The Home-ownership Thread

[Doohicksie]

Oh, it was me and the wife.  We just looked at what we had, decided what to do with it, and I did the work (my son helped).

[Sabres Fan in NS]

1 hour ago, Scottysabres said:

Awesome, didn't know this thread existed. I have questions ?

Well, fire away.  As usual, we will have all the answers, but will seldom agree on which of them is right.  So, you will have to use some method to sift through them all and decide if anything is worth while.

1, 2, 3 ... go .........

[North Buffalo]

2 hours ago, shrader said:

I feel like we could use some decorating advice.  Maybe I should go your route and post the pictures at some point.  We've been in our house for about 4 years now, so it's pretty much where we want it to be at this point.  There's still one fairly big empty wall that we have no idea how we want to use.  The whole downstairs is open concept and this wall is pretty much the transition from our dinner table area to the lounging tv area.  We've always toyed with the idea of some sort of bar/glassware storagey thing there.  I love to torture the wife with the idea of going with a full size Pacman machine I keep seeing for sale.  I always kind of sucked at that game, but *****, my neighbors say they'd never leave if I got it and just think of all the quarters we could make.

Go online lots of remodeling sites, choose your style and if doing it yourself learn how to do it well, stick to one style and look for pieces used, recaptured that fit that style.  It takes patience but worth it.

[sabills]

We've been redoing an extra room we have in our attic and turning it into an office. We drywalled, installed lighting, redid the floors. I still need to do moulding and some trim work, but the other thing I'm working on is a window bench to go in the dormer. Progress so far:

Planning stage

Trying to remember how triangles work:


Framed out:

 

Edited March 5, 2019 by sabills

[Ogre]

17 minutes ago, sabills said:

We've been redoing an extra room we have in our attic and turning it into an office. We drywalled, installed lighting, redid the floors. I still need to do moulding and some trim work, but the other thing I'm working on is a window bench to go in the dormer. Progress so far:

Planning stage

Trying to remember how triangles work:


Framed out:

 

What are you cladding it with? How are you transitioning the window sill into the bench?

Looks good. I like the asymmetry. If I could offer some advice, I’d add some more vertical members if I planned to sit on it much. I’d also add a diagonal brace from from side to back to stiffen it a bit for weight bearing. I would also either cut a few chamfers for that beveled side or bevel the vertical members that are there to provide an easier target for attaching your cladding.

The important thing though is....how much did you enjoy yourself? ??

[sabills]

25 minutes ago, Ogre said:

What are you cladding it with? How are you transitioning the window sill into the bench?

Looks good. I like the asymmetry. If I could offer some advice, I’d add some more vertical members if I planned to sit on it much. I’d also add a diagonal brace from from side to back to stiffen it a bit for weight bearing. I would also either cut a few chamfers for that beveled side or bevel the vertical members that are there to provide an easier target for attaching your cladding.

The important thing though is....how much did you enjoy yourself? ??

Cladding on the outside will just be some thin ply, luan or the like. Its going to be painted white so I don't need to do anything too crazy with it. Probably some extra trim.

I've been looking at the picture since I posted it and I agree with your assessment of some more  bracing, I definitely see some gaps that should be covered. Diagonal bits would be good too. Chamfers are coming, I just needed a break from cutting angles, haha.

For the sill, my gameplan is to do one piece of nice 3/4" ply going over the top of the whole frame and going in to become the sill as well. Picture below. Plan would be to cut to size with a little extra on the front sides, slide it in and attach it, then cut out the center bits and rout it all flush. I just came up with that idea the other day, so I haven't really workshopped it yet; I'm very open to a critique/suggestions there. Should also give some extra stabilization to the whole piece if it works.

 

To your last question: a hell of a lot. All the other parts of this project have just been so I could get to this point, haha.

 

Edited March 5, 2019 by sabills

[shrader]

I wish I had the slightest clue how to do anything like that.  Even the most basic of building skills escape me.

Oh, and you can tell where my mind is today when I was chuckling a bit since ogre's post mentioned both vertical members and stiffening.

[spndnchz]

12 minutes ago, sabills said:

Cladding on the outside will just be some thin ply, luan or the like. Its going to be painted white so I don't need to do anything too crazy with it. Probably some extra trim.

I've been looking at the picture since I posted it and I agree with your assessment of some more  bracing, I definitely see some gaps that should be covered. Diagonal bits would be good too. Chamfers are coming, I just needed a break from cutting angles, haha.

For the sill, my gameplan is to do one piece of nice 3/4" ply going over the top of the whole frame and going in to become the sill as well. Picture below. Plan would be to cut to size with a little extra on the front sides, slide it in and attach it, then cut out the center bits and rout it all flush. I just came up with that idea the other day, so I haven't really workshopped it yet; I'm very open to a critique/suggestions there. Should also give some extra stabilization to the whole piece if it works.

 

To your last question: a hell of a lot. All the other parts of this project have just been so I could get to this point, haha.

 

Are you going to have a lid so you can store things inside? Or an open front to slide some wicker, or something, baskets in and out?

[Ogre]

3 minutes ago, shrader said:

I wish I had the slightest clue how to do anything like that.  Even the most basic of building skills escape me.

Oh, and you can tell where my mind is today when I was chuckling a bit since ogre's post mentioned both vertical members and stiffening.

I instruct Ironworker apprentices in the ways of the Iron. The classroom is full of giggles in their first year every time I mention erections....they eventually get over it.

[sabills]

1 minute ago, spndnchz said:

Are you going to have a lid so you can store things inside? Or an open front to slide some wicker, or something, baskets in and out?

The seats are going to lift up and have some storage underneath.Thought about doing stuff in the front, but we want to put a small baseboard heater on the front because it doesn't get super warm up there (as you can probably tell from the space heater).

[Sabres Fan in NS]

9 minutes ago, shrader said:

I wish I had the slightest clue how to do anything like that.  Even the most basic of building skills escape me.

Oh, and you can tell where my mind is today when I was chuckling a bit since ogre's post mentioned both vertical members and stiffening.

I always was the least handy guy on the planet.  After completing some projects recently I felt that I moved up to the second least handy guy.

Now I have proof.

[sabills]

3 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

I always was the least handy guy on the planet.  After completing some projects recently I felt that I moved up to the second least handy guy.

Now I have proof.

Its all about just doing it. You learn as you go. Watch youtube videos. This sort of stuff is both an art and a science. The trick is knowing when its an art and when its a science, haha.

[shrader]

6 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

I always was the least handy guy on the planet.  After completing some projects recently I felt that I moved up to the second least handy guy.

Now I have proof.

I'm good with the brute force stuff.  Those projects that involve precision and planning, they don't end well.

[Ogre]

This is something I finished last week. The dog-legged wall went up three years ago. It retains a three foot elevation bust and transitions into a fenced in raised bed garden on the other side. I left the posts long because I wasn’t sure how I wanted to finish it. I added a cantilever arm to two of the posts to carry a hammock chair. I finally got the inspiration for the other three a little while ago and spent a sunny winters day last week building the arbor top. The have additional plans for the cantilever arm but I need to finish the forge before I can complete it. Oh and that conduit sticking up is getting a gfci circuit this summer. 

Edited March 5, 2019 by Ogre

[Doohicksie]

Got some creative peeps on this forum.  Nice work guys.

[josie]

On 3/5/2019 at 12:51 PM, Ogre said:

This is something I finished last week. The dog-legged wall went up three years ago. It retains a three foot elevation bust and transitions into a fenced in raised bed garden on the other side. I left the posts long because I wasn’t sure how I wanted to finish it. I added a cantilever arm to two of the posts to carry a hammock chair. I finally got the inspiration for the other three a little while ago and spent a sunny winters day last week building the arbor top. The have additional plans for the cantilever arm but I need to finish the forge before I can complete it. Oh and that conduit sticking up is getting a gfci circuit this summer. 

 

Is that a lake freighter shaped anemometer on the left there?

[Ogre]

35 minutes ago, josie said:

Is that a lake freighter shaped anemometer on the left there?

It’s a home weather station...being a good old Northern boy I wanted something functional that pointed toward the North...it has sort of become a hidden theme in a lot of my work around here...I plan on forging a replica of a king post complete with cables to carry the cantilever arm as a nod to my trade. The weather station would look bad ass on top of it(as well as being being even more accurate).... Nerd stuff for sure.

[josie]

25 minutes ago, Ogre said:

It’s a home weather station...being a good old Northern boy I wanted something functional that pointed toward the North...it has sort of become a hidden theme in a lot of my work around here...I plan on forging a replica of a king post complete with cables to carry the cantilever arm as a nod to my trade. The weather station would look bad ass on top of it(as well as being being even more accurate).... Nerd stuff for sure.

Awesome. I got all excited cuz I'm a ship nerd  *closes marinetraffic tab*

Someday I hope to have some property and weather stuff. My minimal freetime is often spent reading whatever meteorological data I can get on noaa and then matching up the patterns to shipping routes/flight paths.

So yup- thought that looked interesting. Sounds like a neat project within more projects! 

[Wyldnwoody44]

It took me 2+ hours to get this up, but I'm gonna turn this into my travel wall, I was thinking of doing pins with black yarn and stretch it to multiple picture frames with something cool from that country all over the open spaces, but not 100% sure yet, then I wanna get something cool like a wanderlust caption that is stick on also 

[Samson's Flow]

12 hours ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

It took me 2+ hours to get this up, but I'm gonna turn this into my travel wall, I was thinking of doing pins with black yarn and stretch it to multiple picture frames with something cool from that country all over the open spaces, but not 100% sure yet, then I wanna get something cool like a wanderlust caption that is stick on also 

That's cool - I did a similar thing with a US/Canada map to track all the cities and random single-stoplight towns I visited for work and pleasure. I might have to dig that up and update it with all the new places I've been to. Unfortunately if I did the world map it would be pretty sparse with only a dozen or so countries filled in. We can't compete with you buddy!

[Wyldnwoody44]

6 minutes ago, Samson's Flow said:

That's cool - I did a similar thing with a US/Canada map to track all the cities and random single-stoplight towns I visited for work and pleasure. I might have to dig that up and update it with all the new places I've been to. Unfortunately if I did the world map it would be pretty sparse with only a dozen or so countries filled in. We can't compete with you buddy!

You should dig it up and post up a pic! There is not competition, 12 countries is very respectable, considering I know a ton of people that haven't even left the US. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

38 minutes ago, Samson's Flow said:

That's cool - I did a similar thing with a US/Canada map to track all the cities and random single-stoplight towns I visited for work and pleasure. I might have to dig that up and update it with all the new places I've been to. Unfortunately if I did the world map it would be pretty sparse with only a dozen or so countries filled in. We can't compete with you buddy!

You need a bigger map, Mr. Croatia ...

[sabills]

Bench progress:


My wife is doing the upholstery, and I just started the trim last night. Only have primer on it right now, but its all going to be a highgloss white when finished, anyways. I'll post a whole progress album when its done.

Definitely cut the first piece of molding wrong 3 times to start, but I got there.

Edited March 18, 2019 by sabills

[Ogre]

Finally got around to building my lawn roller. My lawns are so lumpy that you can’t cut the grass without rupturing a spleen. All materials were salvaged so the only cost was time and electricity for the welder...I had removed the fittings on the LP tank and purged the gas with water last fall. The smell of the ethyl mercaptan lingered for months....

I cut a template to fit in the leveling ring on the bottom of the tank to find and mark exact center. I used the leveling ring to ensure the axle pin was perfectly square to the direction of travel. Cut the ring off and centered it on the other side and repeated the process. Cut off all the fittings and plug welded them closed, leaving one for filling and draining. Built a boxed frame with sleeve collars that fit snugly on the axle so there was no need for bearings. I’m going to add removable cheek weights tomorrow...I have about 400 lbs worth which will give me up to 1000 lbs...that should squish anything flat.... I want the cheek weights removable so I can also use them on the trebuchet that I have plans for this fall... so much fun!

Edited March 21, 2019 by Ogre
Grammar butcher

[Zamboni]

The wife and I just bought our first investment property. 

Well, the truth is, the offer was accepted and now we are in the long drawn out process of closing.Its a mix of nervousness and excitement to open this landlord chapter of our lives.

In Cheektowaga. Two units. Upper/lower. Over 1,000 sq. ft.in each. Only thing that sucks is the taxes. My god it’s obscene. NY state govt. just doesn’t get it. Or doesn’t care to.

Anyone an experienced landlord?

 

Edited March 21, 2019 by Zamboni