Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Welcome......To Odd Acres

[Finallygotit]

So.....I wake up the other morning to get ready for work and I'm smelling gas; not natural gas but gasoline. Oh ****, this ain't good! Number one, why is the gas smell in the house?!?! Number two, where is it coming from.

So I go out into the garage and it's really bad out there. Well this might be the problem.

Come to find out, the fuel cell bladder in the Cobra sprung a leak. I checked all of the AN connections and all were good. It has to be the bladder. So this past weekend we drained the tank and gave my wonderful wife's van a fill-up. Smell is pretty much gone. New bladder is on order. $$$ I really didn't need this now.

Now, the reason the smell was in the house was due to the nit who installed the new air handler in the garage for the PO. There were multiple places in the blower section that had openings for auxiliary "stuff" (I'm assuming) that were never covered up. Wide open! Aluminum tape came in real handy there to cover all of those holes. No more smell. And since both units were replaced at the same time I decided to check the other one. Yep! Had to tape those up as well. Argh!


More to come.

 

[rmack898]

Nice new digs Dan.

What's the new shop going to be like?

 

[NockOn]

Looking good

 

[penright]

Come to find out, the fuel cell bladder in the Cobra sprung a leak. I checked all of the AN connections and all were good. It has to be the bladder.

A friend and I spent almost a year building an open-wheel modified. The first night when we going to run it, I went by the garage during lunch to check on something and the floor was flooded with menthol. We had a square fuel cell under a sprint tail covering. Who knew the guy I got those parts from ran gas. Made sure the new one, sprint tail tank with bladder, was good for menthol. I know that was not your issue. All these years (40+) I blamed it on the menthol, now I wonder if it just failed due to age?

 

[rattle_snake]

You guys should consider doing stand up comedy.

Sarcasm is one of my many talents.
Child #2 is the same so I get it back now.

My HVAC air handlers were, well, F@#$'d when I moved in. Leaked horribly, missing panels, massive gaps along with plugged drains, soaked drywall and so on.

Glad you got yours sorted out.

 

[Finallygotit]

Nice new digs Dan.

What's the new shop going to be like?

Hi Mac, thank you! The new shop is going to be 20' wide by 28' long with 10' ceilings. We have to make the building match the existing structure so the outside will be stucco with a tile roof. Just to get an approval from the architectural committee was an ordeal. More on that later.


Thanks for stopping by.

 

[Finallygotit]

A friend and I spent almost a year building an open-wheel modified. The first night when we going to run it, I went by the garage during lunch to check on something and the floor was flooded with menthol. We had a square fuel cell under a sprint tail covering. Who knew the guy I got those parts from ran gas. Made sure the new one, sprint tail tank with bladder, was good for menthol. I know that was not your issue. All these years (40+) I blamed it on the menthol, now I wonder if it just failed due to age?

I'm anxious to get the new bladder. When that shows up, I will drop the whole container and try to find out what did this. Besides, I NEED to take the little car for a ride, now that it's cooling down.

Sarcasm is one of my many talents.
Child #2 is the same so I get it back now.

KARMA!

My HVAC air handlers were, well, F@#$'d when I moved in. Leaked horribly, missing panels, massive gaps along with plugged drains, soaked drywall and so on.

Glad you got yours sorted out.

Thanks! Sometimes I wonder why we hire contractors only to go back afterwards and clean up their fu-bars.

 

[Finallygotit]

Looking good

Thank you NockOn and thanks for stopping by.

 

[Finallygotit]

So, one of the things that got inspected prior to purchasing the new home was a septic inspection. The company (guy) the sellers realtor hired was a true piece of work. Normally the buyer is not present when this inspection happens but since I'm buying the house, I want to be there. This septic inspection consisted entirely of putting a hose in the tank and turning the water on. If the tank didn't fill up and it flowed water, this guy is calling it good. Idiot! So, here we go.

First thing I notice when he uncorks the two lids on the tank is that the inlet and outlet are not level but angled.






I'm no expert but this can't be good. At this point this septic guy pumps out the tank, puts the corks back on, writes up his paperwork and leaves.

So after a day or so, we get a copy of the report and this nit is calling this good. Our only recourse at this point would be to back out of the purchase of the home, but that's really not an option. So after the purchase, I call out my septic guy and have him look at it. His first question was who certified the system. After I tell him he gives me one of those looks. Guess the guy that certified the system has a reputation, and it isn't good.....sigh....... So my guy scopes the system and says we have a couple of issues. One is, of course the non-level inlet and outlet, the pipe leading to the septic goes in using a close 90° elbow (which is against code, it should be a straight shot. How it passed inspections up to this date is beyond me) and the line from the tank to the distribution box is kinked......sigh.....

We are committed at this point so lets get it fixed and fixed right.

Here he is trying to straighten out the kink.


As he pulls on it to straighten out, effluent starts pouring out of the kink which is now a large crack. This pipe has been cracked and leaking for sometime. But wait, there's more!! As he is replacing the pipe, he starts to notice that the distribution box won't empty itself. Come to find out, the distribution box is lower than the leach field. It's trying to push water uphill......sigh.... Time for a new D-Box too.

Here we are with new risers on the tank so access doesn't involve future digging. You can see the pipe from the house now has a straight shot into the tank. You can see the still wet concrete patch where the pipe used to enter the tank.



Now that this is all done. We should have a problem free system for quite a few years.

More to come!

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Septic tanks can be fun, ours settled after 10+ years and broke both the inlet and outlet pipes. I feel your pain!

 

[rattle_snake]

Well that stinks!

Glad you got is sorted out.
Sounds a little like my last experience. After inspection 'passed', I asked where tank was exactly, as drawing conflicted itself. They didn't dig anywhere. Inspector said, 'not sure'... Just put a camera in and got paid.

 

[zmotorsports]

Looking forward to seeing the new shop go up Dan. Best of luck with the build.

 

[Finallygotit]

Septic tanks can be fun, ours settled after 10+ years and broke both the inlet and outlet pipes. I feel your pain!

Hi Marc and thanks for stopping by. Like Justin said, it just plain stinks.

Well that stinks!

Glad you got is sorted out.
Sounds a little like my last experience. After inspection 'passed', I asked where tank was exactly, as drawing conflicted itself. They didn't dig anywhere. Inspector said, 'not sure'... Just put a camera in and got paid.

O-kay.......... Not even a pump out there?

Looking forward to seeing the new shop go up Dan. Best of luck with the build.

Thanks for stopping by Mike! We just got the final drawings for the shop. They are going to the county now for the permits. Should be prepping for concrete shortly. Ah, fresh concrete. I have missed thee.

 

[Finallygotit]

Shop Update

As of this past Friday, we have the final drawings for the shop and permits have been applied for.

Oh, and this past Saturday the land was cleared of the rock which was moved to the front of the house.



Here's the rock at the front of the house. We figured that they moved about 15 tons worth of rock in about 4-1/2 hours. They were pooped. It was just shovels and wheel barrows.



Getting to this point seems like it has taken forever, in my opinion. Anyway, here we go.

 

[rmack898]

Dan, my chiropractor one told me that the shovel was the worst thing ever invented by man.
The only time he ever saw me was after I had an encounter with a shovel.

Nice to see process being made, any idea on how long approvals will take?

 

[rattle_snake]

...Should be prepping for concrete shortly. Ah, fresh concrete. I have missed thee.

And so it continues, what could go wrong?

 

[Finallygotit]

Dan, my chiropractor one told me that the shovel was the worst thing ever invented by man.
The only time he ever saw me was after I had an encounter with a shovel.

Nice to see process being made, any idea on how long approvals will take?

Hi Mac,


We were told that permits could take up to ten working days. We'll see....

And so it continues, what could go wrong?

Indeed!

 

[penright]

Hey Dan, haven't heard anything in awile. Is everything ok?

 

[Finallygotit]

Hey Dan, haven't heard anything in awile. Is everything ok?

Hello Penright. Thank you very much for thinking of me. I hope all is well with you.

Yes, everything is well here at Odd Acres. I should have updated this thread but I guess laziness set in.

My SIL bought a house recently so I flew out there with my lovely wife to help her with the new place; lots of electrical and mechanical issues to fix. Been quite busy with work and house stuff. We finally finished the kitchen island remodel, no thanks to the contractor we hired.

So we went from this as purchased

After demo

To this which is now a symmetrical island and can house our dish drawers. I also took out the not-well-maintained gas cook top and installed a new electric smooth top.

That range hood has to go too. I can't tell you how many times I have bonked my head on that thing. Way too big, bulky and low. When I stand there, my eyes are about at the level of the controls.


As for the new shop, that has been an exercise in testing my patience. It took a really long time (weeks) to get the approval from the architectural committee. Then it took weeks to get into the contractors queue to get the plans drawn up which took a further few weeks. Then those plans got shot down by the county (which took a further few weeks) because they feel we need to build the shop so that it can survive a 6" sheet flow of water should we get a 100 year flood. Never mind that the entire back yard is surrounded by a six foot block wall. So I had to hire an engineer (who rolled his eyes when I told him my story and saw our place) to write up new plans that now include flood vents at the base of the building and an 18" stem wall around the perimeter of the shop.

The engineer re-filed for the permit last week but I doubt we hear anything from the county until much past the first of the year. I just have to shake my head and take deep breaths and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I will be so glad when 2020 is over.

 

[Duker]

Hello Penright. Thank you very much for thinking of me. I hope all is well with you.

Yes, everything is well here at Odd Acres. I should have updated this thread but I guess laziness set in.

My SIL bought a house recently so I flew out there with my lovely wife to help her with the new place; lots of electrical and mechanical issues to fix. Been quite busy with work and house stuff. We finally finished the kitchen island remodel, no thanks to the contractor we hired.

So we went from this as purchased

After demo

To this which is now a symmetrical island and can house our dish drawers. I also took out the not-well-maintained gas cook top and installed a new electric smooth top.

That range hood has to go too. I can't tell you how many times I have bonked my head on that thing. Way too big, bulky and low. When I stand there, my eyes are about at the level of the controls.


As for the new shop, that has been an exercise in testing my patience. It took a really long time (weeks) to get the approval from the architectural committee. Then it took weeks to get into the contractors queue to get the plans drawn up which took a further few weeks. Then those plans got shot down by the county (which took a further few weeks) because they feel we need to build the shop so that it can survive a 6" sheet flow of water should we get a 100 year flood. Never mind that the entire back yard is surrounded by a six foot block wall. So I had to hire an engineer (who rolled his eyes when I told him my story and saw our place) to write up new plans that now include flood vents at the base of the building and an 18" stem wall around the perimeter of the shop.

The engineer re-filed for the permit last week but I doubt we hear anything from the county until much past the first of the year. I just have to shake my head and take deep breaths and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I will be so glad when 2020 is over.

We were wondering if you were just slacking off but good to see you hard at work!! [emoji51]

The remodel is looking great. I love the duel dishwashers. I tried to talk my wife into doing something similar but since she does not enjoy cooking she was like you and our guest will have to suffice with paper plates!

Looking forward to seeing the shop progress. I hope you get the city to sign off soon. The delays for me were the toughest thing
as I had been waiting for a new shop for years!


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[penright]

Hello Penright. Thank you very much for thinking of me. I hope all is well with you.

The GJ family may not be traditional or tight, still, it is a kind of family. We may have never have met, but the stories make us feel like we live next door. The cool thing, at least for me, is how knowledgeable the GJ family is. I needed to know what a thingy was called and could count on the GJ to help.

With all that 2020 means, sometimes no news is not good news. Glad you all are healthy. We are doing well here, so far. Knock on wood.
I really like your remodeling. To be honest, I liked the projects in the shop as much as what you did to the shop. Maybe someday I can pick your brain on how to get started with my first lathe and/or mill. At least a guy can plan big.

Hang in there for the shop. What the saying "Every journey is a series of steps"?

 

[Finallygotit]

We were wondering if you were just slacking off but good to see you hard at work!! [emoji51]

The remodel is looking great. I love the duel dishwashers. I tried to talk my wife into doing something similar but since she does not enjoy cooking she was like you and our guest will have to suffice with paper plates!

Looking forward to seeing the shop progress. I hope you get the city to sign off soon. The delays for me were the toughest thing
as I had been waiting for a new shop for years!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Hi Duke! Thanks for stopping by. Oh trust me, I have been slacking off. This year has been kinda tough for me. Thankfully I have my lovely wife as a sounding board and companion.

The GJ family may not be traditional or tight, still, it is a kind of family. We may have never have met, but the stories make us feel like we live next door. The cool thing, at least for me, is how knowledgeable the GJ family is. I needed to know what a thingy was called and could count on the GJ to help.

With all that 2020 means, sometimes no news is not good news. Glad you all are healthy. We are doing well here, so far. Knock on wood.
I really like your remodeling. To be honest, I liked the projects in the shop as much as what you did to the shop. Maybe someday I can pick your brain on how to get started with my first lathe and/or mill. At least a guy can plan big.

Hang in there for the shop. What the saying "Every journey is a series of steps"?

Penright, you are so right that GJ is a family and in every respect.

I (we) will be so happy when the shop is finally built. We cannot fully settle in here because there is so much shop stuff in the garages and in the house.

It's absolutely crazy how busy trades are around here. Just getting one of them to return a call is a struggle.

So feel free to pick away at the gray matter whenever the mood strikes. I am happy to pass along the tribal knowledge whenever possible. I have a dear friend that wants to learn machining. I have him come over when he has a project that requires the machines and I talk him through it as he cranks handles. He gets great satisfaction from that, as do I.

Until later........

 

[penright]

Hi Duke!So feel free to pick away at the gray matter whenever the mood strikes. I am happy to pass along the tribal knowledge whenever possible.

Start with two questions that should be a go/no go.
Just thinking at 30,000 feet, what kind of budget would you guess for both money and shop floor space?

 

[Finallygotit]

Start with two questions that should be a go/no go.
Just thinking at 30,000 feet, what kind of budget would you guess for both money and shop floor space?

Budget-wise, that's going to based on what you want to get out of the machine. Are you planning on machining large pieces or smaller items?


I bought my Bridgeport for $3k and needed another $350 for machinery movers to get it to Odd Acres I. I also needed additional dollars for a phase converter and other little doo-dads. Used machines can save you a lot of money but you might have to refurbish some part of them. (I had to rebuild the variable speed head on mine; bearings were shot). It depends on how well the PO maintained it.


You can get a new Taiwanese Bridgeport-type machine for about $18k with all of the bells and whistles. Those machines are not that bad.


Another route you can take is to go with a bench-top type machine (new or used). With those you are giving up working envelope and cutting power. Those machines can be had for a lot less money. Again, it all depends on what you have in mind to do.


As for floor space, my Bridgeport needs about 50 square feet of area to work in. I know others have done with less square footage but that is where "I" feel comfortable.


Another thing to consider is tooling. That's a rabbit hole unto itself and again, depends on what you want to do. You're going to need a full set of collets, a vice, maybe a boring head, maybe an angle plate, T-slot clamp set, lighting, etc. Then there's the cutters...... You can start out with standard size general purpose cutters but as the need requires, different sizes, tapers, lengths may be required. (carbide or high speed steel cutters too)


I hope this helps and I didn't confuse you. Please let me know if you have ANY other questions.

 

[Finallygotit]

UPDATE!!

We have approval from the county on the building permit.


Just have to get updated stamped building plans and we are off to the concrete folks.


Finally........

 

[rmack898]

Woo Hoo

A new build to watch.

Cangrats Dan

 

[zmotorsports]

Woo Hoo

A new build to watch.

Cangrats Dan

^^X2!

Let the fun begin.

 

[rattle_snake]

Nice. Concrete, your favorite.

 

[zmotorsports]

Nice. Concrete, your favorite.

 

[Finallygotit]

Woo Hoo

A new build to watch.

Congrats Dan

Hi Mac, thank you very much and thanks for stopping by.

^^X2!

Let the fun begin.

Hi Mike and thanks for stopping by. I cannot wait!!

Nice. Concrete, your favorite.

Justin, you are so right.

What's so funny??

 

[Bob Heine]

So Dan, how long is your building permit good for? Mine was renewed twice....

 

[jbmatth]

WooHoo, get that concrete in the ground stat!! What are the basics for the new shop?

JB

 

[Finallygotit]

So Dan, how long is your building permit good for? Mine was renewed twice....

Hi Bob! Don't know yet. We just got the verbal confirmation the other day from the engineer. I should receive the paperwork shortly.

WooHoo, get that concrete in the ground stat!! What are the basics for the new shop?

JB

JB, I hear ya! Basics are 20' x 28' with 10' ceilings, 2x6 walls, stucco and tile roof to match the house. 12' x 8' overhead door on one side facing the street and normal man door facing the house.


Thanks for stopping by guys!

 

[Finallygotit]

Happy New Year everyone!

 

[Finallygotit]

UPDATE!!

We have approval from the county on the building permit.


Just have to get updated stamped building plans and we are off to the concrete folks.


Finally........

Just when you thought they couldn't get any dumber, I just got the updated info from the county. The county now wants an 18" footer instead of a 12" footer plus the 6" slab plus the 18" stem wall for a grand total of 3-1/2' of concrete before the bottom plates touch.


Have I mentioned that there is a 6' block wall surrounding my backyard?? Their argument is that block walls can be altered. This is what I say to that.


UGH!!!

 

[Duker]

You did tell them you were building a workshop and not a nuclear fallout bunker right? [emoji23]


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[OutlawDrifter]

You did tell them you were building a workshop and not a nuclear fallout bunker right? [emoji23]


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With the craziness in this country right now, a dual purpose building might just be the ticket

 

[Grizz1963]

Here’s to another great year and both friendships, learnings and sharing.

This place certainly rocks.

.

 

[Finallygotit]

You did tell them you were building a workshop and not a nuclear fallout bunker right? [emoji23]



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I know......they seem to have a shortage of common sense in the permit department. My engineer who has worked with these guys for years is scratching his head.

With the craziness in this country right now, a dual purpose building might just be the ticket

Hmmmmmmm...... The wheels are turning....do you smell smoke, I smell smoke.

Here’s to another great year and both friendships, learnings and sharing.

This place certainly rocks.

.

Rian, let's hope 2021 beats 2020, I don't think it could get worse. Here, hold my beer.


Thanks for stopping by guys!

 

[tj675]

Dan,

Thanks for taking the time to document your journey. Congrats on the new place and I look forward to watching what you do with the new build.