Finally, new man-cave construction commences!

[geargnasher]

Since so many of you helped me out with good tips and ideas for the new digs on my "if you could build the perfect reloading room" thread, I wanted to share the progress of actually building it and making some of those ideas a reality.

Got the new woodworking shop built, the saws, sanders, benches and cabinets moved, wood racks emptied, the bay doors moved, the hole framed in, and all the exterior finished for a seamless match. Now that I can almost see the floor of this 12x16 space again, I can frame in the ceiling joists, insulate, wire, and hang all the sheetrock, etc. etc. etc. If I live long enough I might get this whole house/shop/garage finished!

Oh, well, one board at a time. At least it's all paid for.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094ed5c14bc23bf.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2841)

I'll post more pics as it progresses.

Gear

[justingrosche]

That will be a nice space for you, gear. Keep us posted with the progress. Congrats!

[Wayne Smith]

"At least, it's all paid for" - that's a blessing! Build on in good conscience!

[LAH]

I look forward to this.

[ErikO]

Definately keep us posted, I need more ideas to snag for my area. :)

[geargnasher]

I'll keep it up to date as I make progress, I'll be leaving on 2 Dec. for a two-week vacation in south-western Colorado and won't have regular internet access. If we get snowed in it might be longer!

One paycheck at a time for ten years has at least got a two-story roof over our heads and three finished rooms, the real blessing was when my parents gave me this property, all I had to pay for was having it re-surveyed and the deed redone in my name. Of course I really only rent the property from the school district like everyone else!

If anyone has any more general or particulars they'd like to share, feel free, I hope we can all benefit from this project.

Gear

[lathesmith]

Gear, nice to see a fellow booliteer doing some remodeling. As you know, there is only so fast that one guy working a full-time job can get these things done. We just recently completed adding a 12x20 "craft room" to our house, the whole project took about a year to complete, more or less. While I was at it I re-sheathed and re-sided the rest of the house, along with some rather extensive wiring improvements and additions, and then new flooring, new paint, a new deck, and some other odds and ends. Be patient, and keep at it, you and yours will love it when it is finished! Like you said, slow and steady gets it done, and I agree that being paid for is a HUGE bonus!

lathesmith

[462]

Gear, you must be super excited.

I'm sure you're on top of it, but there can never be too many electrical outlets, it can never be too bright enough, and don't skimp on the storage area.

Have fun!

[geargnasher]

Not just outlets, but circuits. There can never be too many circuits!

I'm wiring for an attic fan, vent hood (over the casting station), two casting pots, electric heater, and running extra circuits for a "maybe" benchtop lathe later in life. In addition I'm putting outlets, just like the rest of the house, every four feet, and also a row at 44 inches too, for access above the benches.

Gear

[GaryN]

Sounds great! Too bad we can't acquire these kinds of things when younger so we would have more time to enjoy them.

Not to rain on your parade but there is a good sized storm starting as I speak in south west Colo. It has been windy here all day from it. But usually in snow country, it only takes a couple of hours to clear the roads. I'm in Northern Utah.

[PatMarlin]

Awesome. Keep us posted.

I wish I had time to finish my shop, and plans for the up stairs to be my man cave. I'll just work all day, then go up stairs and play. Set a cot in there. I'll never walk to the house... :mrgreen:

[geargnasher]

Thanks for all the encouragement, guys, helps take my mind off the fact that my current reloading area is non-functional due to having no place else to store a few things I had to move.

Pat, that's the idea, except everything's connected: Wood shop, welding/metalworking shop, automotive shop, gun room and the Mrs.'s hobby room across the hall, then the living room. One can walk clear through the whole place without going outside.

Gear

[PatMarlin]

That's the way to do it. I spend a lot of time walking back and forth.

[crabo]

I'll have to come down and check it out when you get it done.

[geargnasher]

Craig, if you wait 'til your summer break I might have one of the guest bedrooms finished, but you might bring your hammer and saw just in case!

Gear

[crabo]

If I bring some tools, that would mean I would have to leave some guns and ammo at home.....

[geargnasher]

You need a bigger truck! I'll have to show you how to be a true Redneck, how to pack enough tools to build every part of a house, half the materials, and enough guns/ammo and refreshments for at least the first week of the Apocalypse!

Gear

[dale2242]

Gear, I finished my mancave last year. It is great to have the best in the area.
Mine is 10X16. I found that floor space is not important in a loading/casting room.
What is important, You can not have too much bench space and shelving.
I put an exhaust fan in and placed a large fan in an outside window to supply a large amount of fresh air....dale

[ph4570]

It is going to be very nice I am sure. I look forward to more pics.

[canyon-ghost]

Nice room, should be a great man-cave! Yes sir, benchtop space and shelves, that's the ticket!

Ron

[smoked turkey]

I am sure you will but we need pictures, lots of pictures along the way. I think if you contact Norm that the crew from This Old House might just do it for you. NOT!

[geargnasher]

Time for an update. I finally got the wiring to the adjacent rooms finished in the right and left walls in the pics, insulated, and completed the firewalls on three sides of the room. Two thicknesses of 5/8" fire-rated sheetrock with the joints finished on the first layer and all joints staggered at least 6" comprise the fire partitions.

The next step is to frame the 8' stud walls all the way around, install the ceiling joists, do all the wiring for the gun room, insulate, and sheetrock the inside.

After hauling in over 50 sheets of this fire-rated stuff and installing 34 of them, I have a new-found respect for the people who do this for a living. You have to be some kind of Hombre to throw this stuff around sheet after sheet.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094ef948c45149b.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3134) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094ef948fa892ea.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3135)

Gear

[Bad Water Bill]

Now comes the real fun. Putting those sheets OVERHEAD.

A suggestion, rent a lift for a day. Money well spent. Also make a couple dead men if you can not find a lift. Worth their weight in gold.

A chalk line will save a lot of time and work as well.

Looking good so far. Keep up the good work and keep the pics coming.

[Recluse]

Now comes the real fun. Putting those sheets OVERHEAD.

A suggestion, rent a lift for a day. Money well spent. Also make a couple dead men if you can not find a lift. Worth their weight in gold.

A chalk line will save a lot of time and work as well.

Looking good so far. Keep up the good work and keep the pics coming.

Agree.

And, Gear, remember that we live in Texas where we have an abundance of Mexicans who are just down right ARTISTS when it comes to laying in drywall. When the wife and I build our hangar home next year, I'll do the framing and plumbing and other such stuff, but I already have Pedro and his boys ready to do the drywall. His grandpa will do the tile work--another absolute artist.

A good Mexican drywall crew probably wouldn't cost you much more than the rental on the lift, and for sure, be a helluva lot easier on your back.

:coffee:

[crabo]

Agree.

And, Gear, remember that we live in Texas where we have an abundance of Mexicans who are just down right ARTISTS when it comes to laying in drywall. When the wife and I build our hangar home next year, I'll do the framing and plumbing and other such stuff, but I already have Pedro and his boys ready to do the drywall. His grandpa will do the tile work--another absolute artist.

A good Mexican drywall crew probably wouldn't cost you much more than the rental on the lift, and for sure, be a helluva lot easier on your back.

:coffee:

+1 for that

[geargnasher]

Times aren't what they once were. There used to be a vast "foreign exchange student" population here in all the building trades. The mexican drywall hanging and finishing crews drove out their competition years ago around here, now they command handsome rates for sloppy work. I have a lot of friends in construction around here that helped me find (after interviewing and taking bids from three rip-off artists) a fourth company to pour and finish my new shop slab, THOSE fellows were artists, and they vibrated the footings, jitterbugged it thoroughly, and pulled the steel properly. I asked for 100% slick finish, and that's what I got, if it's wet it's hard to stand on! Unfortunately not the same luck with the drywall guys. That's ok though, I can do all the finish work myself since I learned how from one of the first people ever to be trained how to by the Gold Bond company when sheetrock was first invented. The way joints are finished nowdays with straight broadknives is all wrong.

I rented a panel lift for hanging 5/8 on all the upstairs 12' cathedral ceilings, no other way to do it by myself, but I can manage 8' ceilings with the two deadmen and low walkboard. It's only six sheets on the inside.

On to the framing....:bigsmyl2:

Gear

[Bad Water Bill]

I was setting the stonework on a fireplace in a bankers Log cabin home. 28 foot ceiling in the great room. 5 Australian guys came in and installed and taped the whole house in less than one day. Can you vision balancing a sheetrock while you are walking on 4-5 foot stilts?

[ErikO]

As the folks in tornado-hit areas of MO have found out, we have a LARGE piker problem in this state. A few roofs in Joplin had to be re-done after a good-sized storm ran through in May.

Geargnasher, glad you had good support in getting real contractors to do the work you needed done.

[Gunfixer]

I will chime in , that if you need anything.. holler. I have scaffold to 14', tape and float tools, texture gun, all fashions of nail guns from framers to 18ga pin nailers. If I dont own it I can borrow it. And I am only an hour away. If my computer had not crashed early Nov, I would have been in touch sooner.

[geargnasher]

Glad you got your computer back on line!

I built this whole house without nails, used 3" coated screws instead (about 150 lbs of them so far!), and have plenty of brad and finishing nailers so I got all that covered, but I appreciate the offer! I might try to borrow your texture gun, though, especially if you have a "wiper" blade that screws on the end of a broom handle to knock down the texture. It would save some time, and I'd like to meet you anyway. Mrs. Geargnasher hates splatter texture, so I've had to trowel-texture the other parts of the house, but this room is MINE! HAAAHAHAHAHAAA!

Gear

[GaryN]

I really don't care to do sheetrock. It's dang hard work. Looks like it is coming right along. It also sounds like you are doing a good job. Doing a good job takes longer and is a little harder but is sooooooo much nicer.

[geargnasher]

Amen, Gary, I've been around quite a bit of construction in my life and there is more than one reason I prefer to do it myself.

Gear

[ErikO]

Amen, Gary, I've been around quite a bit of construction in my life and there is more than one reason I prefer to do it myself.

Gear

I hear ya. My cave is still framed out with the 'found' lumber that the previous tenant used. This spring it's all coming out and I'm going to do it right. I may not double-ply the walls like you are but anything is nicer than staring at open bad framing work.

[geargnasher]

Time for another update.

I got the whole room framed and wired. After that I got the ceiling sheetrock up, then insulated, wired, and decked the attic. Then I insulated the walls, shown in the last two pics. I'm about ready for a break!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f015465a5729.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3258) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f01549509706.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3259) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f0154d0dc2de.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3260) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f0155089dcac.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3261) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f01553fc9222.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3262) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f01556f769b6.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3263) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f0155a59e0ce.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3264)

Gear

[SciFiJim]

Gear,
I have a question about your electrical wiring. It looks like all one circuit on 14 gauge wire, so 1800 watts max? I don't see a window or ventilation duct to the outside. Will you use an electrical bottom pour pot to cast somewhere else?

[geargnasher]

Actually there are four circuits for the room: two 120V/12-2 circuits on 20-amp breakers for half of the outlets and electric casting pot, one 120V/12-2 for the light-duty wall plugs, and the 14-gauge circuit comes off of that one for the overhead lights only (200 watts of compact flourescents), and that circuit is protected by a 15-amp breaker on account of the 14-gauge light circuit. The other circuit is a 220, rolled up in the wall (not visible in the pics) as a "just in case".

In the third and last pics, you can see a hole in the ceiling sheetrock for a 6" round steel duct that will connect the casting hood to a remote fan in the attic, and eventually to the outside through a wall vent. Underneath that hole in the very corner of the room about 3" off the floor is where the elecrical all comes in.

I hope it will all make more sense once I get all the benches in place, there is a purpose for everything, I think :redneck:

Gear

[Boondocker]

Glad you got your computer back on line!

I built this whole house without nails, used 3" coated screws instead (about 150 lbs of them so far!), and have plenty of brad and finishing nailers so I got all that covered, but I appreciate the offer! I might try to borrow your texture gun, though, especially if you have a "wiper" blade that screws on the end of a broom handle to knock down the texture. It would save some time, and I'd like to meet you anyway. Mrs. Geargnasher hates splatter texture, so I've had to trowel-texture the other parts of the house, but this room is MINE! HAAAHAHAHAHAAA!

Gear

And I thought I was the only guy to build his house with all screws. It took me 2 1/2 years with working alot of ot at work . My standing joke was if I want too I could unscrew my home and take it with me lol. Nothing fell off in 28 yrs so far.
.

[cbrick]

Looks like Gear is getting close to removing contruction equipment and moving in toys. What a happy day that will be huh?

While shelves are both nice and needed, cabinets are really great, just cannot have enough cabinets. Since I've seen pictures of some of your cabinet work this will be a loading room to behold.

Congrats Gear, looking forward to pictures of the done deal.

Rick

[SharpsShooter]

Looking really good Gear! My own shop is a 12' x 12' building so I know the size you are working with. I went with flood lamps over the bench work spaces for lighting and oil heat.

I just wish mine was attached to the house. Somedays it ain't worth wading the snow.

SS

[PatMarlin]

Lookin' good Gear.

I should come out and help you get her done. Then you can come up and help me finish mine.. :mrgreen:

[Mumblypeg]

And I thought I was the only guy to build his house with all screws. It took me 2 1/2 years with working alot of ot at work . My standing joke was if I want too I could unscrew my home and take it with me lol. Nothing fell off in 28 yrs so far.
.

Nope ya'll are not the only ones. I built my 20X24ft shop with 3" and smaller screws on wall sheeting. Screws don't back out. And yes Boondocker, I've said the same about taking stuff back apart also.:razz:

[SciFiJim]

Ok, a few questions from the novice builder. I have built bookcases and a work bench with screws before, but not anything more heavy duty than that.

1. What type of screw heads do you use (Phillips, other)?

2. How often do you go thru tips?

3. What type or brand of screwdriver do you use( DeWalt, Makita, other)?

4. Assuming you are using cordless, how fast do you go through a charged battery?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

1-I use square drive screws
2-Bit's seem to last forever...the good ones have a hardened insert into the mild steel hex shank. My source: http://www.mcfeelys.com/
3-Bosch 18v and Dewalt 12v. I do alot with hardwood and/or old dried out salvaged wood, I pre-drill with the 18v and drive screws with 12v
4- seems like a long time, but have never used it for building framing where constant driving is the norm.

PS. I am a novice woodworker/builder at best, also my power tools primary usage is with my contract electrical work...building industrial control panels.

[geargnasher]

Ok, a few questions from the novice builder. I have built bookcases and a work bench with screws before, but not anything more heavy duty than that.

1. What type of screw heads do you use (Phillips, other)?

Since I started construction on this structure ten years ago, screw technology has come a long way. I started with the silver-painted 3" Grip-Rite deck screws with the phillips heads, and out of habit am still using them. They're stronger and the coatings are MUCH better than they used to be. Nowdays there are even better construction screws with Torx heads, but I use them more for outdoor lumber framing since the bits are expensive and break fairly often unless you predrill every hole.

2. How often do you go thru tips?

Depends. If doing a lot of UN-screwing and then screwing that stresses the tip both directions, they shatter after maybe 50-200 screws. If I predrill the holes halfway and go mostly forward, they last just about forever. The best phillips #2 bits on the planet are made by DeWalt, I buy them by the 25-pack.

3. What type or brand of screwdriver do you use( DeWalt, Makita, other)?

Ryobi 18 volt, 1/4" cordless impact driver. The overall best tool I've ever owned. You wouldn't believe what it can do and how durable it is. Less than 80 bucks, between this house and several other projects I've probably driven over a hundred pounds of screws, not including drywall screws, with my current one. It took five years of abuse to burn up the first one. Before that I went through two Makita 18V cordless drills, one DeWalt, several Craftsman, etc. The impact driver takes all the torque load off of your hand/arm, and with a 3" DeWalt drive sleeve the bit never slips off the screw.

4. Assuming you are using cordless, how fast do you go through a charged battery?

If I only had one charger and two new batteries I'd never be waiting on one to charge. I keep several chargers and six batteries in circulation, the newest batteries are reserved for the impact.


I started using Ryboi tools when I worked at a friend's cabinet shop. That's all he used for cordless stuff, and after seeing the beating they took every day and the non-existent failure rate I was sold. Their "One +" system is tough to beat, all the tools are dirt cheap and reliable, and batteries are still widely available and still cheap even though the price has doubled in the last few years. While at the cabinet shop the green Ryobi stuff came out, I forget what the line is called but we tried it and had mixed feelings. The batteries ($100 each at the time) would stay charged for many weeks, kept their full output during use until run completly down, but the charger and tools are more expensive. It depends on what you need.

You couldn't GIVE me a Makita or DeWalt version of the cordless tools I have, I couldn't afford the batteries! Besides that, I have YET to burn up a Ryobi drill, and I've tried! I've burned up countless of the others in short order, they can't take extended use without melting the motor windings.

Gear

[LAH]

Looking really good Gear! My own shop is a 12' x 12' building so I know the size you are working with. I went with flood lamps over the bench work spaces for lighting and oil heat.

I just wish mine was attached to the house. Somedays it ain't worth wading the snow.

SS

Snow?????? Never in Rainelle. It's a sunny 70 here in Beckley.

[ErikO]

I picked up a box of the Torx screws, each box comes with a bit. So far so good, haven't damaged the bit but I learned from my Dad that you pre-drill all holes that don't get a nail.

So far I've managed to start clearing out my work area, should start buying the drywall after I re-do some of the 'framing' that the previous tenant left behind. I'm getting our current kitchen table for a work surface as soon as the room is done, should work MUCH better than the Workmate I'm using now. ;)

[geargnasher]

That's funny, EricO, I learned from my Dad that, for everything except cabinet hinges, use a hammer! I say learned it, not practice it. I predrill through the first board and, if alignment is critical, into the second board about 1/4". If you don't go all the way throught the first board, it's harder to get the two to pull together tight.

Being able to take stuff back apart and adjust or modify without destroying it is priceless, especially for an amateur like me.

Gear

[geargnasher]

I got busy building and forgot to take pictures, but here it is now that most all the shelving and benches are done and everything is moved in. The stuff on most of the shelves needs some serious organizing and labeling, but at least everything is in the right general area for once.

There are still some shelves to stain/varnish, and I need to build a deep shelf unit for range bags/gear on top of the gun safe, and get four plastic storage tubs for "project" item storage (like paper-patching stuff and revolver shotshell stuff) to put on top of the re-purposed upright freezer that now serves as my powder magazine.

I also have to finish the casting hood and run the vent pipe through the attic, wire a few more plugs, install under-cabinet lighting, and hook up the breakers before the room will be fully operational, but it's almost finished, and I'm ready for a Scotch.

In case anyone was wondering why I built all the "cabinets" out of yellow pine 2x12s, it's a matter of economy of both time and money. Even using cheap 3/4" plywood or #2-grade 1x12s would have cost twice as much, and I don't have time to screw with building actual cabinets from scratch out of maple plywood and rough hardwood lumber. I also liked the way another member did his 2-by shelf units in some pics I saw in the reloading room thread. I used HD 1/4" shelf pins and drilled holes rather than dado grooves for metal track hangars for the adjustable shelves, I think it looks cleaner and is every bit as strong. Several of the shelves have well over 100 lbs each of boolits on them in boxes.

Looks like I might have to upgrade a few things, my cruddy old antique steel stool looked great in my shop, but not so good in here! Maybe a good sandblasting, priming, and coat of bronze Hammerite paint is in order.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f14e8b04b3d4.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3481) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f14e936a7dbf.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3483) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f14e96a81b0e.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3484) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f14e9949d98f.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3485) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f14e9c3136d4.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3486) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f14e9ec4d5ff.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3487) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f14ea170cfaf.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3488) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_89094f14ea4113e67.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3489)

Gear

[btroj]

Looks good Gear. Way too organized, but good.
Is there such a thing as too much shelving?

[cbrick]

Wow, everything is perfect except for one little thing.

Gotta make that scotch a Jack. :mrgreen:

Wanna make a little bet on how long before it's too small?

Nice work Gear.

Rick

[SciFiJim]

I don't know if you have done much work in your attic, but where you are you only have about another six weeks of workable temps before your attic starts getting too hot to work in. I've installed some ceiling fans in the summer that required getting into the attic at 5AM and too hot to work in by 8AM. It's much nicer to do the work in the winter when you can work into the afternoon in the attic.

[geargnasher]

Thanks, guys. It's really coming together the way I planned it. Rick, I think maybe I will have a Jack instead, I think I have a bottle of Gentleman in the pantry. BRB.

One thing I DID forget is the coffee pot!! Gotta rectify that ASAP. And maybe a new chair is in order, the gas piston is giving up the ghost on the office chair I've been using.

Gear

[crabo]

It looks really nice. You need to be careful or your wife will limit the amount of time you can spend in there.

[geargnasher]

Crabo, notice there's no computer in there.....:violin:

Gear

[crabo]

Got any music?

[geargnasher]

CD player's on the shelf under the Winchester crate. It's loaded with Euro-trash trance at them moment, I can't get my favorite local classic rock station through the four layers of drywall and metal siding.

Gear

[LAH]

geargnasher you have done well.

[white eagle]

looks good
I like it

[Moonie]

Nice, makes me want to build a bigger man cave.

[The Dove]

Where is the scotch??? I've looked through all the pics and I can't find it. Driving me nuts!!!

The Dove

[winelover]

Looks good.:idea: Now, if I can only figure out how to get you to come to Arkansas and set up my space after I move this summer.;)

Winelover:drinks:

[cbrick]

One thing I DID forget is the coffee pot!! Gear

?? That's difficult to wrap my mind around. First thing in my loading room was the coffee pot, it went in before the walls went up, I could never have gotten it built without the coffee pot. There is no hope without caffiene.

The room I have now is 8X22 and I thought I finally had my dream room, exactly what I needed. Didn't take very long though and I deam of a 16X44. Amazing how fast it got so small.

It does look great Gear, you'll really enjoy it.

Rick

[cbrick]

Now, if I can only figure out how to get you to come to Arkansas and set up my space after I move this summer.;) Winelover

:hijack:

A couple more things need to come together but if all goes well I will be a happy resident of Arkansas myself in 1-2 months. I plan on being there the end of this month to look at properties. Two in particular but several I want to see. I can't build the mansion that winelover is building though, I'm looking at existing homes. One is on 5 acres and the other is on 3 acres. Both just a little north of where winelover is building.

It's been my dream for several years to move back to America. If it all works out I'll be out of here, free at last. Free at last.

Rick

[The Dove]

Dang it Rick, which picture is the scotch in or where is the scotch at in that said pic???

Not being able to find it is making me wanna mix a drink and it's way too early for that!!! HAHA

The Dove

[geargnasher]

Rick, there's a coffee maker in the master bathroom, kitchen, and garage, I'm never far from coffee! The garage is the next stall over from the new reloading room, so I didn't "go without" during the construction activities! The old kitchen unit has been boxed up and reserved for the new room for a couple of years, I just forgot about it. Gotta go dig it out of storage and clean it up.

I hope you do move back to America, if you can still find any of it left anywhere. As for myself, after moving away and living several other places, I came to agree with Davy Crockett when he said, "You can all go to H***, and I will go to Texas". Shoulda never left.

Gear

[ErikO]

So when are you moving? ;)

Seriously, that turned out great. I am looking forward to getting mine moving along in a bit here.

[cbrick]

Dang it Rick, which picture is the scotch in or where is the scotch at in that said pic??? The Dove

:hijack: Again . . . :holysheep

No scotch at my place, yuk, anyone that visits at my place and wants a drink has two choices. Drink Jack or make a trip to the store.

Rick

[Pigslayer]

It's beautiful! I would never be able to keep it that neat.

[winelover]

:hijack:

A couple more things need to come together but if all goes well I will be a happy resident of Arkansas myself in 1-2 months. I plan on being there the end of this month to look at properties. Two in particular but several I want to see. I can't build the mansion that winelover is building though, I'm looking at existing homes. One is on 5 acres and the other is on 3 acres. Both just a little north of where winelover is building.

It's been my dream for several years to move back to America. If it all works out I'll be out of here, free at last. Free at last.

Rick

Let us know how that works out. I don't plan on being down there until March / April. Been busy going thru too many years of accumulations and packing stuff, I can't live without. PM me if your in the area around then and I give you a personal tour.

Winelover

[DLCTEX]

Looking good Gear. I have a building under construction, if business and weather would conspire to let me get a slab poured.

[geargnasher]

Sized, checked, and lubed some 311041s tonight, first real operation in the new room. It's so nice to finally have everything in it's place and where I can reach it! No more moving piles of stuff to get to something.

DLC, I hope things come together soon for you. I've wanted this since I was in high school 20 years ago reloading with my RCBS starter set on a makeshift bench I threw together with some 2-by lumber in my tiny bedroom. My parent's house was and is still today off-grid, and solar power and 12V lights were a few years away when I first started reloading, so I did it all, like everything else including homework, saxophone and piano practice, reading, and shaving, by kerosene lamp. Imagine measuring and weighing gunpowder next to a Malotov Cocktail! Sometimes I used beeswax candles I used to make myself using braided kite twine for wicks and wax from our own beehives. Those were the days that make me so appreciative of what I have now. I value electric lights, air conditioning, microwave ovens, and our 50-gallon A.O. Smith glass-lined electric water heater a lot more than most folks probably would. And we can have carpet because it's possible to operate a vacuum cleaner. Off-grid has its merits, and I know how to live without electricity, but I choose to spoil myself as long as cheap power is available. If you get a chance, you ought to look into putting some water lines in a multi-pass loop through the slab and build a solar heater box on the roof (pressure-treated 2x12s with plywood bottom, painted black and with a Lucite lid and a spiral of 1" black poly pipe inside). A circulating pump and timer and/or temperature switches will keep the warm water/antifreeze mix pumped through the slab in the winter. Once warmed up, it will keep the whole room warm for days, even after you turn it off. You can just leave it on in cold weather, it isn't like it costs much to run since the pump only needs to run to exchange the water/antifreeze mix every hour or so during the warmest parts of the day. I have a friend that built a house (facing southwest near the top of a hill) using this system and he has essentially free heat, it really works.

Gear