west of Philly - barn saving

[rieferman]

ha ha, yeah, curtains... well, they were free, and they keep prying eyes out.

Would it help to know that we used 3" drywall screws to hang them, as the stop for pulling them back, and used cable ties to keep the curtains from sliding around on the rod too much? That kind of takes the foo foo out of it right? ha ha

 

[Kevin54]

ha ha, yeah, curtains... well, they were free, and they keep prying eyes out.

Would it help to know that we used 3" drywall screws to hang them, as the stop for pulling them back, and used cable ties to keep the curtains from sliding around on the rod too much? That kind of takes the foo foo out of it right? ha ha

Yep. As long as you used manly stuff to tie them back, you earned your reprieve

 

[intimadatorsquizz]

Glad i could help/teach you something new Bob. just yell if you ever need a hand with anything.

 

[rieferman]

well, it rained like a sonofab1tch yesterday/last night. Of three area where I applied the flashing solution (one door, one double window, one single window) I'm dry in 2 out of 3. The double window is dripping ever so slightly, and I found the source to be up quite a bit higher in the 2nd story. I think I can caulk the area between the barn board from the inside on the 2nd story to fix the issue finally.

So, to recap: flashing idea worked nicely, but there were two issues to remedy. So still more work to do.

 

[intimadatorsquizz]

that's good to hear you solved your leaks Bob. let me know if you want anymore of that flashing to cover up the area that is still leaking.

 

[DaleJR88Fan]

Awsome job, glad to see a fellow aspiring (side business) woodworker on this forum. Good luck selling your place in this market. I hope you are proud of what you have accomplished and it makes selling your place that much easier. Are you out of work right now and that is why you are selling your place or are you looking to upgrade?

I hope when I start back into my shop after finishing inside the house projects that I am able to put in the hours that you did to finish yours.

 

[rieferman]

Thanks Dale!

One of the things I'm proudest about with the barn project, is that I did 95% of it during kids' naps and after they were asleep for the night. So although it took a ton of hours, and really wore me down, I missed barely any family time. Then again, my time with my wife was impacted big time - for that reason, I doubt I'd tackle the job myself if I had to do it over again (we're very happily married still, I'm just saying).

Still employed thankfully. Just looking for something different in life. Pace of life, wide open spaces, getting closer to a way of life that places more emphasis on DOING and CREATING.

It's like this: We found out yesterday that my close friend (about 32 years old) is most likely going to die from cancer within the next couple of weeks or months. There may not be much time to do things the way you want to do them in life. Life is short, as they say. So we're making a change while we can do it, and we'll always hope we're healthy permanently to enjoy our decision.

We're probably crazy

 

[jwhcars]

There may not much time to do things the way you want to do them in life. Life is short, as they say. So we're making a change while we can do it, and we'll always hope we're healthy permanently to enjoy our decision.

You are not crazy ..... you have found out what Your priorities in life are and are acting upon them. Congrats on figuring it out at an age where you and your family will be able to enjoy it.

 

[rieferman]

On a lighter note.. the woman across the street (and her husband) inherited their house from her grandmother. Yesterday, they had an easter egg hunt for the kids, and her father came over (so, her grandmother's son). Really cool guy that I've enjoyed talking to since we moved here. Anyways, he's interested in my old barn because 60 years ago when he was a boy, he used to feed the chickens in the barn, and when they had halloween parties on the second story, he'd attend etc. So his perspective on the place is pretty cool. He saw the building when it was "new" (like 30 years old at that point), and then watched it slowly deteriorate over the years, and now fixed up best I could again. Anyways, since it's been "finished" he hadn't been in, so he took the tour yesterday. It feels great getting attaboys from a guy like him.

 

[markviii]

That's special. Getting feedback from people about the place "back in the day" really helps you feel like it was worthwhile rehabbing something most people may have thought was a lost cause. We especially value the older farmers (in their 70s, 80s and 90s) telling us their stories about our place and their "kids" (in their 50s, 60s and 70s) telling how they remembered running around the place or running their go-karts while dad was in the shop with Mr. Johnson. That history is priceless.

Chris

 

[Ord]

This is a real inspiration! Thanks for posting all of this, it is amazing.

We have two old barns, and not sure what to do with them. Saving them both would be great, but if not maybe we'll use the good wood from one to restore the other.

 

[intimadatorsquizz]

Funny that happened to you Bob because last wednesday the guy i bought my house from 15 years ago stopped by to look at the garage and shed. he hadn't stopped st my house for quite a few years and we liked what he saw...

 

[markviii]

Consider "staging" your home before trying to sell it. Refer to sites on the internet for advice in this regard. Research shows that staged homes sell 80% faster than non-staged homes and with fewer "reduction in price" events. Stagers can tell you how to maximize your "rehab" dollars so you don't have to give $ away upfront of a potential price reduction. Here are two sample sites that match the advice I've received from several professional stagers (we're looking at selling in about a year, so I'm in the process of decluttering, repairing and cleaning before I call in a professional stager (there is such a thing as certification for this) to fine tune the efforts):

http://www.globalspan.net/staging.htm

http://www.realtor.org/library/library/fg303

One thing I learned while selling real estate back in the late 70s and early 80s was to make the house look "homey" but not necessarily "lived in" while it's on the market. You want the potential buyer to "see" themselves living in the home, not necessarily what tastes you have, no matter how charming those may be! I know that's hard when you have kids. Just make sure to keep all their "necessities" and familiar toys/stuff in tubs with tops that can fit in your car. This is just in case you have to leave the house immediately when the realtor calls about a showing - many times they call at the last minute. Unfortunately, it's a buyer's market, about as bad as the early 80s. If you want to get it sold, you have to put up with some inconvenience for the greater reward later. Knowing this at the starts helps you prepare for it.

Chris

 

[eborcim]

I got lost through the restore process...what did you do for heat in the barn/workshop? As cold as the winter was, you surely needed some heat to be out there!

Good job BTW!

 

[rieferman]

I went with the Farenheat version of the Dayton G73 (same unit, lower cost by $50). I have a door separating my two main workspaces, so I can heat up one side up really quickly for small projects, or open the door and heat up both sides (takes a little longer) for larger projects.

EDIT: Page 14, top of the page.. Full tour of the entire space as it stands today... In one of the pics, you'll see the heater hanging up in the corner. Thanks for stopping in

 

[rieferman]

Just finished my week long woodworking course - please remember that I was a complete novice entering the course (self taught construction experience does not help that much with furniture making). I'll show a picture of the project that we completed, but it's really the least important thing that resulted from the time spent. The knowledge is what is important. And I found out finally that this pipe dream of mine to become a serious woodworker someday isn't that far fetched. I learned that I have the talent and ability to learn and retain the key concepts. So I feel really good about that. Now, to accumulate equipment, and practice practice practice.

- his barn door
- some of his work
- my first piece of furniture (edit: I will be finishing with linseed oil followed by waterlox. Also, that block of wood on top of my table is what we started with.. red oak in the rough.. jointed, planed, mortis/tenon, etc.)

 

[markviii]

Congrats on completing the course. Have fun with the "practice" of those new skills. A family opened a woodworking shop in a small town near us last year. In addition to making custom pieces for people, they "fix" chairs and other wood furniture (take them all apart, reglue, refinish). In the past we had many shops like this, but most closed when the owners retired with no one to take over the business. There is a need for master woodworkers. It's an art form.

We also have a cooperative woodworking shop in town. It's set up with all the equipment you might need and centralized ordering of materials. You join the coop with a one-time fee to be able to make use of the shop and ordering discounts. It seems to be thriving after only one year in operation.

I think there is a need for skilled craftsmen that is growing as people find more value in quality than in quantity. Since the 80s, our skilled craftsmen, who built and maintained the things we value, were dying out. There seems to be a resurgence in wanting quality over quantity in the past few years. Perhaps this is driven by the economy, but it's a good trend.

 

[intimadatorsquizz]

cool Bob, now i can come ask you for help.

nice work on your project it looks great.

 

[Turbo1Ton]

Darn nice work!!!! You should be proud! I piddle around in my garage making small projects hoping one day to have the nerve to cut into some fine lumber like that and create a piece such as you have done. Norm makes that stuff look so easy. Then I try it and I can't figure out how in the heck he keeps his shop so dang organized! And how is he always able to pop out those jigs in like 10 minutes!

Okay sorry, I got off on a tangent. Great looking table! Keep up the skill building!

Jeff

 

[Bull]

Bob, are you saying that you made that smaller table in the pic? if so, that's fantastic!

 

[rieferman]

Thanks for the compliments everyone I hope that the path I'm trying to head down is the right one - the week I just spent woodworking seems to have proven that it is.

Bull wrote:

are you saying that you made that smaller table in the pic?

Yes indeed I made that small light colored oak table. According to the teachers of the course, mine turned out damn close to pro quality, so I'm on the right track with this thing I hope.

 

[Ford52PU]

WOW beautiful job on the table. One week course? It must have been a good one, you have some serious skills.

 

[rieferman]

Hey Ford52, thanks!

---

EVERYONE!!!!!!

THIS BARN (and of course the house that goes with it) IS FOR SALE. WE ARE MOVING (job relocation) SO LET ME KNOW IF YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED.

THANKS!

 

[Brian R]

rieferman,

Job relocation / looking for adventure took me from near Philly (Chester Heights) to McKinney, TX in 2005. There aren't many barns around here and so loved reading about yours for the great job you did and thinking about back East.

Good luck with your move. Where are you off to?

 

[Bull]

Bob, a friend of mine just interviewed for a job in Philly earlier this week. If he ends up getting that job (and I hope he'd hear soon, one way or t'other) then I will notify him about your property.

 

[rieferman]

This page turned into a general blog as much as a barn/garage journal, and since I'm sort of in limbo until we buy the new place and I can start a new garage journal (and believe me, I will start a new one), I'll continue to keep it as a blog sort of thing.

Anyways, developments lately.... I bought the saw in the attached picture. The guy that taught my woodworking course was selling because he's required to have at least one "saw stop" model on premises. So it's a well maintained saw at a great price to me. He'll hold onto it for me until I get my new shop. Yay!

Also, here's the vid of our place for the hosue sale process. A couple people inquired about it, and maybe some others are just curious or interested in passing it to a friend that's looking. Believe me, I'd love to keep the barn amongst friends.

Oh, and my new job starts on Tuesday, I'm off all this week enjoying some down time. Life's good

 

[WhatThaFrig]

Wish I was in Philly area looking for a new place. I really enjoyed your buildup/ restoration!

 

[markviii]

Bob,

I really like the video of your property. It gives me lots of ideas for staging our house for sale in about a year. We have a 1910 Victorian style home in a town of about 1400 people located < 8 miles from a twin-cities with a major Big 10 university. It's a bedroom community, with most of the residents working "up town". I've started the de-cluttering/cleaning already because it'll take some time. Tom grew up in this house (since 1959) and we moved our family here in 1986. Lots of family history here and "THINGS" that we've collected over the years. Tossing and re-purposing is in high gear (and very hard to do). Everything has a memory attached to it and most things will not go with us into a modern home. Well still have our memories (at least until dementia takes those too!).

I hope your family is positively excited about your new adventure. It'll take a while to acclimate to a new schedule. Have a great weekend anticipating your new path. Fun times! (I look forward to a new thread with another great garage project.)

Chris

 

[Rich78_911SC]

I wish I could convince my wife that the commute on 422, 76, and 476 isn't so bad. Because we are looking, but closer to her work.

If it were just me, I'd be all over it.

Best of luck with the sale. I'm surprised it has lasted this long.

I'll keep working on her.

 

[rieferman]

ugh, still in the home sale process. market is slow out around here, but we're getting showings and the right buyer will come along.

In the meantime, I've been forging ahead on the woodworking front and using the space for my enjoyment. The homes we're looking for all include an outbuilding of some sort, so this time I'm spending will just help me with layout/shop flow later on.

Anyways, last night, brought the new table saw home. Here's how we look right now:

 

[DIYnotBUY]

i havent stopped on here forever been so busy with my garage build and everything with our new daughter and all but its great to see u pushing ur skills i tried to look for some kind of woodworking classes around here and no such luck so ill keep doin what i do now look at every web site, magazine, and book i can get my hands on and teach myself! good luck with the new job and selling your house!

 

[Scotto]

What kinda table saw is that?

 

[rieferman]

Hey guys, thanks for commenting

Scotto, that's a Grizzly 1023 right tilt table saw. 3 HP. Got it used for $500 including the fence and mobile base (although he didn't want to part with his miter gauge and didn't have a splitter, so I'll be picking those up aftermarket).

 

[rieferman]

The housing market is really really bad around here, and the commute to my new job is tolerable, so it appears we are staying. We're giving it until the end of this month just to be sure we gave it enough of a chance. But, with the kids starting school next fall, it looks as though we'll be here for a long time to come.

Which, on the down side, means that we have some additional home improvements to do (I've been working on this house non stop for 6 years straight). But none of them are a hurry, so no biggie.

And, on the plus side, means that I get to keep my barn

Next post here will be this winter as I insulate the shop side of the space and build my various work benches/shelves/storage solutions for the woodworking I will be doing in there.

 

[rieferman]

Woodshop wall is now insulated. Should have it covered with OSB and counter tops built in the next week or so. Then, onto studs/insulation/OSB on the workshop side. Pics soon.

(side note, also picked up a 14" bandsaw!!!)

 

[Bull]

Glad to see you are still here, and still working on the barn. No one else really deserves to own it, after all you've done to resurrect it.

How long is your commute, Bob?

 

[intimadatorsquizz]

cool Bob
i'll get over there soon to check out your progress... oh and to also get that breaker done.

 

[jktruck150]

Been trying for 6 months to sell my house north of Nashville, TN. Haven't even had a nibble. I had to relocate 7 hours away, and thus, can't keep it. I am glad you were able to hang on to yours.

PS That new saw looks great! Hope the new job is working out for ya'll up there.

 

[rieferman]

Hey guys, Thanks for dropping in!

The commute to the new job is about 45 minutes each way. But my schedule has me home by 4:45 p.m. each day, so it doesn't seem that bad at all. Lots of stuff to do at our house now that we're staying, but nothing is really urgent, just nice-to-haves.

Here's the new miter station I built yesterday, and the exterior wall all insulated and osb'd. A few things to note:
- new counter is taller than table saw, but table saw is going to live on a plywood box ultimately (I'm 6'2" so more height is less back pain for me) so they'll match up when that's done.
- I did the cantilever leg system, and the first leg is 9 feet from the wall support... thus 8 foot lumber storage can be accomplished underneath.
- Top surface is hardboard and is flush with the saw surface.
- In between the surfaces, is a nice handy spot to store blades / tape measures / chalk etc.
- I have 8.5 feet to the left of the miter blade, 6.5 feet to the right. A fence and tape measure will be added to the table soon.


Next projects:
I scored two $100 pieces of oak wrapped solid core door for $10 apiece because someone misordered. That wil become the extension and outfeed table on the table saw.

Planer is going to live on a lift cart from harbor freight. That way I can "park" it out of the way when not in use.

The back wall cabinets are getting moved out when the drill press and band saw get moved in.

Dust collection plan is complete, so when I have the funds, that'll go in.

Should be building furniture by January.

 

[OBNXIOUS]

Just joined the site today after discovering this site. Read your whole thread, love your build looking forward to seeing how everything turns out! Have to admit was a little sad when I got to the part that you were going to move, then was relieved that the commute was tolerable. Ha.. Nice work, Enjoy it!