Below 265 SQ/FT TwoBytes Stuff

[TwoBytes]

Updated pics of the cubby house from today (with fresh paint)

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Still need to finish the upper walls, almost there (it's been a long road)

 

[TwoBytes]

Another little project, my mother in law had an old coffee table that she'd brought from the farm. It had a chipboard top on an old iron frame. She'd been using it as a pot plant stand and it had obviously seen a lot of water as the chipboard was about 3 times it's original thickness and falling apart.

She had a pile of old hardwood fence palings and wanted a rustic replacement top.

I picked out a few of the nicer ones (including one with a knot hole that she loved). I don't have any before pics, but it came out so...

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Nothing fancy, but I did use nice stainless screws to tart it up a bit, and they are all clocked...

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My father-in-law (who passed away a couple of years ago) had lots of tools, but a lot of them didn't make it off the farm, and those that did aren't much fun to use anymore, so I take my own.

This was a minor job in anyone's book, but along with a few other jobs, and with the kids needing to bring toys, hardhats and other PPE, and their own toolboxes, I can only just fit all the required equipment in my boot!

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I think this is why I never get anything done!

 

[HOTFR8]

You just have to love going to a Field Days event.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Mat, your cubby looks a treat.

Its great to see the repurposed table, well done..

 

[oldironfarmer]

Table is definitely knot nice.

Is that Archer smiling at the boot?

 

[TwoBytes]

Thanks Simon and Steve! Field Days is great, I'll definitely be taking the kids back to the Murrumbateman one next year.

Haha, thanks Andy, I think. "knot nice" <> "nice knot"???



Yep, that's Archer by the boot.

He's heading for 6 years old this year. Time flies when you're chasing little kids around. (I think the saying is actually "time's fun when you're chasing flies", or something like that.)

 

[TwoBytes]

Speaking of Archer, one of the reasons I haven't been motivated to finish the walls is that he doesn't really want me too.

Because... he likes climbing over them the way they are...
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That pic was pre-paint job.

I want to finish them off, because I think it will look better, but I've promised to cut a few round portholes in them so he can at least climb up and look through them.

There's no shortage of other things in the yard for him to climb on.

He actually worked out that he can clean the south side gutters on the pergola by walking along the fence. He was standing on the fence chatting to the neighbours (as he does) and said "hey Dad, should I get these leaves out while I'm up here".
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Sure mate, any time!

 

[oldironfarmer]

I thought the cubby house was for your kids? Why would you finish the walls if it inhibits their opportunity for imagination and play? Why do I ask so many questions?

Looks to me like you just need to quit trying to run things and just follow Archer's lead. You know things go better when you let your supervisor give you strategic direction, even though you have some skills he doesn't.

I think you need to put up a 15 meter tall latticework tower so he has something to challenge his climbing abilities. Be a nice view from the top. I used to climb the old wind tower at my folks place when I was eight or nine and often got too scared to come down. But it was better to come down than call for help.

 

[TwoBytes]

Andy, umm, yes, you make a very good point!

I guess the cubby house is for the kids (??), and they should have a say in how it gets finished.

I will take your advice and ask Archer how he wants to finish the walls, if he wants to leave them the way they are then maybe that's the way it should be.

No shortage of things to climb around here, so I don't think I need to encourage him by building more large structures!

This thing is at a park near us...

And he's been able to climb to the top for years. It's probably 10m tall at a guess.

He gets right up to the top and rocks the whole thing back and forth to scare the bigger kids that are only halfway up.



He's best friend at school (a little girl who is like a female version of him) got in trouble at pre-school last year because she figured out that she could climb a tree and jump on to the school roof.

 

[TwoBytes]

But it was better to come down than call for help.

 

[drivesitfar]

TB: sounds like the Supervisor is still guiding you along on the Cubby Playhouse and looks like everything is well under control. i don't think i saw the windows or the roof on so thanks for the updated pics.

we never had a trampoline, but i like the side rails. even with those on though those are dangerous especially if you have a few kids inside so i hope they play safely cause i always liked jumping on our tramps at our high school in my gymnastic class.

wow what a day. Archer is bored after 5 minutes and you managed to keep him smiling for 6 hours. cool of that one owner or sales guy to let you son do his thing.

the gutter cleaning picture and story was a classic.

looks like Dad is enjoying the ride so keep the progress pictures coming and we all hope you survive.

 

[TwoBytes]

Thanks Drives

The trampoline is pretty safe with one kid in there, the sides are great and everything is really well padded. But yeah, multiple hard heads bouncing around in there is a recipe for disaster!

 

[drivesitfar]

TB: only reason i said something about the trampoline was the picture you posted had your SUPERVISOR jumping up pretty high and your little girl standing maybe on the trampoline.

you can expect a few bumps, bruises and crying from your kids, but that's all in the growing up process. i can't recall going to emergency room with any of our 5 kids, but i have to tell you that there were more than a few blurry years in my memory back then.

cheers

post more of your cool kids, stuff or just your outings cause a lot of the members are freezing their tails off now and need some good reading if you have time to post something.

 

[TwoBytes]

Thanks Drives, no shortage of bumps and bruises, but there was plenty of those before the trampoline arrived! There's been a few incidents on the trampoline, but nothing serious.

Cubby house action shot from the weekend. That's a genuine (plastic) Bosch workbench...

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I thought the cubby house was for your kids? Why would you finish the walls if it inhibits their opportunity for imagination and play? Why do I ask so many questions?

Andy, I've been thinking about this a bit, and I've decided to the leave the walls the way they are.

However, if I'd let him have his way from the start, he would've been completely happy for me to leave it like this...
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[oldironfarmer]

Very nice. But I can easily see he needs more shelving.

 

[TwoBytes]

Yeah, you're right Andy, it does look like he could do with more shelves.

I don't want to encourage large collections of treasures in there though, as they will collect large collections of red backs!

We get some monsters here...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redback_spider

 

[drivesitfar]

TB: your son looks very busy at his desk or workbench in the playhouse. I hear you with all the bugs and i think you guys DOWN UNDER maybe have more than your share that can KILL YOU.

did you ever get rid of the ANT HILL or ANT PROBLEM you had a year or two ago?

does your Supervisor and his assistant know what bugs are good and which ones are VERY BAD?

love the pictures and the stories so keep them coming if you have time.

cheers

 

[TwoBytes]

Hey Drives,

The ants haven't been back since I pressure washed the bins and put the foam around the top to contain the odours. I did notice them attacking the neighbour's bins recently though, and that massive nest is still there a couple of hundred metres from our place. That nest isn't going anywhere in a hurry, but I'm glad they haven't been around our house too much.

The kids are pretty good at knowing which are the "scary" spiders, and they tend to call me over to "kill it!"

 

[HOTFR8]

If you are still having trouble with Ants buy some cheap 'baby powder' and put it over the location you want to get rid of them.

 

[TwoBytes]

Good tip, thanks Simon, they're not bothering me at the moment but I'll give that a go if they come back.

 

[drivesitfar]

TB: Fr8 might have the fix for your Aussie's ants, but here's what we use. i hear BORAX is the main ingredient that you need to have the ants eat that kills them after they head back to their nests. then the other ants eat their dead ants and eventually the nest is DEAD.

anyway good to see your little ones are getting bigger and keeping you very busy trying to find new ways to entertain them.

keep up the good work!!

 

[HOTFR8]

Drives, Baby powder works the same as Borax but it is much cheaper.

 

[TwoBytes]

The cubby house is getting more and more use, and accumulating more and more stuff...

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Also might have had a change of heart on finishing the top of the walls.

I told my son that it's done, and we'd leave the walls the way they are so he continue climbing over them, and he said "no, I want to finish the walls, it's really annoying me"

Haha.

So we are going to put the upper walls on, with big windows so he can still climb through. Then it will be done!

 

[TwoBytes]

As always, there's lots of toys to repair.

Gluing up tiny doll house furniture...

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[Terrick down Under]

Hey, if your not doing much on Sunday, we have the Royalla Fair on again.

 

[TwoBytes]

Thanks Rick, I'll see how I go mate, sounds like a good day out.

No plans for Sunday yet, so I should be able to make it, but plans change quick with little kids!

 

[Terrick down Under]

Hey, it started out as a good day, but that wind got really big. It was good to have a least a short chat.

 

[TwoBytes]

Yeah, great to see you too Rick, if only briefly.

Don't think I've ever heard of an event being cancelled halfway through because of high winds before, crazy stuff!

 

[Terrick down Under]

Yes, it was unusual. You should have seen the beg tents getting pulled down, it was like watching ants attach food. The biggest one was down and rolled up and on the trailer in 3 minutes (someone timed it). Ahh, the next time will be better. The only bad thing was I did not get a chance to take ANY pics of the day. That's how busy we were.

 

[TwoBytes]

It would've been a sight to see those big tents come down. I saw them lying on the ground there and you said at the time that they came down quick.

I got one pic... they were tying down the rotor blades on the SouthCare chopper when I left and it was blowing around like crazy, so I thought I'd get a photo. It doesn't really capture the moment though...
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[drivesitfar]

TB: when you Aussies say it's WINDY what is the MPH or KM of the gusts? i just drove my daughter's Honda Accord to her in the Midwest of the USA last week and there were 65+ wind warnings in several states along the way and steady breezes of 20 to 30 that they think is a calm day.

are you planning on finishing the top of the playhouse before the winter shows up or does the Supervisor say it can be done next summer?

hope all is well in your part of the world especially with your growing family!

 

[TwoBytes]

Drives,

All good here mate, but crazy busy so not much time to post unfortunately.

Wind speed here is generally quoted as KPH.

Cubby house is DONE, and has been for a while, just haven't got around to getting any decent pics until now...

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[1/2 Cup]

Mat, looking great.

 

[TwoBytes]

Thanks mate!

 

[Grumblebum]

Seems I had missed some updates Mat.

The field day looks good, I'll try to pencil in the next one.

You can keep your redbacks, I've hit my quota for the day.

The cubby should be good for sleepovers perhaps at some point, looks like you got some **** (sorry kids toys) out of your garage

cheers GB

 

[TwoBytes]

Haha, yep GB, getting some of the kids **** out of the house/garage was a cubby house bonus for sure!

Murrumbateman Field Days was fantastic, highly recommended! It'd be great to see you there, we'll definitely be going back this year.

I found half a dozen more red backs tidying up out the back today, we've got no shortage of them here.

M.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Great compromise on the cubby house!

Drives was a little off on his assessment of wind, we actually measure it in inches. A 1/4" wind is not bad, while a 1" wind is tough to walk in, and anything over a 2" wind just stay inside.

 

[drivesitfar]

TB: the little playhouse looks great and guessing the Supervisor and his assistant like it a lot. since you all grow up with all those deadly bugs and critters in your part of the world i'm guessing you sort of have a knack for not getting bit or killed by them?

the fence actually looks pretty nice in that picture of your house from outside your yard and maybe a good pressure washing and a coat of stain and it will last another 20 years if you need it to.

so how many KMH does the wind blow in your part of the world. i just drove near Handy's part of the world and there were warnings along the way of 65 mph winds. I pulled in and got gas at a station and opened the door and the door on my daughter's Honda almost blew off. I asked the storekeeper if the wind always blew this hard and he looked at me and probably was thinking WHAT WIND and he just said YEP.

Handy: in INCHES???

 

[oldironfarmer]

TB: the little playhouse looks great and guessing the Supervisor and his assistant like it a lot. since you all grow up with all those deadly bugs and critters in your part of the world i'm guessing you sort of have a knack for not getting bit or killed by them?

the fence actually looks pretty nice in that picture of your house from outside your yard and maybe a good pressure washing and a coat of stain and it will last another 20 years if you need it to.

so how many KMH does the wind blow in your part of the world. i just drove near Handy's part of the world and there were warnings along the way of 65 mph winds. I pulled in and got gas at a station and opened the door and the door on my daughter's Honda almost blew off. I asked the storekeeper if the wind always blew this hard and he looked at me and probably was thinking WHAT WIND and he just said YEP.

Handy: in INCHES???

Size of the largest sand particles blowing by...

 

[TwoBytes]

Haha, I reckon the wind that day I saw Terrick was somewhere between 5/8ths and 38mm.

It doesn't get very windy here in general, that day was pretty unusual. No idea how fast the wind really was though.

Great story about the storekeeper's reaction to the wind.

I might try pressure washing the fence at some stage, it would probably make a big difference but pretty low on the priorities at the moment.