Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT The **** Shack

[bdbecker]

Don't you love it when a plan comes together??

Sure do. It was a relief when the first thing he said after looking at the pipe was "Oh, this is going to be way easier than I expected."

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Nice, now come do mine! Im in the same boat and slightly terrified Im going to be fully gutting and redoing the only working bathroom in the house. I too have a plumber buddy but his sidework schedule is busy and he's working on getting married so availability will be next to nothing.

Hopefully you get your tile back down where it needs to be in one piece! Job well done!

Ha! Nope, sorry. I've got enough on the "to-do" list to last me the next five years. I don't need any sidework to keep me busy.

I'd bet your buddy knows he's too busy to give you hand, but doesn't want to let you down. Might be worth having a conversation with him about how you you don't want to put anything else on his plate, and maybe ask him for suggestions of a company to work with. If this is your only bathroom, it'd be tough waiting around for him to do the work on nights and weekends anyway.

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Sounds like the bathroom situation was more of an inconvenience than anything... good to hear that you realized the problem before major damage occurred.

Good thinking to have the plywood ready to go ahead of time... made the plumber's job quick and easy.

You obviously have a bit of work to repair/(replace?) the floor... but, yet another job is checked off the list!

Well done!

...D

Yes, I'm glad it wasn't anything more complicated.

The plywood was at my plumber's request. He was pretty impressed with how well it fit. Between you and me, that board way too much time to make and was actually my second attempt. I had the perfect piece of material on hand, but screwed it up and couldn't save it. Finally gave up and went to the store and bought an overpriced handy-panel. At least I got smart on the second try and made a cardboard template that could be trimmed to fit perfectly instead of risking losing more plywood. Lesson learned.

We'll know more on the tile front tomorrow - I'm planning on running around the metro to see if can find a suitable replacement. I've already looked at a couple places and found a few of 'close but not quite' options. Either the pattern is right but the brown is off, or the brown is right, but the pattern is off. If it weren't for the one tile that will sit right dead center in front of the toilet, we'd probably be able to make one of the right color brown/wrong pattern ones work since most of the tile will be hidden by the toilet anyway. I'm not expecting a miracle as I think I've used up my good luck for the year on the table saw and generator, but you never know.

 

[XJSuperman]

I'd bet your buddy knows he's too busy to give you hand, but doesn't want to let you down. Might be worth having a conversation with him about how you you don't want to put anything else on his plate, and maybe ask him for suggestions of a company to work with. If this is your only bathroom, it'd be tough waiting around for him to do the work on nights and weekends anyway.

You're spot-on there, but he and I are on the same page and between him and I its paid work. Not a nagging freebie job lol. You can't expect someone trying to put a wedding together to have time for other people's little stuff though. He always recommends the company he works for, then he can be on the clock and still home in time to keep the future wife happy!

 

[bdbecker]

Put the cherry on top of the fence/stairwell project - a new light. The old one can be seen in this picture.

View media item 105898
Here's the new one - a little bit more our style, and a lot smaller (definitely have hit my head on the old one a few times). It also directs the light down, which was probably the more important reason for replacing it. The old one directed the light out, which just happens to be eye-level for me when sitting in the adirondack chairs on the patio, and was very distracting when trying to just enjoy the fire and some conversation. I'm a little annoyed how it sits at a slight angle, but I suppose I'd be more annoyed if I had to fill a big gap down the sides with caulk, so I'll live with it. I'll have to snag a night photo - it ties in nicely to the deck lights.

View media item 106217
Other than that minor project, this weekend was all about getting some much needed R&R and QST. This weekend marked another trip around the sun for me (probably the strangest one I can remember). When Wife asked what I wanted to do, I told her nothing. I know it annoys her how I like to keep my birthdays low key, but I really just wanted to hang around the house, enjoy the mild weather, and just be a family for a few days. So that's what we did and it was fantastic.

This also gave me a chance to address a problem that has been getting way out of hand - the dumping ground my garage has become over the last several months. This is what happens when you spend all weekend working on something, but don't take the time to put things away when you are done. Do this for a couple months, and the next thing you know, you don't have anywhere to work and you can't find anything. Reminded me of several years ago before I started working on getting my garage in shape. No good...

View media item 106215
Picking away at it over the weekend, I managed to get my garage somewhat functional again. I should have taken before/after pics of my workbench and lumber storage - probably spent most of my time on those two areas.

View media item 106216
Other than naptime, my favorite supervisor was hard at work in the garage with me, mostly doing "paperwork" (drawing pictures).

View media item 106218
And spinning. I got queasy just watching her... I don't know how she didn't throw up.

View media item 106219
No luck on the tile search, so I suppose a new bathroom floor will be the next item to address. We're only looking at ~50 square feet, so at least it's not a big undertaking. Other than that, I think I'm going to call it a summer on the projects front. All summer, I planned to replace the driveway gate to match the deck and fence, but with lumber shortages and the high prices, it's just not worth the hassle or added expense to try and push it through right now. We've got a perfectly good chain link gate in place that will get us through the winter.

I'll still be doing projects here and there, just hopefully smaller in scale and more garage focused (weird idea for a garage build thread, I know). Probably circle back to the bike, or avoid it all together with a completely new and totally unimportant distraction... we'll just have to see where the road takes us!

 

[amkluttz]

This also gave me a chance to address a problem that has been getting way out of hand - the dumping ground my garage has become over the last several months. This is what happens when you spend all weekend working on something, but don't take the time to put things away when you are done. Do this for a couple months, and the next thing you know, you don't have anywhere to work and you can't find anything.

This is the way.


I'm sure all of us except the most organized get to this level. My problem is that this level is my natural state. I end up taking a day off for my birthday and once a year I try to reorganize my garage so I can at least walk through it.

 

[nicholam77]

Ooh I like that stairwell light. Mind sharing where you got it? You can PM me if you want.

Nice score on the generator. Glad you didn't have major damage in the storms, I heard a lot of people did!

Now is the time to replace the bathroom floor I guess... funny how every project seems to have scope creep. But I bet you can find a nice product for reasonable $$$ and be done with it pretty quickly. At least the plumbing went smoothly.

As far as wrapping up larger projects for a bit... it's kind of inevitable for us in states that get a little thing called "winter"! The gate will be eagerly waiting for you next year.

 

[bdbecker]

You're spot-on there, but he and I are on the same page and between him and I its paid work. Not a nagging freebie job lol. You can't expect someone trying to put a wedding together to have time for other people's little stuff though. He always recommends the company he works for, then he can be on the clock and still home in time to keep the future wife happy!

Glad you guys are on the same page! Sometimes those conversations can be tough to have.

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...I'm sure all of us except the most organized get to this level. My problem is that this level is my natural state. I end up taking a day off for my birthday and once a year I try to reorganize my garage so I can at least walk through it.

I like that... I think I'm going to make all future birthdays "QST days", even if all I do is sweep the floor and sip on a beer.

I totally hear you. I grew up that way, and still have a long way to go before I break all my bad habits. Two things I've noticed about myself. First - as long as I've got a place for something, I actually do a halfway decent job of putting it away. At the very least, it makes the cleanup like I did over the weekend a lot easier. Second - if a solution isn't easy to use, it doesn't get used. My hardware storage shelf is a mess right now. I need to rethink how I do things because what I've got in place is obviously not working for me.

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Ooh I like that stairwell light. Mind sharing where you got it? You can PM me if you want...

Menards of all places...

https://www.menards.com/main/lighti...ll-light/iol211bk/p-1493101211011-c-7545.htmb

Just a heads up, I think they are discontinuing that specific model I bought and replacing it with this one at nearly twice the price. Either option is still a pretty good deal when you compare them to other offerings on the market.

https://www.menards.com/main/lighti...ll-light/iol211orb/p-1493101210939-c-7545.htm

I actually bought five right away so I can eventually install them near all doors and have them all match. That will be a project in itself because, oddly enough, the only door that is wired to have a light next to it is the lower level back door. There is no light by the front door, deck door, or my garage. That was one of those things that I just randomly noticed one day after we'd already been in the house for several months. I wanted to leave a light on for someone only to realize there was no light to turn on.

...funny how every project seems to have scope creep. But I bet you can find a nice product for reasonable $$$ and be done with it pretty quickly. At least the plumbing went smoothly...

Every single project.

At least this time around I knew this was a possibility when I started. All in all, it could have been a lot worse, so I'm not upset about having to replace a tile floor that I wasn't all that crazy about in the first place. Probably the worst part of this project will be getting Wife to choose a tile - she doesn't like making big decisions like this.

...As far as wrapping up larger projects for a bit... it's kind of inevitable for us in states that get a little thing called "winter"!...

It'll be here before we know it. When I was sitting outside drinking coffee yesterday morning, I could see my breath in the air. You guys have probably already had a hard frost and maybe a dusting or two by now.

 

[bj383ss]

BD I like to spend my birthdays the exact same way. I have done it for years and my wife already knows by now. Glad to see you got the garage back in order. It drives me crazy too but is necessary sometimes during a big project.

You and Nick and others up North we are 180 opposite. I am waiting for Summer(Face of the Sun) down here to be over and Fall (Winter ) to come so I can get back outside and do some projects. With our temps hovering over the triple digit mark for the last 2 weeks my garage time has been limited.

Bret

 

[amkluttz]

I've been doing the birthday/garage day thing for at least 6 years now. It started because I had an abundance of time off from work and when my wife worked I got an entire day to either piddle around the garage or to get some major work done. Now that she is a stay-at-home mom and we have 3 kids she does her best to let me have the day to myself but it's hard. My birthday is in January so it can be rather cold some years.

My issue with organization is that I continually see something of use or value and bring it home only to realize I didn't really need it and have nowhere to shoehorn it in a 12'x22'. If I could learn to stop bringing things home and to clean up the mess I have I believe I would be happier overall.

 

[oldironfarmer]

My how your daughter has grown! Big kid, not a lil stinker anymore!

Projects are looking good!

 

[bdbecker]

...You and Nick and others up North we are 180 opposite. I am waiting for Summer(Face of the Sun) down here to be over and Fall (Winter ) to come so I can get back outside and do some projects. With our temps hovering over the triple digit mark for the last 2 weeks my garage time has been limited...

Wife and I were seriously considering moving to Texas before we settled on Iowa. I was talking to one of my buddies who lived down there at the time, and he mentioned that the temps during the summer were something he was not prepared for at all, comparing it to Midwest winters in the sense that it does limit your ability to be outside for prolonged periods of time. Opposite ends of the scale, but the same problem.

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...My issue with organization is that I continually see something of use or value and bring it home only to realize I didn't really need it and have nowhere to shoehorn it in a 12'x22'. If I could learn to stop bringing things home and to clean up the mess I have I believe I would be happier overall.

Are you sure we're not related?

My rule these days is that unless I have an immediate need for something, I pass on it. It is really hard sometimes. Just a week or two ago, someone posted some nice live edge walnut slabs on Marketplace. They were only asking $150 for what would easily go for $500+ anywhere else. Building a Nakashima style coffee table is even on my list of 'someday projects'. While it was really tempting, I passed because I know that I won't get to any time soon, and didn't want to have to deal with storing those slabs in the meantime.

As far as deciding what to keep in your shop is concerned, the turning point for me was when I started resenting the stuff I'd accumulated because it was keeping me from fulfilling my dream of a clean, organized, and effective workspace. Given enough time, even the most potentially valuable stuff eventually starts looking like junk when it is constantly in your way.

I'll also refer back to the "let go of the banana" sign that hangs above my workbench, inspired by a post Gregor made in his Mid Century Moto Mecca build thread. We often trap ourselves because we are unwilling to let go of something that we see as valuable, just like the monkey is trapped by his refusal to let go of the banana in the jar. When I'm trying to decide whether to keep something or send it down the road, that sign has served as a good reminder and motivator to keep my eye on the goal. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't point out that that I still struggle with fully embracing this mindset - there are still a lot of bananas sitting around my shop that I need to let go of.

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My how your daughter has grown! Big kid, not a lil stinker anymore!

Projects are looking good!

Thanks Andy! Glad to have you stop by!

Stinker is getting big, both in size and in personality. Its truly amazing watching her grow up. It goes by too fast, but I try not to dwell on that and just enjoy each day with her.

 

[amkluttz]

As far as deciding what to keep in your shop is concerned, the turning point for me was when I started resenting the stuff I'd accumulated because it was keeping me from fulfilling my dream of a clean, organized, and effective workspace. Given enough time, even the most potentially valuable stuff eventually starts looking like junk when it is constantly in your way.

I'll also refer back to the "let go of the banana" sign that hangs above my workbench, inspired by a post Gregor made in his Mid Century Moto Mecca build thread. We often trap ourselves because we are unwilling to let go of something that we see as valuable, just like the monkey is trapped by his refusal to let go of the banana in the jar. When I'm trying to decide whether to keep something or send it down the road, that sign has served as a good reminder and motivator to keep my eye on the goal. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't point out that that I still struggle with fully embracing this mindset - there are still a lot of bananas sitting around my shop that I need to let go of.

It sounds like I need to check out the Mid Century Moto Mecca, if for nothing more than this tidbit of wisdom. I'm sure this is something I will always struggle with but I'm definitely at the "resenting the stuff I'd accumulated" point. The hard part is I just found a very good use for some rectangle tube steel I have had sitting around for years waiting to make it to the scrap yard. The issue is I feel validated in keeping this pile of **** around when I eventually find it useful and it saves me money that I don't really have to spend anway.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Awesome thread. I am in the process of building a similar sized garage so I was interested in seeing your layout. I read the first 14 pages then skipped to the present day and saw your self proclaimed "dumping ground". This is my biggest fear! As hard as I want to try to keep my new garage organized and I fear it is going to end up a mess. I guess like anything in life there are ebbs and flows and sometimes it will become a mess and other times it'll be smooth sailing. I am lucky enough own some land a mile away with a 40' High cube container and numerous sheds for the junk I so lovingly accumulate. So I doubt it will ever get too bad. And you know what if it does the only person I have to blame is myself. First world problems though. At least you have an amazing space, its just going to get a little cluttered from time to time.

 

[amkluttz]

Coming to this realization has been very freeing for me. Since I might end up tearing it all down in 10 years anyway, I really don’t have to worry about making everything absolutely perfect from the start. Do it, and if I don’t like it, change it. At least I’ll learn something and have a better idea of what works and what doesn’t.

I went back to your first post because I honestly couldn't remember how big your garage was. In reading your first post the above quote caught my eye. I remembered reading something from you more recently and I went back to find the quoted text below on page 36. In context talking about a fire in the garage in reply to GeddyT.

I know that's sarcasm about the shop burning down, but that would really bum me out after all the work I've put into it. Sure, a new build would be nice, but at the same time, this little shop has really taught me a lot about myself. There's a lesson learned in every corner of that building. Its kind of funny how a building I loathed at one point has become a place I love.

It's amazing the transformation time and effort can make.


Keep up the good work bdbecker! This is one of my favorite threads now and I enjoy seeing the subscription bolded so I know there is an update.

 

[GeddyT]

...I remembered reading something from you more recently and I went back to find the quoted text below on page 36. In context talking about a fire in the garage in reply to GeddyT.

Since we're keeping score, I get credited with an assist for bdbecker's pearl of wisdom above, right? My stats could use a boost ahead of the upcoming Fantasy Garage Journal Draft. Good value pick in the seventh round my ***!



Sorry, I'll just return to my coffee now...

 

[bdbecker]

Awesome thread. I am in the process of building a similar sized garage so I was interested in seeing your layout...

First of all, welcome to GJ! Glad to have you along for the ride!

I don't know why, but I guess I've never posted a layout of my space. I've had a CAD file of it since pretty much day one where I can play around with different ideas and get a feel for how things will fit. Here's a screenshot of the current(ish) state of things.

View media item 106485

...I read the first 14 pages then skipped to the present day and saw your self proclaimed "dumping ground". This is my biggest fear! As hard as I want to try to keep my new garage organized and I fear it is going to end up a mess. I guess like anything in life there are ebbs and flows and sometimes it will become a mess and other times it'll be smooth sailing...

Ebb and flow is a good way to put it. There are times when your shop will be a mess, and there are other times when it'll be nice and organized. The dumping ground situation was my own doing. I knew I was doing it in the moment, but I also didn't worry too much about it because I knew that I'd get it all cleaned up as soon as I'd wrapped up the yard projects. The nice thing about being somewhat organized that it only takes a few hours to get everything back to normal.

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A more in-depth update on the weekend's activities will be coming soon... Just wanted to get that layout posted while I was thinking about it.

 

[bdbecker]

It sounds like I need to check out the Mid Century Moto Mecca, if for nothing more than this tidbit of wisdom...

Be careful, that thread is a serious (but awesome) timesuck. You'll more than likely end up with a new pencil as well.

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Since we're keeping score, I get credited with an assist for bdbecker's pearl of wisdom above, right? My stats could use a boost ahead of the upcoming Fantasy Garage Journal Draft. Good value pick in the seventh round my ***!

Ha! Well if there's going to be a GJ draft, if anyone is looking for a special teams bullsh*tter, I'm your guy!

Thank you for the shout-out in your thread, that was very nice of you. I will admit, I'm a bit concerned that the potential increase in traffic might make me feel obligated to actually do projects instead of just talking about them. The word "might" being the key word in that previous sentence.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Since we're keeping score, I get credited with an assist for bdbecker's pearl of wisdom above, right? My stats could use a boost ahead of the upcoming Fantasy Garage Journal Draft. Good value pick in the seventh round my ***!



Sorry, I'll just return to my coffee now...

Coffee, does this fantasy league need a coffee drinker? If so I am your man.

 

[bdbecker]

A goodbye to an old friend...

Well, the time has finally come. After 13 years, you've mowed your last blade of grass. Over the years I kept your blades sharp, your filter clean, your oil changed, and your gas ethanol free. You held up your end of the bargain by giving me 13 years of trouble-free service, eagerly starting up on the first or second pull every time we needed to mow. I knew our days together were numbered when I first saw the cancer on your deck. I blame myself for that - I should have kept you cleaner. Ultimately it was your heart that gave out. I tried to revive you, but it was no use. At least you died doing what you love.

View media item 106636
The old Walmart special Yard-Man that I've been using all these years mowed its last yesterday. Everything seemed normal until it just slowed down and died as I was nearly done mowing the yard. I was able to start get it going again and mowed another pass and it did it again. Thinking it was starving for fuel, I messed around with the carb a little. When I tried to pull it over, I literally lifted it a foot or two in the air with the starter rope/handle. I tipped it on its side and turned the blade by hand and that's when I knew something was seriously wrong. If the deck wasn't on the edge of rusting through, I'd consider digging into the issue more, but it's just not worth it at this point.

This has been an expensive year, so I wasn't really excited about having to go buy a new mower. Thankfully I had a bunch of Menards 11% rebate checks saved up from the deck project, so I was able to cover most of the cost using those. Knowing that temporary fixes often become permanent solutions, I opted to get something a bit nicer than the Yard-Man. The main selling points were the big bag (use it for leaves in the fall) and the adjustable handle that actually fits my 6'3" height. I've never ran a self-propelled mower, but after finishing up the last little bit of the yard last night, I have a feeling that is going to be a really nice upgrade that I never knew I wanted.

https://www.craftsman.com/products/m310-21-in-163cc-rwd-self-propelled-mower

I really wanted to go electric but none of the options are quite where I'd like them to be just yet. I was hoping to squeeze another season or two out of the Yard-Man so that the electric mowers could get another few rounds of development and innovation under the belt. The problem I have with electric is run time. The quickest I can mow my yard is around 45 minutes, but its usually closer to an hour. That means that no matter what platform I look at, I'd have to have at least two battery packs (which cost the same as, if not more than a lot of gas mowers). EGO can supposedly do an hour with the 7.5Ah pack, which would theoretically be enough most of the time, but a pain in the **** when it isn't. Hopefully I can get a good 10-15 years out of this one, which should give the electric options plenty of time to get things sorted out.

I'm now two weeks behind on updates... sorry for that, life has just been busy. I promise I'll get to it eventually.

 

[GeddyT]

Thank you for the shout-out in your thread, that was very nice of you. I will admit, I'm a bit concerned that the potential increase in traffic might make me feel obligated to actually do projects instead of just talking about them. The word "might" being the key word in that previous sentence.

You're already doing plenty enough to keep this busy guy reading and entertained, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I really wanted to go electric but none of the options are quite where I'd like them to be just yet...

If I would have known you're in the market for a mower, I'd have tried talking you into it! My electric yard tool conversion started with the DeWalt XR string trimmer. Hell, that's the main reason I'm stuck on the yellow battery system at all: at the time I was shopping (to replace my melted Hitachi 18V stuff), DeWalt was the only brand offering shop/construction tools and yard tools on the same battery system. I was SO tired of having to rebuild tiny carburetors in string trimmers every year due to ethanol gas, so the idea of being able to have an electric string trimmer, chainsaw, and leaf blower without having to charge and keep up with (and buy!) different batteries was appealing.

Well, the XR leaf blower is one of my favorite possessions full stop, but that string trimmer was the shittiest tool I've ever bought. The motor is mounted direct-drive right over the cutting head, and I think the problem is overheating from grass clogging the cooling fins. It died on the third use, I had a hell of a time working out where to send it to get it repaired, sent it in, and not only did they send me the "repaired" string trimmer back, but they also sent me a brand new one. Gave the new one to Joey (it's still working for him), but I only got another three uses out of the repaired one.

Which is where I get to the point (finally): Had enough of that crappy 18V trimmer, bought an EGO string trimmer (and, eventually, chainsaw), and I have been in love ever since. That thing absolutely RIPS, and operation/reliability is as simple as plug in battery, pull trigger. With how good/strong their string trimmer is, and after reading all the reviews, I have no doubt their mower is as good as advertised.

The batteries do go quite quickly. I have a 2.5 Ah and a 5 Ah, and I use both in the course of ~an hour or so of trimming. On the plus side, the crazy-expensive batteries can usually be had for about 50% off on eBay--this goes for just about any battery and is also how I stocked up on my DeWalt XR and FlexVolt packs--and is how I got my 5 Ah pack.

None of this matters to you anymore, as I'm sure you'll be plenty happy with your new mower--particularly if you were able to keep the last one running for 13 years (that's better than I could ever do by at least 10...). Maybe somebody else reading this, though, would be interested in an endorsement for electric yard tools if they have an average size or smaller yard.

 

[bdbecker]

...If I would have known you're in the market for a mower, I'd have tried talking you into it!...

Even I didn't know I was in the market for a new mower until 4pm yesterday.

I really wanted to go electric for all of the reasons you mentioned. I like electric yard tools and currently have a corded trimmer and blower. Other than dragging around the cord, I really have no complaints about either. EGO is the brand/platform I was leaning towards. My brother has a few of their tools and has been very pleased with them.

It all comes down to battery cost vs life. Given the fact that I'd need 2-3 batteries to run the mower, trimmer, and blower, I really want to see how durable the packs are long term before I commit to a platform. If I have to spend $500+ every 5 years on new packs, it makes it really difficult to justify the switch.

FWIW, the secret to gas tool longevity is to run fuel stabilizer all the time. Dad does this and has always had great luck with all of his equipment. I run Sta-Bil, but am not married to that brand for any reason other than it has the handy measurement feature built into the bottle. Whenever I fill up the gas can, I put stabilizer in it. For a guy like me who only goes through 5-6 gallons of fuel a year between the mower, snowblower, and pressure washer, it is cheap enough to make it a no-brainer. That, and replace the air filter and oil somewhat regularly (I do once a year on everything, but other than my mower, nothing I own gets run that hard).

 

[XJSuperman]

Wow, you went deep on that dive. I woulda grabbed one off craigslist for next to nothing and dropped $20 in it for initial maintenance as needed and been happy. But Im saying all this as I remember I mow my tiny yard with a JD 318 and 50" deck. So don't take me too seriously I guess.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

FWIW, the secret to gas tool longevity is to run fuel stabilizer all the time. Dad does this and has always had great luck with all of his equipment. I run Sta-Bil, but am not married to that brand for any reason other than it has the handy measurement feature built into the bottle. Whenever I fill up the gas can, I put stabilizer in it. For a guy like me who only goes through 5-6 gallons of fuel a year between the mower, snowblower, and pressure washer, it is cheap enough to make it a no-brainer. That, and replace the air filter and oil somewhat regularly (I do once a year on everything, but other than my mower, nothing I own gets run that hard).

The real secret is to drain the fuel and run them dry if they are going to sit for more than a week. I pick up "broken" mowers every spring that have been sitting with fuel in them over the winter. Generally I fill them up with Seafoam and let them sit over night. By fill them up I mean completely fill up the carb til it runs out the top, usually a full bottle. The next day I pull the spark plug (if you don't it hydrolocks) and crank it till it pukes all the nasty out. 9 times out of 10 it will run.

A guy on a 4x4 forum was asking about how to fix his mower and people will giving him all kind of off the wall advice. Most were telling him to tear in to the engine. I told him to use Seafoam, and instantly the hate started from other members. I told him if it didn't work I would send him the price of a bottle of Seafoam. He tried it, and it worked. Oddly enough no one ever apologized.

 

[GeddyT]

Oh yeah, blue Sta-Bil in everything, but that just didn't seem to be enough. Interestingly, I never had any fuel issues with my riding mower in spite of running straight gas in it, my KLX-110 fires on the first kick in spite of never using stabilizer in it, and my generator can sit for four months and then starts easily in spite of never using stabilizer in it.

Things smaller than that? Chainsaws, string trimmers, etc.? They've always just laughed at fuel stabilizer and gummed up anyway. Maybe it doesn't help that I stored them in an unheated shed all winter, but I went though two string trimmers in five years in spite of using Sta-Bil. I even rebuilt the carburetor on the second one, and no dice. Just never ran right. There's probably some kind of user error going on there, but I was just tired of it. The jets on those tiny carburetors are just so tiny that keeping them flowing freely is a challenge, and, if I'm being honest with myself, I'm super lazy about maintaining my gas tools. Electric motor is simple and idiot-proof (so "me"-proof): One moving part.

Checking eBay, looks like a 7.5 Ah battery can be had for about $280 these days. That's $100 off retail. When I buy battery tools like that, I assume the cost of replacements will drop over time, not go up. That's one advantage. Most 18650 cells will last between 300 and 500 complete charge/discharge cycles. For me, that's at least five years of use. In five years, my assumption is replacements will be cheap or the tool will be worn out or the battery system as a whole will be replaced by something better. Time will tell how wrong I am!... I want to say that my EGO batteries are at least four years old, and they're still going fine, and I have five year old DeWalt XR batteries that I can't tell are any different from new (drove over 300 3" subfloor screws the other day without changing out the battery). That's five years of really heavy use, too.

Edit: Just read other responses, and I agree with mbww on running small engines dry. Maybe that's how I keep the bike and generator running so well without stabilizer. Especially in the colder months, I always leave them running with the fuel shut off until they die. Now that I think about it, I never did that with the smaller engines, and maybe that's the problem.

 

[Sifan]

I also use premium gas. Yeah it costs ~ 20 cents more per gallon, but no more than you use in a season, it is worth it for engine to start easier, run cleaner. And because of the extra octane horsepower boost, I can cut 3 minutes off my mowing time wink wink lol

 

[GeddyT]

I also use premium gas. Yeah it costs ~ 20 cents more per gallon, but no more than you use in a season, it is worth it for engine to start easier, run cleaner. And because of the extra octane horsepower boost, I can cut 3 minutes off my mowing time wink wink lol

****, now I'm gonna have to be "that guy"...

In case you weren't just joking with that last part, I'd advise against running premium gas in any engine that doesn't specifically call for it. In fact, running premium gas in an engine with a compression ratio/timing/etc. tuned for 87 just results in the engine making slightly less power and being slightly less efficient. Slightly.

Octane rating is a measure of the fuel's resistance to burning. High octane fuel is more stable and can resist higher compression and forced induction, but its energy density is slightly lower as a result. Fuel companies--Shell comes to mind in particular--really want to push people toward their premium grade, but that's just marketing.

Before I get to additives, another dirty little secret: Gasoline is fungible. There's nothing special about any company's gas. I'm a refinery operator, and could walk you down to the place at our loading rack where product from tankage splits and the Texaco/Chevron additive package is injected into one stream, the Shell additive package is injected into another, the generic stream has a generic minimum additive package added, etc. Refineries are regional, not brand-specific, so the gas you buy at the 76 station might be the exact same gas you buy across the street at the Arco only with different detergents (largely marketing) added just before being loaded onto the trucks.

Which makes the additives the only differentiator. Rule of thumb for me: If a brand wants to play dirty and only put the full additive package in the premium grade, I'll go across the street where even the 87 has the goods.

Long story short, every top tier (pretty much all of them) gasoline brand in the US is required to put a minimum amount of additives in their fuel in every grade. Some brands (I know Chevron/Texaco fall into this category) go above and beyond in all grades. I know at least Shell markets extra additives in only the premium grade. Find a brand that doesn't cheap out on the 87, put it in your mower, and it'll be plenty happy.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

I used to have a 72 Bonneville with a 455 engine. It ran like **** on every fuel except Texaco. I don't know what they put in it, but the old girl liked the fuel. My dad didn't believe me til he drove it one day and put another brand in it. HE apologized when he got home, which may be the first time he ever apologized to me about anything.

As for running higher octane in a small engine, I had a briggs engine pop the head gaskets after a neighbor borrowed it and filled it up with premium. It backfired one time and that was that. Although that Poulan was horrible anyway. Only mower I have ever bought brand new and all I ever did was work on the thing. I named it the Hemorrhoid. It was a whole 5 years old when I towed it down in the field with the 20 year old Craftsman I replaced it with, and left it. Haven't missed it at all. Finally the blackberries covered it up so I didn't have to look at it anymore.

 

[amkluttz]

A friend of mine took the plunge in to the electric mower, blower and trimmer scene. He went with the 80 volt Kobalt system. I was curious how long it took him to mow and trim since he would obviously have to wait on the packs to charge. He informed me that the packs charge quickly and by the time he's done with one the other is ready to go. I'm guessing mowing doesn't take more than 2 packs but he has a small yard.

I went with a 40 volt Kobalt blower after using the one we have at work. I've been fairly impressed with how long a charge lasts and it has been excellent for a quick garage blow out or knocking the leaves off the porch. I don't know that I would go back to a gas powered blower at this point. When my JD split shaft trimmer gives up the ghost I will likely look in to a matching 40v string trimmer or maybe upgrade to a better trimmer/blower combo. I'm sold on the ease of use of electric tools. I have 2.6 acres so I have to stick with the Husqvarna 54" rider.

 

[iced98lx]

The real secret is to drain the fuel and run them dry if they are going to sit for more than a week. I pick up "broken" mowers every spring that have been sitting with fuel in them over the winter. Generally I fill them up with Seafoam and let them sit over night. By fill them up I mean completely fill up the carb til it runs out the top, usually a full bottle. The next day I pull the spark plug (if you don't it hydrolocks) and crank it till it pukes all the nasty out. 9 times out of 10 it will run.

A guy on a 4x4 forum was asking about how to fix his mower and people will giving him all kind of off the wall advice. Most were telling him to tear in to the engine. I told him to use Seafoam, and instantly the hate started from other members. I told him if it didn't work I would send him the price of a bottle of Seafoam. He tried it, and it worked. Oddly enough no one ever apologized.

Seafoam, stabil, proper gas based on what the motor is setup for. amazing how many people never have problems again after they make the change to just a few more steps prior to shutting stuff down for the winter.

My snow blower rusted apart around the motor which still started on pull 1 after I got it "non-running" and simply cleaned it out basically as you described and maintained it over the summer. Generators are always my tipping point for family, I annoy them into listening to me about what to do with it so it always starts. A few catch on and end with "I suppose I should do this with my mower and snow blower too eh.."

 

[fourbyford]

We bought a new JD rider a few years back... 25 hp Kawasaki engine. Operator's manual stated... use premium, non-ethanol fuel. Been using that since day 1 and no problems. At that time, I decided it wasn't worth the effort to try to store 2 different types of gasoline... premium for the lawn tractor and regular for everything else. Been running the premium in all small engine equipment and, not only have I not experienced single problem... I've found that I have zero problems with engines sitting over the winter. One trimmer in particular was a pita to start each spring. Since I've been running the non-ethanol fuel... it starts! Last winter, I even forgot to run it dry. It started this spring on the second pull.

The premium fuel is about 30% more expensive here but, in my estimation, worth every penny.

...D

 

[bdbecker]

Wow, you went deep on that dive...

Its a blessing and a curse. I'm trying to think of the last time I didn't over analyze something, which ironically is probably an exercise in over analysis in itself.

...I woulda grabbed one off craigslist for next to nothing and dropped $20 in it for initial maintenance as needed and been happy...

While I don't mind trivial projects, maintaining a used push mower with an unknown service history is just not something I'm interested in. I believe that most people think of push mowers as consumable items that are to be used until broken before being discarded and replaced. Unless they are moving or upgrading to a rider, someone who does care enough to maintain their push mower is unlikely to get rid of it until its reached the end of its service life. Sure I could have probably kept my eye out for that type of a seller, but that takes time and leaving my front yard half mowed for a week or two wasn't something I was interested in either.

Being a fellow Iowan, you know just as well as I do that during certain times of the year, there may only be a few hours a week where the weather cooperates enough to get the yard mowed. Being able to rely on that piece of equipment to fire up when needed is well worth the price of admission in my mind.

...But Im saying all this as I remember I mow my tiny yard with a JD 318 and 50" deck. So don't take me too seriously I guess.

Lol... do you live down the street from me? The guy a few houses down has a monster JD that is definitely too big for his yard. I'd be a liar if I wasn't a little jealous of him during those 95 degree afternoons when I'm sweating my *** off pushing the mower around only to look over and see him sipping on a cold one driving in circles around his yard.

My yard, and a lot of others in the neighborhood, are just on the edge of rider territory. I'd guess its probably a 50/50 split between push and riders. I've considered a small rider a few times, but I doubt it'd be much of a time saver when I take into account the layout and obstacles I'd have to work around. I'd also have to store it, which would **** up a lot of valuable garage space.

How's that for a deep dive?

 

[Swilling]

I never understood the obsession with having a spotless bike, so I never really wash or polish mine. This is literally the cleanest these parts have been in 10 years.

I hear you, theres a perfect recipe of road grime, wear and tear and general im used but well maintained - that a bike can have, and it just feels and looks right.

 

[XJSuperman]

Yeah, Im a firm believer that there is one of that guy on every couple blocks around here. Im that guy. Never really had to do much pushmowing growing up, and I wasn't about to start now. Plus, I hate shoveling, so the tractor does that.

 

[amkluttz]

Be careful, that thread is a serious (but awesome) timesuck. You'll more than likely end up with a new pencil as well.

When you said serious timesuck you weren't kidding... I'm 100 pages in and not even half way through.

 

[Captain_Slow]

This is an amazing thread, I came here from MGT's build thread and I'm quite glad I did. It's been a very enjoyable 42 pages, with some really clever/cool projects sprinked throughout.

The analysis paralysis situation you described in the beginning really hit home, I've been going in circles for a year plus now on the small, dirt floor pole barn that came with my house, and slow to make progress on getting some other workspace set up as well. Seeing your progress here, and some of the thought process has definitely helped me get in a better place mentally around the space I have to work with.

 

[bdbecker]

Catching up on the last month...

We headed up to the farm for Labor Day weekend and what a weekend it was! On Saturday, my Dad, Stinker, and I went to an antique tractor show that was about a half hour away from their place. Wife raised her eyebrow when I suggested that I bring Stinker along, suspicious as to whether or not she'd have fun or not. To say she had fun is an understatement, she had a blast! She especially loved all the steam engines, pointing out that they looked like little trains - a proud Dad moment when your 5 year old daughter works out that connection all on her own. My Dad and I probably answered a thousand questions that day about how each piece of equipment worked. It was also fun hearing Dad's stories from growing up on the farm and using a lot of what we saw.

View media item 106903
I also learned that I'm going to be in big trouble in about ten years. One example - a couple of high school guys were driving a tractor back from the tractor pull area and she shouts at them "Hey guys! Nice tractor!". They both waved and smiled back at her. I just shook my head. My Dad started singing "She thinks my tractor's ****..." just loud enough for me to hear, laughing to himself.

The rest of the weekend was just hanging out at the farm. Swimming, fishing, and Dad even brought out the electric trolling motor for boat rides around the pond.

View media item 106904
We also rode minibikes. Dad and Mom bought a pair of these last year out of the blue. I think they were out and about on Black Friday and saw them on sale at one of the farm stores. Totally an impulse purchase, but totally worth it. I haven't been on a minibike in years, but all the race courses around the farm that my Brother and I dreamed up when we were kids came right back to me. Stinker, again, had a ton of fun.

View media item 106905
That is also another reason I know I'm in trouble. Every time I'd hit the throttle just a little bit, she'd start laughing and would let out a big whoop and yell "Go fast Dad!" Oh brother... not only do I have to worry about the 4H/FFA boys, I've got to keep an eye out for anyone who has a motorcycle or even a halfway fast car? Great...

The weekend after Labor Day was the weekend my mower died, which I already posted about. The day after that, I ended up at the Iowa State Veterinary clinic because our Lhasa Apso Benny woke up with a terribly infected eye. Our local vet sent us up there right away and several hours and many hundreds of dollars later, we found out that he had eyelashes growing on the inside of his eyelid, causing an ulcer on his cornea that got infected. We saved the eye, and he's on the mend, but his vision in that eye pretty well gone. So now our little bow legged snaggletooth mop is a one-eyed, bow legged, snaggletooth mop. He never missed a beat through all of this and seems to be adapting well. Depth perception is still a little off, but I'm guessing he'll come around.

That brings us up to the 18th and a trip up to Road America near Elkhart Lake, WI to watch some vintage racing action with a couple of my buddys. I've only been up here one other time, but definitely need to make the trip more often. We camp on-site with a great view of Hurry Downs between 7 and 8. The weather was perfect, the RV was temperamental as usual, we drank and ate way too much, stayed up too late and woke up too early, but damn if it wasn't a fantastic weekend. There is nothing like sipping a nice cup of coffee and making breakfast on the charcoal grill all while listening to the roar of race cars as they make their way around the track.

The highlight of the weekend for me were the two late-90's F1 cars that showed up. I felt like a little kid each time they'd rip past. Turns out it was a father/son duo just out having a good time.

https://www.performancetechmotorspo...2/all-work-and-all-play-for-the-french-family

One of the fun things about this event is that you can go from camping on the grounds, to watching races, to wandering through the paddock and visiting with the mechanics and drivers. The other thing I like is that its just an odd assortment of old race cars so there is always something new and interesting to see. The way they class the cars means that some of the match-ups are almost comical, but oddly still competitive.

View media item 106906
View media item 106907
View media item 106908
Which brings us up to this past weekend, which was thankfully uneventful. I had a window of good weather on Saturday to re-oil the deck before winter. It was definitely looking pretty dry the last month or so, but it's been too warm to put a fresh coat on.

View media item 106910
This second coat also darkened up the wood nicely, putting it more in line with what I had anticipated when I chose this product. Couldn't be happier with how quick/easy it was. It took me an hour or so to wash and scrub the deck on Wednesday night and maybe three hours to re-oil it on Saturday morning. It's amazing how fast something goes once you figure out the process.

Once everything was cleaned up from the deck, I looked around my garage for something else to do.

View media item 106911
Yep, that's a new door! The old one had a big glass window, which I never liked from a security standpoint. It had also been kicked in and wouldn't actually stay shut when we moved in. I repaired it enough to get me by all these years, but it needed to be replaced. At some point Menards was throwing a pretty good sale on these doors and I picked one up. The reason I say "at some point" is because I can't really remember how long ago that actually was. I do know that it's been long enough for Wife to have completely forgotten about the fact that I'd bought it, so we'll call it two years. None of that matters though, its installed and it seals nice and tight, which will be a nice change from the old one.

Any suggestions for what color to paint it? The tan color is going away soon (probably next summer) and will more than likely will be a dark gray in the future. I wouldn't be opposed to painting the overhead door to match - it could probably use a fresh coat anyway.

Finally, just an odd project - I made a bunch of push sticks for the table saw. I ended up giving my old Craftsman saw to my cousin, and with it went my plastic push stick. I needed a replacement and figured I'd just make one. I can't remember where I heard/read it, but when I was researching different options, someone mentioned that you should think of push sticks as a consumable item that will eventually wear out and need replacement. If you're making one, you might as well make a few. After finding a template I liked (no need to reinvent the wheel), I traced out a few on an odd piece of ply I had in inventory and cut them out. Then I got to looking at the piece of ply and thought "when am I ever going to use this oddly shaped, water stained plywood drop?" So I traced out a few more and used up the rest of the sheet. I should be set for a few years...

View media item 106909
Template can be found here:
https://ibuildit.ca/projects/plywood-push-stick/

So with that, we are now current on **** Shack news. As far as projects go, next up will probably be replacing the bathroom tile. For garage stuff, I'm still not really sure what will be next, but I'm sure I'll find something to do... Thanks for stopping by!

 

[XJSuperman]

Tractor show weekends are the best. Lets see, Labor day weekend....was this the show in Rockwell/Charles City? I was going to go but got ******* in my own stuff.

I also learned that I'm going to be in big trouble in about ten years. One example - a couple of high school guys were driving a tractor back from the tractor pull area and she shouts at them "Hey guys! Nice tractor!". They both waved and smiled back at her. I just shook my head. My Dad started singing "She thinks my tractor's ****..." just loud enough for me to hear, laughing to himself.

As a tractor guy I can say with absolute certainty: you aren't in trouble, you're in deep ****.


The doors on the garage should be painted something dark to match the dark parts of your new railing and light fixtures you recently installed IMO. I hate that you installed a new door because it falls right into place with all the projects I find you and I have at similar times. I feel like we alternate on these things. I need new doors to the house and garage, and was going to do them before winter if I can. Probably wont, but maybe.

Thanks for the info on the saw pushers. A recent purchase has added the need for one.

 

[bdbecker]

This is an amazing thread, I came here from MGT's build thread and I'm quite glad I did. It's been a very enjoyable 42 pages, with some really clever/cool projects sprinked throughout.

The analysis paralysis situation you described in the beginning really hit home, I've been going in circles for a year plus now on the small, dirt floor pole barn that came with my house, and slow to make progress on getting some other workspace set up as well. Seeing your progress here, and some of the thought process has definitely helped me get in a better place mentally around the space I have to work with.

Thank you for the kind words and glad to have you along for the ride!

-----

Tractor show weekends are the best. Lets see, Labor day weekend....was this the show in Rockwell/Charles City? I was going to go but got ******* in my own stuff...

Yep, that's the one. There seemed to be a pretty good turnout. I'm guessing there was a little extra traffic because Mt. Pleasant cancelled their event this year.

...As a tractor guy I can say with absolute certainty: you aren't in trouble, you're in deep ****. ...

I know... I know... I'm a country boy too. I suppose given that, or some soft handed video game addict, I guess it wouldn't be the worst case scenario. At least I'll be able to keep tabs on her - no way that kid will have a quiet exhaust on his truck.

...The doors on the garage should be painted something dark to match the dark parts of your new railing and light fixtures you recently installed IMO. I hate that you installed a new door because it falls right into place with all the projects I find you and I have at similar times. I feel like we alternate on these things. I need new doors to the house and garage, and was going to do them before winter if I can. Probably wont, but maybe...

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. Wife suggested black, which I think is going to end up being the theme for our place - dark gray, black, and wood.

Don't sweat the overlapping projects too much. I saw in the Pie Factory thread you mentioned your degree is in AST, I'm assuming ISU. My degree is in ITech - we've been overlapping for years.

Oh, and you need to start a build thread. You can't tease about getting a new table saw and not share.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Those little projects are what get things done.

 

[shephd]

Catching up on the last month...

It was also fun hearing Dad's stories from growing up on the farm and using a lot of what we saw.

View media item 106903
I also learned that I'm going to be in big trouble

I'm from Charles City so you know I needed to post with an Oliver pic pulling at the Threshers Reunion! That's pretty awesome and it's great you are sharing it with your daughter. I hate to tell you, you've been in trouble for five years already!

Thanks,
Tom

 

[bdbecker]

Those little projects are what get things done.

Totally agree.

I'm from Charles City so you know I needed to post with an Oliver pic pulling at the Threshers Reunion!...

Glad you like that pic! Honestly, I'd completely forgotten about the Oliver/Charles City connection until your comment. That pic was just one of the better ones I took, but it is probably the most appropriate given the history of the area.