cash68
Keeper Of Rotor Hill
brb, going to buy some vinegar
Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT The **** Shack
- Thread starter bdbecker
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
Coming off a three day weekend... Our childcare provider needed Friday off, so twist my arm, I'll take the day off work and spend it with the Stinker. On top of that, it was "Girls Weekend" so Wife was off having fun with her her friends. Basically, it was just me and the kiddo all weekend with no plans of any kind... exactly what I needed!
While Stinker loves to hang out in the garage with me, she's still a little too young and my garage isn't kid-proofed enough for me to be comfortable working with her in there. Despite the fact that most of my weekend was scheduled around naps, I actually had some good chunks of QST over the weekend. Friday morning, I was able to knock out a lot of little errands around town that I just haven't been able to find the time to do. Friday afternoon and Saturday were spent cleaning up the garage from the madness of the last 6-8 weeks. I got everything put back where it belongs, tore apart a pile of hardwood pallets I've been collecting, got the new-used stereo receiver hooked up, got the bench oiled and the floor swept (still love that broom Andy). Sunday I took it easy and just messed around with a few projects.
Speaking of the side business, one of the things I did Friday was get my "Doing Business As" form filled out with the Recorder - Dusty Beard Design now exists legally! I also got the Facebook page setup on Friday and already have one person who wants a custom headboard, and two people who are interested in having dinner tables made. The only problem with that is that I've been telling Wife for a few years that I'd make her a table, so I probably need to take care of that before I start making/selling them to other people.
Anyway... I promised finished pics of the end/coffee tables. You can see I had one board on that first table turn jet black on me with the vinegar stain. Since you rely on the tannin in the wood to react with the iron acetate, you are really at the mercy of the wood itself when it comes to the final result. At first I was a little disappointed, but the more I look at it, the more I like it.
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Finally, I also got another couple of axe heads soaking. The small one will probably go to my Dad to use for trapping. The medium one might get a short handle and become a camping/bushcraft axe. Both are in really good shape and should clean up nicely.
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While Stinker loves to hang out in the garage with me, she's still a little too young and my garage isn't kid-proofed enough for me to be comfortable working with her in there. Despite the fact that most of my weekend was scheduled around naps, I actually had some good chunks of QST over the weekend. Friday morning, I was able to knock out a lot of little errands around town that I just haven't been able to find the time to do. Friday afternoon and Saturday were spent cleaning up the garage from the madness of the last 6-8 weeks. I got everything put back where it belongs, tore apart a pile of hardwood pallets I've been collecting, got the new-used stereo receiver hooked up, got the bench oiled and the floor swept (still love that broom Andy). Sunday I took it easy and just messed around with a few projects.
Speaking of the side business, one of the things I did Friday was get my "Doing Business As" form filled out with the Recorder - Dusty Beard Design now exists legally! I also got the Facebook page setup on Friday and already have one person who wants a custom headboard, and two people who are interested in having dinner tables made. The only problem with that is that I've been telling Wife for a few years that I'd make her a table, so I probably need to take care of that before I start making/selling them to other people.
Anyway... I promised finished pics of the end/coffee tables. You can see I had one board on that first table turn jet black on me with the vinegar stain. Since you rely on the tannin in the wood to react with the iron acetate, you are really at the mercy of the wood itself when it comes to the final result. At first I was a little disappointed, but the more I look at it, the more I like it.
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Finally, I also got another couple of axe heads soaking. The small one will probably go to my Dad to use for trapping. The medium one might get a short handle and become a camping/bushcraft axe. Both are in really good shape and should clean up nicely.
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Jo Diesel
Well-known member
Cherish the time with your kids. I used to take my kids to breakfast when mom had to work Saturdays. Blueberry pancakes at a local grandma mom and daughter restaurant. Just a little while ago we were driving buy the place where it used to be and my son says I really miss that place. He's 25 now.
Had a great weekend with the family! Saturday we went to an Asian culture festival downtown and had some really great food, Sunday we hung out with the extended family at my cousin's graduation party, and somehow in the midst of all this, Wife and I managed to build a dinner table!
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She is really getting good with the wood stain. All that is left is to do a thick bar top epoxy coat - plan on doing this later in the week once it gets a little warmer so it can setup properly. This will help fill in the gaps between the boards, as well as level out the differences in height to make a good, usable surface as a dinner table.
We decided to go with paint on the legs (not shown in the pic) and the color she picked out is going to be one of the accent colors in my garage. The color is called "Obsidian" from PPG (https://www.ppgpittsburghpaints.com/color/paint-colors/aquas/obsidian-ppg1035-7). It looks gray on the chip, but when you see it in person under 4k light, it is a very subtle gray/blue color that reminds me of the dark blue you see in old manufacturing plants - just what I've had in mind for awhile now but couldn't ever quite find. The funny thing is that I'm usually the one who picks out the paint colors because she always has a hard time deciding, this time, she found a color for me!
More pics once its finished...
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She is really getting good with the wood stain. All that is left is to do a thick bar top epoxy coat - plan on doing this later in the week once it gets a little warmer so it can setup properly. This will help fill in the gaps between the boards, as well as level out the differences in height to make a good, usable surface as a dinner table.
We decided to go with paint on the legs (not shown in the pic) and the color she picked out is going to be one of the accent colors in my garage. The color is called "Obsidian" from PPG (https://www.ppgpittsburghpaints.com/color/paint-colors/aquas/obsidian-ppg1035-7). It looks gray on the chip, but when you see it in person under 4k light, it is a very subtle gray/blue color that reminds me of the dark blue you see in old manufacturing plants - just what I've had in mind for awhile now but couldn't ever quite find. The funny thing is that I'm usually the one who picks out the paint colors because she always has a hard time deciding, this time, she found a color for me!
More pics once its finished...
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Table looks great bd!
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That's a cool table. I like that!
chrisBTSC
Well-known member
That table is awesome.
Its funny you checked in, I was just thinking last night that I should really post an update in case anyone is wondering why I haven't been around much.
Without going into too much detail today, I'll just say that earlier this year, I was getting a little too stressed out between work, projects, and life in general, and had to step back from a few things (including the garage) for awhile to regroup. We've also been traveling a lot this summer and tackling some house projects, so I haven't had a lot of extra time or money to spend on the garage anyway.
The good news is that we're just about finished with a bathroom update and I'm chomping at the bit to get back onto garage projects. I've also been focused on getting healthy (diet and exercise), which has made a dramatic difference in my energy levels and mood, and has really helped with handling stress. I hope to be back into the swing of things on the garage soon and start knocking out some of the items on my to-do list and posting regular updates.
Without going into too much detail today, I'll just say that earlier this year, I was getting a little too stressed out between work, projects, and life in general, and had to step back from a few things (including the garage) for awhile to regroup. We've also been traveling a lot this summer and tackling some house projects, so I haven't had a lot of extra time or money to spend on the garage anyway.
The good news is that we're just about finished with a bathroom update and I'm chomping at the bit to get back onto garage projects. I've also been focused on getting healthy (diet and exercise), which has made a dramatic difference in my energy levels and mood, and has really helped with handling stress. I hope to be back into the swing of things on the garage soon and start knocking out some of the items on my to-do list and posting regular updates.
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
Glad to hear you are getting things straightened out. And taking care of the family first. We'll all wait patiently until you have time for us
Exercise is cool, it just makes me feel better all over.
Exercise is cool, it just makes me feel better all over.
dwysywd
Well-known member
Hey man glad to hear it! I feel the same way. Just kinda getting back into the swing. And working on getting my exercise back on track too. Keep it up.
Sent from my bag phone
Sent from my bag phone
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
No real updates on the garage... Cold temps and a busy work schedule made it tough to make much headway over the winter. Not trying to make excuses, it is what it is. I have been working on my den a little (I refuse to call it a man cave, even though that's basically what it is) and spent today busting up a pile of pallets for an accent wall. Let me tell you, breaking apart hardwood pallets with spiral shank nails is not easy. Glad to have the extra large workbench...
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Tyberius
Well-known member
I’ve had the best luck just using a sawzall and a long metal cutting blade. It will just slice through the nails and I’ll leave the nails in as accents.
oldironfarmer
Well-known member
That's a lot of work. Glad you're still kicking!
Beags86
Well-known member
Cool thread, you ever get some of those other ax heads done?
Now you tell me...
I wanted remove all the nails because the stringer boards on the pallets are actually pretty decent chunks of hardwood (mostly oak) that will be useful for some of my woodworking projects. I'm planning on using some of the better ones for my reloading bench top (future project). I've also already made some shelves for the living room with them. The rougher/twisted ones will make good campfire wood.
You can kind of see the breaker bar tool I made in the pic (behind my dog). That's a 5' long piece of heavy wall round tube welded to 1/2" thick plate that has two angle iron fingers. I triple passed all the welds with my little 110v welder to get enough heat into the material and had no issues with welds breaking. The only issue I did have was with my first handle bending after ~10 pallets because I used too thin of material.
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Yeah, the monetary cost is nearly nothing, but time and effort investment is high. I guess there is no such thing as "free".
After I get the nails out of this batch, I think I finally might have enough boards to do the wall. I'm not going to hold my breath - after the last batch I did earlier in the winter, I counted up what I had and was really disappointed to learn that I only had 1/3 of what I needed for the project. Its not even that big of a wall, I just don't get a lot of square footage of each pallet, and it takes awhile to snag enough pallets because I'm only using a certain type that we normally throw away at work.
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Thanks! I'm going to try and make more of an effort to make get more stuff done around the garage this summer, which will mean more, regular updates to the thread. I'm trying to keep this thread related to garage improvements or garage projects, and most of what I've been working on is pretty mundane, household maintenance items that I don't think anyone would really be interested in.
I did get the other axe heads cleaned up, but I haven't bought handles for them yet. They're soaked in oil and stashed in a safe place for a later date.
dwysywd
Well-known member
Lmao...while axe heads and "free" shibby is CAF, we are all in the same boat...lol keeping the MRS happy while we tinker in the barn...garage...man-cave- aka, the dog house. So don't be shy about sharing those "domestic" projects if you know what I mean B.D.!
Anxiety levels are back to normal - I've finished pulling nails from the pallet boards and have reclaimed most of my workbench. Did the math and figured out that now have twice the amount of boards I need for my wall. That's okay though, now I have the ability to be picky about what boards I use.
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Wife said she thought I was crazy for doing all this work. I told her I know I'm crazy, but that was besides the point. I figured since I'd already come this far, I might as well see it through. I have a funny feeling that once I do my den wall, an order will be placed for a second wall somewhere else in the house.
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Wife said she thought I was crazy for doing all this work. I told her I know I'm crazy, but that was besides the point. I figured since I'd already come this far, I might as well see it through. I have a funny feeling that once I do my den wall, an order will be placed for a second wall somewhere else in the house.
Lee Celtic
Well-known member
I did one wall with pallet wood in my workshop...
Ended up building a bar for a wedding with the same finish after the bride saw it..
then a friends game room got the treatment..
Thats the problem with pallet walls.. they spread to the point your sick of seeing pallets waiting to be broken down.. But your almost there and I for one am looking forward to seeing the finished walls..
Ended up building a bar for a wedding with the same finish after the bride saw it..
then a friends game room got the treatment..
Thats the problem with pallet walls.. they spread to the point your sick of seeing pallets waiting to be broken down.. But your almost there and I for one am looking forward to seeing the finished walls..
Very nice garage and thread. Breaking apart pallets is a lot of work. I've been collecting some that look like they are made with some sort of tropical hardwood. Dark maroon wood with a very tight grain - and the pallets are HEAVY.
Messed around with the different stain and finish options for the pallet board wall - quite pleased with where this is headed. The top and bottom boards are just waxed, no other treatments. The dark board was stained with rusty vinegar and then waxed. The light board is from a batch that spent the winter outside bleaching out in the weather, and waxed. I'm thinking a mix of about 1/4 dark, 1/4 light, and 1/2 medium should be about right.
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If anyone is interested, I use Howard Feed-N-Wax. Great stuff, easy to get fantastic results.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BKQYGW/?tag=atomicindus08-20
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If anyone is interested, I use Howard Feed-N-Wax. Great stuff, easy to get fantastic results.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BKQYGW/?tag=atomicindus08-20
...But your almost there and I for one am looking forward to seeing the finished walls..
I'm looking forward to the finished product too. It is a little easier to stay motivated right now because I'm getting the boards finished. Each time I hit a board with the wax, its a little bit like opening a Christmas present to see the grain will look like. I'm hoping I'll be able to sneak a few trips out to the garage this week and try to get everything finished up. I think Wife has already made plans for me for next weekend, so it might not happen as quickly as I'd like.
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Thanks Ed! I do need to get the bike put back together. I still need to get a new rear tire and paint the rear fender to get back on the road. I wanted to have the tank, fenders, and wheels powdercoated this winter by a guy I work with (he has a little hobby setup in his garage) but since we both work at the same place, he's in the same boat as me with how busy he's been, so I never pressed him on it. My backup was another (former) coworker in SD that has his own powdercoating business, but he ended up needing shoulder surgery right in the middle of tearing out his old oven to upgrade to a larger one. I see he's now got everything back up and running, so I might end up contacting him. We'll see... I keep telling myself that I need to get some of these other irons out of the fire first.
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Thank you! Its not as nice as the cell phone pics would have you believe, but I'm making forward progress and that's the most important thing. I wonder if those pallets aren't made of Purple Heart? If so, lucky you! I was happy enough to find a steady supply of oak.
http://www.wood-database.com/purpleheart/
It might just be that purple heart wood. I'll try to get some pics posted.
I hear you on reigning yourself in and not taking on too many projects. Not that I'm any good at it, but it does sound like a reasonable idea!
Funny that you mention the hobby powder coating business. Last fall I picked up a powder coating gun from Eastwood and a free used oven and coated a handful of small parts while rebuilding the engine in my GTO. It's quicker, easier, less messy, and you can coat your parts in cold weather. The fumes aren't as bad and the finish is more durable. It's a great process, but I'm limited by the small size of my oven. What does your coworker use that will fit bigger things like wheels and fenders? That would be a game changer for me!
Thanks,
Ed
Each of these woods are very heavy. obviously the middle one is the one I think could be the purple heart wood.
and the grain on the end
Occasionally there is oak but not too often. I get mine at a nearby Fastenal. For some reason this branch gets wood pallets where others get their daily delivery in composite crates. Also check cabinet and kitchen places. One near me had a huge pallet made of cherry.
Don't mean to hijack your thread but thought you'd find it interesting.
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I believe he rigged up something like this:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/di...te-oven-for-you-gun-guys-on-the-cheap.862183/
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No worries, I do find it interesting! If you'll allow me to hijack my own thread for a moment...
It doesn't surprise me to see species of wood mixed together on a pallet because there are businesses that recycle and rebuild pallets. It could very well be the case that your purple heart boards come on a non-standard pallet and are sent to one of these facilities, broken apart, and then made into more common 40x48 pallets.
Rebuilt pallets are usually cheaper than buying new, and I'd guess that Fastenal (or one of their main suppliers) is purchasing these pallets from a re-builder. It also makes sense that Fastenal would be a good source for hardwood pallets because a softwood pallet would probably not do so well with several tons of nuts and bolts packed onto them.
I suspect the reason your local branch gets wood pallets is because they are a hub for other stores in the area, meaning they probably get shipments from a main distribution center and supply several smaller stores within a certain distance using the reusable plastic pallets. Since the supply chain is controlled between the hub and small stores, you can use the plastic pallets without worrying that they'll get taken or thrown away. You can't always guarantee that when shipping between the DC and the hub because the loads are more than likely handled by a third party LTL carrier who will mix and match loads depending on their destination.
So there you go... three paragraphs of pure speculation on the source of purple heart boards found on hardwood pallets and how they ended up at your local Fastenal store. (I spent the first 4.5 years of my career at a global distribution center for a large power sports manufacturer.)
Thanks for sharing that link! Guess I'll be hunting for a free metal cabinet to expand my oven!
Ed
Lee Celtic
Well-known member
Rusty vinegar... I think I need to try that... the colour looks really warm.. and I guess if you've cleaned up tools then it free too.. win win.
It's going to look amazing, really looking forward to seeing it all done.
It's going to look amazing, really looking forward to seeing it all done.
I did some work for a company in Jacksonville FL called Pal-King, though they now sell new pallets also, it was started by a guy who would pick-up pallets in his pick-up truck and re-sell them. His kids Repairing them if needed. Now it's run by the kids.
In this case I believe the pallets come from a foreign supplier. Either central or South America or somewhere in Asia. This fastenal is not a hub for other stores. In fact they have tried to get the composite pallets that get sent back to the hub ( and thus don't pile up in the corner) without success. I think the hub also needs to get rid of pallets
They do get plenty of regular pine pallets, or ratty old ones that look like they've been around since pallets were first used - but once or twice a week they get a nice hardwood pallet, so I pop in occasionally.
...This fastenal is not a hub for other stores. In fact they have tried to get the composite pallets that get sent back to the hub ( and thus don't pile up in the corner) without success. I think the hub also needs to get rid of pallets
They do get plenty of regular pine pallets, or ratty old ones that look like they've been around since pallets were first used - but once or twice a week they get a nice hardwood pallet, so I pop in occasionally.
Like I said, pure speculation!
Like I said, pure speculation!
Huzzah!
Enjoyed your thread. Where would you have been if you had not changed directions and rehabbed you garage. There would have not been enough room for all the pallet wood. The pieces you have made and posted look great.
Dwight
Dwight
An actual update to the garage this weekend...
There was a window on the south wall of my garage that I've been meaning to get rid of. My neighbor has his dog kennel right outside the window, so I never open it for ventilation because I don't really care to smell dog **** when I'm working out there. Don't get me wrong, I get along great with my neighbor and I don't mind that his kennel is there, the window just doesn't serve a purpose. I am also planning on moving my shelving to that wall, so all the more reason to get rid of it.
I started by taking out the old window and patching the hole with some 1/2" plywood.
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I then cut out the siding, taking care to stagger my joints.
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I then installed new siding. Not exactly a one man job, but I managed.
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I didn't realize until I was done that I actually have two joints lined up on the top two courses of siding. Too late now... I'll just have to be generous with the sealer in that area. Wife and I are hoping to redo the siding on the house and garage within the next few years, so this is a "temporary" fix. I've never done anything related to siding before today, and while there are a few rough spots, I'm pretty pleased with the results.
I forgot to buy the metal joint flashing when I was at the store, but I'm stuck at the house until my supervisor wakes up from her nap. Typical supervisor... Wanders off halfway through the job, leaving me with a mess and some written instructions that I can't make any sense of.
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I also fired up the smoker today - doing some chicken.
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You'll notice I've upgraded my smoker technology from what I've used over the last few years. I actually won this pellet smoker at work last December. Since we don't have a company holiday party, they give out prizes each day throughout the month. Most of the prizes are smaller items and gift cards, I just happened to get the grand prize this year. Makes smoking meat almost foolproof, which kind of takes some of the fun/mystery out of it, but I'm not going to complain.
Thanks for stopping by...
There was a window on the south wall of my garage that I've been meaning to get rid of. My neighbor has his dog kennel right outside the window, so I never open it for ventilation because I don't really care to smell dog **** when I'm working out there. Don't get me wrong, I get along great with my neighbor and I don't mind that his kennel is there, the window just doesn't serve a purpose. I am also planning on moving my shelving to that wall, so all the more reason to get rid of it.
I started by taking out the old window and patching the hole with some 1/2" plywood.
View media item 82912
I then cut out the siding, taking care to stagger my joints.
View media item 82913
I then installed new siding. Not exactly a one man job, but I managed.
View media item 82914
I didn't realize until I was done that I actually have two joints lined up on the top two courses of siding. Too late now... I'll just have to be generous with the sealer in that area. Wife and I are hoping to redo the siding on the house and garage within the next few years, so this is a "temporary" fix. I've never done anything related to siding before today, and while there are a few rough spots, I'm pretty pleased with the results.
I forgot to buy the metal joint flashing when I was at the store, but I'm stuck at the house until my supervisor wakes up from her nap. Typical supervisor... Wanders off halfway through the job, leaving me with a mess and some written instructions that I can't make any sense of.
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I also fired up the smoker today - doing some chicken.
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You'll notice I've upgraded my smoker technology from what I've used over the last few years. I actually won this pellet smoker at work last December. Since we don't have a company holiday party, they give out prizes each day throughout the month. Most of the prizes are smaller items and gift cards, I just happened to get the grand prize this year. Makes smoking meat almost foolproof, which kind of takes some of the fun/mystery out of it, but I'm not going to complain.
Thanks for stopping by...
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Thanks Dwight! I do think about that from time to time, especially when I'm able to walk into the garage and know exactly where a tool is, or am able to spread out all the parts on the workbench when working on a project. While I am not as far along as I hoped to be by now, I know that I'm still making progress, and that is the most important thing.
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Thanks burger. The Peter Egan quote in your signature rings true - I can't look anywhere around my garage and see something that doesn't need work. I rarely walk around to that side of the structure and hadn't realized how bad the fascia had gotten. Further proof that I wasn't exaggerating the poor condition of this garage when I named it "The **** Shack".
Installed the h-moulding and sealer last night. While at the store, I also picked up new fascia boards - I guess that'll be the next project.
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JustinS
Well-known member
I've got the same project slated for this spring, except its on the front of the house
Got the fascia boards replaced today. Ready for paint and gutters!
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Would have gone a lot quicker if I didn't have to dodge a bunch of wasps. Four different groups of nests behind the fascia. Luckily it was pretty cool today so they were moving slow. Burned almost a whole can of spray, but I didn't get stung once. Pic is of the nests in a 5 gallon home depot bucket.
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Would have gone a lot quicker if I didn't have to dodge a bunch of wasps. Four different groups of nests behind the fascia. Luckily it was pretty cool today so they were moving slow. Burned almost a whole can of spray, but I didn't get stung once. Pic is of the nests in a 5 gallon home depot bucket.
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