What other projects are you working on?
- Thread starter Farmergreg
- Start date
Got about 36hrs of continuous operation on the Westinghouse generator. Overall very happy. Powered two fridges, 10k BTU portable AC unit + miscellaneous lights, router etc. at ~50% load I got 11-12hr runtime.
Finished a cool small bath for a client-the room was a wreck of a bath...elevated floor in a former garage, likely a storage area - no window, layers of work, we vented it , foamed it, straightened the framing (walls /roof juncture were 2” out of level, flipped the layout (to make the waste run shorter), rewired and plumbed it, added a wall to isolate the toilet and a pocket door to eliminate swing conflict
- added the transom window, moved the plug into the linen tower to hide it- really nice outcome for a challenging space. Everything was planned down to the smallest detail and we still adjusted as we went-
I lathed the tower to the tub to isolate the waterproof foam board for tile because a stud wall added too much thickness- then outbound the face frame to kill the tile work into cleanly.
Notice the tub has an integrated flange - this is buried behind the wall tile but insured no water escapes- never do a tub as a shower without one.
Martin my painter in action- thats a tub /shower to the right
Notice the detail of making a linen cabinet, shower , tub and vanity marry-
Love this insert in the water closet -
Sliced a relief in a brick wall to accept a stone top-
Site sand and finish glue down engineered oak floor -
Great set of built ins - same room
- added the transom window, moved the plug into the linen tower to hide it- really nice outcome for a challenging space. Everything was planned down to the smallest detail and we still adjusted as we went-
I lathed the tower to the tub to isolate the waterproof foam board for tile because a stud wall added too much thickness- then outbound the face frame to kill the tile work into cleanly.
Notice the tub has an integrated flange - this is buried behind the wall tile but insured no water escapes- never do a tub as a shower without one.
Martin my painter in action- thats a tub /shower to the right
Notice the detail of making a linen cabinet, shower , tub and vanity marry-
Love this insert in the water closet -
Sliced a relief in a brick wall to accept a stone top-
Site sand and finish glue down engineered oak floor -
Great set of built ins - same room
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This was an arched stove enclosure- Flat wall now
The former oven recess gets a real nice insert cabinet too
I did the painting on the brick myself today
Cool porch redo
-Here’s a tip for durability with exterior work:
If you notice failing wood work you’re going to see deterioration starting at the end a grain of wood most every time-
It will absorb water the same way it gets nutrients when it grows-
To meet the budget we had to use an exterior rated wood product for the tapered columns but we held it up off the masonry a half an inch and then we save all the scraps that we generate of PVC 3/4” trim board - And use that to trim around the bottom of the columns.
We double it and use it at the bottom of the garage door liners also.
This can add decades to an installation.
The former oven recess gets a real nice insert cabinet too
I did the painting on the brick myself today
Cool porch redo
If you notice failing wood work you’re going to see deterioration starting at the end a grain of wood most every time-
It will absorb water the same way it gets nutrients when it grows-
To meet the budget we had to use an exterior rated wood product for the tapered columns but we held it up off the masonry a half an inch and then we save all the scraps that we generate of PVC 3/4” trim board - And use that to trim around the bottom of the columns.
We double it and use it at the bottom of the garage door liners also.
This can add decades to an installation.
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Wood tops going in our Mcintosh project-The other is identical and goes in the pantry.
The finish is Waterlox and it will get more coats.
The finish is Waterlox and it will get more coats.
When we bought this property in 2010 it had 3 houses on it and a 4th foundation from another and various out buildings in disrepair. Vintage 1915ish or earlier. Always more to do around here.
Decided it was time to tackle this little "bungalow" style house before the roof got any worse. It hasn't been lived in since 1992. Constructed of terracotta block and stucco. It has a poured basement, yet piss poor foundations on the porches that were sinking and pulling away.
A little project started in August while we wait for harvest. (like everything, it takes longer then you imagine)
Demo the rear entrence:
Stairs to basement removed, wall filled in, footings poured:
Velvet Jones school of technology: "I want to be a Mason"
Prepped for concrete:
Time to tackle the front:
The Velvet Jones degree pays off again:
We (group of motley fools) tried our hand at stamping concrete and built the column bases:
Stripping 5 layers of asphalt plus cedar shakes, removing the brick chimney:
Ready to finish sheeting and shingle the back half while we wait for the corn in the background to dry a little more
Decided it was time to tackle this little "bungalow" style house before the roof got any worse. It hasn't been lived in since 1992. Constructed of terracotta block and stucco. It has a poured basement, yet piss poor foundations on the porches that were sinking and pulling away.
A little project started in August while we wait for harvest. (like everything, it takes longer then you imagine)
Demo the rear entrence:
Stairs to basement removed, wall filled in, footings poured:
Velvet Jones school of technology: "I want to be a Mason"
Prepped for concrete:
Time to tackle the front:
The Velvet Jones degree pays off again:
We (group of motley fools) tried our hand at stamping concrete and built the column bases:
Stripping 5 layers of asphalt plus cedar shakes, removing the brick chimney:
Ready to finish sheeting and shingle the back half while we wait for the corn in the background to dry a little more
Them: "I hate dealing with my brother-in-law at Thanksgiving, he's such a tool"
You: "Never had to deal with that problem."
——
Thanksgiving:
You: "Steve, Can you grab the cranberry sauce from the spare fridge, it's through that door..."
Black Friday:
You: "Hon, I was able to get an early start and make some great progress on the extension."
Replaced the two condensers in this VDO car clock - and it now runs again. Note how much smaller the replacements are, even though they're the same 47uF value and the new ones are 25 volt instead of the bad idea 16 volt the originals were. Clock came out of either a '74 or '75 Mercedes - probably W114/115. I'm thinking of installing it in the Jeep.
Up to '73, a pretty much identical looking clock was used but it was a self-winder. In a way I would have rather had that type just because it would be cool, but this quartz type is much better.
A friend gave me a Hover Board to scrap. The in wheel motors used Neodymium magnets. I removed them and decided to make some tool holders. These magnets are unbelievably strong and if they stick to each other it’s tough to pull them apart. Previously another friend gave me several hundred 1/2” round Neodymium magnets that I used for tool holders before. They are much stronger than the magnetic tool holders that you find in stores such as HF.
I built a very crude handrail for my neighbor this morning:
The railing is not impressive, I know. However, the backstory is pretty interesting, so I thought I'd share it here. My neighbor is 85 years old, and in the last year, he's gone from virile to fragile very quickly due to health issues, and he's having a hard time dealing with that. You see, he lives rural like I do, but unlike me, or 99.999% of current Americans, his is a primitive lifestyle. He's very self-sufficient, which is good because he never married and has no immediate family. He was an old-school computer programmer (assembly language) for decades, but about 30 years ago, he quit his job and moved to his current property.
The property is literally one side of a very steep hill with a small flat valley below it, and he selected the property for that reason. He carved a cave up in the side of the hill (we live on limestone rock in this area), put a façade on, and moved in (over a few years). For a living, he started buying army surplus items at auction and selling them to wholesalers. Most of what he uses in day-to-day life is surplus equipment. Including his power supply. You see, he doesn't have running water or traditional electric power, or communication lines, on his property. He collects rainwater for his water source, and for lights in his house, he has an ex-army solar power system - 24V DC only!
So, back to the railing made this morning. Those stairs (ex-army, of course!) are on the path that runs from his house up above to his shop, which is down on the flat valley below. He has no means of cooking in the house, so he cooks his meals in his self-made camp trailer/Jeep hauler, which requires walking up and down those stairs to cook his meals.
Jeep hauler? Yes, he's a lifelong Jeeper! When I met him fifteen years ago, he was running a very well-built CJ-6. He sold it a few years back because it was just too much physical effort to maintain it. He bought a built JK from a Jeeper friend because it requires less maintenance, and he now runs that. He spends about six weeks every summer in Colorado, holding court for the dozens of old Jeeping friends who come and camp with him for a week or a weekend at a time. He spends summers in Colorado to avoid the Texas heat - he has no cooling in his house, and he burns wood in a wood stove for heat.
Anyway, my friend Johnny is a helluva feller that I'm proud to call my friend, and I, along with one other neighbor, try to do what we can to keep him living that lifestyle, which is not an easy way to live. He's having a hard time asking for help because he prides himself on his self-sufficiency. He had a stroke a few months back, and he came out of it pretty well, but that has set him into a downward health spiral a bit. He's fallen several times since than due to persistent dizziness that came with the stroke, but he doesn't share many details of those falls because he's embarrassed by it.
Since his stroke, the other neighbor and I have set up a routine where Johnny texts us in the morning and again in the evening so we know all is well. This morning, when he texted, he asked if I would help him replace a 24V ceiling fan in his house. Yes, they make 24V ceiling fans - crazy, huh? I said I'd be happy to do so, and headed over to his place (it's about a mile from my place). After replacing the fan, we were chatting, and he told me more details about his most recent fall - on those stairs. When he showed me where he landed, I noticed several dangerous items, besides the four-foot drop. If you look at the picture I posted, you'll see a roll of razor wire on the right edge of the photo, along with a bow rake head on the ground (there were actually two of them). I said he was lucky he didn't cut himself and bleed out. He said, "oh, I did bleed a bit - my hand fell onto the razor wire!"
I thought about moving that stuff, but that wouldn't help with the vertical drop, so I proposed putting some type of railing there. He said that he'd have already done it, but he's just not got the stamina. I volunteered my services right then. He insisted we do it from whatever we could find in his scrap piles (he has lots and lots of them). We settled on two T-posts and an old galvanized gate post.
I took the T-posts and gate post home to the shop to cut them to length. The gate post also needed some pieces cut off and a bit of weld repair. After doing that, I went to town and got some U-bolts to attach the gate post railing to the T-posts, along with some rubber T-post covers to prevent him falling on one and putting a T-shaped hole in himself. I then headed over to his place with my big hammer drill with a 1-3/8" concrete drill bit on it. I used his generator to power it. The only way to drive T-posts in this country is to drill the limestone first.
So that was today's project, and my good deed for the week. Well, is it really a good deed if you were promised a stiff bourbon and good conversation this weekend as payment?
The railing is not impressive, I know. However, the backstory is pretty interesting, so I thought I'd share it here. My neighbor is 85 years old, and in the last year, he's gone from virile to fragile very quickly due to health issues, and he's having a hard time dealing with that. You see, he lives rural like I do, but unlike me, or 99.999% of current Americans, his is a primitive lifestyle. He's very self-sufficient, which is good because he never married and has no immediate family. He was an old-school computer programmer (assembly language) for decades, but about 30 years ago, he quit his job and moved to his current property.
The property is literally one side of a very steep hill with a small flat valley below it, and he selected the property for that reason. He carved a cave up in the side of the hill (we live on limestone rock in this area), put a façade on, and moved in (over a few years). For a living, he started buying army surplus items at auction and selling them to wholesalers. Most of what he uses in day-to-day life is surplus equipment. Including his power supply. You see, he doesn't have running water or traditional electric power, or communication lines, on his property. He collects rainwater for his water source, and for lights in his house, he has an ex-army solar power system - 24V DC only!
So, back to the railing made this morning. Those stairs (ex-army, of course!) are on the path that runs from his house up above to his shop, which is down on the flat valley below. He has no means of cooking in the house, so he cooks his meals in his self-made camp trailer/Jeep hauler, which requires walking up and down those stairs to cook his meals.
Jeep hauler? Yes, he's a lifelong Jeeper! When I met him fifteen years ago, he was running a very well-built CJ-6. He sold it a few years back because it was just too much physical effort to maintain it. He bought a built JK from a Jeeper friend because it requires less maintenance, and he now runs that. He spends about six weeks every summer in Colorado, holding court for the dozens of old Jeeping friends who come and camp with him for a week or a weekend at a time. He spends summers in Colorado to avoid the Texas heat - he has no cooling in his house, and he burns wood in a wood stove for heat.
Anyway, my friend Johnny is a helluva feller that I'm proud to call my friend, and I, along with one other neighbor, try to do what we can to keep him living that lifestyle, which is not an easy way to live. He's having a hard time asking for help because he prides himself on his self-sufficiency. He had a stroke a few months back, and he came out of it pretty well, but that has set him into a downward health spiral a bit. He's fallen several times since than due to persistent dizziness that came with the stroke, but he doesn't share many details of those falls because he's embarrassed by it.
Since his stroke, the other neighbor and I have set up a routine where Johnny texts us in the morning and again in the evening so we know all is well. This morning, when he texted, he asked if I would help him replace a 24V ceiling fan in his house. Yes, they make 24V ceiling fans - crazy, huh? I said I'd be happy to do so, and headed over to his place (it's about a mile from my place). After replacing the fan, we were chatting, and he told me more details about his most recent fall - on those stairs. When he showed me where he landed, I noticed several dangerous items, besides the four-foot drop. If you look at the picture I posted, you'll see a roll of razor wire on the right edge of the photo, along with a bow rake head on the ground (there were actually two of them). I said he was lucky he didn't cut himself and bleed out. He said, "oh, I did bleed a bit - my hand fell onto the razor wire!"
I thought about moving that stuff, but that wouldn't help with the vertical drop, so I proposed putting some type of railing there. He said that he'd have already done it, but he's just not got the stamina. I volunteered my services right then. He insisted we do it from whatever we could find in his scrap piles (he has lots and lots of them). We settled on two T-posts and an old galvanized gate post.
I took the T-posts and gate post home to the shop to cut them to length. The gate post also needed some pieces cut off and a bit of weld repair. After doing that, I went to town and got some U-bolts to attach the gate post railing to the T-posts, along with some rubber T-post covers to prevent him falling on one and putting a T-shaped hole in himself. I then headed over to his place with my big hammer drill with a 1-3/8" concrete drill bit on it. I used his generator to power it. The only way to drive T-posts in this country is to drill the limestone first.
So that was today's project, and my good deed for the week. Well, is it really a good deed if you were promised a stiff bourbon and good conversation this weekend as payment?
Living Life on his own terms. I wish him well. You’re a good friend indead.
Nothing major at the moment, just a sixties British Tilley pressure kerosene lantern.
Tilley mantles are near non-existent here in the US, so I've modified a Coleman 21 mantle and it kinda sorta works. Though there is absolutely nothing electric about it, I swear that it is haunted by Lucas, The British Prince Of Darkness. Runs for ninety minutes and quits. Bitch to get lit again until it cools. Stinks, too.
And I collect these damn things.
Coleman lanterns will light with half a mantle and fifty year old fuel in them. British and Asian ones seem to need a Shaman burning incense close by and inciting a prayer to even think about lighting. The chrome Asian one in the center got a middle finger and a 'Fcuk This Shit' yesterday afternoon. Put it back on the shelf for another day if I feel the need to punish myself some more.
Tilley mantles are near non-existent here in the US, so I've modified a Coleman 21 mantle and it kinda sorta works. Though there is absolutely nothing electric about it, I swear that it is haunted by Lucas, The British Prince Of Darkness. Runs for ninety minutes and quits. Bitch to get lit again until it cools. Stinks, too.
And I collect these damn things.
Coleman lanterns will light with half a mantle and fifty year old fuel in them. British and Asian ones seem to need a Shaman burning incense close by and inciting a prayer to even think about lighting. The chrome Asian one in the center got a middle finger and a 'Fcuk This Shit' yesterday afternoon. Put it back on the shelf for another day if I feel the need to punish myself some more.
@jjvw had an old lantern or something out at Moab a couple years ago. I can't remember the specifics.
It was a carbide lamp. I never got it burning correctly that night because I lost the nozzle as I unpacked it in the dark.
I was wondering if that's what it was but couldn't remember. I saw this recently on them.
