Hide Site/Bug Out Location Construction, Part 7

[Flyin6]

OK, I reached a good point to transition this on-going hide site/homestead build.

Up to this point I have been developing the property to become a sustainable farm/second home. The objective of this past summer was to build a barn and to finish the pond construction.

Both were extensive projects

The pond is done, as much as anything is ever "done." The depth is dug out, the banks are lined with rock, the thing is stocked, and grass seed has been sown. Call it good enough.

The Barn has a floor, roof, walls but is lacking an interior dividing wall and two garage doors along with electricity.

But it is capable of holding equipment and providing for a work space free from the weather, like liquid weather.

I closed out Part 6 and opened Part 7 because for now until well into the foreseeable future, whereas land development has been the overriding concern, I am now shifting into a "Construction Mode," Concentrating on getting me a real cabin/home that I can actually live in.

I will start with the build out of the barn as I work toward getting something not only dried in, but with doors to hold heat in during the coming cold months.

If all works out according to my long range planning, I will be able to fabricate large chunks of the cabin renovation inside on that expansive floor, then carry the panels/parts a short distance then assemble the parts into rooms/walls/dormers/ wha-evers...

[Flyin6]

And I'd like to start off by recognizing a great little rain gutter company who drove some distance to throw up the new 6" rain gutters onto my structure

[Flyin6]

Dakota Sullivan, the owner (Pictured) simply went above and beyond on my gutter system.

Yes, he builds one piece seamless gutters that you will see in a second, but he could not find black spouts, so he actually took some white ones he had laying around and had them powder coated in black!

So, who does that?
He could have spray painted them black and been done but he paid $90 to have them powder coated and done right.

I think we should recognize people like this who do those little things (and at his expense) even when no one is looking. That right there is called integrity. These guys are honest, they do great work, and they ask for no credit, nor do they brag about their work. I only learned of this powder coating while questioning them in the "get to know ya" phase.

I will have them back for ALL my gutter work

[Flyin6]

The gutters went on perfectly

These guys also gave high praise to the guys who built the barn, Derrick and Josh of Corey Jones Construction. They commented that everything was done perfectly, was straight and spot on, so their measurements were easy to hold on the fascia board. So kudos to them as well, Thanks Cory

[Flyin6]

The downspout ends at the elbow because of the coming holding tank installation. I'll use a short piece of flexible vinyl pipe to make the transition

The other sides came out great as well.

[Flyin6]

Which leads to the forms set for the patio concrete pout coming tomorrow:

[Flyin6]

Next up, The big holding tanks were moved and prepped (pending a couple of parts) to ready them for their new permanent home

[Flyin6]

I think those fittings are 4" PVC. Not sure, but I will be tomorrow when I visit the plumbing store

They fit into previously cut holes in the side/bottom of the green tanks where they once resided below ground and held rain water there as well

And, I had to create a wrench big enough to tighten it all up...And it worked!!!

[Atkinsmatt]

Great progress. Love to check in.

[Flyin6]

I installed the fittings and snugged up the "Nuts"

Hopefully, tomorrow, I'll be able to place the tanks on site below the gutters and get that huge fitting all the way down to 1" PEX

[Flyin6]

Got a new shiney nickel lockset installed onto the French door

[Flyin6]

And my neighbor, Jimmy, has been busy moving dirt again. Its subtle, but he took a big chunk out of the hillside to the left of the new road bed location. It's just looking great. He and his son are very good at what they do. It is becoming hard to remember just how bad that road going into my place used to be. Yes I lost some security, but should something big happen that shuts down society, I would ask, "Who travels out to a place as remote as where my farm is anyway?"

With ease of getting trucks and work out there now, I'll take the trade.

[Nate]

2 questions don.

1. Why are you putting the water tanks directly under your electric meter.....?

2. Why are you cementing your roof posts in, instead of using a cradle which will make future replacement easier and correct?

[Flyin6]

2 questions don.

1. Why are you putting the water tanks directly under your electric meter.....?

2. Why are you cementing your roof posts in, instead of using a cradle which will make future replacement easier and correct?

OK, Nate:

One water tank will go on each side of the building
The one on the utility meter side will not be below the meter. I will off-set it a proper amount.

I get the meter base installation inspected tomorrow, I planned to ask where I should place the tank/route the downspout.

As for the posts. Well everyone in this part of the country sticks the posts into the ground. Almost no one bolts them to anything. they simply accurately dig the holes and fill in concrete. I did ask about that months ago when the framing was going up. I got a pretty good answer:

I was told by a couple of builders, that with all the tornado activity we get the barns which have posts concreted into the ground do the best. Those set into steel saddles usually depart the scene. Posts stay in the ground fifty or more years with no worries, so I'm not worried. My kids can think about all that! ;-)

Those posts are already cemented around 36" into the ground. This will add another 8" to all of that.

[Nate]

I can buy that for a dollar, carry on.

[Flyin6]

I can buy that for a dollar, carry on.

Rog

[JR]

So your collecting rain water? Direct or something that filters it some?

Oh, I linked this thread to #6.

[Flyin6]

So your collecting rain water? Direct or something that filters it some?

Oh, I linked this thread to #6.

Direct collection for now

I have a sump which I periodically drain for the camper, but this water is for industrial purposes. I could always run it through a filter to use to bathe or drink, but not in the immediate plans

[Sammconn]

So your collecting rain water? Direct or something that filters it some?

Oh, I linked this thread to #6.

Direct collection for now

I have a sump which I periodically drain for the camper, but this water is for industrial purposes. I could always run it through a filter to use to bathe or drink, but not in the immediate plans

Put some sort of screen to keep debris out.
My cabin tank doesn't have yet, and needs just for tank cleanliness, not even so much for potability.

[JR]

I watch this YT channel. Beside the screen they have a Y setup. Y (pointing up)at top and it fills the downspout, sediment goes to bottom, mostly clear water just overfills and runs to your needs, then you drain the bottom time to time.

[Flyin6]

I watch this YT channel. Beside the screen they have a Y setup. Y (pointing up)at top and it fills the downspout, sediment goes to bottom, mostly clear water just overfills and runs to your needs, then you drain the bottom time to time.

Good idea
Not sure if I have room, but I'll see what I might could do...

[Flyin6]

OK, first up and out of the gate, I got my electrical meter base inspection.
It passed first time
The paperwork gets faxed in, and from there on it is on auto pilot. At some point, likely about a month from now, I will have service and two new tall poles

[Flyin6]

Next, I built up some heavy clay pads, tracked them in as best as the machine could and moved the tanks into place.

I will still need to do some leveling with gravel, but the big part is done. It took some creative madness to get those fittings, 4" NPT either closed off or necked down to 1" NPT with a PEX nipple to build off of.

[Flyin6]

The downspout just about hits the left tank perfectly. I think I'll find a short section of the convoluted vinyl 3" X 4" to finish the transition.

The tanks are ready to accept water, but I am not connecting until the leveling for obvious reasons.

[Flyin6]

The fittings were a zoo to figure out. Took me a couple hours this morning to get all that right

For Nate's benefit, you can now see the downspout is not interfering with the electrical service at all

[Flyin6]

The water in the pond is clearing as the mud begins to settle out.

I think I'll add another layer of rocks to the spillway

[Flyin6]

Some views around:

[Flyin6]

And then there's this:

My two neighbors are definitely at odds

One wanted to have a gate that the other one did not consent to

So neighbor #1 built the gate anyway. Then neighbor #2 built a block or fence or something directly in front of it, six inches from the thing.

Oh well...

[Flyin6]

The road continues to get better and better. Got a nice shoulder today from material removed from the hillside. Down near my end the gravel base is as much as 18" thick and nice and wide, and crowned a bit.

[KensAuto]

Looks like neighbor #1 spent some coin on that gate for nothing!
Too bad they're not getting along. Probably gonna get worse..ugh

[JR]

If there is/was a road there, you cannot block it. Your property or not. Can't tell you how many calls we get on this. All civil though.

Don, are you leaving the tanks out in front like that?

[Flyin6]

If there is/was a road there, you cannot block it. Your property or not. Can't tell you how many calls we get on this. All civil though.

Don, are you leaving the tanks out in front like that?

Yes, just like you see, but they are in the back, and the one in view from the cabin is somewhat obscured by a tree

[TexasRedNeck]

When full those tanks will provide cover and concealment.


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[Flyin6]

When full those tanks will provide cover and concealment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Against a 30mm!

[JR]

Cool, picture makes looks like they are out front.

Amazing what water can stop or deflect.

[TexasRedNeck]

When full those tanks will provide cover and concealment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Against a 30mm!

Then just a little flex tape to repair

https://youtu.be/0xzN6FM5x_E


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Flyin6]

When full those tanks will provide cover and concealment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Against a 30mm!

Then just a little flex tape to repair

https://youtu.be/0xzN6FM5x_E


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You've had a little too much TV time young laddie!

[Flyin6]

So, buzzing right along today

First up, the entry door concrete pad is poured and complete

[Flyin6]

Anyone know how to invert pics coming off an I-Phone^^^^^^^^^^^

[Flyin6]

Then I hooked the water storage tanks together and completed the gutter downspout to fill them from the roof:

[Flyin6]

Grrrr...
Now these pics are displaying incorrectly as well. However if you click on the pic, it shows with the correct aspect...
What is going on???

[Flyin6]

OK, well, Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome I suppose.

Moving along. Next up I hung all six main interior lights, the big 150 watt units. I pulled the hot wire across the barn using a new 12 foot step ladder to where the switch will be located. Just stapling up the wire, moving four feet, then doing it again...For a couple hours...

And, that right there, boyz and girlies, is one day's work!

[Nate]

So, buzzing right along today

First up, the entry door concrete pad is poured and complete

I will fix them in a bit

[Flyin6]

So, buzzing right along today

First up, the entry door concrete pad is poured and complete

I will fix them in a bit

Thanks Nate.

Can you post up (here) a brief tutorial of how to do it
Then
I can fix myself instead of wasting your time
Good example of sergeants keeping officers straight!

[Sammconn]

Looking good chief.
I dunno the pics either.

[Flyin6]

Looking good chief.
I dunno the pics either.

Thanks!

Nate will fix em'

[Flyin6]

Oh, have to share this.

By chance a landscaper from Cincy visited today. Was a ride along with a neighbor who wanted to show him the place.

I showed him those piles of boulders I have accumulated. He said they used them. He purchased them from a guy in Cincy who takes rocks like mine, then breaks them on a face to get a uniform appearance. The landscaper says they sell for $4-$5 a pound!!!!

So, I asked him if he would like to buy them from me for half price.

I have hundreds to thousands of tons of the things...

So, I am beginning to think I have something here that is worth exploring. If I could generate the capital to build this super cabin I am planning from quarry sales, well, I believe I would be digging up that field next to the pond!

[stlaser]

Future pond expansion 

[JR]

Flex tape did not fix my gutters!!!!

Looking great Don, insulation? It will get cold and hot.

[Flyin6]

Future pond expansion 

Exactly!