Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Factory 59
- Thread starter bdbecker
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
A Merry Christmas indeed...
My folks came down to celebrate Christmas with us. We'll have our official get-together in a few weeks when my Brother comes home from Portland, but why not celebrate twice? Without going into all the details, it was simply a wonderful time spent together as a family.
We hit a couple of home-runs on gifts this year... Smasher has been obsessed with the "How Ridiculous" YouTube channel the last few months, so we got him one of the limited edition shirts they make each year. He didn't take it off for three days. Sis got the complete "Wings of Fire" graphic novel series she's been obsessed with, along with a couple of stand alone books not in the series. I'm pretty sure she's already read every single one by now.
Dad and I were able to make some progress on the shed Friday, getting all the rafters cut and installed.
The plan was to get the side extensions installed and start sheeting on Saturday, but when I woke up, I could tell I was running a fever. Backing up a bit, we noticed that Smasher had a fever Christmas afternoon. Friday morning it was worse, so Wife took him into urgent care. Sure enough, he tested positive for influenza B. I knew I wasn't going to be able to push through when I tried to pick up my miter saw and it felt like it weighed twice as much as normal. Mom and Dad (wisely) packed up and headed back to the farm to limit their exposure. I went back to bed and spent the next few days sleeping, sweating, and shivering. Sis also got sick, but thankfully Wife has managed to stay healthy while the rest of us wandered around the house like zombies looking for kleenex and gatorade. As of last night, it looks like everyone is nearly back to normal.
If you are keeping track, this is the second time I've gotten sick while working on this shed. The whole "get it done before the snow flies" is completely out the window. I'll be lucky to have it dried in before the spring rains come at this point, but the way things are going, I'm not holding my breath on that. Whatever... I'm done worrying about it. I'll get it done someday. It's just a shed.
Wishing everyone a healthy New Year!
My folks came down to celebrate Christmas with us. We'll have our official get-together in a few weeks when my Brother comes home from Portland, but why not celebrate twice? Without going into all the details, it was simply a wonderful time spent together as a family.
We hit a couple of home-runs on gifts this year... Smasher has been obsessed with the "How Ridiculous" YouTube channel the last few months, so we got him one of the limited edition shirts they make each year. He didn't take it off for three days. Sis got the complete "Wings of Fire" graphic novel series she's been obsessed with, along with a couple of stand alone books not in the series. I'm pretty sure she's already read every single one by now.
Dad and I were able to make some progress on the shed Friday, getting all the rafters cut and installed.
The plan was to get the side extensions installed and start sheeting on Saturday, but when I woke up, I could tell I was running a fever. Backing up a bit, we noticed that Smasher had a fever Christmas afternoon. Friday morning it was worse, so Wife took him into urgent care. Sure enough, he tested positive for influenza B. I knew I wasn't going to be able to push through when I tried to pick up my miter saw and it felt like it weighed twice as much as normal. Mom and Dad (wisely) packed up and headed back to the farm to limit their exposure. I went back to bed and spent the next few days sleeping, sweating, and shivering. Sis also got sick, but thankfully Wife has managed to stay healthy while the rest of us wandered around the house like zombies looking for kleenex and gatorade. As of last night, it looks like everyone is nearly back to normal.
If you are keeping track, this is the second time I've gotten sick while working on this shed. The whole "get it done before the snow flies" is completely out the window. I'll be lucky to have it dried in before the spring rains come at this point, but the way things are going, I'm not holding my breath on that. Whatever... I'm done worrying about it. I'll get it done someday. It's just a shed.
Wishing everyone a healthy New Year!
Trapps
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I hope you feel better soon. Shed framing looks great; I'm a fan of the design. Will you power it at some point?
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
XJSuperman
Well-known member
I get that all too well. My projects went the same way this year....should've been a month but turned into several, and still not done. Should've been done before the snow flew, but we know how that went... so now it'll be spring. Redirect to actual winter projects instead.
I've recently come to the conclusion that powering a shed via solar/battery is so much easier than it used to be and definitely easier/nicer than dealing with digging a trench or running an extension cord. Harbor freight sells cheap solar panels and controllers that top off a small battery, which is all you need to power a couple small LED lights for those times you are rummaging around inside a shed. The BIL just went with one of those rechargeable power banks for his newest shed. Should last him a few months on a charge so no solar trickle for that one yet. Plenty of options Brad, good luck and happy new year!
Wife and I both agree that having some sort of lighting in the shed is a necessity. I'm entertaining a few ideas on how to make that happen. Solar panel(s) and a power bank is certainly one of them. The only issue is that the shed roof faces north - basically the opposite direction for optimal energy collection. I have a feeling that snow accumulation may be an issue during the winter months, but that is honestly less of an issue.
The other solution I'm looking into would be to use Ryobi 18v battery packs to power the lights. Wife is already on the platform, so we have a handful of batteries floating around already. Home Depot always seems to be having sales on them anyway, which makes them a more affordable option for this purpose than my Makita batteries. Using one of these kits...
Along with a pack or two of something like these lights...
I figure I can get an appropriate amount of light in the space with a decent amount of runtime between battery swaps. Assuming six of those lights are used with a 4ah battery, I should get at least 20 hours of on-time before needing to swap packs. Admittedly, I've only briefly looked into this option and I am not an electronics expert, so I may be missing something. LED strip lighting is also on the table, but again, it's just a storage shed. We only need to be able to see in there when the sun isn't shining.
The other solution I'm looking into would be to use Ryobi 18v battery packs to power the lights. Wife is already on the platform, so we have a handful of batteries floating around already. Home Depot always seems to be having sales on them anyway, which makes them a more affordable option for this purpose than my Makita batteries. Using one of these kits...
Along with a pack or two of something like these lights...
I figure I can get an appropriate amount of light in the space with a decent amount of runtime between battery swaps. Assuming six of those lights are used with a 4ah battery, I should get at least 20 hours of on-time before needing to swap packs. Admittedly, I've only briefly looked into this option and I am not an electronics expert, so I may be missing something. LED strip lighting is also on the table, but again, it's just a storage shed. We only need to be able to see in there when the sun isn't shining.
XJSuperman
Well-known member
The benefit here is that you can think outside the box and make almost anything work. Those $10 car lighting kits at walmart/menards are easy and put out enough for your purposes. Strip lights are the same. Camping tent lights work too. Solar doesn't have to lay flat on the roof. You can angle it on a bracket to face it south if needed. Or mount it off a wall instead of the roof.
ronjon1190
Well-known member
I would wire it regularly with LED lights and a switch and just put a regular plug feeding the switch. You could still power the lights with a ryobi battery pack and one of these, and That way when you decide to trench regular power over from the house, everything is already set up for it.
18V ONE+ 150-Watt Portable Battery Inverter Power Source (Tool Only)
18V ONE+ 150-Watt Portable Battery Inverter Power Source (Tool Only)
madison069
Well-known member
I got two, those are nice during power outage with the built in lights and usb ports to charge the phones.
New year, new avatar... the confused grizzly bear has been a solid picture for the last several years, but this AI modified picture of Mr. Whiskers was too good to not use. I literally have no idea how to use AI, but there was a feature added to my phone and I started playing around with it and it spit out the picture.
It's been a minute since I posted any updates here because, well, there's not really much to share. I've had little motivation to do anything on the shed, house, or shop lately. Part of it is weather (shed), part of it is just wanting to hibernate with a good book or movie, and part of it is just that there is so much to be done that it all just seems too daunting. We've also had something going on 6 of the last 8 weekends, so I suppose I'm not giving myself enough slack for just keeping my head above water through all of that. It's all good though... I'll get back in the swing of things soon. One bite at a time is the best way to approach situations like this.
Hope everyone is staying warm!
It's been a minute since I posted any updates here because, well, there's not really much to share. I've had little motivation to do anything on the shed, house, or shop lately. Part of it is weather (shed), part of it is just wanting to hibernate with a good book or movie, and part of it is just that there is so much to be done that it all just seems too daunting. We've also had something going on 6 of the last 8 weekends, so I suppose I'm not giving myself enough slack for just keeping my head above water through all of that. It's all good though... I'll get back in the swing of things soon. One bite at a time is the best way to approach situations like this.
Hope everyone is staying warm!
XJSuperman
Well-known member
Same here. Powering through, or at least attempting. Turning on the heat in the garage helps, as it forces me to go out and turn it off if I'm going to chicken out....and if I'm going out, then I might as well work on something. This weather is downright cold, and hibernating is the natural response. Time for a vacation, or a cold weather reprieve.
Another month has passed… where does the time go?
My efforts have been focused on clearing small projects off the list for the house. New ceiling fan in the back den, new light fixture over the dinner table, replacing the valves and handles on Sis’ bathtub so she no longer has to use my vise grips to turn the water on/off, etc. This weekend is going to be more plumbing. I’ve got a toilet valve that starts whistling at random times. Not a big deal during the day but terrifying the first time it happened late at night as I was dozing off in my easy chair last Saturday. I’ve already dealt with this issue on a toilet in the last house, so I’m familiar with how to repair it. I also have not one, but two self-piercing saddle valves that are dripping when not in their preferred positions (fridge water line dribbles when turned off, the whole house humidifier line dribbles when turned on). The right fix is to cut the pipe and install better valves. The fix I’m going to try is to replace the saddle valves with new ones. I know I’m kicking the can down the road on those valves and will have to replace them again someday, but I also need to replace the microwave this weekend.
I think this will be the 3rd time I’ve replaced a microwave in the last decade. At the last house, the control panel went bad on the original microwave, the next one had a safety interlock issue, and now the one at the new house is making some not-so-healthy sounds during operation (both from the turntable and the microwave itself). It’s old and we knew it would need to be replaced at some point, so no surprise. The turntable would be one thing to fix, but whatever is causing the other sound is not something I’m not willing to dig into. Along with the microwave, we also took delivery of a new refrigerator this week (how I discovered the other leaky valve). The old one was a 50/50 vertical split counter depth French door fridge/freezer, which is a fancy way of saying that you can’t fit more than a few days’ worth of groceries in the damn thing. A terrible design for a counter depth fridge and I now understand why most manufacturers no longer offer that configuration.
Regarding the basement shop space… other than some minor tweaks here and there, the general layout plan is still pretty much the same. The only stick in the mud is trying to work in some sort of bulk material storage solution, but I’m starting to come around to the idea of keeping sheet goods and full boards in the garage and only bringing those materials into the basement when needed. I can knock down sheets or long boards in the garage with the track saw, which will make it easier to transport down the stairs anyway. This also pairs better for my vision of the basement shop.
While there will be woodworking equipment in the basement shop, my goal is to make it more of a multi-purpose space. I’ll be the first to admit that I generally have a short attention span when it comes to my hobbies and interests – I am a serial dabbler. I simply like learning new stuff and teaching myself new skills, which means I am unlikely to stick to any one hobby for a prolonged, continuous period of time. I may come back around to a previous hobby, but it may be a few years in between deep dives. The shop needs to be able to adapt to me, instead of trying to make myself adapt to a shop.
My efforts have been focused on clearing small projects off the list for the house. New ceiling fan in the back den, new light fixture over the dinner table, replacing the valves and handles on Sis’ bathtub so she no longer has to use my vise grips to turn the water on/off, etc. This weekend is going to be more plumbing. I’ve got a toilet valve that starts whistling at random times. Not a big deal during the day but terrifying the first time it happened late at night as I was dozing off in my easy chair last Saturday. I’ve already dealt with this issue on a toilet in the last house, so I’m familiar with how to repair it. I also have not one, but two self-piercing saddle valves that are dripping when not in their preferred positions (fridge water line dribbles when turned off, the whole house humidifier line dribbles when turned on). The right fix is to cut the pipe and install better valves. The fix I’m going to try is to replace the saddle valves with new ones. I know I’m kicking the can down the road on those valves and will have to replace them again someday, but I also need to replace the microwave this weekend.
I think this will be the 3rd time I’ve replaced a microwave in the last decade. At the last house, the control panel went bad on the original microwave, the next one had a safety interlock issue, and now the one at the new house is making some not-so-healthy sounds during operation (both from the turntable and the microwave itself). It’s old and we knew it would need to be replaced at some point, so no surprise. The turntable would be one thing to fix, but whatever is causing the other sound is not something I’m not willing to dig into. Along with the microwave, we also took delivery of a new refrigerator this week (how I discovered the other leaky valve). The old one was a 50/50 vertical split counter depth French door fridge/freezer, which is a fancy way of saying that you can’t fit more than a few days’ worth of groceries in the damn thing. A terrible design for a counter depth fridge and I now understand why most manufacturers no longer offer that configuration.
Regarding the basement shop space… other than some minor tweaks here and there, the general layout plan is still pretty much the same. The only stick in the mud is trying to work in some sort of bulk material storage solution, but I’m starting to come around to the idea of keeping sheet goods and full boards in the garage and only bringing those materials into the basement when needed. I can knock down sheets or long boards in the garage with the track saw, which will make it easier to transport down the stairs anyway. This also pairs better for my vision of the basement shop.
While there will be woodworking equipment in the basement shop, my goal is to make it more of a multi-purpose space. I’ll be the first to admit that I generally have a short attention span when it comes to my hobbies and interests – I am a serial dabbler. I simply like learning new stuff and teaching myself new skills, which means I am unlikely to stick to any one hobby for a prolonged, continuous period of time. I may come back around to a previous hobby, but it may be a few years in between deep dives. The shop needs to be able to adapt to me, instead of trying to make myself adapt to a shop.
I totally forgot to post a pic of the new light in the dining room yesterday...
(the light is level, I just **** at taking pictures)
The original light was a swag fixture and the j-box is not centered in the room. This posed a bit of a problem.
First, I’m kind of tall (6’3”). This means that while most people just enjoy the light from overhead, I get to stare at the side of the fixture when walking through a room. For all you normal height people, clean your light fixtures – they are dustier than you think. I also have to be careful not to bump my head when it comes to larger fixtures. You may be thinking, “how does that happen if there is a table underneath?” Well, it does. My folks have a long, rectangular fixture over their table, and I have hit my head on it dozens of times over the years. I can’t even count how many times I’ve done this at restaurants as well.
Anyway… a few months ago, I found and installed a single bulb pendant style light at ReStore. The fixture is really cool but was far too small for the room and didn’t do a very good job of lighting up the space. I also installed it fairly close to the ceiling to avoid the issues previously mentioned, but it looked goofy being that close to the ceiling. It was immediately apparent that we would need something larger for the space to get better light dispersion.
The other issue being that the j-box was offset. If swag lights are off the table, we needed to get creative or I was going to have to either build something (not ideal given that I don’t have my shop setup yet) or climb in the attic to move the j-box (nearly impossible given the pitch of our roof). Of course, Amazon had the solution. An asymmetrical fixture that when installed and rotated just so, (almost perfectly) centers all six lights in an oval shape in the room over the table. I’m not joking when I say that between Wife and I, we probably spent at least 10x more time trying to find this fixture than it took for me to install it. But we found it. It fits our style, fits the space, is dimmable, has replaceable bulbs, and we didn’t have to sell a kidney to afford it.
That's one light down, and a lot more to go. Up next will probably be the track lights. We actually like them, but want to update them with a more modern and slightly smaller design. Even the table lamps have now become a project after an event with Fred (our robot vac) a few weeks ago that resulted in one of the lamps taking a hard fall to the floor. I think it took Wife nearly a year to settle on those, so 2027 before those are replaced? I’m staying out of that one though…
EDIT:
Link to light in case anyone is interested...
(the light is level, I just **** at taking pictures)
The original light was a swag fixture and the j-box is not centered in the room. This posed a bit of a problem.
First, I’m kind of tall (6’3”). This means that while most people just enjoy the light from overhead, I get to stare at the side of the fixture when walking through a room. For all you normal height people, clean your light fixtures – they are dustier than you think. I also have to be careful not to bump my head when it comes to larger fixtures. You may be thinking, “how does that happen if there is a table underneath?” Well, it does. My folks have a long, rectangular fixture over their table, and I have hit my head on it dozens of times over the years. I can’t even count how many times I’ve done this at restaurants as well.
Anyway… a few months ago, I found and installed a single bulb pendant style light at ReStore. The fixture is really cool but was far too small for the room and didn’t do a very good job of lighting up the space. I also installed it fairly close to the ceiling to avoid the issues previously mentioned, but it looked goofy being that close to the ceiling. It was immediately apparent that we would need something larger for the space to get better light dispersion.
The other issue being that the j-box was offset. If swag lights are off the table, we needed to get creative or I was going to have to either build something (not ideal given that I don’t have my shop setup yet) or climb in the attic to move the j-box (nearly impossible given the pitch of our roof). Of course, Amazon had the solution. An asymmetrical fixture that when installed and rotated just so, (almost perfectly) centers all six lights in an oval shape in the room over the table. I’m not joking when I say that between Wife and I, we probably spent at least 10x more time trying to find this fixture than it took for me to install it. But we found it. It fits our style, fits the space, is dimmable, has replaceable bulbs, and we didn’t have to sell a kidney to afford it.
That's one light down, and a lot more to go. Up next will probably be the track lights. We actually like them, but want to update them with a more modern and slightly smaller design. Even the table lamps have now become a project after an event with Fred (our robot vac) a few weeks ago that resulted in one of the lamps taking a hard fall to the floor. I think it took Wife nearly a year to settle on those, so 2027 before those are replaced? I’m staying out of that one though…
EDIT:
Link to light in case anyone is interested...
Last edited:
gearhead1960
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Does it beep in the background…I totally forgot to post a pic of the new light in the dining room yesterday...
(the light is level, I just **** at taking pictures)
Does it beep in the background…
No, but odd geometric circles have started appearing on the rug some mornings.
madison069
Well-known member
As long as a star don't appear in the cluster of circles on your floor, you are good.
If you hear "Down with the Sickness" playing from the room, you might want to run.
As long as the demons and/or aliens don't make a mess, I'm not too worried about it.
You'll also need a better 'scary' song if you are going to try to rile me up. Nothing against Disturbed - they put on a hell of a show and are very talented, but they are kinda tame compared to some of the bands I was into during my metalhead days.
madison069
Well-known member
I was referencing the old stick figure video with the song, but I should of included the video.
Dude... that was a blast from the past! I totally forgot about StickDeath!
Allow me a detour into the past...
I used to work as an office assistant in the Economics department when I was in college. It paid better than most of the other campus jobs and might have been the best job I ever had. Making copies, stuffing envelopes, running stuff around campus, helping the IT guy move equipment... literally anything that needed to be done that the admins couldn't (or didn't want to) do.
All the admins liked to leave early on Fridays, so I always had a few hours at the end of the week where my only responsibility was to be at my desk in case anyone called or stopped by, which was extremely rare. I literally got paid to dink around on the computer or read books for a few hours each week. StickDeath and EBaums's World were my two main 'go-to' websites during those days.
One of the other fun parts about that job is there was one professor who really wanted to be a stand up comic. He'd do open mic nights and whenever he was working on a new bit, always wanted to try it out on me to get my feedback. Most of his jokes were okay, some were stinkers, but every now and then he'd have a gem. It was just a funny juxtaposition having a Yale educated, highly respected economist telling blue comedy jokes to a kid from the sticks in a copy room on a random Tuesday morning.
madison069
Well-known member
I wasn’t sure if you were familiar with StickDeath so I said stick figure video.
My range of heavy, death, nu, and other metal music goes all over the place. A buddy of mine was big into a lot of those music an so I would get a burned copy of the cd he buys. The looks I get from the neighbors when I play some of the dark stuff was always funny. Specially when I play what folks call Pawpaw country music the next day, really threw them for a loop. I know slipknot isn’t heavy heavy, but they were the last live performance I attended. The most interesting band I saw live was Otep, she was something else on the stage.
It was always interesting talking to some of the professors at college once you got to know them on a personal level. Most of them were just basically kids at heart and wanted to act young as they were when in college.
My range of heavy, death, nu, and other metal music goes all over the place. A buddy of mine was big into a lot of those music an so I would get a burned copy of the cd he buys. The looks I get from the neighbors when I play some of the dark stuff was always funny. Specially when I play what folks call Pawpaw country music the next day, really threw them for a loop. I know slipknot isn’t heavy heavy, but they were the last live performance I attended. The most interesting band I saw live was Otep, she was something else on the stage.
It was always interesting talking to some of the professors at college once you got to know them on a personal level. Most of them were just basically kids at heart and wanted to act young as they were when in college.
I think we'd get along well if we were neighbors.
During a road trip a few years ago, Wife put my 'liked' songs Spotify list on shuffle and pressed play. I warned her, but she did it anyway. Probably the best way to describe it is that it's a roller coaster. Waylon, Sturgill, or Paul Cauthen one minute, Cypress Hill, Run the Jewels, Geto Boys, or Clipping the next, then a little Daft Punk or Royksopp, followed by Childers, Shaky Graves, or Colter Wall, on to Lamb of God, Clutch, Pantera, or Amon Amarth, with a sprinkling of Tears for Fears and Talking Heads throughout. We skipped over most of the heavier/dark stuff... it didn't really fit the "10 year wedding anniversary road trip through the Appalachian Mountains" vibe.
madison069
Well-known member
I keep my cds to myself. Playlist I do a good job of separating those music. Nobody needs to be exposed to my extreme music range unless I baby walk them into it!
No pic handy, but I'll take one for you.
The connection between Midcentury architecture and the Midwest is something I've been exploring over the last few years and it's kind of interesting when you start digging into it. A lot of people immediately think 'west coast' when the topic comes up (and they aren't wrong), but there is a rich history right here in the middle of America as well. A lot of the groundwork was laid by the Prairie School style that came out of Chicago in the early 1900's. Those architects spread out, often around the Midwest, bringing/developing the style to communities along the way. There is way more to the story, but for the sake of brevity, I'll leave it there for now.
-----
Speaking of lamps, I mentioned last week that one our table lamps broke after it took a tumble when our robot vac got tangled up in the cord, and joked about how it'd take a year for Wife to pick out new ones. Well, foot in mouth, she already found replacements and they were delivered Sunday. The funny bit is that they look almost identical to the ones we had before, just in all black this time (previous ones were also black, but with brushed nickle accents).
In other news, I'm getting too good at swapping microwaves... from the time I started cutting the box open to putting away my tools, the project took just over an hour. At one point, Wife stopped by the kitchen to check my progress and had to do a double-take because the new one was already installed and powered up.
I did not get around to my plumbing projects - we had loads of laundry and dishes running so I couldn't shut off the water. The leak from the fridge water valve has stopped, but I still have a bucket under it just in case. Instead, Smasher and I decided to enjoy the nice weather by going to the park and playing catch. Baseball is the new interest for him and he'd been asking to play catch for a couple weeks.
I dug out my old glove a week or two ago and immediately realized that I'd gotten a bit bigger since little league 30+ years ago and needed to buy a new one (imagine that?). I nearly cheaped out and got an inexpensive glove, but then decided to get a better quality one. Maybe Smasher will take to baseball and I'll end up using it quite a bit? Maybe he could use it one day when he's grown? The other thing that convinced me to get the better glove is that is is essentially the same model that I had when I was a kid, just larger and in brown leather instead of black. I spent an extra $12 because of nostalgia... oh well.
You also need a ball to to play catch. Holy smokes... I didn't know there were so many options! When I was a kid, a baseball was a baseball. Now they've got different balls that meet different league regulations, but they all look and feel the same. After staring at the wall of balls for a few minutes and fondling most of them (yes, my sense of humor is still stuck at the middle school level), I ended up getting one of these...
I don't want Smasher to develop a fear of getting hit by a ball, but I also want him to take the danger seriously. This ball is the perfect compromise. It hurts a little when you get hit (I'm a little rusty on my catching skills), but doesn't sting like a real ball. He also took a few hits while we were playing, but they weren't showstoppers like a real ball could have been. I also like that it weighs the same as a real ball. I am not sure how durable it would be for batting practice, but for catch with a younger kid, it's perfect.
We ended up playing catch for close to 2 hours. It always impresses me how fast kids adapt. He went from barely getting the ball close to me when throwing and not catching anything to being able to throw back and forth a dozen times without dropping the ball. I think we've got a new hobby!
Here's a pic of the light in the dining room. Don't mind the mess. Between the kids and the dog, I'm not sure who leaves more toys laying around.
If you look closely, you can still see the swag light hook in the ceiling that marks the center of the room. No, I didn't forget to remove it, I just left it in place for now until we can get the hole patched and painted (need to buy more ceiling paint).
If you look closely, you can still see the swag light hook in the ceiling that marks the center of the room. No, I didn't forget to remove it, I just left it in place for now until we can get the hole patched and painted (need to buy more ceiling paint).
madison069
Well-known member
I'll swap you for your mess for my mess....Here's a pic of the light in the dining room. Don't mind the mess. Between the kids and the dog, I'm not sure who leaves more toys laying around.
If you look closely, you can still see the swag light hook in the ceiling that marks the center of the room. No, I didn't forget to remove it, I just left it in place for now until we can get the hole patched and painted (need to buy more ceiling paint).
Guest Accommodations and the Autonomous Generation of To-Do List Tasks: A case study on the futility of thinking I’ll ever get ahead
Recently, Sis attended her first sleepover party. A big milestone for both her, and us as parents. It went well and she had a lot of fun. Smasher was jealous that his big sister got to go to a sleepover, so Wife offered a compromise – they’d have a sleepover party at home. Faced with sharing a bed with my Wife, 5yo son, and Maggie the Goldendoodle, I opted instead to spend the night on the pull-out sofa bed in the guest room. What a miserable experience.
I know that “pull-out sofa bed” and “a good night’s sleep” are two very different concepts, but usually it’s bearable for a night or two. I have slept on the sleeper sofa a few times in the past, but that was when it was fairly new. As I learned a week or so ago, the mattress is shot and our guests (mainly our parents) have been lying to us about its comfort level. Getting something better for our guests was on the to-do list, but it was escalated to the top after my recent experience. The solution we landed on was a pair of XL Twin beds. A single queen-sized bed would also work well in the space, but having two separate beds gives a little more flexibility for hosting, along with leaving more space in the room for bags/luggage.
Before the beds could be assembled, I needed to get the pull-out sofa out of the room. When I tipped the sofa on its side to remove the feet, I found that a frame piece was cracked. Not surprising given the fact that this sofa used to live in the same area as the kids’ playroom in the old house. I do remember thinking that something didn’t feel quite right the last time I’d sat on it before we moved but didn’t give it much thought at the time. I started getting distracted with repairing it but quickly realized that it was going to take more finagling than originally expected. Similar to many car repairs – it’s a relatively simple fix but accessing it is the tricky part. Not wanting to waste too much time on the repair, I shifted focus back to getting the beds set up. We moved the sofa to the basement without issue, and the bed assembly went off without a hitch.
Once I’d packed up my tools, knocked down and disposed of all the boxes, and the memory foam mattresses had enough time to inflate themselves, I took a moment to lay down and test one out. The bed frames are sturdy and the mattresses are very comfortable. As I was basking in the satisfaction of a job well done, I made a mistake… I started looking around the room.
First, I noticed a dingy spot on the ceiling. The guest room is the only ceiling that we didn’t get painted before moving in and I made a mental note to make sure to knock that out sooner than later. Then I looked at the ceiling fan that I still haven’t replaced… I’ll swap it out after painting the ceiling. Then I looked at the wall of bookshelves that I’ve been meaning to take down… probably should do that before painting the ceiling. And I got to thinking about how it would be nice to have a little better closet organization… oh jeez! In a period of maybe three minutes, I was able to cross off the ‘guest room beds’ task off the list but also add four more items to it. That’s not even counting the ‘repair pull-out sofa’ I’d added an hour or so earlier!
I knew it was going to be like this when we decided to buy the house, and I know it’s going to take a few years before I’ll feel like I’m finally getting somewhere. I had just forgotten about the persistent low-level angst that comes with living in a fixer. No matter what room you walk into, you see something that needs to be done. The only way through is to not let yourself get overwhelmed with the big picture, instead, just focus on knocking out one task at time and hopefully not adding too many new projects to the list in the process. I know that might seem like a bit of a gloomy post, I assure you that I’m in a good headspace about all of it. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t have my moments, but I’m still happy with our decision. I just keep reminding myself that it’ll all be worth it eventually.
On a completely different tangent… WTF Mother Nature?!? This is our forecast for the week...
Hope everyone is staying safe and warm!
Recently, Sis attended her first sleepover party. A big milestone for both her, and us as parents. It went well and she had a lot of fun. Smasher was jealous that his big sister got to go to a sleepover, so Wife offered a compromise – they’d have a sleepover party at home. Faced with sharing a bed with my Wife, 5yo son, and Maggie the Goldendoodle, I opted instead to spend the night on the pull-out sofa bed in the guest room. What a miserable experience.
I know that “pull-out sofa bed” and “a good night’s sleep” are two very different concepts, but usually it’s bearable for a night or two. I have slept on the sleeper sofa a few times in the past, but that was when it was fairly new. As I learned a week or so ago, the mattress is shot and our guests (mainly our parents) have been lying to us about its comfort level. Getting something better for our guests was on the to-do list, but it was escalated to the top after my recent experience. The solution we landed on was a pair of XL Twin beds. A single queen-sized bed would also work well in the space, but having two separate beds gives a little more flexibility for hosting, along with leaving more space in the room for bags/luggage.
Before the beds could be assembled, I needed to get the pull-out sofa out of the room. When I tipped the sofa on its side to remove the feet, I found that a frame piece was cracked. Not surprising given the fact that this sofa used to live in the same area as the kids’ playroom in the old house. I do remember thinking that something didn’t feel quite right the last time I’d sat on it before we moved but didn’t give it much thought at the time. I started getting distracted with repairing it but quickly realized that it was going to take more finagling than originally expected. Similar to many car repairs – it’s a relatively simple fix but accessing it is the tricky part. Not wanting to waste too much time on the repair, I shifted focus back to getting the beds set up. We moved the sofa to the basement without issue, and the bed assembly went off without a hitch.
Once I’d packed up my tools, knocked down and disposed of all the boxes, and the memory foam mattresses had enough time to inflate themselves, I took a moment to lay down and test one out. The bed frames are sturdy and the mattresses are very comfortable. As I was basking in the satisfaction of a job well done, I made a mistake… I started looking around the room.
First, I noticed a dingy spot on the ceiling. The guest room is the only ceiling that we didn’t get painted before moving in and I made a mental note to make sure to knock that out sooner than later. Then I looked at the ceiling fan that I still haven’t replaced… I’ll swap it out after painting the ceiling. Then I looked at the wall of bookshelves that I’ve been meaning to take down… probably should do that before painting the ceiling. And I got to thinking about how it would be nice to have a little better closet organization… oh jeez! In a period of maybe three minutes, I was able to cross off the ‘guest room beds’ task off the list but also add four more items to it. That’s not even counting the ‘repair pull-out sofa’ I’d added an hour or so earlier!
I knew it was going to be like this when we decided to buy the house, and I know it’s going to take a few years before I’ll feel like I’m finally getting somewhere. I had just forgotten about the persistent low-level angst that comes with living in a fixer. No matter what room you walk into, you see something that needs to be done. The only way through is to not let yourself get overwhelmed with the big picture, instead, just focus on knocking out one task at time and hopefully not adding too many new projects to the list in the process. I know that might seem like a bit of a gloomy post, I assure you that I’m in a good headspace about all of it. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t have my moments, but I’m still happy with our decision. I just keep reminding myself that it’ll all be worth it eventually.
On a completely different tangent… WTF Mother Nature?!? This is our forecast for the week...
Hope everyone is staying safe and warm!
M.Brane
ALLIANCE MEMBER
A little too warm here: mid to upper 90s. It's freakin' March!
madison069
Well-known member
Welcome to my world, we moved into one big fixer upper that somehow the wife is happy as can be while I agonize over everything in the house and get overwhelmed with the list of things to do. I just do the little tasks as I can and plan for the bigger ones down the road.Guest Accommodations and the Autonomous Generation of To-Do List Tasks: A case study on the futility of thinking I’ll ever get ahead
Recently, Sis attended her first sleepover party. A big milestone for both her, and us as parents. It went well and she had a lot of fun. Smasher was jealous that his big sister got to go to a sleepover, so Wife offered a compromise – they’d have a sleepover party at home. Faced with sharing a bed with my Wife, 5yo son, and Maggie the Goldendoodle, I opted instead to spend the night on the pull-out sofa bed in the guest room. What a miserable experience.
I know that “pull-out sofa bed” and “a good night’s sleep” are two very different concepts, but usually it’s bearable for a night or two. I have slept on the sleeper sofa a few times in the past, but that was when it was fairly new. As I learned a week or so ago, the mattress is shot and our guests (mainly our parents) have been lying to us about its comfort level. Getting something better for our guests was on the to-do list, but it was escalated to the top after my recent experience. The solution we landed on was a pair of XL Twin beds. A single queen-sized bed would also work well in the space, but having two separate beds gives a little more flexibility for hosting, along with leaving more space in the room for bags/luggage.
Before the beds could be assembled, I needed to get the pull-out sofa out of the room. When I tipped the sofa on its side to remove the feet, I found that a frame piece was cracked. Not surprising given the fact that this sofa used to live in the same area as the kids’ playroom in the old house. I do remember thinking that something didn’t feel quite right the last time I’d sat on it before we moved but didn’t give it much thought at the time. I started getting distracted with repairing it but quickly realized that it was going to take more finagling than originally expected. Similar to many car repairs – it’s a relatively simple fix but accessing it is the tricky part. Not wanting to waste too much time on the repair, I shifted focus back to getting the beds set up. We moved the sofa to the basement without issue, and the bed assembly went off without a hitch.
Once I’d packed up my tools, knocked down and disposed of all the boxes, and the memory foam mattresses had enough time to inflate themselves, I took a moment to lay down and test one out. The bed frames are sturdy and the mattresses are very comfortable. As I was basking in the satisfaction of a job well done, I made a mistake… I started looking around the room.
First, I noticed a dingy spot on the ceiling. The guest room is the only ceiling that we didn’t get painted before moving in and I made a mental note to make sure to knock that out sooner than later. Then I looked at the ceiling fan that I still haven’t replaced… I’ll swap it out after painting the ceiling. Then I looked at the wall of bookshelves that I’ve been meaning to take down… probably should do that before painting the ceiling. And I got to thinking about how it would be nice to have a little better closet organization… oh jeez! In a period of maybe three minutes, I was able to cross off the ‘guest room beds’ task off the list but also add four more items to it. That’s not even counting the ‘repair pull-out sofa’ I’d added an hour or so earlier!
I knew it was going to be like this when we decided to buy the house, and I know it’s going to take a few years before I’ll feel like I’m finally getting somewhere. I had just forgotten about the persistent low-level angst that comes with living in a fixer. No matter what room you walk into, you see something that needs to be done. The only way through is to not let yourself get overwhelmed with the big picture, instead, just focus on knocking out one task at time and hopefully not adding too many new projects to the list in the process. I know that might seem like a bit of a gloomy post, I assure you that I’m in a good headspace about all of it. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t have my moments, but I’m still happy with our decision. I just keep reminding myself that it’ll all be worth it eventually.
On a completely different tangent… WTF Mother Nature?!? This is our forecast for the week...
Hope everyone is staying safe and warm!
That is a very nice house! I love the wood wall. Is the ceiling popcorn or what is the texture? Is that common to Iowa? Everything on this part of the east coast is smooth coat drywall. Probably trying to make it look like Colonial era plaster. I can't tell you how many hours I have spent sanding smooth coat drywall...
I see a record player and speakers. What is your setup?
I've said this before, but you get the worst weather.
I hear you on the house projects causing anxiety as a persistent nag that they need to be done. I'm nearing the end of a master bath remodel that involved moving walls. All the furniture had to be moved out of the master bedroom and I've been sleeping in a guest bedroom for months. I'll wrap it up the weekend after next. (Or so I tell myself..) I feel like I'm slacking if I don't squeeze in an hour or two each weeknight and then at least a full day on the weekends. My kids are older than yours so that at least makes it easier for me to find the time.
I see a record player and speakers. What is your setup?
I've said this before, but you get the worst weather.
I hear you on the house projects causing anxiety as a persistent nag that they need to be done. I'm nearing the end of a master bath remodel that involved moving walls. All the furniture had to be moved out of the master bedroom and I've been sleeping in a guest bedroom for months. I'll wrap it up the weekend after next. (Or so I tell myself..) I feel like I'm slacking if I don't squeeze in an hour or two each weeknight and then at least a full day on the weekends. My kids are older than yours so that at least makes it easier for me to find the time.
No, we've only got popcorn texture in the guest bedroom. The rest of the house has what I believe to be a "skip trowel" finish. I think that name has more to do with the the technique used than the finish itself. If you do an image search using that term, the end results vary quite a bit, but ceilings that resemble ours pop up when using that term.
Textured ceilings are generally the norm around here. Newer builds tend to have smoother, more subtle finishes, but popcorn texture was the king for a long time. I can't speak to how common our particular finish is, that's not something I've ever really paid much attention to when in other people's houses.
Nothing crazy. Details can be found in this post:
Factory 59
Looking at the picture of the basement, I'm surprised they put the outlets as low as they did. But what do I know. :beer:
www.garagejournal.com
We actually hit 91 on Saturday, so it was a legitimate 86 degree temperature swing (tied a previous record). If you factor in the windchill, it felt 106 degrees warmer on Saturday afternoon than it did on Monday morning.
The weather keeps the weak away, so I don't mind it.
I think have the basement shop layout sorted out… let me give you a tour of what the current plan is.
(I don't know why the pic is sideways... I'll try and get that sorted out)
The small green circles are the support posts for the level above. The light gray outline are the existing concrete walls, the black lines represent new walls.
#1: Spiral Staircase Enclosure
This staircase leads upstairs to the second living room. A ~4’ diameter hole between the two levels doesn’t do much to block sound or dust, so having this area blocked off is necessary. I made sure to leave enough room at the bottom of the stairs to have a comfortable landing spot before walking through the 36” door. I am contemplating incorporating some sort of window in the wall between the staircase and work area just so that if someone is coming into the shop, they are aware of any potential hazards.
#2: Miter Saw Station/Workbench
This is a dual-purpose miter saw station and workbench. I purposely located the saw station on this wall because it lines up with the other door into the space. On the other side of that door is a storage room. This will allow me to stage material in the other room and then feed it into the saw station. The bench is 16’ long – no more messing around with trying to support long workpieces. I also plan to recess the saw into the workbench so the material is fully supported when making cuts. Storage cabinets/drawers below the workbench, haven’t quite worked through that layout yet.
#3: Tool Wall or Storage Cubbies
I haven’t quite decided how to use this space. I have a few ideas, but nothing set in stone. Either way, it should make for a nice place to have easy access to my most commonly used tools.
#4: Table Saw
The dotted lines represent how much space I’ll need to feed an 8’ length of material through the saw. The rest my woodworking equipment is small enough that I’m not too worked about planning out exactly where it will land, but I did want to make sure the table saw would actually fit in the space.
#5: Combination Outfeed and Woodworking Table
Designing this table will be a project in itself. I’d like to incorporate some of the better ideas I’ve seen over the years into this table, likely including some dog holes, tool tray, woodworking vise, etc. Combined with the table saw (but detachable), I end up with a nearly 6’ wide by 8’ surface area, which will be handy for track saw work on panels.
#6: Benchtop Tools and Storage
Again, the finer details still need to be worked out but I’m currently planning on having a 12’ long workbench along this wall with storage underneath. This space will likely be where I set up my benchtop tools like the lathe, lathe tool sharpener, belt sander, etc.
#7: Additional Workspace or Tool Garage?
This is the area I’m having the most trouble sorting out. In the top picture, I thought this might make for a nice space for oddball tasks. 3D printing, the occasional electronics project, a gunsmithing area, or whatever. In the bottom picture (an idea that popped up this week) would be to use it as a ‘tool garage’ where I could store my table saw, planer, and some other equipment when not in use. This frees up the main workshop space for whatever project I might be working on, woodworking or not. Luckily, I can try using this space as a tool garage once the walls are up to see how I like it. If I change my mind down the road, I’m not out anything.
#8: Utility Closet
There are lines for a sink already plumbed, I just need to buy one and hook it up (it’ll be awesome having a sink in the shop). The water heater that serves the addition is the large circle. When the time comes to replace it, I will have the plumber move it along the wall next to the sink. It’s not hurting anything where it’s currently located though. The other small circle is the sewer line w/cleanout. We’ll want to maintain access to that.
I know it doesn’t look like much, but I’ve spent a lot of time messing around with various options and tuning this one (I’ve got nine other layouts, and four other variations of this layout in my CAD file). There are some good ideas that just didn’t quite work out, and plenty that just didn’t make sense. Any thoughts or feedback is appreciated.
(I don't know why the pic is sideways... I'll try and get that sorted out)
The small green circles are the support posts for the level above. The light gray outline are the existing concrete walls, the black lines represent new walls.
#1: Spiral Staircase Enclosure
This staircase leads upstairs to the second living room. A ~4’ diameter hole between the two levels doesn’t do much to block sound or dust, so having this area blocked off is necessary. I made sure to leave enough room at the bottom of the stairs to have a comfortable landing spot before walking through the 36” door. I am contemplating incorporating some sort of window in the wall between the staircase and work area just so that if someone is coming into the shop, they are aware of any potential hazards.
#2: Miter Saw Station/Workbench
This is a dual-purpose miter saw station and workbench. I purposely located the saw station on this wall because it lines up with the other door into the space. On the other side of that door is a storage room. This will allow me to stage material in the other room and then feed it into the saw station. The bench is 16’ long – no more messing around with trying to support long workpieces. I also plan to recess the saw into the workbench so the material is fully supported when making cuts. Storage cabinets/drawers below the workbench, haven’t quite worked through that layout yet.
#3: Tool Wall or Storage Cubbies
I haven’t quite decided how to use this space. I have a few ideas, but nothing set in stone. Either way, it should make for a nice place to have easy access to my most commonly used tools.
#4: Table Saw
The dotted lines represent how much space I’ll need to feed an 8’ length of material through the saw. The rest my woodworking equipment is small enough that I’m not too worked about planning out exactly where it will land, but I did want to make sure the table saw would actually fit in the space.
#5: Combination Outfeed and Woodworking Table
Designing this table will be a project in itself. I’d like to incorporate some of the better ideas I’ve seen over the years into this table, likely including some dog holes, tool tray, woodworking vise, etc. Combined with the table saw (but detachable), I end up with a nearly 6’ wide by 8’ surface area, which will be handy for track saw work on panels.
#6: Benchtop Tools and Storage
Again, the finer details still need to be worked out but I’m currently planning on having a 12’ long workbench along this wall with storage underneath. This space will likely be where I set up my benchtop tools like the lathe, lathe tool sharpener, belt sander, etc.
#7: Additional Workspace or Tool Garage?
This is the area I’m having the most trouble sorting out. In the top picture, I thought this might make for a nice space for oddball tasks. 3D printing, the occasional electronics project, a gunsmithing area, or whatever. In the bottom picture (an idea that popped up this week) would be to use it as a ‘tool garage’ where I could store my table saw, planer, and some other equipment when not in use. This frees up the main workshop space for whatever project I might be working on, woodworking or not. Luckily, I can try using this space as a tool garage once the walls are up to see how I like it. If I change my mind down the road, I’m not out anything.
#8: Utility Closet
There are lines for a sink already plumbed, I just need to buy one and hook it up (it’ll be awesome having a sink in the shop). The water heater that serves the addition is the large circle. When the time comes to replace it, I will have the plumber move it along the wall next to the sink. It’s not hurting anything where it’s currently located though. The other small circle is the sewer line w/cleanout. We’ll want to maintain access to that.
I know it doesn’t look like much, but I’ve spent a lot of time messing around with various options and tuning this one (I’ve got nine other layouts, and four other variations of this layout in my CAD file). There are some good ideas that just didn’t quite work out, and plenty that just didn’t make sense. Any thoughts or feedback is appreciated.
The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines the word ‘saga’ as “a long and complicated series of events”. The story of my backyard shed has now become a saga…
For those who have not been following along, and for those who may have forgotten (it has been awhile), I made the decision late last fall to build a storage shed in my backyard. Of all the years to decide to try and build a shed that late in the season, I picked the worst. The last several years have been unseasonably dry and warm. We typically have not seen meaningful snow until around Christmas. Not last year. Last year we got hammered in November and all the way through December. Dad and I had big plans to spend a few days working on the shed around Christmas. We knocked out the rafters and got them installed the first day, only for me to wake up with the flu the next morning.
Progress was halted at that point. Not by choice, but due to a combination of weather and my schedule. If it was nice enough to work on the shed, one commitment or another had us out of town. If I was in town and had time to work on the shed, the weather didn’t cooperate. I’m not joking when I say that over the last 4 months, there have been maybe two or three days I could have worked on the shed and didn’t. Needless to say, I’m glad I spent the extra money on the water resistant plywood decking. It’s held up like a champ through the winter snow and the spring rain.
For the next month, our weekends are free. I’m going to get this damn thing finished one way or another. This past weekend, I got the roof extensions and decking installed. I was hoping to get the felt installed yesterday afternoon so that the OSB had a little bit of protection from rain, but it was starting to sprinkle as I was installing the final piece last night. Sure enough, we got hammered with rain last night. It is what it is. The forecast for this week looks pretty promising, so hopefully I can get the felt and drip edge installed, which would allow me to focus on shingles next weekend.
Progress is progress, even 4 months later…
For those who have not been following along, and for those who may have forgotten (it has been awhile), I made the decision late last fall to build a storage shed in my backyard. Of all the years to decide to try and build a shed that late in the season, I picked the worst. The last several years have been unseasonably dry and warm. We typically have not seen meaningful snow until around Christmas. Not last year. Last year we got hammered in November and all the way through December. Dad and I had big plans to spend a few days working on the shed around Christmas. We knocked out the rafters and got them installed the first day, only for me to wake up with the flu the next morning.
Progress was halted at that point. Not by choice, but due to a combination of weather and my schedule. If it was nice enough to work on the shed, one commitment or another had us out of town. If I was in town and had time to work on the shed, the weather didn’t cooperate. I’m not joking when I say that over the last 4 months, there have been maybe two or three days I could have worked on the shed and didn’t. Needless to say, I’m glad I spent the extra money on the water resistant plywood decking. It’s held up like a champ through the winter snow and the spring rain.
For the next month, our weekends are free. I’m going to get this damn thing finished one way or another. This past weekend, I got the roof extensions and decking installed. I was hoping to get the felt installed yesterday afternoon so that the OSB had a little bit of protection from rain, but it was starting to sprinkle as I was installing the final piece last night. Sure enough, we got hammered with rain last night. It is what it is. The forecast for this week looks pretty promising, so hopefully I can get the felt and drip edge installed, which would allow me to focus on shingles next weekend.
Progress is progress, even 4 months later…
mschoo92
Well-known member
Looks great! Sorry if you already mentioned, but what’s the shed dimensions?The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines the word ‘saga’ as “a long and complicated series of events”. The story of my backyard shed has now become a saga…
For those who have not been following along, and for those who may have forgotten (it has been awhile), I made the decision late last fall to build a storage shed in my backyard. Of all the years to decide to try and build a shed that late in the season, I picked the worst. The last several years have been unseasonably dry and warm. We typically have not seen meaningful snow until around Christmas. Not last year. Last year we got hammered in November and all the way through December. Dad and I had big plans to spend a few days working on the shed around Christmas. We knocked out the rafters and got them installed the first day, only for me to wake up with the flu the next morning.
Progress was halted at that point. Not by choice, but due to a combination of weather and my schedule. If it was nice enough to work on the shed, one commitment or another had us out of town. If I was in town and had time to work on the shed, the weather didn’t cooperate. I’m not joking when I say that over the last 4 months, there have been maybe two or three days I could have worked on the shed and didn’t. Needless to say, I’m glad I spent the extra money on the water resistant plywood decking. It’s held up like a champ through the winter snow and the spring rain.
For the next month, our weekends are free. I’m going to get this damn thing finished one way or another. This past weekend, I got the roof extensions and decking installed. I was hoping to get the felt installed yesterday afternoon so that the OSB had a little bit of protection from rain, but it was starting to sprinkle as I was installing the final piece last night. Sure enough, we got hammered with rain last night. It is what it is. The forecast for this week looks pretty promising, so hopefully I can get the felt and drip edge installed, which would allow me to focus on shingles next weekend.
Progress is progress, even 4 months later…
Just shy of 8' long x 15' wide. Rear wall is 8', front wall is 10'. I can't remember the peak height off the top of my head, but it's a good 6" under the max. Basically it ends up being the largest shed I could build without having to pull a permit. I could have gotten a permit and gone 10x16 in the space, but it just didn't seem like it was worth the hassle. The only things of "mine" that are going in here are the snowblower and lawnmower, the rest of the space will be for Wife's gardening equipment and supplies. Fortunately, she's not a collector of things, so it should be more than enough room for her.
XJSuperman
Well-known member
"Project" and "saga" are synonyms in my household.
larry4406
Well-known member
You too?