One man's garage project from Finland..

[Bob Heine]

Joni, the place looks great! The trailer is a fine back saver and the wide top opening makes it a better bulk branch holder. I especially like the lighting along the drive. Of course I may be a bit biased on the yard lighting...

 

[drivesitfar]

JONI: thanks for posting up the airial picture of your place. looks great.

Bob: your home looks like a RESORT. very nice

just an FYI that little cart Joni built is on the back of his 2 year old's ATV. he'll have her driving a regular car or motorcycle at 5 is my guess.

 

[JoniH]

Well, it´s been a long time since my last post.

Short update: Been renovating the house, since i mostly live alone now, i built a movietheater in the old bedroom. I'm around 15kg lighter than a year ago, thanks to exercises and cutting down on the sweets and cakes.. Hurting my back quite bad then was the last straw to start doing something on my health..

Finally started on the cottage build a few months ago from the timber i collected a few years back. Bought another pickup, a 4x4 datsun for some parts for the minitruck, might build something from the axles on the 4x4..

I mostly post pics now on my Instagram account, so my highly interesting life and projects can be seen over there:

https://www.instagram.com/joniteehoo/?hl=fi

But, here's a few pics, sorry only links.. :

Inside the cottage:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoLW-3Kg1Jq/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Outside:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BngKr1hgrQW/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Parts donor 4x4..
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn84fKsASl8/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

That's about it, sorry. i'll try to look into posting the pics directly, but my Dropox is currently overflowing, so i need to delete some stuff to free space there. Downloading the pics from instagram seems easier t do by screenshotting, so it's not wort the hassle.

 

[Jyzze]

Good to hear from yli JoniH, stay toon!

 

[1/2 Cup]

JoniH thank you for the update.

Great work

 

[drivesitfar]

Joni: good to have you back. sorry to hear that maybe your wife and daughter are no longer living with you and hope that is only temporary or at least a amicable break up.

good to hear you lost 30+ pounds cause that will always help heal a lot of the back issues you might have had. I use an inversion table and have now for maybe 10 years and i'd highly recommend buying one and using it to hang on upside down for 5 minutes a day.

if you are able to just download your pictures directly to GJ that show up as a thumbnail and with 2 clicks are full size on our laptops. i use the paperclip in the middle just above where we write our posts that might work well for you too if you don't find a better method of posting big pictures again.

cheers and hope you are ready for winter!!

 

[JoniH]

Thanks Jyzze and 1/2 Cup.

Hi drives, good to hear from you too. Thanks, everythings good, my daughter spends every other week with me and it was a better option to separate now (well, actually it was a year ago.) than continue living so that both would be unhappy. That's just life, we get along fine with the ex.

Anyway, continued on the cottage today, made the base for the fireplace so i can finish the flooring finally this week. It's been a really busy few months for me, a bit too much work helping others, but things are starting to ease a bit now. I can start focusing on my own projects.. The Datsun still sits tight in the garage, as mentioned i bought a 4x4 for some parts for it. Might build a shortened 4x4 Gator-copy from it, could be handy on the yardwork..

Should really try to focus on the minitruck, but..

Finally installed the lift for the garage attic to lift tyres etc. up for storage.

So, lets try this thumbnail thing.. i preferred the old Photobucket-style, but hey, what can you do about it..

A few pics from the cottage project, some from the movie room.. that still lacks the acoustic-panels, but i need to save some work for the cold winter too..

I'll try to start updating a bit more often than once a year..

 

[Mikkeli]

Nice to see finally some pictures, I can also recommend uploading pictures to Garage Journal Gallery. I also recognised your nice movie room (from DVD Plaza), maybe i should add some pictures of my home theater also to my own thread.

 

[drivesitfar]

Joni: pics look great!!! best of luck with your living situation and hope you have a good life cause you are a very hard worker and deserve it. just remember your mental health is as important as your physical health so do your best to take a day for yourself and your loved ones if not weekly at least monthly.

cheers

 

[JoniH]

Mikkeli, well, ain't this a small world.. Sure, post up, i'll try to start visiting here, and also on dvdplaza, a bit more often..

drivesitfar, thanks, no worries, taking it one day at a time. These two months have been very hectic due to changing circumstances. I did renovation on two different appartements nearly alone while also working on the cottage and finding time between these to be with my daughter at the same time.. A bit too much, if i only knew then.. I had to take a few days off from both of those builds, i was starting to get really really annoyed on everything.. constantly something ,do this, do that, when are you doing that, could you.. ffs!! But, it was a friends appartement and i promised to help him out. It's weird how you can work on your own builds a good 10-13h day with just two coffee breaks and it's sooo relaxing, but working for someone else.. oh well..

The other one is my mothers appartement, and naturally you don't say no..

Things are finally starting to ease on the renovation at my mother's condo, so i'm hoping to start getting some updates from my own projects.

 

[Mikkeli]

Mikkeli, well, ain't this a small world.. Sure, post up, i'll try to start visiting here, and also on dvdplaza, a bit more often.

I'll post some older pictures of my home theater right away.

Good that you're getting finally some time to relax and spend quality time with your daughter and your own projects.

 

[ManOnTheCouch]

Great to see a couple of guys from Suomi here on the forum. As I mentioned in Mikkeli's garage build post, ma asuin suomessa kaksi vuotta. But I haven't been back in over 20 years. I still plan to return to visit some time and think you guys are pretty lucky to live there.

 

[Slaps18]

So, let's try this..

Yesterday i finally installed the second hose reel that i bought in january..

Maybe 10mins before i hurt my back with the shovel, digging a trench for the yard lights.

Work in progress, going to plant grass between the bushes and the end of the house, but that's something for next spring.


The trailer, test fitting it

Plywood finished, the tailgate missed this pic..

Nuffield 10/60?

 

[JoniH]

Nuffield, universal four.

 

[Grizz1963]

Good to catch up.

 

[Matias]

Good to see you back! Cottage project seems going on well, and I do like the movie theater room also. The front lights look good.

Great idea for the lift in the garage. Might need to think of something similar also. BTW, I saw that you had a that reel with a normal air line inside white tubes. That's a good idea. Do you know if it robs any of the pressure from the line? I have a long normal air line, and then a second one attached to it. Sometimes, when the airgun is not opening a seized bolt, it does so when I remove the extra airline. Been thinking of putting some copper or pvc airlines but not yet acted on it... And might be a few years before I have time

Do like the idea of having something built from the donor 4x4. Keep us updated!

 

[JoniH]

Thanks man, btw, nice work on the shed Matias

About the reels, i have two of them; one beside the workbench and the other one sits along the wall. The workbench has 3 separate connectors to attached to the frame. All lines are connected together, didn't bother adding any closing valves between them.

Not sure if i posted any pics of the compressor feeding them.. so i'll slap one here.
Bought a used 100L Fiac from a friend, he got it from his workplace where it had been as a spare unit. Not many hours on it, had even all the original documents with it. So far it has been enough for my needs.

So i ran out of shielding gas yesterday, just when i was going to attack the 4x4-project. Grabbed the bottle, drove over to our version of Home depot (?) aka. Motonet. Well, long story short; i still have the empty bottle because they don't know when i could get the refilled one since they haven't got any in this store. It's concidered as a dangerous cargo, so getting a transport for just one unit is not going to happen.. Closest one that has them is 65km from me, so looks like i have a 130km drive coming up in a few days.. Oh well..

But having the 4x4 in two pieces taking the only In case of emergencies-spot in the garage was not a good idea, i grabbed the old stick welder. Well, that was fun.. i patched her up just enough to get it back on all 4 wheels. No, like i said on my Instagram post, you can't see my welds. My measurements and cuts on the frame where a success; the reinforcement-plates sat excactly the same on both sides. I'd like it to be still a bit more shorter, but the frame starts to curve narrower up front. One easy option would be cutting the leaf spring brackets and moving them more towards the engine, but.. i really should be putting this work on the main project, so i might leave it like this for now.

 

[Matias]

Thanks man, btw, nice work on the shed Matias

The compressor seems quite sufficient, I think I have two times smaller and it still works for all basic stuff. Well, I think I won't be doing any massive car painting operations with it, but all other stuff.

Heh, I feel your pain. Too bad the gas/bottles are expensive so you can't have two and swap (like I have with the barbecue). Shielding gas should be cheaper in Finland, it's too bad there's no competition. When I bought my TIG, I ordered a bottle of Argon from ebay.de, and the bottle + gas was cheaper than renting one in Finland. It seems prices have gone up and not sure if they'll deliver anymore.

Good work on the 4x4. And it's in one piece again, so you can empty the spot if needed. I've noticed that in the garage world, a 5 minute job is 1 hour, a 1 hour job is 0,5-1 day and a 1-2 day job can be weeks or months. All it needs is some siezed/broken bolts, missing tools or shielding gas etc.

 

[drivesitfar]

JONI: I hope you get your 4x4 up and running soon especially with your winter coming any day now. nice work welding it back together!!

best of luck with the new arrangements with your personal life and your little girl. I'll send a prayer that you find the right balance in your life to do all that you'd like to do AND BE HAPPY.

cheers

 

[JoniH]

Bumpin up this:

The loader/Gator project has been canceled, for now.

Bought new (used) wheels for the mini truck, it gave me some boost in motivation again. 10"x15" and 8x15" Work wheels, sadly they will require some fixing. Well, was thinking having them painted anyway. Grey/black on the body, dark copper for the wheels.

Installed a fireplace, chimney and a glass sauna door for the cottage. Last night had it warming up for the first time, burning the paint away. Small fire only for about 2 h, and the inside temp rise to +10 C while we had -3 outside. Not bad, considering there's no insulation in it except the windows.

Still some minor work to be done inside, biggest task in a few weeks will be adding the metal roofing.

Some pics didn't upload so you have to settle with these 3

 

[cgv]

Well well hi! Nice to find more Finns from here almost every week! Some how I just found yours topic just today even i've been scrolling topics here since 2012 Need to read littlebit backwards cause the pb posted pics arent available anymore... Damn it.. But anyhow everyday is forward!

 

[JoniH]

Terve vaan! Well, after Photobucket did that small rise on payments, i kinda lost interest in updating this. The topic just seems useless without the pictures. Maybe one day i'll have enough time and energy to begin updating pictures back from the beginning.

 

[drivesitfar]

Joni: I heard there is a fairly easy fix other than spending a fortune paying a PHOTOBUCKET RANSOM so i'll try to find the thread and get you the link.

yep I stopped doing PB shortly after i joined GJ cause they changed their methods of how it worked and all my pics have been downloaded directly to GJ via the paperclip sort of like attaching a pic to an email.

pics show up as thumbs to the members and if they want full size then 2 mouse clicks and they see full size.

hope all is well in your world and always like seeing what you are working on whether it's garage stuff or landscaping or house remodeling so hope you can start posting up a few pics.

cheers

 

[JoniH]

Hi Drives, i think i'll manage just fine with this forum upload option. I rarely save my photos these days, important ones i store on my computer or Dropbox, otherwise i mainly just post stuff on Instagram.

Been working on the mini truck, sadly that means sanding bondo.. got the first fender mostly done. And it looks like these will be used as fiberglass molds in the future, the amount of required filler annoys me quite a bit. Oh well..

Cabin still lacks the roofing, might get those tomorrow so i'm hoping to get that thing done before christmas.

A few pics again: No, no pics because the file size seems to be too big.. I'm not in a mood starting to resize them at the moment, so sorry, no pics this time.

 

[drivesitfar]

Joni: I hope you had a good Christmas and I hope your 2019 is going to be happier than 2018 was.

that said I heard the Photobucket either reduced it's ransom fee on your pics or maybe there is a solution and if you can't figure it out just ask and I'll ask a few members what their solution was cause their threads have all their pictures restored now.

good luck with all that you do!!

 

[JoniH]

Ok, so after i managed to accidentally close my browser and lost all the writing done, let's try this again.

Still here, happy new year GJ.

Should have read my last post to get a clue where i finished last time, but in a nutshell:

Made some progress on the Datsun, redid both bedsides and wheelwells, painted the bed and bay. Built some car ramps for the garage. Fabbed up some stairs for the terrace.

Started a long and slow build on a small wheelloader few weeks ago, measurements copied from a chinese manufactured loader. Managed to design the parts for the main frame, now i need to get them cut somewhere for a decent price, or buy a plasmacutter and 10mm sheetmetal myself.

And on top of that all, got engaged last sunday with a absolutely amazing girl.

But, here's a second try to upload some pics in a messy order.

 

[JoniH]

And some more..

 

[JoniH]

..and..

Finally bought myself a metalsaw (?) and fabbed a table for it. Or more like attached a piece of plywood onto the quick release handles.. Thinking of adding some aluminium or sheetmetal on top of the plywood, atleast partially. The lamp might be a bit crappy, but since i try to do most of the cutting outside, the light will be good to have. This tool should upgrade the amount of straight cuts done here..

 

[Matias]

Looking great Joni! I like how you formed those arches and sides of the truckbed with the piece of old tube. That's going to be an awesome pickup, and something that is not usual in the scenes here in Finland.

It's those little touches that make a difference: good work on those stairs, with the angle at the end and the little place for the lamp, they look much better than just straight normal ones.

Does the metalsaw cut also at angle? Thinking of those end piece 45 angle cuts?

PS. That fireplace photo makes it look like you're on a 365 day vacation, enjoying a sandwich by the fireplace, then spending time at the garage. That would be paradise

 

[drivesitfar]

Joni: WELCOME BACK!!

also congrats on the new engagement to the girl of your dreams.

 

[JoniH]

drivesitfar Thanks, and glad to be back. I'll try to start updating a bit more often again..

And as usual, my english is a bit.. well, you know. I'll try to google the right words.

Matias Yes, you can cut up to 45 degrees with the attached vice on the frame, and probably even more with the help of that movable support-piece and vice. More info with Ryobi ECO2335HG

The cottage is nearly finished, some minor tasks left, but it's nice sometimes to sit down for a cup of coffee outside while working.

Something from yesterday, added some 1mm sheetmetal on the table for spark protection, looks even better now.

 

[JoniH]

Since i started updating, might as well put this here:

For years i have been dreaming of a small wheel loader. The small one's are quite expensive and those that i just might have enough money are old and too big.

Don't know will this ever be done, but planning it is. Got two quotes for the basic frame sheetmetal, trying to get the cost lower by narrowing the material thickness a bit etc. After all, it will be reinforced with tubing where necceceary. Managed to draw the parts for cutting, so this is the most progress so far. I'm more a pen & paper- guy, so i even surprised myself.

The files had to be fixed a bit, overlapping lines that i didn't see, but a fellow on another forum fixed those and gave me another quote on the price. Only problem is that the company is over 4 hours drive from here..

Axles out from a donor 720, the front axle will get a frame and used as a rear axle with the swing (?) removing all old suspension parts. Hydraulic motor or two for the drive, getting rid of the driveshafts would help a lot with the design.

Basic measurements copied from a Chinese manufactured loader with small changes, wheelbase should stay somewhere around 2 meters.

Some pics from the work in progress..

We shall see.

 

[Unruh]

Since i started updating, might as well put this here:

For years i have been dreaming of a small wheel loader. The small one's are quite expensive and those that i just might have enough money are old and too big.

Don't know will this ever be done, but planning it is. Got two quotes for the basic frame sheetmetal, trying to get the cost lower by narrowing the material thickness a bit etc. After all, it will be reinforced with tubing where necceceary. Managed to draw the parts for cutting, so this is the most progress so far. I'm more a pen & paper- guy, so i even surprised myself.

The files had to be fixed a bit, overlapping lines that i didn't see, but a fellow on another forum fixed those and gave me another quote on the price. Only problem is that the company is over 4 hours drive from here..

Axles out from a donor 720, the front axle will get a frame and used as a rear axle with the swing (?) removing all old suspension parts. Hydraulic motor or two for the drive, getting rid of the driveshafts would help a lot with the design.

Basic measurements copied from a Chinese manufactured loader with small changes, wheelbase should stay somewhere around 2 meters.

Some pics from the work in progress..

We shall see.

That is amazing! I would love to so this happen.

 

[drivesitfar]

JONI: your ENGLISH or your translations from Finnish to English have always been easy to read so just keep posting as you have time cause we all love the pictures and projects you do.

i thought I spied a set of axles in the pictures behind your truck leaning up against the wall and I thought maybe you were going to make another trailer. that machine looks great and hope you can figure out how to make it.

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[wout]

Hi Joni

Congrats on all the garage progress but mostly on the baby girl (if I read that well?).

Awesome idea for the wheel loader! You're a brave man to start such a project! Really looking forward to see some progress about that.

Wout

 

[Bighead38]

I need to see this loader build.

 

[cgv]

Nice to see you again! Been waiting for updates of the Datsun and its looking good!

 

[drivesitfar]

Joni: I know it's only been a few days, but you've got a crowd lining up wanting a few good words and maybe a few pictures so please do when you can.

Wout: I think Joni's little girl might be close to 3 years old now, but he just got engaged so that little girl might be the one you mentioned.

looks like it might be warmer than usual this year in FINLAND? or do you still have snow?

 

[JoniH]

Well i tried to search anything worth posting fom my IG, only a few pics and mostly old one's.

The Datsun has been waiting on bodywork to be finished from august i think.. Passenger-side door needs a small patch and then it's ready for filler/primer. Would be nice to get some paint on it and start putting it back together..

Took the leafsprings from the donor-truck, parted them and got those sandblasted and painted, new poly-bushings also waiting when i put them back together.

Air suspension was in mind, but the MOT is a bit tricky since we're not allowed to weld anything on lower control arms here. Not impossible, but i don't think i'll have the energy on that.

So i have to settle for a dropkit with spindles and leafs from Belltech, they make a full set for the 720. Ordering from the states is the only option, we have a company that officially sells Belltech here, but they are not that intressed in delivering the kit. I know a guy from work that runs his own business with parts and cars from America, so i can get the parts trough him.

The loader-project is very slowly going on, i narrowed the material thickness from 10mm to 8mm on the front frame and 6mm on the back. That should take down the price and weight on it. Need to visit the shop to get a quote on those parts.

Drives, my little pricess actually turned 6 last october, time flies.. You really notice how fast you're getting older when you have your own kids. She was just a baby not so long ago and now she's already 6..

But i still feel and act like a 20 year old, or sometimes even younger..

The weather has been good on the warming costs, and this suits me just fine. I think the coldest night we have had here so far was -10C* and that was few months ago. Today we got some snow, now there's maybe a whole 1cm of it.

Photos from the archives, some might be already posted:

 

[cgv]

looks like it might be warmer than usual this year in FINLAND? or do you still have snow?

Yes it is very warm for january. One night was 9c° and then it got to -4c° and yesterday came some snow and now its 4c°.... Its like the weather cant' deside what to be. Usually it's somewhere -15-25c° area at this time a year.. Just waiting for spring. This pisses me off ....