Santa

Seeing as Santa has a soft spot in his heart for workshops, he delivered this a couple days before the big day....(it had to come early as it was too heavy for the reindeer to pull the sleigh filled with this and everybody else's toys.  So, he makes special early deliveries for these larger items.  Or Rudolf is just a wimp!)

Gene's dream table saw.  His old one is almost as old as our marriage, it's held up well, but he finds a new one a necessity.  This one is just too cool! Besides it will save his fingers if/when he has an accident.  The dust collection system on it is magnificent...collecting 99%.  Sweet!  He's a happy camper!

And we finished the upstairs insulation...

Pretty cool!  The 4 skylights and end wall windows add lots of light...even on this dark dreary day.

It's coming down to the wire...we can almost see the end.  We're not sure what we're going to do with ourselves when it's done....aside from the obligatory martini.  Maybe Gene can finish a project or 2 in the house?  He'll finally have the room to cut the materials!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!  May your New Year be eventful and fun!

Party on!

More progress, More pictures

Ho-Ho-Ho!  Merry Christmas everyone!

Unfortunately, my energy has been spent elsewhere this month and we didn't get any Christmas cards out this year.  So consider this your holiday greeting!  Merry Christmas!  May Santa be good to you...or be naughty and save Santa the trip.

The last of the framing inspections passed without issues...as did the electrical.  Now, we just have to finish it up and get both finals.  There's still much work to be done.  Siding, soffits, landing out the back door, some sheet rock around the stairs...

Anyway, here's more pics...

The stairs.

South wall upstairs.
Bet you can't guess what we've been doing!

North wall.  Like the little window?  It's mostly for ventilation, but it's a nice little view.
The upstairs looks like it's stuffed in a sleeping bag.

Detail of the railing.  It's 1" wire grid sandwiched between 2x4's.
With a 2x6 cedar cap and bolted to the floor/floor joists.
It's not going anywhere!
My idea, but we designed it on the fly.  We really like it!

Obviously, we have the North wall left to insulate.  First Gene has to put some spacers in to allow for it.  We're getting tired.  Taking more and more nights off.  But with the insulation it's staying warmer in there.   After the North wall and the 3 ceiling bays are finished off, it should stay nice and toasty!  Then I'll bake some cookies and we'll take a nap.

Wishing you all a very merry holiday!  And thank all of you for your help and well wishes on our project!

Party on!

Gene & Coleen

Another day at the Polar Ice Cap

Everybody cold?  Hasn't stopped us...well, maybe a little...or a lot.  We're still out there almost every night.  We come in to thaw and get food...good thing I have a new retainer...keeps my teeth from chattering too bad.

The progress...the stairs are in with the walls around it complete.  I'll get a photo later.  Tonight we got the upstairs rail in.  Looks pretty cool.  It's not quite finished, will do that tomorrow night.  Have some insulation in, also.  Will finish that after we get the last of the framing inspections on Friday.  Yes, we'll be ready for it on Friday!  YAY!  Then we can get on with the process of pushing for the final inspection.

Last week Gene took a day off and Chuck and Dee came over and helped put the plywood up on the end wall.  The previous week, they came over and helped Gene frame it.  Pretty cool...I mean cooooold! I think it was all of 36º this day....

Gene's out there somewhere.
I opted to sleep until noon and watch my soaps
while enjoying chocolate truffles.

The next Saturday, Gene and I spent the morning cleaning out the carport.  My car can now get back into it's home.  Ok, there's still the junk yard on the left...but, rednecks will be rednecks.  (If I didn't spend so much time watching soaps it might get cleaned out.)

Unbelievable.  

I may get more photos this weekend.  Although, Christmas seems to be getting in the way.  I've found it necessary to gain a little sanity by immersing myself in doing some Christmas glittering.  We may even find the time to do some shopping this weekend.  We were going to do some this Thursday evening, after our anniversary dinner.  But we got complimentary tickets to the preview of the new Mission Impossible movie.  We can shop later.  Tom Cruise and a hot BMW is impossible to pass up...we're weak.  (Did you notice that the BMW is 'hot', while Tome Cruise is just...well, plain ol' Tom Cruise?  I'd much rather be cavorting around with a Bimmer!)

Party on!

Coleen

Thanksgiving weekend

Greetings!  Hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  We sure did.  It was great spending the day with Kyle and Liz, along with my Mom and Pat.

Anyway...back to the project.  While Gene didn't make the progress he had dreamed, we still got a lot done.  First, the back door.  Hoping it would only take 1/2 day, with one annoying issue after another we managed to spend the entire day on the installation.  At least it fits well and all issues could be dealt with.  Not the least of which was fixing several factory mistakes, but we managed and really like the finished product!...beats the plastic sheeting!

Gene's enjoying a well deserved rest.
Of course this was taken the morning after...it was dark by time we finished on Friday.

The next project was the last piece of plywood on the North end.  It was a bugger to get in, but, again, he did it.  And now the shop stays much warmer with the warm air not just blowing out through the hole!  We actually got the shop up to 61º today!  A 15º difference from outside!  YAY!

And then onto the stairs.  He was hoping to get it done this weekend, but with the door and plywood taking longer than anticipated...as well as the obligatory trip to Jerry's for more nails.  God, for what we've spent on nail and screws Gene could pay for 1/2 a new table saw!

The landing in place just time to practice  modeling...my next career.
This he actually got done yesterday.

Notice the paint ont he block...primer.  We're just going to primer it to brighten it up a little.

And here it is with the first flight done.  Pretty exciting!
He does good work!  He learned from his Dad, what else would you expect?!

We'll be working on the last part of the stairs over the week.  Lay out a stringer one night; cut it out the next and then 2 more stringers on the subsequent nights, by the weekend, it'll be ready to install.  Can't wait to just run up the stairs to get up to the attic.

Ok, that was it for our weekend.  Wish we had the whole next week.  But, life as it is there's something called 'work' that's always getting in the way of our fun!  Paa-shaw!

Party on!

Coleen

Ps...oh, yeh, with all the mess, does it look like a shop yet?  He'll clean it up (organize) eventually...

We can see the light!

Need I say more?  Complete with a kitchen in the back.  (Refer and microwave)  Obviously, Gene even got some of equipment moved in.  Still have the door in back to do.  We wanted to do it this last weekend, but it was too stinkin' cold!

But, we did get the 'front' door in...

Complete with my stacks of 2x10's to create a stoop...works great!
The back door(s) is a double door set of this door style. 

Anyway, that's it for now.  Although the electrical inspector just showed up and informed us that we HAVE to get sheetrock or 1/2" wood equivalent on the short side walls upstairs to get the electrical approval.  Ugggg...that's not on our building permit.  Oh, well, we get to insulate sooner than expected.  Gee, too bad.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  May your day be filled with blessings and lots of fat calories.

Party on!

Coleen

Upstairs

We not only got the floor down in the shop, but thanks to Dee and Chuck, the upstairs floor went down Sunday.  We haven't posted a pic of the upstairs attic storage yet.

Is that an amazing space or what!?  I'm going to do a white paint primer on the floor.  So, it will have a white-washed effect.  There are also 2 more skylights that don't show in this pic.  They're toward the camera.  I'm up on a ladder in the stair well taking this at floor level.

The electricians are here.  Right now, I have to run out and tell them to forget what I just said about the height of the outlets up there.

I'm back.  but, seriously, is this room too cool?!  Wait until you see how I'm going to finish the stairs....

Oh, and thanks to Dee for coming over yesterday and helping me sweep the shop floor.  Well, here's the story...the finish we put down is an oil base.  The directions have you putting down a small dose, leaving it for 30 min. then wiping the excess off.  Labor intensive...yes.  But, what I discovered by accident is that if you then put a light coating of sawdust on it and let it sit for a while and then work it with a broom and sweep it off, the sawdust absorbs even more excess oil.  And it makes for a wonderful satin finish.  (If you don't get the excess oil up, it will coagulate and leave a tacking film that will be there forever.)  Anyway, yesterday was the last push to get it done before the cold weather hits (it has to be 45º or over for the finish) and I was exhausted with my arm, shoulder, hand, etc. in pain.  So, knowing Dee likes to sweep, she came over and swept to her hearts content.

Hopefully, the next entry will show working lights!  YAY!

Party on!

Coleen

Is that a floor, or am I dreaming?

Yes! Toto, it's a floor!

Kyle came down and helped on Sunday.  With the 3 of us, we got it half done.  And were exhausted.  But, we also moved a pile of 3/4" plywood for the upstairs floor and the other half of this plywood, 1 1/8", inside out of the weather.  Then Gene and I worked at it a few sheets at a time every evening this week, until finishing it last night...after Gene took 1/2 the day off.

We couldn't have done it without you, Kyle!  Thank you!

I'm now waiting for the weather to warm, just a little, so, the finish can go on.  A few sheets at the far end have some finish, but it requires 45º and well, it's not!

So, Chuck and Dee said they'd come over this Sunday and help get plywood upstairs.  That's gunna be fun!  or not.  Maybe Chuck and Gene can get the doors in, too.  Or maybe Gene and I can do the single door tomorrow.  The double door in the back is way too heavy for just the 2 of us!

And Monday...P O W E R!  The electricians come.  I picture them swooping in putting up some fixtures, snapping their fingers and voila', light and power!  No more cords getting in the way every time you move!  Ok, reality...maybe it will take a day or two.

Whatever, Gene's starting to dream about getting his table saw dug out and set up, while I'm fancying a small kiln in the top right corner.  Hey, I could take up ceramics!  Or he could get a new table saw....

But, for the rest of the afternoon, I get to go out and sweep/vacuum the sawdust on the new floor.  Then if it gets warm enough...throw some finish down.

Party on!

Coleen