Things that Kill my Cub time.

[vthomley]

4'x8' sheet steel pallets were used to make this bar.

I left it outside most of the summer to fade some more. a month ago I re-sanded it and sealed it.

In the middle of the bar is a trough to hold ice and cold beverages in. I've even tested this. I have to say it works!

 

[vthomley]

The last pic was taken indoors so it does not look as bright.

Things that Kill my Cub time - I'm finishing up my last sets of Bag Toss Games. These will total 51 sets of games in 2014. I guess I know what takes up my Cub Time. Only 3 more sets on order at the moment, these are wanted by spring. I'll start on them in February or March.

 

[bbranstetter]

Sorry Frank,

It was my #7 in the series of note worthy "Cub Time Killing" projects to date, since the thread was started. Sorry for the confusion.

The wife and I are cautiously exploring the idea of finding another home(Cub Killing Project #7) and leaving the 'Bates Motel and Freeze Box' behind. Don't get me wrong, were very blessed to have the home that our family could just move into and use. Its just getting time to think about the future and finding our own place.



Vince,
I like your bar, it has a really cool color and pattern to it.

 

[vthomley]

Brian, best of luck finding your new place! and thanks for the compliment on the bar.

I've now got an order to make 2 matching bars, smaller ones 27"x42". He wants them matching to be put together as 1 long bar 21"x84" or as 42"x54". Using this rough sawn, non matching wood is going to make it a challenge.

He thinks I can possibly build some wood bar stools too. I got an idea from seeing some in a bar a few years ago.

My 122 needs my attention, its developed an oil leak. My 1250 does not like to start in the winter, a couple tune up things need to be done. My 1806 is waiting for a couple upgrades including a Kohler Carb. Some day I'll get to these things.

 

[jbaker]

went to fill the truck with gas and it leaked alot.
found the neck rotted at the hose connection point.

fixed for 23 bucks from junkyard

 

[kshultz]

They don't make 'em like they used to.

My brother said he talked to a guy that knew a guy and said he worked to one of the big 3 and said his job was to see how long things would last. In other words they only want them to last only about 10 years and then they fall apart. Unless you take extremely good care of them. Just sayin'.

 

[kmcconaughey]

A while back I decided that I better prepare to replace my water heater before it gives out and forces me to replace it. It is original to the house which was built in 1978. The water heater is located in a corner in my basement. It is trapped in the corner by plumbing runs and electrical conduit on one side and the furnace on the other.

Before I could replace the water heater I had to cut an access in one of the walls behind it. One wall is concrete block and the basement is well below grade on that side of the house. Thankfully the other wall is just a stud wall separating it from a storage area. Back in late March I cut an opening in the wall and installed a door I had previously removed from elsewhere in the house years ago during a remodeling project.

I bought a new water heater a few weeks back and was waiting until I finished up cutting firewood before I used up a Saturday to remove the old one and install the new one. I figured I would get to in sometime in June. What's that saying about the best laid plans... On Thursday May 14 my wife texts me and says we don't have water. She reset the well pump and still nothing. The well pump, which was also original to the house finally gave out. I have been fearing this for years. I knew it was going to happen soon because for the past few years every now and again the well control box would trip. First time was after watering the lawn for several hours. Then it was a couple months later watering the garden. Then it was fine for a while. This past winter it kicked out a few random times. The go-to-guy for well pumps in my area is a 74 year old guy named Vern. He could outwork guys half his age! After some trouble shooting on Thursday evening to make sure it wasn't anything simple like the pressure switch or something in the pump control box, we planned to pull the pump on Friday. So, I took off work last Friday to work on the well. Vern had a job to finish up Friday morning so he wasn't able to get to my place until after 2:00 PM. We got right to work pulling my well pump. My well is around 240 feet deep and the pump is at about 190 feet. We got the old pump pulled and prepped the new pump to go in but by then it was getting late. Saturday morning we started putting the new pump in. By early afternoon we had it all back together and had water. I have not got the bill yet but I'm expecting it to be somewhere between $3000 and $3500. I needed all new pipe and wire and of course the new pump. This is Vern:

Me helping Vern:

Which brings me back to the water heater. I knew I was going to have more water pressure and I was a bit uneasy subjecting my nearly 40 year old water heater to that pressure. Sure enough, with that new found water pressure the water heater was seeping water. Better than bursting but still...

So today I spent the day replacing the water heater. I would have much rather spent it at the cabin relaxing. Oh well, next time I go to the cabin I can relax knowing my water heater and well pump are new and should be trouble free for quite some time.

 

[dschwandt]

Looks like it's been a busy, busy weekend/week for a lot of us!!

I was down the home rehab trail also this past week putting down a new floor in a 2nd bath in the basement as we are expecting company in 2 weeks.

Plus I mustta walked a couple miles yesterday morning early when I put down about 30,000 square feet of weed'n'feed w/the drop spreader.
BTW....A BRAND new Scotts spreader at the #5 setting as recommended on the bag????? DON"T BELIEVE IT!! It's more like #2 in order to get the 15,000 Sq. feet they claim!! THAT little discovery cost me a 3rd bag of product when 2 should have been plenty.

Working on the Cubs though, was a lot more fun!!

 

[sblunier]

Dave, I always have used a broadcast spreader (Earthway ) to avoid streaks and provide some flexibility in situations like yours.

 

[dschwandt]

Steve, We got tons of flowers and gardens etc. If it were just fertilizer, it would be no problem.
Gotta keep the weed control stuff off of all the other stuff Ya know??

I even called Scotts and talked with them. They said I would have to recalibrate the spreader!! WTH!!! There is no calibration other than the settings they give you. If Ya crank it below #1 it comes apart.

They suggested I mark off a 1000 square foot area and see how much product it took to cover at different settings! Like I'm gonna do their R&D for 'em!

 

[dschwandt]

Steve, We got tons of flowers and gardens etc. If it were just fertilizer, it would be no problem.
Gotta keep the weed control stuff off of all the other stuff Ya know??

I even called Scotts and talked with them. They said I may have to recalibrate the spreader!! WTH!!! There is no calibration other than the settings they give you. If Ya crank it below #1 it comes apart.

They suggested I mark off a 1000 square foot area and see how much product it took to cover at different settings! Like I'm gonna do their R&D for 'em!

 

[jchamberlin]

Kraig: My house also dates to 1978 and I replaced my water heater a few years ago when the air conditioner finally quit. Your unit looks different than any I've seen. My new heater had a much greater diameter than the older one due to increased insulation. I'm assuming your new one is similarly "sealed" against the elements. Can you share a bit more about its design? I'm curious.

Love the shot of you in the hard hat.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Jeremiah, it's a 50 Gallon Rheem Marathon Model # MR50245. It's an all plastic tank so no anode to worry about and no rusting to worry about. Even though Vern had a hard hat for me I opted to use my own. For most of the 1990's I worked for an environmental consulting company where my main job was designing, building and maintaining control panels for water recovery/treatment systems. These would have been installed at places like gas stations that had previously had leaks in their underground storage tanks or for companies that had leaks or spills of various petroleum products. Seeing as the treatment systems needed wells from which to pump the contaminated water, I also worked with geologists and well drillers installing monitoring and recovery wells. I've installed and removed a bunch of well pumps over the years. Before helping, I did make sure Vern didn't have a sign like this one on his boom truck.

 

[glippert]

Kraig - Did you really say Vern is 74? Dang, he looks younger than me, and I'm only 60. I would say I hope I'm in such good shape at 74, but that ship sailed a few years ago! I've heard good things about those marathon water heaters - our local rural electric cooperative sells them, and I've been thinking about replacing mine, too. By the way, the door to access the heater was pretty genius.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Greg, yes Vern is 74 years young! The door was really the only viable option to getting the old one out and the new one in. I bought the water heater at Menard's, it was on sale and I got an 11% rebate on it.

Our electric coop sells the 80 gallon version Marathon at a very good price point but I don't have the space for it in that corner.

 

[aaytay]

Kraig-
Well done. Those kinds of projects are never fun. We had to have our well pump replaced about three years ago. Happened at a time that I had about 3 weeks of straight work without a day off, so no chance of helping. Next time I'll pull the darn thing myself! Well guy says the newer pumps aren't nearly as good as the old and claims we'll be lucky to get 10yrs out of it. (old one was 30yrs old)

Anyway… Here is our latest version of "what kills our cub time"…

Bathroom remodel 101:

Original 1984 vintage bathroom had to go. We trimmed some cost by repainting and getting a new countertop for the existing vanity. Major demo went as follows…

Remove bathtub:

(Hmmm… Not liking the looks of the water stains on that OSB.)

Time to start taking out some tile…

Thought I could replace the rotted chunk of OSB, but it turns out the entire floor was only 1/2" OSB, so it all had to go out.

After that mess, we got the new subfloor in:

(Ignore the tall toilet stack, that's just a piece of 4" shoved in there to keep construction debris out)

Got the tub installed:

Next we laid sheets of Durock (no photos), then it was time to lay some tile. I went to mix up the thin-set and realized that I'd loaned out my drill mounted stir stick to a friend who hasn't returned it yet. Rather than yet ANOTHER run to Menards, I used a 4' stick of rebar to whip one up quick.

Worked!

Then we got the tile laid:

…and the new toilet in:

Next we have to do the tile on the tub surround, then some final trim type details.

Thought I was cured of ever doing any remodel work.. Guess not!

 

[kide]

I got ya guys topped... I have acquired a SO.. Since my house was built in '79 and redecorated last in the mid '90's, I now have a list of to-do's that is longer than I am tall. The former provider of such lists is, I'm sure, looking down from above and laughing mightily...... Ahhh, but I'm happy

 

[digger]

You guys REALLY want to talk about remodels? LOL
I can fix you right up!

 

[jchamberlin]

Art: Good Job. If it makes you feel any better, we paid someone $7,000 to replace a bathtub with walls and ceiling to match; no floor, no toilet (I did that myself), got a new vanity and cabinets, but the same old floor. Wife's happy (or at least happier).

I'm relieved the project is over, but while the work took a week of someone else's time, the "easy payment plan" seemed to take forever for me.

 

[dschwandt]

Good grief!! This must be "honey Do" season everywhere!!! I'm in the middle of just such a project also in our down stairs bathroom as Wife is expecting company in 2 weeks.

Wasn't near that involved, but did entail putting down a new floor over the old vinyl and new vanity top plus trimming out a window that never got finished when it was replaced a few years back. I had no problems with it, looked good to me w/the curtains closed, but you guys know the routine I'm sure!!