REAL MAN TRUCKWORKS & SURVIVAL
PERSONAL READINESS => Hide Site => Topic started by: Flyin6 on October 13, 2021, 08:26:05 PM
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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...
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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Which leads to the forms set for the patio concrete pout coming tomorrow:
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Next up, The big holding tanks were moved and prepped (pending a couple of parts) to ready them for their new permanent home
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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!!!
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Great progress. Love to check in.
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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
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Got a new shiney nickel lockset installed onto the French door
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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.
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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?
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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.
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I can buy that for a dollar, carry on.
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I can buy that for a dollar, carry on.
Rog
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So your collecting rain water? Direct or something that filters it some?
Oh, I linked this thread to #6.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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Some views around:
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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...
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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.
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Looks like neighbor #1 spent some coin on that gate for nothing!
Too bad they're not getting along. Probably gonna get worse..ugh
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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?
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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
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When full those tanks will provide cover and concealment.
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When full those tanks will provide cover and concealment.
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Against a 30mm!
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Cool, picture makes looks like they are out front.
Amazing what water can stop or deflect.
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When full those tanks will provide cover and concealment.
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Against a 30mm!
Then just a little flex tape to repair
https://youtu.be/0xzN6FM5x_E
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When full those tanks will provide cover and concealment.
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Against a 30mm!
Then just a little flex tape to repair
https://youtu.be/0xzN6FM5x_E
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You've had a little too much TV time young laddie!
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So, buzzing right along today
First up, the entry door concrete pad is poured and complete
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Anyone know how to invert pics coming off an I-Phone^^^^^^^^^^^
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Then I hooked the water storage tanks together and completed the gutter downspout to fill them from the roof:
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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???
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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!
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So, buzzing right along today
First up, the entry door concrete pad is poured and complete
I will fix them in a bit
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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!
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Looking good chief.
I dunno the pics either.
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Looking good chief.
I dunno the pics either.
Thanks!
Nate will fix em'
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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!
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Future pond expansion :likebutton:
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Flex tape did not fix my gutters!!!!
Looking great Don, insulation? It will get cold and hot.
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Future pond expansion :likebutton:
Exactly!
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More overhead lights and some decorative ones in the entrance
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^^^And Nate, I tried the flip thing but apparently it did not work...GRRRRRRR...
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Concrete pad turned out great!
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Put up a motion detector security light
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Outside plumbing is about done and ready to get buried. Last thing is to shove it through the wall, then create the water pump/pressure tank and whatever I am going to put indoors
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And since the weather is still holding, I am still doing a couple hours of dirt work every day. Here, I leveled the spot where the old house used to be, filled in some ditches with rock from the hole, and pushed a bunch of trees over the hill.
The fields are starting to look great!
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Fixed, but a tad smaller (snip n paste)
Looks good though!!
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Started today with a correction of previous work. The power company inspector gigged me with that mast anchor not being through bolted to the frame of the barn. I fixed that
Installed a U-Bolt around the pipe and through the purlins. Then I added a vertical brace tying the purlins to the top plates
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Then I brought the water line into the barn. I think I may enlarge the line from 3/4" up to 1"...
This will feed a shallow well pump set to 70 psi
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Then it was back to pulling wire...The rest of the day.
I am doing all the overhead (hard stuff) at the moment so that theoretically the work gets easier as I go.
I ran a 14-2 wire forward for the work lights in the saw-mill room and to the outside lights.
The latter are 150W, wide angle. One points down and one outward so that I am properly blinded while approaching the barn with a big load of logs that is about to topple...
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...And, I got some of the overhead outlets completed and the lamps actually plugged in.
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Starting to see some accumulation of Romex and boxes
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Nice Don.
Notice if you take a picture in landscape they are coming out normal. Portrait is getting you.
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^^^ Now this is strange. I am once again using my Cannon camera, and for some reason a couple pics are coming up rotated 90 degrees...!!!
Moving on. The pond continues to clear up. I sat there for some time and did not see a single minnow or fish, despite the fact that there were probably a thousand fish tossed in there on stocking day...Hmmm.
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Nice Don.
Notice if you take a picture in landscape they are coming out normal. Portrait is getting you.
Roger that
But why???
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Some big Turkey are visiting:
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Trooper seems to be liking the place:
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My neighbor is continuing to massage the land. Taking out more cedars in one pic.
And he has a huge swale built up and tracked in to support our new road
He does high quality work!
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Take all the pics in landscape, then crop for the vertical pics. Sure you don't save them full so pixel em about the same.
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Take all the pics in landscape, then crop for the vertical pics. Sure you don't save them full so pixel em about the same.
OK, I'll try to remember
But
Remember
I are a pilut...
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Just think of it as a twin rotor,,,,,,,,,,,,
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Those tracks may be a blue heron and that might explain the missing minnows, lol
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Those tracks may be a blue heron and that might explain the missing minnows, lol
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Minnows chit, they eat full size fish! I’ve watched them pull them from our pond back in Indiana. They ain’t going for quantity Charles……..
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Those tracks may be a blue heron and that might explain the missing minnows, lol
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They're turkey...I know them, see them all over the barn areas where I made mud.
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according to JR they're crows :wink:
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according to JR they're crows :wink:
:embarrassed:
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Coming real soon to a new barn near me:
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Whats the holdup?
Those open tube supports on the side and bucket frame make great storage areas, rubber pipe plugs fit great in mins.
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Whats the holdup?
Those open tube supports on the side and bucket frame make great storage areas, rubber pipe plugs fit great in mins.
Just waiting for the Kioti sale money to come back so I can shift over to this purchase. Have a lot of equity in that other red tractor.
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Built a Crib for the logs that I am accumulating around my barn/sawmill
I used some seasoned timbers that I cut from trees on my farm on the very sawmill this crib will soon feed
The pre-Ranger did some of the grunt work
That bonehead was handed the job last week of running the ball on the varsity football squad as a full back/half back
He does not like offence. He plays linebacker slots and likes getting the tackle.
I was telling another parent during the game when my bonehead ran the ball in 45 yards for a TD. He just gave me a shrug of his shoulders and a high five. Then we kicked off and they received. The very next plan that pre-Ranger of mine sacked the QB for a 15 yard loss.
The boy is showing versatility!
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As with all work, before working, one must first work...
This SVL-97 goes through that DEF crap. I guess I am not killing the atmosphere...
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Hooked up the drill master an went to town!
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And in no time, had my first of several log racks built.
Posts are in the ground as deep as that auger would go, something over 36"
The power of that machine will screw out a football size rock to the surface without even slowing down!
I screwed it together with 10" timber screws
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Oh, the "horizontal" beams are 6x6 left over from the barn build, a 20 footer.
And this is all a part of the plan.
I have the oak logs just loosely scattered and stacked on the ground. They need to get off the ground. They are also stacked on the last piece of rough ground near the barn. Once they are moved, I can blend in that piece of ground and plant some flowers or something to beautify the place. Remember, in addition to providing cover in the form of a cottage/cabin, and food from cows/fish/crops, I need to keep attractin' the pretty one so she will actually move down there with me.
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I haven’t noticed but do you have a set of forks for that skiddi??
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If you don't, get regular quick attach, not the bolt on!
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I haven’t noticed but do you have a set of forks for that skiddi??
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-Well, not exactly
I have a set that I had on the little Deere tractor, but with a Deere attach pattern that does not fit
I could buy an adapter plate or I could pick up a heavier duty set of forks...dunno
Actually looked at a set last week.
Thought was: Get a set for the new MX6000 that also fits the SVL-97
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I got a set for my tractor that are quick attach (standard for skid steer) for right around $400. Titan is the brand name. Ordered on line and they shipped them right to me.
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I got a set for my tractor that are quick attach (standard for skid steer) for right around $400. Titan is the brand name. Ordered on line and they shipped them right to me.
I think my dealer sells Blue Diamond, a brand I trust
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Options are good.
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Options are good.
Concur
And with all the upcoming construction I will certainly need to use some forks to be sure
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If ya have to pick one machine or the other I would pick the skid. The maneuverability of that skid plus the lifting power vs that tractor is no comparison
We move a bucket snd forks with every skid and a sweeper but yeah.
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Best of both worlds if the forks work on both
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I have the Titans and they are US made and pretty darn good. Think I paid about that but use em all the time.
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Best of both worlds if the forks work on both
They will
Both have that universal attachment system that some refer to as the "Bobcat" type attachment
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I have the Titans and they are US made and pretty darn good. Think I paid about that but use em all the time.
I already have a set of Titans for a John Deere.
So, I think I'll sell mine for say $300 and just buy a new heavier duty set for the tractor/CTL for $500...
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The grass started coming up
And
We have three or so days of rain starting tomorrow, so the grass will get watered, and the pond will continue to fill
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The "Corrected drainage ditch is working well, and it is difficult to see, but the water level did come up a bit with only one day of intermittent rain.
That "point" sticking up is the corner of an uber-big rock. I can't quite get ahold of it with the excavator so I is just sitting there. I've been using it as a water level indicator.
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I added another tank shutoff valve and ran the supply line to the inside of the barn
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That lower fitting seems to be leaking so I'll have to get after that. That little rain put about 600 gallons into both tanks
Hand indicates approximate water level
Everything else on both tanks seems to be holding.
Amazing how much water a roof can capture
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Next up, the new 3/4HP jet type shallow well water pump was installed
It is wired in hooked to a 30 amp double pole breaker. I may pull that back to a 20 amp...thinking
I wired it up 220VAC. It had an option for either 110 or 220
I ran out of crimp-type PEX rings, so I'll have to get some more and finish the install a bit later on
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Next up, I tossed up the flood lamps over the two main doors
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I placed the switch beside the openings, but added a loop into the cable just incase I need to move that gentleman. I don't know what sort of space requirements the roll up door will have so I can move that switch if needed to clear later on.
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Then I went after to panel, hooking up things to breakers
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Its darned pretty in the late afternoon. Nice afternoon for working. It got to 49F at quitting time. I used the truck's buttock warmer on the relaxing drive home.
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When do the rollups come?
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That’s some great progress, can’t wait to see the grass growing in around the rocks in a few years
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That’s some great progress, can’t wait to see the grass growing in around the rocks in a few years
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Me too!
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When do the rollups come?
Haven't found anyone to sell them to me yet...still looking
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Driving in this morning I saw these ladies. There were two more sitting in a tree, overlooking, so a total of twelve
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Little pond is filling. Loads of deer and other critter tracks. The salt block is a recent addition
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Man those big crows are everywhere…JR…..;-)
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Muddy today. 4WD only in places. View up toward the shed/future cabin.
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Man those big crows are everywhere…JR…..;-)
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Crows, eh? My eyesight is failing me...
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Pond is filling
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And grass is growing
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And none of this washed away after three days of rain
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Now between 800-900 gallons in each tank
May not look like it, but that's about 30" ish of water
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Finished installation of the water pump and lines today!
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And got two outside spigots installed.
Now, these are not winterized units, so I will not be keeping water against them. I'll just fire up the pump and open or close valves if I need to wash something. Otherwise I'll leave the spigots open as well as the drain valve so that no water remains trapped anywhere it may freeze.
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After that, I spent the balance of the day pulling wire and making connections
The switches are for sawmill, overhead lights, porch lights
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in the main bay, one down, five to go!
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It was a muddy mess today, but it continues to improve
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Dang, that's lots of crows and fair game anytime!!
What is your neighbor doing, putting a freeway in?
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Next up, the new 3/4HP jet type shallow well water pump was installed
It is wired in hooked to a 30 amp double pole breaker. I may pull that back to a 20 amp...thinking
I wired it up 220VAC. It had an option for either 110 or 220
I ran out of crimp-type PEX rings, so I'll have to get some more and finish the install a bit later on
Does this pump have an internal expansion tank? If not, that pressure switch will be kicking on & off every 2 seconds.
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Next up, the new 3/4HP jet type shallow well water pump was installed
It is wired in hooked to a 30 amp double pole breaker. I may pull that back to a 20 amp...thinking
I wired it up 220VAC. It had an option for either 110 or 220
I ran out of crimp-type PEX rings, so I'll have to get some more and finish the install a bit later on
Does this pump have an internal expansion tank? If not, that pressure switch will be kicking on & off every 2 seconds.
Good catch!
I'll add an expansion tank next time I work down there
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May not look like much, but I now have all the overhead lighting in, wired, switches installed from breaker to plug. That was a lot of work!
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How do you like them?
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Currently pulling wire for the east and west walls outlet boxes
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How do you like them?
No power to the barn yet.
Power company hasn't dropped the new poles, nor run any wire yet.
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I had to wait three days after the big rain for the ground to dry enough to finish moving that hap-hazard stack of logs near the barn.
That is now cleaned up
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This machine is magnificent and makes moving dirt a non event
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Difficult to see, but I cut that berm down a bit, and tapered all the drop-offs, so that everything is now accessible with my mower (When I get grass)
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I did some smoothing around the trees and trimmed them up.
then, removed the concrete forms and broke up the overflow
Next up is to bring in some big rocks to stack around the water tanks and other things I do not want to get bumped.
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Busy man.
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Are ya gonna do any inner sheeting or finish the interior walls of some sort?
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Are ya gonna do any inner sheeting or finish the interior walls of some sort?
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Probably not for a long time
Everything else has a higher priority
I have to be a good steward of the money I have to build the new cabin
I can get everything I need done with the structure as + dried in, gravel ramp, gravel in high traffic areas.
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Spread around some contractor mix grass seed. The rye should get going in a week or so, and the Kentucky #31 should take over by spring time
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As suggested by DDS, I installed a surge tank.
I picked a 20 gallon unit as a shot in the dark. The concept is to get a tank that will allow your pump to run for 1 minute. The recommendations are all based on 1. The output in GPM of the pump, and 2. The total number of faucets, spigots, and water leaks. Based on the flow of the pump I would need a 52 gallon surge tank, but I really only have one faucet that will ever be running. This is not a house with the wife taking a 200 gallon hot water shower, while the kid is filling up the tub, the dishwasher is running, and I am pressure washing something the person showering told me to wash.
Nope, just me washing what I want to wash, nothing else. So I am thinking the 20 Gallon tank will suffice. I may be wrong, in which case I am going to be wrong for a long time, since this one is purchased and installed, the next size up is nearly twice the cost!
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I flipped the box and built up the connection while it was standing on its head.
Then I hooked it into one of the 3/4" lines that connects directly to the manifold on the pump output side
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Next I got after the East wall outlets, finishing all of them in due time.
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Then I climbed the ladder into the upper troposphere and ran another 12-2 wire across a roof truss and back down to the west wall. I pulled all the wires, and installed all those outlets as well.
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I then made the connection to the west faucet and called it a day...a l o n g and tiring day
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:likebutton:
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Now that it is getting cooler, I am for sure thinking about doors for the barn.
I called an Amish guy who only does garage doors to price them out, but in the mean time, I decided I wanted a big sliding door in the front where the saw mill sits currently.
It was going to be a hassle building way up high and I'd either have to spring for some scaffolding or add the mezzanine, or skip all that and put a door on it.
I elected to go for the latter, and that set me off on another hunt. I have never before built any barn doors, hinged, sliding or otherwise and I know there are a bunch of techniques involved, so Off I went researching and studying just how to do that.
I finally just drove over to the local roofing/siding metal supplier and purchased his system.
It uses some 2X6 or 2X4 but uses end pieces made of extruded and coated aluminum. It has a base piece also of aluminum. Each door gets two HD hangers with a trolley system of wheels that fit into a formed steel tube with a slot in the bottom to allow the trucks, once inserted, to run freely fore and aft. That tube comes with an attachment system that is rated to 1200 lbs per attachment.
The whole thing sort of fits together as one engineered unit that I am guessing, if pretty strong. The down side is the price. I purchased the materials for two 9' 6" X 12' doors and walked out just under $1,340
I'll still need to purchase two 6X6 posts and a few bags of quickcrete. 6X6 posts are not cheap, so I expect another couple hundred to get to the finish line, so I should come in something a little bit over $1,500
Now compare that to a 18X11 garage door, and, well, I am probably a grand or more out in front.
That, and I will get the experience of building my first barn doors.
I am so stinkin' close to starting on the cabin!!!!!
I decided to build a 6' knee wall to separate the saw mill "Chamber" from the rest of the shop. The knee wall will contain the sawdust being blown out of the mill and provide a backstop for a long work bench. That knee wall will also get a bunch of outlets, which is project number three yet to complete.
At the moment I am still eyeing two garage doors, professionally installed to complete the barn.
Once I get these doors, the knee-wall, and the last run of outlets, I will begin the cabin build. That will start with moving everything out, likely several days of hard work.
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Just spent a cold weekend down there. Pre-Ranger came in late Friday night after the Football game. I missed the game to arrive down there in the afternoon to monitor the farm. Saturday was the first day of gun season for deer.
That PreRanger played a good year in Varsity Football. His team took the division championship. He played as a starting Line Backer all season and with injuries, also played as a running back with a few good runs and a touchdown!
Next week starts playoffs with the march up to the state championships. We made it to the quarter finals last year, but this year, unfortunately we face the #1 ranked team in the state...Ya...!
Anyway, Congrats Bear Cats on a spectacular season!!!
He is on the left of pic-1
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So, he went deeres huntin' while I went after putting something in those big ammonia holes in either end of ma buldin'
It had just rained and even with 4WD it was a big challenge just to get in there.
Oh, funny story first. The pre-Ranger was driving down and when he got in the wilderness country, a 4-point buck ran out of the woods and straight into the side of his truck as he was pulling up to a stop sign! Now, I ask you, who does that happen to? Anyone? Ever??
And another one
He got Buck Fever really bad.
He is all sleepy and misses the early AM departure for the tree stand. I am up however making coffee when I look down toward that new pond. THe same 10-point buck he is after is lapping on the salt block we put there a couple weeks ago! The deer licks for a little bit then walks off.
Pre Ranger goes hunting for hours...comes back...nada
He takes a mid day nap.
I roll back into the camper for some coffee, I had been outside working in the cold for hours
I look down at the pond and that buck is standing there
So I wake up sleeping beauty.
He grabs the 30-06, runs outside (30's) in his stocking feet, no jacket while I wait inside.
At that exact moment Infantry dude, the older Pre-Ranger calls me from Ft. Benning. He gets like 30 min a week now on the phone, so I tell him his brother is about to shoot the big guy on the farm. I wait, I hear the 30-06 go off. I watch the deer just stand there looking back at the camper. Then he just walks off and I see that kid of mine running down the hill after him.
Hmmm
Nate tells me he has to go so I go out after the deer hunter.
He yells at me, "GET THE .45, GET THE .45"
I yell back, "Shoot him with the rifle, you don't need to get into a gun fight with that buck."
So he comes back up the hill.
He is shaking and can't talk. He can barely breath right.
But I think I know what is going on. He is shaking and moving clumsily. Ya, Buck-Fever got another one.
Calmly, I ask, OK what happened?
"Dad, I don't know but I could not hold the gun still, it was shaking all over and so was I! I think I missed"
"Ya think?" the warrant officer responds.
I walked the area, zero sign of blood. No panicked deer running and digging in, only one walking off toward his next adventure.
Couple things about this. The deer was standing within 5 feet of the target used to check the zero of that same 30-06 last week, and the deer hunter fired from the same spot that he shot a 1" group six days earlier...Ya...
Well, I talk him down. Try to do the dad thing. He decides to go out in a couple hours and sit in one of the tree stands we own. He does and does nothing except to warm the surrounding cold wind.
Meanwhile, I get back to barn door construction.
Nearing nightfall, I close down ops, pick up my M4 which I keep close by for coyotes.
I walk up to the shed to close the doors and walk inside. I looked out the front window and there's that 10-point buck walking by the gate at the front of my property. I watched him for awhile when a pretty 8-point buck comes right up the hill and when he steps onto my driveway he sees me. He is 100 meters away. He is dead broadside to me. I have my M4 in my hand.
I raise the weapon to my shoulder to look at him through my ACOG. I see him and place the little red chevron right on his heart and just watch him for a few seconds. He is looking right at me.
I had .55 grain FMJ's in the mag, and that's a 150-160 deer...No way. That and this is my son's weekend, not mine.
I lowered the weapon and move to stand right in the doorway. That buck just stands there looking at me. I waved my hand at him to my right, and no kidding he lowered his head, kind of like a nod, turned and walked away slowly in the direction he was going.
The deer hunter was staking out a piece of woods that had zero illum and except for two square miles in Antarctica, was devoid of all forms of life.
Now, I told that deer hunter to just get a chair and sit in or near the shed, and he'd have a deer before breakfast. But he insisted he had the thing all figured out...
Kids
Kinda like privates
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OK, back to barn door building
I backed up to the building, and cranked up the bed to allow me to almost drag everything out instead of hauling it bit by heavy bit
Then used the Kub to haul the sticks over to the shed to cut them to length
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I started by cutting the aluminum sides to length and rough squaring them up on four saw horses
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The system is really cool. You simply fit rout 2X4's into the side extrusions, measure, then fasten them permanently into place. I used #8 1.5" flat head screws to hold everything together
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Now that’s too funny.
My boy finally got a good shot on the third one.
First two were likely a bit of that there fever too.
The last one was money.
30 yards and bled out.
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A 2X6 is at the top, although a 2X4 is all that is called for. When it is all screwed together it is more of a monocoque unit which reaches ultimate strength with the final screw.
I couldn't flippin' believe it but three 36" sheets fit perfectly. I did not, however get the length correct. I will need to trim off the excess length
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Now that’s too funny.
My boy finally got a good shot on the third one.
First two were likely a bit of that there fever too.
The last one was money.
30 yards and bled out.
Yea, its the adrenaline
Same with soldiering
I have seen men do crap like that on their first time out in a gun fight. They get so amped they can't find the trigger. Had two gunners one time who were unable to fire their machine guns when a .50 started shooting at us. You get too much into the moment and there goes the whole shebang!
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Anyway, The doors finished out square, a bit too long, but only needing to be trimmed and have the trolley system installed
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This is cool. One of the door sides is fitted with a "U" channel to slide over and capture the opposite door
The bottom "U" is meant to be a rust proof bottom that can be fitted with a board or something to make it more weatherproof
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Some details of the trolley system and the hanger that attaches all that to the wall
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I blocked in the area on the inside of the wall where the overhead trolley tube will attach:
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On the outside, unfortunately, I will need to add in some spacers to clear the 3/4" tall ribs made into the steel. I'll place some 3/4" pressure treated decking board over those to provide for a place to mount the trolley tube
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Heck of a place to leave the build!!
Funny, my father did the same on our first. Just got an 06, sighted in a new scope and we stop way past Placerville looking for a spot to camp. I said take you rifle, I hear a boom 2 minutes later, hit the dirt,,,,,,,,,,,,,
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This is cool. One of the door sides is fitted with a "U" channel to slide over and capture the opposite door
The bottom "U" is meant to be a rust proof bottom that can be fitted with a board or something to make it more weatherproof
It’s meant to engage a metal unit piece in center of opening & at end of doors so door bottom doesn’t kick out when windy. When you have concrete pads they can be installed into the crete. Unsure how it works with gravel etc. a lot of guys drive a stake and then wedge a wooden block between stake and door just don’t run over stake then.
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This is cool. One of the door sides is fitted with a "U" channel to slide over and capture the opposite door
The bottom "U" is meant to be a rust proof bottom that can be fitted with a board or something to make it more weatherproof
It’s meant to engage a metal unit piece in center of opening & at end of doors so door bottom doesn’t kick out when windy. When you have concrete pads they can be installed into the crete. Unsure how it works with gravel etc. a lot of guys drive a stake and then wedge a wooden block between stake and door just don’t run over stake then.
OK, thanks for the clarification
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Great progress Don. Congrats on the football season. Ours ended this weekend with a loss in the first round of the playoffs.
I think I was too young for buck fever when I shot my first at 14. Hammered him dead.
Some years later when a 300 lb hog was knocking my feeder over at night and I tried to take a shot from an open window in the house with the SBR and PVS14 from 70 yards, yeah. Total miss.
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Quick update.
Weather changed a little for opening day of white-tail gun season.
A bit of ice there I think
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I spent the day cleaning up and repairing the saw mill. There wasn't really anything wrong with it, but I took the carb and intake off and cleaned it, changed the oil, replaced the gasoline, and lubed everything. It started on the very first pull.
I cut a few test logs into cants, then re-sawed them into boards
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Definitely some pretty wood inside those old logs
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That one log produced enough lumber to cover 30" of deck flooring 10 feet long!
And that's exactly what it is going to do!
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Next I opened up a couple of ancient Oak logs.
Trying to date these things, I think they were felled in 1833. That's the date my farm was first registered and recorded as an Amish farm. My theory is that while they were clearing the fields, they were using the trees to put up the original barn. Since the logs were worked with an axe mostly I have at least one amateur historian in the area who specializes in barns who said the barn definitely predated the Civil war, as the technique to erect the barns after the war changed. If that is the case a 15"-18" diameter oak would take at least 100 years to get to that size. That means those logs were thriving trees when Daniel Boone was walking around the countryside and at least half a century before the American revolution!
As you will see in another thread, I have started building a desk from those boards to gift to my grand daughter for Christmas.
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That is some pretty wood.
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Too bad you are so far from here. My neighbor is rebuilding a 1941 chevy woodie and is having a hard time finding the right wood in the right sizes so more of using what he can find rather than replacing with like kind.
Nice looking product you are ending up with.
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Are you going to get a planer of industrial size to finish that material or leave as is?
I think I remember you having a dewalt planer at the home shop?
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Too bad you are so far from here. My neighbor is rebuilding a 1941 chevy woodie and is having a hard time finding the right wood in the right sizes so more of using what he can find rather than replacing with like kind.
Nice looking product you are ending up with.
Put him in-touch with me, perhaps I can help
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Are you going to get a planer of industrial size to finish that material or leave as is?
I think I remember you having a dewalt planer at the home shop?
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Yea, that Dewalt is handling it just fine. It's making some pretty boards!
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So, I put up the spacers and the plate, I guess I'll call it over those for the door track
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Then the door track.
It still needs two posts to support the ends, and the two doors
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Oh, and the new tractor is helping out pretty well
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Fast forward a few days and the power company arrived to finally install the poles and hook my electricity...
But
I told them not to come when it was wet outside, but they did...
And got stuck
And got nothing at all done!
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It snowed in the county where I lived, but apparently rained like hades down at the farm. Look how far the water came up
And it all got my truck pretty dirty
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On the interior we build the framing for the knee wall separating the saw mill from the rest of the shop area
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At least you have roof up!! GRRRR
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....
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I guess I didn’t realize the mill was going in that barn. I thought you had or were putting a roof structure over it where it was last located. Sorry, not keeping up on things lately.
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....
Not me man, I swear!
Now the other Kubota is beginning to look like a couple of privates drove it around in some battle somewhere, but the new one is still GTG
;-)
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Don't feel bad Don. Did the same to mine putting a jerry can up there. Even had a piece of wood so as not scratch the paint!
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....
Not me man, I swear!
Now the other Kubota is beginning to look like a couple of privates drove it around in some battle somewhere, but the new one is still GTG
;-)
HAHAHAHA
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This is just hours after the tornados struck about 100 miles south west of my place. There were some high winds and so much rain!
Sky still looks angry here.
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Those water tanks went from 2/3 full to running over in one event!
Over 6,000 gallons of water just like that!
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The pond gained a bunch of water and depth:
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How are the ponds feed, just run off or a stream?
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How are the ponds feed, just run off or a stream?
Run off only
But
If you look at the road carefully, you will see I actually use it to collect water from way up hill and channel it into the pond
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Just wondering if you could filter the intake better using gravel or rocks? Water from the pics always looks dirty.
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Just wondering if you could filter the intake better using gravel or rocks? Water from the pics always looks dirty.
I probably could, but that's due mostly to all the construction
Some day the pond and intake ditch will be full of grass...and...the road will be covered in gravel...and...the area that is draining will also be grassy.
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Power company showed up yesterday, while the ground was frozen and finally got the pole installed and power hooked up!
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That pole down on the pond will be replaced, although we agreed to have it done in the summer when the ground is hard. The one there now is fine, but not as tall as the new one coming in soon.
Meanwhile, here is the new service pole, wires, and transformer. I think I'll have plenty height to stay away from tall things like the Kobelco.
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The water tanks are now completely full and have been running over. I may just find another big tank and fill it. or perhaps dig a small pond/hole, then line it with PVC and use it to raise minnows or something. I'll have an abundance of rain water it seems, to use however I wish.
Speaking of water, the pond is approaching full depth. I like how it is coming right up to the edge of the stones I placed in the part of the bank where water flows into it from the south field
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It will rise another foot, but then recede to about where it is now I think
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While we were poking around there, a quick snow shower blew in and put about an inch down in just minutes
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Glad to see you weren't "REALLY" impacted by the storm at all Chief. she's really taking shape up there.
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Glad to see you weren't "REALLY" impacted by the storm at all Chief. she's really taking shape up there.
Seems we get a pass on a lot of the crazy weather these days
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What happened to the fish clearing up that water? It looks like a mud pond
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:popcorn:
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What happened to the fish clearing up that water? It looks like a mud pond
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Muddy fields and muddy roads, and constant construction
Gonna be muddy-like for some time I'd guess
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10k gallons of rain over a couple days probably didn't help much either.
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Well, as spring rapidly approaches, the pond is completely full
I'll post some bad pics off my phone after church.
In preparation for the warming, I am currently sourcing parts to install a solar powered pond aeration system which should be up and running within a couple of weeks. Certainly before the water warms significantly
The construction of that system is here:
http://real-man-truckworks-and-survival.com/index.php?topic=5055.0
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All my pics are via phone. Most take great pics, most don't like getting run over.
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Delivered the Diamond mulcher head to the farm.
What a wicked looking piece of destructive hardware!
Fits my personality perfectly ;-)
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Well, the farm is still a muddy mess and it is still raining. Pond is full, grass is growing, trees are budding and now leafing out and I can't get down there to operate because it is so slick there.
But I can build things at my home in preparation to get to work for the warm months.
Today I build the pond aerator system. This will soon sit on a small concrete pad beneath the solar panels and drive air into the bottom of the pond.
I'm starting with a storage container that I opened up to vent heat generated by the pump and electronics.
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I created bracing on the inside to have something to screw into, to make the bin a little stronger and to have something to secure the various electronic units to
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In the bottom I placed some 3/4" plywood on one end to support either one or two batteries, and some foam insulation board to muffle the humm of the air pump
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Then I hung the solar panel controller and the 300 watt inverter
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I wired everything up and made an access for the air hose
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No pics but I raised the lid some with some 1 1/2" square strips to make a very secure attachment and to provide additional venting.
It is now ready for a battery and some panels and that concrete pad
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So a hose to the bottom with a diffuser of some type?
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You probably have this figured but keep it sprayed with insecticide and some rat poison inside. That will be very attractive to critters.
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People in RV use pet collars too, keeps the bugs out.
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So a hose to the bottom with a diffuser of some type?
Yes
http://real-man-truckworks-and-survival.com/index.php?topic=5055.0
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You probably have this figured but keep it sprayed with insecticide and some rat poison inside. That will be very attractive to critters.
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Hadn't thought about the rodent thing. Figured some small insects would get in, but the screened vents would stop most.
OK, critter poison it is!
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Ants are my worst enemy. Fire ants are horrible
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Ants are my worst enemy. Fire ants are horrible
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Corn starch and ant poison mixed together gets it into their nest
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Ants are my worst enemy. Fire ants are horrible
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Corn starch and ant poison mixed together gets it into their nest
We use baking powder and icing sugar.
Chief, I'm questioning the pump.
200 watts solar, 80 watts pump, how about the other six or so hours of the day?
Where I'm going is, the battery will get some charge, sure.
IF you have 10 hours of full beautiful sun you'll harness 2 kWhr.
The pump, in the same time will use nearly half of it.
Sure it will make the first 24 hours, but Vmin of 11.8 (80% DoD) is hard cycling the battery.
I am a fan of 50% DoD or 12.2 (depending on which chart you reference) gives many times more cycles to your battery.
The math of the pump is nearly 2 kWhr every 24 hours.
Now, depending on the inverter, will it 'shut off' due to low volts?
The next day, say you only get 5 hours of sun, now we're at deficit of watts.
This is where I'm going.
Not sure if the pump is a 24/7 thing, or if you plan on cycling it?
Based on what I've seen at my cabin, I'm unsure if you have enough panel?
Partly thinking out loud and partly saying what I've seen.
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Sam has a good point and panels are cheap now, like .50 watt. Maybe 500-800 watts, just 2 panels now. They have cheap trackers if you want to max it out.
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Solar has been around for a long time. Problem is everything keeps changing so much it is very hard to keep up. At some point I will/ may have to set up for off grid but for now I just hook into the local provider and life goes on. I don’t live off grid or even have a secondary spot that is off grid. I am thinking of off grid power is ever an issue, I will set a large propane tank. Our skies up in WA have way to many clouds in the way to be able to plan a system that would provide enough energy.
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FWIW with my 1 kW I’m making over 100 watts in full cloud.
It’s just you’ve got to stay ahead of your usage and have a certain amount of autonomy or a generator.
I’m jumping to 2kW when I get stranded for breakup if spring ever comes.
With any luck that will give me 200-250 in full cloud.
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Ants are my worst enemy. Fire ants are horrible
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Corn starch and ant poison mixed together gets it into their nest
We use baking powder and icing sugar.
Chief, I'm questioning the pump.
200 watts solar, 80 watts pump, how about the other six or so hours of the day?
Where I'm going is, the battery will get some charge, sure.
IF you have 10 hours of full beautiful sun you'll harness 2 kWhr.
The pump, in the same time will use nearly half of it.
Sure it will make the first 24 hours, but Vmin of 11.8 (80% DoD) is hard cycling the battery.
I am a fan of 50% DoD or 12.2 (depending on which chart you reference) gives many times more cycles to your battery.
The math of the pump is nearly 2 kWhr every 24 hours.
Now, depending on the inverter, will it 'shut off' due to low volts?
The next day, say you only get 5 hours of sun, now we're at deficit of watts.
This is where I'm going.
Not sure if the pump is a 24/7 thing, or if you plan on cycling it?
Based on what I've seen at my cabin, I'm unsure if you have enough panel?
Partly thinking out loud and partly saying what I've seen.
OK, Sam, I think you started a good little conversation here
You are correct, the ET-100 is an 80 watt pump
So let's figure out how I really need to set this up.
I only want to run the thing about 50% of the time. Most people I have watched on youtube who aerate their ponds strongly recommend only turning it over 12 hours a day, and there are more than a few who say to aerate during the night and not during the day. (I have not seen any sound reasoning as to why.)
Some people are using the exact same system as I have built with either one 12 volt deep cycle battery or two 6 volt batteries.
So
It seems I need to make some changes to my design before I install it in the coming weeks to get it right out of the gate.
So, questions are:
Should I add solar capacity? How much?
Should I use one 12 volt battery or two 6 volt batteries?
Should I put the whole thing onto some sort of timer to run when I want it to run?
Any other suggestions?
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I'll try to fill in the blanks that I can here:
I would find some sort of electronic timer. (I think it will draw less than a mechanical)
If the plan is to only run 5-6 hours at night you can control that with a simple timer.
A six hour run time would by the math be about .5 kWh.
Technically, if you had 2 kWh of storage you in theory "could" have three to four days autonomy.
So to add panels maybe not, but more panel is never a bad idea.
Battery size: You'll need 2kWh @ 12 volts, so about a 200Ah of battery I think...(my brain is struggling with the math right now)
If it were me, I'd grab two golf cart batteries from Costco and let it rip.
In a week or so you'd know if you are good or need more panel.
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Yes use an elec timer, otherwise you will need to run the inverter all the time.
Mono panels are better in changing light conditions.
To bad you didn't go with a 12v pump. Fewer losses and issues without an inverter.
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Yes use an elec timer, otherwise you will need to run the inverter all the time.
Mono panels are better in changing light conditions.
To bad you didn't go with a 12v pump. Fewer losses and issues without an inverter.
The dedicated 12VDC air pumps made for dedicated pond use are expensive. So everyone out there is using this pump made to more or less run continuously to aerate their septic tanks. They last a long time and when they crash, chuck it and buy a new one and you're still ahead on the $$$$
Not sure what the stats are on the panels, guess I had better crack those open to see so I can better nail this down.
Sam is recommending two 6V golf cart batteries which is something I was thinking about so I'll likely go get those.
I'll come back with the panel stats in a bit...
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Well I took a couple pics, but they are difficult to read due to the flash
But I have a single 200W panel.
So I'm thinking I just purchase another 200W panel and call it a day...
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Yep, I had the same in mind and almost posted. For the draw you need even used may work fine.
Look on FB for deals on panels, all over now. Many are 36-48v so don't forget you need a controller too. Even with a 12v panel controller are good.
I am about to upgrade the Ridge setup. I have 4x12v 200amp hour lithiums for it. Looking at inverters/controller to run everything until I get settled.
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I picked up another 210W panel.
So I will be driving a 50watt pump on 410 watts of solar panels charging up the batteries
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You charge the batteries and run the pump from them. It may run off the panels but not well.
IE; Panel-charge controller-battery-inverter-motor
It will run solid and the inverter should shut down when it draws the batteries low (10.5-11v)
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JR,
where do yo source .50/watt panels?
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Friend anytime^, but I see em on FB and CL all the time.
Lots of big business go for upgrade incentives and remove good panels.
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Ants are my worst enemy. Fire ants are horrible
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Corn starch and ant poison mixed together gets it into their nest
Borax and table sugar
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There is a huge change coming
That
I never expected
The bottom line is I believe the farm is going up for sale
If someone here wants it before I list it, contact me privately
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You signing up to go with Elon to Mars?
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You signing up to go with Elon to Mars?
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How Did You Guess???
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Don for president! Who needs the farm when he’s gonna be digging up the south lawn?
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OK, little more info?
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OK, little more info?
I suppose "The" conversation happens in every marriage, and certainly everyone begins to look at things through a slightly different lens as we did all our life earlier.
Kat points out that no one ever helps me out on the farm, and practically thinking, that is true. It is a bunch of work. I wasn't able to get to it much at all this year so far, and it is a big overgrown mess. I just spent all day bush hogging and I have maybe 1/3 done.
She points out that my whole life is in and around our home. Dr visits, grandkids, friends, socializing, and about 90% of what I do. The big plan was to take this big house that we spent $500K building in 07 which is now north of a mil and sell it when the last pre-ranger left home. That's now 8-9 months away.
So, it really got me thinking about the gargantuan effort I was about to undertake to get this home ready to sell, then move all our stuff, then build a whole new home. That's a 2-year exercise that has me starting live down there as a 70-year-old. I have noted that I have, indeed slowed down. Worst yet, I really don't want to constantly have to work to maintain, and believe me you lay off just a week, and the road will have a tree across it or a ditch from erosion or seven new mouse homes, and on and on.
And finally, Kat and I are of different ages. Me at 68 and her at 54. She is still in her working years while I have been fully retired for some time. If I can the farm, frankly, I'll have so much excess cash, I'll be able to supplement or replace her salary and she can come home, permanently. We could spend the rest of my time together.
So, to me, it shapes up kinda like this. I could keep the place, where I like to be, but where it is really only for me. Or I could sell it and put our marriage together and benefit the whole family.
I'm saying this as a 68-year-old. I can only imagine what I'll feel like in 5 years. I think I'll enjoy relaxing more than I will bleeding cutter lines in 100F heat and clearing mouse nests out of the engine fan on the Kubota.
Also, everything I have purchased is worth far more than I paid for it. Example: That Kubota compact track loader cost me $71K. Used with 400-500 hours they sell for $85K if you can find one!!!!!! Everything I have is the same. I'll likely make a ton over what I actually paid for things. I'll enter fully retired life with no payments except a mortgage. Everything will be or is already paid off! We could literally do about anything we want to include buy a second home in Flordia should we choose (And we won't)
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Or sell some of your Crypto and still enjoy both places. You have so many irons in the fire at the farm and I am sure many more in the planning stage. And I thought your plan included moving from the existing place to the farm. Don’t let the age thing start making all the choices for you. not enough time to just give up. You will still need to do all the upkeep on the home you are in.
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What about a caretaker for it? Sure you like to do a lot, but time and $$$ slow that down.
It might give you time to just do the stuff you want. Some retired or disabled guy looking for a place to stay for a little work.
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It’s a very mature decision, albeit totally unexpected(especially for Don ). For purely selfish reasons, I hate to see it go as watching the buildout process has given me lots of ideas on what to do or what is even possible in some instances. I’ll be the one to applaud you making this decision. Not because it’s the right one for me or the other guys on the forum, but because it will give you back something it has been taking from you, time. Something you can spend with your wife, children and grandchildren. You can always find someone with a little bit of land and a bulldozer if you want to move dirt. Heck, I’ll let you park your equipment at my house while you’re waiting for it to sell <evil grin>.
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It’s a very mature decision, albeit totally unexpected(especially for Don ). For purely selfish reasons, I hate to see it go as watching the buildout process has given me lots of ideas on what to do or what is even possible in some instances. I’ll be the one to applaud you making this decision. Not because it’s the right one for me or the other guys on the forum, but because it will give you back something it has been taking from you, time. Something you can spend with your wife, children and grandchildren. You can always find someone with a little bit of land and a bulldozer if you want to move dirt. Heck, I’ll let you park your equipment at my house while you’re waiting for it to sell <evil grin>.
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"Park" Dave?>? Define "park"??
;-)
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Or sell some of your Crypto and still enjoy both places. You have so many irons in the fire at the farm and I am sure many more in the planning stage. And I thought your plan included moving from the existing place to the farm. Don’t let the age thing start making all the choices for you. not enough time to just give up. You will still need to do all the upkeep on the home you are in.
Sold the crypts just as it started its trip downhill...came out nicely
You mentioned upkeep on my current home. That is actually a factor in my decision. My current home almost needs full-time upkeep. Not a small place, mind you as it is now over 15 years old and many things are failing/needing replacement.
The glass shower door just up and fell off and shattered into seventy billion shards. Sinks coming loose from countertops, water heater on the blink...gutters stop up about every month due to all the trees we have around here and need attention. It took me over a month to mulch everything and trim all the trees. They were five feet tall when I planted them, now they are 30 feet tall and 20' wide. Mice constantly attack, we were hit by a tornado that did damage, dogs are always chewing up everything, and electrical problems, I almost expect a big sink hole to open up and swallow the place
And finally, why keep it? As an investment? for one boy to hunt on if he is ever home? I have one in the infantry and the second will be in ROTC in a year, then an Army officer for six or more years. The only reason I can see for keeping it is to give it to them (At the cost of their mother continuing to work) or have a place for me to ride around on very expensive equipment...Equipment which will gradually be destroyed by mice and disuse.
No, without living there, it no longer serves a purpose.
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What about a caretaker for it? Sure you like to do a lot, but time and $$$ slow that down.
It might give you time to just do the stuff you want. Some retired or disabled guy looking for a place to stay for a little work.
JR, really bad idea! I say that with respect and knowing that you care, but: That homeless or disabled guy has one accident and I get to pay for all of it. Heck, he may even end up owning the place after he sues me for it. Or he smokes dope, or worse, or drinks, or has folks over who do. No, you don't want other people on your place...
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Sounds like the right, well thought out decision. When you come to ft Stewart next you can visit mine.
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Well there are a lot of ways to make it work if you want to.
Leasing for hay or other production like cattle. For example
With the tax breaks and not having the other house you can pay someone to maintain
The thing you have to ask is: are you close enough to medical services as you get older? And is your wife onboard? You’ve spent a lot your life down range so this may be the time to defer to her if she’s not onboard with farm life.
There will never be anything as nice as waking up and having coffee on your porch looking out with no neighbors in view.
Two residences is very taxing so I understand the dilemma.
As soon as my second heads to college I’m offloading the big house. I’ll commute 125 miles a couple days a week until I retire.
End the end I suggest praying over it.
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My wife has been following these Rv living people and wants to pull up roots and do that, she wants to buy a nice rv and live out of it pulling an enclosed cargo trailer to have a car in and see the world with the boys. I’m not there yet in my life I don’t think.
I’d say pull the trigger on building a house there and dump the fancy house. Hell let the farm run wild and as Charles says enjoy that cup of coffee in your own paradise every day till noon on the wonderful porch swing
But this all depends on wife’s desire to do it
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It’s a very mature decision, albeit totally unexpected(especially for Don ). For purely selfish reasons, I hate to see it go as watching the buildout process has given me lots of ideas on what to do or what is even possible in some instances. I’ll be the one to applaud you making this decision. Not because it’s the right one for me or the other guys on the forum, but because it will give you back something it has been taking from you, time. Something you can spend with your wife, children and grandchildren. You can always find someone with a little bit of land and a bulldozer if you want to move dirt. Heck, I’ll let you park your equipment at my house while you’re waiting for it to sell <evil grin>.
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"Park" Dave?>? Define "park"??
;-)
You know, park, for safe keeping. But I might have to move it if it gets in the way. And it might run over some brush or a dirt pile, or make a dirt pile or accidentally make a trail. You know, park.
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It’s a very mature decision, albeit totally unexpected(especially for Don ). For purely selfish reasons, I hate to see it go as watching the buildout process has given me lots of ideas on what to do or what is even possible in some instances. I’ll be the one to applaud you making this decision. Not because it’s the right one for me or the other guys on the forum, but because it will give you back something it has been taking from you, time. Something you can spend with your wife, children and grandchildren. You can always find someone with a little bit of land and a bulldozer if you want to move dirt. Heck, I’ll let you park your equipment at my house while you’re waiting for it to sell <evil grin>.
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"Park" Dave?>? Define "park"??
;-)
You know, park, for safe keeping. But I might have to move it if it gets in the way. And it might run over some brush or a dirt pile, or make a dirt pile or accidentally make a trail. You know, park.
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Copy...That's what I thought it meant!
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You talked about destroying a portion of the world with the skid steer and cutting head as a business opportunity. Are you still thinking that way or will it be gone as well?
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You talked about destroying a portion of the world with the skid steer and cutting head as a business opportunity. Are you still thinking that way or will it be gone as well?
Good question, but let me answer for Don. He's on the road to Arizona, or Idaho, to drop off the kabota.
He decided to donate it to me because I admitted that I would be destroying his machine, instead of "parking" it.
More importantly, my name isn't Dave.
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You talked about destroying a portion of the world with the skid steer and cutting head as a business opportunity. Are you still thinking that way or will it be gone as well?
Good question, but let me answer for Don. He's on the road to Arizona, or Idaho, to drop off the kabota.
He decided to donate it to me because I admitted that I would be destroying his machine, instead of "parking" it.
More importantly, my name isn't Dave.
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Sorry Ken, you must have missed the memo.
He’s headed waaaay north to deliver for some cold weather testing.
Also not named Dave…
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You talked about destroying a portion of the world with the skid steer and cutting head as a business opportunity. Are you still thinking that way or will it be gone as well?
Well, just before my wife and I talked about the farm and its future, I put an ad out there and just a ton of jobs came in. They number somewhere between 10 and 20. Some are multi day jobs like one clearing a 700 meter long road, to cutting a 25 acre over grown field. I am pricing the small cutter at $150 an hour and the big one @ $200/hr and there is no way I can do all the work that is coming in.
Now I had planned to sell all the equipment after the sell the farm decision, so all that would be gone,
but
Today, my son came to me and made a passionate plea to keep the place. Listening to him, I could see just how emotionally deep the connection runs for the both of them.
So...
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Notice just how fast these people run away from that namesake, "Dave!"
Spotty a name as it is with all the crazy and nonsensical junk that comes from people bearing it, some have learned to keep a safe distance
This is learning
This is wise
I think I'll reward this basic, common sense behavior with one, "get outta bein' fired" certificate each
Good work menses!
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Well, to tidy up this thread, Chris had a good talk to me and framed up the reasons I should not sell the farm.
I saw the logic, caring, and maturity in his words.
I told him, "OK, I'll keep it."
But I think instead of rolling all the way back to the plan to move down there, I'll just build a nice cabin that we can stay at for extended periods and continue living in this big castle. I think this house went well over a million some time ago. USAA replacement costs have been north of seven figures for nearly two years.
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Sounds like sound advice, young or not. :likebutton:
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Me thinks if your plan was to live at the farm then move forward. Start making needed repairs to the in neighborhood home but after building out the farm home get the neighborhood home on the market for sure.
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Well, it's been a long time since I posted here
The reason is that from early last summer, my back went out in a big way, which led to surgery. That happened in the autum and I have been slowly recovering ever since. Slow at first, but picking up the pace lately, I have been good this time and actually followed the doctor's advice/orders. All that culminated with a visit to his office Wednesday when he told me I am back 100% and I can now do anything I did before the operation.
With that in mind, I started back on the farm today, Saturday.
First up (no pics) we had discovered a faulty main breaker in the panel that in the end was only allowing 8.2 volts to pass from the 220 that was supplied. Today we pulled the meter base, then disassembled the panel and removed the faulty breaker. It had definitely failed as post removal test indicated.
The new breaker will be available for re-installation this coming week!
While Mark was doing that, I installed a new case drain hose onto the severe-duty Blue Diamond cutter head which brought that piece of equipment back to being serviceable.
I found a leak in one of the 3,000 gal water tanks and did a temp repair on that. Unfortunately, the full repair will involve draining the tank completely, but with the ability to isolate it, I'll just wait until spring to get that and use the other 3K of water to wash my equipment once the electricity is restored.
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Speaking of water, the farm has been getting a bunch of it! California is not the only place to get a ton of rainfall!
You'll notice the pond is well up and over the eastern bank.
plenty of signs of critters utilizing it still.
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Did pound update on the fish? Did they make it through the summer?
Noted a barn in the photo with a less then straight roof line, that isn’t your barn?
Like others I’m sure have a vision of the whole place and in my mind there were no other structures in view except the ones you have made?
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Great your back up (ha ha), looks good so far.
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Did pound update on the fish? Did they make it through the summer?
Noted a barn in the photo with a less then straight roof line, that isn’t your barn?
Like others I’m sure have a vision of the whole place and in my mind there were no other structures in view except the ones you have made?
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Neighbor has that barn on my southern fence line. It's about 500 yards away from where my shed is situated.
I saw fish in there in the fall, along with a ton of frye. Hard to believe they could have reproduced already, but thousands of them, all sub-minnow size. I might wet a hook in the spring to see what size they are getting to be.
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Theres a void there .... didnt you have a camper down there?
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Time’s a wasting, glad you’re back at it. :likebutton:
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Theres a void there .... didnt you have a camper down there?
Yessir, I did.
Sold it
Thinking: Forces me to start building something habital out of the "Shed."
Good memory!
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Second day in a row down at the hide.
Felt great. I rode around in circles all day on that tracked zero-turn mower. The fields are in good enough shape that you can actually mow them like your lawn.
So, today, I started attacking the brushy overgrowth that moved in last year while I was down with the bad back awaiting surgery. I hade huge strides toward getting it "prettied up!"
Here are some before and after's:
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Daffodils are coming up all over!
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I'll be clearing all around the "Shed" as I begin to transform it into a proper cabin
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It was a mess, but that machine makes quick work of almost everything
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Trooper had a heck of a day running all over creation.
The ponds are all full. The water tanks are all full
The electricity all works.
There is some erosion damage and I need to clean up the area where the camper once sat, but overall I'm in great shape!
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Good days work.
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Um .... where did the 3rd bldg come from, and whats its purpose?
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That is a beautiful place. I love it in Kentucky.
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Um .... where did the 3rd bldg come from, and whats its purpose?
Storage...
You have probably forgotten reading about it here. Built it in my basement in 4'X8' panels, then broke it down and reassembled it on site, maybe 5-6 years ago.
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That is a beautiful place. I love it in Kentucky.
I was talking to my neighbor yesterday. He has a bunch of calves. I will be buying my starters from him. If you look at a field way down below the pond, that is where they will go into. Problem is, I haven't fenced it yet. I still have to cut the access/perimeter through the woods so the fencing machine can get access. Depending on what I hear from the KY ag dept, I may get that done this year. I missed last year. They will come alongside the farmer and pay half to 75% of the cost for fencing, but they allocate "X"-number of dollars and it runs out fast.
If I had the financing/grant, I'd have 5-6 cows on that field, enough to feed my entire family and extended family.
This brings up an interesting discussion
With building out a hide, which is a functioning farm, you have to work out how it will distribute/share with the community. I decided to do a CO-OP. If you want a cow, or maybe 1/4 of one, then you pay 25% of the cost of the calf. You pay as you go for 25% of vet fees, feed if there is any, and then when the cow is butchered, you pay for 25% of the cost and receive 25% of the meat. In a year to two, a 200-pound calf grows to 1000-1200 lab of which 800-900 is useable. On top of that, you pay me a small premium because you are using my land. I then share in others who have hogs and chickens or make sausage or whatever. For my portion, I will freeze hundreds of pounds and trade it for other goods. I am surrounded by Amish and Mennonite families. I get tired of looking at all the black pickups! I will trade with them too. They have lumber, any food you could want, firewood, beverages, butter, you name it.
If you were close by, I'd trade with you too!
When I get the veggie plots fenced in to keep the deer out, you will be allowed to raise your own veggies, and then share a third or so with me. You will tend the gardens yourself, with little to no help from me. I just provide the plot.
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Looks good Don. Had to turn off the VPN to see all the pics.
Heading up to my place tomorrow for the day, need to D/O all kinds off stuff.
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A lot has happened since I last updated this thread.
I think it will be easiest to just fire up a part 8 and start again there.
Since I last posted our youngest grew up, graduated, and joined the Army. He was a big priority. I got sick and had a lot of downtime. I'm better now.
We had decided to sell everything and just about did. I sold off 75% of the implements but kept the most important things including the Compact track loader with cutter head, the other tractor and the fuel tank. I also kept the 17K dump trailer and all the small tools. And finally, the farm did not fetch the $539K I was asking, and looking at it now, that was a good thing.
She had decided we were not moving there so I just tossed in the towel. A year later, we can see that we really need to move there, especially considering how crazy the world is getting. So with all the sales contracts removed and a recovery plan shaping up, I will be getting back to creating a living space down there. We did do a cow, but on a more local farm. The guy we purchased from does 28 cows a year for folks like us and makes $65K doing it. We will be doing the same thing, although only 10-15 cows annually. We did harvest around 26 round bales of hay from half our farm on one cutting. Had we cut twice and the whole thing, I will be producing 100 round bales annually. I'll make $35 on half those, so that's another $1700 in income.
When I set up the new sawmill, I am going to set up a side business of selling 2" live edge oak/hickory/whatever slabs to sell on Marketplace. Additionally, I have a thousand or more landscaping boulders to sell to local folks. I plan to create a modest income stream and see if I can 100% build my cabin from native materials and money I made strictly at the farm.
I think I will also encourage some of the kids to move down there where I'll give each of them a piece of land to start their homes on. Finally, when the opportunity presents itself, I think I might try and put back together the entire original 400+ acre Mennonite farm and lock it all down in a trust.
Stay tuned for Part 8, it is about to start.
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Well here’s a turn of events!
Glad you’re feeling better enough to get this goin chief.
Looking forward to this.
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Well here’s a turn of events!
Glad you’re feeling better enough to get this goin chief.
Looking forward to this.
Thanks Sam!
I'll be starting the parade off with buying another Woodland Mills HM-130Max from the good folks down in Ontario.
The last one worked so well, I figure why mess with success?
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Glad you are doing better. Treaments or just taking better care of you?
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Glad you are doing better. Treaments or just taking better care of you?
Medicine
Treating symptoms at the moment. That turns into treating the disease in time. I am taking the initial run of prescriptions at the moment. I am fully functional.
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That sounds like a much better plan for you. Looking forward to seeing part 8
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Go to Part 8 to see updates
Here's a link for the lazy,,,,,,,,,,,,,
http://real-man-truckworks-and-survival.com/index.php?topic=5350.msg133378#msg133378