time, we placed it near the workshop for ambiance and added a Tenneco sign for old times.



I shouldn't be complaining too much about the BIL since we've been making good progress. He's even done a couple of jobs by himself. One was adding flagstones to the pea gravel under the screened in porch using flagstones donated by the next door neighbor.



And today we made a trip to the green boxes and another trip to Good Will after The Wife supervised cleaning out the downstairs potting shed. I wish I had taken a before photo. This goes back to post #411 when a potting bench and organizing rack were provided. Instead, the downstairs garage just became a storage place for junk. Better now, but still have some work to do.



Yes, whoever heard of an oriental (style) rug in front of a potting bench?!

 

[Mike.ASC]

Progress is progress no matter how little or big.

 

[mwbailey]

Hey Mike, I just hope The Wife doesn't get too used to the progress we've been making -- and expect it even after her brother leaves. . . .

 

[Mike.ASC]

Hey Mike, I just hope The Wife doesn't get too used to the progress we've been making -- and expect it even after her brother leaves. . . .

Haha good luck with that....

 

[xtremek]

Maybe you can send him my way.

 

[mwbailey]

Spent a week in Lakeland, FL, visiting with SIL who lost her husband this past May. Good visit, BIL jumped right on his sister's yard with mowing, weed-eating, and Round-Up!! I took time for a bicycle ride or two. Not all Floridians are welcoming:


Got back in time to help move an N-scale model of our fair city, Rock Hill, that's about 5X13'. It will reside in a museum of some sort, built by a local engineer turned corporate manager. He enjoyed the modeling, but wasn't so much into the railroading. . . .



I encouraged installing legs instead of leaving the layout on tables. BIL and I started by filling an estimate of the cut list for parts:



Oh, and in the meantime, The Wife decided the stone steps needed some "softening" with Lenten Roses planted along the sides:



I'll give her credit that she did come back and plant a few herself. We'll see if they survive. . . .

 

[xtremek]

I wish I had time for model railroading. Nice of you guys to help out.

 

[mwbailey]

Not sure I have time, but it's a good distraction xtremek!

Also, I have GRANDchildren; not children still young enough to be at home like you! That gives a bit more discretionary time. . . .

 

[mwbailey]

Now, here's a project started just almost a year ago -- about August 8, 2018. But that BIL got it rolling again. I'll take credit for suggesting it, but then he picked it up and ran with it.

Soon after I had a contractor spray sealer on the barn, I noticed that the fascia was looking "dry". So, realizing that just because you pay somebody to do a job, it doesn't mean you'll get a professional or even satisfactory job, I decided to tackle it, myself. Various and sundry events have "gotten in the way", but today I started on the short 2nd story wall and fascia partly because I thought it would be easy. BIL started on the East end.

Previously, most of the west end and the south side had been completed; took the past year to get that done.

Well, come to find out, that little wall is very hard to get to. I got about 12 feet completed of this:


while BIL got much of the bottom of the east end:


In my defense, the wall was a lot shorter than I realized and any application with brush required a position on your side and working with the brush in a pseudo-overhead fashion. Working overhead is not fun. Actually, the fascia WAS pretty easy, but by then the shingles were getting too hot to touch. Took that as an excuse to go to Walmart to get mineral spirits and break for lunch.

When the sun got on the other side of the barn, I assisted by getting out the extension ladder. Finished a good bit of the east end. Will try to get to the horizontal board at the light level and then consider renting an extension lift, maybe.


OK, so there's a small length of about three boards near the left side of the door that I missed; the door was partly open when I started helping and somehow that area was missed. Manana is soon enough for me!

 

[mwbailey]

Manana came Monday. Called Home Depot Sunday for their 35-foot boom lift that I hadn't seen on the lot in some time. Turns out it was back. BIL and I were up at 6:00 am to pick it up. Returned the thing around 8:20 pm. I don't need to see another one for quite some time.



But, that thing's the ticket for high painting/sealing job. Got the top west and east ends completed but it got pretty hot in the afternoon with the sun still high in the sky.

Recovered a bit yesterday and BIL began on another project -- taking the rust off the car hauler tongue and repainting. It's about done except for attaching the wiring again.


The wire clips were attached with what looked like Torx/star key screws. But neither T-15 nor T-20 fit -- somewhere in between. So, used cut off wheel to remove and will use something with Phillips or hex head to replace. However, couldn't remove the emergency brake battery box so just painted around it. Looks pretty good to me.

Oh, still some areas here and there to seal on the barn, but all within reasonably safe access with extension ladder.

 

[xtremek]

Is my trailer next? They both look good.

 

[iced98lx]

barn and trailer both look good. I"ve got some grinding and painting to do and you're making my excuses not sound so great..

 

[mwbailey]

xtremek, I'll check with BIL. . . .

iced98lx, thanks, but every excuse I've tried to use with BIL has not held up. Today we dispersed 3000 pounds of crusher run -- sounds like a lot, and it was weight-wise, but it didn't seem to cover much ground. I think we'll go see Crazy Cousin Larry tomorrow and I'll get a break from piddling!!

 

[mwbailey]

Wow, iced98lx, just checked your posts -- nice Vette, maybe even nicer boat, great garage and lake place. You've got enough going on that you don't need excuses. . . .

 

[mwbailey]

Extension ladder was out today; sufficient time elapsed to get over the high lift sealing job and start working on things a bit lower.

Pretty much finished up the board and batten I plan to seal. Why is it that the last board is out of safe reach of a ladder?



Not too clear at this angle, but the angle (!) of the ladder is pretty significant AWAY from the approx. 1/2 board that's left to seal.

Never fear, a couple of paving blocks and the ladder was pretty level. Got that last 1/2 board:



Still have the fascia on the lean-to and a couple of other places but most is easy to get to, I hope!?!