# German House Rebuild



## shumakerscott

I have began taking down the chimineys. One is very old and has come down pretty easy, no cement in the mortar. It was packed full of soot and crud that was at least 2ft deep inside. It collected water like a sponge and transfered it to the inside walls. The 2nd is much newer with cement in the mortar, much harder to get down. I think the big jack hammer from above is the way to finish it off. Here are a couple of pics of the easy, old chiminey. When I start over it will be just a shell. My friends think I'm crazy!


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## JohnDIY

Looks like it came down easy!


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## concretemasonry

Scott -

Are those walls in the home built from "gas concrete" (Ytong, Hebel, etc.)? The photos look might that be the wall (not fireplace) material

Just a question from a Schumacher (Luxembourg) to a Shumaker (German).


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## shumakerscott

*2nd Chiminey Down*

We got the 2nd chiminey down today! I also started knocking the fill from in between the beams. I need to get the outside walls down to a flat level, under everything laid on top of them. They ran a beam on top of the original wall and set the rest of the roof and floor beams on it. Over the years crud has piled up and started rotting things. Look close and see the mess. I will keep you updated.


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Scott -
> 
> Are those walls in the home built from "gas concrete" (Ytong, Hebel, etc.)? The photos look might that be the wall (not fireplace) material
> 
> Just a question from a Schumacher (Luxembourg) to a Shumaker (German).


They are normal red brick interior. It is Sandstone on the outer walls, thick. I might use Ytong on my raising of the upper walls, up 2 meters. I want a very good thermal brick on the upper story. 
I am actually American, just been here since 1989. I am 1 of 3 "Shumakers" in the whole German phone book. My Ex-wife is one of them so it actually is 2. Not a common spelling over here. Check it out here if you have time to kill. 
http://www.dastelefonbuch.de/


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## 747

gute Arbeit leisten


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## shumakerscott

As people have seen the roof off over the last week they all ask "Who is going to do the roof?" I answer with "ME" Their reaction is NO! you "MUST" hire a carpenter "Zimmerman". You simple American don't know about roofs! This is just the amunition I need to do it myself. I have done other roofs before but they don't know that. I'm being watched and judged every step. This is going to be fun! Today I met the man who made the staircase that is in the house right now, it is about 50 years old. It is very nice work but.... It will not work for me as I finish it out. For now I will leave it to finish the upstairs. Tuesday the backhoe shows up to dig the sewer trenches. Updates as things go along. SHU


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## shumakerscott

*Further Progress*

I have made it further the last 2 days. Old beams are coming down. I have gotten the top of the wall knocked down to where the new wall will begin. The old beams were so rotten I'm suprised it didn't just fall down. Water, sewer and electric are next. I will keep updates as things go along.


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## shumakerscott

*A little further*

I have gotten the rest of the roof beams down. Next is a few days of cleaning up of all the wood laying around. Then I will take the rest of the wood structure down. I hope on the weekend.


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## Yoyizit

*That soot is probably a carcinogen.*

*Bitte, pas auf!*


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## shumakerscott

Stinks bad too. Must be not good for the body. Good thing it is all going away, everthing except the outside walls. I am considered the crazy American by the neighbohrs. There is no way I can do it myself! The house was a bonus, I only paid the price for the property. Discounted at that. The house was too much work for anybody else. Knock it down and start over. I will let you all be the judge as things go along. DIY at it's best!


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## shumakerscott

*2nd floor down*

Today I managed to get the 2nd floor and cross beams down. I also got all the upright beams cut up. Really got to look out for nails in these old beams. Dulls your chainsaw right away!


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## shumakerscott

*A little further*

I have gotten all the junk from the chimineys out. It was 3 shovels per bucket and 3 buckets per wheelbarrow load, alone! I have been told again and again that I must have help to do my walls and roof. I "MUST" have a "Meister" to do it. They will be blown away when this American guy shows them. I don't have the $$ to pay someone to do work for me. The 2 upper beams in the picture are 12 meters long, 40ft. I need to get them down. My plan is to pull them down to the inside, then cut to 7 and 5 meter lengths. My hands are as good as anybody's. Too bad my back is not. I only weigh 115lbs. I will post pictures as more interesting things happen. Thanks for following. SHU


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## Yoyizit

shumakerscott said:


> I only weigh 115lbs.


You might want to try this test. 
I got 27 on it.
http://www.aolhealth.com/tools/weig...d=AOLHTH00170000000022&s_kwcid=bmi|2017908860

You might have bigger problems than this house.

I see on my computer that Rt. 299 passes through your place, and I guess Google Earth will show your house, as it was at the last Google Earth update.


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## shumakerscott

Yes 299 passes right in front of my house. VERY LOUD with traffic. My windows have 49db sound deadining. Jeez thanks. I have made it through a crappy divorce and everything else this far and now I'm going to die at a young age! You have really helped me to go on with my life. I am going to make it no matter what your survey says. If you would like to help then please come on over. I feed well. I will survive. BTW my sign is Taures.


Yoyizit said:


> You might want to try this test.
> I got 27 on it.
> http://www.aolhealth.com/tools/weig...d=AOLHTH00170000000022&s_kwcid=bmi|2017908860
> 
> You might have bigger problems than this house.
> 
> I see on my computer that Rt. 299 passes through your place, and I guess Google Earth will show your house, as it was at the last Google Earth update.


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## Yoyizit

shumakerscott said:


> I'm going to die at a young age!


???
The actuaries would say that, as a non-smoking male in the U.S., I have 22 more years. 
I don't know if I should be happy or sad about this. . .
:huh:


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## shumakerscott

*Beams are down*

Today I got the big beams down. They didn't play nicely but brute force won, a come-a-long. My neighbor came over to see if I was still alive after he heard the big bang and didn't see me. All kinds of old dirt and rat poop ect... came raining down. Now I need to cut them to usable lengths and make firewood out of the rest.


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## shumakerscott

*Google Earth*

I have found my house on Google Earth now how can I post it here? Thanks.


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## Yoyizit

With your destructive tendencies, I hope you reassure your neighbors that you and them will not be appearing on
http://www.dw-world.de/

E-mailing Google might help with your file transfer problem.
Since you like to take pix, here's a fellow German photographer of my aquaintance.
http://www.simonpuschmann.com/relaunch_0405/index_flash_normal.php?direkt=


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## shumakerscott

*Who the heck are you?*

Why do you reply with Gloom and Doom? You will not bait me. Go away **** head. I hope the powers that be will delete you from posting in the future.


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## concretemasonry

Scott -

Your neighbors are probably afraid you will build temporary housing like most people do in the U.S. That is probably why they want a "meister" on the job and don't think an American is capable. (Maybe the American mis-spelling of your name is the reason - LOL)

Those windows you have would probably blow the minds of most American builders and especially DIYers. I saw some near east of you in Prague. I imagine yours are basic and not the multiple operation/opening versions. - They can be amazing.

Do you have any idea of when the house was fist built? I imagine you are not the first remodeler.

Keep us filled in with the deveopments and challenges.

Dick (not Schuhmacher or Shoemaker, but in between).


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## Yoyizit

shumakerscott said:


> Why do you reply with Gloom and Doom? You will not bait me. Go away **** head. I hope the powers that be will delete you from posting in the future.


Just kidding. Forgot to put the little round faces in.


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## shumakerscott

*Windows*

The windows are the multiple opening type with drop down shutters. I can have night time any time! I will not be installing them until the roof is up. I don't want to drop anything and damage them. They are sitting in the barn along with the solar panels and chiminey. Destruction phase is almost over.


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## rustyjames

Scott, 

Congrats on the demolition but you should put some bracing up on that end-wall. I've seen unsupported masonry topple under strong winds. Good luck with your project.


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## shumakerscott

*progress*

The destruction phase is pretty much over. I have had a little help the last couple days. We have gotten all the bad beams out of the 2nd story floor. We have most of the good replacements in place but not set or leveled. Very nice to have help for this. I have gotten the top of the outside walls cemented level. We knocked down 2 interior walls today between the kitchen and living room. I have decided to have an opening between the 2 rooms, a pass through. The stairs are out. I will replace them with a new less steep type. The original angle was steep and dangerous. I am still waiting for my building permit to raise the walls. It sure would be nice to get a roof up. I have many days worth of clean up and cutting of old beams. I would rather build than clean up! Things are moving forward.


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## shumakerscott

*Inside walls removed*

I tried to get a couple of pics from above to show the walls removed. The huge pile of brick has been removed, thrown through the window and then thrown into the container. No other practical way but by hand. It was nice to have a friend help me with this. Next things will be pour footings for the chiminey and support posts, remove any high spots left from the old foundations, level everything out, dig the power and kitchen drain channels. I need a roof! It's raining!


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## shumakerscott

*update*

I have gotten a little further. This wall had the stairs against them as you can see, quite steep angle. It also was not straight with the adjoining wall. We tore it down and I will rebuild it inline with the rest of the wall. I also have poured the foundations for the chiminey and 2 posts that will support a massive beam accross the center of the livingroom. I'm still waiting for approval to start the upper walls. I have been having disagreements with the local building suppliers about radiant floor heat. I will have 2 inches of hard blue foam on the bottom and sides, rebar mesh with the PEX tubing tie wrapped to it. Then I will pour concrete directly on this. They don't do it like that around here. Here is the link where I got my information. www.radiantdesigninstitute.com/ I hope you find this interesting. Regards from the Oberfalz, SHU


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## shumakerscott

*Further Progress*

I've gotten further along. The footing for the bathroom wall is poured. It looks skimpy but it is sitting on a huge slab of sandstone that has been in the ground for over a hundred years at least. Needless to say I think it has settled. I have also gotten the footings for 2 of my upright beams poured. They are level and also level to each other. This gives me a great reference to work from the the rest of the floor. It might not make sense right now but as it goes along you will get the idea. More pictures to follow. SHU


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## shumakerscott

*Some Progress*

Today I got the top of the end wall leveled. I will put a 4x12 beam on top of it. All the rest of the upper floor beams will be referenced to it. I have gotten the chiminey set and leveled. I have also been cutting up the old beams, boring work. I would much rather be building but things need to get done. I hope you enjoy this. SHU


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## shumakerscott

*Laughed At*

Yesterday I was laughed at about the house. I mean real laughter, what a joke of a place. Should have just torn it down. She was an American, go figure. That has really got my defensive "I'll show you" dander up. To bad the person that laughed will be leaving in Dec. They won't see it when I'm done. I see that over 800 people have viewed my posts, WOW! Very few replies though. I hope it is interesting for you all. It is a different way of building that's for sure. I'll keep updating as things go along. Regards from Germany, SHU


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## concretemasonry

Thanks for the update.

It looks like you are doing a very thorough restoration and your home will be good for a few more centuries - not like the American or some British temporary "flips" on TV that are sponsored by material retailers.

I appreciate your opinions on the casual American tourist that is leaving shortly. I have been in many similar homes older than yours in Germany and eastern Europe that were very desireable and confortable. At the time, I wished I had been able to stay.

On one photo, I saw a multi-cored cermic or clay block. Where will that fit into your home? I know they have been preferred and used in many homes in Europe as a competitor to lightweight block (Leca, ceranzite, etc.).

I saw your "cousin" Michael Schumacher on TV today from Vallencia, Spain at the Spanish Grand Prix. Apparently, Ferrari sent the jet in to pick him up instead of him flying his own to work from Monaco for the 1/2 million $ per month he gets as a racing consulatant.

I personnally appreciate the photos of what you are finding and how you are rebuilding for the future. - Have you ever been tempted to use the old "gas concrete" (AAC, Ytong, etc.) for any walls? It has been around for 50 years, but never really was sucessful despite the government underwriting and support.

Good going!!!

The other SCHU


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## shumakerscott

*Bricks*

I will be using the multi core clay bricks throughout the build. 4 inch thick on the interior walls and 11 inch thick on the new outside walls. I have looked of the other types you mentioned but they cost quite abit more. I have finished cutting up the old beams today. It is nice to get the work site cleaned up. You have alot more room to do things. I have also poured another foundation pad. While digging we found yet more ancient foundations underneath. We stopped at them and I poured direct on top of them with a plastic vapor barrier and re-bar. If they have been there this long then they should be good for another couple of centuries and be able to support the loads. I will post pic's as things go along. Thanks for the compliments. SHU


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## kayakertom

Very interesting to read your posts and see the photos. When you go for your building permits, are you fighting a bureacracy all the time? What are your solar panel plans? 

Good luck...


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## shumakerscott

*Permits*

I had the Architect file the building plans. He knows where to go and who to see. We called again today and they were pretty pissed off that I had called 2 times this week. I guess my plans will go to the bottom of the pile. They said it could take 3-4 months and I can not even start on it until I have the approval. I have figured out why it takes so long. They want you to get itchy and get started and then they will come around and fine you! I can do all ground floor work no problem, just no raising of the outside walls. Today I ordered a huge tarp that will cover the whole thing up. So much for getting closed up by winter. I'm working on alternative plans to get as much done within their limitations. Everything in time. 

My solar is 10 square meters of vacuum tube glass collectors. I have them in the barn ready to go, when I have a roof. SHU


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## concretemasonry

Could be worse - or maybe they don't like your architect. Your last name should not scare them. I understand you are in a small town/village.

How old do you think the second foundation you just found under your old home is?

I had a friend that moved from one small town in Switzerland to another. He could vote in the national elections right away, but it took a while (a year or two) until the locals gave him permission to vote locally. (this was 10 years ago). This was despite he served in the national guard, went on "maneuvers" every year for a week until he was 52. He was 6'-2", bald and looked like "Colonel Klink" from Hogans Heros when he had his uniform on.

Sometimes national blanket codes and standards are not bad when you run into the locals. - He would never leave Switzerland no matter what the local laws were.

How much did it cost you to get a German drivers license?


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## shumakerscott

*Foundations*

Under the first floor we found a coin from 1920 on top of the next foundation. This place is WAY older than that. We were digging the canal inside for the power line yesterday and were finding what looks to be yet other foundations under the 2nd one. There is also more rubble and black burnt bricks. Results of a fire at some time. I have this link for the home page, in German of course, http://www.seugast.de/ My house is in the picture, barely, with a roof still on it. If you go to Chronik, the village goes back to at least 1123. My place is in the original section of the village. I will try to get more History once I finally move in.


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## shumakerscott

*Power cable*

I have gotten the hole drilled through the 2ft thick sandstone foundation. I needed an SDS extension for my hole saw but nobody had one. I found a 3ft drill bit and punched a hole all the way through and then tried to follow it. I only missed by 1/2" joining the 2 holes up, not to bad. I will order an extension for the next hole I need to drill, the sewer. I must have a straight hole for the plastic pipe to feed through. I also got started with the inside walls, not me actually but my neighbor. He is a retired mason and would not let me do it. I only had a few bricks on hand but this gives the door locations. My camera seems to be having problems with bright lighting. Many of my pic's are very washed out. More to come, SHU


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## bofusmosby

I have been watching the progress you have been making, and I am impressed! I have not made any posts here until now, I have been on the sidelines, admiring your work. If you have positive thoughts, there's nothing you can not accomplish! As a hobby, I am into archaeology, so sometime, you might want to do some sifting of the grounds, to see what history is buried. I have been doing the same for my place, and keep the stuff (items) in the "house" museum. Right now, I can see you really have your hands full. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to seeing more of your photos, and progress.

Bofus


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## shumakerscott

*Big Progress*

Today I had some help from the "Dorf Dudes" That is the name we have chosen for working on this house. The main beam is in. It was 2 pieces because of the length. We put an overlapping cut and Gorilla glued and lag bolted it together. It is also lag bolted to top of the wall. Now all the rest of my 2nd floor beams can be set referenced to it for level. All I have to do is either shim or trim until they are at the same height. I also passed with my trench for the electric company! That was a major concern because I was not exactly deep enough because of the hole in the foundation. He was smart to realize I had no other option. I will have my electric box in my bedroom and not in the hallway. He could not understand it. I asked him if it was forbidin and it is not, but nobody puts their electric panel in the bedroom. I just don't want to see it everytime I come in the house. They are ugly. I now can back fill my trench and get started on my drain for the kitchen. Here are a few pics from today, I hope you enjoy. The Fire Dept was training some young volunteers in one of the pics. Also is the recycling containers across the street. SHU, Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*Big Progress today*

Today I got some of the floors filled with gravel, power pipe buried and cemented in, kitchen drain pipe set in the wall, started putting up the entry/bathroom wall. My first attempt at brick work. It is a learning process but I'm picking it up. I poured cement on top of my bedroom wall the other day and it rained soon after. It left a gravel surface but is still looking strong, I put rebar in also. Another big beam will rest on top of it like the other wall. I hope to have it up this week. Then it will be getting to ceiling beams set and leveled. I will need help for that. I'm still waiting for my building permit to raise the side walls. Enjoy the pics, Dorf Dude, SHU


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## mrsbear246

*well done*

I bet it feels real good to get the gravel floor in and smoothed out. I would guess that you are starting to get excited that the whole project really will come together. I can see it's going to turn out lovely. :thumbsup:

Where are the stairs going to go? Will they be a straight rise? It doesn't look like you have a lot of room to create a more gentle angle. 

When you are finished what will be left of the original house? It looks like parts of the original foundations, the shell of walls, some of the original beams that are still good in good condition, maybe the old door anything else? That should be enough to help keep the old character of the place. I'm glad you're adjusting some of the inside walls to open the house up a bit. Some of the old houses with small rooms, and small doors can feel so closed in.

MrsBear246


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## momb

*Way to go Scott*

Momb here, Scott: 

Way to go on all that remodeling :sweatdrop:. Thanks for finding this neat way to show the progress on your venture/adventure. What does the neighbor think with you making such dust and commotion when the houses are attached? Is he not fearful you'll come through to his side? When you said you were right by the road boy did you mean right by the road. I looked at the map and google earth. It is a wonder the vehicles aren't spraying gravel and dust onto/into your house. I'll have to figure a way to save the pics as I have with the others. MrsBear246 forwarded this to me. I am a Taurus also. No wonder I liked you the first time I met you. DadB is looking over my shoulder at all the pics. Whew!! is all we can say. Being a chip off the ole block I know you can complete the remodel. No wonder you haven't called lately. The satisfaction of a job incredibly done will be worth it all. You show 'em son. :thumbup: I'll keep checking back.... and you keep in touch ya' hear.

F.R.O.G.


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## billy d

Hi SHU great thread man I've been Lurking for a few weeks now and signed on to get a look at your pic's.
I'm really impressed man and more power to you.I live about 300 miles to the west of you on the border to Luxembourg.I'm a time served Carpenter originally from the UK.As you say it's a different way of building.I've worked on quite a few projects similar to yours and I wouldn't let the nay sayer's get you down usually they don't know a lot about building anyway.
I've got a 1000 and 1 questions for you and may be a few tips that might save you a bit of work down the line but that's up to you.
On pulling permits (Bau genehmigung) I've found that no one country has a monopoly on bureaucracy and it will probably take the time they are talking about.I know thats a real bummer but keep the faith.
Use the time to get as much done that is allowed and check on you supliers that alone can save you $$$ down the line.
All the best and good luck with the project and permits Billy. ​


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## shumakerscott

*Thanks*

Thanks for the responses. I will have about 2 1/2 ft to stretch out the stairs. That will help quite abit. They will go to just before the bedroom door. Billyd you can personel message me with your questions to keep this thread on track. I'm always open for new ideas and ways to save$$. What will be left of the original house is just the outside walls, front door, just because it has that old charm about it and 2 inside walls. Today I got a notice that I have registered letter to sign for at the Post Office. I asked my ex if she started anything and she didn't, so with fingers crossed it might be my building permit!:thumbup: I have gotten the main water line into the house moved to the bathroom, the kitchen and chiminey drains joined and almost finished. They are sitting in a bed of sand. My freind and I got the 2 halfs of the 2nd main beam up onto the 2nd floor, 1 is temp set in place to check the height. Using a water hose level from the first beam the 2nd is 7.5cm, 3 inches low. I will rip a board 7.5cm for a form wall and pour more concrete with re-bar tomorrow. This time I will cover it in case of rain. As it worked out the first pour now has a great surface to join with the second. As always from the Dorf Dude, I hope you enjoy and stay tuned.


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## shumakerscott

*Wall leveled*

Today I got the top of the wall poured level with the other one, I hope! It will be really close. I received my building permit today:thumbup:. I now can start putting up the walls. I first must finish the beams, then I can begin that. Here are a couple pic's. My helper is Steve, he is one of the Dorf Dude's. Now he is famous! We had to bring the concrete in buckets up the ladder and hand pour. There is also a pic of the overlaping joint of the beam, hand cut for accuracy. Unexpectidly this evening the roof beam guy showed up to take a look around, right on time. Unfortunately I have put my chiminey 4 inches accross the center line. I measured from a different point. Very crooked house. He was telling me I have to tear it out and re-set it. I said no way, shift the roof a little bit, the house is so out of square anyway. He was upset that it would not be perfect. It's my money, make it slightly shifted to one side, everything else is so out of wack who cares. His pride will fall before I rip out all my work for 4 inches off center for the main header beam. I can live with it, nobody else has to. Next is set the big beam on the wall after a few days drying time for the concrete. Then trim and set the remainder 2nd floor beams in level. I will post pics as things go along, Thanks for following along, Should have 1600 hits in the next day or so. I didn't think this would take off like this. From the Dorf of Seugast!


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## billy d

Sorry Shu looks like I can't send a message till i get 20 posts in.


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## shumakerscott

*Beams*

We have made progress on the 2nd floor beams. Summer weather has left us and a very cold fall has set in very quickly. My daylight is gone much sooner also. 10 pallets of wall bricks are ordered for Monday, this is just for the back half of the wall. I must have the 2nd floor ready to handle the weight of 5600 kilo's by then. I do not want to lug the bricks up a ladder. I must thank my friends for their help over the last few days, Rudi, Steve and Mick. Now they have their spotlight! Here are a couple of pic's of the beams pretty much in place. The full length ones weigh a ton, very difficult to shift around. I plan on making a sort of crane for getting the mortor up to set the walls. Very busy times ahead. I have a friend flying over to help the entire month of Oct. so I hope to post great progress pics if the weather cooperates.


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## concretemasonry

Scott -

It looks good!! Your last photos came across the pond a little dark, but I enhanced them. - I understand what you mean about the loss of light. I am south of you (Minnesota) and can see the winter darkness coming here. - About 77 F (25 C) here today but below 0 C at night in a few weeks.

What will you be putting down over the the beams? You will certainly have a stout construction when you are done. I lived in that kind of construction and it has a very unusual feeling - you never hear the storm coming, do not know about it while it is there until you wake up later and look outside.

It would be interesting see some shots of them laying the clay block. Do they use the traditional eastern European trowel (short and wide) or do they use the type (longer and narrow) that Americans use for hollow block and brick veneer. Will the mortar be blended and in bags, masonry cement or will you proportion cement and lime on site?

Looks like your are well on your way to another 200 years (or is it 300 on the foundation?).

Keep the photos coming.

The other SCHU - Dick


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## shumakerscott

The trowel is a short wide one. When you refer to "they" on laying the bricks I'm guessing that you mean a firm. I'm not getting one, just me and whoever will help me. The mix of mortar is on site with shovel and trailer hauled sand in a cement mixer. There is a sand pit about 7 miles away, 5 Euros a ton. Correction, 10 Euros a ton. It is bagged mortar cement "Binder". I've been told a mix of 4-6 shovels sand to 1 of Binder with a touch of Portland cement thrown in for good measure. I will post more pic's with better light. Dorf Dude


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## shumakerscott

*New Perspective*

I got on top of my garage and took a couple of pics. This gives a better layout of things. My camera has no wide angle at all, one heck of a zoom though. Not much use in the real world. I will pick up some cross beams tomorrow to lay on top of the floor beams for when the 10 pallets of bricks show up on Monday. They will be used in the future for an awning off the garage. The neighbor came by for an inspection and wanted to know if the header beams on the long walls were level, the ones that the floor beams rest on. I said heck no! They don't have to be. He gave me a very funny look. Then I explained that the top of the floor beams only need to be level with the 2 big beams at each end. It doesn't matter how level the wall beams are. I only must shim or trim to get them even. Tonight I did the trim, so only shim is left. Alot of it too. I will have an easy weekend. Got to take a break sometimes. From the Dorf of Seugast....


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## shumakerscott

*5600 Kilo's Bricks*

The 10 pallets of bricks are here and up on the 2nd floor. This is only half of what I will need. I have been building a small crane to lift the mortar up with. Should be done in the next couple of days. The bricks are 30cm, 12inch wide. No mortar goes in between, only on the top of each row. Just about ready to start!


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## shumakerscott

*Wall Started*

I have finished the crane and with help we got it erected. I made one design error but it is holding up. We have started the first row of the wall. There is a steep learning curve laying these bricks. In the beginning I had 2 of my neighbors giving me tips, they are masons. Then they left me and my friend on our own. It's not perfect and it took some time but it is a big step forward. I'm exhausted! From the Dorf........


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## momb

Scott, momb here. The pics came across great. Wow are you ever making fantastic progress!! :sweatdrop: How is your daylight holding out? We have some halogen construction night lights. Could you use them? Have you considered the spiral staircase I gave you the link for? Keep up the great work. F.R.O.G.


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## scheenstra

Scott, been following yhour progress...keep it coming. Doing a total rebuild of my place too, but nothing compared to what you are going for...besides me, I'm sure you are motivating many others!

Just met my daughters' boyfriend's father, who grew up in Germany. He sez if you get ANYBODY (other than relatives) to assist in the project, you get slapped with a fine because you are utilizing unlicensed help...basically a racket to keep the trades people employed...is that true? Sounds like the career beuracracy there is way over the top.

Rock on, dude. Show 'em what independence, hard work and determination can do. Following your progress makes me proud to be an American.


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## shumakerscott

*Wall going up*

I have been working alone the last 3 days. Progress slow but sure. Thanks for the feedback! I had to cast concrete on the corner. This gave me a solid base to set bricks on. I've used 4 pallets of bricks so far. Building up and filling in the peaked wall will be a bit of a challenge. I'll figure it out one way or another. In the first pics you can see the string wrapped around a brick. This is pulled tight and then all the bricks are set to this level. Just got to make sure it is always tight! Lesson learned there. Tends to cause your wall to droop. Rain has set in, looks like for the next few days. The moisture might actually help the motar set up better. It is time to decide where I want windows. I'm leaning towards only one on the backside. I can put roof windows in any time in the future. My neighbor expressed concern that I don't put one overlooking his yard. They are funny about that here. I must get permission to put an overviewing window in. Here are a few pic's to keep you up to date. Greetings from the Dorf Dude:rockon:


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## momb

*Walls going up and up and up*

Scott:

Wow, that sure looks like a lot of brick.  As a woman, you might need more windows than what a man might think. Are you going to be covering your neighbors windows up near the peak? Sure wish I could send you some of our sunshine. We've got lots and you are doing such a great job. :thumbup:

momb
F.R.O.G.


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## concretemasonry

momb -

They just use as many brick as necessaryy. Wood is really not a preferred building material everywhere, especially since he wants to get a few hundred years out of it like the original home.

Dorf Dude -

In the last photo posted, is that an illusion or does the left end of you wall abut the neighboring house at the front corner of the neighboring house? - Your lower front wall seems to be set back from the neighboring house. Maybe I just can't see visualize that end.

Dick Schu


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## shumakerscott

I am a little set back from the neighbors wall. My wall and his do not line up. I have used a foam sleeping pad as a buffer on the neighbors wall. My actual peak height will not change, just the angle of the roof will be much less. The neighbors window will not get covered, forbiden. My work is not perfect but it will stand the test of time. At least my time. Thanks for the feedback. SHU


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## fungku

So interesting.

I'd be interested to know the insulation value of a wall like that. Also, how is the electrical done?


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## concretemasonry

funku -

The insulation cannot be compared to the simplistic numbers provided by the pink panther which come from ideal lab condtions on a small insulation sample using steady state criteria over a short period of time. These also only apply to lightweight walls. - As an example, R-19 in a stud wall can actually be as low as R11 on paper if the studs are counted. This is the ideal, and the real life values are worse because of the lack of mass and heat storage. - The pink numbers are good for advertising in the U.S. but is not really applicable to the much of the developed world that does not build our way for many reasons.

It is possible to test the insulation of wall assemblies in a more reaslistic way (dynamic hot box subjected designed to simulate real conditions), but even that gives lower effective R-values (if that is how you measure) than the real performance for heavy walls.

There is also a way to get partial credit/effect on the insulating value of heavy walls in the standards, but that is limited and depends on the climate.

Reagarding the electrical insulation, there are many ways electrical is installed in ceramic block walls, depending on the interior composition and finish. In some countries, a "channel" is routed you with a masons hamer after the wall is built to set the wires in the walls. This is done with 3" (by a good mason) or by anyone in 4",6", 8", 10" and 12" walls. In many cases, the walls are plastered with conventional plaster or with insulating plaster in some areas. A soft wall, like drywall, is always an option.

I am sure the Dorf Dude will fill you in on his plans for electrical and wall finishes. He will also fill you in on his reasons for the wall materials and possibly why wood frame was not used and if it was allowed.

Dick Schu


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## fungku

concretemasonry said:


> He will also fill you in on his reasons for the wall materials and possibly why wood frame was not used and if it was allowed.


Wood framing is just what we use around here because it's the quick and cheap way to build. I have a friend from UK who thinks everything we build is a glorified shed :laughing:


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## shumakerscott

Thanks Mr Schu for answering Funku's questions. I have not gotten much further. I now have a helper for the next month.:thumbsup: We put the water level against the wall, you need 2 people for this. I needed to do this earlier but was workng alone. Anyway we have a bit of a drop in the wall. Over the 12 meter length you could not see it. No big deal. That is why I started on the back wall, to figure out how do do things before we do the front. We will be in the "Prime Time" with the whole world watching as they walk and drive by. More pictures later. From the Dorf!


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## shumakerscott

*Corner set*























Today we got the corner set. I rigged up a form and poured concrete. Looks pretty ******* but the ends will justify the means. We also got another 1/2 row of bricks set. Had to take it down once! Listen to this word of advice. Those little hang on the line levels will mess you up!!! They have mass and will pull your line down. I had my line stretched as tight as possible and it still drooped with the weight of that little level. Here is a pic also of my helper, Syd, at a Czek brewery with a restaurant in a cave. Best food and beer around! You can Google Chodovar and find it. Here are a couple of pics.


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## shumakerscott

Here is what we got done today. The wall is 2 rows higher. We got the corner built up and another concrete pour done. The neighbors are keeping their eyes on things. I included an original picture of before I started just for compairison. Things are moving ahead! From the Dorf of Seugast, the Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*Last Row up*

We got the last row of bricks up. We left a hole for getting mortar up and through. It also will be a small window at the end. Tomorrow we will begin on the front wall. We will get 1 step a day on the gable wall. Set the form and pour concrete for the next step, let it set overnight and repete. If anybody sees anything that could be done better please let me me know. I will not be offended. Greetings from the Dorf!


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## shumakerscott

*Front wall*

On Monday we made progress as I posted. That evening a fellow DIY'r from this chatroom gave me a call. He said he would be here on Wednesday. Well, on Tuesday my buddy who came over to help me could not move. His back was really in bad shape. I broke him! I worked alone for 2 days. Today big progress was made. It helps when you have someone who has done this type of work before! This has really become very interesting for all the locals. Greetings from the Dorf!


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## Shamus

Sorry to hear about your friends back problem. Hopefully he'll be better with a few days rest. 
Glad to hear you have a new trainee to break-in. 

I've enjoyed your posts and look forward to each installment. Are you going to get it under roof before the weather shuts you down? That just drives me nuts when a project stalls for weeks or even months.

Best of luck and be safe!

Richard


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## concretemasonry

Dorf -

You seem to be making good progress despite the physical problems. I did notice that the beer mug for your helper was larger and heavier than yours, so that may have led to the back problems. The construction of the stepped block for the rafters should work well and be sound.

The next challenge is avoiding the Oktoberfest celebrations, since I assume there may be some around there. You are not too far from the home of the original Budweiser beer (the one with orange instead of red on the label). I think it is Czech, but I got some cans in Hungary for my son's beer can collection. - What is the meaning of Budavar(sp?)? Does it mean beer tavern or similar?

Regarding an earlier post, how do you plan on handling the electrical in the ceramic block walls? - channeling? burying in a insulating plaster or gypsum board?

Any plans for heat in a concrete floor or isn't it an issue where you are? I have seen it in Belgium, France and parts of Germany.

Schu


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## shumakerscott

My new helper now is not a trainee. Long time worker in the trade. He just wants to be left un-named. He is showing me great things. I will have in floor heating incorperated in my cement slab. As of Octoberfest forget it! I can get a case of beer for cheaper than 1 beer from there. Budvar is named after the town in Czek where it is brewed, 10 out of 10 in my book. You can never drink just 1. My buddy only had 1 beer and I had 2 small ones. They get to warm for me if they are 1 liter, I prefer 2, 1/2 liters. Same amount but fresher. As for my electric I think it will be run in the 2nd floor and then put in a slit in the wall. Hard to explain, wait for the pics. It will be next year before that happens. All I want right now is close this thing up against the weather. Thanks for following along!


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## concretemasonry

That was a quick repsonse considering the time differential.

It is interesting that you appreciate the temperature and life of the beer and not the English tradition of warm and stale.

The "slit" in a cermic block wall is not really that difficult. I have seen it done with 3" thick clay block walls in Spain. It is amazing to see how easy it can be to make a route for cable in a wall that is 8 to 9 feet tall and only 3 or 4" thick. It just takes a bit of slow learning and then the patching later.

The heated floor plan is great! Too often, people in the U.S. are still in the dark ages with temporary wood framing and do not understand other concepts since a pink panther and the suppliers to wood butchers only advertise in the U.S. and not in the rest of the developed world.

Thanx for filling me in on the plans.

Schu


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## fungku

I install heated floors in nearly every bathroom reno and the occasional kitchen. :thumbup:

They are wonderful!


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## shumakerscott

*More Progresss*

We have gotten the final row of bricks up on the front wall. On top of this row will go a U brick as shown. This one is not cemnted in yet. It will go around the whole top of the wall and be filled with rebar and cement, called a "Ring Anchor" These blocks are 30cm, 12 inches wide. It will be alot of cement to fill them up. A fellow DIY'er from here has helped me. He wishes to remain un-named. A huge leap in the finished direction that's for sure. There are still some good hearted people around. Here is a picture of me. I finally have ended up on the other side of the camera! I have not shaved in 2 weeks since going on vacation and making the big push to get this thing closed up. We got 1 window framed and poured. Now that I know what to do the other ones will be easy. I love learning new things. You don't have to hire someone, just take your time and figure it out or have someone show you. It might not be perfect but it will stand the test of time. Greetings from the Dorf of Seugast, Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*Window casings*

I have gotten further with the window casings. My buddy from this chat room made the first one. I used his ideas and made mine. Mine are no where near as strong as he made but I felt they would hold for a 1 shot pour. Next comes the U bricks for the last row. My visiting friend has gotten a bit better and helped today. A back problem can really mess you up. I know about this my self. Here are a couple of pic's. Greetings from the Dorf!


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## shumakerscott

Wow! Over 2700 hits on this thread. I'm blown away by the number of hits. Please give feedback if this is interesting. Should I keep giving such small steps advancement pictures? 
Thanks from the Dorf, SHU


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## Shamus

In a word, Yes!

I think the # of hits on your thread shows just how many people are interested in a unique (to the US) building project. 

Not that there haven't been some variations of that over the years around here, it's just not a standard practice anymore with all the pre-engineered product being so available.

Personally, I even check it on my laptop during the day to see if you've posted any update.

We do like pic's. They speak volumes.


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## shumakerscott

*Last row*

Today we got started on the last row. It was a very rough start but things smoothed out. Somedays don't go as planned. We had 6 broken bricks but are still short 10 more. It looks like we sill start pouring concrete on Sat. Time to send out an "All Hands" please help. I will continue up the gable wall the next couple days. I can't get ahold of the roof guy to find out how high I must go. :furious: Things are getting tight! Well here are some more pics. From the Dorf Dude, Cheers.


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## frenchelectrican

Wow you sure make good progress with the work you doing on the wall.

I do live in France and I do go back and forth from time to time.

For the readers.,

If you been wondiering how the European Electricians done wiring in the house.

Normally we do chip in the wall and if ya very good we useally can chisel it down pretty good and bring the conductor down.

Typically most European system are 230 volt line to netural and 400-415 volt line to line.

Due this OP is in Germany alot of home will have mixed bag of single and yes three phase depending on the load.

The service size will varies a bit but most common is 63 amp some case 100 amp service { keep in your mind the European system have much higher voltage system and IT will have complety diffrent set of codes than what we useally see in North America ( Yes I am cerified to work in France and USA ) But I will let this guy take some photo it will describe more cleaer on it.

For the heating system there are few diffrent type of heating system but infloor heating system is most common.

Keep up good work :thumbsup::thumbup:

Merci,Marc


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## shumakerscott

*corners up*

Today we got the corners up to wall level. I also finished the U brick on the front wall. Finished up the wall on the small back window. I will build a form and pour concrete above the window tomorrow. The roof guy will also come by and let me know where he needs to set the main beam. The cement party is set for Saturday. Things are coming together. Here are a couple of pics. Greetings!


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## billy d

Keep up the good work Shu it's looking good.:thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

*Window casing*

Today the weather was total [email protected]. Raining with wind. We got the window casing built and got the concrete poured. My re-bar delivery was screwed up, they only sent 6 pieces. We will need at least 24 for Saturdays pour. They say it will be fixed tomorrow. I got the rest of the U bricks for the top of the back wall. Of course 1 broke! We will be able to get the wall poured. Roof guy showed up and said he had no time and will be back tomorrow, if he only knew he was being talked about on the net. :thumbdown: I feel that he will be my weak link on getting this thing closed up. I'm working on a backup plan with tarps. The weather is setting in. Here is a pic of the back window casing. Here is a very important step to remember when bricking in a window. Check the level between the left and right sides as you build in, oops. It will be ok in the end, just will look goofy until I can hide it. The weather is suposed to get better but colder. I will post pics of the big pour. From the Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Walls poured*

I had a crew over today. It was -1C with frost when we got there. Everything was wet and cold. We got the rebar in place. I drilled holes in the neighbors wall and set the rebar in. We then started the pour. It was 2 shovels of cement in each bucket and 2 buckets at a time on the crane. This crane has been the greatest labor saver ever. I have a sore thumb from pressing the button! This beats the heck out of a sore back. I got way to much sand and cement yesterday. Better to have more than enough to finish the project than run short. I will need it later anyway. Here are some pic's from today. The U bricks are not very uniform as you can see. I aligned the fronts the the public will see and left the ugly on the inside. I got a pic of each person that helped today. I find it only fair to give credit where it is do. My greatest thanks goes out to them, Mick, Rudy Greg, Mat, Syd. Now they are famous! I will continue up the gable wall on Monday. Roof Dude blew me off again today:wallbash: I'm working on a different plan. I will not be held hostage by this guy when I have vacation and time to work.














Enjoy the pic's. Greetings from the Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*End Pic's*

Here is a pic of the fill. Also is Mick checking that the wall is level. I passed the inspection!


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## shumakerscott

*Gable peak gone*

Today Syd knocked the gable peak off. No eye protection. The sun angle made it bad to have goglles on. This little air hammer really rocks! It has an extreme kick back. I have test fit a form for the pad that we will pour tomorrow. I called the roof dude and he was like nothing is happening, I'm getting mad. He said he could have time on Wednesday to stop by, I said no, tomorrow. I will order the main beam then and there. I will also order the spars that will span to the walls. I will not have him notch them, only deliver. I don't have time to waste waiting for him. I will fit it all myself. That should make for some good pictures and alot of talk by the neighbors. They think only a "Zimmerman" can do a roof. More pic's to follow, From the Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*Pad poured*

Today we got the pad poured on the top of the gable wall. Roof Dude actually showed up and took final measurements. He has no idea how close he was to loosing this job. I contacted another firm this morning and they could deliver right now. I even put their phone# in my cell phone so I could call them from the job sight if he failed to show up. Roof Dude sweet talked me into letting them cut the spars. Now the waiting game begins. He said 8 days for the oven drying of the spar beams. They are extra dried so no twisting will occur. I have to pay extra for this! You would think you would get dry wood straight away... Over the next days we must get a scafold set up and will continue up the gable wall with U bricks to tie into the poured pad. No new pics but here are a couple from when I first got started. I will post new pic's as things go along, From the Dorf Dude


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## shumakerscott

*Gable pad*

We got the casing off the gable pad today. Very rainy, nasty, yuk day. We got the front scafold up and called it quits. We will go around the house tomorrow. Yesterday a crew was marking the sidewalk. I ask what they were doing. The overhead power lines are going away and it will all be underground. I'm sure glad I set my power in the ground. I showed them where my pipe was and they said great, very easy. I called the power company about putting protection on the power lines for when we set the roof, should be done by Friday. Here are a few pics. Greetings from the Dorf.


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## shumakerscott

*Scafold up*

We got the rest of the scafold up today. I went to the Roof Dude's business today and talked about pre-staining the wood, it will be clear. I will have them do it. We also nailed down a roof on the house day, 4 Nov. I got copies of the roof plan and it doesn't work with the pad I poured on the gable. Roof Dude measured against the neighbors wall peak and I set from the gable peak. The roof was far from level from side to side. His plan will put my roof in the neighbors window after I add insulation and the roof tiles. I called him and let him know. He mumbled some things that I didn't understand. It's his problem if it doesn't fit. The power company put the protective covers on the power lines. We are ready to put up a roof. I will go back to work next week to save vacation for finishing the roof. Syd bought a new hat at my urging. I think it fits him well. We will work on the gable wall the next couple days. No stress, roof needs to go on to finish the Ring Anchor cement pour. Enjoy the pic's from the Dorf.


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## Shamus

Syd look's bored. Um, maybe just needs a beverage or the hat's to tight. Can't tell for sure. 

Keep'in my fingers crossed for ya to get the tiles on before the ice shows up.


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## shumakerscott

Syd had a beverage, look close and you will see it. Hat fits fine. It was putting up the scafold yesterday in the rain and then today in the cold that zapped him. Things are much better now with a hot bath and a beer, that's for both of us. Dorf Dude


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## shumakerscott

*Gable wall*

We got a late start today. I had to go see the window company. They will come and measure for the 4 new windows upstairs. We got one side of the gable ready for the U stones. We got a few bricks set on the other side. It will be done tomorrow. It really takes alot longer than you expect. We had to air hammer out steps in the wall so we could use full bricks. The air hammer was on strike today. The fitting came loose and hit Syd in the face. Now the coupling will not release. I will have to cut the line and replace the ends. There is a retaining spring that holds the chisel in place. We have broken 3 of them so far. They are 8 Euro, $12 each. I can't afford to keep buying them. Syd figured out to just wrap wire around it, this is working great so far and doesn't cost anything. I ordered the rest of the U bricks today, should be here on Tuesday. We will pour the rest of the Ring Anchor on next Sat. I only got 1 pic for today. From the Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*Gable done*

We got the gable wall finished. It is now ready for the U bricks. I would like to pass on a tip I learned from the air tool guy today. My fitting on the air hose was getting messed up, it would not release. It was because of the vibration of the air hammer was damaging it. We made a pigtail and that will stop the end fitting from getting damaged. I included a pic of how we wired the chisel on the hammer. My boys came by and had great fun on the scafold. Greetings from the Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*Porsche*

The previous home owner stopped by on his Porsche! Syd has his eyes closed but thought you would enjoy this. It is around a 1950, 2 cyl, 2 stroke diesel, 20hp. This is where Porsche got started. No work on the house today. Rainy yuk weather setting in. Snow rain predicted for the end of the week. From the Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*Ring Anchor*

This week the weather was total [email protected]. Yesterday the rain/snow quit. We got the U stones on the gable wall. Today was a German holiday, All Saints Day. I talked to the neighbors yesterday and cleared it that we would work today. The "Ring Anchor" is done! It has a couple days to cure before the roof beams show up. The walls on the gable are not too straight but thats ok. It will all get hidden at a later time. Roof beams show up on Tuesday. Here are a few pics, from the Dorf Dude


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## fungku

I spy a canadian hockey jersey!


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## Speedball

Fascinating pictures and happenings at your place, helpful people too!

I really enjoy following this ..........:thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

*Canadian Hockey Jersey*



fungku said:


> I spy a canadian hockey jersey!


 Syd is from the big island, Ladysmith. He brought the jerseys for my boys. I didn't get one. I did get a t-shirt though.


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## shumakerscott

*Beams ready*

This morning the Roof Dude called and wanted us to come by and paint the beams. I figured that they would do it, not! There is also all the tongue and groove boards, 115 square meters, that is still raw and untreated. They are wrapped in yellow plastic in the last pic on the left. We will probably have to stain them too, I really hope not. Anyway, we went to his shop this afternoon and stained all the beams. It only took about 3 hours. We got a good system down and things got rolling. I got a couple of pics from at the shop. They were working the main beam. Man, this thing is massive. I will take pics tomorrow when they set it in of course. I'm very nervous about the setting of the beams. I don't think he cut them correctly for my gable height. He will be wanting to push my peak height up. My problem is the neighbors window. We will see what happens. This is going to be a bumpy ride. Here are a few pics from today. From the Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*Roof Beams up!*

The pictures pretty much speak for themselves. They put the beams on top of the walls crooked to try and take some of the slant out of the overall set of the beams. By doing so they pretty much hosed me bricking up in between the spars. I guess I will board it up on both sides and fill with insulation. I'm ok with that actually. It will go pretty easy. I am absolutely blown away. It looks fantastic. I hope they deliver the tongue and groove boards tomorrow. Syd spent 5 hours at the firm staining them today while I watched them put up the beams. I got the better end of that deal! It took them a total of 6 hours to set it all up. We even put up the tree! Hebmal around here. I was supposed to have a big party but that just didn't work out. I will when the roof is totally finished. Big progress! If you look at the last pic with the neighbors roof his is way out of square too, 3 roof tiles, I think maybe more than me. Enjoy the pics, From a very happy Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*A couple of more pics*

I have posted a couple more pics. This shows how far out of square this place really is. A couple more from the crane setting the beam too.


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## shumakerscott

*Gable wall up*

Today we got the gable wall up to the height of the roof. The first pic is of the main beam with sleeping mat protecting it from the motar. I used a long level laid across the beams and pulled motar up the wall. This got me exactly to the ceiling height. They delivered the tongue and groove boards, at the end of the day! So much for getting started closing it up. We have a little more motar work around the main beam tomorrow. We should be closed up in the next couple days. More pics as always, Dorf Dude


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## markshu

Hey Bro, 
Good to see you are getting it closed up. It will probably snow the day after! Looks good.
Mark


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## shumakerscott

*Progress, sorry no pics*

We made big progress with getting the ceiling boards up. One side is finished and a section of the back side. I was so busy and stressed that I took no pictures. Today I will take pics. It will be weather tight today. I just can't believe how stupid people think I am. I might have a language problem but my brain works fine. When the roof guys were putting the beams in he told my that when I put an adjustable support in I have to put a board against the main beam so that I don't mark it up! This is from the guy that used the back side of an axe to shift the spars, putting dents in my beams. Yesterday an insulation guy showed up. He was telling me that I have to make it air tight, DUH!! He did not approve of how I sealed between the gable wall and the ceiling boards. He said it will not be air tight. I say BS. I will get a pic of what I did and post it, let me know what you think when you see it. These guy's have a product or system to sell that costs alot of money. I don't have it and will do it an effective and cheaper way. I have many more examples of how people treat me and the build but will not bore you with anymore. Rant over! I do have a question for any of you. There is a gap under each spar and the wall. Look at previous pics. It is a difficult area to get to. How would you seal it up? I was thinking spray foam, not the hardware store junk but professional type. The gaps between the spars I will box in with OSB on both sides and insulate in the middle. Sealing the heck out of every seam of course. Any input either good or bad? Thanks, Dorf Dude. PS, Many pics to follow


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## shumakerscott

*Water Tight!!*

I am water tight now! Now the house can start drying out. I have shown what I did on the wall. The yellow gunk is special sealant. I drilled into the tongue and groove and gave it a shot of goo to stop cold air from getting in. The salesman yesterday mentioned about air getting in. With the boards already in place this was my fix. On the boards today I gave each groove a shot of it. No air is going to get in that's for sure. The house is huge inside now. It is way beyond my expectations. Absolutly amazing. I had the vision in my head and now it is reality. I have an echo inside! I will call the roof dude and ask for a bill for just what I have now. I must see how much money I have left. I don't want to go over my loan amount. I still need insulation and roof tiles. I have a couple firms trying to sell me them but I will pit them against each other to try and get a better price. Things are getting pretty tight. Enjoy the pics. I wish you could see it in real. From the Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

*couple more pics*

Here are a couple more pics. You can see that a board is missing on one row in the ceiling. The 4 boards below that gap are loose. I will flip the vapor barrier up and remove these loose boards to work on the gap between the spars. I will just cut the tongue off one board and set them when I'm done. It will be on the outside and wont be seen. The vapor barrier is called Delta Vent. It is a 3 ply tear resistant membrane. Very tough stuff. I had just enough. You couldn't have planned it that exact! I rolled the last bit and it stopped right at the wall. I guess my next step will be to get the chiminey up. Much easier to cut the hole without the insulation in place. From a very, very happy Dorf Dude!!


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## shumakerscott

*Power line*

You will notice in the previous pics that they cut up the side walk. It is for the power line. I found out today that they did it because of me. They stepped up their time schedule to switch from overhead to underground. I'm the first! Rain has began setting in. I have no problem with that now. We will begin boxing in the spars tomorrow. More pics as things progress, Dorf Dude


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## mark942

You must have a great feeling about now Dorf Dude. All dried in. :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

*Closing in the Spars*

I started closing the gap between the Spars. Things got off to a rough start but it is a Monday. I backed the boards with aluminum bubble wrap insulation. Across the bottom I used a special self adhesive foam the roof dude gave me. The upright stays are Gorilla glued and 2" brad nailed to the beams. I also gorilla glued and nailed the OSB filler boards to the uprights. I plan on just spray foaming underneath the spars. I will also seal all the seams with silicone from the inside. Behind the filler boards, between the spars, I will pack fiberglass insulation. This puppy is not going to loose any heat if I can help it. The top side of the filler boards are beveled to the slope of the roof. Syd goes home tomorrow. I will get some more done in the afternoon after I drop him off at the airport. I feel bad that I broke him, he is still in alot of pain. Enjoy the pics, from the Dorf Dude.


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## shumakerscott

Syd is now somewhere over the Atlantic. I got the backside filler boards done. My buddy Steve stopped by and gave me a hand. Roof dude showed up today and told me that I was missing a row of boards in my ceiling. I almost answered, "God I'm glad you caught that. I didn't notice it". They must really think I'm so stupid. I had to explain that it was so I could work on the wall. I wonder how he would do it? We had his business sign hanging on the lower part of the scaffold. He had to move it up higher. I told him that it will cost him beer for me to advertise for him. Ha, Ha, was his answer. I returned the air nailer today and it only cost 27 Euro for the nails and the gun was for free! Thats what I'm talking about. I got to see the roof bill today, OUCH! I sure hope that the German banks are still loaning money. I won't be able to finish otherwise. Here is a pic of Syd and I having our last beer together, I look like a geek, From the Dorf Dude....


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## momb

*Great Job*

Shu:

Your novel on the build is facinating. We both have been keeping track over the months. My other half said, "it is unbelievable." You have worked so hard and now it is paying off. Congratulations:rockon:, tarus. Give 'em both barrels :2guns:and keep up the great job.

momb and all


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## shumakerscott

*End finished*

I only had 3 hours to work today. I got the back side gable/wall corner boxed in. At first I was going to brick it. I thought about it and I'm alot better at wood working so I boxed it. The electric guys got my cable and main box in also. I scored a huge deal on ebay. I've been wanting to put in a Rika Aqua pellet stove with hot water exchange. My quoted discount price was 5800 Euro, list is 6500. I snagged one today for 3900, brand new still wrapped up. I had to dig into savings for that but what a deal! I now have a heater. Just need all the rest of the hook ups. I do have a chiminey already. We will begin on it this Sat. Here are some pics of the finished corner, unfinished one and the power box in the bedroom. From the Dorf of Seugast....


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## scoggy

*Your roof on and power in!!*

Shu, showed Mary the site, and pixs, and she was amazed!! By the way, I placed a Canadian "loonie" coin up under the end beams in the concrete when you were not looking...call it a Canadian custom.. and if project falls down because of that, ..just blame the Canadian mint! Now you are "in", sell "Dorf Dude" T-shirts, to gain some 'coin' to help finish project! Cheers.
Syd the Squid:thumbup::yes::whistling2:


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## shumakerscott

*Made it home*

Glad you made it home. I signed a beam today with the date. All I have to do is put a dollar on the other end before I box it in. Thanks for your help man! I do need to do something to help pay for finishing it up. Dorf Dude


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

Unless my memory is bad, the shot of you and Syd looks like a typical morning at the Nuremberg airport. - Nice comfortable place with good food.

The home looks great and shows how well things can be done to build permanent homes. - Some people do not think it is possible without the pink panther and Dow advertising to mislead people. Have you had a chance to find out what was built there a few hundred years ago? I have seen the town name is some history and genalogy studies.

I hope to get there before everything is covered up, but the photos are a big help to understand the process. The basic construction looks like the new condos and aparments being built in the Czech Republic and Hungary. I think that is not too far from you, at least by American standards.

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

*Schu*

You are correct on the airport, 1 hour away from Seugast. You are welcome anytime to stop by. I always have an extra pair of gloves! I will be pushing as far as I can with the $$ that are left. With you as a Schu and me too, together we would be a pair of shoes :laughing:. Dorf Dude


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## shumakerscott

*Heating*

Here is a link to the heater I will use for my central system. It will be tied in with solar and eventually a "burn everything" furnace in the shop. 
http://www.rika.at/en/water_heating_stove/
The ground floor will be in floor heat, a massive cement slab with warm water tubes. I will hand mix and pour it. Much cheaper that way. I keep getting told that it will take too long to warm up and I say it will take a real long time to cool down. A glass half full? If I need quick heat then I will use a small electric heater. Stay tuned! Dorf Dude


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## shumakerscott

*Chiminey*

Today Mat came over and gave me a hand with the chiminey. I had to have help because the stones are too heavy for me to handle. We made good progress. You don't want to put it all up at one time. It needs time to set. Here are some pics. It is a real nice system. It has a fresh air intake for the pellet stove. This will create a positive pressure inside the house. Much better than burning the inside air, this creates a negative pressure and cold air will come in every crack. I hope to be through the roof next Sat. I hope it isn't raining. I have had such good luck with the weather so far it is hard to believe! From the Dorf...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

I guess I missed your post and was getting withdrawal pains until I looked and found it.

I am glad my memory on the airport is still good since they usually all look alike. There was a reason why I remembered it - either the food or the people.

I like the chimney system with the intake. It always amazes me at how advanced the Europeans, and especially the Germans, are to respond to needs and changes. I guess it is due to masonry being a preferred construction material for residential housing and the ability to make any unusual shape unit. The system from Schiedel is owned by Lafarge Cement and has sales of over 2,000,000,000 EUROs in Europe.

For your ground floor, you may want to look into a layer of lightweight aggregate (Leca, Liapor/ceramzit or similar) under the slab instead of gravel to provide a bit of a thermal break and cut the time lag on heatiing. I have seen this in Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland and Russia. In Hungary there is also a elevated common floor system that consists of floor filler block (made from wood shavings and concrete) that is covered with 2" of poured concrete that houses and protects the heating pipe. - They usually put in an extra parallel run in case of future leaks. They just plaster the smooth underside for the ceiling.

Very interesting photos!!!

Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Floor insulation*

Mr Schu. Do you thinks I would pour my floor on what is there right now? I have 5cm of Dow Roof Mate waiting that will encase the complete floor to include the sides. I will have no cold bridges for heat loss. I am probably too anal about such things right now. Close it tight and right! No new pictures today. I boxed in all the front beams. I only have the corner to finish. Then I can set the remaining loose roof boards and get ready for insulation. It will arrive on Thursday morning. I hope to get it up before the predicted snow on Sat. Man I'm really cutting it close. Roof tiles will be next week. Not sure if I will get them up this year. I have a huge tarp from Harbor Freight waiting in case of emergency. I ordered another chiminey conection for upstairs today. You can't just cut a hole for another oven. This thing is a system and must be done correctly. I might want an oven upstairs in the future so I need to add the conection now or else forget it. Thanks to everybody following along. The hit counter is really going now! I bet over 5000 by Sunday the 23rd. If I loose the bet then you have to come and drink a beer with me. :thumbup1: Regards from the Dorf Dude 
PS
After watching the counter overnight I will change the 5000 bet to Tuesday Midnight PST!


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## concretemasonry

Mr Schu? - That is new formality on me since I am not related to Ralf or Michael, but my son is the same age as Michael, and was a spitting image of Michael and made the mistake of wearing a jersey with Schumacher on it at the U.S. Grand Prix. - He even signed a couple of autographs for kicks.

Your Dow on the floor should be fine. According to the R-value theory, insulation does not really insulate, but slows down the heat loss rate. What I suggested is similar. I had seen the same lightweight aggregate thing used on grade and it was also used in the concrete topping on upper floors to provide lower weight and more uniform conditions for the creatures inside. It is really not a great cost cutting item since you lose some of the benfits of Mother Nature at other times of the year.

I assume you are using clay roof tiles. I realy appreciate the problems you had with the U block for your reinforced ring since the clay really can warp during firing. I never could understand why they did not try (if possible) to make a "knock-out" section to hold things square while firing like they do with concrete products. Just keep the water out until the right time arrives for the final roofing.


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## shumakerscott

*Water tight*

I am water tight in the roof at this time. The membrane is working great. The inside is drying out very slowly. It was open a long time and things got saturated with rain over the last few months. My inside floor beams have white mold on them. I need to get some heat in here! I am not in control but the weather is. I will push as hard as I can as enviorment allows. Snow on the way. We can be humbled very quickly with the force of nature. I went through Mt St Helens, May 18th 1980, Moses Lake WA. What a mess! Really srewed up my graduation. I did make good money cleaning the neighbors roofs and yards. I will post new pic's as things go along, Dorf Dude


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## shumakerscott

*Beams boxed in*

Today I built the corner box. I set the loose boards in permanent. The neighbor watched me take the loose ones out this morning and said "Your making it kaput!" If they are not smart enough to know why I left them loose then I will just have to ignore them. It is ready for insulation finally. I put a time capsule in the corner. I put an old drivers license, lots of different coins, menu from a pizza place, old Mustang emblems, beer caps, assorted pins, pocket knife, my old dog tag, plastic army guy. All kinds of loose stuff I had around. There is even a jar of Poopon Mooseturds from Alaska! I left a little note too. I wonder how many hundred years it will be before they find it? It could easily be 100 years if not longer. Whoever finds it will sure be excited thats for sure. Enjoy the pics. Dorf Dude


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## shumakerscott

*Broke 5000!*

We broke 5000 views faster than I could of ever guessed. Many more things to come. Wait and see....


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## shumakerscott

I cut and mounted beams on the overhang portion. They are the same height of the insulation. This way I'm not buying insulation for the overhang. On the corners I extended a beam to the outside edge of the roof. It will help hold the weight of my roof tiles. I trimmed the end boards to the final length. Man you can sure see where I got the wall crooked. Nothing I can do about that now. Insulation comes tomorrow. While I was working a guy walks in my yard, I say hello. He says "I have an oven for you" WOW, my pellet stove is here. It is in the yard on a pallet. I covered it up with green sleeping mats. If you wonder why I use sleeping mats alot it is that I have a big pile of them, for free! Here a a couple pics. From the Dorf...


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## bofusmosby

Shu

Great job! I also like the idea of the time capsule. If only we could see the looks on their faces when its found.

I really appreciate all the documentation you are doing. I'm doing a complete resoration on my house, and taking tons of photos every step of the way. Hmm, this gives me some ideas!

Keep up the good work, and look foward to your next entry.

Bofus (AKA Jim)


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## concretemasonry

It will be a real time capsule since the previous home was very old before the wood roof framing gave out. The original home foundation below that may go back 300 years or more.

Being an engineer. I would put the termporary items like paper in a sealed stainless cylinder. - No problem with the coins.

A great site and check it in the morning before the Dorf Dude has had a chance to report daily. - darn 6 hour time difference!!. I really enjoy seeing real permanent construction being done by a DIYer/contractor.

Schu


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## shumakerscott

*What a day!*

Today was hectic that's for sure. Lets start at the beginning. My buddy Mat loaned me his spray foam pistol, from here on out "pistol". I have never used a pro type pistol before. I got a couple cans of foam and 1 can of cleaner. I used it around my beams and switched the foam can out with the cleaner. Sprayed it pretty good and removed the cleaner can from the gun. Yesterday I see the gun all foamed up. I didn't get it cleaned and now it has all set hard, [email protected]! Ok, I will buy a new one because I needed it today. I get to the store as they opened and bought one, 40 Euro, plus more foam ect.. I know that my insulation is supposed to be delivered early so I'm stressed. As I head to the house I see a truck with a load of styrofoam insulation going the other way. I was thinking I missed him. Nothing I could do about it so I get to the house and decide to foam around the neighbors wall and my roof. I get on the roof with my new pistol and forgot that I had a board screwed down to hold the vapor barrier. I set the pistol against a beam I set yesterday. I got half way down and heard bang! Squishhhhhhhhhhhhh. I pistol slid because of the wind and hit in the neighbors yard, broke and started letting foam out at a large rate. I had to run around my house and his to get to it. I threw it into my yard. Great! I never even got to use it. I need to foam before I set the insulation. I haul butt to the closest hardware supply. They have the pistol but it is 86 Euro! I don't have time to shop around, my insulation could still be coming. I charge it against my loan and run back to the house. I started getting some things ready and my delivery shows up, at the same time Rudi showed up too. He brought his stick crazy dog Mara. I hope to get a puppy next year. Things might be working out. We off loaded the truck and got started putting it up. Things really started going well. The weather was not very good. The wind was picking up and it rained a bit. It could have been worse. Right now the wind is really ripping. Moving the 1meter x 2meter panels got a bit tricky. One blew off into the highway. Good thing no cars were coming. Well here are some pics. I hope the insulation holds through the storm tonight. The wind is gusting pretty hard. Snow is predicted for the weekend. There is a pic of my new pistol bleeding to death, the neighbor has twice of big of a brain in his yard. Also of the data information for the insulation. Here is a link to the insulation http://bachl.de/uploads/media/tecta-por.pdf I got the thinest that they had, I wish I could have gone thicker but price is really the cutting factor. I was supposed to meet with the bank dude at 4 today but I just could not stop half way through. He knows where the house is. I would like him to see what I have done on such little money. I will go over the top of everything with a radiant barrier foil. Regards from the Dorf.....


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## retro

Love that pellet stove!


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## shumakerscott

This morning first thing I called about my roof tiles. I diverted the shipment from my house to the construction supply firm, I will have them store them for awhile. The weather has really turned bad. I need calm dry weather to mount my radiant barrier. I'm not sure when that will be. I'm really up against a wall. The scaffold costs every day it stands. I need to get the roof finished but mother nature is not being nice. It will take a crew of at least 5 or 6 to get the tiles up. I will be oweing alot of beer and food that day. I think we will press on with the chiminey on Sat. I got a second conection pipe today so I can add another stove upstairs in the future. No new pics today but here are a couple of what I would like to put for my ground floor ceiling and 2nd story floor. Dorf Dude out...


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## DangerMouse

shumakerscott said:


> We broke 5000 views faster than I could of ever guessed.


-=chuckle=- didja notice it was right after you said the word "treasure"? lol

DM


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## shumakerscott

*Snow*

We got the insulation up just in time. Winter is here. Matt came and worked on the chiminey. We can go no further with out cutting a hole in the ceiling. We will need a break in the weather to continue on. No getting on the roof with snow and ice. I got plastic up on the window holes and brought a little propane heater in. You could sure tell a difference from the outside temp. I can't wait until the good windows are in. I have been asked about the crooked gable wall. I don't like to show a flaw but here's a pic of it. Just a lack of attention to detail. I got in a hurry. It won't be seen when it's finished. Time to take a day off! Dorf Dude


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## scoggy

Shu, that work you have done, while 'racing' winter, is fantastic! It is great to have friends who will respond to your calls for help....no matter what! With the "W" word comming, perhaps time to do indoor stuff, just to keep your mind 'superoccupied'! Even at this distance, it is still great to watch 'your project' come together, since I don't know how they do it there, and each installment is a new 'aha', ! Cheers.
Syd


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## shumakerscott

*Sealed Bricks*

I have been thinking about when I will get the outside walls done. Usually the bricks get stucco to seal the air gaps. I don't see that happening any time soon. I decided to caulk the inside seams with acrylic, it is the cheapest. I didn't want to squeeze a caulking gun all day so I looked for a cordless one. I could order and wait for a DeWalt or Panasonic and fork over 250 euro. I went looking local, at the 3rd store they had the Ryobi for 80 with no battery or charger, it was like picking up a brick. At the 4th store they had a Black and Decker with a very thick layer of dust. I had read reviews on it and for the price was rated ok. I bought it for 42 euro and got to work. It goes wir wir wir wir. All I could think of was "The Little Engine that Could" I think I can, I think I can. It got the job done quite well. I like these things. It eats batteries though. If I kill this one I will get a good one. No more hand guns for me. Here are some pics, Enjoy


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## shumakerscott

*Moisture problems*

I'm getting a big moisture build up inside. I am on the hunt for a big dehumidifier. My plan is to heat 24-7 and run the dehumidifier. It is too cold outside to vent and natural dry. If you have any sugestions please chime in. I could use some advice. More pic's tomorrow. Dorf Dude


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## Shamus

Dry heat will reduce humidity, decreasing the condensation. 

Heating with kerosene heaters can make condensation problems worse. The process of burning kerosene creates water vapor, increasing the moisture level in the room and increasing the chance of condensation forming on walls, windows, or any element which conducts cold into the heated airspace. 

Get that hole in the roof cut and fire up the stove.

Humm Edit; just saw where you are using propane.. Not sure if that will cause the moisture similar to kerosene ...other than the "cold bridge" from the walls. Maybe a vapor barrier on the outside would solve the problem for now.

Edit again.. I found a couple references that Indeed propane will generate as much condesation as kerosene.


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## shumakerscott

Thanks for the reply. I think you are right and get the chiminey finished and get the pellet oven going, and stop using heaters. It will just be a little while until I can get there. I am more motivated at this time to get it done. If only the weather would work with me. I guess I had it too good in the past. Again thanks for the info. Dorf Dude


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## shumakerscott

I called a couple firms for a dehumidifier, they are all in use at job sights. I decided to just buy one. I can use it in my shop in the future or sell it on. I bought it online and finished the payment. 5 minutes later my phone rings and I can get the dehumidifier from one of the firms tomorrow. I guess I will run 2 for awhile to speed up the process. Yesterday I insulated between the beams on the back side. I also shot foam around as I found spots. Today I did not turn the heater on because of moisture. I marked the ceiling where the chiminey will exit with a pencil taped to a board and just held it flush on the bricks and drew the outline. I went slightly larger for some work room. I used my Fein multi-tool. Dremel has copied it. It worked great but I hate working off ladders with my arms overhead. I like to have a hand holding on to something. Here are a couple pics, Dorf Dude


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## shumakerscott

*Started Drying*

This morning I picked up the dehumidifier and got some heat going. It is working. It is a good thing I ordered one because they need theirs back soon. I think I could rent mine when I'm done to help pay for it. I got a fresh bottle of propane and hooked it up when I left. I will let the heater run all night. I need to keep the temp up to dry it out. I had a guy stop and try and sell me windows. Way too late there buddy. It looks like we are on for punching through the chiminey on Sat. I was inspected by 2 of my neighbors today. They came in saying "Bau Polizi" construction police. They were impressed. They really liked that I extra braced the chiminey. I don't want it getting knocked over. Once it is through the roof then I don't need the extra supports. I got the front wall insulated between the beams today and shot some more foam. No pic's today but tomorrow. I will get ahold of a guy to install my windows next week. He is cheap and highly recomended also unemployed. I just don't feel like messing with them. Not a good thing to goof up on. From the Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Hits*

The hit counter is really climbing! If so many people are following why not much feedback? I guess it's interesting what I'm posting. I have such a large ego!! "Sarcastic" Wait until tomorrow with the dehumidifier pics. I have made quite a set up. We will see how much water is collected overnight. I hope the propane heater is not going to mess up. It has safety measures built in. Thanks for following along, Dorf Dude...


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## bofusmosby

Sorry for not responding more Shu. I am very impressed with the job you are doing. I guess the word "job" is an extreme understatement. Its amazing as to how much you have accomplished. Once you get it done, you're going to have a warm house in the winter, and a cool one in the summer. Someone over in your area ought to get in touch with one of the local TV stations. It seems to me that they would have a big interest in you progression. Most impressive!

Keep up the good work, and thank you for allowing us to be a "small" part of the work you are doing. 

Bofus


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## shumakerscott

Bofus, I keep waiting for that Tye Pendington guy to show up and Extreme House makeover me. He would knock it down. I have also been restoring an old Mustang and hope for Overhauling to come and take it. It only happens on TV. I wouldn't want someone else to do it anyway. Their ideas probably aren't the same as mine. Thanks for the compliments and I will keep updating in small steps. This helps me to remember how things went as I read back over the old posts. My online journel. Must get to the house and see what happened overnight. Dorf Dude...


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## frenchelectrican

Wow ., 

Ya really moving along and I know you are glad you get the most of the outside part done now just few odd et ends done then take care the inside part next to get the all room done.

Keep up good work.

P.S. when ya get time can you take a photo of the service entrance { metering unit } so that way I can able see the diffrence between the Americian and French and German system look like.

Merci,Marc


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## bofusmosby

Shu

I believe you misunderstood me. I wasn't thinking that you would even Want to have someone else do the work, I meant that this is a great human-interest story. If you get over 5000 hits on this site (whick you have), its because people are very interested in the work you are doing. Stu, you are doing a jam-up job, and we are really interested in every step you take. If you had "Ty" come along to finish the job, the interest would be lost for the most part.

Keep up the good work!

Bofus


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## shumakerscott

Bofus, I understood you but just went on a little tangent. I do that sometimes. I got a late start today, my real job needed me. The house did not burn down, the heater was still going as was the dehumidifier. It filled my container half full, about 5 gallons. Not bad but a long way to go. I had the buckets arrainged that if the big container got full then it would flow into the next one and then the next. I dug down in the floor and built a form for a pad. I will put the pellet stove on it. I set it level for floor height. I made it with 2 inches of hard foam then rebar. The oven is really heavy and it doesn't have any water in it yet. Better safe than sorry. I will need to haul water from the neighbor to mix the concrete. He shut his outside faucet off for the winter, mid 20's right now. With the little heater I have probably 38 inside, you can see your breath sometimes. I will take a thermometer to find out exactly. That is all I got done today. I also went to the doctor. I have a bump developing on the tendon of my middle finger, palm side. Hard to steer sometimes. He said it was from too much work. Might need surgury but not right now that's for sure. No time for a disability when I have too much work to do. I must get heat, then power, then water. I have temp power but need my own. Well, here are a few pics, From the Dorf of Seugast


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## shumakerscott

*Chiminey in*

The chiminey is through the roof :thumbup: Mat pretty much did it by himself. Later in the day his brother showed up too and helped. I got the pad poured for my stove. We ran out of mortar mix at the last 2 bricks, had to run and buy some more. I found another use for the Army sleeping mats. They make great traction pads for an icy roof! I am trying to get a system going with the propane bottles. I can get about 48 hours out of a 11 kilo bottle it seems. I tried to burn up my emptiest bottle this morning so I could get a new one. It just kept going and going. Normally this is good but the propane place closes at 1pm. Not open agian until Monday, this is Germany, stores close. I ended up having to pay deposit on another 2 bottles, now I have 5. 2 full, 2 half full and now 1 empty. I can get the deposit back so no big deal. The inside temp is at 7C ground floor and 10C on the 2nd floor. Not bad for having no good windows in plus I have 6 holes with just plastic on upstairs. The trim boards around the chiminey decided to not play well, I was being a little lazy too. They fell off because of the spray foam pushing from behind. I had to get the long air hose out and shoot them with the nailer, actually Mat and his brother Sammy did. Well here are some pics from today. Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Thanks*

I would like to thank people for the off forum support. I went today to check up on the heater and water situation. My heater went out and the house temp went down to 6C. I turned up the gas flow a little bit to try and keep the heater from blowing it self out. It will get dried out. I will move forward to get the pellet stove in play, much more effiecient than propane. I took the concrete form off the stove pad and one corner flaked, not too bad. It was too cold for the concrete to set properly. I will wait at least a week I think until I move the stove onto the pad. In the mean time windows must be put in and clean up the floor for future progress. Dorf Dude.... PS sorry no pic's today.


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## shumakerscott

*lights*

I have gone back to work now. It gets dark at 4pm and I get off at 4:30. I had some floresent lights on hand from a previous project. They are really cheap. Tonight I wired them with male and female hookups. I can Daisy chain them together. I put tie wrap connectors through the mounting holes so I can just tie them to the beams. I must keep going even with the lack of light. I might start to tackle some windows on my own. Every Euro saved will help in the long run. The dehumidifier is still kicking butt. I'm getting about 3-5 gallons in a 24hr period. Propane heat is still going strong. It is a waiting game for it to dry out. Here is a pic of the lights. Dorf Dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

I appreciate your situation. - The propane is pumping out moisture into the house as a by-product of the combustion and you have to overcome this with a dehumidifier to overcome it enough to get everything dry, let alone dry it out.

What every you can do to get the stove working will be a big help. It will take the interior air (moist) and use it in burning and exhaust it out the magnificent chimney.

The air drawn in from outside is colder and will contain less moisture than the inside.

The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Reply*

Herr Schu, Thanks for the reply. The new pellet stove will be going in real soon. I don't see how it will dry out the inside air any better because it will be drawing fresh outside air. It will never touch the inside air with it's combustion process. I would think that the propane burning inside air would help evaporate the moisture. I think the big gainer here will be to get the good windows in. I have alot of humidity built up on the plastic I used to cover the window holes. They are sweating and dripping the water on the inside walls. I don't mean to go against your opinion, just compairing things. Dorf Dude...


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## scoggy

*HOO Haw*

Shu, you paragon of virtue,..perhaps :yes::yes::yes::yes: you should 'split' the "people' within you, and sit down with "them" all, and then,..show 'them' you are the boss, and do what you have been doing,....which brings you 'inner peace"! Winter has set in, and maybe you have to, take a lessor hold on what you do, and save yourself for the 'Finally", because, it will happen, but it would be a 'non -happening", without you in charge! Cheers!
SYD (shields up)


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## concretemasonry

If the propane is not vented, it adds moisture to the house because the products of combustion are water (moisture) and various carbon compounds (carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide) depending on the efficiency.

Herr Doktor Schu - good "honorary" title from someone gave to me with Luxembourge ancestors (by 100 meters outside of Germany) that has ancestors named Jean Paul, Pierre and Michele. Frederick was the one they paid to get rid by buying a ticket for to the U.S. in 1865

Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Pellet Stove*

During the week I got the lights mounted and hooked to a switch. Now when I walk in I just turn on the lights. I also mounted a flood light outside with a motion sensor. It really helps having light. Greg and his daughter came over to help move the pellet stove. We rolled it on pieces of 1" water pipe. Once in the doorway we used pallets propped up with bricks to continue to the pad. Then Mat showed up just in time. This stove is really heavy! I made my pad too small. I will have to make it bigger. Here are a couple of pic's, Dorf Dude..


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

Did Greg's daughter do her share?. At least she had both hands free.

What does the stove weigh? If sure looks quite technical and refined. Who is the manufacturer and what is the model number?

Considering the type of construction you have, it should work well. At least you have steady conditions inside the a house and a 12 - 24 hour swing in outdoor temperatures/wind won't affect the need for heat rapidly like it does in lightweight structures. Your biggest problem could be overheating when you get everything in the house at the temperature you want for the winter

Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Stove*

It is a Rika, Evo Aqua. http://www.rika.at/en/2116/ It weighs 232 Kilo's, that is 180 more than me!


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## scoggy

*stove in*

Most impressed how you 'rolled' it into the house!!! Sorta like modern day Egyptians, when they built the pyramids! Creative adapttation never fails! Still working on your house gift, prolly won't be ready by Xmas,..toooooomany elves, with union hassels! Cheers
Syd


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## shumakerscott

*Overheating*

Herr Schu, If I overheat then I guess that would be a terrible thing :sweatdrop: :thumbup:. Not many people have that problem do they? I am planning for a very energy effiecient design as you know. This is without the help of expensive designers and such. Just the internet and common sense. Of course help from here too. Thanks to everyone for following along, the hit counter going over 6000! If I had a $ for every hit I could probably finish this thing up. My bank loan is gone with the roof tiles and insulation. I made it further than anybody thought though. Time to get really thrifty. It will work out, just not a turn key type of place. I will extend the stove pad in the next couple days, pics to follow. Dorf Dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

I wasn't saying you will overheat as long as you can control the low heat level. One you home is stabilized, it will take more the a day ot two of cold and wind to really make a difference. - It is due to the thermal inertia of the home, something Americans have not learned, but is well understood elsewhere. That is why American homes with lightweight construction end up with oversized heating plants.

Herr Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Heating Inertia*

You hit the nail on the head there Herr Schu! I will have massive heating inertia. I like that wording. You have a flair for words sir that's for sure. When my slab gets up to temp it will take a long time to cool down. I hope to pour my slab enlargement for the stove in the next couple days. It's hard with being back to work at my real job. Thanks for the support! Dorf Dude....


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## concretemasonry

The slab is not the big thing, it is the mass of the walls that makes the difference since they see the variations directly - Do you remember how many pounds (kilos) you got up for the walls to give you the benefits that the earlier residents enjoyed from the original walls below?

Herr-Schu (not actually a German, but a Luxembourger not a lot of difference, but borders did mean something).


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## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> It is a Rika, Evo Aqua. http://www.rika.at/en/2116/ It weighs 232 Kilo's, that is 180 more than me!


 
For other peoples want to know from KG to lbs the 232KG = 510.4LBS


Merci,Marc


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## shumakerscott

*Pad enlarged*

I finally got the pad enlarged for the pellet stove. The weather has not been too good, snow and cold. It gets so dark so soon now, it is hard to get anything done when I get off work. I dragged the cement mixer out and used water from the dehumidifier to make the concrete. It went really easy. I put alot of rebar in the pad. I drilled holes in the existing pad and set rebar in there too. I'm still waiting for the last 4 windows. I went on Friday to the firm but the person had gone home already. I will call next week then. We will start setting windows that I already have in the next few days or weekend. Here are a couple pics from today. Dorf Dude...


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## Shamus

It looks like your only a couple days away from some real heat. :thumbsup:

With the windows going in it will finally feel like Home.


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## Shamus

Isn't this suppose to be on the ceiling? :whistling2:


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## shumakerscott

Shamus you are so correct! Very good catch. I am having a timing problem. They put a temp beam in and it is blocking where I need to put the spanner beam. I now need to work around with screw jacks and push up the main beam and set the shorter beam that you pointed out. Work, work, work.... Thanks for following along, Dorf Dude....


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## shumakerscott

*Cleaning Beam*

I started cleaning the spanner beam. Not sure if that's the right name for it. I first hit it with a twisted wire brush. This is where a grinder with variable speed really shines. I have it set on slowest speed. This allows the bristles to really dig in. I'm taking off over an inch in some places of soft eaten wood. It sure is messy. I didn't wear a dust mask. It was dirty from tearing the house apart. I will clean it tonight and use it from here on out. I then went over it with 36 grit sand paper with a little faster speed. The pics don't show this. That's where I have stopped today. Here are a couple pics, Dorf Dude...


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## Shamus

I've followed your thread from the beginning and have enjoyed every post you've made. I don't remember reading much about the DD himself. I was just wondering if you'd mind giving us loyal readers some inside info on how you came to be restoring a home in Germany. 

Your English/grammar indicates you’re an American and I have assumed you were just working in Europe. I now am beginning to think I'm wrong about that. 

Care to share some background?


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## shumakerscott

*Dorf Dude Bio*

Ok Shamus. I come from Pomeroy / Moses Lake Washington. I joined the Army in 1987 arrived in Vilseck Germany 1988. Married a local girl in 1990, got out of the Army in 91. I got completely broadsided in 2006 that she wanted a divorce. I moved to an apartment and after a year I was fed up paying rent. I have to stay here because of my boys. I found a house and went forward for a month with the bank, making plans ect... Then one Friday evening the people selling the house called and said they changed their minds, won't sell the house. Needless to say I was devestated. I got up the next morning and got on the net looking for local houses for sale. In 2 minutes I found the Dorf Dude place that I'm working on now. 830 sq meter of ground, 8826 sq ft. I hope to be in in the summer of 2009. It won't be finished but at least livable. That is the Readers Digest condensed version of the DD


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## scoggy

Shu,...you forgot to tell him about your ongoing Mustang restoration also...I mean...inquring minds wanna know, eh? Jeez, still 'chasing' the finster guys..should make it into a 'board game'..called 'where's my materials????' We have a 'ton' more of that white stuff in your yard, and temps of minus 20 C. Wish it would go away now! Cheers
Syd


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## cocobolo

Nobody can accuse you of being a timid builder, that's for sure! I haven't read the entire thread, but a fair bit of it. Looks to me like you have done a whale of a job so far! Very well done! I have only just joined this site, so this is all new to me. I hope you succeed 100%, so far so good.


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## shumakerscott

*progress*

No progress the last few days. I got the flu. I've been couch bound. They did deliver the rest of my windows on Thursday. As always I will post pics as things go forward. Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

Sorry to hear about the 'flu. Good that your windows are there. We are under a couple of feet of snow here.


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## shumakerscott

*Sick*

The flu turned into a type of Mono sort of crud. My throat is in bad shape. Antibiotics for the next week. There won't be any updates for awhile. This sucks :furious::furious: Happy Holidays! Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

Well, Shu, after all the work you have done, a few days off for a good rest will do you good. Our snow has now grown to 35" total!
A very merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

My best to you and wish you a good recovery. - Do not push it too soon or too much when you get back. - Maybe you can go and look and think what you want to do before you jump in "full boat". You might find it is a good chance to make some adjustments while you go when you are not pushing as much.

What year Mustang? - Don't say 1965-66 because my wife will leave me for you - she traded her '65 or '66 red convertible for an Opel (Cadet?) in 1969 of all things.

Schu -


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## shumakerscott

*Thanks*

I will take it easy jumping back in. It won't be until Jan until I can get the heat going. Things shut down around here until after the New Year. As for the Mustang it is a 64 1/2 Coupe, 289, 4 speed. Long way from being finished but a long way into the project. Too far into it $$ to sell or quit. It's been on the back burner for the last couple years. I got it out of the divorce though :thumbsup:. Dorf Dude..


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## shumakerscott

*Couch*

I've been down on the couch for the last 2 weeks. Happy Holidays! :furious: I got to watch a DIY program called "Le Salvager" The guys name is Rico Daniels. He does some great work with old stuff. I have had a little email contact with him. I want him to check out the progress but he only has dial up modem. He is in a very rural area in France. We will see how this pans out. He rebuilds with recycled materials. I am now at the rebuild stage, weird timing ehe? Check him out if you have the time. I want to get my windows in ASAP!! It is amazing when you can't move but you have the will to. Good health can not be bought. I think things will begin again in about a week. From the Dorf Dude.... Happy New Year.


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## DangerMouse

you needed a vacation, so nature simply took over and reminded you. 
now get better so you can get back to work!

i have this place you can work on when you're done there....

DM


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

Welcome back to the land of the recovering!!!!

I get a worried when I do not see your frequent updates.

Take it easy on the start-up so your recovery can continue without a set-back.

The other Schu -


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## DangerMouse

hey concretemasonry, you better not get sick too!!! 

i'd hate to be here when the other Schu falls..... hehehehe

DM


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## scoggy

I sure hope the weather is cooperating better than here! Only 3 days until POLAR BEAR swim, in this weather! Get better hu, and have a better New Year.
Syd


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## billy d

Hay Shu head up my friend if it was easy any one could do it 'Nil ilegitamum carborundum'.Syd do you think you could get me one of those bears, the kids would love one in the back yard to play with.I used to have a job in a fair wrestling them but I got sacked I was only supposed to ruff them up a bit but I was breaking their backs.:laughing:May I wish all on the site a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. billy:thumbsup:


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## scoggy

Billy D, Had a "talk" with a couple of them about an hour ago, and passed your photo around to them in the back yard, ...and they are on their way!!!! Something about "unbearable" comments, and something about putting some dishsoap in your "mixture", to make you more 'creamy" to eat! They like to hang out in Pubs and drink Guiness, and wear dark glasses and do the "bear Dance", so to be forewarned is to be forearmed, eh? Cheers.
Syd:yes::wink::whistling2:


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## cocobolo

Scoggy:
Polar bear swim? What part of the world are you in? We have loads of the swims out here.

Hi Schu: Don't push the recovery too fast, it never seems to work quite like that. Have a great new year!


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## shumakerscott

*Scoggy location*



cocobolo said:


> Scoggy:
> Polar bear swim? What part of the world are you in? We have loads of the swims out here.
> 
> 
> 
> If Scoggy would put his location in you would see the he lives in Ladysmith BC. That is right where you are. Maybe you 2 can hook up at the swim! Dorf Dude


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## shumakerscott

*Made it to the house*

After 2 weeks I made it to the house. I had stopped heating with propane as soon as I got sick. The insides of all the windows are covered in ice. I took a few pic's for those of you needing a fix! They are of the beam I'm working on, new windows with rolling shutters installed, big wood pile and roof tiles waiting to go up and a shot of the back of the house. Happy New Year! Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

Hi Shu:
I guess you have found out by now that heating with propane produces lots of moisture! I realize that it is universally used to heat buildings under construction, but sometimes all that extra moisture can be positively damaging. As soon as you get your wood stove up and running you will be a happy camper. The dry heat does wonders for the building. And once you get the mass heated up, i.e. all that masonry, the temperature swings will go way down.
Thanks for the tip about Ladysmith....you might not believe it, but we can actually see Ladysmith from here across the water! Only 11 miles by water, and about 7 in a straight line.
And one more Happy New Year for the road!


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## Shamus

Glad your feeling better.

Happy New Year Shu! You've earned it.


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## shumakerscott

*Feeling Better*

I wish I was felling better. I just can't shake this [email protected]. I ache all over and my throat still is a mess. No appetite and I'm sleeping alot. It is just going to take time, the house can wait. The weather is really cold at the moment and I will not fire up the propane anymore. Too much moisture. Well, I will post when I get back at it. Might be a couple more weeks. Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

Sorry to hear that shu. That's about the last thing you need when you're trying to work on the house.
In the mean time, take a look at my thread on Gulf Island Building. Only just started, so not much there yet. On my way now to post a few more photos.


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## shumakerscott

*Long Time*

It's been a long time since I've posted. No new progress. We have been a Deep Freeze the last few weeks, -19C lowest -11C right now. I can not get the pellet stove going because it needs to be filled with water and routed through a radiater. I can not run it dry. I have no running water to fill it up. I don't want to turn on main water with -19C. I will just have to wait. I still am battling with the tail ends of the flu so this pause works out ok. Until the weather breaks I don't see much happening. Greetings from the Dorf Dude....


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## shumakerscott

*Been Awhile*

No note about getting better or anything like that please. Let's keep this about DIY and fixing or building things. Thanks


----------



## concretemasonry

Scott -

I think I understand the situation, although I always get confused about the difference between a comma (,) and and decimal point (.) and that can be a big difference, especially if you are in India, but sometimes Europe.

It is time to to get to know the locals very well and let them get to know that your are a German, despite the unusual/different spelling of the the last name. They are probably able to determine and "bless" you. It is well worth the effort and interest you show.

Same thing happened to a friend that lived in Switzerland that could vote in national elections, but not local elections (after many years residence) until he sat down and had a meeting and a few beers with village people that determined who could vote. - It was a strange situation for an American to understand, but it makes sense in when you are in small, traditional town. - He finally got out of the Swiss army when he was 55. The funny thing is that he was a twin to "Colonel Klink" (from the old "Hogans Heros TV series) complete with the bald head and full length leather coat.

Do what you have to do to keep the taxes down and keep the valuation up to justify the mortgage and insurance.

Regarding your Mustang, I have a friend (technical service) in Stuttgart that has driven (and repaired) his Jaguars to jobs in England, Spain and Belarus. He may have an interest in playing with Fords if he has the time.

The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

*False Alarm*

I have been given a go ahead by my doctor. I have a history of hernias. I have been having pains but the Doc said everything is ok, just internal scar tissue settling in with my physical labor, 3 surgurys as an adult so far. Now when it gets warmer it is time to get back at it! Rock and Roll. I can't wait to get back working again. Thanks for following along. Things will get moving as the weather gets warmer. Dorf Dude....


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## concretemasonry

*Dorf dude -*

Glad to hear you are on the road back!!

The weather is getting better, so resist the urges to over-do it too soon. Summer is a great time to build. I built a masonry home and laid in my sleeping bag at night trying to figure out how to do things best without any other help unless they stopped by for a beer.

The other Schu


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## cocobolo

Hi Shu: Good show! I only had one hernia operation, and that's enough.
Our weather here has been unseasonably cold and extremely foggy, which only serves to keep everything damp and cold. Today is so-so and the temps are supposed to get back to normal right away. That would be +7C for daytime highs here. Just messing around with the ensuite bathroom today, trying to work out some electrical and plumbing issues. We shall overcome!!
Later.


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## shumakerscott

Herr Schu. I will be there by the end of summer. It is tough paying a double rent at this time. I will be sleeping in my house come winter 2009. No choice. Thanks for the support, Dorf Dude


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## Shamus

DD,

Just a note about the hernia. I went through the mesh install about 6 yrs ago. Had them do both sides while I was there. I'll never see another hernia and for the amount of lifting I do, not "work" related, it's a positive way to go.


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## cocobolo

Hey Shu:

Weather getting any warmer over there yet? It's plus 2C here this morning and we had more snow a couple of days ago. 8" on Gabriola and 16" at the north end of Nanaimo!


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## shumakerscott

*Weather*

The weather here is starting to turn, 7C today. Being off the house the last 2 months has thrown me off my game. Work has really been keeping me busy also. It looks like I will be stretched thin between work and the house this year. I just need to get things figured out and in what order. Thanks for asking! Dorf Dude....


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## Scuba_Dave

That's a lot of work!!
I started a 3 story addition to our house in October
I did not beat the winter to get the roof on
I also was sick for a few weeks around Christmas - New Years
I'm just getting back to work, like you I can tell from not working on it for 2 months
Nice job, a lot of heavy masonry work
Mine is all lumber
Keep up the good work


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## shumakerscott

*Door Stuck*

I went to the house yesterday and I could not open the door, swelled shut. It is not quite time to get started. I had a huge ice sheet to walk across also. We have a big melt going on at the moment but supposed to get cold again. Patience Grasshopper! Dorf Dude...


----------



## DangerMouse

well, glad yer feelin better.... keep posting new pics!

DM


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## Shamus

Ok, DD the weather in Grafenwoehr is going up to 50* today and I'm positive your about ready to give us an update. Got your windows in yet?


----------



## shumakerscott

*Back at It*

I was back working at the house today after 3 months. The weather is getting much better. I just piddled around. I turned the new dehumidifier on. Still to cold for it to help much. I have a serious moisture issue. I opened 2 more windows for a cross flow effect. I need to heat it up!! Here are a couple of pic's from when I first got started that I don't think I posted before. Just to get warmed up for this season of DIY!! I have to get a real plan of attack for this year. Here we go again. Dorf Dude...


----------



## Scuba_Dave

I know how you feel, its just warming up enough here
But 2 days of rain, 1 good day, a cold day, 2 more days of rain 

Sat & Sun are supposed to be nice here
Hoping to get the rest of my roof rafters up & start roofing soon


----------



## shumakerscott

*Windows in!*

Today my son and I got 4 windows in. My buddy helped lift and set them. They come apart so you have just a frame, and the windows. We got the frames set with wedges and spray foam. After about an hour then you drill 4 holes and set screws into wall, the frame is already pre-drilled. Then you mount the window back in the frame. Done. These are 2 way opening type as you can see in the pics. They are extra noise dampening which means they are heavy! Thats why I had help getting them up and mounted. I also have roll down shutters. DIY 2009 has started! Dorf Dude...


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## concretemasonry

Glad to see you are back and opening our eyes to more permanent construction.

The windows are the traditional high quality windows I expected to see in Europe. I question the shutters, but with your location close to the road, they should be a great option. In addition to sound reduction, you will get a great reduction in heat loss in colder months. - The the U.S., they would just try to sell you a window with more coatings and different gasses, which really have little effect on the heat loss in the evening. - All the coatings and gas never will equal a sheet or blanket hung to prevent the radiant loss.


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Glad to see you are back and opening our eyes to more permanent construction.
> 
> The windows are the traditional high quality windows I expected to see in Europe. I question the shutters, but with your location close to the road, they should be a great option. In addition to sound reduction, you will get a great reduction in heat loss in colder months. - The the U.S., they would just try to sell you a window with more coatings and different gasses, which really have little effect on the heat loss in the evening. - All the coatings and gas never will equal a sheet or blanket hung to prevent the radiant loss.


The windows are the sound killers, the shutters are more for light reduction and warmth retention, great for privacy too.


----------



## cocobolo

Hey Shu:
Glad to see things happening again. The weather gods have not been kind to us over here either. Last few weeks have provided us with record breaking winds. Mucho damage and just plain COLD!! Looking good!


----------



## shumakerscott

*New house guest*

By leaving my windows open to dry out the inside I now have a new house guest. Not sure yet what for bird, but it's been really busy. I am guessing Starling. It actually tried to make 3 nests. I want to be a green person but I don't need a nest inside my house. Ah!


----------



## blk90s13

Amazing build please keep the pictures coming, let the bird live till you are done at least :laughing:


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## shumakerscott

I won't kill the bird but will remove the nests. We will have a battle of wills. A roosting bird will leave massive poop all over my beams ect.. I can't close the windows at this point, it must dry out. More pics as things go along, Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Evicted*

I got rid of the nests, 3 in total. He was a very busy beaver! Let the battle begin. I think he will not rebuild but only time will tell. I'm getting prepped to get the radiant barrier up and under construction for the roof tiles up. Pics of course to follow as things go along. Dorf Dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Radiant Barrier*

Mick came over this evening and helped me get 1 side of the radiant barrier up. This is not the norm here. I am adding it extra. It sure can't hurt. We also got the runners screwed down. We only missed with 2 screws into the inside beams. They were both with the crooked beams at the ends, not bad. Still some more to do there but huge progress. Maybe tomorrow we can get the other side done, depends on the wind. Very hard to lay the barrier with a wind blowing. I can not work outside or make noise on Friday or Monday, sacered holidays here. I can work on Sat though. Here are some pic's. It was getting dark by the time I took them. The scraps of spray foam are from around the chiminey. Had to trim it down. Dorf Dude...


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## blk90s13

I wish I can get some of those Euro windows here for my basment, my father in law got them in Poland and they used them in the Berlin hotel we stayed at last year on vacation.

I love how they can open to almost every direction tilt from top from bottom open to the right or to the left :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Windows*

The windows here absolutely kick butt on what is sold in the states. We also have the drop down outside shutters. If you work shift work then these things rock! You can have night time at any time. No need to tape alu foil on the windows, been there done that. My windows also have a slide down bug screen when needed. Thanks for the interest. Dorf Dude...


----------



## blk90s13

shumakerscott said:


> The windows here absolutely kick butt on what is sold in the states. We also have the drop down outside shutters. If you work shift work then these things rock! You can have night time at any time. No need to tape alu foil on the windows, been there done that. My windows also have a slide down bug screen when needed. Thanks for the interest. Dorf Dude...


 
Yes the inclosed shutters is another great thing they had them in Poland made out of aluminum and yes its true it can be night time at any time of the day if you want it to be


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## shumakerscott

*Progress*

Today we made big progress. Steve came and gave me a hand. Well, he lasted about 3 1/2 hours. The weather here is fantastic! Sunny and in the 70's. The only problem is the radiant barrier is a super sun tan bed. I have a great start on my tan. Steve got cooked even with SPF50 sun cream. I took a few breaks alternating between beer and water. Here are a few pic's. The roof tiles just lay on the latten, I forgot the english for word for latten. It is critical with the spacing of them. The overlap must be even all the way up. The roof tiles interlock so everthing must be square too. Anyway here are pic's. Dorf Dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*12000 hits*

We are at 11998 hits on this thread. Who is going to be #12000? I never could have guessed that what I'm doing would be so popular. Today I took my bike out for the first ride in a real long time. Life is finally getting back to normal after the divorce. Here is a pic of the best motorcycle in the world. I am a bit biased of course! My buddy Sid has ridden it in the Alps and would agree. It is a Cagiva Raptor 1000. Forbidden Fruit to you in the states. Thanks for following along, Dorf Dude....


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## blk90s13

Niice bike forget the house :laughing: :thumbup:


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## bofusmosby

GREAT job there D.D. Glad it finally warmed up for you. I've been watch ya all along, so I figured I'd make another post to just thank you for including us all in on your "adventure". As you can see, there are a whole $hit-load of us keeping our eyes on your progress. I believe the barrier you are putting down will save you a lot on energy costs through the years. Great idea!

I'll just sit here on the sidelines, as I have been from the beginning, watching your progress. Take care.

Jim..AKA..bofus


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## scoggy

*What a GREAT interlude!*

DD glad you took that ride...your 'soul' needed reconnecting with your body...now 'you' are energized! That house will be so incredibly warm, you will be able to heat the whole thing with one 'BIC' lighter! Keep going.....you are on fire..again!
SQUID:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

*A little further*

We got a little further today. Stave came and helped. I had to put his picture up again! Now he is even more famous. We should have it finished tomorrow evening. In the 2nd pic you can see how far out of square the house is. The lats are all the same length and the runners are square to them. Quite a slope. I am throwing out an all hands call for Saturday to get the roof tiles up. If the weather is ok that is. If not then I will have to wait 3 weeks. Work is getting real busy with 12 hour shifts for 12 days starting soon. I got so lucky last fall weather wise I hope it will work out again. One thing I need to deal with before the tiles go up is the temporary center support beam by the chiminey. I need to remove it and put in different temp supports. Once the weight of the tiles is there I will not be able to put a permanent beam in place. They put the current beam where the permanent one needs to be. A shuffle around of sorts. Here are a few pic's for those of you waiting. Dorf Dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Latts up*

Today Steve and I got the rest of the latts up. It is not finished yet but real close. I have alot of screws still to put in. Screws are definetley the way to go. You can make adjustments any time very easiely. I'm using a Makita Impact Driver. Man this thing rocks!! If you need to run screws get rid of your cordless drill, get an impact driver, and use Torx screws, you will never regret it.

I did not cut the latts to align with the beams underneath. If you cut them then there isn't much end left to run screws into, they will split. It also costs more with the cut offs. I put a reinforcement underneath with a couple of screws. Quick, easy and cheap. I sent an email out today asking for help on Sat to get the roof tiles up. The response was pretty good, should not be a problem getting it done. Pic's of the big day of course. Here are a few from today. As always, thanks Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Almost ready*

Today I got alot of small details taken care of. Almost ready for Saturdays roof party. I still need to get the main support beam sorted out. It looks to be like an old fashion barn raising from the responses I got for help. I will give my camera to someone and let them document the roof raising. It will be a BBQ with Steaks, Chili and a couple side dishes. You must feed your crew. Weather looks like about 70% sunny with a chance of showers. I will take those odds and push forward. I will post pics of all who have helped unless the are wanted by the FBI! Stay tuned, I'm as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof, Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Rain*

It has rained all day and is predicted for all day tomorrow. This just sucks. I am going to go ahead and see who shows up. I only have this weekend to do it. I will update tomorrow. Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*It's Up!!*

We got the roof up! Well 95% anyway. I can knock the rest out no problem. It was raining this morning with the weather forcast predicting clearing up around noon. We got started in the rain on the back side around 10:30. I felt it was better to practice on the yard side before I go public on the front side. We grilled and had chilli for lunch and then got going on the front. The forcast was dead on. It stopped raining and it went really smooth. We were done by 3:00. We ran short on tiles. I guess I put an extra row in that was not calculated in on the estimate. I left the short side on the no show side. I am being watched and judged. All in all it came out fine, not perfect, some rows are off but it is up and won't leak. Good in my book. Here are some pics, I'm actually in a couple of them. I can not thank the crew that showed up enough!! Even in [email protected] weather. Thanks Guys and Gals and Kids! I will have a party when I get ready to move in and they all will eat and drink on my expense that's for sure. I feel that they must be named, so I won't forget. Steve S, Steve G, Song, Troy and wife and son, Wes and Ma, Charles and Charles II, Dustin my son, Campbel, Matt, Sammy, Cedric, BK,and Mick but he showed up late and didn't do anything today! My next big project will be pouring the concrete floor. I will need some help on that. Enjoy the pic's, I'm going to take a hot bath, Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Couple more pics*

I can only post 6 pic's at a time so here are a few more.


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## Scuba_Dave

Looks great !!!
You have some good friends there :thumbsup:


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## Gary in WA

I'll bet your glad the roof's on! Look's good. Curious as to how, over there, they flash or what at the roof/wall of neighbor's connection for leak prevention? 

When you set up the floor pour, if no access to a transit or laser level, try this: http://factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/WaterLevel.htm It's a 1 man operation, I made one similar in '75, very accurate, and the price was right.
I'm a newbie here, or I'd have said something sooner. I know how slow it is waiting for the water to level out, then you spill some, then get a bubble - have to clear...... time spent. Glad you're back, health wise. Looking forward to more pictures. 
Be safe, GBAR


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## shumakerscott

*Change Sign*

In the pictures is the "Kohl" sign. He supplied the roof beams and materials, "The Roof Dude" in previous postings. My friends and I did all the work, except set the main beams. I think I will turn the sign around and put "*Dorf Dude and Co*." on it. He does not need any more free advertiesment. I paid enough already. I really need to get a web site, but money is just too tight right now to do that. Stay tuned, more to come, Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Roof Ridge up*

This evening I got the ridge beam built. I don't think that is the correct name but you'll get the idea. It ended up being 4 different pieces screwed together. The mesh cap has a super sticky adhesive under the corragated section. I will tack it down the center then stick the sides to the roof tiles. Then comes the crown tiles and clips, these will be screwed. I will use a drill for this and not the impact. Tomorrow the Sheet Metal Dude will come by and take a look. He is local from the Dorf. I will get a quote for the flashings and chiminey. I will probably have him set the rain gutter hooks while he is at it.

When I was coming home 2 C-130's were practicing dry drop runs. I stopped by Matt's to check out some extra roof tiles he had and the planes opened their back doors and troops started jumping out, very low level. Damn! I ran and grabbed my camera and took a Hail Mary pic and I got it. I wish it was 5-10 seconds earlier, was much better. I know it is not DIY but it is our troops doing their thing for us. Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Enjoy the pics, Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Things are moving along*

Yesterday my neighbor buddy Campbell called a local guy about doing my sheet metal work. He showed up this evening right on time, wow. We agreed that he will make all the flashings and mount the rain gutter hooks. He will box in the chiminey and I will mount all the flashings ect. He asked about my eve venting. I figured using a plastic mesh they sell here in rolls. He said wait 20 minutes and he would make me some in aluminum. SHAZAM!! I had metal venting and the rain gutter hooks will be mounted tomorrow. No birds or bees will be getting in my roof. I only need to take care of the gaps under the tiles. He bent the bottom of the mesh 90 degrees and it fits into the groove of the board. The front side hooks will get done. I don't have enough to do both sides. I was being cheap and wanted to skip every other beam for mounting. He said no way. Ok, not a good place to skimp. Mick showed up and gave me a hand mounting the vents and end cap. I have to put in a good plug about him since he was late for the roof and I dogged him out. I need to get some clear sealer for the wood tomorrow. Here are some pic's, Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Fastest Service Ever*

I got to the house this evening and sitting in the yard was all the sheet metal to finish the flashings. I had to move it inside because rain is predicted. I looked and the chiminey was done too! The Dude was only there yesterday evening! Nobody can beat that for service anywhere. I talked with him this evening and I will have him finish it. There are too many sheet metal tricks to finishing it up. I would love to learn them but I start long shift work on Sat morning until 8 May. He also got the rain gutter hooks up today. I started putting them up with Micks help. It is a real slick system. They are plastic but are very well built. Here are some pics. Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Roof vent*

If you look at the previous pics of the roof vent section, the color is dark brown of the corragated section. My roof is red. I started to roll things out and the 2nd roll was red not brown. WTF? They sent me 2 rolls of red and 1 of brown. [email protected]! I can't finish the ridge cap. Of course I had stapled it in place. I removed it and went with the red. I did get the the ridge cap tiles up temp but can't permanently set them until I get the correct vent mesh to finish the last 3 feet. I did get the rain gutter finished on the street side.. What a great system. It just clicks together. I was just too lazy to take pic's today. Burn out from work and the house seems to be setting in already. Stay tuned, more pic's soon. Dorf Dude...


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## Gary in WA

Hey, looking good! While you still have the scaffolding up, don't forget to seal the cedar fascia board behind the gutter. How do they plug those bat caves in the first starter course of tile at the eaves? Keep up the good work!!

Be safe, GBAR


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## shumakerscott

*Sealed*



GBAR in WA said:


> Hey, looking good! While you still have the scaffolding up, don't forget to seal the cedar fascia board behind the gutter. How do they plug those bat caves in the first starter course of tile at the eaves? Keep up the good work!!
> 
> Be safe, GBAR


We sealed the fascia board when we put it up. I wish it was cedar but it is fir. I will probably hit it again for extra protection. There will also be a metal flashing going in to protect from backsplash. As for the bat caves there are a couple of ways they do it. One is with a strip of plastic finger type things and the other is pre cut foam that has the exact profile. I will get the cheapest. My budget is getting very thin. More pic's later, Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Roof Tiles*

Today I went back to exchange the ridge mesh for the correct one. They were excited because they now have the missing brown roll. My red roll was laying in the corner. My tiles were delivered in Nov. 08. As for the bat caves I was told don't worry about them. Birds can't get in. My question is what about wasp's? So I will not cover the holes under the tiles. 
I arrived at the house to find my extra roof and ridge tiles delivered. I got them up one at a time. It sure was better with a crew!! I got setting the last row on the bottom then noticed things didn't look right. WTF? They are different but the same firm. See attached photos. The new ones only have 2 standoffs and the old ones have 3. I set the overhang for the rain gutter on the 3rd one. Things were not working out. I pushed all the tiles up and added a spacer board to take up the difference. Not good, looks like ka ka. I called it a day at that point. Tomorrow I will switch the last top row out with the new tiles. Tomorrow is my last day to spend any real time working for about a month. I have to get things straightened out or else!! A buddy of mine "who has not been there before" will show up and give me a hand tomorrow afternoon. He might warrent a photo if we get it fixed. Anyway here are some pics of the shuffle tiles process and the difference in the tiles. Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Fixed*

We got the tiles switched out from the top to the bottom row. They line up and overhang perfect. Everything is good. Don showed up and helped, he said no picture. We also measured and cut all the tiles that are angled on the 4 ends. Was about 60 tiles. My neighbors must hate me from all the dust I was making. It is all done, just need the flashing to be put up the I will mount them. Here are some pic's, I'm pooped and I have massive dust boogers even with wearing a mask. dorf Dude...


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## scoggy

*Scaffold*

Shu, Jeez, you must be "sweet talking" the scafold "ladY", 'cause the same scaffolds are still there from the "roof time"..maybe buy into her 'business"? I always look at the "end' wall on your house attached to the neighbour, and your building gets closer and closer to 'his' window! Weather has to get better, and you are also, so ..."LET HER RIP" building wise! Still working on the smb Ford engine. Cheers
SQUID


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## shumakerscott

*Flashing*

Earlier in the week the Metal Dude got the flashing up. I finally got some time to take some pics. I still am waiting for the rain gutter hooks to be delivered for the back side. I'm not quite done with the cut tiles. They have a fest tent set up accross the street. The Fire Department is having a party tomorrow. I must stop by for 1 beer after work. Pic's of course. Here are some of the sheet metal work. It rained and hailed hard yesterday so the metal is starting to turn. Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

WOW! That's a whole lotta work since I was here last. It looks like you are just about weatherproofed now. Good job.


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## frenchelectrican

Now it will not be too long to start work inside of the building.

Merci,Marc


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## shumakerscott

*Fire Dept. Party*

Today was the big Dorf party! I forgot my camera 12 hour shifts will do that to you. When your village has a party like this you must go if you want to fit in. Sheet Metal Dude was there with his VERY pregnant wife, as was the very quiet neighbor that my house butt's up to, he didn't say hi. The guy who I bought the place from said just ask and he would help me work on the house. The expensive Architect was also there. Prosted a beer with him. The fire department guys felt it was a new tradition to dunk other fire department guys in the Vil's creek that flows through the dorf. I wish I had my camera with me! Anyway only 4 more days of long shifts and I will have time to get back to house work. Dorf Dude... Sorry no pic's


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## shumakerscott

*Pollen*

Being spring time we have a lot of pollen, the streets are yellow from it. We also have trees that give off white fluff [email protected]. It is terrible! I went to the house this evening and the neighbor called me to the fence. I was being bombarded with white fluff. He said it is my tree giving this junk off. His yard on the weekend looked like a snow field. He could not have his windows open, he said it has been catastrophic! I did not know that my trees are these type. The previous owner promised to take them out but she died 6 years ago. I promised him that this will be the last year this happens. Who would want such a tree??? Here are some pic's. The last one has white streaks which are the fluff. What type of cottenwood tree is this anyway? It will be firewood in 2011. Unfortunate because it gives nice shade in the evening. Dorf Dude...


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## concretemasonry

Before you do any cutting, make sure it is legal and permitted.

The Germans protect and are appreciative to some types of trees. If you made a mistake a few years ago, you could be faced with planting some trees elsewhere to make up for what you destroyed.

Trees are not thought of as a short term renewable resource, but a long term asset. It all goes back to the tradition of permanent housing and not the short term concept common in the U.S.

Almost got there last week end, but a trip to either Munich or Budapest fell through. - Maybe another week.

The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

*It's gone*



concretemasonry said:


> Before you do any cutting, make sure it is legal and permitted.
> 
> The Germans protect and are appreciative to some types of trees. If you made a mistake a few years ago, you could be faced with planting some trees elsewhere to make up for what you destroyed.
> 
> Trees are not thought of as a short term renewable resource, but a long term asset. It all goes back to the tradition of permanent housing and not the short term concept common in the U.S.
> 
> Almost got there last week end, but a trip to either Munich or Budapest fell through. - Maybe another week.
> 
> The other Schu


 
This is "The Dorf". Different rules apply here. If the neighbors are happy then the government is happy. 'Don't ask don't tell' sort of thing. This tree has been the scurge for years. I will get rid of it by next spring, most likely around Feb. It has popped it's last fluff. I might even get free beer for getting rid of it. It is too bad that it must go because it gives nice shade in the summer evening. I don't know why anyone would plant such a tree. The [email protected] it gives off is not worth the trade off with the fluff. I can get an umbrella. It is also exactly where I want to expand the shop. So it must go either way. Long shifts are ending soon. It will take a couple days to settle into a normal cycle then back at it. More pic's as things go along. Dorf Dude...

Herr Schu, the "Dew Drop Inn" is always open, just don't know how much of a host I can be.


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## Scuba_Dave

Many times trees are just allowed to grow
Then they get too big & they can't cut them down easily
I had (would have been) a nice Japanese Maple at this house
Someone allowed a Maple tree to grown right on top of it
This blocked one side & caused the tree to only be 1/2 a tree

I planted trees (small) in '04 when we bough this house to shade the back
5 years later they are just reaching 12-15' high
One is a red leaf white birch - the other a quaking aspen


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## jayharold

I just started looking at this thread today. You do nice work and a lot of it!


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## ncgrogan

Progress is looking good, you sure have undertaken an ambitious project. Its very cool to see european construction in action.


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## shumakerscott

*How to gain space*

I have never liked the wall that was in the kitchen area. It was crooked and just made the area to small. With help from my 2 sons we got it gone! Wow! I shure gained alot of space. Some where I need a kitchen/dinning/living room. It is pretty much a wide open to how I'm going to lay it out. The pellet stove is set and a wall with door is going to go next to it and seperate the enterance from the living room. The stairs will be in the enterance. I still have to knock the walls foundation out. The boys wanted to go home so I will do it Monday. Here are some pic's. Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

Always seems to make such a big difference when you open up a space. 
Maybe you should have tried outright bribery to keep the boys there 'til they finished taking out the foundation for you!
But then, maybe you might not actually have to take all of it out, I don't know. Why do something you don't have to?


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## shumakerscott

*Foundation*

I will knock the complete wall foundation out. I will then have one complete slab for a floor. The boys were too tired to bribe, esp. my oldest. I filled around 150 buckets with plaster garbage and passed them through the window. He then carried and dumped them in the container. I was suprised that he stuck with it. Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Foundation out*

Today I got the wall foundation out. It was a type of cement with no stones in it poured directly on top of a real old foundation of sandstone and field stones. I found more burnt wood in the process. When I got one of the field stones flipped over it was burnt on the bottom side. I'm just trying to to figure out the time line of the fire. The burnt wood was above the field stone under the cement. The burnt stone was under the wood. We found the WWI era coin at/above the burnt wood level. Maybe they rebuilt the foundation for the wall after the fire and reused the stone. None of the other ones were burnt. Here are a few pics of the foundation going away, the burnt wood and field stone. I put down mats before I knocked the wall down to catch all the plaster and junk. Thats what you see all white in the pic. The electric jack hammer is the best investment I have made. This thing rocks:thumbup: Making progress, Dorf Dude...


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## concretemasonry

Since the old house you are working on (100 years old?), is the second or third on that foundation you may need an archeologist or anthropologist to find out whether the first house was 200 or 400 years old. The trouble is, you will just know it is very old, but never be sure how old. At least you know ir is stable.

The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Ridge tiles and bird*

I finally got around to setting the ridge tiles today. They will have to come back off when I finish to solar so I didn't finish setting the mesh splash guard. The bird has been around the last couple weeks, flying in and out. Today I heard peep, peep. I found the nest. She built it in a hole in the wall that a beam used to rest in a long time ago. I got a blurry pic of her. She has a redish brown tail and is the size of a sparrow. I didn't stay long and work because I'm catching a cold, sore throat, runny nose ect.. Not a good time for this. I might take a day off work and get some ordering of materials done tomorrow. Here are a few new pic's. Dorf Dude...

PS. If you want a good read Google "King of Obsolete"


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## Shamus

Look'in good DD.

Hey got a question about the electric jack hammer. What brand, model is it? I'm looking to rent, purchase one but haven't a clue where to start.
Electric seems like a better option but I'm wondering if they have the baIIz for old solid concrete walls.


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## shumakerscott

*Jackhammer*

My jackhammer is a brand called Ferm. They just put their name on the Chinese made tools. I did a search and found this. http://www.amazon.com/Industrial-Grade-Electric-Demolition-Jack-Hammer/dp/B000K7U3G4

It sure looks like the one I have. I paid 180 Euro for mine. Read the reviews. This thing pays for itself the first time out of the box. I have busted my entire floor out with it. I have a large manure holding tank sort of thing outside. I know this will break it no problem. I just have to remove the wood pile stacked on top of it. They say it can have an earth tamping attachment. Hmm?? I bet I can weld a plate to the front of my bit and save the cost of renting a tamper. I have to save $$ anywhere I can. The funds are running out. It is worth the $$ and you could even rent it out and recover some of the costs. One tip, never lay it down, always stand it up. It is heavy and picking it up will wear you out. Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

Sure do wish you had told us about this jackhammer ten years ago! That's when I was trying to remove some rock! I did check out the link, and it sounds good, other than the weak pot metal case. A guy just needs to take care of it well, that's all.


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## flamtap

I just wrote the same thing on cocobolo's thread, but wanted to tell you nice work and thanks for keeping up the updates! I just found these great project threads last week and it's so cool to see the progress! I'm one of many who are following along and hoping that I can someday tackle a big project like this!


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## shumakerscott

*Insulation ordered*

Being that I'm home with a cold it gave me time for research and send out some emails for price quotes. I went with 4 cm of Neopor, http://www.plasticsportal.net/wa/pl...content/products/foams/neopor_neu/neopor_home
This will go on the outside of the house. I didn't feel that a thicker insulation would have been any practical benefit. It's the cheapest also. It is only acting as damper to keep the cold out. A cooler has only a small amount of insulation but works great once it is up or down to temp. My walls will warm up and stay that way without the cold draining the heat, massive storage combined with the slab heat should work well. Much different than stick building trying to keep the heat in. Thermal mass is being used by the Earth Ship builders with great sucess. Check out Mother Earth News. I was subscribed in the early 80's and check their web page quite often now. The next big ticket item will be the thermal water storage tank. I hope to get back at it this weekend if I'm feeling better, Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

Shu: you sure have had your share of cold troubles. I'm an old (in both senses of the word) Mother Earth News fan. Still have many of the old issues. Loads of good stuff in there. Lots of great changes at your place. That roof looks really good. Like it might last a few centuries!!


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## johnnyboy

10 months later, amazing job! 

I've browsed through many of your posts but I don't know if you touched on (and if you don't mind sharing)... What kind of money is involved here? For the purchase of the land with the "free" house, the remodeling, etc. 

It'd be interesting to compare to USD. How much land did you get?


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## shumakerscott

*Costs*

The exchange rate at this time is around .72, $1 buys .72 Euro cents. Not good. When the Euro first came around the $ would buy 1.12 Euro. It is approx 9000 sq ft or .21 acre. It has sewer, water and power. Well... the power I had to pay 2200 to get it underground. The architect cost 1600, the roof "complete", wood, isulation and tiles was about 10k. The chiminey was 1800, upper walls 2500. The wall insulation "complete kit" panels, glue, stucco ect.. 2300. Pellet stove was 3300. I'm not sure yet how much the sheet metal work will cost. Of course many little things that just eat up your funds. I also bought any tools needed from my mortgage funds. I have now started using some inheritence money but that is running out fast. I'm lucky that I didn't invest all of it and left some of it in cash. Just like everyone else this market crash has killed me. When I bought this place I thought if I ran short I could just cash in a fund or two. Not anymore. That is why I'm trying to do everything myself. Paying for someone else's labor is wasting money. I might have to go back to the bank and try to get another loan but I really don't want to do that. Stay tuned and we'll see how far I get. I still have to dig the sewer line and water proof the foundation, pour the floor, plumbing, electric, interior walls, upper floor, staircase, kitchen and.... Has anybody won the lottery?Dorf Dude...


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## frenchelectrican

It will be nice if someone win the EUROlottery :thumbup:.

however seems like you have pretty good challange there working in your home.

I do have a house in Paris France and one in Wisconsin and I do go back and forth so I can see the diffrence there.


If any one want to know the USA and EURO rate conversveration here the link http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic?user=onlineconversion&lang=en

{ it will work with other type of money }

For the rest of the reader as today I know myself and shumakerscott are famuair with EURO system and few years back it was very nice rate now for last 6 to 8 months it slowly sink to near low level something I haven't see it for while as far for work { empolyment } it is not too bad but we do feel the affection from North America Keep in your mind it is a Globeal event anyway.

As far for get Schumakerscott's house it will take a quite a while to get it done I know sometime it is not easy but it will be done and I am glad he is doing good job so far with his house.

Merci,Marc


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## shumakerscott

*Another foundation gone*

On Sat I got the back rain gutter and back splash mounted, no pics. We have decided to get rid of every old wall foundation that I can. It will make pouring the slab easier and I will use less insulation. I took half the bedroom wall out, it was cracked anyway. A beam fell on it some time ago. I jack hammered the living room/entry way foundation today. That stuff was tough. In one pic the jack hammer is stuck and I thought of "The Sword and the Stone" I will be King!! It took about 1 1/2 hours just to do that small section. Not the hammers fault, just bad concrete. It would not develope any fractures. It was kind of pourous, no stones in it, lots of dust. My living room floor was 2 layers of this stuff. That should be the last foundation to get rid of. time to finish leveling and get ready for the big pour. dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Update*

I got the bill for the sheet metal work yesterday. Ow! Damn my funds are getting tight. It is down to what must I have. I need a hot water exchange tank, 1400 Euro. Cement floor with the heating inside, 700 Euro and the tubing is already bought. I need sewer conection, ? cost. Electric? Many other little things that nibble away at the funds. Tomorrow is another German holiday so nothing will get done until Monday. I'm waiting for my water hookup so I can close and level my floors. Then I will get the floor insulation in, set tubing and then pour the slab! As you can see I'm pretty much at a stand still until the pieces fall into place. I will keep going on little things, cleaning up, mowing grass, spraying Roundup so i don't have to mow!! I will also try and get the solar frame mounted this weekend. Of course pic's as things move along. Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Solar Frame up*

I got the solar frame work up today with the help of Matt. I had to attatch the stainless strapping to the lats under the shingles. I have not mounted the actual colectors because they will overheat and possibly explode because I don't have the rest of the system together yet. There will be a total of 60 vaccum tubes with 10 sq meters area. They use a heat pipe system. No water enters the vaccum tubes. There is a heat exchanger in the box at the top. I also made a stand for my floor heat tubing so it will unroll nice and straight. Here are a few pic's from today. Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

Hey Shu, that's a nice clean looking installation so far. Those collectors are about the best type, but a bit expensive aren't they?


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## shumakerscott

*Solar*

They are about the best there is at this time. I caught what I felt was a pretty good deal off Ebay last year. I got the collectors, pump, differential switch, expansion tank and a couple other odds and ends for 2400. I just need to get my exchange tank and the plumbing in between. Here is a pic of my 600 meter floor heat tubing and the stand I made to dispense it. Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

Will you have different zones so that you only heat the areas you need at any given time?


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## shumakerscott

*Zones*

I will have between 2-4 zones. I have not gotten with any heating guy yet. Being that the ground floor will be my main living area I will need all of it up to temp all of the time. Upstairs I hope will stay warm from the convection heat from downstairs. I will have a ceiling fan over entryway to circulate the heat. It was 25C yesterday and the house stayed very cool. This was with all the windows open. I'm still drying it out as much as I can. The final design will come together in the next couple weeks. I want to pour my floor. Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Who am I*

A few people have asked who am I? I am just a normal guy trying to make the best of the situation. My son got ahold of the camera today as we went for a motorcycle ride with friends. Here are a couple of pics of me for those who have asked. I look like a geek but it is a honest picture. Dorf Dude...


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## cocobolo

Hey Shu, it's quite OK, it's not your fault you look like a geek!!! (JK)


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## jayharold

You don"t look like a geek, you should see my picture!


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## drtbk4ever

I've never met a geek who could do the things you do.


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## shumakerscott

*Putting up the Putz*

Today I started to straighten out the end wall. I sure wish I would have made it straight in the first place! The guys that know how to do Putz just flick it on with the trowel. I tried and it pretty much just fell off, I suck at it. I resorted to plopping it on by hand, with gloves on of course. This will give me a good base for the 2nd coat to stick to. I'm not going to make it perfect but just take the big dips out of it. It was HOT today, 30C. That is not normal for this time of the year. I found out that it was the hotest day in May on record in over 100 years. I had to spray water on the walls to slow down the drying. I also cleaned up my small barn to make room for the delivery of insulation tomorrow. There are lots pallets of glue and finish Putz showing up. I sure hope he has a forklift that can drive in my yard. The neighbor has one that might work. That would really suck having to hand move all of it. Here are a few pic's, hard to get a good shot, Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Insulation*

Yesterday the firm sent me a text message that they wanted to deliver my insulation at 4 instead of 5. I sent back, NO 5, I must work. I didn't hear back. The weather forcast has been warning of storms this afternoon. Then at work today they put out a weather advisery for hail and strong rain between 1 and 5. My stress level starts to go up. I follow the radar pics all morning and things don't look too bad, just getting missed. After lunch then another warning from the Weather Squaderon for real bad storms until 7 this evening. My stress level goes up even more. These bags can not get wet. Weather is holding. Heading to the house at 4:40 I get behind a big truck from Poland and he pulls over 2 blocks away from the house. My Spider senses start to tell me that this is my truck. Yep, 3 minutes later I hear a PSSHH of the brakes. Same truck. First thing I ask the driver is "Do you have a fork lift?" NO. [email protected]! There are pallets of 55lb bags of pre-mix, around 90 bags. I shoot over to Campbell and ask him to try and get the neighbors fork lift. He's wiped out from working with insulation all day but agrees to help me. Thanks Man! We start unloading the Neopor which is really easy but they loaded it in many different places on the truck and trailer. How stupid! Then it came time for the fork lift and the pallets, they were also loaded stupid. I had many volunteers today in case of no fork lift. It went really smooth and I got everything off loaded dry and in good shape. I can't say that about the other insulation on the truck. We banged it up a little. Now it is lightening and raining, wind blowing but no hail. I made it by about an hour! I have been so lucky with the weather during this whole build. Wow! Things are really going to get moving now. Here are a couple pic's, Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Ceiling Fan Opinions*

I know that I will have a ceiling fan above the entry way/staircase. I will use it to move warm air around in the winter. Not worried about cooling in the summer. I feel that this is a "Must Have" item. I found one from Hunter, Valhalla, that I really like but wanted some public feelings on it. Guys at work either hate it or love it. When you walk in the front door I want a WOW effect with the vaulted ceiling, massive stair case and such. I think this fan would really add to it. Don't be shy. I included a pic of where it would hang. The metal support will be gone of course. It will span just over 2 beams width, 56 inches. You will notice it for sure. Feelings and opinions? Other idea's? Fire away. I also got more putz on the wall today. Getting closer to being semi straight. Huge weather change now after the storm. It was over 30C yesterday and tomorrow morning 4C. Dorf dude...


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## Scuba_Dave

Definitely a fan since the ceiling will be open
We have 6 overhead fans on the 1st floor in 6 rooms
Mostly used in the summer - low ceilings


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## shumakerscott

*Style*

Do you like the style of the fan to go with the Nordic Lodge? Dorf dude...


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## Scuba_Dave

Seesm to be a few models, is this it?

Better? 










Unless you are staining the lighter color might blend in too much


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## shumakerscott

Right style but wrong color. I want the light natural colored one. I think it would work with the massive wood of the roof. Dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

The style and color of the light colored fan will look sharp with the wood. 

I didn't notice if you ever said how long the beam is, but would it work if you hung two fans, spaced evenly apart, in that room?


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## shumakerscott

*Beam*

The beam runs the whole length of the house. It can be seen from the entire 2nd floor and as you walk in from the ground floor. The stair case wiill go up and the fan will hang about 12 feet above that. As you walk in you will be able to see all the way up, a grand entryway. In the rest of the ground floor you will have a ceiling so the beam will not be seen. Thanks, Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Color*



Scuba_Dave said:


> Seesm to be a few models, is this it?
> 
> Better?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Unless you are staining the lighter color might blend in too much


 So you think the darker color, contrast would look better than blend in of the light? Thanks for the feedback, Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Wall Cleaning*

I pressure washed the outside walls to get ready to install insulation. What a mess! I was blowing paint and putz clear into the street. I was soaked and dirty. I had crap everywhere on me and in me. My neighbor suggested that I clean the sidewalk. I have no broom, he brought me his. You can see the results of Roundup along the front. Monday is another German holiday. My water is supposed to get hooked up on Tues. Moving forward, Dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Hey Shu:
That was Good luck on the insulation! You can never trust those weather guys anyway. We are supposed to get much warmer today and tomorrow here, guess what, it's blowing like stink.
Have you been able to stand under that fan to see what it is like? Doesn't look as though those blades are very efficient. Can't see an airfoil shape at all. We just got a cheapie fan to move air down - same as you - just to bring the warm air down in winter. Has a 60" span. Comes with a 4 speed controller and seems to move enough air down on the lowest speed. Crank it up to high and you would think the house is going to take off!


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## shumakerscott

*Fan*

Cocobolo, the fan blades have a 15 degree pitch. I have not even seen it in real life, just pics. Definatly not a cheapie, Hunter, with wobble free mount. Dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

If the blades have a constant pitch, i.e. 15 degrees, then I hate to say it, but they will not be efficient. Make the comparison with an airplane propellor. That's what it should look like. There should be a twist from the hub out to the tip, getting progressively less as it gets to the tip. Did I explain that OK?


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## gma2rjc

Hi Shu, do you know if your furniture is going to be dark or light? It might be easier to choose the color of the fan if you have an idea of what other colors will be in the room.


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## cocobolo

gma makes a good point. But, you know what? After a while you never even notice the fan at all, so I wouldn't get hung up on that. Besides you can always change your furniture!


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## shumakerscott

*Furniture*

Furniture! I have squat for funiture. My pool table is golden oak, Plasma is black. The couple of cheap shranks are light colored fake wood. I am far from being at the point of interior design for color and contrast. Just need a roof over my head. The fan has a twist in the blades like a propellor. I don't think Hunter would put out a junk fan. They invented the ceiling fan. Thanks for the input, Dorf dude...


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## Shamus

shumakerscott said:


> Furniture! I have squat for funiture. My pool table is golden oak, Plasma is black. The couple of cheap shranks are light colored fake wood. I am far from being at the point of interior design for color and contrast. Just need a roof over my head. The fan has a twist in the blades like a propellor. I don't think Hunter would put out a junk fan. They invented the ceiling fan. Thanks for the input, Dorf dude...


Hey DD!

That's the word I've been trying to remember from my days in Germany. Shrank. We have a large Amish community in my area and some of these German folks have antique shops loaded with ornate old imports for sale. I couldn't for the life of me remember what those were called and when I tried to get the word from the Amish sellers they didn't know what I was talking about.

So, shrank-you!

By the way, an origional carved shrank goes for $15 - $25,000 around here.


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## shumakerscott

Shamus said:


> Hey DD!
> 
> That's the word I've been trying to remember from my days in Germany. Shrank. We have a large Amish community in my area and some of these German folks have antique shops loaded with ornate old imports for sale. I couldn't for the life of me remember what those were called and when I tried to get the word from the Amish sellers they didn't know what I was talking about.
> 
> So, shrank-you!
> 
> By the way, an origional carved shrank goes for $15 - $25,000 around here.


 
And I for the life of me can not remember what they are called in English!


----------



## Shamus

shumakerscott said:


> And I for the life of me can not remember what they are called in English!


If it has full doors on top and also on the bottom with a shelf it is called a side board. 
Or, some people have them converted to a cabinet for their flatscreen TV. Most of the really nice ones are mahogany or walnut and carved to the nines with lots of turnings.

A guy I know bought a matching pair and made them into a back-bar for his business. They have shelves on the top portion and the base is all doors which he lined/insulated and chills to keep the beer in. In between them he has beveled glass mirrors that are 4x8 each. Pretty impressive piece and converted by an gifted cabinet maker.

No doubt they are made for different purposes but all that I've seen are a base and separate top portion. Takes a few men and a horse or two to move and assemble.

The ones that have shelving and doors are used/sold as buffets for the dining room (maybe the original intended use, if I remember correctly) . Although They are huge. More fit for a castle than a home. Or at least a home with really high ceilings (12') and enormous rooms.


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## shumakerscott

*Cross Beam Up*

I finally got the cross support beam up. I've been stepping over it for 6 months! It in itself was not too bad but getting the the prep work done was a pain. Campbell helped remove the big support that went up the side of the chiminey to the main length wise beam. It was in the way of the new cross beam. Removing the big support required beefing up temp supports around it. Hard to explain in words, to do 1 thing you must pay attention to 10 other things. They all depend on each other. Just like my floor can not go in until my water is turned on. I must make sure that the fitting that will be under the slab is not leaking. I think it is time to take down all of the 2nd floor planks and makeshift flooring. I need to get the beams cleaned up and I don't have any real issues to deal with on the 2nd floor level right now. I have a clock now. beginning to be like a home! Here are a couple pic's, Dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Hey Shu, what are the dimensions of that beam? Is it original to the house? Any idea what kind of wood it is? Oak? Beech maybe?


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Hey Shu, what are the dimensions of that beam? Is it original to the house? Any idea what kind of wood it is? Oak? Beech maybe?


 
It is 7"x9" about. It was original with the house from the roof. It is Fir or Pine. You can smell the pitch. It was one of the few that could be re-used. I will need 3 supports for it. I have 1 maybe... 2. I have emailed the ex about getting some beams that I had before. Shouldn't be a problem since she doesn't need them. Just getting them is a pain. Things are speeding up! dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Way off Topic!*

Last weekend Mick hit a rabbit and messed up his car pretty good. Broke the grill, radiator and other misc. bits. He got it back today. I was throwing some garbage away this morning and noticed these stuffed little bunny's being thrown away. Let's see... rabbit car, bunny's... their must be a reason. I cable tied them to his car! He killed their mother last weekend and now he got the family! Dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

roflmao. That's great!


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## shumakerscott

*I'm getting modern*

No more hose over to the neighbor. I now have my own water!!! I have mentioned that I would not cover the fitting in the ground until I saw it with pressure and no leaks. A very good thing I had that feeling and not rush ahead. It was leaking bad. For what ever reason it did not grip the pipe. Trust your feelings. I also started putting up the insulation. It's going pretty easy so far. These old walls are sure crooked, high and low spots everywhere. I want to be at least 3 or 4 rows higher tomorrow now that I know what i'm doing. You can see what my lawn care methods are, Roundup! Saves alot of work. I have made it over a big hurddle today. Things are in motion and I must keep it going. Here are a couple pics of the water hook up, the problem fitting and insulation. Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Big Progress*

I have taken today and the rest of the week off to make a big push with the insulation. I got the front up and the first row of the side. They will be dry tomorrow so the following rows can sit on them no problem. I'm pooped, time for a hot bath and some dinner. Dorf dude...


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## Shamus

Look'in good DD!

And I bet the neighbors are happy to see your home getting closer to the finish line, at least on the outside. 

I may have missed it but what goes over the insulation?


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## shumakerscott

*Next wall covered*

I got the side wall covered today. I had to cut the window ledges off 3 windows so the insulation would flush up. My Makita handled it no problem. It actually took me for a ride! Every car that drives by slows and looks now. I had people walking by telling me how good it looks. When you cover up the ugly construction scars then it looks much better. I had to get a little creative with the dips and bulges. Spray foam is my friend. Backside should be no problem tomorrow. I don't have to do the whole wall because I will build an entry room so that area will not get insulation. It feels great to see big progress. I have done so many important little things that go unseen and now it is a big thing by simply glueing up insulation. It's all eye wash but looks like big progress to the public. Here are a few pic's, Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Back side*

I got quite aways with the back side. I had to make a couple errands so I lost a couple hours work time. I could have finished it. The beam I mounted will be for an awning. Where the insulation stops will be where the mud room front door will be. It will extend to the left of door almost to the window. I spoke with the neighbor about opening up the wall that seperates out properties. It butts up on my house and that will have to change. Only one pic today. More from the Dorf of Seugast to come, Dorf dude...


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## Scuba_Dave

Lookin good !!

Question, you were worried about rain for insulation delivery
But you are installing this on the outside of the house
Or was there more insulation for inside?
Or does it just get heavy as heck if it's wet before going up


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## shumakerscott

I was only worried about rain unloading the truck. Persons getting wet, no problem. The insulation is styrofoam, Neopor, water is not a problem. Sunshine can be a problem if it gets too hot. The big worry was the glue and stucco in bags. That stuff can not get wet. I would have rock hard bags if it did get wet. Those bags were the main cost of the outside finish. Things are moving forward, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*A little further*

I only got one row up and then the rain set in. :furious: That pretty much knocked me out of the game today. I decided to pick up my boys and just hang out the rest of the weekend. There is alot of inside work I could have done but I just didn't feel like it. Just one pic, Dorf dude....


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## gma2rjc

Hi Shu, does your town require building permits or anything equivalent to a permit?


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## shumakerscott

*Building Permit*

I had an architect draw up plans. It only showed what it would look like from the outside with the walls raised. I had the neighbors sign off that it's ok with them. That is the only "Permit" that I have gotten. I have no structural plans. I have only been doing it by what makes sense. I have had the chiminey looked at and it will need an official ok before I fire up the pellet stove. Of course the plumbing and electric must be passed. My beams and floor plans are of no concern to any officials. I can do what I want. This if the Dorf, in a city it would be much different. If I don't piss anyone off then I'm fine. No phone calls will be made to the inspectors. My buddy Matt built a house 2 years ago in another small village. An old grumpy local carpenter was mad that he didn't get the job. He made it hell every way he could. Many inspectors showed up. My scaffold should have a net to stop you from falling through. I have not been bothered about it. I have been lucky. Dorf dude...


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## gmcgough

Hey Scott just been told about this site spent the afternoon catching up with it. Going gang busters keep it up! Nothing like the three story tree house we built but then again your dad can't condemn this one. Still have the pension for bikes bigger than you. all I got to say is hi for now and Death to Disco!


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## shumakerscott

*Insulation up*



georgemcgough said:


> Hey Scott just been told about this site spent the afternoon catching up with it. Going gang busters keep it up! Nothing like the three story tree house we built but then again your dad can't condemn this one. Still have the pension for bikes bigger than you. all I got to say is hi for now and Death to Disco!


Thanks George "Death to the Disco Dogs!!" 
Proud sponser of the "Disco Demolition Kegger" 1979 We even made T-Shirts!

I finished up with the back side insulation, all except where the wall is. In between the beams I just used rest pieces and patched them in. No sense waisting whole sheets for piece meal work. All of this was done on hands and knees because of the rain gutter. I wanted to start putting the plastic anchors in but my drill bit was 1/2" to short. That figures . Got to go and buy a longer one. I mowed the grass, that sure cuts into work on the house time. The next door neighbor came over and told me my flood light was coming on every time a car drove by, it has a motion sensor. It was driving them nuts trying to sleep. That has to be at least 70 feet easy to the road. I adjusted it down. That was costing electricity for no reason, 300 watt halogen. Here are a couple pics of the house and one of the crapolla wall butted up to the house. It has to go. Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Wall anchors*

Now that the panels are glued up they need anchors. Drilling into the original walls is interesting, you never know what you will be drilling into. Could be hard sandstone or else 2 inches in then an empty pocket. Today we tried setting anchors into the new red brick walls. Steve helped out. It is very difficult because of all the air chambers, they break. We tried a 10mm, the correct size, holes were to big. We tried a 6mm just a bit to small. We enlarged the 6mm with a 8mm, seems to maybe work but my 8mm is to short for the length of the anchor. Tomorrow is a German holiday so no drilling or drill bit buying. I finally got around to cleaning out my rain gutter on the barn. I had trees growing in it! Here are a few pics, Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Anchors in*

I got the anchors done on the front and back walls. Just the upper part of the end wall to go. I'm pooped, Dorf dude...


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## DangerMouse

800 shu??? 
at last count you had 17,169 views of this thread and 312 replies with 344 attachments!!!!
make that 313 replies... -=chuckle=-

DM


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## DangerMouse

oh good grief... ignore that. it took me to the first page, not the last.... lol
still a well read thread..... 

DM


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## shumakerscott

Thanks D.M :thumbsup: If I could get 25 cents for every hit then i would have the funds to reallly finish this thing right, I'm almost at the end of my funding. Nobody can believe that I have come so far with such little money. Don't pay labor! Labor will kill your funds. This is DIY at it's roots. I thank everybody that have been following. Like I always say, Stay tuned, more from the Dorf...


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## DangerMouse

yeah, you've come a long ways!
Don't pay labor!
boy, you can say that again... who can afford it??? lol but then again, this IS a diy site!
if i need to know what screw to use or how to do 'whatever' so it passes the inspection, it's nice to know this site is here....
here's my latest project, other than the framing out front.
http://www.diychatroom.com/f50/vertical-wood-blinds-45533/

DM


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## shumakerscott

*Walls suck*

My walls suck. I have been going further with the anchors on the insulation and the anchors won't hold. The old wall is not solid enough to hold them, too much sand and chalk. I decided to jam the foam gun through the insulation and give it a 2 second blast, all over the place! I will let the first round set up over night and do it again tomorrow. I will do it on all the wall sections, better safe than sorry. Spray foam is cheap. It would be nice to have a "mechanical" connection but it seems that glue is going to be the way. The walls are so out of straight that this seems the best way. Spray foam rocks! In the pics the panels are not even with each other, that is how bad it is. I will shave them down to make it more even, no big deal. time for bed, Dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

It's looking good, you're doing a great job.

What are you covering the insulation with? Stucco?


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## shumakerscott

*Stucco*

Yes it will be Stucco. First a scratch coat of glue and imbed a mesh. Then stucco and then a finish with color.


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## shumakerscott

*Started finishing*

I finally got done glueing up the panels, well I might hit them one more time just to be sure. I got the bottom and corner edges scruffed up and cleaned ready for the finish trim. Cambpell came over and showed me how to scratch coat and adhere the drip rail. This is not so bad. I should make good progress this weekend. Ok my corner is not perfect, that is why I started on the back side. Practice makes perfect. This is the stage where you start hiding the goofs. Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Further*

I got finished with the drip lip and the 2 outside corners done. On the corners it is a plastic "L" with mesh. You goop the cement glue and then embed the piece. Then smooth and fill. It didn't take me long to figure out to cut them in half, 8 ft long. Much easier to work with by yourself. I had to let it dry today and then on with the mesh. I will try to get a couple pics of what is actually happening instead of just finished shots. From the Dorf, Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Windows out*

Today Greg and Campbell came by and gave me a hand. We got all the old windows out! Big progress! Now I must see how the windows fit. Updates as things get going, Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Shutters*

Over a year ago I bought my windows and roll down shutters. Today I finally decided to check the fit of the shutters. They are all to wide! Not by much, 1/4". Not so bad because I need to insulate the window sides so I don't have a cold bridge to the inside. I broke out the elbow breaker and had 5 window frames enlarged in about 2 hours, including smoke/beer breaks, there were a few. Too much dust. The right tool for the right job that's for sure. This air hammer sure has some recoil. Makes quick work of things though. Getting the window frames in is next on the agenda. From Seugast, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Polish or German windows?

How many hinges and opening options or are they just tilt windows? Judging by the size you probably cannot get the rotating double swing, tilt and other choices. It seems you just need a good window with low sound transmission and a rolling shutter.

The other Schu-


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## Scuba_Dave

I was wondering why you were removing the windows


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## shumakerscott

*Windows*

Her Schu is back! The 2 biggest windows will be split down the middle. they will swing open and tip. The rest will be single and will open and tip. Scuba Dave, the original windows were [email protected] I just didn't change them yet in fear of damaging my new ones. Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Cleaned up*

I spent today cleaning up the huge mess I made yesterday. I hand carried in buckets all the rubble. Then I used the compressor to blow out all the crud. I was filthey and the neighborhood looked like a fog bank. Cars were slowing down not knowing what was happening. It is time to set window frames. I just need some help getting them in place, to big and heavy for me alone. I hope pics by tomorrow. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Window frames*

Today around noon I called Campbell to see if he could help me set the window frames around 5pm. No problem he said. I got to the house at 4:50 and he had already gotten the windows out of the frames and pre-set the frames in the holes. Wow, thanks man! There are a few issues with fit but it will work out. Final setting will begin tomorrow I hope. Here are a couple of pics. Dorf dude...


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## Speedball

New windows will really make a difference in the "looks" of the place.:yes:


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

I just noticed the incorrect salutation referring to me. - It is Herr Schu and not Her(or Frau) Schu. I though a person from your area would not make that mistake. I may have to send Michael up to see you. (Ralf could also come but he has no drivers license, but can fly his own jet). - Ferrari really misses Michael and especially Brauwn this year.

Good looking project. I love the way things are and can be done there compared to the limited choices in the most of the U.S. The European windows are really different from what you normally find in the U.S., but then the U.S. construction is quite temporary and not 200 years old like yours or the 300+ year old foundations.


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## shumakerscott

*Getting Windows in*

I had Dustin help me today. We got 3 windows set. They are absolutely dead square and straight! He was on the level and I adjusted the wedges. I had to break out the elbow breaker on the bathroom window. I don't know what kind of dope the guy who measured the window was smoking, but he should of shared :yes:. Tomorrow I hope we get the last 5 in. Dustin is up for it, so it should be no problem. He gets to break the old windows if we get far enough along. The glass will be under the floor slab. Bury all your junk! Here are are couple pics. My son is a Shaggy Dog! Someday I hope he will hate this picture. From the Dorf....


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## shumakerscott

*There all in*

We got all of the rest of the windows in! :drink:Now I hope that they are plumb and square. We checked my level against a couple others and they all gave different readings. It isn't far off from the most accurate one. Too late now. I had to get the elbow breaker out again for the 2 upper windows. That guy had to be stoned when he measured. We will find out when we hang the windows how straight the windows are. I can't hang them all yet. I have another bird nesting in the house and it has babies already. I hope they are gone in a couple of weeks. Well here are a few pic's. Dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Looking good! - No, really looking great!!!!

You have come a long way from the first photos.

The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

LonelyTara said:


> Your old picture looks like of Junkies, well its good to remodel it.. and the last picture i saw its fabulous, if you need to decorate your house you can visit our store we have much items there waiting for you at Royal Tara


What I need is some help. I have many extra pairs of gloves waiting for your here at the Dorf Dudes place! The items at your store don't quite go with the theme of my Valhalla Lodge, sorry. Dorf dude...


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## Speedball

I can appreciate the labor of your project. :thumbsup:

Still looking good!


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## Scuba_Dave

Are you living in another house/Apt while you are doing the work?

I'm 20' up the back roof, only 10'+ more to go to get my addition dry
We've had A miserably wet Spring


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## shumakerscott

"Are you living in another house/Apt while you are doing the work?"

Yes, I have been paying double for the last 14 months, rent and morgage. I need to get this thing to where I can camp in it at least very soon. Add child support and that is 3 times payments. Life can sure turn around very quickly. Were going to break 19,000 hits today! Wow. If I could only get 25 cents per hit I could really finish this thing great. I do have a Pay Pal account. :help: I'm making a joke here. I'm too proud to beg. Help seems to come just at the right time, Thanks Billy D, and friends, you know who you are, dorf Dude...


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## Scuba_Dave

Ouch, I had less then 4 weeks of double payments when I bought my 1st house. I spent the time cleaning, fumigating, sanding the wood floors & painting
The rest I renovated after moving in - Lots of fun
But my "mortgage" was only $300 a month :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Ouch, I had less then 4 weeks of double payments when I bought my 1st house. I spent the time cleaning, fumigating, sanding the wood floors & painting.

I only wish I had floors to sand and a toilet to do my business in. Dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Insulation*

Today I got the insulation around the 3 upper front windows, also the corner re-enforcement. They made the roll down shutters so tight I had to thin down my 1cm, 3/8" insulation to get it to fit. The guy had to be stoned. That isn't much thickness to begin with. It will be ok because this is only to stop any cold bridges into the house. My clay bricks have a great insulation factor anyway. I hope to have the rest done tomorrow. Dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

Hi Shu, I thought you explained what the big tube on top of the window is for, but I couldn't find it anywhere. What is it and what does it do?


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## shumakerscott

"Hi Shu, I thought you explained what the big tube on top of the window is for, but I couldn't find it anywhere. What is it and what does it do?"

It is the box that holds my roll down shutter. That is what the grey tracks on the side of the window are for. Some times they hide them in the wall but that is alot more work. I needed quick and easy but not cheap, so mine are external. Still look ok to me. I will try and get a pic with the shutter down. There is a band inside that you pull on or drop to open and close them. America should wake up and use these!!! Esp in hurricane areas. I can have night time any time! Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Continued Window Work*

I've spent the last 2 days boxing in my window frames with insulation. This is taking alot more time than I expected. It is a must do thing, no cold bridges! My inside walls will have no direct connection to the outside air. On some windows I could use 4cm of styrofoam on others only 1cm. Spray foam has worked great. Just a coulpe shots and let it harden with duct tape holding things. Once hard then shoot more foam, let that harden and repeat for the last time. Trim with a knife and cement the corner protection pieces tomorrow. There was no other way to set this up. The window holes were not very nice to work with, very rough. Here are a couple pic's, dorf Dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Windows*

The last 2 days I have pushed hard to get the windows ready to stucco. It has been alot of work, takes alot of time. They all needed boxed in with insulation and then all corners armored up. I had to get creative with duct tape and spray foam. I got 95% finished today then a massive violent thunder storm came in. No way I'm on a metal scaffold with lightening! The previous owner was getting more of his wood out today and stopped and watched me working. He called me a "Fachmann" that means Specialist. I told him it was my first time doing it! Just comes naturally. Greg came by after lunch and cleaned up completely inside and out! Thanks for that! The baby bird had its first flying lessons today. Mom wasn't to happy about me being around but she got here baby outside. Then back inside then out. A couple more days and then I will close off the windows. No more nature preserve in my house! I will be pushing hard the 4th and 5th getting the mesh up. Enjoy the pics, Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Me after working*

Here is what happens to me when I get home. This was last night. Just died in place after 2 beers. Check out the tan line! Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Walls*

I've been pushing on getting the outside walls done. This is *ALOT* of work. First I had to scratch up the styrofaom to make it rough. What a mess! It was every where. I was eating, breathing the [email protected] Also bad getting in the eyes. Very time consuming getting the mud up and screen applied, esp under the eves. At this rate it will be at least 2 more weeks until I'm done. I sure wish I had the $$ to pay some one to do this. It will get finished eventually. Greg came and mixed mud for me today and that was a huge help. I could just keep scratching it on and laying screen without stopping to get down and mix more mud. Thanks buddy. almost done with the back side. Practice here and then go on the public side when I kind of know what I'm doing. Steep learning curve. Here are a couple of pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*The Process*

I've been asked about exactly what I'm doing. Here are the steps, 

1- Scratch the styrofoam
2-Apply mud
3-Set the screen
4-Trowel the mud through the screen
5- Smooth quickly and leave it alone! Lesson learned here.

I will be done with the back side tomorrow and moving on to the side. I'm just about ready to go public with my screen work. Man the first stuff I put up really sucks! Way too rough. Not hard to fix but extra work. I was a 1 man show today and what you see took 3 1/2 hours. Here are some pic's, Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Getting Further*

I took a day of vacation today. I finished the back and made a big step on the side. It started raining and washing off my glue. Nothing I could do to stop it. It will work out with a thin 2nd coat. I'm sure getting better at this. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Walls*

Dorf Dude...love that Canada shirt...you know anybody in that country? Seems others fall asleep upon wearing them also...must be something about the Canadian culture, eh? Your walls are superb, and I like the way you are 'attacking' the job, from trying out of sight, to 'perfection' on Campbell's side! Your work gets more amazing evrytime I see it,...think of it as a 'flagship' of what a Dorf Dude ..who really did not know what he was getting into...can do!! If I was closer, would have had one of those beers with you! "Big Kid" looks more grown up everytime =====8^) Cheers
Syd:yes::yes::thumbup::thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

*New Sign*

Yesterday I got rained out, no way of putting up glue. I scratched most of the front styrofoam under the protection of the roof eve and scaffold. A real gusher came down and I decided to make a new sign while waiting it out. Today I finished the next row on the side. I will make a huge push this weekend. Dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*DIY message*

Remeber when the "oberfaltz" roof beam dude wanted to place his sign on the front of your place, and we thought about something similar to this...? Rockin the house Dorf Dude!! No t shirts or stick on signs yet ======8^) ?
Syd:laughing::laughing:


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## shumakerscott

*End Wall Done*

I finally got the end wall finished. The weather has not been nice the last couple days. I also got the first row of the front done. :thumbup: With luck I should be able to finish the front tomorrow but It's a Sunday!! Oh no. Germans don't work on Sundays but I must. It is quiet work. It also gives the people driving by something to look at. They really slow down now that I put the DIY sign up. Steve came today and worked on getting the inside ready to pour the floor. Getting closer. Here are a couple pics and I hope tomorrow I have some of the front done. Dorf dude...


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## G17GUY

Awsome job:thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

*Screen Done!!*

I'm done putting on the screen! I got the 2nd row done this morning and then Greg called and helped with the last row in the afternoon. It really sucked banging my head into the beams while sitting bending over and scratching mud. Now I need to primer it and then the finish. Hot bath time! dorf dude...


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## scoggy

...is there some color ...soon? Actually...it looks like a "Viking" "celebration Hall",...when are 'they' comming....the party will be endlass, those Vikings just never ever go ...away! Just be proud ...Dorf Dude...that amongst your ...Neighbours, you are the most ...'efficient", and they will .....learn from you...eh?
SQUID


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## shumakerscott

*Back fence*

It has really been bugging me that I have no back fence to keep a dog in, let alone the neighbors look right down on top of me. Today I took a break from working on the walls. I bought chain link fence and 45 arborvidae's. I set my end pole for the fence, no pic, I will tie into the neighbors pole in the pic for the other end. I dug the trench, well most of it, for my shrubs. What a pain! There was alot of backfill that I had to dig through, plus it was very hot and muggy. I'm also getting pissed at the former owner for not getting his junk away. By contract it was supposed to be gone by 1 July. I'm still looking at old pallets and roofing sections that he use for his wood. It will never be "MY" place as long as he has his [email protected] stored there. As always from the dorf, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Your new "fence'*

Dorf Dude, just a question: What happens when those trees grow to substantial height? Can those above ask you to keep them to a certain height? If it is "carte Blanche", they will make an awesome 'privacy' fence, something you will enjoy more each year as they grow!:thumbup::thumbup:
SQUID


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## drtbk4ever

Maybe it is time for a neighbourhood campfire and weenie roast. Burn all that wood.


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## gma2rjc

I planted my arborvitae's for privacy along a fence quite a few years ago. Like an idiot I planted them the recommended distance apart. Now there is still a large gap between them.

I'm not saying don't follow the recommendations on the label, but I'd plant them closer than it suggests.


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

Are you planning on hanging window boxes for flowers?

I always like the look when you get into the smaller towns in southern and eastern Germany.

The other Schu -


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## shumakerscott

*Fence*

I asked the neighbors first and they don't care how high it goes. I have them at a disadvantage. They built their terrace on my property! They would have to tear about 3 or 4 ft out if I got picky. It does them a favor too for their privacy. My spacing is 12", that is why I got 45 of them. It should be a very thick wall in a couple years with the help of Miracle Grow. :yes: I do plan on having window box flowers in the future. More as the fences go in and the the walls get finished, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Sun Burn, muscles*

The UV was kicking yesterday as I was working. I've tried to get a pic of my lobster back tonight in the mirror holding the camera over my head and noticed that I have developed some muscles, even for 115 pounds. No bulk or fat, 100% lean. WOW. I never look at myself in the mirror normally, only for zits on my face. I'm not a poser at all. I just found it shocking. I feel vain even posting this, but it is part of the ever going story, it must be told. Fence pics tomorrow. I got the middle posts set today. Again, not a vanity post, just the facts of this house's journey. BTW all the white in the picture is reflection in the mirror. I don't have any grey hair. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Fence up*

In the previous post about my sunburn I checked the UV index for that day, 8. It was a cooker and I'm paying for it. I had sunblock right there. Anyway I got the fence hanging today and should finish it tomorrow. The tensioner pulls the bar woven through the mesh around the back of the pole. This tightens the wire and fence at the same time. I will do it 2 more times, in the middle and bottom. The neighbor with the shed has old doors for his walls. Looks like [email protected]. I will plant something to hide it. With the fence up now I can get *my* dog in the evenings :thumbup:. If you don't know I'm divorced and my ex lives about 5 miles from where the house is. She got the dog because I live in an apartment right now and he is at home at her place.
This evening the neighbor, left side, called me over and explained that my rain gutters dumping water from 20ft is a bit of a problem. They really do gush water pretty good. His bedroom is right next to my driveway and they sleep with the window open. We have had massive storms blowing through around 4am and he says it's louder than Niagra Falls. It also washes my dirt away. I put a temp down pipe on with duct tape. I can't attach to the house yet. More severe storms called for on the weekend. The GP Motorcycle race at Sachsen Ring this weekend might get washed out. My buddy Mick is going and I bet he is sick when he gets back. Here are a few pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Hedge in*

I finished planting the hedge today. I also finished tightening up the fence. I set the drain pipe in the wall with spray foam. I shot it with alot to make shure it stuck. The nice thing about foam is you can just trim the excess. Yesterday I got to pick up my dog Lucky and had him run around and pee on everything. He has marked it as his place. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Now you have 'Heart"!!*

Dorf Dude, wow, now you have lucky!! When , or how often do you get him? Make sure he stays off of that busy road, and I hope you 2 'rebond' strongly...he will know..just all the 'transitions' ..he.. has been through!! In your ..'self portrait' you look as muscular as .."the Great Houdini",...hopefully...you will make..time..dissappear!! Can you 'smell' the finish yet? The rain will pass and you will be in 'more' heat as the season progresses, since we are on a similar Latitude! Cheers
Syd


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## shumakerscott

*Drain pipe and windows in*

I got the kitchen drain pipe in. I started to level out the floor. Matt showed up and he helped set the windows in. Actually he set them and I secured the locking pin. They were too heavy for me alone. They sure knock out the street noise! Well worth the $$. I will finish leveling the floor to get ready for the big pour. Here are a few pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Busy*

I've been bust the last couple days. I tried to clean up around the bushes and got eaten up by little black flies. I also discovered a wasp nest in the ground in the back. I tried burning a fire on top but they had other exits. I tried gas soaked rags under buckets covering a larger area. Still have them. I guess spray is next. I received about 2 yards of stones yesterday for my floor. It took about 4 hours but I got it moved and spread. Tonight we got it compacted. I am completely exhausted! Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

I hope you survived your sunburn. The manditory Sunday tradition is understood since my wife could never do laundry and hang it out to dry on a Sunday. - That was in both PA and a small town in MI.

I admire your planning, approach, quality consciousness and dedication. Apparently, the German ethnic is having an effect and is a welcome site to see something different than the typical construction that I see/inspect frequently. - Many times I wished I was a German instead of a Luxembourger that has ancestors that were born on the west side of the Mosel River. At least they were wine makers.

I was hoping to get tickets for the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix and use up some free miles, so I could get near your project. Unfortunately, the $250 tickets are not even available to the politicians. I will have to start watching it at 6:00 AM. I will have to follow the internet instead of actually seeing your project. - It looks great and you are coming down the to the eventual completion. At least you will be able to "camp out" in your new home.

How many trips to get the rock into the house? At least you don't have to pour a second floor.

The other Schu.

Dick


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## scoggy

*wasps in the ground*

Shu, if you don't have water restrictions, find the main hole, cover it and put a garden hose under one side and weigh it down with a rock, and let her rip! Eventually it will drown whatever is down there. Had the same problem here, but i lit the rags on fire over the hole, then did the water trick,...gone. 37C here today so stopped building my sundeck until it gets a little cooler in the late PM.
Cheers
SQUID :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Gary in WA

Hey, looking good! Moving right along. Remember to wrap the plumbing pipes with foam before you pour. And use some expansion joint material at the existing concrete. Do they use plastic under the slabs over there? Be safe, G


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## shumakerscott

*Insulation*

Been awhile since I posted. I have an inspector showing up tomorrow. We cleared out the 2nd floor of it's makeshift flooring. Not the safest. I cleaned up all around. We covered the scrap wood pile, out of site out of mind. Mick helped me set insulation and vapor barrier today. Shooting for a floor pour on Sat the 8th of Aug. I have had an on going battle with Wasp's in the back yard but with a chemical attack I think I finally got them. Here are a couple pic;s, dorf dude.


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## scoggy

*Awesome!*

WhoHoo! Nice 'tidy up" with 'tarps'...will have to remember that trick! The rest looks awesome..and I like the way it is comming together! Was there a concrete 'pour' under those panels,..or was it going to happen over top of them?
Today 'we' are at a 100F,..USA temps, and I said nope...and crawled into basement to stay cool! What is that 'plastic' that hangs on the edges for? Cheers
Syd


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## shumakerscott

*floor*

The floor is only compacted rock and fine crushed gravel. I used a straight edge and pulled it out smooth. The plastic is the vapor barrier. I cut it extra long to go up the wall a little ways. Once the floor is poured then I will rip the old walls down. They have a funny smell to them. and it will be easy to clean up with a solid surface. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Inspector, rebar ...*

Yesterday the inspector went to my apartment as I sat at the house. We will be making a new appointment that's for sure. Today Isaac gave me a hand with putting in the rebar. There was no way I could do it alone, thanks. We also got the heating pipe roll up on the dispensor, I hope it works. I have some help coming on Sat so the tubing should get done. Cement on the 8th I hope. A few pic's and I'm off for a hot bath, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Looking great!!!

You are certainly doing it the local high-tech fashion in a very old structure.

Single or double loop system (extra loop if there is a future problem)?

The application looks familiar to others I have seen. Some even go to coarse uncrushed lightweight aggregate (ceramzit) if it is locally available, but your base is certainly more than enough.

The other Schu

P.S. - 
My "nephew" Michael just came out of retirement for the rest of the Formula 1 races for the year to replace Massa that is in the hospital and out for the year or maybe more. I wonder what that cost Ferrari - maybe 10-20 Million dollars for a half season? I thought he would end up doing some some consulting with Brawn-Mercedes, since Ross Brawn was his mentor and quit Ferrari after Michael retired. They know what it costs to have him fly his jet (at Ferrari's cost) and get there early enough to have him walk the track and then finally run the 2.5 track a few times over 2 days before even getting into the car.


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## shumakerscott

*Loop*

I have 600 meters of tubing so I think a double tube would be smart. Better safe. Thanks for your input Herr Schu, the other shu, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*The Big indoor pour!*

Dorf Dude, would love to see pics of the "pour people", so show lots and wish them my heartiest wishes, since this time I can sit on computer...watch the work...and have cold beers...while the work is going on! Cheers
Syd:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

If you are taking photos take one of the type of truck used. The Germans are the best in the world in concrete technology, but the method of delivery and trucks can vary depending on the locality. Based on your location. they could be very conventional, but you never know. If there is race track (1.5 miles or linger) they might be racing them.

I went to a truck race in Germany about 10 years ago and expected pick-up trucks and all there was were a massive amount of semi tractors - Volvo, Kenworth, Mann and many Mercedes powered heavy haulers. If it has wheels, they will race it.

The other Schu.


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## frenchelectrican

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf dude -
> 
> If you are taking photos take one of the type of truck used. The Germans are the best in the world in concrete technology, but the method of delivery and trucks can vary depending on the locality. Based on your location. they could be very conventional, but you never know. If there is race track (1.5 miles or linger) they might be racing them.
> 
> I went to a truck race in Germany about 10 years ago and expected pick-up trucks and all there was were a massive amount of semi tractors - Volvo, Kenworth, Mann and many Mercedes powered heavy haulers. If it has wheels, they will race it.
> 
> The other Schu.


 Yeah very common and I do go to the truck races pretty often when I am living in France and I did drove one of the racing truck I will tell ya it is eye opener experance!!!

They still have the truck racing in Europe.

Merci,Marc


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## concretemasonry

french electrician -

You write exactly like my good friend, DDA (actually Didier) sounds when he talks. It is refreshing to read it.

For about $15, you can get onto the Nurbergring (sp?) - not to be confused with Nuremberg - it is northwest of Frankfurt, toward Belgium and you can take almost any vehicle you want on the shortened track (now only 3.5 miles long) to do anything you want to do. You will find motorcycles, buses, cars, trucks, lawn mowers doing whatever they want with no speed limit. It is limited to certain days of the week because manufacturers and police/highway people use it for testing. - It is up and down and looks of corners (left and right) and good scenery that you normally have time to look at.

Dick


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## frenchelectrican

Yes you got the spelling correct I keep the Germany map with me and yes they still do the race at Nurbergring almost anything goes even once a while I know one guy have balls to bring old steam tractor and yeah Lanz tractors as well. ( super loud big single cylinder tractors )

They have open season IIRC twice a week unless the manufacter or LEO { Law Enforcement Officers } have training that time they will let you know in advance but not always the case.

I was former member of Unlimted tractor puller so I have quite few expernice with it but I will save that story for other time so I don't steal this topic in here.


Merci,Marc


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## shumakerscott

*Heat Tubes In*

Today Steve and my son Daniel gave me a hand. Steve worked the roll of tubing, Daniel set tie wraps and I set the tube. Tie wrapping got boring for Daniel after about an hour so I ended up doing that too. I created 2 zones, kitchen/livingroom and hallway/bedroom. I layed a backup tube next to the first just in case of problems. It will also give me a faster warmup time with twice the footage, at least I think so. Steve posed for his hose picture. I was suprised that we were done in about 4 hours. That hose is very stiff and difficult to work with. The weather is very hot for here so we stopped when the tubing was in. Didn't feel like starting another project, Daniel was bored also. I've been so exhaused over the last couple weeks I fell asleep sitting at my computer last night. Here are some pic's, dorf dude...


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## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> Today Steve and my son Daniel gave me a hand. Steve worked the roll of tubing, Daniel set tie wraps and I set the tube. Tie wrapping got boring for Daniel after about an hour so I ended up doing that too. I created 2 zones, kitchen/livingroom and hallway/bedroom. I layed a backup tube next to the first just in case of problems. It will also give me a faster warmup time with twice the footage, at least I think so. Steve posed for his hose picture. I was suprised that we were done in about 4 hours. That hose is very stiff and difficult to work with. The weather is very hot for here so we stopped when the tubing was in. Didn't feel like starting another project, Daniel was bored also. I've been so exhaused over the last couple weeks I fell asleep sitting at my computer last night. Here are some pic's, dorf dude...


 
I have a question to ask you are you heating with gaz or wood boiler ? I don't know if I did catch it from being but I know you have " pellet " wood stove there.

Merci,Marc


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## shumakerscott

*Heater*

I will have a 1000 liter heat exchange tank. It has an electric heating element, the pellet stove, http://www.rika.at/en/water_heating_stove/ will feed it along with the solar panels. I will also tie in a wood burner in the future. It will be upstairs or out in the shop. Heat should be no problem. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Heater*

Being Sunday I sat and checked out Ebay. I had Central heaters on the brain. I won a 17 year old wood gas burner with an oil conversion added to it, 20kw heating capacity, should fit the bill perfectly and it was 389 

Euro, about $500. I really hit a score if it checks out.


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## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> Being Sunday I sat and checked out Ebay. I had Central heaters on the brain. I won a 17 year old wood gas burner with an oil conversion added to it, 20kw heating capacity, should fit the bill perfectly and it was 389
> 
> Euro, about $500. I really hit a score if it checks out.


 For 389€ that is not bad deal however I really suggest have that boiler do the pressure test to make sure you don't have any leak in the unit.

The other thing is check the burner nozzle for firing rate I know when that boiler was oringally gaz fired and converted to oil some case someone will install larger nozzle than it should be.

I have 30 gallons { 114 liter } oil fired waterheater and I have to undersized the burner gun a little due it was more than I need and it did not even ran out of hot water at all it just keep up with the demand.
{ oringally have 1 GPH {3.8LPH} then downsized to .75GPH {2.85LPH} nozzle and it came out perfect for me }

And yeah the other thing those wood fired boilers they can be pretty hevey I know one simauir to what you have on the picture but little bigger than that. that one weight in little over 850KG so expect to be little hevey espcally with cast iron shell but stamped steel maybe about 500KG or so.

Merci,Marc


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## shumakerscott

*Oil heat*

I was planning on having it pressure tested. I will not put it in service until next year at the earliest. I'm just planning ahead for when I have my shop. As for the oil heating I do not have any initial plans to running it other than with wood. I have some alternate ideas kicking around in my head. Thanks, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Cement Pour*

The cement pour for this weekend has not come together. Too many variables that do not line up. I contacted the construction firm next door about pouring it for me. It will only cost about 400 Euro more including 19% tax for them to do it. I wash my hands of this project! I can relax a little. I am exhausted with all this work lately. I will have time this weekend to pickup my new wood gasification oven. From the dorf....


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## Shamus

Hey DD good call in my opinion bringing in the Pro's. Sometimes it's good to hand off some of a project and just sit back and watch other people work. Even though your paying for it. :thumbsup:


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## frenchelectrican

I think you are wise on that part that 400€ is worth it so you can let those guys do it right from first shot AKA first pour and they know what they doing just like myself I know what I can do and what not.

Hope it will come out good where you want it.

Merci,Marc


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Before you have the concrete poured, make sure you have the option to turn off one of the parallel loops of tubing.

You may find that the quick response is not needed since you have a stable, home with a lot of mass and "thermal inertia" that is nothing like the lightweight, "pink panther" construction you may see in the U.S. and Canada, but is not that common in the rest of the developed world.

I had a 1800 sf masonry lake home (brick, 2" extruded foam, and 8" lightweight block in northern Minnesota, where the winter temps frequently got down to -20F (rarely -40F). It also had vaulted ceilings. I used it year round on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and left early Monday morning. When I left in the winter, I would set the thermostat down to 40F. When I came back early Friday evening, I would turn the thermostat up to 75 to kick on the little 35,000 BTU furnace, start a fire in the massive fireplace to take off the chill before going out for the night. When I got back, the air would be warm, but the structure still was cool. The furnace would run all weekend and shut off on Sunday before I left the next morning. My fireplace was still warm. There was one drawback - one weekend it was 35F on Friday when I got there before a blizzard (22" of snow) and the temperature went down to about-20F after the storm. Since I had all the food, computer and TV I needed, so I looked at the snow. I never went out until Monday morning when I tried to get out and my driveway was blocked with drifts and I had to wait until Tuesday when my friend plowed me out. I had no real idea or feel for the weather or the danger it can pose. The benfit was that when the summer teperatures got over 90F, I could always close the windows and avoid air conditioning after a day of fishing.

The next year, I experimented and set the thermostat at 65F at all times during the unoccupied time and the annual heating bill was less than $30 more (LP gas), but I had a comfortable, warm place to walk into at any time.

If I made the mistake of using the fireplace when the home was warm, I frequently had to open 1 or 2 sliding doors at 0F or 20F during a snow storm to keep the heat down inside. The house was tight and I had a fresh air intake and a 3 speed fan that was thermostatically controlled.

There is no computer program around that can accurately predict the energy requirement for a heavy structure that is subjected to variable conditions.

You do not have the severe temperature conditions that I did, but your home is more massive in comparison to what I had, so the fast recovery may not be necessary and you could be surprised when the seasons change and you have to open the windows. If you can have the option of shutting off the spare loop in the floor and use it as a back-up, it might be good, especially since you will be burning wood and have a heavy heat source/boiler. Burn steady and save the energy in the structure and enjoy the comfort. - Just a thought that might apply to your situation.

The other Schu.


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## shumakerscott

*Unique situation*



concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> Before you have the concrete poured, make sure you have the option to turn off one of the parallel loops of tubing.
> 
> You may find that the quick response is not needed since you have a stable, home with a lot of mass and "thermal inertia" that is nothing like the lightweight, "pink panther" construction you may see in the U.S. and Canada, but is not that common in the rest of the developed world.
> 
> I had a 1800 sf masonry lake home (brick, 2" extruded foam, and 8" lightweight block in northern Minnesota, where the winter temps frequently got down to -20F (rarely -40F). It also had vaulted ceilings. I used it year round on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and left early Monday morning. When I left in the winter, I would set the thermostat down to 40F. Whenhanks for u I came back early Friday evening, I would turn the thermostat up to 75 to kick on the little 35,000 BTU furnace, start a fire in the massive fireplace to take off the chill before going out for the night. When I got back, the air would be warm, but the structure still was cool. The furnace would run all weekend and shut off on Sunday before I left the next morning. My fireplace was still warm. There was one drawback - one weekend it was 35F on Friday when I got there before a blizzard (22" of snow) and the temperature went down to about-20F after the storm. Since I had all the food, computer and TV I needed, so I looked at the snow. I never went out until Monday morning when I tried to get out and my driveway was blocked with drifts and I had to wait until Tuesday when my friend plowed me out. I had no real idea or feel for the weather or the danger it can pose. The benfit was that when the summer teperatures got over 90F, I could always close the windows and avoid air conditioning after a day of fishing.
> 
> The next year, I experimented and set the thermostat at 65F at all times during the unoccupied time and the annual heating bill was less than $30 more (LP gas), but I had a comfortable, warm place to walk into at any time.
> 
> If I made the mistake of using the fireplace when the home was warm, I frequently had to open 1 or 2 sliding doors at 0F or 20F during a snow storm to keep the heat down inside. The house was tight and I had a fresh air intake and a 3 speed fan that was thermostatically controlled.
> 
> There is no computer program around that can accurately predict the energy requirement for a heavy structure that is subjected to variable conditions.
> 
> You do not have the severe temperature conditions that I did, but your home is more massive in comparison to what I had, so the fast recovery may not be necessary and you could be surprised when the seasons change and you have to open the windows. If you can have the option of shutting off the spare loop in the floor and use it as a back-up, it might be good, especially since you will be burning wood and have a heavy heat source/boiler. Burn steady and save the energy in the structure and enjoy the comfort. - Just a thought that might apply to your situation.
> 
> The other Schu.


 
Thanks for you inisghts. I will fugure out how the structure works with my heat as time comes. It is like a living thing. Feed it and see what happens, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Just an opinion from a stubborn German/Luxembourger that is just by my experience and climate.

The other Schu -


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## scoggy

*So, all the 'floor' is in?*

Dorf Dude, all the concrete for the floor is in...and no photos..?? You are like trying to have the dog catch his tail! Sorry, understand the 'situation"...now!
Syd


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## concretemasonry

Just a suggestion. Dorf Dude may still be able to connect the ends to give him the flexibility for options for the future because you never know until you live in a similar structure.


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## shumakerscott

*Floor*

The floor will get poured the week of the 17th. The construction firm is going on vacation all of next week, only in Germany. I have been battling the bees the last week. I think I finally won. Yesterday I gave them a spry of chemicals and then parked my lawn mower on top of the nest. That really woke them up! It was cool to watch them buzz around then get sucked up and mulched :thumbup:. After 20 minutes it was pretty much over. I will post pics of things but I have been taking it easy this week. I have been burned out. From the dorf....


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## shumakerscott

*Furnace and Stucco*

Yesterday I went with my neighbor on a 9 hour road trip and got my wood gasifier furnace. It is in awsome condition. This isn't your normal wood burning stove. It is a furnace. http://www.unical-deutschland.de/gasogen-g3.html The guy I bought it from is a DIY'r and took very meticulous care of his equipment. I have all the paper work to go with it. Total cost was about $600 including the round trip. E-bay can be good. Sorry but the only photo is wrapped up in the trailer. I normally get 41mpg with my car, empty trailer going was 31mpg, return with the furnace 25mpg, with the AC on. 
I started with my stucco. So many people have told me that I must have a crew or a firm to do this. My walls must be perfect ect... I knocked out a small section as a trial and ALL the experts can just k!ss my butt. It is up and looks fine to me. It is a random design, who can say what is right or wrong with it. I even put tape around the window and then removed it to get a frame effect. It will go really easy with one person mixing and one putting it up. I will not pay to have this done. Time will tell if it will hold but I feel confident. Here are some pic's, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*WOW!!! Looks" GREAT*

Shu, ..never mind what they say..it is you...and you are the .."doer"..so press :thumbsup::thumbsupn.."Dorf Dude"!
Syd


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## concretemasonry

Shu -

It looks great and will fit in perfectly for a few hundred more years and make the neighbors happy! They are probably slow to accept, but some beer for a neigbor party will do wonders, unless you already "greased" things in advance.

You are coming down the home stretch on the exterior and interior finishing will be coming.

The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Bee's*

I have been battling a wasp nest in the ground now for awhile. I spray them and for that day they are gone, the next day they are back. Today I finally figured out what is going on. They have a main hive on the neighbors property. They were flying in pupa's, babys, larva what ever they are called, and were trying to rebuild. I shot them with the very last bit of foam my can had and plastered the hole shut. I hope this will end it. I got rained out this evening from working on the wall. I hope progress pic's tomorrow. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*I Fought the Bee's and I Won!*

Tonight Matt came over and wanted to do something. I showed him the bee nest I've been battling. Bring on the gas! We poured about 1/2 cup down the hole and waited about a minute then lit it, safely of course, ka-boof. We waited about 20 minutes and they were back. I ran the lawn mower for awhile over them, they still were around. Time for round 2 with the gasoline. This time a little more than the first time. We let it soak and lit it but no ka-boof. It had soaked in. Matt grabbed the shovel and let some air in, KA-BOOF!! That did it! He opened it up and man it was huge! I don't think they are coming back. We put the nest pieces in the hole and lit them up to kill everything. Don't attempt this technique if you don't have a least some common sense on handling gasoline. Remove it far away from what your doing and use small amounts. House pi'c will follow this weekend, i've been busy. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Getting down to "Beesness"*

Dorf Dude, you have to send those photos to National Geographic! Your method was so reminiscent of the way "we' did it,..but you have to wonder how big the "parent' nest is...but you have a season called winter...so all will be good! Now on with the show!
Cheers
Syd:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

*Back Wall Finished*

The back wall has been stuccoed! Steve came over a few times and gave me a big hand. He is better off left doing the mixing! He got the side wall primed yesterday while I worked on finishing out the windows. I will order paint next week, dark grey with steel blue for the windows. The owner of the construction firm next door mentioned to my buddy that if I were to ask them to do my wall they would decline. My walls are too uneven and their reputation would be at stake. How "German" is that? They will see, it will turn out just fine and last 40 years! Here are a coouple pic's. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

You worked outside on sunday where people could see you do that? I know it is not a law but seems to be an unwritten situation.

My wife grew up in a Pennsylvania that was very heavy on German traditions. Her mother knew better than to hang out laundry on a Sunday.

In northern Michigan, it was local custom and the same thing could happen there, although it not a strong German community, but many Poles. You could go out for drink though. Running a snowblower was fine because it was a sport to see how fast you could get yours clean and then start on someone elses.

I am not surprised your contractor would criticise an DIYer. That happens everywhere He also probably did not want a neighbor to apply for work for him.

The other Schu.


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## shumakerscott

*Work*

It was actually Saturday but it was a Catholic Holiday, even worse! :no: Maria Himmelfart. Mary's day of going to Heaven. I say it was her holy fart day and blasted off to heaven. It was quiet work. The neighbors are cool but I was getting a lot of looks from people driving by. I worked a few hours today, Sunday, on the sides of the floor insulation. I am 100% ready for the slab pour. I can keep going on the stucco now. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Floor & paint*

I went and ordered paint today. Time to get busy! I also checked on the floor pour, not this week :furious:. Too many people on vacation. This will actually give me some more time to get the stucco finished and get the scaffold down. It will work out in the end. I should have the side wall done in the next 2 days and then move on to the front on the weekend. More pic's as things move along. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Stucco Done!*

I had a small crew come and give me a hand on Sat, Mick, Isaac, and Steve. The stucco is done and the back side is painted. I ordered a grey paint and got this blue, I like it! sometimes mistakes are for the better. Now I have to get a different color for around the windows. For lunch I made chilli. Mick decided that it was not warm eneough and tossed the dirty spoon on the table when I told him to leave it in the bowl. :no: As you can see in the picture I hit him directly in the back with it:thumbup:. What a perfect shot! The picture of me is putting the last patch of stucco on. I have the doofiest grin but I was sure glad to get that finished. I had a 12 hour day and am very sore. The slab will get poured on Tuesday. As I sat with my coffee this morning I realized that I have forgotten to install pipes for the pellet stove to the water tank, oops:wallbash: At least I have one day to get it in or postpone the pour. I will keep painting this week and hope to have it finished next weekend. Almost time to take down the scaffold. Dorf dude...


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## grainelevator

WOW!!! Scott.....it looks amazing!! You are a DIY Rambo!!! I'm watching from over here in Kent, Washington. Keep posting so I can see the scaffolding come off. Cheers!! Your Sister Grainelevator:thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

*Thanks*

Thanks for the positive replies. I must do this "DIY", divorce is killing me $$. I had a load of gravel delivered for the floor and it cost more for the delivery than the rock. Never again. I will not pay for what I can do. Many people have asked how do you know how to do this? I answer Youtube! But really I just try it and figure out what works and keep on going. It's not perfect but it will last. This style constructing is so far superior than stick frame. It has a high labor cost but life time of the building is almost forever. Wait until I build the work shop. I'm thinking straw bale. that really ought to get the neighbors talking. From the dorf, dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

Straw bale? Now THAT will be interesting! This just keeps getting better and better.

The house is looking great Dorf Dude. Are you going to be living in it by fall?


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

A little late, but in some of eastern Europe, Belarus and Ukraine, they use uncrushed ceramzite (rotary lightweight aggregate) under slabs and on elevated slabs with heating coils. It is like marbles for 1/8" to 3/4".

It is more costly per tom, but much cheaper per unit of volume to ship and also easier to handle on the job site. It also provides insulation from the soil below. It may not be available in your area because the concrete precasters tie up the supply, especially in Germany.


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## shumakerscott

*Concrete Tomorrow*

I have the pour tomorrow, so they say. I got the heat transfer pipes insulated and installed. I called my buddy Matt and told him I forgot about the pipes, He said he had some left over from his house, it was exactly what I needed. Talk about fate. I wrapped it with foil backed foam and then duck tape. That should do the trick. I could feel the heat being returned to my hands just wrapping it. I have included a pic of the stucco. dorf dude...


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## bofusmosby

You never cease to amaze me! Great job D.D.! It is obvious that you are gifted in the sense that you are able to learn anything you put your mind to. Keep the photos coming, we ALL appreciate it!:thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

*No floor!*

I still have no floor or contact from the construction firm. I have been working on various things. Finishing off the roof tiles, painting, mowing ect... a never ending list of things to do. I should be pretty much finished with paint on Sat. Pic's then. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Painted*

I got it painted! I just have some trim work to finish up. The concrete guy walked by this morning and promised that on Monday afternoon I would have my floor. They still had staffing problems due to vacations this week. Only in Germany. They don't work on Saturdays either. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## Shamus

Whoot! :yes:

Look'in great DD. It's been a long hard project and you've come round the bend.

I know that there's tons to do before you move in but Wow, you've come a long way. I bet your chomp'in at the bit to get the scaffold down and out of there.


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## drtbk4ever

I love that colour Dorf Dude. It's lookin fantastic.


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## Scuba_Dave

I also like the color, my house will be slate blue
I assume the downspouts are just Temp until the scaffolding goes?


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## shumakerscott

*No Floor!*

I was promised that the floor would be poured today. He said "Sicher" That is a promise, NOPE! I need it poured so it can cure before I put heat in the floor. I can't get too mean with him, he's my neighbor for the rest of my life. More pic's as things go. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

DD.I am out of the 'Handyman loop", but do POPULAR MECHANICS still have the GOLDEN HAMMER awards? Might be worth checking out...for your project! The scaffolding is comming down..that should be reason enough for a German Holiday Ya!! Is the 'scaffolding Lady" still as pretty as when we got the scaffolding? The whole house will 'breathe' a sigh of relief..becomming free of it's ..."harness'! Your .."grid" of pipes and tubes, and concrete rebar...loks like an aerial view of Seattle's traffic patterns! I finished my deck totally today..but there is a nasty "Glich"..but I cannot do anything..just now!! Cheers
Syd


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## shumakerscott

*Huge Day!*

:thumbup: The floor is in :thumbup: We had to wheelbarrow it in. Total time was 3 hours. The finish is a bit rough so I will go over it with a scraper in the morning to take off the high spots. Campbell and Matt came over and we got the scaffold down. My house is free of the bonds! Not all the windows are trimmed out yet. I'm just beat so I'll post some pic's. Dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

Awesome!


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## scoggy

Wow, last time I looked, it appeared to be an 'old ..'fuddy duddy" sedan..now it is a ..sports car...WOW! Great job DD!! Now what? Cheers!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:.
SQUID


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## shumakerscott

*Uneven floor*

The floor has quite a few high and low spots, up to around 3/8". I have lots of bags of cement glue for my outside insulation left. I will mix it really soupy and pour that as a self leveling mix. It should work ok and I don't have the $$ to buy the "Special Stuff" This is already paid for. I won't pour it until I get the walls inside ripped out. So much has happened in the last 2 days I don't know where to start again. Mick and I hauled all of the scaffold away today. It is gone! Now for the inside and get it livable. dorf dude...


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## Scuba_Dave

That really looks awesome :thumbup:
Must be nice to have the scaffolding gone


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## shumakerscott

*Great Snag!*

Today I snagged the tile for my entry for less than 80 cents a square foot. Great deal. They are slate colored with a slight distress, they look a little dirty. Should be good for me because I don't like to clean. I started stripping off the wall and found beautiful sandstone. I think I will clean it up and leave it natural. We will see how it turns out. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Further Along*

I got further stripping the walls. This stuff sucks :thumbdown:. Very dusty and tuff. I still have a few more days work at it. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

That looks like it is good for a few more centuries at least.

I like the arches inside and the sill for a place to put a beer down.

Your bargain tile are great and it will be interesting to see how you blend the modern tile floor with the old wall appearance.

What do you plan to put on the stone if you want to keep the appearance and minimize the dusting? The inside of the arch could be plastered and painted white to get in more light and blend the square window into the inside arch.


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## shumakerscott

*Stone Sealant*

I'm not sure what I will do with the stone. I would like to keep it exposed but it will be dark. Any ideas what to put on it to keep it from dusting? I have access to Thompsons Water Seal. I was also thinking rattle can clear urethane or something similar. My plans are not solid, it will change I'm sure as I get further along. Thanks, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

DD, remember Thompson's water seal is only a 'wax' in a solvent, that evaporates, and leaves the wax in all 'open' pores..so..would you feel safe having that inside? Must be lotsa 'stuff' to do the job,..safely..check your PC sites. Cheers
SQUID


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## jochenww

*Ytong/Hebel?*



concretemasonry said:


> Scott -
> 
> Are those walls in the home built from "gas concrete" (Ytong, Hebel, etc.)? The photos look might that be the wall (not fireplace) material
> 
> Just a question from a Schumacher (Luxembourg) to a Shumaker (German).



hi concretemasonry,

These are regular "Hohlblockziegel". I'm sure this house is build way before the Ytong aera (late 60th). 

Chimney:
Back than chimneys where build with regular bricks. Now they use fireproof inserts with isulating granulate.


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## jochenww

*exposed stone*



shumakerscott said:


> I'm not sure what I will do with the stone. I would like to keep it exposed but it will be dark. Any ideas what to put on it to keep it from dusting? I have access to Thompsons Water Seal. I was also thinking rattle can clear urethane or something similar. My plans are not solid, it will change I'm sure as I get further along. Thanks, dorf dude...


Hallo Dorf Dude,

I would just clean the wall and the grout lines very good and regrout everything. You can clean it with a broom with wire bristles or have it sandblasted by someone. Once it is cleaned up real good and regrouted, there is no actual need and reason to put a sealer on it.

What you gonna do with the wall where that second window was?
Since this area is filled with KSS (Kalksandstein), I would go with plaster on that wall (few backs of Goldband/Rotband).


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## shumakerscott

*Even Further*

I got quite aways today. Have I mentioned how much this sucks? I still see about 4 more days of stripping with the elbow buster. I'm glad I'm taking it all out because it is really funky and would smell for years to come. I'm now leaning towards just sheet rocking the whole thing. Still up in the air. I need quick and cheap. If I want the stone wall later I can rip a wall down. They will always be there. Here's a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Due -

Looking better although when you are close to it and fighting the mess it must seem nearly impossible. You are right about rock being cheap and disposable. There is also a lot of 1" thick lightweight plaster that is used in Hungary and the Czech Republic, which are not far from you and most of their materials come from Germany. Just do not over-mix it, but you can let it rest a bit. The down side is that it is more permanent than rock. You probably do not need additional insulation, but you and someone else could knock it out quickly considering the nice texture you gave to the exterior and it can handle the surface variations. - Little modern, but works good with your floor tile.

The other Schu -


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## shumakerscott

*Hey man!*

"You probably do not need additional insulation, but you and someone else could knock it out quickly considering the nice texture you gave to the exterior and it can handle the surface variations."

Are you giving me sh!t about my stucco? This is in jest of course. I could only work so fast and the stuff started to set up on me. As my buddy Matt said "It will be something" and it surely is something. Ain't no other house around here that looks like mine! As I will say to anybody that criticizes it "Where were you to help me?" Cheers, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

No criticism, but trying to praise what you have done.

My fat fingers do not type as well or fast as i think. I intended to say I like the exterior surface texture you did and understand the problems with the variations in the wall you were working on.

The other Schu (Dick) -


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## shumakerscott

*Jest*

I had no mean intentions in my last post just so you didn't misunderstand. It will be something... dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*House wall imperfections, owner done!!*

DD, on the wall towards the neighbour who let you use his water supply, ...there is a 'dimple' in the surface..about 2/3 of the way up...and a little towards the road...fix it ..eh? Off to Hawaii for 3 weeks tomorrow..will contemplate what other mischief I can get into..on the sand ======8^) Show Campbell on a map where Hawaii is ..ok?
Cheers
Syd


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## shumakerscott

*Getting There*

I've been knocking it out a little at a time. I'm into the bedroom now. Some areas go easy and others are a real pain. The Junior Fire Dept. were training tonight with their hose. I asked for a free car wash but they declined. Here are a couple pics, Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Pad poured*

I finished stripping the wall of fiberboard yesterday, no pic yet. I still have plaster to knock off a couple walls but I have time. I'm shfting focus towards getting the heater hooked up. Winter is coming. I set the form and poured the pad for the 1000 liter heat exchange tank. I wanted it much thicker than the rest of the floor, heavy tank! It is exactly at the same height as the rest of the house floor. Steve came and gave me a hand for a couple of hours, Thanks buddy. Here is the before and after with the pad. If you go the the very first posts I made about the chiminey this pad is where it was, the pic with the water faucet. I almost ran out of cement and that would have sucked. Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Bathroom wall stripped*

I got the bathroom wall stripped. What a dusty mess! I was air hammering the plaster directly off the wall. Before I was removing panels with the plaster attached, big difference in the amount dust. I have ordered my water tank today. It is a "tank" that's for sure. It's huge. I hope I can fit it in and work around it. I will need to get the back walls and the floor finished before it shows up, I have 2 weeks. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Further*

I have gotten further. Campbell gave me a hand putting forms on top of the bathroom wall. It is cast with 2 pieces of rebar to give it strength because it will be load bearing. I have also gotten the bedroom wall cleaned up with a needle scaler. I will apply a binding stucco next. I was given some bamboo and put it to good use. I do not like looking at the neighbors used door collection. Come spring I won't see it any more. here are some pics, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Progress*

Progress is getting made! :thumbup: The pour on top of the wall is looking good. I got further with the bathroom wall. The step in the brick is left on purpose. I will pour a header for the door. The local cats have been pissing in my sand, my motar stinks. I hope it goes away. No turds so far. Building is much better than tearing apart. Things are moving forward now. Time to get cracking. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Skim coat and backhoe*

I got the skim coat on the sections that need to get tiled behind the water tank. The backhoe also showed up and we dug a peek at the foundation. It is only about 2 feet deep but massive sand stone. I will apply a pond liner barrier and a bit of styrofoam to it. Easier shown than explained. This will allow the walls to dry out for good. Might take a year but it is a natural process. Making big steps now, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Rocks*

Along the back we have found quite a few rocks. They are big enough to perhaps of been an ancient foundation. They will make a nice rock feature out front maybe. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*More Stones*

We got alot further on digging out the foundation today. I had Steve and Charles helping today on shovels.There was definitely a former structure in place before this one. Many more foundation stones coming up and also evidence of fire again. Campbell's son got to play with the digger today. His placement of the stones left a little to be desired but he had fun. Dad dug them and he got to move them. Lot's more work to go! dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Be on the look-out for any Roman carving on the stones.(LOL) - I think Otto was a Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in about 973.

That sure is a cute piece of equipment for your project and location.

The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Foundation Hosed*

As I cleaned up the foundation today this is what I found. In the past they tried to use bricks and motar to fix the corner, it didn't work. The big corner sandstone has turned to sand, probably from moisture. I have poured a concrete footing with rebar. I will set forms on the corner and cast more concrete in a couple days. That should last for another 100 years! We also dug down and found the sewer conection. Many more huge rocks came up too. Here are some pics of the foundation, dorf dude


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## shumakerscott

*Corner cast*

I got the corner footing cast today. I have taken the rest of the week off to work on the house. The weather is perfect. I cleaned and patched the side wall. I will do the front tomorrow. Here is a tip to get smooth and creamy motar, use a squirt of dish soap in the water before you add sand and cement. Here are some pics of what things look like. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Foundation and Sewer*

Been pushing really hard. I have gotten most of the foundation cleaned and sealed with a mortar mix. I had to hand shovel sand in my trailer and then transfer it into the ditch. This has really been tough on me physically. My body is wearing out. We have a main connection with the sewer now and partially filled again. Campbell has been a great help. :yes: Tomorrow the rain gutters should be hooked up. No rain predicted for the next 5 days but it will be a real relief to have them sending water into the sewer and not on the ground. The mortar still needs time to dry before I put the final sealant on the foundation. Here are some pic's, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*READ THE WORD...Deadline..DD*

DD,..We are so often caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet on the way. Appreciation is a wonderful feeling, don't overlook it..and remember there is only one person to please..you..so take a Big breathe, perhaps slow down a bit..and ..go auugh..this project will all come together..and the locals will say DD..he is Mr Fixit! From one Taurus to Another..and with the same BDaY..Jeez! Cheers
Syd:wink::wink::wink::wink::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

*Foundation*

Here is a pic of the foundation after I have cleaned it up. See post 446 pic #2 for a before shot. Notice the dip in the big stone. This is the threshold of my front door. They poured a new one on top after this one wore down. I wonder how old this this really is? I did not get any more pics today. It was not supposed to rain but we planned on getting the rain gutters hookd up anyway. Got the back drain hooked and started on the front, huge black cloud showed up and started to dump. We managed to contain most of it until we got the pipes hooked up. More pics tomorrow. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Progress on many fronts*

Here is a pic of the threshold after motar treatment. I got the floor tiles layed for where the water tank will be and also the rest of the wall stuccoed. Today I got the water proofing on 2 sides of the foundation and layed the styrofoam insulation on. I only have the back side left to finish. I'm still waiting for the motar to dry. Another day or two for that. This waterproofing is some really tough stuff. My boots were getting worn out so I put some on the toes to see how it will work. I bet it would make great bed liner for pickup's. Here are a few pic's, dorf dude...


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## captainobvious

I just read through your entire build here and wanted to say you're doing a hell of a job. Very nice work. I love the blue/grey color chosen as well. Pops very nicely.


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## shumakerscott

*Foundation*

I've been going forward with help on the foundation. This is very time consuming. I had help from my son Dustin, Charles, Steve, Matt, and Campbell. I have "Slathered" waterproofing on the foundation. That's the special word of the day. On the front and side it set up fine, On the back side it did not, A Northern exposure that just would not dry out. We have had quite a few rain storms that have not helped. My remedy for this is plastic right up against the wall. I then nailed up the styrofoam and applied stucco, screen and painted. Once the back fill is in it should stay up just fine. I cleaned up the inside from the wall strippings and dumped them in the trench. I have more junk to get rid of as we close it up. Here are some pics. dorf dude...


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## Scuba_Dave

Yup, bury what you can in that trench :laughing:
I wonder how old that last threshold was to be worn down that much
Hundreds of years ??


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## shumakerscott

*Stucco and Tile*

I stuccoed on the inside walls to help hold them together. What I mean is that over time they will release small stones and sand. This will seal them up. I also got the wall tiles around where the hot water tank will be. I just need to grout them. Here are some pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Grout and Beam Clean*

I grouted the tiles today. First time doing that! Not fun but it got better as I got the hang of it. I just need to silicone the corner and bottom. I also started cleaning up the ceiling beams, well just one until my sand paper got loaded up. I'm using a 24 grit on my variable speed Makita grinder. I run it pretty slow and just dig in until I get to clear wood. This is the worst beam of all of them. I picked up 20 more discs tonight so that should hold me over for awhile. I still need to get that sewer pipe closed up with sand but am having a logistics problem. I hope to have it closed up by the weekend. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Easier method to get "stuff" off of beams*

DD, I have seen an air tool that comprizes, about 20 to 30 rods about 1/8 in Diameter, into an .."airhead activator", that basically .."scales' any hard surface,..quickly by the rotations and vibration of those rods. Maybe it is called an air "scaler', but I have used them here on metal...and was really impressed at what they did to remove junk from matal, so maybe easier for you than to keep replacing discs or et al! Cheers
Syd:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

*Scaler*

Do you mean one of these? I will try it for the finish cleanup but for getting down to the good wood a rip the meat off the bone sanding disc seems to be the ticket. dorf dude...


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## bofusmosby

Gezzz D.D., you never cease to amaze me! Looking fantastic! Speaking of the age of your house, do you have any idea as to how old it actually is? Also, have you noticed that the looks from the neighbors are changing from "is he crazy" to "I'm really impressed"?


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## shumakerscott

*How old is it?*

Here is a map from 1858. My house is #2 on the far left side butted up against another house. It is just under the capital crazy B. I would guess tripple the age from 1858 due to the foundations we found underneath. It actually might be older, hard to tell. Glad you like the journey so far, dorf dude...


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## bofusmosby

Not only do I enjoy the journey, but also appreciate you allowing us to make this trip with you!


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## shumakerscott

*History of Seugast*

I did an online translation of the history of my village. A little rough but you can get the general jist of it.

The place name " Seugast" is probably slawischen origin. 
1123: In a copy of the right book of Friedrich of Hohenlohe, bishop von Bamberg of 
1348, printed 1852, for the year 1123 Seugast is already mentioned. 
1139: " Sugast" in the Stifungsurkunde monastery is mentioned for the first time 
documentary of the Ensdorf. (Codex Traditionum Monasterii Ensdorf) 
1270: Weickenricht is mentioned for the first time documentary. 
1410: With close (marriage shank right) four Seugaster are mentioned as jurors on 
herzoglicher page: Steffen Mark-hard from Seugast Andreas Mark-hard from Seugast Fritz 
Wißhofen of Seugast Otto Heißel of Seugast 
1593: In the contract of the 4.September between the diocese Bamberg and the Kurpfalz 
are specified that the Seugaster gets its wood right of the Vilsecker forest. 
1605: Seugast belongs to the office for maintaining Hirschau. The border begins with 
the Schmelzhütte of the Bleibergwerks hammer flax mill near Freihung been, because of 
the water river and goes up towards Seugast on the Mühlrad of the mill, from there in 
the quarry lain to Schönbrunn, from there on " stone Kreuz" , which stands on the road 
from Hirschau to Großschönbrunn. For the first time a quarry is mentioned documentary. 
(see above) 
1628: 30 Year War. Also this war leaves its traces in Seugast. Pulling through 
hordes/hurdles pillage and burn the houses down. The occupied Upper Palatinate falls at 
cure prince Maximilian of Bavaria as reward for the emperor loyalty in the fight 
against the Pfälzer cure prince Friedrich (" Winterkönig") 
1630: In a report of the Vogteigerichts giving Gebenbach this covers the places giving 
Gebenbach, Seugast, Klein and Großschönbrunn. 
1790: Building of the Marienkapelle in Weickenricht (in the place) 
1872: Seugast receives its own school. Up to then the children must go to 
Großschönbrunn for instruction. 
1878: Seugast and Weickenricht belong to the juristiction of Ehenfeld 
1894: Establishment of the volunteer fire-brigade Seugast


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## bofusmosby

Damn! Now thats what I call a lot of history! Well, I'll bet that your house stays intact for at least another 500 years, by the way you are doing the job.


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## shumakerscott

*Google Map*

If you Google Map "Seugast Germany" you will find many of the references to other villages near by that are mentioned in the history. To get to the original history page go to www.seugast.de In German but you can translate it with Google or Bablefish.


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## momb

*Proud & amazed*

Hi Dorf dude, Momb here. I have been getting caught up on your progress. It is truly amazing. :thumbup: You can be very proud of your accomplishments. We are. :yes: Thanks for sharing your dream and your journey with us all. 

Momb


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## shumakerscott

*Snow, no pics*

We had our first snow today, about 2 inches stuck. I was walking around in it all day at work. I felt like ka ka. I did not go to the house, I feel guilty with so much to do. I jumped straight into a hot menthol bath. I worked on the really [email protected] beam for 3 hours last night, getting close. Now a whole bunch more to do. I need to focus on getting the foundation closed and heater going. More pics later, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Update*

Over the weekend I got further with beam cleaning, slow and very dusty. No pics. I got sand yesterday and have begun closing up my sewer pipe. I broke up a bunch of old roof panels and threw them in too. I even took a crack at the backhoe. Got to get this thing closed up. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Oh you ..BEAST!*

You mean to say that when the ..."kids.. across the street were not around.. you took control of the machine!!!! You are on your way to ..finish..just be careful of all the ..details needed to do same! You Da Ma Shu, you Da man!
SQUId
PS Caught a 28 lb Coho Salmon this morning..on the 'Outside"...mmmmmmm!


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## shumakerscott

*Update*

I worked on cleaning beams this week. Very nasty work to say the least. I now have a sawdust carpet! Cambpell came and filled in the trench over the sewer pipe. I got the 2nd pipe in for running out to the shop, It will have the power and heating lines in it. Nothing going in it right now but in the future. Planning ahead as best I can. I cemented around the pipes under the wall. I have 1 more fill to pack in then the wall is solid and sealed. The new inside trench was for the most part dug with a framing claw hammer and scooped by hand, too many rocks for a shovel. Things are moving forward. Enjoy the pic's, dorf dude...


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## Knucklez

sh*t, you're fearless. very nice job so far. i bet you'll be glad when this room becomes your new shop (for two weeks, then your wife will claim it as a crafts center) 

Knucklez


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## shumakerscott

*Shop*

I'm fearless with friends! The new shop will be added on to the existing barn. There is no wife, I'm divorced, that's why I'm starting over. There won't be another one. Here is a pic of the yard while we were closing up the foundation. Cambpell's son had a good go at the backhoe today. He did very good. I have pulled so many rocks, nice and flat, that I'm looking for projects for them. One is actually shaped like a heart. I must find a special place for it. I lost my evening work light, clocks change tonight. It's dark now when I get off work. I'm pretty much finished for now outside anyway, perfect timing. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Water Tank Delivered*

My water tank was delivered today. I would be excited but just look at the picture. It is faced the wrong direction and is still sitting on the pallet! WTF? How can I work with that? This thing is a monster. I know they had a hard time delivering it with my yard in such a mess but come on. It is still on the pallet. I have to get it off and set on the floor. I will have words tomorrow with them about this. The 2nd pic is of the insulation for the tank. This did not go well. dorf dude...


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## Scuba_Dave

That is one massive tank - how many gallons/litres ?
I've had some problems moving stuff, but where there is a will there is a way
Like getting my cupola from the garage to the roof...lotsa fun

Yeah clock change is Sunday...that's it until March 
Short days & hunker down for winter


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## scoggy

*Water tank*

DD, ya know..one of these days..evrything is gonna go good...that is the day you totally watch out, eh? That tank looks like some thing from the Jetsons ..maid.. but as a ..'hind thought', would not one of those new 'water heaters', that work on ..'demand', be better?
SQUID:whistling2::whistling2::whistling2:


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## shumakerscott

*Tank*

It is 1000 liters. It has hook ups for the pellet stove, solar, shop wood burner and also internal electric. It is a tank that's for sure. dd


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## concretemasonry

That is a lot of volume and mass, so the extra insulation will really help to even out any temperature variations and be a reliable source. It is the typical German that you would not find in a U.S. home. - It makes me wish my ancestors were not born and raised 100 meters east of the Mosel River in Luxembourg, where my g-g-grandfather (Frederick) had brothers with names like Jean Pierre. Jean Paul that were the typical French of the time. I like the French, but they seem to have a different direction, but can cook well except for schnitzel and sauerbraten.

I look forward to finding a way to see the results of you heroic efforts and work. You certainly do things right when it come to rebuilding for another few centuries.

The other Schu -


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## Gary in WA

Be safe, Gary


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## concretemasonry

The construction on this job is the traditional method that is common in most of the world that has centuries of proven durability and economy. It is a "heat sink" with many benefits.- It is not like a "short term" lightweight frame structure with very little mass and real thermal resistance. A heavy, massive structure works much differently than one created by "pink panther" users that have little thermal, moisture and structural stability and more durability/mold moisture problems.

I don't recall or can't find any other reference to "Neopor" in this project. The concept of a vapor barrier/retarder is a recent vague concept created by the prescriptive codes in the wood frame using countries (U.S., Canada and possibly Tonga) that have moisture problems. The term "vapor retarder" is only vague code term and has no definitive meaning except that 6 mil poly is better than 4 mil, but not as good as 6 mil, which is far inferior to 10 mil, 12 mil or 20 mil, but still not absolute (only a defined code number for enforcement ease) if you are building by a prescriptive code for a certain type of structure. Look at the vapor transmission of a heavy masonry material based on the same testing criteria used for films and coatings. Also "moisture retarder" is also a very nebulous term that does not really represent the real conditions.

I defy anyone to define where the warm side and cold side on the wall is on this type of structure since the interior may be the warm side from January to March and the interior could be the cold side from April to August or September. That is why these types of structures (or similar) are the most commonly used type for residential construction in the developed world. - Even in Russia and Siberia, where timber is plentiful, heavyweight construction is the norm for the majority of housing and log homes are referred to as "building sheds/dachas out of fire wood", unless you have nothing easier and quicker to use.

Unfortunately, the North American codes, construction and practices are influenced by advertising, gimmick products, short structure life and an easy way to sell products and concepts that are not accepted by the rest of the developed world. the major developing countries (#1China and #2India, a close second) do not use or recommend lightweight construction because of thermal efficiency, ecology and life cycle costs. China values the ecological benefits of timber/wood and imports some from Russia/Siberia and SE Asia for rural/village construction. They also import wood from the U.S. to use and process for exports to other countries. they do use the good spruce for very expensive violins. Even the Russians know that the R19 fluff in a temporary lightweight wall might even give you as little as an R11 wall (short term test and much lower in a long term dynamic test) in the end, with no thermal mass benefits.

I suspect the "Dorf Dude" (Scott) will be opening the windows wide in February or March to release the heat from the appliances and TV. He may have to patch some areas of the stucco every 10 to 20 years, which will be minimal maintenace and there will be no mold. The mass will moderate the moisture and slowly absorb or release it over a long period of time.

Dick


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## shumakerscott

*Gary's Post is missing*

Gary, why did you take your post down? Now this blog has no flow. You changed your post from lot's of questions to "Be Safe". Dick was not beating you up, just educating you and all who read this. Keep asking questions, that's what this is about. Dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Gary - if you are out there, I apologize and didn't mean to beat up on you. I would like to get in a room with the pink panther and his advertising people though since some of it boarders on being criminal or at least misleading or inaccurate technically.

I didn't mean to be to critical, just wanted to points out the different types of construction concepts I have seen in my travels in 37 countries.

I guess I and naturally blunt and maybe I do have a little German in me, but my Norwegian relative go back to Charlemagne (Karl or Charles the Great), but many millions are also related to him.

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Vapor's*

The house is going to be a kind of living being in a way. Moisture in , Moisture out. In it's own given time. It will be alive once I get the radiant heat going. dorf dude...


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## Shamus

Dick, your commentary is well stated and worth adding into this thread. 

I too have experienced the efficiency's of walls made of 2' and 3' wide stone and on a couple occasions I had to deal with 22" brick walls. I've walked through English and German buildings in all seasons that are several hundred years old. Additionally I've worked on three in the US and Canada that had the same mass and although younger structures by comparison they all had one thing in common, thermal efficiency. 
The skill of building stone structures was lost in the US not due to lack of a quarry to harvest it, but rather the lack of craftsmen to work it. 

What was once a lean-to 200+ years ago in the US evolved into stick built structures. Homes in the US are unfortunately very inefficient and have barely enough integrity to make it 100 yrs. 

Having said that, I make my living restoring 100+ yr old homes so don't mis-understand my point. As long as someone has the wherewithal to keep these buildings upright I will continue to do my best to extend their life. 

DD, looking forward to seeing what you do with the interior. That to me will be the fun part. It will take a lot longer but you will have a warm place to sleep and a cold beer so what’s the hurry.


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## shumakerscott

*Beams Seugast Help*

I've been cleaning beams, still. I need a couple more, about 3 would be nice. I know that Seugast people are reading this. Can any one help me with a couple beams? 4 meter 50 long. Thanks, dorf dude...


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## Gary in WA

I'm back........ Sorry, I would have answered sooner due to problems. Anyway, I reread my post and it was counter-productive so I pulled it. Dick's general post had nothing to do with it, I feel the pink's way over-rated too when you start comparing. If you want an eye-opener, read about what the microwave does to your food! Keep up the hard work!
Be safe, Gary


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## zircon

*Pink Panther vs. masonry*

I'm tuning in late to this discussion but FWIW I will relate my experience with both types of construction. About two years ago, I finished a Habitat house. I was Pres of the local Habitat chapter then and we did not have a construction manager so I was very involved. We built 6" stud walls with R19 and a very thick blanket of fiberglass in the attic, about 12" thick. A while ago I ran into the homeowner and she told me how impressed she was with her low heating bills. She had previously rented a drafty old house where she paid for utilities. She said that last Christmas she had the heat turned off and the house was warm just from the oven cooking a big dinner.

Meanwhile I live in a condo that was made from a large 1911 stone house that was converted into seven apartments. The walls are 24" thick masonry.
There is a 9" thick limestone facing and the rest is a heavy block tile. Our heating bills are outrageous. Yes about half of the windows are single pane but half have been converted to double pane but the windows are small relative to the size of the walls. I received a notice from our utility that the average home in the county paid $800 for heating while our bill for heating gas and hot water gas and one clothes dryer was $14,000 or $2000 per apartment. All things being equal, it should be easier to heat seven apartments since they share common walls. In the winter time while a room is warm because the boiler is cranking, if you touch an outside wall it is ICE cold. As far as thermal mass is concerned, if the heating goes out in a winter storm, the building stays warm longer that a stick frame, and in the summer when it gets hot out, it stays cool inside for a few days, but then it gets just as hot as outside. I Googled "insulating stone walls" a while ago and this is a common problem. Where people have room, they build an insulated wall within the stone wall to get some efficiency. The R value of stone is 1 per foot so our walls are R2 so we basically have no insulation.
Joe


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## concretemasonry

*R-values/deficiencies*

If you are talking about R-values, that is a small specialized part of comfort, conditioning and cost compared to the proven large history. Solar heating depends on the mass for storage.

Isolating the mass from the interior just destroys the proven benefits of massive construction that is not possible with lightweight, temporary insulation.

Unfortunately, the recent 100 years or so of construction in the U.S. has really been a joke and that it is why it is a rarity in the developed world.

The Habitat For Humanity concept has been a bad experience when the U.S, system of wood and pink fluff was attempted to to exported to other countries since the home were not effective and though of as temporary housing. The project in Hungary where many well-meaning volunteers went over and tried to build homes in a country with a history of permanent, substantial and energy efficient housing. The people did not like the noise and feel of the flimsy wood floors with noise, vibration and deflection. This was all driven by the major contributors to Habitat and the opportunity to give some volunteers a good exposure and feeling for their efforts plus being exposed to a new high-tech country. Sybil Carter did not listen since our company did not contribute enough even though we knew more about the local needs and requirements.

The scrap lumber was shredded and mixed with some sand and cement to make floor block that were used on a concrete beam floor system in new quality homes that were superior and had many comfort, thermal and durability advantages.

The other Schu (not the guy in the avatar). - AKA Dick


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## Hurriken

I love this thread. I married a German and we are living in a Pink Panther house! She is from Schweinfurt, not to far from Graf. I spent some time there, "Area Mud" we called it. My father in laws house is similar. It could take a shell hit! His stable was built in 1879 and has stayed solid.

One thing I wanted to mention is "the kellar". Are you building one in? Because of the cooling factors that Dick mentioned it becomes the perfect environment to store potatoes, veggies, canned goods and...Bier! My FIL won't drink beer that is colder than "Kellar Kuhl"!


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## shumakerscott

*Different Things*

This is about different things. No house work yesterday, Sat, because I had to work and just was pooped when I got off. As for heating this place let's just wait and see. "The Proof wil be in the Pudding" I will keep track and post. Big Catholic holiday today All Saints. I'm planning on quiet work. As for Graf being "Area Mud" the tank trails are all paved now. My yard is going to be "Area Mud and Rock" Rain is predicted for all next week. My previous post for Seugast help has resulted in an email with an offer of a beam. It took less than 12 hours! The power of the net. He only lives 1 block away!:thumbup:. More pics on this story I hope. "*Edit*, _I also posted on seugast.de looking for beams. My reply came from that post not from this one"_ Time to get ready and go work on the house, Winter is coming and I have a lot of loose ends to tighten up. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Hurriken said:


> I love this thread. I married a German and we are living in a Pink Panther house! She is from Schweinfurt, not to far from Graf. I spent some time there, "Area Mud" we called it. My father in laws house is similar. It could take a shell hit! His stable was built in 1879 and has stayed solid.
> 
> One thing I wanted to mention is "the kellar". Are you building one in? Because of the cooling factors that Dick mentioned it becomes the perfect environment to store potatoes, veggies, canned goods and...Bier! My FIL won't drink beer that is colder than "Kellar Kuhl"!


No kellar in the house. We have a pretty high ground water table. I might build one behind the shop but digging in this ground with all the rocks is not fun. A backhoe is a must. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*A Little Progress*

I've been busy at work and the weather has sucked. Not much done this week. I have set most of my drain pipes in the bathroom and back filled with sand. Plumbing is not my forte. I have to pick up a couple more fittings to finish up the toilet connection. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## Shamus

DD,

Can't tell from your photo but just wanted to suggest you keep the waste line for the toilet far enough from the wall. A good rule of thumb is 18" or more. This of course depends of what base & tank size your using. 

Just a thought.


----------



## shumakerscott

*18 "*



Shamus said:


> DD,
> 
> Can't tell from your photo but just wanted to suggest you keep the waste line for the toilet far enough from the wall. A good rule of thumb is 18" or more. This of course depends of what base & tank size your using.
> 
> Just a thought.


What difference would 18" make with my main turd line from the wall? I don't get it. Please explain. Thanks dorf dude...


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## Shamus

Sorry, I should have explained a little more. If the waste line your putting in ends up to close to the wall then you won't have enough room to set the toilet over it.

That's provided the German toilets have the tank set-back behind the bowl.


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## shumakerscott

*Toilet*

It is a wall hanging type. You'll see when I mount it. The tank will actually be in the wall. Things are a little different here. I'm still trying to figure this all out since plumbing is new to me. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Long Time no Post, Bohemia*

It's been a long time since I have posted. Not much getting done on the house. Late last summer an Ad for a Bohemia bus tour landed in my mail box. It was really cheap so I talked Mick into it. We just got back from a 2 night, 3 day history lesson. Wow! I have lived here for over 20 years and did not know how all things fit together. We had a great tour guide that put all the pieces together. I can't explain it but here are some awsome pic's. It will have to be done in a couple posts because I have too many pic's. Nothing else in the world is like this. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*More Bohemia*

A few more..


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## shumakerscott

*Doors*

Here are some cool doors. Look close at the church pic getting re-roofed, 2 guys with no safety lines or nets! Nuts! And also a pic of the local drink and architecture. It was a great trip and only a couple hours away. Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*30 Years War*

The connection between all this History is the 30 years wars. My village was destroyed in the 30 years war in the 1600's. From the foundation evidence that I have uncovered in my foundation I believe my place was involved. Not in it's current configuration but much earlier. A couple fires have changed things. I can't prove it but it really looks like it. I will let you be the judge. dorf dude...


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## bofusmosby

OK Shu, now you're touching on my passion, H I S T O R Y ! ! ! Keep em coming! Amazing!


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## concretemasonry

I saw that Budweiser sign in one of the photos. It does not look like the ones in the U.S. Is that the original bier or the American company?

You had us worried when you had not posted for a few days. - It sounds like you had a great time and trip.

You deserve a little time off!!

The other Schu

P.S. - How do you like my newest Avatar? Definitely not me, but my son is 3 days younger than Michael (a spitting image) and was mistaken for him and we just walked into the pits during qualifying for the firt Formula 1 in Indianapolis. I had my Jaguar pit crew shirt on (autographed by Jackie Stewart) and nobody noticed me.


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## shumakerscott

*Real Bud*

That is the real Bud, picture was taken in Budejovice. The other pictures were from the Frauenberg Castle in Hluboka, town of Krumlov, which is a UNESCO protected historic site and the town of Prachatice. The tour included a Beer Party on Sat night, 6 free beers and live music. The beer was great but the music was 1 guy and his keyboard with the songs prerecorded and his wife singing. You had to have been there for that! dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Sewer Pipes*

I had today off from work and got ahead with my sewer pipes. Next is water lines. I will get some advice from a firm for this. Here are are some pics. dorf dude


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## shumakerscott

*Gravel in*

Yesterday I ordered a load of gravel. They asked how much? With the delivery fee the same for what ever the load size I said a full truck. I will be needing it in the future any way. It turned out just a little more than I was expecting. I have been spreading it on the driveway and yard. I had quite a mud pit developing. I have gotten the bathroom floor leveled up and just need to pack it down. Moving forward slowly. dorf dude...


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## sbmfj

thanks for sharing. Really enjoyed following your progress. Best of luck, and be safe!


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## shumakerscott

*Thanks for following*

Thanks for following. I just want to show what is going on here that is different from tranditional building techniques in the rest of the world. No stick frame building here. Stay tuned for more.... dorf dude


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## gma2rjc

Wow. Over 500 posts on this thread now.

The first pic in post #498 resembles your house DD. Of course, it has further to go than yours.


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## shumakerscott

*A Little Further*

I got the bathroom floor leveled and compacted. The vapor barrier is layed and insulation is for the most part finished. Tomorrow I will get the rebar in. I'm looking to pour concrete on Thanksgiving or Friday. Germany doesn't celebrate so all firms work those days and I'm off. dorf dude


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## Itsdanf

Dorf Dude, always a pleasure to see a new update from you. Your efforts are impressive, particularly for those of us who have lived in Germany and are more familiar with the construction methods and environment. Keep up the great job, and thanks for bringing us along!

BTW, what ever happened with getting that hot water tank off the pallet? I saw in your latest photos that it's still up on wood...


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## shumakerscott

*Tank on pallett*

I still have not figured out how to get the tank off the pallet. I think old fashioned leverage will come in to play with this one. Perhaps a type of teeter totter effect. If you have any ideas please bring them on. Thanks for following my journey. dorf dude...


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## frenchelectrican

Shu.,

If I recall that 1,000 liter tank weight in about 200 KG or so but you don't have any overhead room at all if you have overhead room why not make a mini granty jig to lift the tank up just couple centimeters up just enough to get the weight off from the pallet then slide the pallet out and slowly drop the tank down to the platfourm { SP }

otherwise take few chunks of scrap hardwood and cut the pallet a little just enough to get one side then slide the pallet out then do the same thing on other side like rock one side and take a peice of wood off at time on each side.

Merci.
Marc 

Yeah I am in Paris France


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## shumakerscott

*Update*

I got the rebar in. Set the height of my drain pipes. Radiant heat in. I also was working on cutting out the tree. We have been having fantastic weather, in the 50's, unheard of for this time of year. Real November weather setting in next week. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## frenchelectrican

Dorf.,
As I am typing here it is 12°C now and yes I will agree with you it is very warm for this time of year something we haven't see it for while.

How thick you will plan to pour the floor ?

Merci,Marc


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## shumakerscott

*Thickness*

It will be 10cm, about 4 inches. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Help*

About 2 weeks ago I got a flyer in my mail box for a Handyman. I have been overwehelmed with what I have to finish. I put 2 and 2 together and gave him a call. We will be pouring the floor on Thanksgiving. I will also have him help on some other things if his price is right. My money is really tight now but I just can't do it all by myself. I know this is DIY but "Yourself" is not always an option. It's time to make big steps and get things done. I've been spinning my wheels. I need a kick in the butt. dorf dude...


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## bofusmosby

Keep this in mind Shu, you have already done more on your place than most of us will ever do in a lifetime. Hell, make that 3 lifetimes. You have accomplished a huge amount. There is nothing wrong with getting some help. Also, there are some jobs that really needs to be done quicker than just one person can do. And again, you have allowed us to be a part of this adventure. Thank you!


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## shumakerscott

*Been Busy*

I've been busy. The stress level is way up there. In the bathroom there are many connections that need to be right and in the right place. Get 1 wrong and things can be real bad in the future. I was planning on running my water lines from above and down the wall. Plumber guy shows up last night and says NO, put the lines in the floor. I have concrete showing up at 9:15 tomorrow Thanksgiving morning. Things are getting pretty tight. They got the lines layed this morning but I still was scratching my head about the pour, the lines and my wall that still needs to be tiled. I also was wondering about my toilet connection since it was still below finished floor height and also the feed lines from the pellet stove for the hot water tank. They showed up this evening and I raised my concerns. I caught them off guard because I spotted every detail they overlooked. All is well now and the pour should go off without a hitch. Here are the last pic's of my open floor. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Looks very good D.D.

You certainly have a lot going on in the 4" thick floor. At least you have a good base and foundation.

Have you set an approximate date for the house warming? 

Dick - the other Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Floor Warming*

When the heat guy was here he brought up many specific little things. The heating system must be up to code. If I do it then it won't be. I'm basically being held hostage on this one. My ability to plumb this thing is not established. I need to finish the bedroom wall/bathroom doorway. then I can mount my electric boxes. Once they are in then I can wire my water tank with a 12kw heating element. Heating guy can then do his magic with the plumbing and presto, heat! Here is an interesting bit of information. Under the German tax system I can get 20% of all labor back, the sales tax is 19%! I will also qualify for rebates with the solar and pellet stove but they must be installed by a pro with a proper receipt. I look at this as "Feeding the machine" I have the next 3 days to work towards finishing things up. Stay tuned, it should get interesting. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Floor Poured*

I had my crew today and we got the floor poured. It turned out way too soupy. They will come back this evening to finish it. If it is still to runny then they will come tomorrow morning to give it a final rub down. They were not impressed with the previous pour, they said it was absolute sh!t. I agree. They also got the main part of my bedroom wall/doorway set. I will cast a concrete header now. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Progress*

From the work the crew did on Thanksgiving I got busy on Friday. I cast a header over the bedroom door. I had the inspector neighbor checking things out. He was puzzled why I was doing things my way and not the traditional way. I told him my way was cheaper and still just as good. He's waiting to see. He's been watching since I began. I also have ordered my doors and now have my size for the openings. I had to re-do my bathroom opening. I had to cast a new wall on my old wall and cut the wall I made to shift the opening. Don't forget the width of your door frame! I will post pics. Unfortunately hoisting buckets of concrete up the ladder and pouring I messed up my back. Saturday I could not even sweep the floor. After much heat cream and hot baths and tablets things are getting better. Stay tuned, pic's will be posted soon, dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

If you can wait a week or so, i can send you my wife's brace/corset that she got after trying to get and older person turned around or out of a bed at a retirement home. It did wonders, but she will have to wear it for a few more days. After that, she can help me with the drywall sheets for a project. She is a stubborn Pennsylvanian American born German that likes to work. She thinks she is German, but could almost be Polish since the boarders have changed many times through the years.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Thanks for the offer*

Thanks for the offer of the brace but "I'm Back" I took the forms off the bedroom door frame header. I got the bathroom door header done tonight. Now that leaves me with cleaning beams again. I hate cleaning beams It is such a mess. I will let the concrete cure for at least 3 days before I take the forms off. Here are some pic's as promised, Bedroom header beam, bathroom wall/door frame adjustment, inside bathroom header box. I put 1 more piece of re-bar in the middle. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Beams and Header*

The concrete header on the bathroom door is setting up nicely. I got further cleaning beams. This is one hell of a job. I can get 3 sides of a small 4 meter long beam done in about 2 1/2 hours, at chest level height. I still have 6 large main beams that are 9 meters long still to go. They are 9 feet up in the air! I have some work ahead of me that's for sure. I still don't know what I will seal them with. I predict at least another month until the beams are done. More pic's soon, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Here we go*

Here are some pics of the header I cast over the bathroom door. First is with the boards on of course, 2nd is one side off and 3rd is.... Well if you can't figure it out then you should not be here! I played with the beams a little bit. Too many visitors to really get at it. I would mask and goggle up then someone would show up. Take it all off. Hard to talk with a respirator on. It's ok because my heart was not in it and it's getting cold. I need heat! I have the door and windows open when I'm sanding, so no sense in running the propane heater. $$ out the windows, literally. I have a plan to at least get the electric portion of my heat tank going. One thing depends on another until I can go on to another thing. I need to clean my long beam so it can sit on top of the wall I still need to brick up so I can stucco the wall where the electric boxes will mount and then plumb the tank and hook up a pump and all things that go with it to get warm water flowing through my floor. Simple huh!! That's the short version. Here are the pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Little Things Done*

Today I got some little things done. I cleaned up a few things too. I cut the wall above the bathroom window because it was crooked. I can't believe they actually built it that far out. I started to brick above the bedroom door and down the wall. It is so uneven and I have 2 different sized bricks. This this is going to look pretty ugly but it all gets covered up in the end. To level it at finished height I will use concrete. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Wall Raised*

I have built up the wall to almost height. I will pour concrete on the top and level it out. I have also continued chucking stucco/motar on the uneven part of the wall. Trying to bring it out. I ordered my electrical boxes today too. Getting closer to heat! People around here are funny, they know that I need these things but won't even stop by to check. They are self employed and don't want to make money?? I don't get it. I will have to call the heating guy again to finish my hookups. Here are some pic's of my ugly wall. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Looking good at finishing out the old shell (maybe centuries old) with the same theme and new materials.

Once you get that warmed up, it will be good for a few months with all that "peak shaving" thermal inertia.

I lived in an old masonry home (10" clay tile) and had a brick and block masonry lake home that I built. The only thing that bothered me is that I never knew what the outside conditions were. - That was dangerous when you go from comfort to the unknown. I went in one morning at 35F and the next morning it was -42F and I had no idea of what the weather outside was like since my furnace did not run all night, but once my car came out of the garage everything changed.

You are in a very temperate climate and will not spend much for heat with the system you seem to have, but you may have to open a lot of windows in the spring and early summer.

Your quality of materials and finishing is outstanding and in the tradition for the area. Once you have the feel of masonry and mortar, you have the secret.

When is the open house? - I have a bad back and hip, so I can't get there when there is still work to be done. I also need to schedule they way to use my frequent flier miles within reason, but recognize there never seems to be an end to a major rebuilding.

Dick - The other Schu.


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## shumakerscott

*Progress*

Dick, I will let you know when the party is, around May I think. I have been casting the top of the wall with bagged pre-mix concrete. I'm going 1 section at a time to make sure the level is kept correct. I also have been splattering the new wall with soupy sand/concrete mix to give the stucco something to hold on to. That is a big mess. Only about 1/3 to 1/2 actually sticks and the rest goes every where. I also worked on bringing the wall out flush. You can see it in the large wet stucco pattern. In the pics you can see how I handle the forms working by myself. I use prop up sticks and clamps to maneuver and hold things as I get them into place. Takes alot of time but when your working alone then there is no choice. Steve did come and help the other day spreading gravel outside and holding a couple things for me. Still no word on my electric boxes or heating. These people never cease to amaze me:no:. I guess that I'm just way to small of a profit margin to be concerned. Here are the pic's and I hope to have alot more tomorrow with a full days work with daylight, dorf dude... I got a double pic posted, sorry.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Change of Plans*

This morning I got a call from the sawmill that my ceiling planks are ready. I sure did not have that in my plans today. I picked them up and stored them in the house. They are green so a little drying won't hurt. I plan on screwing the heck out of them to the beams to prevent twisting. I finished pouring the cap on the wall too. Mat brought me a real nice 9x9 beam. I just need to clean it up. That pretty much took up the day. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## sbmfj

I love how you're holding up the framing for that wall, a couple of pictures back, with/on a case of beer.


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## shumakerscott

*Beer Case*



sbmfj said:


> I love how you're holding up the framing for that wall, a couple of pictures back, with/on a case of beer.


The beer case and brick worked out great for holding the form until I could get a clamp on it. Very easy to fine tune to get level. I also used a chair and long level on the other side. Necessity is the mother of invention. I only have 2 hands. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Vent-Rant*

Today I called the electrician about my boxes and hook up. Sometime this week and "What? You want us to hook it up?" We have no time, working. Jesus, They have known about this for the whole build almost 2 years now. We have winter dead on us right now and due to get down to 0F by the weekend. I tried to call heating guy and no answer. In Germany you get nothing done the next 3 weeks. The whole country goes on vacation. I'm going to put a box around my water line and turn on a light inside to keep it from freezing. The house was 4C tonight. Not good for working in. I will probably go back to propane until they can get me hooked up or a portable electric heater. This is just ridiculous. I've also been looking at wood stoves and pellet ovens. I can not turn my pellet stove on because it needs to have water running inside, $6000 stove and I can't use it!! It's a good thing I'm on medication :yes:. Peace and out, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

I understand the vacations and holidays during this time of the year. - Could a rented generator be a help in running the pellet stove? I am sure you can hook it up somehow. Once you get it warm inside, you will be good for a while because of the thermal mass and stability.

Those holidays get very confusing in Europe since there are so many and vary from country to country. I had a friend that lived in Lucerne, Switzerland that worked for the same country, so he and his wife/secretary always scheduled travel to Spain, Germany, France, etc to coincide with the local holidays, so they did not have to work that day. They just hopped into their old Mercedes with 300,000 miles on it and bought Swiss chocolates to give to the customers and his wife and ended up staying in the customers home for almost nothing, bit still could turn in the expense for housing. the trips to drive from Switzerland to Turkey or Spain were well orchestrated. I quickly learned that selling in Europe is not like the U.S. since if you are from a different country, you were a guest, not a salesman and you could not spend anything as a guest.

It was amazing how the different holidays made everything stop and turn a 3 day trip into a week long vacation. The combination of religious holidays and national holidays is very confusing for a foreigner since it can change within a few km.

I appreciate the problems you are having to get things scheduled. - You will find a solution.

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Power*

Dick, I have power from the neighbor into a construction type box. I can't fire the pellet stove with out it being plumbed to the water tank. I want to have the 12kw electric heating element in the tank running too. That is to much for an extension cord. I need my own power. I'm heating with propane and electric at the moment, no choice. I do have my eye on a used Rika pellet stove that doesn't have water exchange on ebay. I could run that straight away. With some luck I can snag it for a good price. I would use it upstairs in the future any way. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Open Hpuse in.....MAY?*

Shu, that would be great to have it done then...say..about the 10th..would be a GREAT "gift"!
Syd:thumbsup::thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

*Stove Price*

The pellet oven has doubled in price in the last 12 hours with 3 days to go. It doesn't look good for a snag. Rika stoves are worth every penny and people know it. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Electrician*

The electrician was by tonight. I think I have to thank Campbel for that. He is freinds with her, yes her. The low down is she has my box but without a commitment from the heating dude there is no point in mounting it. I also need the power company to come in and bless off on it. I can go ahead and finish the wall completely and then after Jan 11th she will mount my box. Construction shuts down until Jan 11! They must have their holidays. In the mean time the outside temp is -10C or 14F. I'm burning propane, the electric heater sucked and am taking it back. I'm maintaing about 45F with just the propane turned down as low as I can go with it not going out. Pretty good I think for such a large open volume and a front door the leaks terrible. I might go with a wood stove to help lessen the load on the propane. That 2nd pellet stove from ebay looks out of reach. My money is getting really tight again. Anybody feel real giving this holiday season I could use some help. As for construction I have gotten further with my bathroom beams. Pic's by the weekend. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

The holidays definitely have an effect.

This is a little off the wall, but consider an early Holiday Open House and invite the neighbors, Campbell, the "electric gal" and the "heating dude" with some sausage and bier and a snack or two. It helps to cut the official strings, but do not make it too WARM or nice so they have to realize you have a project under construction. And definitely do NOT tighten up the front door. I would not go as far as having an open fire pit using wood for fuel and effect. - the social aspects could speed up the process by a couple of days or weeks and make things happen sooner. I am just a few thousand miles away, so I do not appreciate or understand the day-to-day problems, but do have a feel for the holiday problems, but have seem what works in many areas, especially if you are in a small village within a regimented system.

The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

*Defeated By Winter*

I'm calling a stop to heating with propane. Winter wins . I will box in my water line and heat it with a light bulb. The rest of the house will be unheated. I am waiting until next year then my firms can get their acts together and work for me. I will try and keep cleaning beams in the mean time without heat or very little. This is a difficult time of year to build. I promise some new pics this weekend. I have made progress. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Colder*

It has gotten colder yet, -12C or 10F. I bought an extra bottle of propane just in case yesterday. I'm going to need it. Next week it is supposed to warm up to about 34F. Then I will turn it off. Mat came by this evening and helped me with getting some beams cut and placed. Moving along and pics will follow this weekend. Sure looks different now. dorf dude...


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## Scuba_Dave

Yeah, I've stopped work on the house too
Luckily the main part of the house is closed in & heated
But the addition is down to 20f degrees....7f at nite
Too cold to work


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## shumakerscott

*Pic's*

Here are some pic's as promised. It has gotten even colder -17C or 2F. I shut off the propane heater. It was costing $15 a day and the moisture build up was getting out of hand. I built a box around my water main and put a light inside to keep it from freezing. It is supposed to warm up in about a week to above freezing. Until then I am in a holding pattern. It will too cold to be constructive. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Winter is here*

I sure wish I had my mud room on the front right now. The draft from the old door is pretty bad. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

The beams are beautiful.

Look at all the progress you've made since this time last year. You're doing great.

Have a very Merry Christmas Dorf Dude!


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## shumakerscott

*Thanks*

Thanks for the support. I wish you and yours....... dorf dude...


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## Lali

Well, dorf dude, I gotta say: This is Ah-May-ZZING!!! Congratulate yourself on an incredible accomplishment.:clap: Photos, additional history & descriptive progress are all fantastic! Feel proud for attempting something that the majority of the population would't even have the slightest inkling where to begin or would even consider undertaking this monstrous project that you have performed masterfully.:thumbup: Thank you for sharing your remarkable journey with the world. You deserve an award. You have already been blessed many times over; I will still pray for financial abundance to come your way (and for you to get your heat sooner than later!) Merry Christmas & God bless! :santa:


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## shumakerscott

*Thanks*

Thanks for the support. I will get this thing done. Things just are not working out at this time. It might be for the best that I take a break right now. My apartment is a complete mess because I have been consumed with the house. Maybe a regroup and settle down is needed. Again thanks and keep tuned in, things will get going again in the future, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Just some 'passing thoughts" from "far away"*

Shu, Dorf Dude, whatever you like,...if you could stand on a place where you started this project, and look over it, where you are now..you would get a nose bleed because the 'hill of accomplishment' would be that high! You can be the "architect of your own destruction".. or catch a second wind, exhale,..and go again...every one needs 'time out', you are not alone in this, 'we' are your fans, and 'we' understand what you can and can't do, with all kinds of 'restrictions'! Kick back for this brief holiday season, ..calculate what you have done, what you have,..then Taurus that you are..'charge on'! Merry Xmas..and may the Force be with you!
SQUID:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

*Couldn't just hang and wait*

I had to get back at it. The weather has warmed up so I couldn't just sit around. I cast the top of the ugly wall too high. I took the beams that rested on top down and ripped the excess with my circular hand saw. Not perfect but they are good to go and I also anchored them. No twisting in the future. I have been 1 beam short in the bedroom. After weeks of asking around with no luck I decided to splice 2 together. I hated to use one of my beams for this but no choice. Here are some words of wisdom, "Don't forget to add the length of the splice to the overall length" I found out the dumb way. I knew this but today I forgot. I used the circular saw for the first cuts and then hand sawed the rest. I will power plane and sand the splice so it is even. A little sawdust and glue in the cracks to hide the gaps. Gorilla Glue and screws should work out just fine. I will just grind off the excess of the screws sticking out. Here are a few pic's and as we say here "Ein Gutten Rutsch" A good slide into the New Year, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Happy New Year Shu!

Keith


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## cocobolo

Shu: just had a thought about your beam splice. I can't remember the name of the hardware, but they make a nasty looking steel ring thing with spikes sticking out which you put between the mating surfaces. It really locks the two halves in place. It must be 25 years since I used one.


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## shumakerscott

*Screws*

The screws I used are pretty wicked. They are 8" long, torx 40 self tapping with some special threads half way up the shank, counter sink type head. I was looking for an image online but couldn't find the exact type. I used a total of 6 to join the 2 beams. The one pic only shows 5 but I added one more. It won''t be coming apart anytime soon. I will post pics when I blend the splice and get it in place. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Splice*

Here are a couple pic's of the splice. From 1 side and the bottom it looks pretty good. On the other side there is pretty big difference in the color of the wood. I will have that on the back side so it won't really be seen. I just need to seal it and then mount it. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Hey Shu:

The face side of that joint looks excellent. I guess if you were at all worried about the colour, you could add a stain of some sort to make it look the same.


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Hey Shu:
> 
> The face side of that joint looks excellent. I guess if you were at all worried about the colour, you could add a stain of some sort to make it look the same.


I was quite suprised how tight it came out. I had a bit of gap on the uprights but the face is dead tight. I mixed some sawdust and glue to hide the gaps. It will be fine. I need to seal it but it is too cold to apply the sealant. Today I heard of someone who might have beams to get rid of. Cambpell will be checking on them for me. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## knighton

*Just Curious*

These may seem like stupid questions, but I've never seen the guts of that style of house and I am curious about a bunch of things:

When you get to the point of finishing your interior walls, what will you use?

Are your interior walls all stone/concrete?

Do the exterior walls sit on a foundation or is the floor completely separate from the walls?

How is your (closest) neighbor reacting to your construction?

How much to homes cost in your area in US$? 

What will your home be worth when completed? 

Looking back to when you made the decision to take on this massive project, do you regret doing it?

I have to think that most people can't even fathom the effort it takes to do what you're doing. I reflashed a chimney all weekend and feel like I've been hit by a bus. Your positive attitude about your long project is nice to see. Whatever you do don't stop posting, you're doing great!


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## knighton

shumakerscott said:


> I sure wish I had my mud room on the front right now. The draft from the old door is pretty bad. dorf dude...


 
What is the blue material on the outside of your walls?


----------



## shumakerscott

*Some answers*



knighton said:


> These may seem like stupid questions, but I've never seen the guts of that style of house and I am curious about a bunch of things:
> 
> When you get to the point of finishing your interior walls, what will you use?
> 
> *I have to use a lime plaster. It will allow the sandstone walls to breathe.*
> 
> Are your interior walls all stone/concrete?
> 
> *The 3 exterior walls are sandstone, my inside walls are brick with a cement plaster.*
> 
> Do the exterior walls sit on a foundation or is the floor completely separate from the walls?
> 
> *The exterior walls sit on a stone foundation. My new floor is completely free floating with 2" of hard foam insulation all around.*
> 
> How is your (closest) neighbor reacting to your construction?
> 
> *He has never been married and no kids. All I ever see or speak with him is when he has a complaint, too much dust, no outside fires, his phone has stopped working because of my foundation work. His brother comes over and is very friendly. It's just the guys way.*
> 
> How much to homes cost in your area in US$?
> 
> *That is a very vauge question. Just depends on how much ground and how big of a house and where.*
> 
> What will your home be worth when completed?
> 
> *I'm going to guess around 180-200k $. That will be in quite some years. I have much still to do. I will never sell it. It will go to my boys.*
> 
> Looking back to when you made the decision to take on this massive project, do you regret doing it?
> 
> *NOPE! I needed this project and a place to live. I don't like paying rent. There is a long ugly story behind all of this.*
> 
> I have to think that most people can't even fathom the effort it takes to do what you're doing. I reflashed a chimney all weekend and feel like I've been hit by a bus. Your positive attitude about your long project is nice to see. Whatever you do don't stop posting, you're doing great!


*Flashing is one of the few things I didn't do. I wanted to but the time, tools and learning curve didn't work out. So I must ask "Where are the pictures of your project?" I show you mine.....*

*My positive attitude is on the downs right now. Too cold and no heat. I'm getting ready to shift projects for the next couple months. My Mustang has been so lonely the last couple years it's time to get the body work done. I will throw some pics in the automotive section. Thanks for the questions, dorf dude...*


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## shumakerscott

*Walls*



knighton said:


> What is the blue material on the outside of your walls?


*It is painted cement stucco on top of styrofoam insulation. Special paint for stucco with "Lotus Effect" That means it repells stuff from sticking to it. dorf dude...*


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## knighton

shumakerscott said:


> *Flashing is one of the few things I didn't do. I wanted to but the time, tools and learning curve didn't work out. So I must ask "Where are the pictures of your project?" I show you mine.....*
> 
> *My positive attitude is on the downs right now. Too cold and no heat. I'm getting ready to shift projects for the next couple months. My Mustang has been so lonely the last couple years it's time to get the body work done. I will throw some pics in the automotive section. Thanks for the questions, dorf dude...*


Here's my chimney flashing: I finished late last night, so I'll post final pictures soon:

http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/reflashing-chimney-60854/

Here's a link to my bathroom project I recently finished

http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/bathroom-renovation-60590/

Before and after photos here:

http://s825.photobucket.com/albums/zz171/cknighton/


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## shumakerscott

*Bathroom*



knighton said:


> Here's my chimney flashing: I finished late last night, so I'll post final pictures soon:
> 
> http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/reflashing-chimney-60854/
> 
> Here's a link to my bathroom project I recently finished
> 
> http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/bathroom-renovation-60590/
> 
> Before and after photos here:
> 
> http://s825.photobucket.com/albums/zz171/cknighton/


I have looked your bathroom project a couple times. I just didn't put your name together with it. You do very good work. wnat to come to Germany and help me? I supply the beer! dorf dude...


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## knighton

shumakerscott said:


> I have looked your bathroom project a couple times. I just didn't put your name together with it. You do very good work. wnat to come to Germany and help me? I supply the beer! dorf dude...


 
I like the idea of coming to Germany and drinking free beer, but that whole work thing is where I drifted :laughing:


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## shumakerscott

*Scared Another One*



knighton said:


> I like the idea of coming to Germany and drinking free beer, but that whole work thing is where I drifted :laughing:


Damn, I scared another one away after breaking Syd last year. :icon_cry:


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## cocobolo

Shu:
The whole secret is to ask someone to come for a nice visit, check out the ladies, drink the free beer - and _then_ when they are relaxed, you casually ask them to help. See how that works?


----------



## shumakerscott

*Trick*



cocobolo said:


> Shu:
> The whole secret is to ask someone to come for a nice visit, check out the ladies, drink the free beer - and _then_ when they are relaxed, you casually ask them to help. See how that works?


*That would be the old "Bait and Switch Trick" I prefer to be more upfront and honest. I will work you and give you beer.:thumbup: dorf dude...*


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

I agree and like the direct German approach.

You would never want me and my occasional cane to be in the way during the project, but I would like to see the open house and bring some bier if possible.

The other Schu-


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## cocobolo

...but the trouble with your method is that it doesn't work. You need to be much more sneaky and underhanded.


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## concretemasonry

coco -

You are in B.C. and not in Germany where everything is usually obvious enough. - Eh?

knighton -

That is very traditional construction in most of the developed world that looks on wood frame a inferior, temporary construction. A few hundred miles NE of there, some donated wood prefab homes were returned since they were not acceptable.

Dorf dude's masonry home is anywhere from 100 to 200 years old and sitting on a foundation that is probably twice as old.

The roof and the wood portions did not last well enough and had to be recovered or replaced. It is attached to a similar structure. The walls were raised somewhat using hollow structural clay tile and were covered with plaster and exterior insulation was applied to keep the masonry mass inside for comfort and economy.

It is a work of art to restore a home economically. If it was rebuilt with wood, you would not be able to re-sell in the future because of the preferences of the people in the area. - Take a look at all the previous postings and photos to understand what is going on.

Dick


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## cocobolo

Dick, Shu knows me well enough to know that I'm usually kidding around...


----------



## frenchelectrican

I been watching this thread and look good so far and you did nice job with the beam and speaking of the screws what you did used I used them alot in USA and France I know in USA they just came out not too long ago but I just love it they really have good holding power and heck faster than standard lag screws.

I wish I can come over to your place however my working shedule is getting nutty for last couple days { if you heard about some crazy stuff in Paris that is typical but not this time due new year plus full moon that was just about top it all }

Speaking of Mustang you have 302 BOSS engine or other engine in there? my freind allready installed 351 Winsor engine I know pretty tight but pretty insane power.

Merci,Marc


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## knighton

concretemasonry said:


> coco -
> 
> You are in B.C. and not in Germany where everything is usually obvious enough. - Eh?
> 
> knighton -
> 
> That is very traditional construction in most of the developed world that looks on wood frame a inferior, temporary construction. A few hundred miles NE of there, some donated wood prefab homes were returned since they were not acceptable.
> 
> Dorf dude's masonry home is anywhere from 100 to 200 years old and sitting on a foundation that is probably twice as old.
> 
> The roof and the wood portions did not last well enough and had to be recovered or replaced. It is attached to a similar structure. The walls were raised somewhat using hollow structural clay tile and were covered with plaster and exterior insulation was applied to keep the masonry mass inside for comfort and economy.
> 
> It is a work of art to restore a home economically. If it was rebuilt with wood, you would not be able to re-sell in the future because of the preferences of the people in the area. - Take a look at all the previous postings and photos to understand what is going on.
> 
> 
> 
> Dick


Dick-

I've looked at all the posts and I still had some questions. It's just fascinating to see the images and styles from other parts of the world and the construction materials and methods used. The concepts are so different here than abroad. I think Shu has done a fantastic job and I enjoy reading the progress. 

Your comment about the "temporary" structure is certainly true, especially with the methods and materials we use today. I don't necessarily think we need European style structures, but I do think we could do a better job of quality construction using sturdier materials and concentrating on energy efficiency (though not because of the global warming/carbon footprint crap, but simply to save energy/money rather than throwing it away) 

I live in a tornado zone and the first homes to be destroyed are the cheaper built homes (mobile homes & pier & beam homes). You don't see as many concrete or steal framed structures destroyed by tornados. If I ever build my own home, I'm staying away from the stick-built method. 

I want to live as inexpensively as possible, though ultimately I really don't care that my home is temporary, since I won't be here long anyway.


----------



## shumakerscott

*I like your perspective*

"Your comment about the "temporary" structure is certainly true, especially with the methods and materials we use today. I don't necessarily think we need European style structures, but I do think we could do a better job of quality construction using sturdier materials and concentrating on energy efficiency (though not because of the global warming/carbon footprint crap, but simply to save energy/money rather than throwing it away)"

After living here since 1988 I have become convinced that this style of building is by far better than stick frame. You are looking at building better than the "norm" under the right set of filters. There are many better ways that don't really cost more, maybe cheaper, but are different. I'm still thinking of Straw Bale for my shop. That will open some eyes over here because it is against the "Norm". Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

frenchelectrican said:


> I been watching this thread and look good so far and you did nice job with the beam and speaking of the screws what you did used I used them alot in USA and France I know in USA they just came out not too long ago but I just love it they really have good holding power and heck faster than standard lag screws.
> 
> I wish I can come over to your place however my working shedule is getting nutty for last couple days { if you heard about some crazy stuff in Paris that is typical but not this time due new year plus full moon that was just about top it all }
> 
> Speaking of Mustang you have 302 BOSS engine or other engine in there? my freind allready installed 351 Winsor engine I know pretty tight but pretty insane power.
> 
> Merci,Marc


Marc, Not sure about the cazy stuff in Paris going on. You are always welcome to stop by. Just hop on a train to Nurenburg. Make it around March or later, too cold right now. My Mustang has a 289. Not stock but not crazy either. I will post in the automotive section soon. dorf dude...


----------



## knighton

shumakerscott;377810
After living here since 1988 I have become convinced that this style of building is by far better than stick frame. You are looking at building better than the "norm" under the right set of filters. There are many better ways that don't really cost more said:


> Funny you say that because a friend of mine is wanting to build his entire home out of square bales.


----------



## shumakerscott

knighton said:


> Funny you say that because a friend of mine is wanting to build his entire home out of square bales.


 www.strawbale.com 
Best info I have found and bought.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Electric Panel In*

I got a call this week and the electric firm said they were ready to install my electric service panel. I was shocked! I've only been waiting forever. I guess the Holidays are finally over. Here are a couple pic's, not actually DIY. I'm now on my own hook up. No longer hooked to the neighbor. BTW the house is holding a constant 2C temp even though outside is much colder. I just wish I had heat to find out how the whole thing will work. I have no plans to get back building at this time. I will get ahold of the heating guy but I've got no real faith that they will do anything. I'll post as things go forward. dorf dude...


----------



## frenchelectrican

Hey Dorf ., Can you confirm this part for me is your main fuse is at 32 amp ?? To other readers here., Keep in your mind the European voltages are diffrent than North America is. Our European voltage is typically 240 volt line to netural and line to line is 400 or 415 volts depending on which grid it come from. But the colour codes is diffrent than what you used to see in USA/Canada is so let me break out the common colours real quick. Brown - line 1 Grey- line 2 Black - line 3 Bleu - Netural Green with yellow stripe - Earth { ground } But one warning here the colours I listed above is not really consant across the Europe and I am allready famuair more than 5 diffrent combations and it can really confuse you if you are not aware with the changes.That colour list above is legit so I will post my second legit colour code we used in France Black - line 1 Red - line 2 Brown - line 3 Bleu - netural Green with yellow stripes = earth However I have few more combations but I will not list it for now unless you want to know then I can post it later. Merci,Marc


----------



## shumakerscott

*Breaker*

I will take a look and let you know. They bypassed where the meter would normally be. You can see a screw block in the pic. I still have my temporary construction box and it is wired into the new panel. It has a built in meter. It is the black wire coming out of the top and going down the right side. Instead of being outside they moved it in the house. No more long extension cords run across the yard. I will need to run 1 for the shop and exterior light later. I will try and get a pic of the inside of the new service panel so you can see. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Hey Shu:
A quick reply about the sawmill...as for an alaska mill, I made one for my 36" Husky when we first came here. It does work, but it's a huge amount of effort for every board. Loud, noisy, obnoxious, backbreaking work. You might find with a little looking that you can actually make a very similar mill to what I have. Probably for far less than the cost of a used Lumbermate.

A chap here made one before my time on Ruxton, and while it was cheap enough to make, it had the fatal flaw of moving the log through the mill, instead of the mill through the log.

It's definitely nowhere near the same thing, even though one might think so.

When you break them down into the basics, they are very simple things. The blades currently cost less than $30 each and will cut around 2,200 bd. ft on average, before they either break or are otherwise done.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Panel Wires*

I opened up the new electric panel. It has 35 amp main fuses then feeds the box to the main bus bars. It is a 35 amp 3 phase breaker then goes up to where the meter would be, jumper block and then to a 63 amp 3 phase feeding my construction box. Doesn't make sense to have a 63 amp breaker behind a 35. The 63 amp looks either used or at least had been in the tool box for awhile. I'm going to try and work out a schematic on this. dorf dude


----------



## shumakerscott

*Saw mill*

Thanks for the info on saw mills. I don't really need one but would really like to have one. It is one of those super cool toys for big boys. I would also like to have a water jet for cutting metal! Dreams, dreams. I still need a work shop. More plans then time or money. Thanks for the input, dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

I am not an electrician, but appears to very well done. - It almost looks like something under the hood of an AMG Mercedes, where everything in clean, neat and identified.

When you open it up, it certainly looks much more obvious than the 200 amp panel I wired for my cabin. - Very neat and obvious and the electrician was not wearing latex gloves and the 63 amp does look a little "ratty", but probably functions well.

I look forward to seeing you crank it up later since it takes a lot to get it to stabilize. It will take a month or two to stabilize. At least, you can begin to start and be active on your own power. With the temperature at 2C with no heat, nothing will freeze inside despite your nasty weather (similar, but a little warmer than ours, but the clear cold days with lots of sun bring the cold for the weather commentators the next day). - The days are getting longer and temps will go up. WE ever see snow melting and ice disappearing at 0 to 10F during the day.

The other Schu


----------



## brons2

I just read this whole thread, 585 posts worth, and I didn't skim it. Great stuff. It's an inspiration to me and my project, I've been out of my house for 7 months with no prospect of return in the near future.

I have also been to Cesky Krumlov, in 2004. Nice place to visit. Great beer. I took a zillion pictures. In the summertime they rent kayaks to go cruising down the local river. Was featured prominently in the movie "Hostel". 

The Soviet era apartments ringing the outside of the city are a blight, but they are interesting to see throughout the old Eastern block countries nonetheless. However, it seems to be the more rural areas that have really suffered...shuttered up factories and the like, and backwoods people with nothing to do. Makes the worst of Appalachia seem like a downright suburban neighborhood. I locked the doors on the van when we got lost once. 

Not sure how far Passau is from where you live but I got sick of my company near there (relatives), and I told them to drop me at the next available train station which happened to be Passau. I then hopped the first train out of town which was to Salzburg. After a few days there, I was then off to Munich where I drank about 8 liters of bier one day. 

Ah Germany. Love to visit at any rate, not sure if I could deal living there, I like to go to the store on Sundays.


----------



## brons2

Oh and I am not exactly sure how they can call Budweiser the "Great American Lager", when it is clear that it was stolen from the Czechs.


----------



## shumakerscott

How long did it take you to read the whole thing? I don't mind the stores being closed on Sunday, just have to plan ahead. 8 liters of beer, thats 16 bottles, I would be out around 10. You can google map Seugast to see its relation to Passau, not too far away. You a completely right about Budwieser, the Czeks had it way before America was even a nation. They even tried to sue over the name but lost. If you ever get back over your welcome to stop by. 

I called the heating guy and they will begin on Tues. Yea! I should be heating in about a week if all goes well. Then I can continue. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Budweiser*

This is the real stuff.


----------



## Itsdanf

shumakerscott said:


> This is the real stuff.


Yup, and the beer looks good, too. 

Congrats on soon getting the heating started. A critical milestone for you, and the promise of continued progress for the rest of us to enjoy tracking! :thumbup:

Keep up the great job.

Dan


----------



## cocobolo

Hi Shu...I'm genuinely happy to hear that you will have HEAT soon! I know it was a real milestone when we got the first woodstove in the house here, and the second woodstove was icing on the cake. Makes life completely bearable even if it is blowing like stink and freezing cold outside.


----------



## brons2

took me about 4 hours to read the whole thing. Time well spent, more entertaining than a book.

Good luck on getting your heat going, that's what I need at my house too. It was 44F in the house today when I showed up to work. You northerners may laugh but that's cold down here in Texas.


----------



## drtbk4ever

Shorts and t-shirt weather.


----------



## cocobolo

drtbk4ever said:


> Shorts and t-shirt weather.


Are you kidding me? When it gets that hot up here we have to go _nude!_


----------



## Itsdanf

cocobolo said:


> Are you kidding me? When it gets that hot up here we have to go _nude!_


I never thought I'd ask this of _you_, but.. Please, no photos! :no:


----------



## cocobolo

Awwwwww...shucks


----------



## jlhaslip

I just got a visual... need to re-boot the cpu...


----------



## gma2rjc

You guys are funny! :yes:


----------



## cocobolo

OK, no more stealing Shu's thread...he's put up with too much from us already.
Apologies to you Shu.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Sexy Girl*

I think "Winter Fever" has started. I post 1 pic of a sexy girl and that got it started :laughing:. dorf dude...


----------



## Lali

I think 'cocobolo' thought 'brons2' meant 44 degrees Centigrade...??? And yeah, at that temp., who wouldn't go buck if they could? Enough of that. Glad to hear you're finally getting some heat. I'll bet you're one happy camper. Blessings.


----------



## scoggy

*Your 'new' Dorf Dude logo...Avitar*

DD great idea to bring your Avitar into your construction? Between watching you and Cocobolo, thats enough work for 3 people..so I will rest..and watch you guys.."git'rdun"!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
SQUID


----------



## shumakerscott

*Tiles*

The heating guys reached a point that they had to stop and wait for me to tile more on the wall. They have to mount some things. I used tie wraps for my spacers between tiles. The wall is not flat so it is a little rough but I really don't care. It felt good to be back at it, even in the cold. We are having a slight thaw and the snow on my roof is sliding off. Damn near took me out with a massive slab, sloosh....BOOM! I knew that I should have put some sort of a snow fence up. I was told by the "experts" that my roof was too flat to need one. Just another thing to add to the "To Do List". Here are a few pic's, dorf dude...


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## jlhaslip

might need a roof at your doorway...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Mud Room*

There will be a large Mud Room. It is going to be where there is no insulation on the outside wall. I will make some sort of snow restraint on the roof by next year. If only some hooks and logs, something. Stay tuned, dorf dude...


----------



## Itsdanf

Nice to see progress again - congrats!


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## shumakerscott

*Too Cold*

I got a call from the heating dude today. He said that the tiles had not set because it was too cold. He set up a tarp and an electric heater to get things curing. It's a catch 22, I need heat to get heat! I still have to grout before he can set things but I could do it after if it comes to that. I wish winter would go away. Things are ramping up at work so it looks like I won't have much time to work on the house. I will do what I can as I get the chance. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*50,000 Hits!!*

WOW!! 50,000 Hits :thumbup:. I must thank all of you around the world for following along the last 2 years. I am humbled and maybe motivated to get back at it so you have more progress to follow. Winter and Troop Training is making it hard right now. More snow coming down at the moment. Heat Dude said he was going to do some work today getting my water lines hooked up. I got the tiles grouted last night. I will try and get over tomorrow and snap a couple pics. Again thanks for following everyone, dorf dude... Oh, I did take a poke at a web page, very very basic. I'm completely new at this. I linked back to this thread. Much easier than retelling everything. www.dorfdude.de


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## cocobolo

Congratulations Shu...you deserve it!


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## shumakerscott

*Further Along*

The heating dude got further yesterday. It is looking good. He will begin again next week. It seems it might be a little late though. I will be going away for three weeks begining in March. It should begin to get warmer by then. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## brons2

What's the big red thing? Looks like a fire alarm bell 

[edit] hey I'm coming over to Germany for Christmas 2010, you better be done by then. :biggrin:


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## sbmfj

i think it may be some sort fo expansion tank for the heater?


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## shumakerscott

*Big Red Thing*

It is an Air Pressure Regulator, expansion tank, for the heating system. There is actually one more to go in with the solar. My wall is going to be full. You are welcome to stop by. I always have room. I just hope I'm in by then. Work is getting really busy. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## Lali

shumakerscott said:


> I wish winter would go away.


Me, too! It's coming along. Congrats on the site & the #'s you are reaching!


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## shumakerscott

*Posted on another site*

I posted on "www.finehomebuilding.com." They have great information but big bank accounts and no DIY. Kind of a snob area I would guess. I won't get 51,000 hits from their site, that's for sure. I want to thank you all for following along the last 2 years. :thumbup: :wink::rockon: dorf dude...


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## brons2

Are you going to keep posting here, or are you going to start posting on that other site?


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## shumakerscott

*I'm Not Leaving*

I'm going to stay here. That other sight is not a DIY'r type of place. I just thought I'd throw a couple pic's up and test the water over there. Very cold so far. Stay tuned for more in the future, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I feel like I cheated on you guys. I feel guilty. I wanted to see what the fancy smanshy people thought and got my answer, dead air. I'm getting itchy to get back at it but it will be awhile, work and weather are not helping out. Sorry for cheating on you guys, dorf dude...


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## Shamus

DD, put your guilt back in your pocket. Your just bored and your hands are tied. Relax and enjoy the much needed break. 

Its fun to spend some time play'in on the net. We all know you'll be back in full force soon enough. Your just that kind of guy. :thumbsup:


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I'm going to stay here. That other sight is not a DIY'r type of place. I just thought I'd throw a couple pic's up and test the water over there. Very cold so far. Stay tuned for more in the future, dorf dude...


Hey Shu:

I have been a long time reader of both fine woodworking, their first magazine and fine homebuilding. However, the homebuilding is nothing more than assembling houses out of expensive stuff. At one time, they did show homes with real creativity and craftsmanship, that rarely happens any more. 

And why should we have to pay to get on those sites anyway? Just greedy if you ask me. It's not like they need the cash.

Besides, the people here are much more friendly, just like us good Canadians.


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## Lali

> I'm going to stay here.


I feel relieved. I won't even bother checking out that other site if there's a bunch of uppity folk there.

Try not to feel guilty; you're only human!


----------



## shumakerscott

*DIY Smokes*

This is not house realated but it is DIY. I smoke and roll my own cig's so it is DIY. Today a collegue and I had to drive 11 1/2 hours clear across Germany to the French border to get some hard drives. I don't even want to get into this story. We stopped at a rest area and I needed more smokes and I had a rolling session. Much warmer weather than in my area, we still have about 10" of snow. My buddy thought it was a Kodak moment. This thread has been dead with no progress so I thought I'd throw this up. The white things in the back ground are toilet paper. We pee and poop on the ground here. Sometimes on the sidewalk even. I didn't take a picture of that one. It was about 20 feet to my right. Still cold enough to not stink. I will be off the house for the next month or so. I will try and put up some pics of where I will be staying if your intersted. dorf dude...


----------



## Itsdanf

shumakerscott said:


> ....We pee and poop on the ground here. Sometimes on the sidewalk even. I didn't take a picture of that one. It was about 20 feet to my right. Still cold enough to not stink....


Hmmmm. Poop is technically DIY..... 

-- but I appreciate your not taking those photos!!! :no: :laughing:


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## brons2

11.5 hours? Hopefully at speeds much higher than on the American interstate!

The new Autobahn in the former East is so beautiful at times, you can even get rental mini-vans doing 180KM/H flat out :biggrin:


----------



## Lali

shu - you are hilarious! Thanks for the laugh. Used to diy my smokes, too, but decided it was time to save myself from carpal tunnel! And besides, I'm worth TM's! I will quit this nasty habit...someday... 

The poop thing, well...that's just gross! I get ticked off when I see that someone hasn't picked up their dog's crap, 'cuz I like to walk on the grass rather than the cement sidewalk & when it's dark (which it usually is when I'm strolling with my pooch) & step into a pile of mush, I curse the disgusting owner!!!

Nice to see you're taking a breather.


----------



## shumakerscott

brons2 said:


> 11.5 hours? Hopefully at speeds much higher than on the American interstate!
> 
> The new Autobahn in the former East is so beautiful at times, you can even get rental mini-vans doing 180KM/H flat out :biggrin:


I got to see 195kmh for short times. The traffic is just too thick to run for long. Way to many trucks. You can't have a fast car now for practical point A to B quick distance coverage. A waste of money. A normal car is just as good for most situations. The Autobahn is not what it used to be. You can get short high speed bursts but some idiot will just pull out in front of you. They don't look in their mirrors. The stress factor makes high speed long distance almost undoable. Thanks to the open European Union traffic is really bad. Diesel's kick butt here now. Torque is the key not horse power. You can not understand until you drive one. I was in a Ford Focus Automatic Diesel Station Wagon. Just reading the name and engine you would think "Slug" No way! It was quite amazing and got above 30 mpg with speeds way above the US speed limit. I go TDY on Monday. Not much more to report until I get there. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

Get up to the Neurbergring (spelling?) in NW Germany of one of the one or twice a week days the allow you to pay your $14 (or whatever) for a lap or two on the track. It is now shortened to about 11 miles (was 17 miles) and you can drive/steer anything you want at whatever speed you want over the variable surface. You see Formula 1 cars, prototypes, high speed coupes/sedans (Mercedes/Audi/BMW, Ferrari, etc), semi tractors, school buses, motorcycles, fire engines, lawnmowers and whatever the person/company want to try out. I think they allow volume discounts for extra laps or high users. As I recall, some of the segments are normally local highways.

Wou might even see the new Bugati luxury 2 place coupe with 2- twin turbo charged (4 turbos) VW V8s in a mid-engine "W" configuration. 1100 hp with a top speed of over 400 kph (about 250 mph) and it is only 1,500,000 Euros (about $2,000,000).

The other Schu -


----------



## brons2

shumakerscott said:


> I got to see 195kmh for short times. The traffic is just too thick to run for long. Way to many trucks. You can't have a fast car now for practical point A to B quick distance coverage. A waste of money. A normal car is just as good for most situations. The Autobahn is not what it used to be. You can get short high speed bursts but some idiot will just pull out in front of you. They don't look in their mirrors. The stress factor makes high speed long distance almost undoable. Thanks to the open European Union traffic is really bad. Diesel's kick butt here now. Torque is the key not horse power. You can not understand until you drive one. I was in a Ford Focus Automatic Diesel Station Wagon. Just reading the name and engine you would think "Slug" No way! It was quite amazing and got above 30 mpg with speeds way above the US speed limit. I go TDY on Monday. Not much more to report until I get there. dorf dude...


 Yes, I have driven turbodiesels by various manufacturers on European highways, very nice stuff. Loads of torque even from 4 cylinder engines. Wish we had more of those here. Seems to be in only the heavy duty pickups here get the diesels. I guess people really soured on passenger car diesels here after the GM fiasco.


----------



## frenchelectrican

brons2 said:


> Yes, I have driven turbodiesels by various manufacturers on European highways, very nice stuff. Loads of torque even from 4 cylinder engines. Wish we had more of those here. Seems to be in only the heavy duty pickups here get the diesels. I guess people really soured on passenger car diesels here after the GM fiasco.


 The GM did done a wonderfull job ruin it with ill fated 5.7L Oldsmobile diesel engine.

I do drive both European and Americian pick up truck in France and it mantory diesel engine in pick up truck I am sure you are aware with fuel cost in Europe is more expensive than North Americia is right now the diesel is about 1.20 per liter that come about 4.56 us gallon price but keep in the mind the fuel price will fulated depending on where you get it from.

Merci.
Marc


----------



## shumakerscott

frenchelectrican said:


> The GM did done a wonderfull job ruin it with ill fated 5.7L Oldsmobile diesel engine.
> 
> I do drive both European and Americian pick up truck in France and it mantory diesel engine in pick up truck I am sure you are aware with fuel cost in Europe is more expensive than North Americia is right now the diesel is about 1.20 per liter that come about 4.56 us gallon price but keep in the mind the fuel price will fulated depending on where you get it from.
> 
> Merci.
> Marc


Diesel is over $6 a gallon and gas over $7 here in Germany, plus yearlly rode tax and bi-yearlly vehicle inspection and emissions test. Expensive! dorf dude...


----------



## Shamus

The USA has been spoiled with cheap fuel prices. The rest of the world pays double if not more. Interesting, I remember when I first started driving, gas "wars" between stations would drive down 25¢ gas to 17¢ a gallon. Smoke's were 22¢ a pack out of a machine and your got match's with them.

Not complaining, its that inflation thing. My first job paid $1.25 hr then too.

Oops, I'm showing my age again.


----------



## gma2rjc

I saw a sign outside of a gas station last weekend for Marlboro cigarettes @ $6.42 a pack.


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Do you know if the European diesel is different the the U.S. diesel? I have heard it is cleaner.

Audi dropped a Le Mans 24 hour road racing team of 3 - 200 mph gas powered road racing cars that won about every race for 3 years (usually, 1-2-3 or at least 1-2). they replaced them with new diesel powered cars. I suspect it was a very costly ($s) project for the future, but a drop in the bucket compared to shipping them around the work to test in different climates and conditions for a year.

The European super highways are amazing. I remember going from Munich to Budapest in a large Peugeot or Renault sedan and we were cruising at 200-220 kph most of the time (2 eyes on the road, and 2 hands on the wheel with a navigator (me) that cannot read the signs very quickly). When there is an accident in the nose to bumper traffic at that speed they a real blood bath. Coming back one night, we got in a line up and sat for about 2 hours before getting into a 17 bypass/detour just to get back on.

The other Schu.


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## frenchelectrican

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> Do you know if the European diesel is different the the U.S. diesel? I have heard it is cleaner.
> .


 To answer your question it not any more cleaner than Americian diesel fuel anymore due the sulfer level is the same now.

So basically it the same diesel fuel you have in USA and what we have in Europe now.

Merci.
Marc


----------



## brons2

Yes, the ultra-low sulfur diesel is now mandated here as well. This is necessary for compatibility with the newer after-treatment systems, for example, the new diesels with urea tanks that you must keep filled. I think the new Mercedes "Bluetec" and the new Ford powerstroke 6.7 require the urea tanks.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Made it*

I made it to my Pension driving my Ford Diesel. See how I tied that together?:laughing: Here is a pic of the view I have from my room. The town is Kallmunz. I hope to have time to explore the old part of town. It is located at the junction of 2 rivers, Naab and Vils. We have some flooding but not extreme, normal for this time of year. I sure wish I was posting about house progress instead of this. :furious: You have to work to make the money to build a house. dorf dude...


----------



## Lali

shumakerscott said:


> I made it to my Pension driving my Ford Diesel. See how I tied that together?:laughing:


Yup. Hardie, har, har!!! You are a riot. Thanks for the laugh & the beautiful picture. What a GORGEOUS place! You are one lucky dude!!!


----------



## shumakerscott

*Snow*

We had a snow storm blow through and then the temp dropped to 3F. BRRRRR!


----------



## cocobolo

But it looks just like a picture postcard...beautiful.


----------



## frenchelectrican

That is very chilly in your area right now it is -4°C here in Paris but it will warm up to about 5°C 

That look like very nice photo of showing the building and hillside like that.

How many cm snow ya got there ? last week I have couple cm worth of snow but noting major yet.

Merci.
Marc


----------



## shumakerscott

*Snow*

We got around 8-10cm, 3-4 inches, in the last dump. Very bizzare for this time of year with such cold temps. I'm afraid that my case of beer in my garage froze. I wasn't expecting this or else I would have moved it to my cellar. Global warming my @$$. I will post some more pics of the village, really cool place. dorf dude...


----------



## frenchelectrican

Wow you got more than double than what I got in Paris { France } and yeah it kinda weird weather this year.,

Gobal warming ? naw I agree with your answer.

Merci.,
Marc


----------



## shumakerscott

*Kallmunz Pics*

Here are a few more pics. The building is leaning and so is the church tower. The Keystone above the window looks like a face. They do have a huge problem with flooding from time to time. This village is over 1000 years old.


----------



## mick_salerno

*Work or Play?*

Shu I thought you went to an off-site job assignment for a few weeks, not a vacation! 
Its not that cold today, so you can start back to work on that house now. Ha! :drink: 

Mick (spoon-man, de.)


----------



## Shamus

There is a ton of history around those 200 yr old cities in europe. Did you say TDY or R&R? 

Shu, either its a very small town or everyone is at home. Not many auto's in your photo's.


----------



## scoggy

*Dorf Dude...you are??*

DD, you are, as in photos, doing what, where? Thought you were going on "manouvers', with your 'company'..but this, this is R&R..no? Was this the 'trip' you hinted about earlier? You move faster than water across a tilted table!
SQUID:laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## shumakerscott

*No R&R*

Ok jealous people and smack talkers, not R&R here. :icon_sad: Sure I'm in a cool old village but I have no real time to enjoy it, 12 hour work days and living in a Pension. That means no resturant at night. Only a cold breakfast in the morning. My hard boiled egg for breakfast is usally warm, but not always, might be a cold one left over from the day before. The grass is always greener.... I'm dead beat when I get to my room. I have not seen my kids for over 2 weeks or my house either. Being on the road pays ok but there are the down sides. I can't believe Mick finally joined in, Welcome Buddy and thanks for your help. I have talked enough about him in the past and posted pic's that he finally stepped forward. Until the next post, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Bheim*

Bheim, I got the message and can't reply. Try again, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*New Avatar*

I have a new Avatar, named Diablo. It was painted by an old friend Patricia Jensen, http://patriciajensen.com/ Big plug there. I would like to get the original but she is being a little shy about it. Weather here is getting much better so the house will be getting progress again soon, work permiting. I hope for a very productive year. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Tree gone*

While I was on the road Matt cut down the nasty crappy white fluff monster of a tree. I made a deal with him, you cut it you can have the wood. I'm now left with a huge pile of limbs. Thats better than the tree dropping its load in May. The heating guys did some finishing up too. I just wish I could get going. I have to work this coming weekend again, I need some time off. here are a few pics, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Tree Gone!*

Finally got back at the house. Greg came over and gave me a hand with cutting down the last of the nasty fluff monster. He was the pulling mule on the rope to get them to fall the right way. It looks like it's too late to stop the release of the white stuff. It has already gone into bud mode. My only chance to stop it is a chipper, just shred it up before they can bloom. I don't have one but am working on getting one. Let the 2010 building season begin! My crazy work schedule isn't looking good for getting alot done in the near future. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Chipped up*

I spent the whole day chipping up the tree limbs. It is a real pain to pick them up and get them into the chipper. You have to watch your hands that you don't get snapped by a limb getting chipped. Keep your pieces short. I got smacked a few times. Limbs with a Y are a hassle. They must be small enough to fit into the throat of the chipper. I have a couple more evenings work. I got the chipper from the Community Club, "Siedlerbund". I'm still a member from the village I used to live in, before the divorce. First time I have taken advantage of them. This thing works great. It is 3 phase electric so it has some guts. I sharpened it with my grinder and I only stalled it once. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Can't Move!*

After chipping up all those limbs I can't move :no: The muscles in my back and down the backs of my legs are screaming in pain. Way to much bending over and feeding limbs into the mulcher. I'm popping Ibuprofin 500mg at a shot. I guess this is the prep for another building season! I'm getting back in shape :yes: The hard way. No pain, no gain. dorf dude...


----------



## jlhaslip

Good to see you back...

Have fun.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Mulch Spread*

I finally got all the limbs mulched and spread. I layed about 8" thick around my hedge and even more above the fence. It should hold down the weeds and retain water for some years. I ended up giving away about 8 wheel barrow loads of chips. At least the tree is gone and has actually given something useful back, finally. My yard is starting to look like something and my drive way is gravel. I still have much more to do but at least it's a start. dorf dude...


----------



## scoggy

*Great "doings"*

Herr DORF DUDE...wow, such a change from last year, and now you are on the road to "COMPLETION"...time for a ..."Parade" eh?

SQUID


----------



## shumakerscott

*The Bird is Back*

It was snowing this morning. When will Spring settle in? Today I got to the house and planted grass in the barren spots. I raked it over and then decided to work on the last bedroom beam. The one I spliced last year. I'm using a water based gel that I got on sale. I layed it on thick. While I was applying it I saw the bird that nested in the house last year. It was on my main beam looking at me like " What are you doing here?" I have left my windows tipped open for the last couple weeks, German windows do this. They tip in from the top. I kept an eye and when it flew out I closed all the windows. There is no way that bird is nesting in my house this year!:no: I took a couple pics of the beam with the gel sealant just applied. I should have it up later this week. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Ceiling boards*

Today I started cleaning up the ceiling boards. I used a sanding disc on my grinder with the speed turned way down. This took longer than I expected. I gave them 2 coats of a clear water based Gel. Seems to work pretty good. During the day the neighbor came over with the electric bill from the 2 years I was tied in on his line. It was only 207 Euro! That was for the main construction of the walls ect... I think that is a great price. Steve came over this week and helped me get the last beam up in the bedroom. Things are moving along but my work is not making it easy. I'm going on shift work starting Monday. Here are a few pics of my new boards made over to look old. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Beams Leveling*

Now that I have some ceiling boards I need to finish leveling my beams. I was trying to use a laser but I don't trust that it is truly accurate. I will break out the water line and that will be it for sure. My big side beam that sits on the wall has warped and twisted as it cured. You can't get good wood beams unless you ask for kiln dried and pay through the nose. I will have to knock some off the top. The water line will be perfect for this. I'm thinking of a holder made with a clothes pin so I can work alone. More pics as I get to it. I plan on a thin layer of cork on top of all the beams to prevent squeaks in the future. Squeaky floors drive me nuts. I don't know when the next update will be. Work is keeping my busy. Enjoy the pics, dorf dude...


----------



## Han'D'

Snow!! Sure that isnt volcanic ash?
Looking good and glad yur back...Waiting for the end that seems closer at hand! Keep up the good work and don't get discouraged...
From past to present you have taken giant leaps and soon you'll be looking back and laughing!:thumbsup:


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## cocobolo

Hey Shu:

The old Japanese temple carpenters used to cut a slit right in the top centre of any beams, end to end. The purpose was to allow some wood movement and help to alleviate cracking as the wood dried.

Have you considered adding some sort of substrate on TOP of your beams? It wouldn't necessarily need to be fastened to the beam. Then, if the beams decide they need to keep on travelin', the floor itself wouldn't be affected.

And, btw, if you have your laser itself set level, it should be perfect. In my opinion less work than a water level, which is also subject to being marginally misread.

Are you familiar with the electronic water level? It is exactly the same as any other water level, except that it beeps when you get the second end in line with the first end. Cheap too. I can post a pic of mine if you're interested.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Beams*

All my beams are 100's of years old except the 2 opposite end ones, the 4 4"X12"s in my first posts after getting the old roof down. They were fresh 2 years ago and have since dried out now. It happens when you get a roof! Only 1 seems to be a problem so far but I have not gotten to the gable wall end yet. I've located a contractor grade rotary laser that I can use on weekends. Now if I only had a weekend :no:. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Ceiling boards*

I got off work at a decent time tonight so I was able to get some work done. I layed cork strips on top of the beams to stop squeaks. The ceiling boards are up in the bathroom. Still not screwed down just test fitting. I ran a width of the cork roll over the top to show how the finished ceiling will look. Much better than leaving the gaps open. You can see the difference in the pics. The weekend is looking good so maybe more pics of progress to come :yes:. I hope so. dorf dude...


----------



## Itsdanf

The cork looks like a great idea, both from a functional perspective AND by the way it looks from below. :thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

*More Boards*

I got another run of boards cleaned up today, only 10 but it's a start, not stained. I'm guessing another 15 or so then the bedroom will be covered. I also need to finish setting the beams at the correct height. More pic's as things get going, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Pic*

The pic didn't attach in the previous post. I hit the wrong button!


----------



## shumakerscott

*Cork*



Itsdanf said:


> The cork looks like a great idea, both from a functional perspective AND by the way it looks from below. :thumbup:


 I have been going through mental hell trying to figure out what would work on the board gaps. Cork seems to work the best. I toyed with brown paper, tar paper, cardboard, linolieum, carpet ect... It's been driving me crazy. Cork is the answer. I ordered 120 sq meter, or 1300 sq ft of cork today. cost was 180 Euro of about $240 delivered. Not cheap but ok for the final result. I have to live with it the rest of my life. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

I admire your ability to combine the posts from the U.S. people and the traditional and sometimes often advanced local methods and material options. Everything is looking good and will be accepatable in the area. Certainly much better than going with a "Dome Home" or a "SIP" panel construction that is quck and dirty with little pride involved and that everyone near you would stop.

The time involved is understandable considering you schedule and obligations when combining the traditional and advanced methods is a very, very old structure.

The other Schu.

P.S. - I factored in the delays with your winter weather and the recent "deployement" out of town, so the Open House will be in the summer season when flight restrictions make things more difficult, but not impossible.

Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

*Time restrictions*

I plan on 3 weeks in Aug to return to the States. I'm torn inside about taking the time out but I must. I just have to get cracking before I fly :yes:. Focus and get it done to the point till I can at least move in. Camping at the least. Thanks for the support, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> The pic didn't attach in the previous post. I hit the wrong button!


Of course...like none of _us_ would ever do that! Much.

What kind of wood is that you are using for the floorboards?


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## tpolk

what are you doin on so early coco


----------



## cocobolo

tpolk said:


> what are you doin on so early coco


I got run off the deck..it's raining like stink here!


----------



## tpolk

nice to have you on


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## shumakerscott

*Wood*

The wood I'm using is a mix of Fir and Spruce with maybe an occasional Pine. It is the junk wood here. I could order Beach, Birch or Oak but that costs a lot more. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> The wood I'm using is a mix of Fir and Spruce with maybe an occasional Pine. It is the junk wood here. I could order Beach, Birch or Oak but that costs a lot more. dorf dude...


Judging by the size of the boards it looks like those trees must have been fairly small.

We are currently getting nailed about $650 a thousand for most lumber here, but I don't think anyone has wild edge boards for sale. Except perhaps a woodlot owner with his own mill. And even then they still want the same price.

I would opt for the fir over the spruce and pine if you have the option.

These boards you have now for the floor - will this be a sub floor with something else going on top?


----------



## Gunship

SHU....How's it going, this is Matt your Gunship buddy from Florida. Sorry it took me a while to check up on your project. It looks like the snow finally melted and you are able to get back to work. I am amazed with your house, you are truly a craftsman. I kind of miss Germany but it sure is good to be back home! Well I will be watching your progress and if you need anything from the states just let me know:thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Boards*



cocobolo said:


> Judging by the size of the boards it looks like those trees must have been fairly small.
> 
> We are currently getting nailed about $650 a thousand for most lumber here, but I don't think anyone has wild edge boards for sale. Except perhaps a woodlot owner with his own mill. And even then they still want the same price.
> 
> I would opt for the fir over the spruce and pine if you have the option.
> 
> These boards you have now for the floor - will this be a sub floor with something else going on top?


I like your description of "Wild Edge Boards" There are many small saw mills locally. I order exactly what I want and he cuts them for me. Yesterday I finished 22 more boards, giving me a total of 32 done and only 2 left in this batch. Both me and my sand paper gave out at the same time! I used 13 for the bathroom and they were pretty small as you pointed out. No old growth here at all. They have been cutting down the trees for centuries here in Europe. I have wider ones I will use next, up to 10-12", but they taper pretty quick. These boards are only my ceiling. There will be another set of beams 4" or so on top then the upstaris floor. That leaves me a gap to run wires and things. I'm leaning towards OSB, 22mm, 3/4" thick. It would be the fastest and cheapest and doesn't look too bad when finished. No house work today, Sunday, I'm going to get my motorcycle ready to ride. The weather is getting really nice. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

OSB isn't a bad idea. Actually, Lloyd Kahn, in his new "Builders of the Pacific Coast" book, has a good shot of a couple who did such a floor. They varathaned it, sealed between the sheets with a brown caulking (I think they cut it into 2' x 2' squares) and it looks really good.

I think I can understand that there wouldn't be much (if any) old growth over there. A fast taper in a tree indicates it is likely young and small.

I'm sure it's going to be great when you're all done.


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## shumakerscott

*Gunship*



Gunship said:


> SHU....How's it going, this is Matt your Gunship buddy from Florida. Sorry it took me a while to check up on your project. It looks like the snow finally melted and you are able to get back to work. I am amazed with your house, you are truly a craftsman. I kind of miss Germany but it sure is good to be back home! Well I will be watching your progress and if you need anything from the states just let me know:thumbup:


Hey Capt. Matt! "You have to think of Forest Gump saying it" Nice to have met you on my last training mission. For those of you who do not know about the military Capt. Matt is on a C130 Gunship. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1nFtbizRlM&feature=related
He is your best friend if you get into trouble on the ground! Just 1 radio call away and the bad guys are toast! The only thing I need is $$. I'm really up against the wall and am using stuff I already bought. I'll take any donations! Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Shim or Trim*

Steve and Campbell came over and gave me a hand leveling the bedroom beams tonight. We used a water hose level. Steve and I measured and Campbell cut shims. It worked out really good. It turns out that my previous setting of the bathroom beams alone was not quite correct. Good to find it out now and not later. I had to trim only 1 beam and shim the rest. I will seal the boards that I cleaned up last weekend and then they will go in, bedroom done!
My trailer has been sitting at the house with no security except for the neighbors watchful eyes. I picked up a hitch lock for only 20 euro, including the lock. Now I feel a little more relaxed about leaving the trailer sitting there. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Hooking up a trailer.."tongue lock"*

Jeez, DD, I have been leaving my "big" boat in the yard with a "lock' through the tongue release, and never thought nothing of it,..that way..you just create..Trust,..Eh? Must be "hungrys' who want to steal that 'plebian' piece! ====8^)
Syd:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## shumakerscott

*A bit more progress*

I did some more leveling out today of the beams. I found 1 more high spot but will take care of it with the power plane tomorrow. I anchored the side by side beams via "BFS" Big F_ing Screw. I ran short of ceiling boards that were sealed but that is taken care of now, tomorrow done. My cork was mailed today so maybe by the weekend I will have it. More progress to come, I'm on fire and can't stop :yes:. Wild edge boards rock. :thumbup: dorf dude... ps I'm tired


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## cocobolo

Gotta tell you Shu, the underside of that ceiling looks so authentic. Really, really good!


----------



## shumakerscott

*More Progress*

Today I got a fake beam installed. It will work well for a transition between stucco on the wall and the 2nd floor. I had alot of moving stuff to get the chimney free to work on. I cut/chiseled out an opening for the fresh air intake manifold. What a job! I also got the chimney primered for stucco. I must finish this before any beams can be set because they will be up against it. Moving along, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Fest*

Today was the Fire Department Fest, directly across from my house. The weather sucked but the rain was really needed. I sat and had 1 beer. I talked with my neighbor across the street, he's pretty nice. He has never seen what I've been doing so I invited him to come and take a look. He was like "Really?" I said sure why not? Then grumpy from next door showed up but he didn't talk much with me. He's just German! Never married and no kids either. He lives in his own special world. He also has not come over to see what I've been doing. I don't get it. They are so self restricted. Anyway, here's a pic of the fest! dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Chimney*

I got the slot for my power cable gouged out and socket for an electric outlet in. I mixed up a batch of stucco, I have some left over from last year. I got the chimney covered up to where the 2nd floor will hide the transition. I think it came out great. :thumbup: Here are a few pics. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Stucco*

I worked on finishing up the first of 6 main beams today. It is sealed and ready to level. It has been too cold and damp for my chimney to set up. It is still finger soft when you touch it. I will do some more finish work tomorrow to fix a couple goofs. No pics today, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Further*

I've gotten further this weekend. I filled in 3 pockets on the wall that were left from a previous wall, Mat helped with that. I set screws and wire inside to help hold the patch in place. I patched the water and power lines flush. I made a big push on the floor tile. My neighbor came by for an inspection and said that I must do the walls first. I know that is the proper normal way but it won't really matter in the end. I got a little artistic around my drain. I can't wait to grout it. It should be finished in a couple more days. I ordered the rest of my ceiling boards on Friday. He said 2 weeks. That gives me time to work on the main beams. I'm getting help with them from a friend who is out of work at the moment. It works out good for both of us. Here are some pics, dorf dude...


----------



## scoggy

*Heh bro....happy birthday!!!!!*

Dorf Dude...Monday is that special day...where you get one year older..officially..and hopefully a wee bit wizer! Hope you have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY, and don't work on MONDAY...eh?
Syd:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::yes::yes::yes::laughing:


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## cocobolo

Ooooooohhhh...fancy dancy around the drain!


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## shumakerscott

*Drain*

Not "Fancy Dancy" but "Fancy Smansy" :yes: My artistic flair is coming out. It took me a long time to get it just right. Wait for future unveilings. dorf dude...


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## jlhaslip

we're waiting... patiently...

both you and cocobolo are my fav topics here.


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## cocobolo

...well, whaddya think Shu? Does the man have impeccable taste, or what!:wink:


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## shumakerscott

I finished out the edges of the floor tile in the bathroom for the most part. I took down the holding boards for the patches, they seem ok. I started on the uneven wall again with tiles. It's not perfect but I really don't care. Tiles are tiles no matter what. so the grout isn't a perfect seam, they still do the same job! I'm trying get them even as best I can. When inspecting eyes happen to see it and say something then look out for my reply. I've noticed that the stones around my window are in pretty good shape there is beauty under the old stucco. I have a plan to leave them exposed, stay tuned for that one. Here are some more pics, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Small Steps*

I've been making small steps the last couple days. I've had other commitments but I had to get a little something done. At least it's something. I hope for a big push on the weekend. I got 2 more rows of tile in and the light switch and cables in the wall. I put 2 cables in in case I wanted seperate "Mood" lighting. Mounting the tiles really sucks because I didn't make the wall straight and smooth. My own fault. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Well, it seems to me that the tiles don't look too bad at all. When you get them all on and grouted who is going to know?


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## shumakerscott

I will know and there is 1 tile that is really bad. I'm thinking about knocking it out and re-do it. I wanted to test my Fein Multitool and this would be a good opportunity. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Tiles up*

Today was very productive. I got the wall done to the end. I got creative with some tiles the store threw in for free. I cut a template so the cutouts would be the same. I still have some more tiles to use later as I get the rest tiled. I'm planning on stucco above the tiles to the ceiling. I might tile it but I have to think on that. My Brad nailer and Gorilla glue came in handy mounting the fill panels between the beams. I used tile glue and some of the fiberglass mesh I had left over from doing the outside stucco. It's starting to come together :thumbup:. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Window Stones*

Tonight I got the stones around the window dressed up. They look better in person than in the pic's. I'm getting excited about this section. It is going to turn out really cool. I also bought a set of recessed LED lights. I will test them and see how they work. I'm not sure about the quality of light. Here are a few pics. I included a pic of my weapons against the wall. In the 3rd pic you can see how thick the walls are. dorf dude


----------



## scoggy

*"weapons"*

DD, that old air chisel still works with that wire 'fix'? Wow! Work looks great!
Cheers
Syd:thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Wire Fix*



scoggy said:


> DD, that old air chisel still works with that wire 'fix'? Wow! Work looks great!
> Cheers
> Syd:thumbsup::thumbsup:


It was new when we started! The wire fix was your greatest invention :thumbup:, thanks for inventing it. I'm not spending $5 every time the spring breaks any more :no:. It has been replaced many times since the first time. I have also figured out that we had the air pressure too high. It was slamming the chisel out of the barrel way to hard. That is also why it was the elbow breaker. I now have the pressure down and it works better and is not so violent... dorf dude


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## detroitMi

*German house*

Looking good


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## shumakerscott

*Door cleaned*

Today I got the area around the door cleaned. What a mess! So much dust. The sandstone looks pretty good. Campbell doesn't like the bricks but I'm warming up to them. My plan is to leave this exposed. I will put new grout in and seal them. My temp light switch should be gone in a couple days. I set a cup for the new switch and chiseled a groove for the cable. You will not be able to see it when finished. Only 1 pic today. Time for a shower. dorf dude....


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## detroitMi

*looking good*

If there's more to be tiled let me know, ( since the US economy 's slow).


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## Itsdanf

shumakerscott said:


> Today I got the area around the door cleaned. What a mess! So much dust. The sandstone looks pretty good. Campbell doesn't like the bricks but I'm warming up to them. My plan is to leave this exposed. I will put new grout in and seal them. My temp light switch should be gone in a couple days. I set a cup for the new switch and chiseled a groove for the cable. Only 1 pic today. Time for a shower. dorf dude....


I'm with you, not Campbell. The arched brick header with the stone surround is a cool look! Shows off the age and character of the house, and I'm sure you'll finish it up to blend with the modern upgrades. 

Great progress!


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## shumakerscott

The brick arch is a "New" feature. It was added within the last 60 years or so. The original windows have sandstone arches. They date back much further. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Coming along nicely.

I really like that old door in there. Has some real character to it, unlike this modern plastic junk.

I vote for the "new" brick arch as well. Looks good, fits well, even if it is nearly new. I mean, really, what's a paltry 60 years old!

Not even as old as me!


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## shumakerscott

*Door*

The door appears to be oak under the ugly dark varnish. I will strip it in the future. It will be a room to room door when I get the mud room added on the front. It has huge air gaps. I plan on making a new stained glass insert also. Stay tuned, things are heating up, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Tile*



detroitMi said:


> If there's more to be tiled let me know, ( since the US economy 's slow).


I have a lot of tile still to do but I only pay on the beer scale :laughing:. Cash is really hard to come by now.


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## shumakerscott

I wonder how many beers the guys drank before they set the arch above the door? It is way out, just like the rest of the house. It makes it interesting to work with that's for sure.


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## detroitMi

*Beers*

Done deal, I'd rather work for beers than peanuts, lol. Check out my profile if you need some flooring, kitchens, bathrooms inspiration, even got some columns & arches over there too. http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/house-remodeling-71535/


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## bofusmosby

GRET job D.D.! Yea, I like the bricks also. Damn, those walls are thick. BTW, do you have any idea of the actual age of the original structure of your place? If only the walls could talk. Also, the tile looks great.


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## shumakerscott

GRET job D.D.! Yea, I like the bricks also. Damn, those walls are thick. BTW, do you have any idea of the actual age of the original structure of your place? If only the walls could talk. Also, the tile looks great.

I have no idea how old it is, just really, really old. I might need 1 or 2 more really's in there I'm not sure. Is "really" equal in value to 100 years? If it wasn't it is now. For every "Really" is 1 Century. It's official :yes:. I made more progress grouting my stones but I will wait for pics until I'm further along. This is going to be a busy weekend. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Heater*

I was given a bill by the heating dudes earlier this year. Expensive but ok. I just recieved another bill by the main company 5 months later, that they were sub-contracting from. Damn!! I'm really up against the wall now. Time to cash in all reserves and the market is crashing! As they say "Count on it costing twice as much and taking twice as long". I must move in and "Damn the Torpedos" dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I was given a bill by the heating dudes earlier this year. Expensive but ok. I just recieved another bill by the main company 5 months later, that they were sub-contracting from. Damn!! I'm really up against the wall now. Time to cash in all reserves and the market is crashing! As they say "Count on it costing twice as much and taking twice as long". I must move in and "Damn the Torpedos" dorf dude...


Are you sure that's right? I mean, 5 months later and you get a bill from someone else? Either you should get one from the main contractor, who pays the sub, or you should have been given a firm quote in the first place.

I think I might put up an argument about that if I were you. They better have a damn good reason for taking this long, as well as charging you for something you have already paid for. Ask them to get in touch with the sub to get something worked out. I wouldn't roll over and play dead. It sounds like maybe there has been some fast play going on here. 

At the very least, make them explain completely why all this has happened.


----------



## tpolk

is the other window hole in the picture that you didnt open up in your mud room?


----------



## shumakerscott

*Bill*

The bill I got is in order. the first one was for the subs labor and some material that they used from their inventory. This big bill was for all the pipe fittings, pump, regulators, thermostats, heating element ect.. It was a gorrila that was in the closet and I kind of forgot about him. It seems normal around here to take so long. I almost had to beg for my bill for the electric box. Everyone around here knows my story about the divorce and my very limited budget. I guess they think there doing me a favor by not giving me a bill right away. When I finally got one for the scafold it was only 350 euro. That was for a YEAR! Normally that is for a month price. 
Tpolk, yes the bricked up window is where the mud room will be. Wait for this weekends pics. I really hope to make a huge push. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> The bill I got is in order. the first one was for the subs labor and some material that they used from their inventory. This big bill was for all the pipe fittings, pump, regulators, thermostats, heating element ect.. It was a gorrila that was in the closet and I kind of forgot about him. It seems normal around here to take so long. I almost had to beg for my bill for the electric box. Everyone around here knows my story about the divorce and my very limited budget. I guess they think there doing me a favor by not giving me a bill right away. When I finally got one for the scafold it was only 350 euro. That was for a YEAR! Normally that is for a month price.
> 
> OK then, I don't feel so bad now...I just hate to see anyone getting ripped off.


----------



## cocobolo

...then again, maybe they won't mind if you take another 5 months to pay it!!!:laughing:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Weekend push started*

I have started my big push tonight. I put fill boards in between my beams and then fiberglass screened it with tile glue. By tomorrow it should be cured enough to stucco. I stopped half way because that is where the sheet rock will begin. I put a warm white 3 Watt LED lamp in yesterday above where the sink will be. I like it. So much better than the cold white. The light color works well with the wood and sandstone. Tonight I mounted another CF recessed light above the toilet area. I have set a goal of 1 light a day plus my other projects. In the pic's you can see my fill work between the stones around the window. I didn't want to show that yet but wait until it is finished! I can see it in my head and it looks great. How should I cover the spray foam between the window frame and the stone? Input please. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


----------



## scoggy

*How should I fill...?*

DD for sure Canadian BC Red Cedar,..I shoved some into the surf this morning...should be there..oh.. 2027! But heh, I bought a lotto ticket for you..18 million prize..prolly be won in Ontario or PQ..but the thought should at least warm your 'toes'"! To quote: shakespeare, (who I still think was Roger Bacons "valet"), "the evil that men do lives after them
The good is oft interred with their bones"!
Cheers
Syd:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Weekend Push*

Sorry scoggy but I didn't have any cedar. Where to start? I finished tiles on the wall around the door. I stuccoed the tiled wall, I will paint it white. I finished out the window frame, I probably will paint that white too. It looks fantastic. The stones will be exposed. I mounted another light, they are Compact Floresent in a halogen shape. After all that I was pretty much done. Check out my hands. Even more tomorrow:yes:. I'm on fire and can't stop, time to move! Stay tuned. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

OK Shu, enough is enough...you're making the rest of us look like a bunch of lazy so-and-so's!

Everything is looking exceptionally good now I must say.

Ever thought of using gloves?


----------



## shumakerscott

*Gloves*

You loose the "Feel" with gloves. I must become one with my work. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Ahhhh, a true "Artiste at work"...


----------



## Itsdanf

shumakerscott said:


> Sorry scoggy but I didn't have any cedar. Where to start? I finished tiles on the wall around the door. I stuccoed the tiled wall, I will paint it white. I finished out the window frame, I probably will paint that white too. It looks fantastic. The stones will be exposed. I mounted another light, they are Compact Floresent in a halogen shape. After all that I was pretty much done. Check out my hands. Even more tomorrow:yes:. I'm on fire and can't stop, time to move! Stay tuned. dorf dude...


Dude, your hand looks like sh**, but the rest of it's looking great!! Hope you're downing a beer or two to celebrate your progress. :thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Beer*

Danf, I did have a couple beers. I broke out the real good stuff. My private stash. I found out about this beer in March when I was deployed for 3 weeks. Man is it good:yes:. I think I will get a keg of it for my house party!
http://www.adlersberg.com/
dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Wall*

I stuccoed the wall today. It came out cool as hell. :thumbup: It has a very "Organic" feel to it. It isn't flat but flows. It will be almost white when it dries. It will be the same color and the mortar between the stones. I couldn't get a pic from another angle because the sun was too bright in the window. After doing this I think I will not use sheetrock in the living room and kitchen. I will stucco it. If I had 1 person mixing and me spreading it would go quick. Here are some pic's. I have another suprise up my sleeve in the future. Stay tuned, dorf dude...


----------



## Itsdanf

shumakerscott said:


> Danf, I did have a couple beers. I broke out the real good stuff. My private stash. I found out about this beer in March when I was deployed for 3 weeks. Man is it good:yes:. I think I will get a keg of it for my house party!
> http://www.adlersberg.com/
> dorf dude...


I've visited Regensburg a couple times, right next door to Aldersberg. Beautiful area.

After being back stateside for a couple years now, I'd settle for almost ANY German (or European) beer right now. Bitte ein Bit??


----------



## gma2rjc

That's beautiful!! You did a great job on it. It'll look awesome in the kitchen and living room too. Much better than sheetrock.

Is it washable? I'm thinking about the wall in the kitchen behind the stove, where food and grease will splatter and stain it.


----------



## shumakerscott

"Is it washable? I'm thinking about the wall in the kitchen behind the stove, where food and grease will splatter and stain it."
It is not washable as is. I will paint it then it should be depending on the paint of course.


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Danf, I did have a couple beers. I broke out the real good stuff. My private stash. I found out about this beer in March when I was deployed for 3 weeks. Man is it good:yes:. I think I will get a keg of it for my house party!
> http://www.adlersberg.com/
> dorf dude...


...wait just a doggone minute...only _ONE KEG?_


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> ...wait just a doggone minute...only _ONE KEG?_


I'll get 2 if your going to be here :laughing:


----------



## cocobolo

...wait just a doggone minute..._ONLY TWO KEGS!!!!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:_


----------



## PatHIverson

Out of curiosity I wonder what year this house was made?

Thanks in advance.

Pat


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> ...wait just a doggone minute..._ONLY TWO KEGS!!!!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:_


You Canadian's sure like your beer. It will be 1 keg and then cases backing it up. That way there won't be any waste:yes:. I always hated having a keg go flat. That is alcohol abuse! Cleaning up half drank bottles is better than dumping the rest of a keg. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*House age*



PatHIverson said:


> Out of curiosity I wonder what year this house was made?
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Pat


Pat, I have no idea how old the house is. It is shown on a map from 1859 but I'm quite sure it was here long before that. I have a house number of 12. I am in the "core" of the original village. My main beams were used in a structure before they put them in the house. They recycled them. They have notches and markings that don't match up with how they are used now. The village of Seugast has been around since the 1100's and house numbers were assigned accordingly. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> You Canadian's sure like your beer. It will be 1 keg and then cases backing it up. That way there won't be any waste:yes:. I always hated having a keg go flat. That is alcahol abuse! Cleaning up half drank bottles is better than dumping the rest of a keg. dorf dude...


I must admit...you DO have a point there!:whistling2:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Main beams*

I've switched over to cleaning beams again. My buddy has gotten quite aways but they need to get finished soon. My ceiling boards are waiting at the saw mill and I still have to clean them too. Cleaning beams is the worst job ever:furious:. Just nasty. It is down in the trenches work for now. No great progress photo opportunities for awhile. The behind the scenes work is more important than the flash at this point now. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Light*

I have been on the look out for a main bathroom light. I was feeling the force yesterday and found it. This thing fits perfect:thumbup:. I got it for half price to boot, $30. It's not plastic either, metal. The stucco wall is drying out too. I finished one of the main beams today. 4 more to go. What a ****ty job. Just some touch up sanding and then seal them. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Really like that light Shu...looks sort of nautical. The colour is a perfect match for the beams.


----------



## tpolk

the window surrounds look most excellent


----------



## cocobolo

tpolk said:


> the window surrounds look most excellent


Yep, couldn't agree more.

You are going to leave those lovely stones visible, right? Will there be any sort of a finish added to them at all?

I don't mean to cover them up, but perhaps a clear finish of some sort to protect them.


----------



## concretemasonry

Leaving them exposed would be a great accent to testify to the age (300 to 1000 years) of the structure.

A nice contrast to the high tech heating system and planning.

The other Schu -


----------



## shumakerscott

*Stones*

Dick is back! I've had people asking what happened to you. The stones are going to be left the way you see them. I want to seal them but not sure with what yet. The stucco will get painted. I've decided to do the same thing in the living room with the 2 arched windows. I can't wait to see how those turn out:yes:. I have to finish these darn beams first:furious:. Beam cleaning really sucks, have I mentioned that? Things are moving forward, dorf dude...


----------



## frenchelectrican

I really like the way you did the walls I have see that in couple homes in France { more common found in Northen France area }

That really turn out really nice.

Merci,Marc


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## cocobolo

Glad to hear that about the stones.

Gosh no, I don't seem to recall you ever mentioning anything about cleaning any beams...:whistling2:


----------



## cocobolo

Shu...I have a quick question for you. In post #722 you have a pic of your wall being tiled.

What sort of spacers are those between the tiles?


----------



## shumakerscott

*Spacers*



cocobolo said:


> Shu...I have a quick question for you. In post #722 you have a pic of your wall being tiled.
> 
> What sort of spacers are those between the tiles?


Those are blank plastic ID cards. Some one left a box of them out unsecured and I found them! Absolutly the best spacers I've found so far next to the heads of tie wraps. I use what I have around. They will also come in handy when I set the upstairs floor. They don't compress or rot. I also have a box of plastic key cards. Once they have been issued and returned they have to destroy them. I told my buddy to save them for me. They only bend the corner where the magnetic strip is. I have also considered cd's and their cases, also dvd cases for spacers. As the old song goes... "It's 5am and I don't give a f*&k and I'm off to the rodeo" I can't sleep, my head is full with the house. It's time to finish up those beams. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Beams Cleaned!*

My buddy and I got the beams cleaned. I still have some support beams to do but the main ones are done:thumbup:. He also cleaned up while I stained. I applied clear gel sealant to 2 and 1/2 of them. I forgot to take more with me. I have 16 cans! Mat came by and grouted my 1 wall in the bathroom last night. Things are moving along thats for sure. I picked up the boys this afternoon so no work on Sunday. I'll be back at it on Monday. Here are a few pics, dorf dude...


----------



## downrightart

shumakerscott said:


> Ok Shamus. I come from Pomeroy / Moses Lake Washington. I joined the Army in 1987 arrived in Vilseck Germany 1988. Married a local girl in 1990, got out of the Army in 91. I got completely broadsided in 2006 that she wanted a divorce. I moved to an apartment and after a year I was fed up paying rent. I have to stay here because of my boys. I found a house and went forward for a month with the bank, making plans ect... Then one Friday evening the people selling the house called and said they changed their minds, won't sell the house. Needless to say I was devestated. I got up the next morning and got on the net looking for local houses for sale. In 2 minutes I found the Dorf Dude place that I'm working on now. 830 sq meter of ground, 8826 sq ft. I hope to be in in the summer of 2009. It won't be finished but at least livable. That is the Readers Digest condensed version of the DD


And this is from page 11 in case there is anyone like me that is just now tuning into this channel. :laughing:

Well SHU, I am once again totally amazed at another home, this time a demolition (a war zone) into a living and hopefully inhabitant! But, since I'm only on page 11, I'm beginning to wonder! :laughing:

(I cheated and skipped to look at pictures-----I normally don't do this, but I couldn't help it! :whistling2

But, I'm reading because I like to get the details. VERY impressive sir! Wow. Stubborn and determined, aren't ya? Hehehe.........I hear that about the sign of Taurus. Heh.


----------



## shumakerscott

downrightart said:


> And this is from page 11 in case there is anyone like me that is just now tuning into this channel. :laughing:
> 
> Well SHU, I am once again totally amazed at another home, this time a demolition (a war zone) into a living and hopefully inhabitant! But, since I'm only on page 11, I'm beginning to wonder! :laughing:
> 
> (I cheated and skipped to look at pictures-----I normally don't do this, but I couldn't help it! :whistling2
> 
> But, I'm reading because I like to get the details. VERY impressive sir! Wow. Stubborn and determined, aren't ya? Hehehe.........I hear that about the sign of Taurus. Heh.


You are just getting started on this. I wanted to be in last year but that didn't happen. I think I can safely say that I will be in this year. The outside of the house took way longer than I expected last summer. That threw my schedule off and then winter set in and wouldn't go away. Now I'm back at it with a vengence. Thanks for following and like cocobolo, I'm not a "Sir" I work for a living! I'm too young for that:yes:. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Beams*

Each beam is different. They have their own personality. You get to know it when you clean them by hand. Actually with a grinder and sand paper. The worms attaked some more than others and only in some areas. Parts with a high pitch content were left alone. The results can not be caught on camera. The colors are fantastic. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

I was just taking a good long look at those beams. And while you may not like all that cleaning, the results you're getting are outstanding.

As soon as you sealed them, the colour of the wood just popped right out. They are probably good for a few hundred more years now!

What a difference when some of the finishing gets done! I'm finding the same thing. Even a small amount of tiling makes a difference.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Beams sealed*

I spent almost 7 hours today sealing the main beams. They have 2 coats and might need a 3rd, wait and see. I have no pics today because the beams were wet and the gel is cloudy until dry. I'm a little further than before. That's my answer when people ask how far are you? What a vague question. I give my vague answer. I hope for more pics later this week. dorf dude...


----------



## ajtool

Dang... I just sat here, dog tired and read this whole thread. What a fantastic read and one helluva project! Looking real good :thumbup:


----------



## Lali

Holee guacamole! You've come a long way. Thanx for the gorgeous pics of your fairytale village (and all the rest of your progress). Looks like your hands could use some Glysomed (awesome stuff)! Had a gargantuous guffaw when you mentioned 'BFS'. :lol: Good one! 
It's been a while since I perused this forum; computer has been discomboobilated & have been gardening like a mad hatter, building a miniature tropical paradise in sunny Alberta, when it's not snowing (as it did this past weekend!) or below zero!  
Cocbolo asked way back where I was, so there you have it. Forgive me for taking eons to reply. Have yet to check out his thread, but you two are indeed great inspirations to us all. Keep up the incredible work! And a belated :happybday: dude!


----------



## shumakerscott

*Thanks*

Thanks for the compliments:yes:. Today Campbell brought a rotary laser from his work. It's older but self levels and still works well. In the day this thing was really expensive. I have it for the rest of the week. We set the ends to height or at least the best we could with old eaten up beams. The "We" is Steve and Campbell. Got to give credit! Thanks. In my pics I'm trying to show the colors of the beams. The flash really kills the effect. Who would have thought that rusty nails can actually leave something good behind. I like it. My center support beam is next. I must take the dive out of the beams once I secure them on their ends with BF Lag bolts. Then I will take any high spots out with a power planer. The center beam will get raised and I will remove excess wood from the bottoms of the beams until everything is just right. Lots of work but I don't want shims, it must be one smooth transition. My last pic is trying to show the "Organic" nature of these beams. Pictures don't really work. Enjoy the pics and now I must level things, very tedious, Oh yah, the red tailed bird is back with another nest on top my main beam. It's coming in my open window :furious: I will let have it's baby's but then I will put screens on. This has been 2 years now. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Another Thing*

With Germany bailing out Greece and the economy in the dumps I got a letter last week from the city that they want to redo the sidewalks. It will only cost me about $2000 to have a fancy new side walk instead of an asphalt one ???. They also want to raise the sales tax from 19% to 22% and the retirement age up to 70 just to cover the costs. This is absolutly insane!:furious:. They are calling a local meeting next week to discuss this. Nobody that I know wants a new fancy side walk. The power company is going to dig it up in the future to put in under ground service anyway. How retarded is this?? My rant is over. They will probably do it anyway. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Hi Shu:

We know all about the camera flash throwing the colours way off. The closer you are - the worse the effect.

Can you turn your flash off and let it take a natural light shot?

Are your cross beams sagging a fair bit? If so you might try something like this.

It looks like you have the main beam there sitting on a couple of screw jacks. If you raise the ends of the beam - I would do one end at a time to see what works best - by using a hydraulic jack until you actually start to lift an end of any of the cross beams (or are they already fastened in place?) Then you would be able to calculate quite accurately just how much to take off the bottom of any beam which is interfering.

I know you don't want to take anything off the main beam, as that would take out some of it's support strength. I think I would at least plane a flat spot in the main beam under each of the cross beams, being sure to take out as little as possible.

I might also place a piece of 1/4" steel plate under each of the cross beam locations. This has the effect of eliminating any possible softer spot in either the cross or main beams and spreads the load essentially perfectly where contact is made. You wouldn't see the steel plates once everything was in place.

And as for the sidewalk...sheeesh! Must be another "make work" program for the natives...


----------



## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> With Germany bailing out Greece and the economy in the dumps I got a letter last week from the city that they want to redo the sidewalks. It will only cost me about $2000 to have a fancy new side walk instead of an asphalt one ???. They also want to raise the sales tax from 19% to 22% and the retirement age up to 70 just to cover the costs. This is absolutly insane!:furious:. They are calling a local meeting next week to discuss this. Nobody that I know wants a new fancy side walk. The power company is going to dig it up in the future to put in under ground service anyway. How retarded is this?? My rant is over. They will probably do it anyway. dorf dude...


as far for the news I am not suprised what we go thru in France it already nutty now.

but raise the tax to 22% now that is nuts.

Merci,Marc


----------



## gma2rjc

> but raise the tax to 22% now that is nuts.


*19%* is nuts!! I thought my eyes were going to pop out when I read that . 

(not literally, lol).

The beams are looking great Dorf Dude!

Barb


----------



## Martin Roy

Waiting for rest of the pictures , so curious in looking this amazing picture story :stuart:


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I picked up the ceiling boards from the saw mill. My trailer was way overweight. I could only go 40mph. The boards are still green. I will need to screw them down good. I anchored the main beams down to their footings. I drilled a pilot with a long bit, counter sunk for the lag bolt and then let the air impact take care of the rest. You didn't think I would hand ratchet them in did you:no:. Even with the pilot the impact was brought to it's knees. After the ends were secured then I pushed up in the center with screw jacks to take out the sag. Next is mating up the center support beam with the mains. Thats tomorrow. Stay tuned, dorf due...


----------



## cocobolo

I see what you're up to now with the jacks...good idea.

Have you considered the idea of also adding a bolt through each of the cross beams into the main beam?

When you go to screw down the ceiling boards ( I know you are impatient to get this done...) if you just put a single screw in each board where it crosses a beam - then let it dry somewhat, and then add the rest of the screws later, the wood should split far less.

What would be even better would be to lay the ceiling boards in place with no screws for awhile (maybe one at each end just to keep them in place). The longer the time the better. Then any splitting would be kept to an absolute minimum.

What kind of wood are your ceiling boards cut from?


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> I see what you're up to now with the jacks...good idea.
> 
> Have you considered the idea of also adding a bolt through each of the cross beams into the main beam?
> 
> When you go to screw down the ceiling boards ( I know you are impatient to get this done...) if you just put a single screw in each board where it crosses a beam - then let it dry somewhat, and then add the rest of the screws later, the wood should split far less.
> 
> What would be even better would be to lay the ceiling boards in place with no screws for awhile (maybe one at each end just to keep them in place). The longer the time the better. Then any splitting would be kept to an absolute minimum.
> 
> What kind of wood are your ceiling boards cut from?


I planned on big lags into every beam to beam contact with cork on all points that touch. I like your idea of waiting with a couple of screws to hold things in place with the ceiling boards. They are very green and wet. I can hardly move some of them alone. Maybe pilot holes will reduce splitting. I'm using high tech screws that drill and secure with super threads cut into them. Cost is 2 times the normal. Nothing will move when they set things in. On the other hand, If I bore an 6mm hole before setting a normal 4.5mm screw that should reduce splitting pretty good. I think pre-drilling is a good idea. Thanks for bringing that up. I think it is either pine or fir, I never asked. You get what they give. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Since your boards are very green, either pine or fir will shrink very noticeably across the width of the plank. Far less so from end to end.

If the boards are pine, they should appear to be whiter than fir, which should have a distinct pinkish tinge in the heartwood area. I'm hoping you have fir. :yes:

The shrinkage will be caused by the actual cell walls slowly losing their moisture content over a period of time. The actual thickness of the boards will have a significant bearing on how long this might be.

The bulk of the shrinkage will occur in the next 3-4 months.

If you can find out when the trees were felled, that might be handy.

Any trees felled while dormant dry out more quickly than trees felled during the growing season. And since both of those trees are softwood, they both have distinct growth rings. You will be able to count the rings to determine the ages of the trees easily.

Pilot holes are always a good idea, no matter what you are screwing down. However, when you put in two (or more) screws across the width of the board when it is wet, the board will split between the screws every time.

Your patience with letting the boards dry out at least partially will pay off big time.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Tracking*

I'm tracking with the let the boards sit and dry. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I'm tracking with the let the boards sit and dry. dorf dude...


You will be happy that you did...guaranteed!


----------



## cocobolo

I found an end cut off a small fir, and the log that it came off. The end cut is wet, the log isn't quite so much.

But it shows you the colour of what a young fir looks like. This one wasn't even 30 years old.

The wetness is making the colour more vibrant that it really is when dry.


----------



## shumakerscott

I thinks I have Pine. Maybe some of the beams might be Fir or Tamarac. Some of the ceiling boards have a lot of sap. Thats why I'm thinking Pine. Thanks for your pics. I only made minimal progress today. Yet another Catholic Holiday, must be quiet. They will hear me all weekend including Sunday:yes:. I have to get things done. More pics later, dorf dude...


----------



## frenchelectrican

If I am reading the log right that is red pine which we don't see too often and that is a fast growth log due I can tell the ring size marks on them.

It should be dry in about 8 months if humity level is low but med to high humity it will take longer to dry out.

Merci,Marc


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I thinks I have Pine. Maybe some of the beams might be Fir or Tamarac. Some of the ceiling boards have a lot of sap. Thats why I'm thinking Pine. Thanks for your pics. I only made minimal progress today. Yet another Catholic Holiday, must be quiet. They will hear me all weekend including Sunday:yes:. I have to get things done. More pics later, dorf dude...


OK, fir is a wood which has pitch pockets frequently. 

Some pines (pitch pine for example) has pitch, some do not. I will do some more research over the next few days about that for you. I use Bruce Hoadley's book for that. He's about as expert as they come.

And yes, you might have Tamarack (Larch) which is about the strongest of the conifers. If you have that for the beams - which you may well do - that might go a long way toward explaining why the wood is still good after what is very possibly a period of centuries.


----------



## cocobolo

frenchelectrican said:


> If I am reading the log right that is red pine which we don't see too often and that is a fast growth log due I can tell the ring size marks on them.
> 
> It should be dry in about 8 months if humity level is low but med to high humity it will take longer to dry out.
> 
> Merci,Marc


Marc:

Red pine is not native to western north america, so it is not a tree we see here.

The picture is definitely fir. It's just a baby.

And yes, it was a fast grower.

A genuine Red pine - which is native to the other side of north america, the "wrong" side if you will, grows to be a large tree. Diameters of 3 feet+ are common, along with heights exceeding 100 feet.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Cross Brace Beam In*

The cross brace beam that has been hanging for the last year is finally in.:thumbup: Mat came by and gave me a hand. We screw jacked it up until it hit a beam and measured the largest gap. We cut that depth out of the deepest beam. Then we did some small cuts to even things out. The Fein Multi Master came in handy! I didn't want to lift the beam up and down so I figured out to just lay it sideways a little resting on pieces of wood help by clamps on the main beams. We then just tipped it back up and test fitted. I ended up with 4 cuts, one shim and one that just came out perfect. The main beams have been BF Lag bolted to the cross support. I put Vasaline on the bolts and they went in much easier. This was a big step:yes: I now need to come up with upright support beams. The screw jacks stay in place for now. I also applied the first coat of gel to the beam. Still wet in the picture. I still have the whole weekend to keep going. Lets see what happens. I will take pics. I also sprayed my weeds with a 50/50 Vinegar-Water solution. It's supposed to kill everything. We'll see. Much cheaper than Roundup. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Do you have any outfits around there which handle recycled materials?

Maybe you will be lucky enough to find some old 8 x 8's for support posts. Or try an ad in the local paper, you never know when someone has a couple of these things laying around. It would be a crime to use something new with all that magnificent old wood in there.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Do you have any outfits around there which handle recycled materials?
> 
> Maybe you will be lucky enough to find some old 8 x 8's for support posts. Or try an ad in the local paper, you never know when someone has a couple of these things laying around. It would be a crime to use something new with all that magnificent old wood in there.


I'm way ahead of you Keith. There will be no new beams down stairs. Upstairs is the new wood area. On my way to see what I can get done today. More pics in about 12 hours, dorf dude...


----------



## frenchelectrican

cocobolo said:


> Marc:
> 
> Red pine is not native to western north america, so it is not a tree we see here.
> 
> The picture is definitely fir. It's just a baby.
> 
> And yes, it was a fast grower.
> 
> A genuine Red pine - which is native to the other side of north america, the "wrong" side if you will, grows to be a large tree. Diameters of 3 feet+ are common, along with heights exceeding 100 feet.


I have see couple in Northen Wisconsin area { I have pretty good size property located in Northen area and yes I have couple red pines in my area }

But mostly mixed bag of white pine , Birch , Red and white oak but I hate basswood they are fast growers but too soft a wood and yeah I have few Ironwood as well.

In France we have mixed bags of woods as well not far behind with Americian woods.

Merci,Marc


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I'm way ahead of you Keith. There will be no new beams down stairs. Upstairs is the new wood area. On my way to see what I can get done today. More pics in about 12 hours, dorf dude...


Looking forward to seeing them!!:thumbup:


----------



## cocobolo

frenchelectrican said:


> I have see couple in Northen Wisconsin area { I have pretty good size property located in Northen area and yes I have couple red pines in my area }
> 
> But mostly mixed bag of white pine , Birch , Red and white oak but I hate basswood they are fast growers but too soft a wood and yeah I have few Ironwood as well.
> 
> In France we have mixed bags of woods as well not far behind with Americian woods.
> 
> Merci,Marc


Marc: Do you have many Elm tress left over there? 

I remember reading about some big losses a few years ago when you had some hurricane force winds that came through. I don't know what area that was.

And then there is the dreaded Dutch elm disease.

The Ironwood you mention...is that the same Ironwood which grows down in Mexico by any chance?


----------



## frenchelectrican

cocobolo said:


> Marc: Do you have many Elm tress left over there?
> 
> I remember reading about some big losses a few years ago when you had some hurricane force winds that came through. I don't know what area that was.
> 
> And then there is the dreaded Dutch elm disease.
> 
> The Ironwood you mention...is that the same Ironwood which grows down in Mexico by any chance?


 The Elm trees are just about gone I only have couple left I did call the tree specalist to save it and got it in time so I have 7 large Elm trees left { I did have over 30 before }

Speaking of large damage with downdraft storm that happend in small town called St Naziazian that small town got almost complety wiped out from the downdraft storm. that was about 8 years ago if I recall it right.

Oui the Ironwood is the same speices as Mexico verison is and it is super hard wood to cut.

Merci,Marc


----------



## cocobolo

Marc, I think you're right...it was several years ago now. I also remember hearing that many of the elms at one of the palaces were lost at the same time.

Yes, ironwood is hard, that's for sure. I tried to bring a chunk back with me from Mexico last time we were down there. There was a couple advertising firewood for sale at San Felipe on the Baja. The lady was there when I first went to get some ironwood (they had a sign advertising it) and all she could find was mesquite.

I had to wait for her husband to come back and he found me a small ironwood log for the princely sum of 20 pesos!


----------



## shumakerscott

*Support beams in*

Cocobolo, is this what you had in mind for support beams? It took me way longer than I planned to get them in but it was worth it:yes:. The bigger one on the chiminey is very heavy. I used an eaten up one for the other side. It still had a lot of good wood inside. I just flipped the bad side to the back. What is suprising is they both are on the pads I poured 2 years ago, dead on. There are no more screw jacks on my beams except for 1 on the staircase side. I got about 1/4 of my ceiling boards edges cleaned. I talked with the back neighbor and they don't mind if I work tomorrow, Sunday. I got inspected by another neighbor today. he was blown away!!! He couldn't believe how good it has come out. Now the rest of the village will know. I think I have suprised them:yes:. Back to cleaning boards tomorrow, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Shu...that is OUTSTANDING!!!! I can't even begin to imagine you having found anything better! What a great find!:thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Shu...that is OUTSTANDING!!!! I can't even begin to imagine you having found anything better! What a great find!:thumbup:


I've been sitting on them. Tucked away out of the weather. I still have a couple suprises up my sleeve later on. You'll have to wait! dorf dude...


----------



## jlhaslip

did you 'treat' the bad side with something to clear out the critter tenants?


----------



## shumakerscott

jlhaslip said:


> did you 'treat' the bad side with something to clear out the critter tenants?


 I hit it with the grinder to get rid of the worst of it. Then I "Slathered" it real hard with the clear gel I've been using. The critter tenants have long since moved along. These beams are really old. No fresh wood for them in decades, centuries maybe. I'm sealing the new wood planks to make a barrier to stop any new guys from making a home. I hope I've stopped them, so far so good it seems. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Big progress*

I got half of my new planks cleaned, sealed and put on top of the beams:thumbup:. There is some gap on a couple beams, couldn't be avoided using old beams. I plan on getting some screws with full shank threads. That should hold them in place with no movement. A 3x5" beam will be screwed on top to give me a new surface to work from for the upstairs floor. I happened to check my storage area where those 3x5'x are located and found out that an old beam I was saving was loaded with worms:furious:. I drug it out into the yard right away. I don't know if they made it to my new wood or they just hung out in the old beam. I will check this out before I use those beams that's for sure. Down stairs sure has a new feel with a ceiling in. I'm trying to figure out what to do for lights, any ideas? I'm thinking a set of dimable halogens recesed and then maybe 2 normal lights mounted on the ceiling boards. Tough decision on this one. Things are moving along, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Shu! That just looks so...what's the word I'm looking for...so damn COOL! :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Random*

I pretty much threw them up at random except for switching fat end and skinny end to try and keep it some what square. No planning at all. Throw it up and see what happens. "It's going to be something" I'm really getting into this now. Let's go. They actucally lined up with the big beams I put put up on the end walls at the very beginning!! Too bad I have to work:furious:. The further I get I can see it coming together in my head. The end will blow you away!:yes:. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I pretty much threw them up at random except for switching fat end and skinny end to try and keep it some what square. No planning at all. Throw it up and see what happens. "It's going to be something" I'm really getting into this now. Let's go. Too bad I have to work:furious:. The further I get I can see it coming together in my head. The end will blow you away!:yes:. dorf dude...


Can't you call in sick?


----------



## jlhaslip

Call in to work in the morning and tell them you have an 'eye' problem... 


I just can't see myself coming to work today... 


:lol:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Snag!!*

With my ceiling coming together I've had lights on my mind. What am I going to do? I had a tax appointment this morning and that left the rest of my morning free. I decided to go light shopping. I was feeling the "Force" Like when I found the bathroom light. I hit the first store, the one I really don't like per say. I found a 5 pack, plain packaged, recessed halogen, line voltage, no transformer in the same finish I'm using in the bathroom. No price on the shelf that I could see, they also had some junk piled up on top. The sales girl happened to walk by and I asked how much they were. She comes back and points at the shelf sticker of 8.25, thats the price. A 5 pack of swivel fixtures with bulbs for 8 Euro!:thumbup:. I bought 6 sets:yes::yes:. I guess I figured out my lights. "Dorf Dude, Come on down, the Price is Right!"

On another note I've been noticing that my view count is kind of wacko along with some other threads too. Anybody else notice some irregularities? dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> With my ceiling coming together I've had lights on my mind. What am I going to do? I had a tax appointment this morning and that left the rest of my morning free. I decided to go light shopping. I was feeling the "Force" Like when I found the bathroom light. I hit the first store, the one I really don't like per say. I found a 5 pack, plain packaged, recessed halogen, line voltage, no transformer in the same finish I'm using in the bathroom. No price on the shelf that I could see, they also had some junk piled up on top. The sales girl happened to walk by and I asked how much they were. She comes back and points at the shelf sticker of 8.25, thats the price. A 5 pack of swivel fixtures with bulbs for 8 Euro!:thumbup:. I bought 6 sets:yes::yes:. I guess I figured out my lights. "Dorf Dude, Come on down, the Price is Right!"
> 
> On another note I've been noticing that my view count is kind of wacko along with some other threads too. Anybody else notice some irregularities? dorf dude...


Actually, now that you mention it, I have been wondering the same thing.

I guess it will all come out in the wash...we'll see.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Box*

I looked on the side of the box and it is labled DIY-Light. That's it! DIY light on a DIY site:laughing:.


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

You seem to be doing a great job of shopping and finding the modern European products and material for the rebuilding and creating what you seem to want - A quality blend of restored old German construction and a contrast with the modern. I especially like the heating system and electrical control area with the tiled floors. - You do not see that quality concept in the U.S.

Keep it up now that you are in full swing after the winter/spring. It is good to see the daily reports.

The other Schu (Dick)


----------



## cocobolo

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf dude -
> 
> You seem to be doing a great job of shopping and finding the modern European products and material for the rebuilding and creating what you seem to want - A quality blend of restored old German construction and a contrast with the modern. I especially like the heating system and electrical control area with the tiled floors. - You do not see that quality concept in the U.S.
> 
> Keep it up now that you are in full swing after the winter/spring. It is good to see the daily reports.
> 
> The other Schu (Dick)


Dick: I don't think you could stop Shu with a bulldozer right about now!


----------



## frenchelectrican

D,D,

That is heckva a good deal 8 Euros for that set of luminarie I know in France we have simauir one like yours and it useally run 25~35 Euros !! that for line voltage verison just don't go there with low voltage luminaries they push the price much higher the last time I did buy it,
It cost me little over 115 Euros due I have to get low voltage dimmer to work with this lumianires ughhh.,,

Merci,Marc


----------



## shumakerscott

*Boards cleaned*

Today finished cleaning the edges up the on rest of my ceiling boards, 25 of them. I got them covered up just as a big storm started to blow in. I got a letter today from the Construction Inspection guy, he will come to inspect on 1 July. I got one 2 years ago, post 372 and he went to my apartment and not the house. I've heard nothing from them since. I guess I'm back on their radar again. They want to see my building plans, don't have one, it's in my head. They want to see my reciepts, I can do that. They want a record of who worked and how many hours, oops, I guess I did it all by my self, which is pretty much true, you all are witnesses to that. I have pretty much worn out anyone that had helped in the past. I think I will point the guy to this blog if he wants proof. Tomorrow I will seal the ceiling boards and I hope get them in place. I still have some beam leveling to take care of. I have some high spots with nails in them. Not fun. I have a secret weapon I hope. Getting there, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

...send him to your apartment again...:thumbup:


----------



## scoggy

DD...I think the term used by you was.."I broke him, I broke him", while you danced around in glee..as to the "people who helped you! But...heh..what comes around goes around..and besides the beer and 'food' were good!
Cheers
Scoggy


----------



## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> DD...I think the term used by you was.."I broke him, I broke him", while you danced around in glee..as to the "people who helped you! But...heh..what comes around goes around..and besides the beer and 'food' were good!
> Cheers
> Scoggy


Why would I be happy that I broke you? I felt terrible. I was there and saw you in pain. I'm hoping this is sarcastic. I can't read it by the way you wrote it. I was very happy that you came over, we had a great time. When are you coming again? No work this time I promise. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Boards almost done*

I got the boards cut to length just as a storm was coming in. I rushed and got everything out of the weather just as the first rain drops started. That's 2 days in a row. I opened up shop inside and sealed boards on the floor. This is taking longer than expected. I wanted to be further by now. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I got the boards cut to length just as a storm was coming in. I rushed and got everything out of the weather just as the first rain drops started. That's 2 days in a row. I opened up shop inside and sealed boards on the floor. This is taking longer than expected. I wanted to be further by now. dorf dude...


Don't feel too bad...it's raining here as well.

And when did anything ever NOT take longer than planned?

We were supposed to move into our house about six years ago! Hah! There is a remote - and I stress the word _remote_ here - possibility that we might get in this year. Just keep that _remote _in mind.


----------



## scoggy

*DD..All in Good Fun!*

Shu, was all 'tongue in cheek' good humor....very very positively memory for me, especially the Chinese food!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Cheers
Syd


----------



## meboatermike

This is a really great thread and have been following it for months now -- you are doing a super job -- wish I had half your gumption, skills and energy -- I re-roofed the easy half of my house last summer/fall and thought I would never get it done. I hired a roofing contractor to do the harder steeper half and him and his crew stripped, prepped and did the whole job in one day  He did a good job taking lots of time with chimney flashing and around an existing skylight.

I have to laugh at your town and its sidewalks -- my town here has taken up many perfectly good asphalt sidewalks and replaced them with brick ones -- which are more uneven of course and in the winter are more slippery then the devil :no: and of course the cost :furious: I of course live out of town in the countryside but still have to pay the tax bill for sidewalks and all :whistling2:

Keep up the great progress and postings.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Further along*



meboatermike said:


> This is a really great thread and have been following it for months now -- you are doing a super job -- wish I had half your gumption, skills and energy -- I re-roofed the easy half of my house last summer/fall and thought I would never get it done. I hired a roofing contractor to do the harder steeper half and him and his crew stripped, prepped and did the whole job in one day  He did a good job taking lots of time with chimney flashing and around an existing skylight.
> 
> I have to laugh at your town and its sidewalks -- my town here has taken up many perfectly good asphalt sidewalks and replaced them with brick ones -- which are more uneven of course and in the winter are more slippery then the devil :no: and of course the cost :furious: I of course live out of town in the countryside but still have to pay the tax bill for sidewalks and all :whistling2:
> 
> 
> Keep up the great progress and postings.


Thanks for following, now it turns out that they want to re-do the whole street-highway and sidewalks. The town hall meeting almost went into fist fights. It got really ugly. I wish I was there but I had too much to do. They just did the street, sewer, water ect.. a few years ago, but the heavy truck traffic is wearing it out. The locals paid out the @ss when they did it the first time. Now they want to do it again. That was the real deal maker for me buying this house, all the street work was new and shouldn't need being done for quite some time. I think the whole system is corrupt. Keep your buddy's in the flow making money and you get re-elected. This thing stinks and that's why people are so pissed off about it. At least that's my take on things. I took pictures tonight but forgot the camera at the house. I'm really starting to get tired and forgetting things. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*More progress*

I got all the livingroom and kitchen boards up. I had to knock down a serious high area on one beam. I used a destruction blade on the grinder. This thing rocks:yes: but is really messy, worse than sandpaper. I took down the goofy beam that was just up there. I notched a beam with the Multi Master! What a great tool. I got the coresponding cross beam cut too. Fits like a glove. Now just to clean it up and then fit the goofy beam to it. More pics of that. Enjoy, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

That's a mean looking blade you have there Shu.

Have you ever used one about that size but it has a mini saw chain instead of teeth? It's _really _wicked. You can grind out big areas of wood quickly with it with both the leading edge and the sides.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Blade*

The blade is really wicked. It can be used in wood that has nails or cement. I stumbled accross it last year and had to have it. DIY guys love tools. My ex never understood that. Why buy a tool and not use it for months? Because I will need it sometime!:yes:. The Multi Master made the pocket. I used the blade to shave down the high spot. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Right...I see now why it will cut nails.

If the teeth are vertical, or even tipped back a little, the blade will indeed cut through nails.

Now if only the sawmill blades would cut through steel as well...:furious:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Beam cut and notched*

I got the cross beams in. I used the circular to make the main deep cuts and then the hand saw to finish up. The Multi Master kicked butt again!:yes: I ran a BF screw from the beam on top of the wall into the cross one, thats whats holding it up now. I will put a support post under it next. Things are moving along. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Really coming together nicely Shu. 

Don't those old beams just have the greatest character...sometimes you wish they could talk.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Really coming together nicely Shu.
> 
> Don't those old beams just have the greatest character...sometimes you wish they could talk.


I wish they could talk and tell me how old they really are. I'm recycling recycled beams. They are still wet in the pics. I was looking into the history of the 30 years war. My village was destroyed during that time by the Sweeds in the 1630's. I would like to know more history. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Wood Stove*

I was lurking on ebay today and found a wood stove. Better to buy off season. I won it for 489 delivered! It has the latest certs and an external fresh air intake. What a snag:thumbsup: I just saved about a 1000! Great day, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

*Another pic*

I wanted to add a pic to my last post but couldn't. Check out the latch mech, very nice. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

...and here we thought you were out of money...sheeesh!

Nice stove. Do you know how many square feet it will heat? Looks like it is fairly large, so I would expect maybe even the whole house? Yes...no?


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> ...and here we thought you were out of money...sheeesh!
> 
> Nice stove. Do you know how many square feet it will heat? Looks like it is fairly large, so I would expect maybe even the whole house? Yes...no?


I have cashed in some loosing stocks at about 40% less than I bought them for, I need cash and don't have time to wait. I need a home to live in now. The wood stove is a backup. I just have too much wood to not make use of it. It is not going to be tied into my hot water tank but just hot air and then a ceiling fan blowing the heat around. It really was a great snag today. I felt the force again and went shopping. Worked out perfect! dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I got the ceiling boards cut to length and just resting in place. The big center beam is not straight, it has a slight twist and is going high towards the wall. This has complicated things. I should have it worked out by tomorrow. It didn't help that I woke up with some sort of stomach virus this morning. Miserable day.. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> ...and here we thought you were out of money...sheeesh!
> 
> Nice stove. Do you know how many square feet it will heat? Looks like it is fairly large, so I would expect maybe even the whole house? Yes...no?


 It is rated at 6kw and yes it has a rather large burning chamber. With this house insulated as it is, it should heat it just fine with a ceiling fan. It is only a supplement for the main system. I have so much junk wood that it only makes sense to add a wood burner. Also, wood is very plentiful around here, prices are cheap. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I got tired of working with wood so I switched to stone. I will get back to the beam mess later. Today I got 1 1/2 windows dressed. Just 1/2 to go but my arm was dead and my nose full of dust. I tried some pics with the flash but they all got washed out. This is the only one that really shows how it looks. It is really going to be something:yes:. The stones with the outline will be seen with grout in between then the stucco will finish the wall. Like in the bathroom. Well worth the effort since I have to look at it the rest of my life. Stay tuned, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I got tired of working with wood so I switched to stone. I will get back to the beam mess later. Today I got 1 1/2 windows dressed. Just 1/2 to go but my arm was dead and my nose full of dust. I tried some pics with the flash but they all got washed out. This is the only one that really shows how it looks. It is really going to be something:yes:. The stones with the outline will be seen with grout in between then the stucco will finish the wall. Like in the bathroom. Well worth the effort since I have to look at it the rest of my life. Stay tuned, dorf dude...


Shu...I think the reason this pic isn't coming out too well is because you have a very bright area (window) in the center of the pic, surrounded by all dark. If you put a piece of paper over the outside of the window to kill some of the light, it should work better.


----------



## gmhammes

nice progress. i occasionally switch projects too but mine are usually because one of the kids or pets broke something.


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## concretemasonry

Dorf due -

Did you texture the surface of the stone or did they happen to be that way?

In either case, the end result is great assuming I understand your design that is floating around in your mind and not on paper. - Great effect.

Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Shu...I think the reason this pic isn't coming out too well is because you have a very bright area (window) in the center of the pic, surrounded by all dark. If you put a piece of paper over the outside of the window to kill some of the light, it should work better.


I have pic's where the flash went off but it just looks flat. You can't see the texture. I dressed up the stones with a needle scaler. You can make out area that will be left exposed and then stucco will cover the rest, like dick said floating effect. Campbell came over tonight is was completely blown away. This is going to be one awsome window and no bricks in it either! This goes back a long time ago. Just a piece of wood and some roofing shingles added in for some filler, I will hide those. Here is the same pic with flash. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

It will have this same look on a much grander scale. This is still wet. It takes about 4-6 weeks for it to dry. dorf dude...


----------



## SusieQ2010

Hey there,
I just wanted to say "hello". We are the crazy Germans in our Neighborhood, remodeling a ranch style house mostly ourselves (we had contractors for some foundation work and the stucco). If I have time tomorrow I will post some pics in my own thread. 
The job you are doing is amazing. I don't know if I would have done what you are doing in Germany. Here everything is pretty easy with the 2x4 studs and drywall.

Cheers
Susie


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> It will have this same look on a much grander scale. This is still wet. It takes about 4-6 weeks for it to dry. dorf dude...


It's normal for most masonry to take 30 days to cure Shu. It's true that concrete sets up quickly, but it doesn't reach it's full strength for a month - similar to what you will experience.

Much better pic this time. Very definitely going to look absolutely unique.:thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I reworked the window photo. I think this shows it better. Just wait for this weekends pic's :yes:, I hope. I have big plans but we'll see. I'm being held up by the plumber. I want an outside faucet and it must be inside the wall. It will work out but on what time scale?


----------



## cocobolo

Yes...much better!


----------



## SusieQ2010

That looks really cool! Nothing like a good old German brickhouse. :yes:


----------



## shumakerscott

SusieQ2010 said:


> That looks really cool! Nothing like a good old German brickhouse. :yes:


Sandstone actually. It is 2 layers, 60cm, 2 ft thick. It is just so massive. So different than current building styles. I'm really getting the bug to move in. It's been over 2 years so far. Just one tip, don't get Gorilla Glue on your lip! dorf dude...


----------



## gma2rjc

> Just one tip, don't get Gorilla Glue on your lip!


If you don't mind, I think we'd all like to hear more. :yes:

Barb


----------



## SusieQ2010

Mhh, Gorilla Glue on my lip....yeah that does not sound good.
Well Sandstone is good too!
We have been living in our house during construction. Absolutely no fun last year without the roof, no doors, no windows. I can't wait to see how everything looks when it's finished.


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> If you don't mind, I think we'd all like to hear more. :yes:
> 
> Ok. I have beams sitting on top of the old walls but they are not flush with the up and down plain. I have been shimming and then OSB sheeting to fill it in. I will be putting stucco over the OSB so I left nothing to chance for cracks. I Gorilla Glued and screwed everything. Sorry, no pics of this. To keep the glue bottle primed I kept it upside down in my front right pocket. Body heat keeps it more fluid and I'm right handed. Slight amounts over slop built up around the cap and I ended up touching my lips. Having a smoke probably did't help:whistling2:. That's a lesson learned. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Here are a couple pics of the wood fill I've been doing to flush up the wall. I also patched the big dips and holes with stucco. Just a quick post tonight. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Shu...when you get finished with this, it's really going to look superb. :thumbup:

One of the things that I really like about all this, is that the colours of the stone and all the wood really go well together. Nothing seems jarring to the eye in any way. :thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I got the wood fill covered with tile glue and fiberglass screen. I will give it a few days then it's stucco time! Previously they put some sort of cement based sealer on the lower part of the wall. I knocked it off. I probably should have done it a long time ago before the floor was poured. It was holding so much moisture in the stones. When I got it off I could smell it. The stucco I'm using is a lyme/cement mix that will breathe. It will dry out eventually. I got a wild idea:yes:. I'm thinking of using stones from my yard for my window sill. I have never seen it done before. I also got started filling in grout around the window stones. It's starting to come together:thumbup:. dorf dude...


----------



## tpolk

nice job on filling the stones, nice clean look:thumbsup:


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## scoggy

*Why???*

DD, you know, by the "BS" you have to go through, and yet...you still do..and then you make fantastic...'visuals"..I think whoever was behind Michelangelo prolly shared same scenario ..except, you are "incharge'..You are a DD and not working for ..'anyone! Off to "Hockey tourament"!
Cheers:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
SCOGGY


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## cocobolo

Those stones you have sitting in your windowsill appear to be the same sort of colour that the main walls are made out of.

Do you suppose that the wall stone came from the immediate area? Are there other houses close by that have the same sort of construction as yours - which is to say the two foot thick stone walls?


----------



## shumakerscott

"_Those stones you have sitting in your windowsill appear to be the same sort of colour that the main walls are made out of.

Do you suppose that the wall stone came from the immediate area? Are there other houses close by that have the same sort of construction as yours - which is to say the two foot thick stone walls? "_

My village was founded on a Sandstone Quarry. Everything around here is made of it. They still are getting quartz sand from near by. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I have been grouting around my windows. It took me endless hours on the first one using traditional tools. I got home really late last night just exhausted. I got up this morning and thought that there has to be a better way to do this. Google to the rescue!:thumbup: I found a video about using a cake decorating bag for squeezing out the grout. I was sold! I love learning new things. I got one today and knocked out the 2nd window in half the time:yes:. It was so much easier. Now to finish around the door and that is it. Then I will cut in some electric outlets in the walls and I should be ready for stucco. That is once my water pipe gets installed.:furious: Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> "_Those stones you have sitting in your windowsill appear to be the same sort of colour that the main walls are made out of.
> 
> Do you suppose that the wall stone came from the immediate area? Are there other houses close by that have the same sort of construction as yours - which is to say the two foot thick stone walls? "_
> 
> My village was founded on a Sandstone Quarry. Everything around here is made of it. They still are getting quartz sand from near by. dorf dude...


Hey Shu...The first 800 to 1200 feet (down that is) of Ruxton Island is sandstone as well. Then it turns granitic. That's what a well driller told me.

You would think that sandstone would be somewhat soft, but the stuff here is really incredibly hard.

You can drill it with a hammer drill, but even at that, it's pretty darn slow.

Have you tried actually _working_ any of that sandstone yet?


----------



## shumakerscott

The Plumber Dudes showed up today and got the water line in for my outside faucet. :thumbup: I got the wall closed up around it. Now I can go forward with stucco on the wall. I also got my electrical outlet sockets set, 12 in total. 6 behind the TV and 6 more around the room. I should have the stucco up on Sat I hope. That will really show what the work around the windows will look like. I can't wait.:yes:. The reality will be seen. More to come, dorf dude...


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## Shamus

6 behind the TV.... This has got to be a major entertainment center. No matter how I figure it I can't see more than 4. Not questioning your needs just wondering what you gonna plug into all them is all.


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## shumakerscott

_"6 behind the TV.... This has got to be a major entertainment center. No matter how I figure it I can't see more than 4. Not questioning your needs just wondering what you gonna plug into all them is all." _

"Lets count! I love to Count!" TV, dvd, english satelite, german satelite, stereo, speakers. Thats 6 already. I will probably need a multi strip outlet for something. I have another suprise up my sleeve for above the door. I won't tip my hand just yet:no:. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I found a video about using a cake decorating bag for squeezing out the grout.
> They do actually make grout bags for the purpose...I need to get one for the terra cotta tiles.
> 
> Certainly glad to see it's as good as they say!


----------



## shumakerscott

I saw that there is a grout bag. I can just imagine me going into a German store asking for such a thing:laughing:. They don't get me most of the time anyway. Crazy American, doesn't know what he's up to. We don't do it that way, We never have nor never will. dorf dude...


----------



## SusieQ2010

shumakerscott said:


> I saw that there is a grout bag. I can just imagine me going into a German store asking for such a thing:laughing:. They don't get me most of the time anyway. Crazy American, doesn't know what he's up to. We don't do it that way, We never have nor never will. dorf dude...


Haha, i can imagine that one. Translated you would ask for a "Fugen-Tuete", but I am pretty sure that's not what they would call it. Unfortunately, even though I am German, I don't know the correct word, since all my construction experience is here in the states. :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

Here are a couple pics of my suprise above the door. Campbell convinced me to have it this way. It would have been wasted space if I left it open. Wait until tomorrows pics. Say goodbye to ugly living room walls!:yes:. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Wall done*

The living room walls are done!:thumbup: I had some help today. Thanks Glenn and Greg. Campbell had some fun with Greg's dog. He was looking for my butt but couldn't find it! I just have a little touch up to do. I spent over 10 hours working today, I'm pooped, dorf dude...


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## drtbk4ever

Looking fantastic.


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## cocobolo

drtbk4ever said:


> Looking fantastic.


It sure is...it reminds me of an old time castle now, with its' massive walls.

Is there anything going on top of the stucco?


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## shumakerscott

_"Is there anything going on top of the stucco?"_

I plan on just painting it. Not with latex but special stuff for stucco. Like what I painted the outside of the house with. I will go over it again tomorrow with a wet sponge. It needs to be worked and moistened a little more. It helps keep it from cracking and also the bond to the wall is better. When it dries, about 6-8 weeks then I will paint. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

That looks great! You're really making progress now!

Barb


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## downrightart

I'm in agreement with Barb! Dorf, this is wonderful. And such a complicated project! I've altered fabric and some woodworks, but this really is on a broad scale of fantastic workmanship! I'm truly impressed!

I love the old new world feel of it. The stone is beautiful. You have the knack for sure! Your humor cracks me up. I love it!!

Just for kicks---my artwork---this is a BUTT!:laughing:


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## shumakerscott

*Tip*

Here is a tip, "Don't cut your right index finger and work with stucco" I nicked my index finger yesterday putting up stucco and now it is so infected I can't hardly move it, less touch it. I was doing a Peroxide dip this morning until it hurt too bad to dip it I had to stop. Now it is Anti bac lotion, bandages and tape, I have a great tingling thing going on. 
I checked the wall this afternoon and it is drying just fine. No extra water or rubbing needed yet. Things are really shaping up, thanks for the comments, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Aaaaccchhh! OK, we don't want a picture...I can just imagine how painful that must be.

I remember about a thousand years ago watching the fellas doing a stucco wall (outside).

After they put the scratch coat on, and before the topcoat, they ran a hose - very slowly - so that the water ran down the entire wall. They did this 14 times (seriously).

I can't remember why it was that many times, but I did ask. Just don't remember what they said.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Aaaaccchhh! OK, we don't want a picture...I can just imagine how painful that must be.
> 
> I remember about a thousand years ago watching the fellas doing a stucco wall (outside).
> 
> After they put the scratch coat on, and before the topcoat, they ran a hose - very slowly - so that the water ran down the entire wall. They did this 14 times (seriously).
> 
> I can't remember why it was that many times, but I did ask. Just don't remember what they said.


They did it to slow the drying time so it wouldn't crack. It is a "Floating" process. Makes it much stronger and grips the wall better. I have a little bit to do but will wait a few days. It looks pretty good as of now. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I finished between the rest of the beams in the bathroom tonight. Tomorrow I will do the same in the bedroom. All this little work takes a lot of time. I have my inspector dude coming on Thursday the 1st. I hope to be putting up stucco when he shows up. I'm taking that day off from work. Plus I have a 3 day weekend so I'm hoping for some big progress. My finger is still pretty messed up. I got some yellow gloves to keep moisture out. Antibac cream all day and then I thought I would dip it in Peroxide tonight. OW!!!! Still really sensitive. Here are a couple pic's, the wall is drying very nice. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Looking good Shu...it's hard to say which is more work...doing all that stone and stucco work as you are, or covering everything with cedar as I am.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other I guess.

Don't do anything too crazy with that finger, you might need it in future.


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## shumakerscott

Don't do anything too crazy with that finger, you might need it in future.[/quote]

I have to use my little fingers to pick the dust boogers out of my nose. My Primary tool is out of action. :laughing: I almost went to the doctor today but decided to give it overnight and see what happens. Crazy infection. No pic's as requested. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

...going to the doctor might not be such a bad idea. At least he could tell you what to expect.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Hot*

We are reaching pretty high temps right now, mid 80's. I have all my windows cracked 24-7 to dry the walls. It is still very mild inside. Big difference from outside. Who needs AC if you build correctly? Massive structures rule. :thumbup: My previous house was very hot up stairs in the summer because it wasn't done right. Not my problem anymore. My sons asked where their bedrooms were going to be. I pointed upstairs, first thing was "I hope it's not as hot as our house". I gave a 100% guarantee, cool sleeping area with no AC. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> ...going to the doctor might not be such a bad idea. At least he could tell you what to expect.


Not my first infection. I've been holding out on using the Nuke, "Iodine". It's in reserve if all else fails. I just don't want to go through the pain it will bring. Peroxide is bad enough. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> We are reaching pretty high temps right now, mid 80's. I have all my windows cracked 24-7 to dry the walls. It is still very mild inside. Big difference from outside. Who needs AC if you build correctly? Massive structures rule. :thumbup: My previous house was very hot up stairs in the summer because it wasn't done right. Not my problem anymore. My sons asked where their bedrooms were going to be. I pointed upstairs, first thing was "I hope it's not as hot as our house". I gave a 100% guarantee, cool sleeping area with no AC. dorf dude...


No kidding...with thermal mass like you have there it should stay within a few degrees of perfect all year long! :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> No kidding...with thermal mass like you have there it should stay within a few degrees of perfect all year long! :thumbup:


I can't wait until winter and get the slab warmed up. Should be pretty toasty at a very low cost. :yes:


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## cocobolo

Right...and with that heating system you have installed now, once it's warm it should stay that way with minimal input from the system.

Must be nice to be so rich...:laughing:


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## shumakerscott

Must be nice to be so rich...:laughing:[/quote]
I'm only rich if you look at it under special glasses, very special glasses:yes:. My house funds are in an envelope. It is in the side pocket of my car. I pay cash for all my materials now. It's getting really tight. Only cash, paid for up front. I sure hope I have enough left for the upstairs floor ect...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Must be nice to be so rich...:laughing:


I'm only rich if you look at it under special glasses, very special glasses:yes:. My house funds are in an envelope. It is in the side pocket of my car. I pay cash for all my materials now. It's getting really tight. Only cash, paid for up front. I sure hope I have enough left for the upstairs floor ect...[/quote]
You know what they say Shu...where there's a will...


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## downrightart

Is it swollen up as big as the toe? Is it a rash ugly red? Has it stopped throbbing? Do you still scream like a little girl when you dip it in perioxide?

I'm laughing. I'm probably the only crazy person here that wants to look! :laughing:


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## jlhaslip

for the finger, see if you can find some 'Polysporin' and apply a coat, then cover with a waterproof band aid each night when you go to bed.
let the band aid fall off the next morning if it wants to.


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## shumakerscott

I went to the doctor today. It just wasn't getting better. Even with a constant Antibac cream. The infection was deep and needed attacking from the inside. I got antibiotic tablets. Seems to be getting a little better already. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## sendres

*No Peroxide*

I've been following for a while and I am very impressed. Stone work always make me nervous. As for the peroxide, I found just recently it is a very good agent for sterilizing stuff because it kills everything living. Unfortuneatly, this also means your skin. so while dipping it in peroxide kills the germs it touches it also kills the exposed skin that is trying to start the healing process. Turns out it actually can prolong the healing process. The things you learn after doing it most of your life. "Get a cut/scrape use peroxide to clean the wound". Hopefully it doesn't slow things down, I had hate to lose me morning coffee reading material.


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## shumakerscott

No more Peroxide. It made my whole finger white and burned like hell! It was killing everything it touched. Now I'm on tablets for the next 5 days with the Antbac cream. So far so good. Inspector Dude in 2 days. I'm ready I think. I will be working when he shows up. It will show him that this is DIY and no firms. To all, have a great 4th weekend, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

I'm glad to see you finally saw the light!

Let's hope you have no more trouble and the healing is quick.

I'm also a fan of polysporin, it's a terrific skin healer - really does work and no prescription needed.


----------



## SusieQ2010

cocobolo said:


> I'm glad to see you finally saw the light!
> 
> Let's hope you have no more trouble and the healing is quick.
> 
> I'm also a fan of polysporin, it's a terrific skin healer - really does work and no prescription needed.


 I like polysporin too, but I have not seen it in Germany. As far as I know anything that has Antibiotics in it is by prescription only.
Shu, hope your finger heals nicely. I hit my finger pretty bad last year with the hammer tacker, thank goodness it malfunctioned and no staple came out LOL. Still pretty bad though, it split my nail and took about 6 months to heal completely.

Cheers 
Susie


----------



## cocobolo

SusieQ2010 said:


> I like polysporin too, but I have not seen it in Germany. As far as I know anything that has Antibiotics in it is by prescription only.
> Shu, hope your finger heals nicely. I hit my finger pretty bad last year with the hammer tacker, thank goodness it malfunctioned and no staple came out LOL. Still pretty bad though, it split my nail and took about 6 months to heal completely.
> 
> Cheers
> Susie


Susie, I bet that was fun! 

What were you trying to tack your finger to? :whistling2:


----------



## shumakerscott

Finger is back in shape!:thumbup:. Drugs work wonders. I got the bedroom wall filled and screened. I also finished the stucco on the rest of the bathroom wall. Tomorrow the Inspector Dude is showing up. I will be knee deep in DIY by the time he shows up. This will show him that I don't hire anybody. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

That's good news Shu...about the finger I mean. :thumbsup:

When inspector dude shows up, hand him a tool and tell him to make himself useful...you want something out of him for your money! :laughing:


----------



## shumakerscott

Inspection went great:thumbup:. He was glad to see an old place get remodeled. I still don't know why he came. Herr Busse why did you come? Did someone call you guys? I ask this because he said he was going to check out this Blog. I got the bedroom wall stuccoed and rubbed out. Next is the stairway wall. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

The picture didn't attach before.


----------



## concretemasonry

Glad to hear the good news!!!

I guess you are getting too famous for your small town/village and some people did not want to personally see the quality restoration/improvement you are doing. Some locals may now be pushed to use the local resources and materials available for improvements in your area.

The bottom line is that you got the "blessing" of the building officials!!

I assume they did not know about your unknown future plans for glazed area behind the house using one zone of your floor hot water system of any other back addition in the future.

The other Schu (Dick)


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> The picture didn't attach before.


Man, oh man, I can't believe how quickly this all seems to be coming together now! :thumbsup:

I know it isn't really that fast, but when big areas like that get all smoothed out it looks like a ton of progress. :thumbup:

If Herr Inspector Dude is going to check out your thread, maybe we should be nicer to him! :no:


----------



## shumakerscott

When he pulled up in a Mini Cooper, original type. T-shirt, shorts and sandels I had a pretty good feeling about things. If it would have been a Mercedes E class and a suit then I would have been toast. I really don't know exactly what he was looking for. He seemed suprised that it was a renovation and not new construction. Campbell was over during the inspection and talked with him about how things have been done. It all went really smooth. He said it's a closed book and they won't be back. I hope he reads this and responds. He said he was in the States 8 times on vacation, once in Washington. Thats where I'm from. More pic's this weekend as I make further progress. dorf dude...


----------



## SusieQ2010

cocobolo said:


> Susie, I bet that was fun!
> 
> What were you trying to tack your finger to? :whistling2:


:laughing: Jeez, I guess so.


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> When he pulled up in a Mini Cooper, original type. T-shirt, shorts and sandels I had a pretty good feeling about things. If it would have been a Mercedes E class and a suit then I would have been toast. I really don't know exactly what he was looking for. He seemed suprised that it was a renovation and not new construction. Campbell was over during the inspection and talked with him about how things have been done. It all went really smooth. He said it's a closed book and they won't be back. I hope he reads this and responds. He said he was in the States 8 times on vacation, once in Washington. Thats where I'm from. More pic's this weekend as I make further progress. dorf dude...


Excellent! Just goes to show you that some inspectors are really good guys...most of them in fact.

Looking forward to your next pics.


----------



## shumakerscott

Tonight I got the transition on the hallway wall screened and blended. I also set my LED night lights for the stairs. I used a Blitzzcement. Hold in place for 1 minute and let go. This stuff rocks:thumbup: Tomorrow another wall stuccoed, I hope! The pace is picking up. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

OK, I think I see what's happening now.

So that string is in line with your stairs, right? And you are using it as a guide to set the LED's?

Will the wires to the lights be exposed or buried in the wall?

And you may have mentioned this elsewhere, I'm not sure, but what voltage do the LED's run on?


----------



## shumakerscott

There is a string I'm using as a guide, I went 10cm above it. The LED's are .3 watt, 12V DC. The wires will get buried in the stucco after I cut and splice them. They have factory connectors but that doesn't work for this installation. I just need to keep the polarity correct because this is a DC voltage. The transformer will be located remotely, probably on a timer, not sure yet. I have 5 lights mounted but there is a 6th that will go in at the top of the stairs once the next wall is established. I'm getting ready to go stucco that wall, I'm taking Ibuprofen before I even get there:yes:. It has been hot as hell here all week, 32C, 90F. I don't mind because inside is nice and cool:thumbup:. That's with all the windows cracked 24-7. The humidity is pretty high with all the stucco drying. These temps are getting me ready for what I'm in for when I return to Eastern WA in 4 weeks. No it doesn't rain all the time, only on the west side, eastern Wa is in a rain shadow. There are 10,000 acres of sand dunes in Moses Lake. It could go as high as 105F when I'm there. Time to go to work. I hope great pics later today or tomorrow. It is my 22nd anniversery of landing in Germany on the 4th. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Thanks for that Shu. I'm trying to use LED's where ever possible in our place because of the power consumption. I guess you could hook yours up temporarily just to make sure the polarity is correct.


----------



## gma2rjc

Are you taking your son's to Washington with you?

The walls are looking great dorf dude.


----------



## LDSGJA

Just spent an hour going through this thread. WOW, I just wish I could see it finished right now - I have no patience.

Perhaps I missed it, but what are you plans with the house? Do you plan to die in it?

Its also really interesting to see the superier build quality of the European home. I suppose in the EU many people hand their property down to their offspring for generations. Whereas, in the USA, many people move to a new house every 10 years so they really don't care how long it will last.


----------



## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> Are you taking your son's to Washington with you?
> 
> The walls are looking great dorf dude.


I'm taking 1 son, my oldest with me. I had him watch the Megaflood documentary from Nova so he would know where we were going. If you have not seen it check it out. Eastern WA is like no other place on the planet. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

LDSGJA said:


> Just spent an hour going through this thread. WOW, I just wish I could see it finished right now - I have no patience.
> 
> Perhaps I missed it, but what are you plans with the house? Do you plan to die in it?
> 
> Its also really interesting to see the superier build quality of the European home. I suppose in the EU many people hand their property down to their offspring for generations. Whereas, in the USA, many people move to a new house every 10 years so they really don't care how long it will last.


You only spent 1 hour? You must be a speed reader:laughing:. It is interesting that you mention "Will I die in it". That is exactly my plans. As of today I have been in Germany 22 years and hope for another 22. I will pass it on to my sons. Many Americans ask me if I'm going to sell it? I just scratch my head and think "Why would I do that?" American mentality is always sell for a profit. How about just living and being comfortable? Thats whats wrong with the economy, profit, profit, profit. I'll get off my soap box now, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Grumpy neighbor's brother, he's nice, is putting up an awning on his house. This is great because it limits him looking on to my property. I still plan on extending the wall higher in the future. Notice the "Hebmal Tree" It is tradition for a blessing of the structure. 
I got my wall done. I got creative with styrofoam for my door frames. Worked fantastic! I was able to bring the width of the wall right out to the exact thickness for my door frames, 14.5 cm. Word is spreading about my sandstone windows. I was checked out a couple times today. I can't decide what to work on today. I will just go there and go with the flow, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Slick idea with the styro...:thumbsup:

Nice looking awning the neighbour is putting up...I see a case of Becks there as well. You should call the inspector dude and let him know they are drinking on the job!! :laughing:

Then the next thing you need to do is to charge admission for the good folks to come and look at your place...:thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I went to cut OSB boards for the door frames. They were heavy, awkward and I was working alone. I looked around and saw the styrofoam laying there. Kajing! The light went off in my head:thumbup:. It was left over from doing the outside walls. I'm off to the house. We'll see what I get done today. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I got the transition done on the bedroom wall. I set the electric socket and ran the cable. The beam I want to use for the support in the bedroom has worms. I made a trough and mixed a box of borax with water and will soak it a few days. Well see if that will kill the worms. Tomorrow will be stucco again. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Shu...that beam with the worms, is it new or old wood? Any idea what sort of worms they are? Dead or alive?

By the way - Happy 22nd anniversary of your arrival there, and also happy 4th of July. 

So you want to stay there another 22 years! Let's see - you'll be 70 then right?

One thing we know for sure - at least the house will still be standing - but you might be taxed to death by then! :laughing:


----------



## shumakerscott

Another wall stuccoed! Well almost. I will have to do a 2nd coat in a couple days. I also began prepping the long wall. It is really out of whack. I have a few days patching to bring things semi close. Time to figure out where the outlets and switches will go. I'm pooped, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Shu...that beam with the worms, is it new or old wood? Any idea what sort of worms they are? Dead or alive?

*It is an older beam but not real old. They are alive, I was getting fresh sawdust out of the holes.*

By the way - Happy 22nd anniversary of your arrival there, and also happy 4th of July. 

*Thank you.*

So you want to stay there another 22 years! Let's see - you'll be 70 then right?

*YEP, The house will paid for by then too.*

One thing we know for sure - at least the house will still be standing - but you might be taxed to death by then! :laughing:[/quote]

*No sh!t on that one, dorf dude...*


----------



## cocobolo

This place is really moving along now...but 7:33 pm and you're pooped? 

Holy smokes, my evening shift is just getting started! :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I'm not an electrician. Now that is cleared up. I was thinking about the cable I buried in the wall yesterday. I want a light switch and an outlet, I only layed a 3 conductor cable. Wrong! I had to cut my new wall and lay an additional 5'ver. :furious:. That took up a lot of my evening. I did some more patching to fill in the deep pockets. In the 3rd pic you can see a sandstone just jumping out. It will be seen. Plans for that too. Campbell came over and we came up with a couple ideas for the kitchen. I will need "Bottle Caps" Yes bottle caps, with Logo's. Could you help me with this? The more unique the better. I'm going to create a new post about this. I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet. dorf dude...


----------



## gmhammes

NIce progress.


----------



## SusieQ2010

shumakerscott said:


> I'm not an electrician. Now that is cleared up. I was thinking about the cable I buried in the wall yesterday. I want a light switch and an outlet, I only layed a 3 conductor cable. Wrong! I had to cut my new wall and lay an additional 5'ver. :furious:. That took up a lot of my evening. I did some more patching to fill in the deep pockets. In the 3rd pic you can see a sandstone just jumping out. It will be seen. Plans for that too. Campbell came over and we came up with a couple ideas for the kitchen. I will need "Bottle Caps" Yes bottle caps, with Logo's. Could you help me with this? The more unique the better. I'm going to create a new post about this. I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet. dorf dude...


Nice progress.... but I am just wondering about how you put that cable in the wall. My brother is an electrician and he told me once that the cable is only supposed to be laid in straight lines with 90 degree angles to change direction, if you know what I mean....mhhh just wondering...

Cheers
Susie


----------



## shumakerscott

SusieQ2010 said:


> Nice progress.... but I am just wondering about how you put that cable in the wall. My brother is an electrician and he told me once that the cable is only supposed to be laid in straight lines with 90 degree angles to change direction, if you know what I mean....mhhh just wondering...
> 
> Cheers
> Susie


You got me on that one. I have asked about cable placement and was told that it is recomended but not a deal breaker. Since I'm never going to sell the house and I know where the cables are, ie, pictures of where they are, so people in the future will know. I have some stones in the wall that tend to dictate where the cable will go or not go. Like my main power cable was supposed to be 3 ft deep. That couldn't happen and the power dude understood that once he saw my foundation stones. Thanks for your observation. Got any bottle caps? dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

What sort of bottle caps are you looking for? From any sort of bottle, or just beer, or? :thumbup:

Would it have been easier if you ran the wiring inside conduit? Then you could always pull more through in case of need...


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## gma2rjc

Can you keep us updated on this thread about the bottle caps too?

Are you going to give an address where we can send them, or should we PM you?


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## shumakerscott

You can mail them to the house. Scott Shumaker, Seugast 12, Freihung Germany 92271


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## sendres

*Bottlecaps*

I'll have to ask my five year old. Best beer server out there. Always wanting to help out and asking if I need a beer. And who could say no to that:thumbup:. I wouldn't want to dissapoint her. But she does collect every cap off the bottles. I'll see what she says.


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## SusieQ2010

shumakerscott said:


> You got me on that one. I have asked about cable placement and was told that it is recomended but not a deal breaker. Since I'm never going to sell the house and I know where the cables are, ie, pictures of where they are, so people in the future will know. I have some stones in the wall that tend to dictate where the cable will go or not go. Like my main power cable was supposed to be 3 ft deep. That couldn't happen and the power dude understood that once he saw my foundation stones. Thanks for your observation. Got any bottle caps? dorf dude...


Yeah, I know those good old houses that are build out of stone. It's good that the inspector understands. Here in Denver the inspectors are not like that. No way, everything has to be as in the book. 
What kind of bottle caps are you looking for?

Cheers
Susie


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## shumakerscott

_What kind of bottle caps are you looking for?

Cheers
Susie_ 

Any type, but they must have logo's. You get me the caps and I will show what they will be. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

OK, I'm going to ask the missus to keep every bottle cap as long as it has a logo - sort of like Bick's Pickles!


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## gma2rjc

Just for the heck of it, I looked on ebay. There are a lot of them available and reasonably priced.


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> Just for the heck of it, I looked on ebay. There are a lot of them available and reasonably priced.


I know I could ebay the bottle caps but that isn't what I'm looking for. It might sound wierd but I want "Your" bottle caps. I'm building this place with my hands. I want caps that you picked out and want to contribute that will be here for the next 100 years. Kind of like my time capsule. You have to look at it from a little different perspective. I could never show up at a car show with my Mustang if I let a shop build it for me. Guys that just buy a car or bike do not earn any respect in my book. That's why it has been sitting and waiting. Many people want to buy it because it is not being worked on the last couple years. I just need time to get back at it. I buillt a Harley a number of years ago, same thing applies. It had 23 miles on it and I had it stripped to the frame and built it back by my hands. I couldn't show you this house if I let a contractor do the work and I just fat check it. I know that many people around the internet are following just by the # of hits I'm getting. This is my DIY, asking for the caps, not buying them. Ok I'm off my soap box now, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Right...I know exactly what you mean Shu. We'll see what we can do.


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## gma2rjc

Now I see. :thumbsup:


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## flamtap

I think the bottle caps are a great idea! Totally understand that you want our caps. You will get a cool collection that represents all the people who have been "sharing" this journey with you. And it doesn't require much effort or $$ for us... I checked and I could send a bunch of caps for $13. 

When do you want to have the caps? I don't save my caps normally, and I don't drink enough to amass a big collection quickly. 

flamtap


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## hyunelan2

I'm having a "unique beer" party this Saturday. I'll try to get everyone to save their bottle caps. There should be close to 20 people coming, so even if half had logos, I can still get you a decent amount of unique logos.


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## shumakerscott

I can give a cheaper address to mail caps to if you live in the States or Canada, just pm me. Thanks for the response. I've gotten the blend from the wall up finished. Outlet sockets cut and glued, more patching done. You really have to think ahead for this stuff.:yes: I have to see the finished product in my head and know how I'm going to use it before it even is anything. I'm glad my brain is wired this way to see it. I feel sorry for those people that can't function this way. I find it a great advantage. I suck at computer software though. I'm a hardware kind of guy. I took my worm beam out of it's Borax bath today. I will let it sit and monitor for worm activity. This is a great test to see if normal Borax really works against worms. If so then save your money and don't buy special products. I'm the test subject. dorf dude...


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## Han'D'

Shu...

Long time reader and supporter. Would love to send bottle caps but alas I drink from cans...How about wine corks...Got loads!!

Keep up the great job! 

All the best!


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## shumakerscott

Han'D' said:


> Shu...
> 
> Long time reader and supporter. Would love to send bottle caps but alas I drink from cans...How about wine corks...Got loads!!
> 
> 
> You figured out my secret!  It will be a mix of wine corks and bottle caps. I can get corks here from the recycling center. I did a wall with them in the past, I will try and find a pic for you. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

How many are you going to need altogether Shu? A couple of thousand or so or?


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## Han'D'

Sorry Shu!!!

Never even thought...But would still love to contribute the corks!!:thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Here is a pic of a wall under construction with corks. It is in my shop. I cut them in half with my band saw and a jig to hold them. I just used a push stick to keep my fingers out of the way. I glued them up with cheap silicone. I'm looking for individual caps, I want to try and not have any repeats. Hell, send me everything:thumbup:. I still have the whole upstairs to do! Wait until tomorrows pics:yes:. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Wow! That is really unique I have to say! :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

The cork wall is not my original idea. I copied it from a friend. He did it with a dart board and I expanded on it. I will even expand more with bottle caps and ???? :whistling2: I will keep you in the dark until it is finished. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Not quite as creative, but I used wine bottle labels (removed with care) to paper a small wall. - It took a lot of nights (and years) to get enough labels in good condition with no duplicates.


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## shumakerscott

I got the first coat of stucco up:thumbup:. I will need to go back over it again but it's looking great. I've had my eyes open for neat things for the house. Yesterday I found this tea light holder. I like it so much I will go back and get more. They are cheap, 4 euro. That's in my price range. I have hung my first decoration. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

The walls are definitely looking very good now. Do you need one more stucco coat on before you're done?

Nice tea light holder...and no electricity! :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

For most of the wall no 2nd coat. Only in certain areas that had deep holes I didn't fill enough. I will give it a couple days and then look it over and even it up a bit. I don't want it too straight or perfect. :no: The black steel of the light really works well with the wood and stone. I think I will keep the theme going. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Looking great!!!

I see the protruding stone you mentioned earlier and see if you have anything else to do with it.

I have got my son and his buddies out looking to individual caps from local uncommon beers, since anyone can get Budweiser, Coors, Miller and Labatts everywhere around here. The instructions were to get caps that have been removed, but not destroyed in the process. I am not a beer drinker, so I guess I will have to buy some of the unique local German beers from the small town breweries around here and let them do the drinking. - How about the old style wired stoppers if you have a way to use them? This area is loaded with German, Luxembourg, Czech and Polish immigrants and most of the local breweries are based on the old European methods and are definitely regional.

Any plans for the traditional window boxes in front? 

Maybe a hot tub in the glazed 3 season porch in the rear as a hidden compromise to the modern?

The other Schu -


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## shumakerscott

_"How about the old style wired stoppers if you have a way to use them?" _

Yes, I can use the ceramic toppers. I was thinking that maybe even old cork screws and bottle openers too. Thanks for the help on this project. I might put the date of 2010 in the exposed sandstone. I can see in my head where it will be with the kitchen cabinets in. You will just have to wait. Next is to trim out the windows. Monday the Plumbing Dude is supposed to come by about my kitchen water. Once that is in another wall will get closed. Thanks, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

It's been in the 90's the last couple weeks here, we are cooking:yes:. I've had the windows open for the last months 24-7 to dry out the stucco. It is still comfortable inside. You can tell a big difference walking inside. Massive structures have alot to said for versus stick construction. Hell my place is just rocks from the ground formed up, that's all they had. If you want a house do the same. Use rock and insulate the outside. Straw bale is another very ineresting option. Don't pay mega bucks for a structure to live in that only makes money for everyone but you. Buy the land and build cheap. Ok, I'm off my soap box now, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I'm debating on which color sink to go with. I'm leaning towards either Oynx or Lava. Your opinions? 
http://stores.ebay.de/kitchenkingde...gdeQ5fQ5fW0Q51Q51Q5farmrsQ5A1QQ_sidZ564405794

Thanks, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

My apartment landlord came by this morning and gave me a refund on my heat and water:thumbup:. It almost covers the cost of the sink! My son helped me decide on the Lava colored one. It's a done deal. I should have it by the end of the week. Here is a pic of the kitchen I will be putting in. I will not use the old sink, it sucks. White shows stains. In Germany that's the way it normally works. I own my kitchen. It is from Ikea. I also found another pic of the cork wall. I only went up so high because I was planning on dropping the ceiling. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

So, if we understand you correctly, when you rent an apartment in Germany, you put your own kitchen in?

So when you move, you take it with you...?

Seems a bit odd, but it's done with fridges and stoves here all the time, so why not the whole kit and kaboodle?


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## concretemasonry

From an observer -

It is common in Europe to own your own cabinets and fixtures. - That is why you see imported cabinets with adjustable legs and special hanging systems. It is also why you see modular units. When you move, you take it with you just like other furniture.

A friend in Paris moved to a larger unit in the same complex and just moved the cabinets and bought a few extra modules to fill in. Same thing is common in Switzerland. It is also somewhat common in homes, but people there do not move very often.

Dick


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## cocobolo

That's really not such a bad idea, is it?

I mean, if you're the one paying the rent, might as well have what you want in the way of cabinetry. 

Perhaps that's why outfits like Ikea have done so well over there - and not too badly over here either!


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## shumakerscott

I originally bought the existing kitchen from the previous tenant, a girl. It just sucked @ss.:no: The worst design from a practical stand point. It had fancy lights! You could have nothing on the counter tops when you opened a cabinet. It would sweep it all off on the floor. I kept the appliances and that's it. I was so happy to bust it up into pieces. To the eye it looked cool but you could not work in it. My design is very practical, all usable work space and good light. It will move perfect into the house. Here is a pic of the old kitchen. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Now this guy is DIY to the core! Take some time and check it out. He makes things from nothing.
http://thesalvager.com/2009/01/its-been-long-time-coming.html
I hope to get down and visit him next year. dorf dude...


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## momb

Shu; we'll start savings bottle caps for you. Only trouble is in this area most everything is flip top. 

Wow, your DIY house is superb. Over here I think it is called going green. Wish they made houses to last and were built primarily electricity free. Also over here everthing is too mobile. Our kids and grandkids don't want what we wanted. My sister has a 365 acre cattle ranch that her children and grandchildren don't want. Not sure what will happen to it.

Keep up the great work. 

momb


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## shumakerscott

Today Steve gave me a hand and started cleaning up the bedroom. It will be next to get stuccoed. I got 1 window dressed in this evening. The toilet case is now hung in place but not set. Campbell will frame in around it then we will set it secure. Tomorrow the plumbing dudes should get my kitchen water lines in. Getting there:yes:. dorf dude...


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## Jim F

shumakerscott said:


> The blade is really wicked. It can be used in wood that has nails or cement. I stumbled accross it last year and had to have it. DIY guys love tools. My ex never understood that. Why buy a tool and not use it for months? Because I will need it sometime!:yes:. The Multi Master made the pocket. I used the blade to shave down the high spot. dorf dude...


Great tip thanks. Always looking for tools of destruction. This is as far as I've goten so far and that's mostly just loking at the pictures.


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## shumakerscott

I got the 2nd window dressed up tonight. Plumber dudes did their thing and I now have kitchen water:thumbup:. The hot side isn't active yet but that's ok. I need to finish spray foaming it and then close it up. Looking forward to a busy weekend. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Getting closer by the day Shu. How many more windows do you have to go?


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## shumakerscott

1 window left, the bedroom. I will have Sat and Sun this weekend to work on the house. I'm working out a plan of attack in my head. I must get all the stucco finished and the slab for my mud room done before I fly on the 29th of July, that's 2 weeks. Then it will have 3 weeks to dry while I'm gone. Problem with that is I have a big pile of rubble sitting right where the slab will go. I'm trying to recruit some help for Sat morning. People don't get very excited when you tell them they will be moving a dirt pile:no:. I have to up the ante beyond just free beer! dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Apparently you haven't heard the trick of telling them somewhere in that pile is a whole bunch of old coins...you just can't remember where...:whistling2:


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## jlhaslip

cocobolo said:


> Apparently you haven't heard the trick of telling them somewhere in that pile is a whole bunch of old coins...you just can't remember where...:whistling2:


:laughing:


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## shumakerscott

I got an early start today. Cedric and Greg showed up and loaded up my rubble pile and hauled it away too! Thanks guys. Isaac then showed up and worked on my dirt pile and got it gone, Thanks! During this time I was working on the kitchen wall. It is looking good. I still have some more to do but a great start today. In the pics is the wall, the center where the water pipes are is tile glue with mesh. the rest is stucco. The rubble pile that isn't there and my outside faucet, it needs a trim ring in the future. I now have outside water:thumbup:. I'm back at the wall again tomorrow. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

It's nice that you have such good friends who help out. 

What kind of spigot is that? I don't see a handle to turn it off/on.


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> It's nice that you have such good friends who help out.
> 
> What kind of spigot is that? I don't see a handle to turn it off/on.


There is a twist handle like normal. The angle makes it hard to see. Solid brass. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*See you at your "home" digs in USA*

DD will try and "hook' up with you when you are 'over here'!
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I got an early start today. Cedric and Greg showed up and loaded up my rubble pile and hauled it away too! Thanks guys. Isaac then showed up and worked on my dirt pile and got it gone, Thanks! During this time I was working on the kitchen wall. It is looking good. I still have some more to do but a great start today. In the pics is the wall, the center where the water pipes are is tile glue with mesh. the rest is stucco. The rubble pile that isn't there and my outside faucet, it needs a trim ring in the future. I now have outside water:thumbup:. I'm back at the wall again tomorrow. dorf dude...


Did they find the old coins you had in the dirt pile? :no::no::no:

Walls are looking good, especially the outside one. :thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> DD will try and "hook' up with you when you are 'over here'!
> Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


Can you drive the Westy? Steamboat Rock is looking like the place to meet. dorf dude...


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## MagicalHome

Wow, such a big project ^^ I'd like to follow you each step very much


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## shumakerscott

MagicalHome said:


> Wow, such a big project ^^ I'd like to follow you each step very much


I've been at it over 2 years. I will be in by 1 Nov 2010. Not completely finished but downstairs livable. Do you have any beer bottle caps? I'm looking unique ones, not Bud or Coors. Thanks for folowing, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I've been at it over 2 years. I will be in by 1 Nov 2010. Not completely finished but downstairs livable. Do you have any beer bottle caps? I'm looking unique ones, not Bud or Coors. Thanks for folowing, dorf dude...


November 1st eh? OK, we're going to hold you to it. I only wish I could say the same!

My niece has just started working for a small local brewery here, so I'm going to see if she can swipe some caps from work and send them over to me.

I have a gal at the Crow and Gate, an English style pub here, saving some caps for you as well.

How much time do we have to get them over to you?


----------



## Jim F

Hi Scott, Finally got through to the end of all these posts- mostly just looking at the pictures- will have to go back and read. I was stationed in Friedberg from 83-87 in a Field Artillery, about 2 1/2 years. We did all of our FTX's in Graf and Vilsek. Winters in Germany can be brutal. Also did two Reforgers. After about my 3-4th trip to Vilsek, someone gave us directions to a house in town that sold beer, you know how they sell beer out of their houses. It was a long walk but in walking distance. Me and one other guy hauled a case of beer back to the tent. Good times over there. It seems like 100 years ago.

It looks like the house you are working on is attached to your neighbor's house? Or are both of those structures yours? It's qiute an ambitious project. My bathroom renovation pales in comparison. My biggest challenge is just getting the time to get to it. It has been ongoing since Feb. and should have been done. I find myself having to drop and do other things between the kids and other house fixes. Next is the Kitchen and other bathroom. The wife wants me to do the kitchen first but the bathroom will require the kitchen ceiling to be opened up so it makes more sense to do that first. I need a better plan for the kitchen- take time off from work and start and finish it within two weeks. Looking forwrd to following your progress- Jim


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## shumakerscott

It was brought to my attention that I forgot the electric outlet for a dish washer:whistling2:. Today I set a socket and cut in a line. While I was making such a mess I went ahead and set the outlets in the bedroom. I can't stucco one of the bedroom walls until I get the cross support beam set so I went ahead and cleaned it up today. That's the one that got the Borax bath. It still is a little wet in places so I will give it a couple more days to dry then seal it up. Sorry no pics today. Tomorrow will be electric wires in the bedroom and stucco again in the kitchen. It will need a few more coats. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

_"It looks like the house you are working on is attached to your neighbor's house? Or are both of those structures yours?"_

I actually only have 3 walls. That saves 25% on all outside stuff:yes:. I will insulate upstairs so my heat doesn't get absorbed by the neighbor. Down stairs in the bedroom is a brick wall seperating us and in the bathroom I will be framing it up then sheetrock with tiles. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Shu...if you have a fan there, you could blow a light breeze over that borax log to help remove the moisture. You wouldn't want to use any heat with that, just ambient temperature air.

If it's possible to set the log on sawhorses and blow from one end, that should help.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Shu...if you have a fan there, you could blow a light breeze over that borax log to help remove the moisture. You wouldn't want to use any heat with that, just ambient temperature air.
> 
> If it's possible to set the log on sawhorses and blow from one end, that should help.


It didn't help that I left it uncovered last night and it rained pretty hard:whistling2: The next few days are supposed to be warm and clear so that should get it. It is up on saw horses, now..... dd


----------



## shumakerscott

*Wine Corks and Bottle Caps needed*

I would like your local wine corks along with bottle caps. I got to thinking and the more diverse this thing is the better! I can't wait to see it finished. dd...


----------



## Jim F

I'l get you some Ommegang caps and or corks from Cooperstown NY. If We get out east again this Summer I'll try to get hold of some Cisco caps from Nantucket. They have limited distribution off Island.


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> It didn't help that I left it uncovered last night and it rained pretty hard:whistling2: The next few days are supposed to be warm and clear so that should get it. It is up on saw horses, now..... dd


...well done...:wink:


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## scoggy

*Here in "our place"*

Caps, you want caps? Here we just break the cap off the bottle, and drink the contents...will have to stop that procedure for awhile, so I can save you some,..eh? I remember your "cap panelling" upstairs in your former life, is that what you want to create once more?
Cheers
Syd:thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> Caps, you want caps? Here we just break the cap off the bottle, and drink the contents...will have to stop that procedure for awhile, so I can save you some,..eh? I remember your "cap panelling" upstairs in your former life, is that what you want to create once more?
> Cheers
> Syd:thumbup::thumbup:


Yes, but improved and a bit different from the former life. I'm getting better as I age! The ideas are coming in on a different wave length:yes:.


----------



## shumakerscott

I rode the bike today but forgot that I needed a bag of glue. I turned my Italian Stallion into a Pack Mule! I got the kitchen wall boarded up and screened. I got a good ways on 1 of the bedroom walls too. Much still to do before I fly. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Steve came by and gave me a hand getting the bedroom support beam in tonight, Thanks:thumbup:. It lined up perfect with the other beams. No notching required. He also gave it another coat of clear gel. I got some more leveling done on the kitchen wall. It is way out of wack. The beam is just free hanging at the moment with long scrwes holding it up. Getting there:yes:. dd....


----------



## shumakerscott

I've moved on to the bedroom walls now:thumbup:. One is screened and glued. Mat came and boxed the other wall. It looks like Sat is a big stucco day:yes:. I'm now a home, I have a water meter as of this morning. Now I will pay exactly for what I use and not an estimated monthly fee. Here are a couple pics, dd...


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## cocobolo

All right! That top pic looks super good!

And do you now have that beam supported, instead of just with screws?

What if your real water consumption is way less than they have been charging you for, do you get a refund? Probably not I guess!:no:


----------



## concretemasonry

cocobolo -

I think he had an arrangement for temporary water from a neighbor.

Dorf Dude -

The utility/plumbing area with the tile walls is certainly getting the German clean, organized, high-tech appearance. When you are done, you will probably pop for a Bugatti with the twin VW V8 with twin turbos (total of 4) with a top end of 260 mph/430 kpm for a rainy day instead of the Italian Stallion bike or the Mustang.

The other Schu (who's distant relative is not doing too well with the Mercedes)


----------



## shumakerscott

I've been off the neighbors water for a year now. I will get an actuall bill instead of estimated. Estimated is very high and I put a stop to that now that I had time to take care of it. Thanks for following, dd...


----------



## shumakerscott

_"All right! That top pic looks super good!

And do you now have that beam supported, instead of just with screws?"_

I used some of thoses plastic cards I had to support the beam on the end wall. You can see them in the pic, they are white. I also ran a couple toe nail screws just to make sure. I still need to clean up a beam for support from the floor on the other end. The one I have in mind needs a lot of work. Recycling save $$ but there is some work involved. I have more time than money so it is ok. dd...


----------



## shumakerscott

"_The utility/plumbing area with the tile walls is certainly getting the German clean, organized, high-tech appearance. When you are done, you will probably pop for a Bugatti with the twin VW V8 with twin turbos (total of 4) with a top end of 260 mph/430 kpm for a rainy day instead of the Italian Stallion bike or the Mustang."_

It is all coming together. I will probably end up hiding the plumbing system behind a curtain or temporary wall. The bike and Mustang are remnants that I ended up keeping through the divorce. Not to say that the ex wanted me to sell them and give her money:no:. Not happening. I used to have a great paying job in a prior life. I've had the bike paid for for about 8 years. I got the Mustang with inhearitance money and then spent the fixing up funds on the house. Now it just sits. I've had a few people trying to get me to sell it to them:no:. dd...


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## cocobolo

I don't imagine that there are too many Mustangs like that over there!

Maybe once the house is nearly done (Nobody's house is ever _completely_ done) you'll have some time to get cracking on it again.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> I don't imagine that there are too many Mustangs like that over there!
> 
> Maybe once the house is nearly done (Nobody's house is ever _completely_ done) you'll have some time to get cracking on it again.


There isn't one like it anywhere that I know of. I had a big budget at one time. There isn't 1 speck of rust left anywhere. I'm anal on details. I added weld in sub-frame connectors so the car is very rigid. I swapped the original steering for a quick ratio rack and pinion. The front suspension is now a fully adjustable coil over system with disc brakes. I added a rear sway bar to firm up the cornering. *All* the chrome trim and bumpers ect..were powdercoated black. No waxing needed! The final color will probably be in the med grey zone all though I keep thinking of yellow at times. I will use Rustoleum industrial paint. That way when it gets scratched I can just touch it up, plus it's cheap:yes:. I'm down to the motor now. Long story there. Any body got a 289 laying around? dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

Can you find parts for it over there?


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## shumakerscott

_"Can you find parts for it over there?"_

Yes and no. I have friends help me out from time to time. I got a new windshield from a local autoglass firm. I couldn't believe that! I ended up paying 4 times the US price for it but it didn't get broke in shipping either. dd...


----------



## frenchelectrican

I will get ahold of my freind I think he may have a Ford 302 somewhere in his house so I will check it out and see what he have to say and IIRC it was rebuilted.

I will get details if he want to sell so I will let you know in couple days.

Merci.
Marc


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Just go down the road and get a VW twin turbo. They will not sell them or put them in a car in the U.S. (except in a Porsche SUV), but a German resident may be able to get one, especially if the get some publicity out of the unique combination of Mustang/VW. You apparently are not doing a restoration, but a rebuild. - Smaller, lighter and about 500-550hp all from all from a bout 290 cubic inches.

The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

Stucco Done:thumbup:!!! I put almost 11 hours in today. The walls are done, just a little touch up to do. It can take the next weeks to dry no problem. A friend from work, Bill came over and trimmed around the windows. He wanted to come back next weekend but I won't be here:no:. I think he's caught the DIY bug. It's nice just to have someone to talk with while you work. Here are some pic's, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Congratulations!! That is one big chore finished! And it looks good too!:thumbsup:

How will you be finishing around that window in the pic?


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Congratulations!! That is one big chore finished! And it looks good too!:thumbsup:
> 
> How will you be finishing around that window in the pic?


That's my little bit of touching up to do. I'll stucco it like the walls.


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## shumakerscott

The word is getting around about my Sandstone windows. I was visited 2 times by the local inspectors. They are totally blown away by what I've done so far. One guy asked "How did you come up with this for an idea?" I told him that when I got the old stucco down I could see it peaking out and once I got it cleaned up then there it is. No way could I just cover it back up.:no: It took a lot more time but well worth it. I still have a couple more surprises up my sleeve that will really make the living room outstanding. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Here's the last 2 pic's for awhile. Bedroom window is trimmed and the electric for the bath medicine cabintet and outlet is set. I'm exhausted and it's time for a vacation:yes:. It has 3 weeks to dry. 2 1/2 years straight is long enough. Signing off, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Enjoy...we'll chat to you when you get back.


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## shumakerscott

*Extreme Makeover*

Ok Extreme Makeover Team. I'm leaving so now is your chance to get in and finish my house:laughing:!! Wishful thinking. I'll be back end of Aug. Dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

You wouldn't really want that unruly mob in your house, would you? :no:

Have a good trip...see you in a month. :thumbsup:


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

It is going to be a long and lonely month of August without you progress and input.

I hope you can easily get on line and post some ideas that you may get on your trip to see how they will work into your rebuilding/creation. I am sur you will get some constructive opinions, although they are probably based on U.S. construction and design concepts.

Dick


----------



## scoggy

*289 block*

Heh DD that block is still here!
Scoggy!:thumbsup:


----------



## concretemasonry

I would imagine he will come up with some unique solutions for his rebuild.

I assume he is out of range in WA or just taking it easy and catching a fish or two (not likely).

I miss the daily reports on the progress and plans (mental - not on paper).

Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

*Vacation DIY*

Greetings from HOT Eastern WA!. When I got home I found the picnic table my dad built over 40 years ago in rough shape. The first pic with my yougest son and Molly was taken 4 years ago, 2006. The table has sat in the weather it's whole life. It is made of Redwood and it is still really solid. I enlisted the help of my oldest son to start stripping it down. I hope to give it another 40 years service. You know I can't go places without something to do. :yes: It is all stripped and stained with deck stain now. It has a few days in the sun to dry before I put it back together. Oil based stains dry slow. The last pic is a trivia question. Do you know which TV series the resturant was in? They have great pie. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Glad to see you are alive and helping by doing your own thing along with the boys. What kind of oil are you planning to use on the table?

I tried to figure out where you are, but the Eastern WA threw me unless you were in the real far eastern Washington around Coulee because of the water in the background.

The diner is easy because I had pie there since it is in North Bend, just off I90. I traveled I90 once to see the only stop light on an interstate freeway. I can't identify the series, but I saw it on the Travel channel on others. I did not have the famous cherry pie, but had my personal favorite - warm apple pie with a slice of cheddar cheese on top. As you said, the pies are great.

My friend from Anacotes, WA referred to the diner's location as eastern Washington since it was just over the "ridge" to a local, but always thought of Spokane and that area as eastern Washington.

The other Schu (Dick)


----------



## shumakerscott

*Eastern WA*

That pic is Moses Lake. We are in Pomeroy at the moment. The only town in the whole county! Here is a pic of Palouse Falls. We will travel to the Coulee's, dam ect... on Monday. dorf dude...


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## Jim F

Spent a one year tour at Ft. Lewis Wa. before going over to Germany. Farthest east I got was Yakima for desert training.


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## mick_salerno

Shu, No need to worry about water for the new plants out front, it’s been raining since you flew. Flooding on the Czech Polish German border area again. Never fear though your Hooch is built way to well for a big down pour to upset anything. And now..... even more rain is on the way for days to come! Germany liquid Sun Shine, save on those car washes.
- Spoon Man


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> That pic is Moses Lake. We are in Pomeroy at the moment. The only town in the whole county! Here is a pic of Palouse Falls. We will travel to the Coulee's, dam ect... on Monday. dorf dude...


Just taking a look at that pic Shu...and it seems odd that with such an incredibly dry area that there is a big waterfall right in the middle of it all!


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## shumakerscott

Here is a pic of Steamboat Rock, over 800 vertical feet of rock face. It is surrounded with water. You can't see it in this pic but the lake, Banks Lake is 25 miles long and is used to hold irrigation water. This area is desert brought to life by the Grand Coulee Dam. I will get back to that picnic table this weekend. Should be dry by now:yes:. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

It stripped my picture, 2nd try.


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## Han'D'

I would tell you to relax and take in the sights on your vacation but I suppose I am the same way, so I understand the need to 'tinker'.
I believe the TV series was "Twin Peaks and the place was famous for cherry pie and "Damn fine cup o' coffee!". 

Good to know you are having a good time but I think I speak for everyone when I ask you to hurry home and finish that house...I personally miss the posts and check everyday...:clap:


----------



## shumakerscott

*Banks Lake*

Here is a shot of Banks Lake. Up in the far right corner is Steam Boat Rock. It is hard to imagine the scale of things here. It must be about 6 miles across at the widest. The temps are heading above 100 again. Our trip here is winding down, fly out on Thursday. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

How does your son like being here? Does he speak German and English?


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## concretemasonry

If he was young and lived in Germany for a while, he probably speaks at least two languages because communication is important even if not taught formally.

Younger people will gladly accept a different language. My daughter had a Spanish class in the first grade in Minnesota and a few years later can help out her parents if necessary and they bother to ask.

Language (especially European ones - German, French and Spanish) is not a barrier if you have an open mind. I never had a language lesson but survived well in 37 countries, but Russia, Greece and China were tough for a few days, but I knew enough to ask a young person for help or translation. Some places, like India are no problem because Hindi is the official language, but English (either "British" or "American") is the business language and everyone speaks it because the Indians shift into that when they travel in other areas of the country and travel into one of the 17 different regions. - It is a small world and getting smaller because of communication.

Dick


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## Jim F

concretemasonry said:


> If he was young and lived in Germany for a while, he probably speaks at least two languages because communication is important even if not taught formally.
> 
> Younger people will gladly accept a different language. My daughter had a Spanish class in the first grade in Minnesota and a few years later can help out her parents if necessary and they bother to ask.
> 
> Language (especially European ones - German, French and Spanish) is not a barrier if you have an open mind. I never had a language lesson but survived well in 37 countries, but Russia, Greece and China were tough for a few days, but I knew enough to ask a young person for help or translation. Some places, like India are no problem because Hindi is the official language, but English (either "British" or "American") is the business language and everyone speaks it because the Indians shift into that when they travel in other areas of the country and travel into one of the 17 different regions. - It is a small world and getting smaller because of communication.
> 
> Dick


This is one area where we lag sorely behind in the US. In many countries its mandatory to teach school children a second language. Most Germans I met over there spoke English and sometimes a third language like French or Spanish. They don't even start teaching a second language until 4th or 5th grade in my area. 

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to break 1000 on this thread.


----------



## concretemasonry

You hit it on the button - The U.S. is either 12th or 15th in education in the world. We become too provincial and closed.

When looking for help, look to teenagers for assistance if no one else speaks English/American, but they can understand it thanks to the internet, satellite T.V. and the fact that the teachers are multi-lingual. In Germany, English is the second language and it is very common in the Dorf Dude's area. they have an open mind and are very open to learning.

Dick
Dick


----------



## frenchelectrican

I will speak from my experince due I do speak both Engish and French and I do grow up in Paris area and got fluent in both langunge I know it not easy to master it but over the time it become second nature plus what more I allready know sign langunge for the deaf as well { due most of my family members are deaf and they are trilangungel a well }

But for normal hearing part in Paris area it kind mixed bag engish and French however in other are it strictly French but there are few engish speaking peoples around to help.

Merci.
Marc


----------



## sbmfj

Grew up in Quebec Canada, and can speak both English and French fluently. So helpful. Learned French when I was kind playing with friends in the neigborhood, best and easiet way to learn.


----------



## frenchelectrican

sbmfj said:


> Grew up in Quebec Canada, and can speak both English and French fluently. So helpful. Learned French when I was kind playing with friends in the neigborhood, best and easiet way to learn.


C'est vrai.

Merci.
Marc


----------



## shumakerscott

I'm back on German soil now. It was over 18 hours but we made it. I did not get the picnic table completely finished but very close. My brother wanted to do things a little different so I left it for him to finish up. It's his table anyway. I just knocked out the big work. Here is a pic of it and the stain I used. The sun has washed out the table pic but it is dark brown. Thanks for your coments while I was away. I had basically no internet conection while I was home but I'm back now. How did I drop from a 5 star thread to a 4 star in the time I was gone? Something is not right here. Kind of fishy :yes:. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

Glad you made it back safe. Did your son enjoy the trip?


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## shumakerscott

We spent the last day on the lake boating, temps were just below 100. Syd and his wife came for 2 days and it was a blast! This picture sums it all up:yes:.


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## shumakerscott

Here is the last sunset we enjoyed. What a fantastic day drinking beer with old friends and just chillin out. It don't get any better than that. dorf dude...


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## BigJim

Beautiful picture, thanks for sharing.


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Here is the last sunset we enjoyed. What a fantastic day drinking beer with old friends and just chillin out. It don't get any better than that. dorf dude...


Shu, that is one gorgeous sunset...mind if I ask where you took it? Thanks.


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I'm back on German soil now. It was over 18 hours but we made it. I did not get the picnic table completely finished but very close. My brother wanted to do things a little different so I left it for him to finish up. It's his table anyway. I just knocked out the big work. Here is a pic of it and the stain I used. The sun has washed out the table pic but it is dark brown. Thanks for your coments while I was away. I had basically no internet conection while I was home but I'm back now. How did I drop from a 5 star thread to a 4 star in the time I was gone? Something is not right here. Kind of fishy :yes:. dorf dude...


Two quick things Shu...it has been 40 years since I used that Cabot stain, and it was the best I ever used. I did try to locate some up here when we first came to the island, but no luck. Where did you manage to find yours?

Congratulations on getting back to five stars, :thumbup: what a strange coincidence that just you and I both dropped to four at the same time.

Now I just need enough kind souls to vote me back up again!


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## shumakerscott

The Cabot stain was on the shelf in my dads shop. It was probably 20+ years old. When you enter that house its like a time capsule back to the 70's. The carpet, paneling and cabinets all scream 70's. My brother is slowly updating it. Thanks for following along, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Dorf Dudes ..."Magic"!*

Ladies and gentlemen, I have never seen Dorf Dude so relaxed, and his son also, and his friend John with his Big 27 foot Reinell with a 454 Chev motor, and prolly one of the "BIGGEST HEART" people I have ever seen, and I watched DD "morph" from "uptight white guy', to 'SLLOOWW", and it was incredible! "WE' had the most incredible day on Moses lake, that will never be forgotten! You can have a good time boating,..and then there are 'Great times"! Sorry if this is irrelevant, but WOW! My wife and I can never ever top that day!
Cheers
Syd


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## cocobolo

scoggy said:


> Ladies and gentlemen, I have never seen Dorf Dude so relaxed, and his son also, and his friend John with his Big 27 foot Reinell with a 454 Chev motor, and prolly one of the "BIGGEST HEART" people I have ever seen, and I watched DD "morph" from "uptight white guy', to 'SLLOOWW", and it was incredible! "WE' had the most incredible day on Moses lake, that will never be forgotten! You can have a good time boating,..and then there are 'Great times"! Sorry if this is irrelevant, but WOW! My wife and I can never ever top that day!
> Cheers
> Syd


Nothing quite beats spending time with old friends. Especially in such a relaxed atmosphere.

Glad to hear that Shu came down a bit while he was there! It's pretty obvious that he had one terrific time.

Thanks for letting us know that Syd.


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## markshu

*cabot stain*



shumakerscott said:


> The Cabot stain was on the shelf in my dads shop. It was probably 20+ years old. When you enter that house its like a time capsule back to the 70's. The carpet, paneling and cabinets all scream 70's. My brother is slowly updating it. Thanks for following along, dorf dude...


 Mein Deutches Bruder, I actually got that cabot stain about 5 yrs. ago to stain the wood on the car trailer, it was highly rated in cons.reports..Lowes here in the states carries a full line of cabot, I'm not sure if they have lowes up der in kanada for cocobola though. Good to see you made it back safe, now you can get back to gettin er done.

Your bro,:jester:


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## cocobolo

markshu said:


> Mein Deutches Bruder, I actually got that cabot stain about 5 yrs. ago to stain the wood on the car trailer, it was highly rated in cons.reports..Lowes here in the states carries a full line of cabot, I'm not sure if they have lowes up der in kanada for cocobola though. Good to see you made it back safe, now you can get back to gettin er done.
> 
> Your bro,:jester:


Hi Mark:

Thanks for the info on the stain. Cabot has been around forever, and there's no doubt it's excellent stuff. Lowe's has recently come up to Kanada (with a K) but I believe they are only back east just yet. Naturally, the House of Pot doesn't carry it.

Keep after that brother of yours...:laughing::thumbup:


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

I sounds like you had a great time in a great area with relatives - It is hard to beat the combination!

I have a wife of 20+ years (still going) and and a first wife of 26 years. - Both the same first name. so I did not have to buy new towels. They are great friends and make it easy to keep together, but the second does not want to be a grandmother, so she is JoyJoy or Joy2 and the kids refer to the grand kids call the first Gramma Joy. They talk to each other more than I do because of the holidays, boating, meals and other reasons to get together.

On a more serious note, I am beginning to collect beer bottle caps and it seems you are interested in local U.S. caps instead of purchased caps or the ordinary beer we see in the U.S. ("American" Budweiser, Miller, Coors, etc.). I am not a beer drinker but have good access to some real authentic traditional beers because of the local German brewing tradition here and plan to get some beer for my friends to try the beer providing I get the caps back. - Am I on the right track? I think you might want some unique caps and not just a case of unused Miller Lite caps with plastic liners.

I would imagine it is almost impossible to ship bottles of beer from the U.S. to Germany because of laws, requirements and unknown fees between countries. - My ex-boss bought a goat skin full (Bodega?) of red wine in Spain and the requirements (import/export, taxes, forms, taxes, red tape, etc.) just to pick it up when it got here were a big barrier. We had to contact the local Teamster Union Business Agent and he called back in two hours with instructions on where to go at the airport, who to see and when to do it (lunchtime). No problem, but I have no idea what it cost, but importing beer bottles into Germany could almost be as difficult.

Glad to see you back and missed the reports on your problems, solutions and progress. I imagine everything is now well cured/aged and you are ready to attack the project again. What are your plans after the restoration/reconstruction is completed especially if it will be looked at closely by the locals. Everything you have done seems to fit the area and tradition with modern technology.

Good to see that you had a good time despite the 16 hour return (must have been a couple of transfers and schedule situations. When I traveled from India and Russia, I always went straight through (20+ hours starting on a midnight flight) because I would be home in northern Michigan where I could then relax. - I bet you were happy to return and be in a known environment.

The other Schu - Dick


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## scoggy

*Markshu, your work!!!*

Mark, Have never met you, and your Bro Scott has spoken well of you when I see him, but I was just amazed at the work you have done on your dad's house! Being in the profession you are in, ...how do you find the time? Was amazed at what you had done already, and Scott told me so much history of the place! I am glad you took the initiative to buy the place and redo it...the deck views are to die for, I will never forget them..your dad had "vision and "Balls", to have bought it way back then, and now you are 'restoring' it!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Cheers
Syd


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## shumakerscott

I got back at it today. I started screwing down the ceiling boards after letting them dry in place. Not a photo worthy doing but a step forward. While I was gone Campbell got going on the bathroom wall. It is 2 layer 1/2" sheet rock. We will make storage shelves in the openings. Here is a pic. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

It is looking pretty good as expected by your dedication to do it right.

I am awaiting seeing the finished home in the end. Sometimes, a break away in a different area can get the "juices flowing", but cannot compare to getting back to the job at hand and finishing things the way you want them.

The beer bottle caps will be coming.

The other Schu (Luxembourger, not German because my ancestors lived 200 yards/meters too far west and across the Mosel river).


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## cocobolo

Great to see you back in the saddle again Shu!:thumbsup:


----------



## markshu

scoggy said:


> Mark, Have never met you, and your Bro Scott has spoken well of you when I see him, but I was just amazed at the work you have done on your dad's house! Being in the profession you are in, ...how do you find the time? Was amazed at what you had done already, and Scott told me so much history of the place! I am glad you took the initiative to buy the place and redo it...the deck views are to die for, I will never forget them..your dad had "vision and "Balls", to have bought it way back then, and now you are 'restoring' it!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
> Cheers
> Syd


 Thanks for the positive comments Syd, I was hoping to meet you this go around but you were coming the same day I had to leave in the a.m.. My brother is a great role model for diy. When I get tired out working on it, I look at what Scott is doing and that gives me an extra push. Hope to meet you one of these days.:thumbup:
Take care,
Mark


----------



## shumakerscott

I've gotten all the ceiling boards in place and set. The small bridge above the door came out great:thumbup:. That will become the traverse to the bathroom. Before I went on vacation I planted some wild flower-sun flower seeds on the front corner. I now have a jungle there. It rained most of the time the last 3 weeks while I was gone. Things went crazy. I figured I could throw up a flower pic since other people are. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Shu...things are looking so ..._clean_...above that doorway. Man but that came out beautifully. :thumbup:

I wish we had some of that rain while you were gone - no, maybe not - if we had it then it means you would have got it when you were on holiday. You didn't need that.

It sure worked its' magic on your sunflowers. :thumbsup:


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## concretemasonry

I was expecting to see window box planters on each window of the front, as in the tradition around you.

It is fun to watch the sunflowers to turn during the day to get the sun, but I am partial to the traditional appearance.

The other Schu


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## cocobolo

Isn't that a tradition all over Europe? It used to be when I was a kid in the first half of the last century!


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## frenchelectrican

It used to but some area it slowly drop out for some reason.

Merci.
Marc


----------



## cocobolo

Maybe it's my wife's fault...she brought the idea over to Canada!

Here's her window box on her studio.


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## shumakerscott

Today Campbell came over and we worked on the toilet wall. It is now hooked up to the sewer line:thumbup:. We got most of the framing done so now it is sheet rock time. I hope to start tileing by this weekend. I felt the force today about lights again. I went and found this perfect light for my entry way. Moving forward! dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

...you do seem to find some of the neatest things.

I have a question for you about your Fein multimaster.

I was looking on their site and they seem to have several models, which model number is it that you have?

The missus has offered to buy me one for my birthday, and I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth...as it were.

Thanks.


----------



## shumakerscott

The Fein Multimaster I have is an older model. It seems now they make 2. One corded and one cordless. They offer different packages of attachments with the corded one. I wouldn't go cordless for this tool. Just be ready to pay big $ for the blades. I choose this tool as my last resort when nothing else will do the job because of the costs. dorf dude..


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## cocobolo

I gather that you are referring to the blade costs? Apparently, some of the blades can be sharpened..but having zero experience yet, I don't know which ones.

I picked up their brochure yesterday, and they don't list a cordless version for north America. The two models are an FMM 250 and the FMM 250Q. The Q refers to their quick blade change model.

I believe your model would run on 240 volts...? Here it is 120 volts and 250 watts.

One thing I didn't know was that Fein apparently invented the electric drill. I guess somebody had to do it!

As an aside to this, Fein's patent expired last year and other manufacturers are now able to jump on the bandwagon. I have read reports of other tools made in a similar fashion by the other major manufacturers, yet for some reason the Fein still appears to be the tool of choice. Perhaps it is their 40 years of experience with this tool and the many small refinements they have made over the years.

When we were in the tool store, I noticed that Jet even had a new version of this tool.


----------



## shumakerscott

Fein is the Mercedes of tools. Any and all of them. You don't see them much because the Big Box stores can't make a profit on them. They sell you a drill with a 2 year guarantee and it dies in 2 1/2 then you buy a new one. When a drill lasts 10+ years.... No profit. Here in Europe they are more common amungst the professionals. They have led the way in power tools for years. As for the Multimaster I have no knowledge on the quick change. Get your hands on it and ask for a test drive. BTW I used mine today to cut some metal framing in the bathroom. Nothing else could reach :no:! Paid for itself again :yes:. Great for those little pain in the butt jobs. More pics tomorrow. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Fein is the Mercedes of tools. Any and all of them. You don't see them much because the Big Box stores can't make a profit on them. They sell you a drill with a 2 year guarantee and it dies in 2 1/2 then you buy a new one. When a drill lasts 10+ years.... No profit. Here in Europe they are more common amungst the professionals. They have led the way in power tools for years. As for the Multimaster I have no knowledge on the quick change. Get your hands on it and ask for a test drive. BTW I used mine today to cut some metal framing in the bathroom. Nothing else could reach :no:! Paid for itself again :yes:. Great for those little pain in the butt jobs. More pics tomorrow. dorf dude...


All very true, except the 2 year warranty tools expire at 2 years and 1 day, or as soon as you lose the receipt. Whichever comes first!

I showed my wife the brochure and asked her if there was anything in there which she thought she might need it for herself...didn't take long. She's going to tackle the leaded glass window in the studio door. Several uses for it there alone.

The quick change I think is the same as yours except it has a lever at the front which you lift up, change blades and click it back down, done. I saw it in the store yesterday.


----------



## shumakerscott

I'm not cut out for international travel:no:! Jet lag is still kicking my butt. Come 1pm my time I'm a Zombie. I've had some help in the bathroom, thank you! Today I coated the big wall with tile glue and mesh to firm it up and waterproof the shower area. Matt called and wanted to know if he could tile today, I said sure:yes:. He had voluntered weeks ago for doing it. This week I started cutting more light holes in the bedroom until the hole saw rounded out. It would just spin on the arbor and I only cut 10 holes with it :furious:. I welded up the flat sides and filed them smooth. So far so good. I now have 10 lights in the bedroom with a total power draw of 457 watts. It was 500 but one 50 watt bulb burned out in 30 seconds. As they die I will replace with CF or LED to get it down around 70 watts. Here are some pics, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Would you guys mind slowing down? You're embarrassing me!

Looking good...I bet you're really looking forward to being able to use the room for its' intended purpose.

I guess the moral here is don't buy Lux...unless there is something wrong with your arbor.


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## shumakerscott

I have to make up for 3 weeks! I have decried that the Port-a-Potti will no longer be used come next Sat:yes:! That is giving me plenty of lee way. My house will be in the 21st century for the first time ever.:thumbup: dorf dude...


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## BigJim

Absolutely beautiful, from where you came to where you are now is just fantastic!!!


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## scoggy

*Those lights are a terrific touch*

DD, good 'imagineering' with that light set up.:thumbsup::thumbsup: Looks like project is really comming together! :thumbup: 
Cheers
Scoggy


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## cocobolo

Well, it will be ready for the next couple of hundred years pretty soon.

I have to wonder if anyone else there has rebuilt one of these old houses to the degree that you have.

Incredible amount of work and awesome job.:thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

I couldn't let Matt have all the fun with the tile. I went and knocked out a few rows today. Not perfect but good enough for me :yes:. BTW The decorative squares I got for free! That's my kind of price. Look at how the tiles line up exact with the across rows and the shelves. I have great help! dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Wow! The first words out of my mouth when I saw that..."Oh! My goodness!"

Hope mine turns out as well.


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Wow! The first words out of my mouth when I saw that..."Oh! My goodness!"
> 
> Hope mine turns out as well.


You have more angles to deal with then me. I only have some crooked walls to get around. Laying tile on this sheetrock is a dream. dorf dude...


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## jlhaslip

what size are the tiles?
will you be tiling inside the shelves?


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## shumakerscott

what size are the tiles?
will you be tiling inside the shelves?[/quote]

They are around 10x12"
Yes, tiling inside the shelves. They were set up that way, no cutting except for the crooked wall part. The backs take off at about a 20 degree angle. I have great help. :thumbup:


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## jlhaslip

set the shelf tiles with a wee bit of tip to them so they drain out.
last thing you want is water pooling at the back corners. 

it'll look great when finished...


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## shumakerscott

jlhaslip said:


> set the shelf tiles with a wee bit of tip to them so they drain out.
> last thing you want is water pooling at the back corners.
> 
> it'll look great when finished...


Obvious on the tip for water pooling but thanks for pointing it out. I over look and forget many things and I always like a 2nd pair of eyes. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Things are working out! I posted about my bedroom lights using so much energy, 457 watts. Today a local chain store had LED's for 5,99. I bought a butt load of them. It is a pay back investment, alot more so than buying carbon credits. Don't get me started on that load of [email protected]. I'm down to 34 watts total use and they are brighter than the Halogens:thumbup:. The key is that they are SMD LED's and not normal type. They are the yellow dots behind the lens. They are bright with a nice color of light, warm white. I think I will get more tomorrow. No work at the house today, I'm getting a cold and it is very cold and rainy. I tried but my fingers were going numb, summer is gone. I will have the toilet in by the weekend:yes:. dorf dude...


----------



## Ivy

Hang in there Dorf Dude! Keep up the excellent work!

Long time fan, first time poster to your thread.


----------



## cocobolo

Do those LED's need a special holder?


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Do those LED's need a special holder?


They mount directly into my recessed fixtures. They are twist type. In the picture on the box you can see the 2 pins that stick out. We call them GU 10 type base. They are direct line voltage 220V. No transformer for 12V. I don't think you have that style in North America. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I played with more tiles. It takes longer than expected. They must be right or else I have to look at them for the next 30 years! Still not perfect but ok for me :yes:. My gaps vary a little bit. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

shumakerscott said:


> what size are the tiles?
> will you be tiling inside the shelves?


They are around 10x12"
Yes, tiling inside the shelves. They were set up that way, no cutting except for the crooked wall part. The backs take off at about a 20 degree angle. I have great help. :thumbup:[/quote]

The tiles are 8" x 13" to be exact. I read it on the box tonight. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Hey Shu...._everybody's_ gaps differ when setting tile. It's just that Bud won't admit it.:laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## cocobolo

You mentioned earlier about sheetrock. That would only be on your partition walls, would it?

What did you do on the outside stone walls? Use some kind of stucco and tile right over that?


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> You mentioned earlier about sheetrock. That would only be on your partition walls, would it?
> 
> What did you do on the outside stone walls? Use some kind of stucco and tile right over that?


The stucco I put up the last few weeks in the other rooms is the finished wall. I will paint it and that's it, finished. The sheetrock here in the bathroom was needed because the walls were in such bad shape. I needed a 90 degree corner for my shower to fit in. Stucco is the cheapest way to finish out a wall. I will be using it upstairs too. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

A little further:thumbup:. I wanted to be more into it but things take time. I can still see a toilet by Sat:yes:. Here's a pic from today. dorf dude...


----------



## no1hustler

That looks great, in fact, your whole project looks great. Thank you for sharing!


----------



## shumakerscott

no1hustler said:


> That looks great, in fact, your whole project looks great. Thank you for sharing!


Thanks for following, My decorative blocks are a little off balance as I look at the pic's now. It's hard to see things sometimes before it is made. I'm sick right now and am shaking off the last of jet lag so that doesn't help. Stay tuned, more to come. dorf dude...

I should have put 3 blocks in and shifted to the left 1 row. Oh well... I'm stuck with it now. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Thanks for following, My decorative blocks are a little off balance as I look at the pic's now. It's hard to see things sometimes before it is made. I'm sick right now and am shaking off the last of jet lag so that doesn't help. Stay tuned, more to come. dorf dude...
> 
> I should have put 3 blocks in and shifted to the left 1 row. Oh well... I'm stuck with it now. dorf dude...


Don't beat yourself up so much, it looks fine. There's nothing wrong with something being slightly asymmetrical at all.


----------



## Hurriken

Just came back from germany, three great weeks in the Mein river valley. My sister in law designs kitchens for a living if your interested. She does great work. If your interested in going that route I could get her company (near Schweinfurt) info...but I suppose you will DIY! 


Are you sure that stuff is stucco? My in laws call it "putz" and it seems a bit different than stucco. My Brother in Law did that for a living for quite awhile. It's funny, many people over there build their houses and complete everything except the outside "putz". Then they will wait 5-10 years before they have it done. It's expensive and hard work as well.


----------



## Jim F

Here is what I found about putz. http://www.productspec.net/company/2274/putz-technik-products-ltd.aspx


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## shumakerscott

Putz is what we call it. I just translated it to stucco so it wouldn't get confusing. There are 3 types I can buy from my supplier, Cement putz, Kalk Cement putz or Kalk putz. The use of cement helps waterproof it. Schweinfurt is only about 2 hours away, You should have stopped by! Time to go and mount my toilet:thumbup:. dorf dude...


----------



## Hurriken

I actually thought about asking you. I knew it wasn't too far, I have spent a few days at "Area Mud".


----------



## shumakerscott

My toilet is in :thumbup:. We started planning out the shower today also. Wait until you see this:yes:. I'm in great spirits with todays progress. Here's some pic's. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Interesting how the european installations always look so refined.

That's the first time we've seen the wall behind the toilet tiled, isn't it? Looks first rate, came out nicely.

Is there some kind of glass enclosure for the shower?


----------



## shumakerscott

The shower will have a glass enclosure. There are 2 buttons on the toilet. Big one for poop and the little one for pee. We are very energy conservative here. I am just thrilled that it is finally in:thumbup:!! dorf dude...


----------



## Han'D'

That there is one fine crapper!! New car smell?? LOL

Great to have you back Shu!!


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

That is certainly a very sleek room and installation. That is a big sign of the progress and completion. Watch out when your neighbors see you finished project because there will be pressure on them to equal yours.

Somehow I became a "crapologist" (after Sir Thomas Crapper) and have been taking pictures in many countries of all the ones I have seen in hotels, homes, etc. It all began when I was in Russia and our apartment had a TV with two channels, a hard wired radio with only one station that that you could not shut off. After reading the entire set of Russian medical books in about 1 hour, I went to use the facilities and commented on the innovations. My friend suggested that I document them as I traveled.

Some people might be interested in the difference between the U.S. and the rest of the world. Some photos might be interesting for comparison. I always take a face on shot a down shot and then remove the tank cover (if possible) and then a shot of the works in side. I have over 300 different ones from many countries. - Two top buttons or side mounted if not electric wall mounts?.

The comparison to the typical U.S. toilet to the more sophisticated ones might be interesting, since the innovative models are not common here.

Addition: Sorry I did not look at the photos close enough, so picking up the lid to see the works is not too easy. Where are the two buttons? Also,they also make a caddy for beer that hangs in the leg of your "Workmate" or whatever it is that is below the work area, so no tips-overs.

A second addition. After more study I caught the visual clues to determine the 2 flush control buttons. When you spend a lot of time in the U.S. you forget about the obvious international visual (non-language) things because most of us a single language, except recent immigrants that have 2 or more languages.

The other Schu - (Dick)


----------



## frenchelectrican

Speaking of the toilets.

Most of them in France are small tank type useally 3 liter size but few still have 10 liters but that about history and yeah new one are dual rated now simauir to DD have now to save even more water.

Merci.
Marc


----------



## jlhaslip

those accents look great right where they are...

nice job.


----------



## tpolk

nice to have a commode off the floor, much easier to keep area clean. I had two of those workmate benches, got tired of banging my shins on their step, gave to a friend who loves them. nice tile work dd. :thumbsup: timothy


----------



## cocobolo

jlhaslip said:


> those accents look great right where they are...
> 
> nice job.


They sure do, don't they? I just noticed that Shu has two sets of accents perfectly placed on both sides of the shower. Just enough and not too much.

Too much of a good thing can sometimes look gaudy. This just looks classy. I think the whole room is extremely well done.


----------



## shumakerscott

Thanks for the positive feedback. I did hold back on the accents to keep it subtle. Today I finished my storage shelves with tiles. They are not square so it took some time. I also layed the threshold of the bathroom door and finished the floor. Tomorrow I will grout the wall and maybe the floor. 
As you might know I roll my own smokes. Today I rolled and lit one then went outside. I smelled a paper burning smell but couldn't find it. Later I did, I piece of lit tobacco fell into my brand new box of shells. I got lucky on this one. More pics as things get going. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

On a side note.... I used to do stained glass. Here is a picture of a mosaic I did some years ago. Note the tolorances of the gaps. You think tile is hard? Each feather is a seperate piece. Maybe in the new house I will get the bug again and do some more in the future. Thought you might like this. dorf dude...
PS I made the frame too


----------



## cocobolo

You _THOUGHT_ we might like it?????? Are you kidding me???

That's outstanding!

You do know that the name of our house is "Eagles Reach" don't you?

I just showed it to the missus...she has been trying to get going on some stained glass work. Good heavens man, I only hope she gets 1/10 as good as you.

What kind of saw or grinder do you use when you cut and fit your glass?


----------



## concretemasonry

Shu -

After seeing the glass art work, I now see where the class and feeling of your rebuild come stems from.

Where do you plan to put the next stained glass masterpiece? - Inserts inside the front windows?


The other Schu - (Dick)


----------



## cocobolo

concretemasonry said:


> Shu -
> 
> After seeing the glass art work, I now see where the class and feeling of your rebuild come stems from.
> 
> Where do you plan to put the next stained glass masterpiece? - Inserts inside the front windows?
> 
> 
> The other Schu - (Dick)


I couldn't agree more! Very well said! :thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

I'm not doing stained glass anymore, maybe in the future. I had a very productive day, went by the tile store for the shower step. Great snag! I grouted about 2/3'rds of my wall and ran out of grout. I also picked up the paint for the inside walls. It is a slight yellow orange color. That will work well with massive wood inside.
I have a Marder making his home in my barn. A weasle. 
He's pooped over everything. I set 2 rat baits yesterday and they were both gone this morning. I hope he took them home and fed his family! I am very animal friendly but these guys will reek havoc on your car and other things. They are real bad news. I hope for some pics for you tomorrow. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Scott -

I had a Corvette that I stored in a old barn over the winter and mice and similar things were everywhere. They could get into everything. I used an old method of shaving some Irish Spring bar soap and putting it inside the car. I also hang some from my tomato and pepper plants to avoid deer from eating them. I also put a few shavings in my exhaust pipe remembering my bosses 1955 Corvette when the mice were blown out when it was towed out of storage and restarted.

I don't think it is anything bad for animals, but the smell seems to discourage them.

Dick


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## frenchelectrican

With my old diesel truck which I still have it but not start very often but I do throw in few moth balls in the exhaust stack and they pratcally hate it inside the cab I put in alot of ceder chips that will discourage the mouse in there.

But when start it up first time just tug them outside first otherwise you will have flying mothballs everywhere.

Merci.
Marc


----------



## shumakerscott

Mental planning only today, My cold is kickin my butt. I have no energy by the time I finish work. Wait until we get the shower in!! Wow will be the words that come to mind. :thumbup:. Big things on the horizon. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Mental planning only today, My cold is kickin my butt. I have no energy by the time I finish work. Wait until we get the shower in!! Wow will be the words that come to mind. :thumbup:. Big things on the horizon. dorf dude...


Not that I wish you ill or anything...but this gives me a chance to catch up!

_GET WELL SOON MY MAN!!!:thumbup:_


----------



## Jim F

Are those wall-mounted toilets standard over there? They are a good idea but you pay a premium for such a thing here. Are you going to install a bidet? They seemed pretty common there. I had never seen one before Germany- had to ask someone what it was.

Cigarettes cost $4.50 a pack minimum here in NY with the new tax. I can't imagine not rolling your own here since they don't tax loose tobacco but most people still buy the pre-rolled ones.


----------



## shumakerscott

Here is a pic of the Tile Store "Opel" Fantastic place! Steve started rolling out some paint and Campbell got going on the shower base. What do you think of Steve's pants? He got no slack from us over them:laughing:. I just sat back and drank beer:no:. Not really. Wait until the next pic's:yes:. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Nice tile store, looks like they have all sorts of cool stuff n there.

And what's wrong with the pants anyway? :whistling2:


----------



## shumakerscott

Today Campbell and I hit the shower base. He did the right side and I took the left. The reason for raising it is because of the drain. It also came out looking a million times better than setting it on the floor:thumbup:. I just need to grout it and set the shower base. Total cost was $5 for the tiles. I scrounged through the rests in their warehouse. Paint crew is showing up today. I didn't tell them that we will need to clean up first:whistling2:. I have some great friends, Thanks. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Is that some sort of foam block you used for the base in front of the shower?


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## shumakerscott

The base is made of a puffed up cement type stuff. We made great progress today. The bedroom is pretty much painted. Mick decided he was a 2 roller gun slinger. Isaac helped too. Steve had to take off before I got his pic. Campbell set the door frames:thumbup:. I just sat back and drank beer:no:. I did get stung by a bee on my tongue while drinking a beer. I'm not allergic so it lasted about 2 hours and back to normal. That sucked. Things are moving along!! dorf dude...


----------



## gma2rjc

I love the step around the shower and how the tile looks. Great idea!

With the paint and the door frames, it's really taking on a finished look. :thumbsup:

Have you been getting very many beer bottle caps?

Barb


----------



## cocobolo

So do you have to pay Mick double wages because he works twice as fast now? :huh:


----------



## shumakerscott

Thanks Barb. I have gotten lots of local caps and a few from when I was home. That project is on the horizon but not here yet. Soon, very soon. dorf dude...


----------



## Hurriken

Wasp stings are par for the course in Germany. You better get yourself a Bier Deckel!


----------



## shumakerscott

Campbell just had to hang the bathroom door today. Can't say I don't blame him. It absolutely looks fantastic:thumbup:. I had Matt powder coat the handles black. That really sets things off. The handles were really cheap and eventually I will replace them as I can afford it. The threshold really lined up and looks great. I trimmed out the bedroom paint and spot touched up. Really moving along now:yes:. dorf dude...


----------



## helmut

Hello dorfdude 

it´s very very good. your Bathroom is *(woooooooow !!!!) *fantastic.


your friend Helmut:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

helmut said:


> Hello dorfdude
> 
> it´s very very good. your Bathroom is *(woooooooow !!!!) *fantastic.
> 
> 
> your friend Helmut:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


Thank you, Just wait for more.......
dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

:thumbsup:Today Campbell mounted the sink and set the shower base. Thanks. :thumbup:I worked on stucco "Putz" and painting. Every day a little further. dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

It is all just fantastic, you have really come a long way, just beautiful, there is nothing not to like about your home!!


----------



## cocobolo

jiju1943 said:


> It is all just fantastic, you have really come a long way, just beautiful, there is nothing not to like about your home!!


You said it Jim!

Nice sink, nice faucet...heck...nice everything! :thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

jiju1943 said:


> It is all just fantastic, you have really come a long way, just beautiful, there is nothing not to like about your home!!


Jim, I know where every goof up is. There are many. The trick is to hide them really well. I have a big one with the shower base and have not figured it out yet. I might post pic's for input. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Jim, I know where every goof up is. There are many. The trick is to hide them really well. I have a big one with the shower base and have not figured it out yet. I might post pic's for input. dorf dude...


OK, fill us in.

First thing I looked for was to see if the water would drain out OK. That looks to be all right. Other than that I don't know, it all looks so good.


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> Jim, I know where every goof up is. There are many. The trick is to hide them really well. I have a big one with the shower base and have not figured it out yet. I might post pic's for input. dorf dude...


That is what makes a great artisan, being able to turn his "over runs" into part of the project to look intentional. You have incorporated your "over runs" very well, if there are any.


----------



## Jim F

Looks good. No bidet I see. Your window sill reminds me of the one in my current bathroom project, full of tools, fasteners etc. You gotta take advantage of the horizontal spaces available I guess.


----------



## shumakerscott

_"OK, fill us in._

_First thing I looked for was to see if the water would drain out OK. That looks to be all right. Other than that I don't know, it all looks so good."_

I'll give you one big goof up. Look at the tiles on the right hand side of the bathroom door. I used scrap pieces that weren't full length and didn't set a gap. I thought the door frame would cover them better. OOPS! 
I'll have 1 more for you in the next post that I might need help with. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Jim F -

Why do you seem to think there should be a bidet?

It should be interesting which bathroom will last the longest, even though one home is a few centuries older. Is your project creative enough to use the tiles vertically for effect and take advantage of the modularity that can be used?

Sorry if I am being a smart-a$$, but I have stayed in hundreds of hotels in the bathrooms and never saw any evidence of use or being used.

Dick


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> _"OK, fill us in._
> 
> _First thing I looked for was to see if the water would drain out OK. That looks to be all right. Other than that I don't know, it all looks so good."_
> 
> I'll give you one big goof up. Look at the tiles on the right hand side of the bathroom door. I used scrap pieces that weren't full length and didn't set a gap. I thought the door frame would cover them better. OOPS!
> I'll have 1 more for you in the next post that I might need help with. dorf dude...


Heck, is that all you're worried about? Just cut a small piece and stick it in place. 

Only you and me will ever know, and I promise you I won't tell a soul.:whistling2:


----------



## shumakerscott

_"Jim F -

Why do you seem to think there should be a bidet?

It should be interesting which bathroom will last the longest, even though one home is a few centuries older. Is your project creative enough to use the tiles vertically for effect and take advantage of the modularity that can be used?

Sorry if I am being a smart-a$$, but I have stayed in hundreds of hotels in the bathrooms and never saw any evidence of use or being used.

Dick "_

My old house had a bidet. We used it for storage. I'm building a "Man Cave" so no bidet. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Oh man that's funny! What did you store in there? :laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## BigJim

I saw that word bidet and thought, "what is a bidet". I asked Judy, "what is a bidet"? (bid it) That is when she started using a fancy word and I knew what it was then, man, talk about thick.:laughing::yes: ( I wish she would knock off the laughing now) LOL

Just a thought on your bathroom door trim, could you use a back band just wide enough to cover the blank spot? I at first thought like Keith did about installing a small piece, and it would work and not catch the eye.


----------



## shumakerscott

_Oh man that's funny! What did you store in there?_ :laughing:

Toilet paper and wet wipes. It could of also been used for the dogs watering dish! 
No work for the next 3 days. I have to work at my job and go away. I hope floor on the weekend. dorf dude...


----------



## Jim F

concretemasonry said:


> Jim F -
> 
> Why do you seem to think there should be a bidet?
> 
> It should be interesting which bathroom will last the longest, even though one home is a few centuries older. Is your project creative enough to use the tiles vertically for effect and take advantage of the modularity that can be used?
> 
> Sorry if I am being a smart-a$$, but I have stayed in hundreds of hotels in the bathrooms and never saw any evidence of use or being used.
> 
> Dick


The only comparison I made between my bathroom and Shu's was the way we both need to use the windowsill to stash tools out of necessity. I asked the bidet question because I remember seeing them a lot in public restrooms over there. I don't know if Germans have them in their homes or not and I certainly don't have one in my 5X8 bathroom. http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/jims-downstairs-bathroom-project-66655/


----------



## shumakerscott

_"Just a thought on your bathroom door trim, could you use a back band just wide enough to cover the blank spot? I at first thought like Keith did about installing a small piece, and it would work and not catch the eye."_

Jim, What is a back band? I'm open for any suggestions. dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> _"Just a thought on your bathroom door trim, could you use a back band just wide enough to cover the blank spot? I at first thought like Keith did about installing a small piece, and it would work and not catch the eye."_
> 
> Jim, What is a back band? I'm open for any suggestions. dorf dude...


Shu, over look the dimensions of the back band in the illustration as this is but one example of many designs you can make. It overlaps the door molding and makes the molding wider. Back band can be made any size or shape but maybe this will give you the idea.


----------



## shumakerscott

I'm back off the road and hard at it again. I cleaned up the bedroom floor and Campbell set the shower walls. He's on fire! :thumbup:. We lased the the floor for the first row of laminate and then it was going in. I had to stop him because I still needed to vacuum 1 more time. It is really great looking floor. The ends match up so it looks like 1 long plank. Great stuff! It looks so real. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


----------



## BigJohn1980

Sweet job. :thumbsup:


----------



## cocobolo

Hey Shu...love that shower man. Boy that thing looks good! :thumbup:

What is that going underneath your laminate? Is it some sort of foil backed foam? Or...?


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## BigJim

The flooring does look like real wood, what a fantastic home! Looks like you are getting close to the end now. Absolutely beautiful.


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## shumakerscott

It is a foil backed foam going under the floor. Supposed to be good for radiant heat. Campbell got the bedroom floor in. He decided to take a break on it! I grouted the bathroom floor and shower base that Campbell designed and I picked the tiles. There I got that out there for clearing up things:yes:. Really rocking now:thumbup:. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

That's a super nice looking floor there...the least you could have done was get the man a bed!

Right, never thought about reflecting radiant heat...good idea. My laminate is all going upstairs and only needs just the rolls of foam.

Your bathroom is definitely looking excellent! Plenty of room in there as well, which is always nice. :thumbsup:


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## jlhaslip

... there's enough room in there to swing a cat. 

Excellent!


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## shumakerscott

Campbell and I were discussing the shower base. It was the best thing that ever happened with the drain pipe being in the wrong place:yes:. It would have just been a plain white base on the floor and that would have been really boring. It cost around $100 and 5 hours work and now it has that "Wow" factor, forever. I hope to get some more painting done today and cleaning up so we can lay more flooring. dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> Campbell and I were discussing the shower base. It was the best thing that ever happened with the drain pipe being in the wrong place:yes:. It would have just been a plain white base on the floor and that would have been really boring. It cost around $100 and 5 hours work and now it has that "Wow" factor, forever. I hope to get some more painting done today and cleaning up so we can lay more flooring. dorf dude...


That is the word for it, "wow factor" and that it does, so does the rest of your home.


----------



## shumakerscott

Jim, there is more to come in the "Wow Factor" My brain is going overtime right now. Just wait.... dorf dude...


----------



## jlhaslip

I'm getting tired just watching you and cocobolo turn your places into palaces.
All the work will be worth the effort, no doubt, but what will you do with your spare time once they are finished???

<edit> Is a house ever finished? </edit>


----------



## Ivy

Love following this thread and also cocobolo's.... U2 are awesome!!!


----------



## concretemasonry

This a rebuild in a older city home that started out over 400 years ago and is being brought into the the next few centuries because it will last that long or longer. It is not just a rehab of stick built, limited life like those common in the North America where recycling means burnings and building bigger buildings on combined lots.

It is just being rebuilt using the design ideas, technology, products and craftsmanship not seen except in rare cases in the North America (the home of temporary residential construction which are an embarassment to me).

I personally enjoy the effort and work put in by a DIYer that is beyond what is seen in North America and is only limited by future projects and land on the site that is not polluted by cheap temporary work similar to "flippers" that have become idols in some small parts of the world like the U.S. These joker are just temporary owners that are never done and just want to get away after a few years and partially finish another temporary structure or something else.

Sorry if I am a little short, but I have done enough rebuilding in the U.S. and seen good/better construction in many other countries (Europe, India, Brazil, etc.). Currently, I am attempting to bring my townhouse up to something close to being equal to what is commonly available in other countries, but with a wood structure, there is little to do anything meaningful with.

I never did see a rebuilt "palace", but just a project that someone was doing better than most people would bother to do.

Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

Finished?:no: I still have years worth of work ahead. After downstairs is livable then comes upstairs and also outside landscaping. I also need a workshop of large dimensions. I currently rent a shop. I will be posting for some time yet. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Finished?:no: I still have years worth of work ahead. After downstairs is livable then comes upstairs and also outside landscaping. I also need a workshop of large dimensions. I currently rent a shop. I will be posting for some time yet. dorf dude...


Jeez...you had us worried there for awhile. 

We thought you were nearly done!


----------



## shumakerscott

I cleaned up another support beam today. It turned out just a little to short because of the nasty end. I decided to cement a rock on the floor and then I will be into good wood when I cut it to length. Moving along! dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I cleaned up another support beam today. It turned out just a little to short because of the nasty end. I decided to cement a rock on the floor and then I will be into good wood when I cut it to length. Moving along! dorf dude...


One of the tricks the clever Japanese use it to sit posts on rocks as you are going to do. But they use nicely rounded rocks, and then shape the bottom of the post to the rock. This is only in their traditional buildings.


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## shumakerscott

Thank you Brent and Gina for the Bottle caps:thumbup:.

Campbell started to take the floor into the kitchen area and the cement is really screwed up. Big differences in height. I will work on that tomorrow. We hope to meet the guy that poured the floor on Friday night and dog him out. I might try and spend my first night in the house on Friday with a small heater warming things up in the bedroom. Time to go out and tie a good one on. My main electric meter was installed today:thumbup: I finished up stripping the last support beam this evening. 

For over a year now a co-worker has wanted my apartment. Now that I'm moving into the house a change a heart. Screw me at the last moment, sh!t. Really screws my plans up really bad. Never ever count on other people.
More pics as things get put together. dorf dude...


----------



## Jim F

concretemasonry said:


> This a rebuild in a older city home that started out over 400 years ago and is being brought into the the next few centuries because it will last that long or longer. It is not just a rehab of stick built, limited life like those common in the North America where recycling means burnings and building bigger buildings on combined lots.
> 
> It is just being rebuilt using the design ideas, technology, products and craftsmanship not seen except in rare cases in the North America (the home of temporary residential construction which are an embarassment to me).
> 
> I personally enjoy the effort and work put in by a DIYer that is beyond what is seen in North America and is only limited by future projects and land on the site that is not polluted by cheap temporary work similar to "flippers" that have become idols in some small parts of the world like the U.S. These joker are just temporary owners that are never done and just want to get away after a few years and partially finish another temporary structure or something else.
> 
> Sorry if I am a little short, but I have done enough rebuilding in the U.S. and seen good/better construction in many other countries (Europe, India, Brazil, etc.). Currently, I am attempting to bring my townhouse up to something close to being equal to what is commonly available in other countries, but with a wood structure, there is little to do anything meaningful with.
> 
> I never did see a rebuilt "palace", but just a project that someone was doing better than most people would bother to do.
> 
> Dick


Well, I'm trying to do a little better that the average flip on my home in the process of renovating it. It doesn't compare in age to a European built mason home but the original structure is built with rough lumber, believed to be hemlock. It was framed with modern looking nails, not those cut spikes they used to use. The original structure was moved into it's current position and modified from an ice house to a residential structure in 1939 so it's got some history behind it-possibly in the 100-200 year range. It's not doing too badly for a temporary wood structure. The wet part of my addition(bathroom/laundry), built in 1990 was on a path of self destruction from discrete moisture intrusion caused by careless professional builders who felt it was expedient to run a dryer vent through a joist bay, mash that vent pipe down to make room for the water supply lines and hid it in between the subfloor and ridgid foam insulation. I think homes are less temporary if they are lived in, cared for and built properly in the first place regardless of the material. I've seen my share of concrete block and brick homes laying in ruin as well as wood ones.


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## shumakerscott

Today Campbell worked on the big rise in the middle of my kitchen floor. That's taken care of :thumbup:. Thanks. I got the 2 support beams in and continued painting. I will blend the top of the big beam in to match up with the cross one. It landed perfect on the pad I poured 2 years ago. I'm still hoping for begining the tile work on Sat. We'll see how that goes. dorf dude...


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## BigJim

There is a bunch more of the "wow factor". The old wood has always been a favorite of mine, only time can produce it to look so beautiful. Just a fantastic home!!! I can't wait until you get to your stairs.


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## shumakerscott

jiju1943 said:


> There is a bunch more of the "wow factor". The old wood has always been a favorite of mine, only time can produce it to look so beautiful. Just a fantastic home!!! I can't wait until you get to your stairs.


The main support beam is much newer so it doesn't have the dark brown color. Time will age it to match in. I'm leaning towards a laminate beam staircase. It will not exactly match up unless I do something to it to add age. Not sure yet how I will do that or if I will. I have to move now! Thanks for the positive feed back. dorf dude..


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## scoggy

*Your 'Trials and Tibulations'*

DD, keep focused..you are on the right track, getting 'your' house to completion! Remember, you are a Taurus, and a Taurus has incredible fortitude to persevere over all tasks..'they' sometimes get occluded 'sight lines'! Everything will work out if you let it, just try to find that patience "gear'..it is in you somewhere, and is prolly honed to perfection! ========8^)
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Today Matt came over and we played with tiles. It is looking great :thumbup:. Wait until it's done. There will be a "Wow Factor" when we are finished. We were "Inspected" 2 times today, we passed! Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## BigJim

Shu, did you get to stay at your new home last night? It is really looking fantastic, I would be so proud of owning a huge piece of history and such a beautiful piece of history.


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## shumakerscott

Campbell and I went out last night, my first outing in a long time. Yes I spent the night at the house. It really is starting to feel like home. :yes: Even being dirty and under construction. It is not "Historic" by German standards. They would have torn it down and started over. Getting there:thumbup: dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Gotta tell you Shu, I really like that tile.  Do you have much more tile to set yet?


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Gotta tell you Shu, I really like that tile.  Do you have much more tile to set yet?


We got about 80% done. Had to leave an escape route at the front door and trim pieces along the wall and chiminey. I will do that in 2 days after the main part dries. I will play with some paint tomorrow if things work out. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Schu -

You left the shell, which seems to fit into the neighborhood/town. But the interior is definitely not "historic". A great combination of the traditional and the modern. I saw a few home with huge floor to ceiling windows and a tile exterior and it just not seem correct. (At least for what I expected).

you home is a great example of combining and creating something substantial out of the ruins.

Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

On Sunday I painted more in the living room. Today I went further with the entry tiles. I cut in all the pieces and only have a few left on the entry by the door. The tiles are really dirty but here are a few pics. You will get the idea of where this is going. Wait until you see the finishing trim and the final shape of things :yes:. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Today I ordered the wood for the staircase direct from the sawmill. The electrician hooked up the hot water tank and now I'm ready to start heating :thumbup:. I will fire it up tomorrow with the electrician and plumber both on hand in case anything goes a foul. Heat will be so nice . I went aways further with the floor tiles. It gets tight when you only have 1 door in and out. Like playing "Twister" Right foot on the bathroom tile, left foot on the threshold. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Today I ordered the wood for the staircase direct from the sawmill. The electrician hooked up the hot water tank and now I'm ready to start heating :thumbup:. I will fire it up tomorrow with the electrician and plumber both on hand in case anything goes a foul. Heat will be so nice . I went aways further with the floor tiles. It gets tight when you only have 1 door in and out. Like playing "Twister" Right foot on the bathroom tile, left foot on the threshold. dorf dude...


Good show on the heating...let's hope it works as planned.

Maybe you can use a window as an escape route...but if the tiles are set for a couple of hours you should be able to walk out on them. Just don't hold a barn dance.


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## concretemasonry

The tile looks great and will look fantastic when it is grouted and cleaned up.

Congrats of the availability of getting heat. As you probably know, there is a time lag for in-floor systems, so go slow on the check for performance because by the time you feel it above, the concrete can be quite warm and grout can setting materials can be cooked and cement-based grout could dry out and not cure. - Just a heads up. Because you are coming out of the summer the slab temperatures should be good and the slab should already be fairly warm.

In January and February, you will have great steady temperatures in the house. I say that because my all masonry home in northern/central Minnesota with hot air, the furnace did not get a call for heat until the middle of December when set at 65F.

I am working on beer bottle caps, but it is slow because don't drink beer and am trying collect caps from German owned or developed breweries (there are many in Minnesota). The gimmick new brands (boutiques) are easy to find.

The other Schu -

Dick


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## BigJim

The tile looks great and like the other Shu said when the grout is in it will really shine. That is exciting getting the wood for the stairs, we can't wait to see them as you are building them. I do know you are really happy to be getting some heat. One of my buddies had the in floor heat like that and he got it too hot the first time and it took forever for it to cool back down.


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## shumakerscott

I'm looking for ideas for my staircase treads. I want some kind of a traction inlay about 3/4" from the front lip. Maybe a plastic piece the width of my table saw blade. Any ideas? Thanks for following, dorf dude


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## shumakerscott

Today I arranged for the electrician to meet face to face with the heater Meister. They both found faults with each others work. Campbell was there and tried to rally them to get heat by Sat. I got further on tiles while they were sorting things out. No pic's yet. I'm waiting until I get a little further. Just wait until you see this! dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Today I arranged for the electrician to meet face to face with the heater Meister. They both found faults with each others work. Campbell was there and tried to rally them to get heat by Sat. I got further on tiles while they were sorting things out. No pic's yet. I'm waiting until I get a little further. Just wait until you see this! dorf dude...


Let's hope there were no fisticuffs and they can get along well enough to fix things up.

Looking forward - as always - to the pics.


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## scoggy

*I Have...*

DD, I have a whole new respect for Campbell!! Next time I see him I won't "Bug" him, and just listen and appreciate what he says! What a feat to have a GREAT neighbour, who is talented, but is only good for 3 pints!! ========8^):thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Cheers
Scoggy


----------



## Han'D'

shumakerscott said:


> I'm looking for ideas for my staircase treads. I want some kind of a traction inlay about 3/4" from the front lip. Maybe a plastic piece the width of my table saw blade. Any ideas? Thanks for following, dorf dude


What about a inlay strip of rubber...slid in from side with a cap. Something that could be replaced if necessary...


Justa thought


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## cocobolo

Shu...about your stair treads...I was waiting to see what others came up with as I too will be wanting some form of traction on the leading edge of my stair treads.

But here is what I did for a set of circular stairs (just can't let 'em go, can I) I made for a fellow on the island here.

His treads were made from 3/4" oak plywood with solid wood nosing. The finish was Varathane, 3 coats if I remember rightly. I taped off about a 3" wide strip at the front of each tread - added a coat of Varathane - and spread that very fine non-skid sand you can get from most paint stores while the Varathane was still very tacky.

Once the Varathane was dry, I shook off the loose sand particles and added another coat of Varathane on top of the sand. It is almost invisible and works very well.


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## shumakerscott

I have HEAT!!:thumbup::thumbup:
I couldn't feel it when I left tonight but it is running. I still think there was a disconnect between heater dude and the electrician. My floor heat has a thermostat at the water tank with a minimum temp of 20C. The electrician installed a room thermostat with a minimum of 5C. I don't think I needed the 2nd thermostat. I could just adjust the temp at the tank and change the water flow with out the room thermostat.
Steve came over and painted on the last wall until he ran out of paint. I didn't have time to mix anymore. I was on the tile floor resetting things where someone stepped and broke off my nice work last night. You don't get pics of the floor yet. Wait until the weekend when things get looking better. Here are a couple from tonight. I can't wait to walk into a warm house:yes:. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

What's left to do before you can officially move in?


----------



## concretemasonry

Once you get into the detail problems and fine tuning, it is definite sign or progress and end can be seen.

I agree that the room temperature with a minimum of 5C may not be needed. You may want to lower the water temperature depending on your personal preferences and how much else you have generating heat (refrigerator, stove, TV, boiler, etc.). At least you do not have to worry about temperature swings of a few days because of thermal mass you have. In the spring, you may want to drop it a bit to allow the house to cool down or just open the windows. I can remember having to open 4 - 6' sliding doors in my masonry home in March when we had a lot of sun that caused the interior AIR temperature to spike to 80F despite it was only 40F outside.

When you finally move in, what type of internet connection will you have? - Dial up, cable, satellite, etc.? I you use a laptop, with wireless you may want to consider a wireless router (unless you have installed cables/wiring, so you can use it anywhere in your hard earned palace.

The other Schu (Dick)


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> What's left to do before you can officially move in?


I have a long list that is getting shorter:yes:


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## shumakerscott

_"When you finally move in, what type of internet connection will you have? - Dial up, cable, satellite, etc.? I you use a laptop, with wireless you may want to consider a wireless router (unless you have installed cables/wiring, so you can use it anywhere in your hard earned palace."_

We have what I call "Farmer DSL" I will go wireless but at a much slower speed than I have now, 6000. I might get around 1200 or so. The further down the road towards out of town it gets worse. We are on the fringe. It sucks. dorf dude...


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## Gunship

Shu....WOW man you have been busy, I haven't checked on here in a while so it took me a while to see all the progress you have made AMAZING!!! Anyway I leave sunny Florida tommorow afternoon for Germany! Yep I'm coming back to JMRC for a couple of weeks, I sure hope you are working the exercise cause I want to see your place in person. Maybe give you a hand if Chris gives me a day off. Anyway hope to see you in a day or two. Matt:thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Not much work on Friday eve. Campbell and Matt came over and moved the pellet stove on to the tiled pad. Then we kicked back and enjoyed a warm house:thumbup:. It had only gotten up to 14C but the chill was gone. It should be much warmer today. The floor is set for 25C but it has only been 24 hours since starting the heat. I hope to get the pellet stove online later this week to take the load off the electric heater and save me some $$. I will have pics up in the next post. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Been really busy today. Campbell rocked on the floor and I worked on plumbing and other things. Mike stopped by and helped, Thanks. We started with 14C inside and ended with 16C. Things are warming up!! Here are some pics.


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## BigJim

Your home is just fantastic, the flooring and tile are great but my favorite is the old antique timbers and wood and the stone and stucco, it is just beautiful, you must be very happy with your home. I can't wait to see it in all its completeness, it is going to knock your eyes out. As hard as you have worked on it you deserve a beautiful home.


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## cocobolo

Whoever cut that flooring around the tile where your stove is sitting sure did one crackerjack of a job. That is extremely well done.


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## shumakerscott

We don't do half ass work if we can avoid it. Always try for the best! I have a problem with the shower but will work it out in the end. So I hope. Getting there and thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Whoever cut that flooring around the tile where your stove is sitting sure did one crackerjack of a job. That is extremely well done.


Campbell did that of course!


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## shumakerscott

Yesterday while we were working we got "Inspected" by the nice neighbor. Campbell told him we were short 1 beam for the end of the short wall I want to put in. He spent the whole day going around the village looking and found one:thumbup:. I just have to go and get it and bring American ice cream. How's that for a trade? Today I plan on doing more grouting and take a shot at my shower again. More pic's later, dorf dude...


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## Hurriken

Do they have Italian eis parlors near you? 

I'm not surprised my wife's village is like that too.


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## shumakerscott

Today I mounted the ceiling fan to circulate the warm air around. Campbell came by and we went to the old sandstone quarry looking for rocks. My house is built from stones from here. It is getting overgrown but they took alot of rock from this area. The mushrooms are loving the current weather. Here are some pic's. dorf dude...


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## jlhaslip

Why is the ridge still being supported with the jacking post?


----------



## shumakerscott

jlhaslip said:


> Why is the ridge still being supported with the jacking post?


There will be a wood support beam next to the chiminey in the future. The weight of the roof tiles calls in to question if the beam can support all that weight. The metal beam is just temp until I get the permanent beam in. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Shu...if your rafters land on the outer walls and there is something tying the opposite walls together, you shouldn't need a support for the ridge beam. The weight would be transferred to the outer walls and thence to the ground.

If there are short pony walls where the rafters connect to your outer walls, then you would definitely need some extra mechanical help.

Could you post a pic showing from the ridge beam down to the top floor?

The fact is that usually there is practically zero download on any ridge beam. All the load gets dumped lower down. You only need something to prevent the walls from wanting to push apart. In many cases, collar ties do a good job.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Shu...if your rafters land on the outer walls and there is something tying the opposite walls together, you shouldn't need a support for the ridge beam. The weight would be transferred to the outer walls and thence to the ground.
> 
> If there are short pony walls where the rafters connect to your outer walls, then you would definitely need some extra mechanical help.
> 
> Could you post a pic showing from the ridge beam down to the top floor?
> 
> The fact is that usually there is practically zero download on any ridge beam. All the load gets dumped lower down. You only need something to prevent the walls from wanting to push apart. In many cases, collar ties do a good job.


If you go back to around page 6 you will see the "Ring Anchor" There are 5 pieces of re-bar drilled into the neighbors house. He wasn't home when I did that. :whistling2: We poured a pad on top of the Gable wall and it all got connected with concrete. I understand the physics but my roof weighs tons, literally. I actually want a beam next to the chiminey. I like beams:yes:. Thanks for the input. I'm off sick this week which actually works out ok. I can pack up things in my apartment and get my kitchen broken down.
















The copy/paste works great. I open up 2 DIY web pages and just import them from my previous posts. Great tip.


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## shumakerscott

Gunship said:


> Shu....WOW man you have been busy, I haven't checked on here in a while so it took me a while to see all the progress you have made AMAZING!!! Anyway I leave sunny Florida tommorow afternoon for Germany! Yep I'm coming back to JMRC for a couple of weeks, I sure hope you are working the exercise cause I want to see your place in person. Maybe give you a hand if Chris gives me a day off. Anyway hope to see you in a day or two. Matt:thumbsup:


Thanks for the call. I will get together with you while you are here and give you the big tour. shu


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## cocobolo

Hi Shu: I went back through your early posts and I see that there is nothing tying the top of the two outer walls together. 

So you should have something to keep the ridge up without putting outward pressure on the top of those walls.

Be a good guy - if the wood is vertical - it's a post. If it's horizontal - it's a beam!

So what you need is a very husky post. Personally, I might even be inclined to add some collar ties as well.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Hi Shu: I went back through your early posts and I see that there is nothing tying the top of the two outer walls together.
> 
> So you should have something to keep the ridge up without putting outward pressure on the top of those walls.
> 
> Be a good guy - if the wood is vertical - it's a post. If it's horizontal - it's a beam!
> 
> So what you need is a very husky post. Personally, I might even be inclined to add some collar ties as well.


Ok, I need a wooden upright support in the middle:whistling2:. Aren't concrete and cement the same thing too?:laughing: The rafter beams are spiked and bird mouthed on both ends. The roof dude felt that I only needed 1 middle support. The beams that are on top of my walls are bolted into the Ring Anchor. The rafters are spiked into them. This is pretty standard build for here. Yes I need a beefy "Post" in the middle. The post at the neighbors wall is well anchored to keep it from bending. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Is there any steel in your outside walls? If so, that may be OK, but I still agree that you need a husky post in the middle there.


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Is there any steel in your outside walls? If so, that may be OK, but I still agree that you need a husky post in the middle there.


Just the 5 re-bar's in the Ring Anchor, 3 going up the peak. This place is only stone and mortar, Lyme mortar at that. dd...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Just the 5 re-bar's in the Ring Anchor, 3 going up the peak. This place is only stone and mortar, Lyme mortar at that. dd...


There's no question that your end walls are super strong, you won't have any problem there at all.

One thing though, since that steel post has been doing the job so far, there's no reason to think that a nice husky wooden one won't do the job as well.

And it's not like you didn't build an ultra strong roof frame anyway!!!

When you go to put the wood post up, iff'n it was me, I would try to lift the ridge beam up another 1/4"+ and then make sure the wood post fit tightly. It will settle just a very small amount, likely around that 1/4". It all depends on how much weight is actually on the middle of the ridge. It's probably nowhere near as much as you might think.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> There's no question that your end walls are super strong, you won't have any problem there at all.
> 
> One thing though, since that steel post has been doing the job so far, there's no reason to think that a nice husky wooden one won't do the job as well.
> 
> And it's not like you didn't build an ultra strong roof frame anyway!!!
> 
> When you go to put the wood post up, iff'n it was me, I would try to lift the ridge beam up another 1/4"+ and then make sure the wood post fit tightly. It will settle just a very small amount, likely around that 1/4". It all depends on how much weight is actually on the middle of the ridge. It's probably nowhere near as much as you might think.


I already jacked up the main ridge beam above original height. I had to use a big bar as a lever and the whole thing was giving me cracking feedback saying hey! What are you doing?

Now who out there does not like my project? I have been dropped from 5 stars to 4 on more than one occasion. PM me please and explain yourself if your man enough. I'm working my @ss off for 2 and 1/2 years and I really don't see why it would not be interesting to anyone. I think some one with admin rights is screwing around. Stop it and grow up.


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I already jacked up the main ridge beam above original height. I had to use a big bar as a lever and the whole thing was giving me cracking feedback saying hey! What are you doing?
> 
> Now who out there does not like my project? I have been dropped from 5 stars to 4 on more than one occasion. PM me please and explain yourself if your man enough. I'm working my @ss off for 2 and 1/2 years and I really don't see why it would not be interesting to anyone. I think some one with admin rights is screwing around. Stop it and grow up.


That's good.

In that case you won't need to try and raise it further, just do your very best to make the post a snug fit. If you can put the post in at a slight angle so that it is snug, then drive it in the rest of the way it should be super tight.

Don't feel too bad about the 4 stars Shu, every time it happens to you it also happens to me. And the interesting thing is - it doesn't happen to anyone else.


----------



## BigJim

cocobolo said:


> That's good.
> 
> In that case you won't need to try and raise it further, just do your very best to make the post a snug fit. If you can put the post in at a slight angle so that it is snug, then drive it in the rest of the way it should be super tight.
> 
> Don't feel too bad about the 4 stars Shu, every time it happens to you it also happens to me. And the interesting thing is - it doesn't happen to anyone else.


I have noticed Shu, that you and coco are the only two who stars are messed with also and it is always at the same time. Who ever is doing that has got to be so childish and insecure it is unreal. For crying out loud don't you have anything better to do than try to discredit two of the finest folks on this board. Good gravy, who ever is doing this needs to get a life. One more thing, who ever is doing this you can bet your bottom dollar it will be found out and everyone will know how sorry you really are.


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## jlhaslip

Hey Shu...

Not to worry. Follow Coco's advise up there and you will have no worries. 

Once the Post in installed, because the rafters are fully supported at their top end, Rafter spread is not an issue, assuming there is a strong connection at the Ridge Beam, which (if I recall from back in the beginning of this Topic) there is.

Just a curious observation on my part.


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## cocobolo

jlhaslip said:


> Hey Shu...
> 
> Not to worry. Follow Coco's advise up there and you will have no worries.
> 
> Once the Post in installed, because the rafters are fully supported at their top end, Rafter spread is not an issue, assuming there is a strong connection at the Ridge Beam, which (if I recall from back in the beginning of this Topic) there is.
> 
> Just a curious observation on my part.


I think I heard somewhere mentioned that it would take _two_ nuclear bombs to blow Shu's place apart!


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## jlhaslip

... or 1 really big one!


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## cocobolo

jlhaslip said:


> ... or 1 really big one!


Heck...I thought they were all big! :laughing:


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## jlhaslip

cocobolo said:


> Heck...I thought they were all big! :laughing:


:laughing:


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## tpolk

the post is a good add but that tension band around the exterior wall is a structural member that eliminates the need for collar ties. have used it in the past with engineered plans but always felt a little nervous about the loads. Will your post transfer loads straight down or sit on a beam? nice work by the way. timothy:thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

tpolk said:


> the post is a good add but that tension band around the exterior wall is a structural member that eliminates the need for collar ties. have used it in the past with engineered plans but always felt a little nervous about the loads. Will your post transfer loads straight down or sit on a beam? nice work by the way. timothy:thumbsup:


My post will sit on top of the beams which sit on a post and transfer the load straight down to a pad I poured at the beginning. The white bucket is sitting on it in this pic.

It won't be going anywhere, that slab is big and deep. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

Holy smokes! I forget how far you've come on your house until I see the 'before' pics again.


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## cocobolo

tpolk said:


> the post is a good add but that tension band around the exterior wall is a structural member that eliminates the need for collar ties. have used it in the past with engineered plans but always felt a little nervous about the loads. Will your post transfer loads straight down or sit on a beam? nice work by the way. timothy:thumbsup:


Tim, how does a tension band work on a straight wall?

I know how it functions on a round structure, that's pretty obvious. But to my way of thinking you would need some massive unbendable beam in order to resist the outward thrust caused by the rafters trying to push themselves outward.

Or am I way out in left field here?


----------



## shumakerscott

My apartment was rented today:thumbup:. I get my deposit back. I must be out by the 28th of Oct. That is putting a little pressure on but I should make it. I've already started tearing down the kitchen and will move the first things tomorrow. The house is holding 17C which is pretty good. More pic's as things go along. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> Holy smokes! I forget how far you've come on your house until I see the 'before' pics again.


I sometimes have to go back and look it over, 2 1/2 years is a long time. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

I don't mean to take this off subject, but will the landlord supply cupboards and a counter top for the new tenants in your apartment if they can't buy them?

It's so different to think of taking the kitchen when you move. Is that a common thing in Germany?


----------



## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> I don't mean to take this off subject, but will the landlord supply cupboards and a counter top for the new tenants in your apartment if they can't buy them?
> 
> It's so different to think of taking the kitchen when you move. Is that a common thing in Germany?


The landlord wants nothing but rent. He doesn't even supply lights. I'm making a deal with the new tenants. I'm leaving the counter top and sink, and lights. They will fill in with new cabinets. It is modular like Legos. I don't need it for the house. I must make a new counter top to fit my crooked walls. This is very common here. Landlords have it very sweet. dorf dude...


----------



## gma2rjc

But aren't there a lot of holes in the walls from changing cabinets with every tenant?

Will you be able to buy cabinets that are the same style and color if you need more for your new kitchen?


----------



## scoggy

*Pphheeww!*

DD, remember what I told you....'evrything will work out if you let it", WOW, what a great 'push' this will be, except now you become "manager' and team, and that might wear you out..but I don't think so!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> But aren't there a lot of holes in the walls from changing cabinets with every tenant?
> 
> Will you be able to buy cabinets that are the same style and color if you need more for your new kitchen?


My kitchen is from Ikea. No problem for fill in pieces. Yes there are holes but they are behind things. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

It is very common to treat cabinets the same as other furniture. They go with you unless you make a deal with the new tenant, he needs them and you know who it is before you move out.

I have a very good friend in Paris that moved from one building in a complex to one with and an additional bedroom and a slightly larger kitchen. He went out and bought some units (his were the Ikea system, but similar). Usually the legs are adjustable to handle floor variations and levelness. - Same thing for a fiend in Budapest, Hungary that moved from one home to another. - Just a different practice that makes sense since you buy/rent a home and can have the type and quality of cabinetry in your new location that you want including all of the internal shelves, tools,etc.

It sure sounded different to me initially, but it seems to work very well.

Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

Getting my kitchen moved out! I'm going to need some help getting the cabinets off the walls. I moved the first load to the house. A long ways to go :yes:. dorf dude...


----------



## billy d

Hi just to put every body's mind to rest over Shue's roof construction.
The construction is a normal German ridge roof where a ridge beam is used and not a ridge plate.
The birds mouth cuts, plumb and seat,sit on the beam and transfer loads in a vertical (plumb) direction this removes any danger of loads being transfered in a side ways direction.
It is not normal for rafters to be tossed or stitch nailed in Germany but to be directly nailed through the joist with ring nails of up to12" or15" long, both at the ridge beam and wall plate.
The wall plate is it's self bolted into the ring anchor which is a concrete and rebar in situ pored beam which runs the full length of the walls and up and
over the gable tying all the walls together and also acting as a pad stone for the ridge beam.
Shue by adding a post is in actual fact increasing the ridge beams durability against snow loads and the weight of the clay tiles on the roof.
Believe me this roof is going no where. Billy


----------



## cocobolo

Billy, I don't want you to think for one minute that we anticipated that Shu's roof was going to land in the basement tomorrow morning.

We were (I think) just trying to understand the whole method of construction.

And now, thanks to your post, I believe that we have been enlightened very considerably, for which I thank you.


----------



## shumakerscott

billy d said:


> Hi just to put every body's mind to rest over Shue's roof construction.
> The construction is a normal German ridge roof where a ridge beam is used and not a ridge plate.
> The birds mouth cuts, plumb and seat,sit on the beam and transfer loads in a vertical (plumb) direction this removes any danger of loads being transfered in a side ways direction.
> It is not normal for rafters to be tossed or stitch nailed in Germany but to be directly nailed through the joist with ring nails of up to12" or15" long, both at the ridge beam and wall plate.
> The wall plate is it's self bolted into the ring anchor which is a concrete and rebar in situ pored beam which runs the full length of the walls and up and
> over the gable tying all the walls together and also acting as a pad stone for the ridge beam.
> Shue by adding a post is in actual fact increasing the ridge beams durability against snow loads and the weight of the clay tiles on the roof.
> Believe me this roof is going no where. Billy


I've been thinking about you. I was wondering if your still alive. Many friends have asked me your situation and I just said not sure. Glad to see your out of "Lurking" mode. My roof tiles are concrete and not clay so they weigh even more. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Shu, do you by any chance have the size of one of your tiles, and would you know the weight of it?


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Shu, do you by any chance have the size of one of your tiles, and would you know the weight of it?


They are about 12"x12" and weigh 4.4Kg each, that around 9lbs. I ordered 1160 but ran short and ordered 50 more. Then you have the ridge cap weight too. It works out to about 11,000lbs. Like I said before, it weighs a few tons:yes:. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

You got me thinking and I went back and grabbed a couple pics.






Page 15, April 2009


----------



## jlhaslip

you've come a long way since then...

keep up the good work.


----------



## cocobolo

jlhaslip said:


> you've come a long way since then...
> 
> keep up the good work.


The way he's going you'd think he wanted to move into the place, wouldn't you? :whistling2:


----------



## shumakerscott

I must be out of my apartment on the 28th. I'm not getting any work done at the house all week. I'm really under the weather on antibiotics and not feeling any better. Back to the doctor tomorrow for stronger meds! I need to shake this crud. I am getting some things at the apartment taken care of since I'm stuck here. dd...


----------



## concretemasonry

Best of luck in you recovery.

We all will miss the progress reports, but as long as you can think and conceptualize, there will be even better results.

The other Schu -


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I must be out of my apartment on the 28th. I'm not getting any work done at the house all week. I'm really under the weather on antibiotics and not feeling any better. Back to the doctor tomorrow for stronger meds! I need to shake this crud. I am getting some things at the apartment taken care of since I'm stuck here. dd...


That must be about the last thing you need right now.

Could it be that you have been pushing yourself too hard? Maybe 24 hours rest will do you some good.

Like I'm the best guy to give you _that_ advice!

Anyway, thanks for letting us know...I'm sure we will all have our fingers crossed for you. 

At least you have 3 weeks to get things sorted out at the apartment...but don't we know how fast that goes by when you're busy!


----------



## scoggy

*Billy "d"*

Billy, almost two years since you and Shu, 'helped' me to see Weiden! Hope you are well, 'avoiding accidents on the autobahn', in any big car like a 'beamer', and are still enjoying life! Cheers mate
Syd:thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I went back to the doctor today. I told him I want to kick the sh!t out of this sickness.:furious: He bumped me up to 1000mg x3 a day. I was on 250mg x2. He asked if I want another sick slip for next week, I declined. Enough about that. After the doctor I dropped another load at the house and assembled 3 cabinets. I will move the complete kitchen in the back of my little car :yes:! I love Ikea kitchens. Just don't glue the dowels:no:. I plan on a whole day tomorrow at the house with big progress pic's I hope. Today I was inspected again by the nice neighbor. He just couldn't understand how I was heating the house. I walked him through it and he shook his head and said He'd never seen anything like it. He was amazed at how simple it was and how well it works. Very few components to fail and there is a backup if one source does fail. Here are a couple of pics of the kitchen starting to go together. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Excellent news! Let's hope you get better PDQ.

Funny how we both seem to be doing the same things from time to time...I'm doing a bit more on my kitchen cabinets today. I just don't have the luxury of having Ikea stuff which goes together in a flash.

Looking forward to your weekend progress.

Must be a damn good feeling to see things racing ahead now as they are. :thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

A bomb has gone off in my apartment. I need more boxes to put things in. I have gotten all the cabinet doors off. They just clip on! To remove the hinges just lift 1 toggle. Handles are off with 2 screws. They now will pack in the back of my car and not scratch each other. About 1 minute per door. Have I mentioned how nice Ikea kitchens are:whistling2:. You do have them in Canada don't you? I know in the US. Almost bed time, dorf dude...


----------



## hyunelan2

Ikea cabinets are simple. That's what I used for the desk and wall cabinets in my home-office. They go together well and look nice enough. I would be worried about dinging/chipping the particle board from having to move them around though. Do you do anything special to protect them?


----------



## shumakerscott

hyunelan2 said:


> Ikea cabinets are simple. That's what I used for the desk and wall cabinets in my home-office. They go together well and look nice enough. I would be worried about dinging/chipping the particle board from having to move them around though. Do you do anything special to protect them?


I remove the sharp metal posts that the cog locks on and then only put flat sides together. For the drawer panels I put the slide sides together. A little extra disassembly makes for better transport. Not hard to put back together. Much better than trying to transport assembled. They wouldn't fit in my car! dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> A bomb has gone off in my apartment. I need more boxes to put things in. I have gotten all the cabinet doors off. They just clip on! To remove the hinges just lift 1 toggle. Handles are off with 2 screws. They now will pack in the back of my car and not scratch each other. About 1 minute per door. Have I mentioned how nice Ikea kitchens are:whistling2:. You do have them in Canada don't you? I know in the US. Almost bed time, dorf dude...


Ikea is definitely here. They have a huge store over in Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver.

Only trouble is they don't seem to have curved cupboards for some reason...:whistling2:


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Ikea is definitely here. They have a huge store over in Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver.
> 
> Only trouble is they don't seem to have curved cupboards for some reason...:whistling2:


You are the only one that lives in a Dr. Suess House :yes:.


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> You are the only one that lives in a Dr. Suess House :yes:.


well...how about Dr. Seuss then?


----------



## macdonlg

*Wow, just Wow*

This is my favourite thread on any forum I vist...just wish I could go over there and help to get the house complete as I impatiently wait for every episode to be posted.

Well done DD, you are lucky to have so many friends to help you with hard labour.

I want to rate this thread as I believe it deserve 10 stars, but I cannot figure out how to do it...please if someone knows let me know too.

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## cocobolo

macdonlg said:


> This is my favourite thread on any forum I vist...just wish I could go over there and help to get the house complete as I impatiently wait for every episode to be posted.
> 
> Well done DD, you are lucky to have so many friends to help you with hard labour.
> 
> I want to rate this thread as I believe it deserve 10 stars, but I cannot figure out how to do it...please if someone knows let me know too.
> 
> :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


Scroll to the top of the page where you will see the stars.

Click on the Rating and you will be presented with the stars to vote on. You can only vote once for any thread, and I am not sure, but you may need to have several more posts before you can vote.


----------



## shumakerscott

macdonlg said:


> This is my favourite thread on any forum I vist...just wish I could go over there and help to get the house complete as I impatiently wait for every episode to be posted.
> 
> Well done DD, you are lucky to have so many friends to help you with hard labour.
> 
> I want to rate this thread as I believe it deserve 10 stars, but I cannot figure out how to do it...please if someone knows let me know too.
> 
> :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


Thank you very much. How about you fill out your profile a little bit so we know a little more about where you live ect... I hope for great progress today. dd...


----------



## shumakerscott

Campbell got the laminate floor finished up:thumbup:. That allowed me to start test fitting kitchen cabinets, man this place is really crooked:yes:. He got a crazy idea for moulding, using the rest of the laminate floor all crooked cut. It actually looks pretty good and it doesn't cost any $$. We set the base beam for my short wall. I Gorilla Glued it because I can't drill into the floor, water pipes. We set a rock on top to hold it in place. I finished up the tiles around it. As we were winding it up this afternoon we both were looking at the rock on the beam and thought "Why not a rock wall in a wooden frame?" I have lots of rocks and their free. The theme is free or really cheap now. My neighbor took me up and I got my post for the side of the short wall. It's pretty wet so I layed it on the tile floor and will let the heat dry it up. The house is holding 17C. I just have to get some American ice cream for the trade. He has lots more beams if I need some. Now I find this out! Here are some pic's. dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

Just beautiful, what is there not to love about this?


----------



## shumakerscott

jiju1943 said:


> Just beautiful, what is there not to love about this?


That back wall needs paint, the window sills are cluttered and need capped, the floor is filthey, the pellet stove still needs to be brought online, tile floor needs grout, the list is long my friend but one step at a time... But wait.. I *have* to move in 2 1/2 weeks! It is getting tight. Thanks for the support, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

My favourite is the rock clamp! Beautiful!! :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> My favourite is the rock clamp! Beautiful!! :thumbup:


The rock clamp looked so good that it might turn into a rock wall:yes:. dorf dude


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> The rock clamp looked so good that it might turn into a rock wall:yes:. dorf dude


Hey...that would be _EVEN BETTER!_ :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## cocobolo

Another quick question for you Shu...how much space are you supposed to leave around the outside of your laminated floor?

I think the instructions on mine say 1/2".


----------



## jtitus07

spent a few minutes a day over the last week reading this whole thing. Absolutely amazing, would love to have the time and funds to do something like this myself.

A bit off topic but, shu, you said you got out of the army in '91 but it sounds like you still work for the DoD, from one mil member to another, just curious what your job is.

Anyshu :laughing: keep up the great work, can't wait to see the (almost) finished product.


----------



## shumakerscott

Campbel left less than 1/2" gap, 1/4" is more like it. With the floor heating we won't have huge humidity swings. If any problem does occure I always have my "Fein Multimaster" right at hand:yes:. I work at the Joint Multinational Simulation Center, JMSC, with JCATS and VBS2 simulations. You will have to google them and you'll see what they are. Another day of packing stuff up and getting work done. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Thanks very much for that Shu...I don't anticipate much in the way of humidity swings either. But apparently the size which you cover in a single span has an effect on how much gap you should leave. I've got one stretch which is going to be up around 30-31'.

I'm hoping the missus doesn't renege on her promise to get me a Fein for my birthday! :thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Thanks very much for that Shu...I don't anticipate much in the way of humidity swings either. But apparently the size which you cover in a single span has an effect on how much gap you should leave. I've got one stretch which is going to be up around 30-31'.
> 
> I'm hoping the missus doesn't renege on her promise to get me a Fein for my birthday! :thumbsup:


I have about 12 Meters from the bedroom through to the kitchen. That puts mine around 37' or so. We'll see what happens and fix it if need be. dorf dude...


----------



## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> I have about 12 Meters from the bedroom through to the kitchen. That puts mine around 37' or so. We'll see what happens and fix it if need be. dorf dude...


I hate to step in your part but you say 12 meters straight shot from the bedroom to kitchen if so you need to leave 12 to 15mm gap each end in case you have medium tempture swing espcally either in winter time or summer time that where the issue will arise.

The last time I did have floating hardwood floor it got bind up on me when I left little too tight each end that time it was less than 5 mm gap each end end up have a bow in few places { Merde ! } and got that fix now I leave at least 10 mm gap { due I do NOT have heated floor that why }

Merci.
Marc


----------



## cocobolo

frenchelectrican said:


> I hate to step in your part but you say 12 meters straight shot from the bedroom to kitchen if so you need to leave 12 to 15mm gap each end in case you have medium tempture swing espcally either in winter time or summer time that where the issue will arise.
> 
> The last time I did have floating hardwood floor it got bind up on me when I left little too tight each end that time it was less than 5 mm gap each end end up have a bow in few places { Merde ! } and got that fix now I leave at least 10 mm gap { due I do NOT have heated floor that why }
> 
> Merci.
> Marc


Thanks very much for this info Marc.

The product I have is Kaindl One 8.0mm. It is made in Austria. I just pulled a set of instructions out and it seems that the perimeter requires a space of 10-15mm, especially around heating pipes and doorframes.

Other expansion joints of at least 2 cm are required between rooms and where the panel length exceeds 10m in the direction of the panel and 8m across the width of the panel.

So it appears that I will need to find a place across the width of the panel - as that is the long direction in my case - to locate an expansion joint. Next trip to town I will have to see what is available in the way of an expansion strip.


----------



## shumakerscott

Campbell left a 1/4" around the tiles but more at the other end. See first picture. Then please read the 3rd line in the 2nd picture. This floor is stable due to humidity and temp. It wasn't cheap. I got all my bedroom cabinets apart and hauled on top and in back of my little car:thumbup:. I looked like the Clampets coming to town. Between roof racks and a trailer you can do about anything. I started to get them back together but ran out of energy. Here is a pic of my new sink. It will go great with all the cabinet pulls being black too. The yellow dots are guides for drilling. More work to do tomorrow! The house is holding 18C now with 45% humidity. I turned the the heat down on the water tank a little. It's plenty warm. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Oh, and by the way...congratulations for returning to your rightfully deserved 5 stars. :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Oh, and by the way...congratulations for returning to your rightfully deserved 5 stars. :thumbup:


Thanks, I didn't notice actually until you mentioned it. My house and moving is taking up all my attention at the moment. Some things are more important than others. Unlike things in other's lives. :whistling2::whistling2: I wonder how long until it goes down again? Grow up. dd...


----------



## BigJim

cocobolo said:


> Oh, and by the way...congratulations for returning to your rightfully deserved 5 stars. :thumbup:


Amen!!!:yes:


----------



## shumakerscott

I went back to work today but felt like [email protected] I made it through and then planned on grouting the entry tiles. I cleaned out the channels and found 2 tiles not set:furious:. My glue had gotten too dry. Out comes the "Fein Multimaster"!:thumbup: It took about 20 minutes and I had all the tile glue cleaned out. Very low dust too. Then Campbell showed up and asked where my roof window was? We drug it out and he played with that getting a plan of attack. With my insulation above the roof this should be interesting:yes:. We will figure it out as we go. First thing will be cutting an escape hole with an electric chainsaw then see how things line up from outside. It will require some custom framing on the inside once we set and foam it in place. The bedroom is slowly getting together. The garbage bags are my clothes! After turning down the water tank a couple days ago I'm still holding 18C, it dropped to -1C last night, frost on the car windows. I dropped the tank temp about 5C again tonight. This type of heat is so different, it's really WARM. You feel it in your bones, very nice. I can open the windows for a couple hours and besides having fresh air it is still warm as soon as you close them. The heating element in the tank only comes on at 10pm and stops at 6am, cheaper rate. I can't wait until the pellet oven is online. I bought the stove pipe for it today, getting closer. Solid Mass heating rocks:thumbup:. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

So are you saying the thinset had got too dry _before_ you stuck the tile down? Hmmm...I had the same thing happen on a narrow piece of edge tile, and it popped loose when I stepped on it. 

I understand that once the tiles are grouted, that they are less likely to come loose. Of course if I had used wet enough thinset in the first place...


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> So are you saying the thinset had got too dry _before_ you stuck the tile down? Hmmm...I had the same thing happen on a narrow piece of edge tile, and it popped loose when I stepped on it.
> 
> I understand that once the tiles are grouted, that they are less likely to come loose. Of course if I had used wet enough thinset in the first place...


That's what I think happened. Maybe wetting the tile and or the floor would have slowed down the drying process. I've had about 5 that I had to reset. I'm no pro that knows all the little tricks but am learning by the time I finish:laughing:. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> That's what I think happened. Maybe wetting the tile and or the floor would have slowed down the drying process. I've had about 5 that I had to reset. I'm no pro that knows all the little tricks but am learning by the time I finish:laughing:. dorf dude...


Bud Cline has been a gold mine of tile info for me on here, and there are instances where wetting the tile and/or floor/wall before installation gives a slower setup time, and evidently that makes for a stronger bond.

All of Bud's info has been right on the money...so if Bud says so, then I do it the way he suggests.


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> I went back to work today but felt like [email protected] I made it through and then planned on grouting the entry tiles. I cleaned out the channels and found 2 tiles not set:furious:. My glue had gotten too dry. Out comes the "Fein Multimaster"!:thumbup: It took about 20 minutes and I had all the tile glue cleaned out. Very low dust too. Then Campbell showed up and asked where my roof window was? We drug it out and he played with that getting a plan of attack. With my insulation above the roof this should be interesting:yes:. We will figure it out as we go. First thing will be cutting an escape hole with an electric chainsaw then see how things line up from outside. It will require some custom framing on the inside once we set and foam it in place. The bedroom is slowly getting together. The garbage bags are my clothes! After turning down the water tank a couple days ago I'm still holding 18C, it dropped to -1C last night, frost on the car windows. I dropped the tank temp about 5C again tonight. This type of heat is so different, it's really WARM. You feel it in your bones, very nice. I can open the windows for a couple hours and besides having fresh air it is still warm as soon as you close them. The heating element in the tank only comes on at 10pm and stops at 6am, cheaper rate. I can't wait until the pellet oven is online. I bought the stove pipe for it today, getting closer. Solid Mass heating rocks:thumbup:. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


DD, I like the way you made the transition from one type tile to another, that is sharp. I am interested to see how you install the sky light in your roof, I have never tried to install one in that type of roof.

I know that is nice to put your feet on a warm floor, I hate a cold floor.

You have one beautiful home my friend, yours and Coco's home should be featured in Better Homes and Garden.


----------



## shumakerscott

"DD, I like the way you made the transition from one type tile to another, that is sharp. I am interested to see how you install the sky light in your roof, I have never tried to install one in that type of roof.

I know that is nice to put your feet on a warm floor, I hate a cold floor."

I have just had a feeling of what I wanted when doing the tiles and other things. I go looking and I find it. I call it "Using the force" It is not just a warm floor. It is the whole house. I can lean on a wall and it is warm. There is no warm bridge between the floor and walls. Completely isolated. Outside is isolated with the insulation from the inside. The stone walls can just absorb all the heat. Such a different feeling than traditional heating. Come by and check it out:whistling2:. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

I found that the Velux skylights to be about as good as they come. They take a little longer to install than some of the others, but your roof installation is going to be different, that's for sure. 

Please make sure you get plenty of pix as the install gets underway. I don't see a flashing kit there, but with your roof tile, maybe you need some custom flashing made up??? The Velux flashing kits they sell here are for the asphalt shingle type roofs.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> I found that the Velux skylights to be about as good as they come. They take a little longer to install than some of the others, but your roof installation is going to be different, that's for sure.
> 
> Please make sure you get plenty of pix as the install gets underway. I don't see a flashing kit there, but with your roof tile, maybe you need some custom flashing made up??? The Velux flashing kits they sell here are for the asphalt shingle type roofs.


The flashing kit is in storage waiting until it is needed. Right next to my solar panels. I plan ahead as best I can! dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

I need a shipping address for your new location when you are totally in and a recognized citizen. I had a friend that moved 40 miles within Switzerland and he found out he could vote in national and province elections, but could not vote locally until he was accepted two years later. (maybe because he looked like Colonel Klink from Hogan's Hero's, especially when he wore his ankle length black leather coat).

I have some unique or local traditional beer being "used" by friends, since I don't drink it and I will go out and collect the bottles and caps for photos and shipping. Do you want the bottles too?

Either PM or I can forward my E-maill address.

The other Schu -


----------



## shumakerscott

This is way off topic but if you like gutiar take a look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnLs7tpsnw0
Dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> This is way off topic but if you like gutiar take a look.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnLs7tpsnw0
> Dorf dude...


Man, that was good, I bet their hands were wore out after that.


----------



## cocobolo

jiju1943 said:


> Man, that was good, I bet their hands were wore out after that.


Cool stuff...that was worth a bookmark.

Makes me wanna finish the house up even faster so I can get back at my axes again...:thumbsup:


----------



## scoggy

*"Giutar"*

It is just amazing to me, that I can only see 'small sections' of the built house and recognize them! Thanks for the chance to have a hand in that construction! Everyday is like a new episode of 'Superman" on TV when I was a kid!
Cheers
Syd:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I stayed home from work sick and am packing some things as I have the energy. I had some music on random and this song came on from Rush and it is so fitting. Words to live by.
*"Something For Nothing"

*Waiting for the winds of change
To sweep the clouds away
Waiting for the rainbow's end
To cast its gold your way
Countless ways
You pass the days

Waiting for someone to call
And turn your world around
Looking for an answer
To the question you have found
Looking for
An open door

You don't get something for nothing
You can't have freedom for free
You won't get wise
With the sleep still in your eyes
No matter what your dreams might be

What you own is your own kingdom
What you do is your own glory
What you love is your own power
What you live is your own story
In your head is the answer
Let it guide you along
Let your heart be the anchor
And the beat of your own song

You don't get something for nothing
You can't have freedom for free
You won't get wise
With the sleep still in your eyes
No matter what your dreams might be


----------



## shumakerscott

shumakerscott said:


> I stayed home from work sick and am packing some things as I have the energy. I had some music on random and this song came on from Rush and it is so fitting. Words to live by.
> *"Something For Nothing"*
> 
> Waiting for the winds of change
> To sweep the clouds away
> Waiting for the rainbow's end
> To cast its gold your way
> Countless ways
> You pass the days
> 
> Waiting for someone to call
> And turn your world around
> Looking for an answer
> To the question you have found
> Looking for
> An open door
> 
> You don't get something for nothing
> You can't have freedom for free
> You won't get wise
> With the sleep still in your eyes
> No matter what your dreams might be
> 
> What you own is your own kingdom
> What you do is your own glory
> What you love is your own power
> What you live is your own story
> In your head is the answer
> Let it guide you along
> Let your heart be the anchor
> And the beat of your own song
> 
> You don't get something for nothing
> You can't have freedom for free
> You won't get wise
> With the sleep still in your eyes
> No matter what your dreams might be


I know this has nothing to do with DIY but it fit as I was moving and getting ready to start my new life in my house that I built, with help of course. You have to take control of your own life and make something of it. It will not be handed to you by the government or anybody else. Life dealt me a crappy hand of cards the last few years and I had to overcome it and make my life. Ok, no more posts on this, next will be more progress pic's, I promise. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Your design concepts, your efforts and the results show you are doing a great job in your new life. The song is very appropriate.

On with the moving, progress and the new life!!!!

The other Schu


----------



## cocobolo

concretemasonry said:


> Your design concepts, your efforts and the results show you are doing a great job in your new life. The song is very appropriate.
> 
> On with the moving, progress and the new life!!!!
> 
> The other Schu


That's right Schu...I don't remember seeing anyone else tackle such a monumental project under such circumstances. And when you consider how quickly the whole project has come together, under such trying conditions, what with the weather and health problems from time to time...you name it, and here is DD with just a few days to go before he is officially living in his "new" old house.

It can only get better from here.

So Shu...from all of us to you a huge "well done" and we look forward to the official moving day. Congratulations! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## BigJim

cocobolo said:


> That's right Schu...I don't remember seeing anyone else tackle such a monumental project under such circumstances. And when you consider how quickly the whole project has come together, under such trying conditions, what with the weather and health problems from time to time...you name it, and here is DD with just a few days to go before he is officially living in his "new" old house.
> 
> It can only get better from here.
> 
> So Shu...from all of us to you a huge "well done" and we look forward to the official moving day. Congratulations! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


I second this wholeheartedly :thumbup::yes: You have for sure paid your dues far and above.


----------



## Shamus

cocobolo said:


> That's right Schu...I don't remember seeing anyone else tackle such a monumental project under such circumstances. And when you consider how quickly the whole project has come together, under such trying conditions, what with the weather and health problems from time to time...you name it, and here is DD with just a few days to go before he is officially living in his "new" old house.
> 
> It can only get better from here.
> 
> So Shu...from all of us to you a huge "well done" and we look forward to the official moving day. Congratulations! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


 
Let me chime in here as well. Monumental project it is and if I could think of words to top those I'd sure use them. 

You've managed to do what the majority of us mortals wouldn't try. You and with a bit of help from a few good friends have accomplished a ground up rebuild of a historical home that was derelict when you found it. All that, in a country that is now familiar but not that many years ago was foreign to you. 

Stay healthy and work at a pace that allows you some time to put your feet up. You can tackle the next 3,000 projects tomorrow or the day after. :thumbsup:


----------



## cocobolo

Shamus said:


> Let me chime in here as well. Monumental project it is and if I could think of words to top those I'd sure use them.
> 
> You've managed to do what the majority of us mortals wouldn't try. You and with a bit of help from a few good friends have accomplished a ground up rebuild of a historical home that was derelict when you found it. All that, in a country that is now familiar but not that many years ago was foreign to you.
> 
> Stay healthy and work at a pace that allows you some time to put your feet up. You can tackle the next 3,000 projects tomorrow or the day after. :thumbsup:


Well said Shamus, well said! :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I picked up some wooden outlets and switches, Beech, ouch, very expensive but needed. I couldn't put plastic in:no:. The double outlet in the pic was almost $50. I had the heating dude over yesterday and he fixed the goof up the other guys left:thumbup:. I now have a shower! I only need to caulk it. I spent many hours cleaning the bathroom walls ect... 1 more day and it should be done. Close the door and call it finished, for now. Much more to do and less days to do it. The pellet stove should be online next week and I will get a temp kitchen set up as well. Just 2 pics today, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Looking _very_ nice Shu. Do they give you wood plugs to fit in that duplex outlet? So that it just looks smooth across the front when it's not in use.

We used to use something like that on the yachts, but made from teak. Only 12 volt plugs, but there used to be this thin teak cover which would fit into the hole and make it look very unobtrusive.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Looking _very_ nice Shu. Do they give you wood plugs to fit in that duplex outlet? So that it just looks smooth across the front when it's not in use.
> 
> We used to use something like that on the yachts, but made from teak. Only 12 volt plugs, but there used to be this thin teak cover which would fit into the hole and make it look very unobtrusive.


I have not seen any plugs to put in the outlet. I actually wouldn't want to plug them because I'm lazy.:yes: That is an extra step everytime I want to use the outlet:whistling2:. While I was working I heard a truck running, and running. I stepped out and the neighbor was getting oil. I'm sure glad I will never have to fill any stinky tanks.:thumbup: Time to get to work, dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> I have not seen any plugs to put in the outlet. I actually wouldn't want to plug them because I'm lazy.:yes: That is an extra step everytime I want to use the outlet:whistling2:. While I was working I heard a truck running, and running. I stepped out and the neighbor was getting oil. I'm sure glad I will never have to fill any stinky tanks.:thumbup: Time to get to work, dorf dude...


Is that a standard wall plug over there? That is a bunch of money for a wall plug, at least you won't have to buy another one any time soon.


----------



## tpolk

how about a pic of the cord that goes in there. is that 12v or 110v? thanks


----------



## shumakerscott

It's 220V here.


----------



## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> It's 220V here.


It pretty much standardized all over most of the Europe and what Shu show ya that is one of the most common plug and receptale we use in France and I know he have a bit simauir over there as well.

Merci.
Marc


----------



## frenchelectrican

tpolk said:


> how about a pic of the cord that goes in there. is that 12v or 110v? thanks


Majorty of Europe area are running 230 or 240 volts line to netural beside few older spots still have old 127 volt circuits but that about history nowdays.
And line to line load are typically 400 to 415 volts.{ depending on what grid you are on }

If need more question or circuious about the European code just ask us one of us will answer much as possible { I will being use the French code and Shu's area in Germany and he is pretty close to simauir to French code but in few diffrent way but not the UK that have complety diffrent code sections to dealt}

Merci.
Marc


----------



## cocobolo

frenchelectrican said:


> Majorty of Europe area are running 230 or 240 volts line to netural beside few older spots still have old 127 volt circuits but that about history nowdays.
> And line to line load are typically 400 to 415 volts.{ depending on what grid you are on }
> 
> If need more question or circuious about the European code just ask us one of us will answer much as possible { I will being use the French code and Shu's area in Germany and he is pretty close to simauir to French code but in few diffrent way but not the UK that have complety diffrent code sections to dealt}
> 
> Merci.
> Marc


Marc...it's been a good long time since I was in the UK, but their voltage is 240 isn't it?

Merci
Keith


----------



## frenchelectrican

cocobolo said:


> Marc...it's been a good long time since I was in the UK, but their voltage is 240 isn't it?
> 
> Merci
> Keith


It used to be 230 but now they boosted up to 240 volts to standardized the whole system.

But instering twist I am sure it may come back to your mind about the UK famous ring circuit if so they are not allowed on mainland European area.

The other place I know they still use the ring circuits is Hong Kong but with some restriction if I read it right.

Merci.
Marc

side note the UK do have 120 volts for jobsite for powertools only {if they require that they will follow that otherwise they will use standard 240 volts tools }


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I planned on grouting my entry way but Matt's brother showed up to get going on the electric:thumbup:. I wired up my stove and set it temp in place. The top I left in the box until later. It is glass ceramic. It's brand new and out of warranty. I bought it 2 years ago. Matt brought my powder coated cabinet handles by. That black really sets things off. I found another use for the calibrated "Clamp Rock" I filled the gap between the laminate and tiles with a grey super glue. Very hard to squeeze out of the caulk gun but this stuff is tough as snot. I taped both sides and then went over it with the back side of a plastic spoon to push it in.. I pulled the tape while it was still wet and then locked the door. It is made by Sika. Great products. Getting a little closer. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> Today I planned on grouting my entry way but Matt's brother showed up to get going on the electric:thumbup:. I wired up my stove and set it temp in place. The top I left in the box until later. It is glass ceramic. It's brand new and out of warranty. I bought it 2 years ago. Matt brought my powder coated cabinet handles by. That black really sets things off. I found another use for the calibrated "Clamp Rock" I filled the gap between the laminate and tiles with a grey super glue. Very hard to squeeze out of the caulk gun but this stuff is tough as snot. I taped both sides and then went over it with the back side of a plastic spoon to push it in.. I pulled the tape while it was still wet and then locked the door. It is made by Sika. Great products. Getting a little closer. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


You really did do a fantastic job with the grout, it and your kitchen really are sharp, what a show place!!


----------



## cocobolo

Hey Shu...I think you better get a patent on those clamp rocks before someone else does!


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Hey Shu...I think you better get a patent on those clamp rocks before someone else does!


 That is the only "Calibrated Clamp Rock" I have. It weighs 13.875 lbs. Just the right weight to hold things down. The rest are just plain rocks.:whistling2: dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> That is the only "Calibrated Clamp Rock" I have. It weighs 13.875 lbs. Just the right weight to hold things down. The rest are just plain rocks.:whistling2: dorf dude...


Beautiful!!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

Thank you. Move day is this Sat the 23rd. I have a shower, toilet and sink in the bathroom. Stove is 1 day away. The house is holding 17C with outside temps hitting -2C, snow in the forcast. The pellet stove is not online yet. I'm still heating the neighbors house too which is my 4th wall but that is high on my priority list to get insulated. Move first then tighten up all the details. I won't have to drive back to an apartment anymore:thumbup:. I will be living in chaos for awhile but I will make the best of it until I can get settled. Time for a new start. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

You might be pretty darned tired by midnight on the 23rd...but I predict you'll be one happy camper! :thumbsup:


----------



## scoggy

*DD, did you move?*

DD thought your place was in Siegaust, but in last post you said you are in 'chaos' =======8^) Everyone I know over here and understands 'building', especially what you have done, are at a loss for words, when they see where you have come to, after I turn them onto site! Wish I could have stayed and helped you more, especially to see this 'Grand Fini"! Take care of your health, and enjoy the 'fruits of your labors'!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Scoggy


----------



## cocobolo

Getting closer Shu...did you get the stove functioning yet? 

We still aren't getting the cold weather here yet, just a chill in the air in the AM. Loads of fog here this morning though.


----------



## concretemasonry

I guess Chaos is TEMPORARILY near Grafenwoehr, Bavavaria, not far from the Czech Republic (and more beir) until a few days after the 23rd. It is good that Chaos will be somewhere else later and after Dorf dude is settled and has a stove.

Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

I'm "All In" now. I broke down my water bed tonight. I borrowed a pump from the neighbor that was supposed to work. Not even close. A washmachine motor and pump. I had to buy a new one, I will need it in the future anyway. A water bed is actually pretty simple. Outside frame with a support underneath and a heater. My matteress is a total waveless which has a big piece of foam inside. The pump did pretty good getting what it could out but it still weighs about 100lbs. It will take a couple guys to move it. Here are a few pic's from tonights activities. dorf dude...


----------



## jlhaslip

I always used a garden hose and siphoned the water out. Never used a pump.


----------



## shumakerscott

I had to suck all the water I could out because it is a 100% wave less matteress. That means it has a really thick piece of foam inside that holds tons of water. Siphon would not get it drained this far. Plus my down stairs neighbors wouldn't have liked the rain shower from my bed on their balcony. I must still be a good neighbor even though I'm leaving.:yes: I pumped it into my bathtub. It will be set back up on Sat at the house. dd


----------



## scoggy

*waterbed*

DD, that water bed looks really 'worn out'..maybe you should get a new one for the new house ========8^)
Scoggy:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> DD, that water bed looks really 'worn out'..maybe you should get a new one for the new house ========8^)
> Scoggy:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


 I have planned on a new frame but have been lacking beams. I will use old massive ones like in the rest of the house. For now I will throw this one up and pump it out when I get the materials. That's why I needed the pump in the future. I also might put some sort of a water feature in and I can use it for that too. I will try and move everything except the mattress today in my little car. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Is it possible to roll the mattress up with the filler hole low down? Maybe that might get another 50 lbs of water out. :huh:


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## shumakerscott

I'm moving under a Full Moon. I will take that as a good sign:yes:. My little camera didn't do to well with the pic. dorf dude


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I'm moving under a Full Moon. I will take that as a good sign:yes:. My little camera didn't do to well with the pic. dorf dude


Borrow this one, nobody will notice...


----------



## sbmfj

best of luck on your move. Lift with your legs, and not your back. 

All the best!


----------



## cocobolo

sbmfj said:


> best of luck on your move. Lift with your legs, and not your back.
> 
> All the best!


I think it's too late to warn him now! Either he already knows that (of course he does) or he's in trouble!

Have a good one Shu! :thumbup:


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## Polywanna

How did the full moon work for your move?


----------



## tpolk

shumakerscott said:


> I have planned on a new frame but have been lacking beams. I will use old massive ones like in the rest of the house. For now I will throw this one up and pump it out when I get the materials. That's why I needed the pump in the future. I also might put some sort of a water feature in and I can use it for that too. I will try and move everything except the mattress today in my little car. dorf dude...


I have never seen a water mattress with a water feature unless it was a leak. Look forward to pics :laughing: timothy


----------



## cocobolo

He could always set the pump up to run a fountain...maybe a few goldfish...a little lighting...


----------



## shumakerscott

The big move is complete. Now I have to get out of the apartment. Lot's of little junk to tighten up. The waterbed did not survive the move. I woke up on Sunday to drop, drop, drop. The pump was at the apartment:furious:. I hauled butt, returned and got it pumped out. The laminate floor was ok:thumbup:. I guess it is time for a new bed after all. No pictures. I have limited access to the net. I'm living in a disaster zone. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> The big move is complete. Now I have to get out of the apartment. Lot's of little junk to tighten up. The waterbed did not survive the move. I woke up on Sunday to drop, drop, drop. The pump was at the apartment:furious:. I hauled butt, returned and got it pumped out. The laminate floor was ok:thumbup:. I guess it is time for a new bed after all. No pictures. I have limited access to the net. I'm living in a disaster zone. dorf dude...


If Tim hadn't said anything...your bed might have survived! These things have a mind of their own you know.

Glad to hear that the worst is over.

Well, when you get your internet connection up to speed you can give us all the good pics.

Disaster zone or not, it must feel good to be in your new, old house.


----------



## shumakerscott

I have gotten a few pic's. The first is the bedroom disaster area. 2nd is kitchen, 3rd is living room, 4th is my temporary supplimental heat source, catalytic propane. I called the heat dude again this morning and he said he would get the pellet going today. We'll see about that. My humidity level is going up so I hope he gets me online soon. In the background is my new front door. It was only 109 Euro, solid wood. I will mount it soon to help seal out the cold. More apartment work tonight. I give up the key on the 28th, time is running out. dorf dude


----------



## BigJim

I know you will be happy to have the move behind you and all settled in. If you don't mind and you get the chance could we see your front door?


----------



## shumakerscott

Pellet stove is online:thumbup::thumbup:. The heating dude was amazed about this stove. It contains the heat in the hot water exchange for the most part. I ran it the whole night and it used 1 bag of pellets. Not bad considering it was warming 1000 liters of room temp water. I had 1 very small drip from a conector. Heat dude will fix it today. 2 more days to finish up the apartment and I will be back working on the house:yes:. Here is a great pic. dorf dude


----------



## shumakerscott

jiju1943 said:


> I know you will be happy to have the move behind you and all settled in. If you don't mind and you get the chance could we see your front door?


Jim, it's right behind the propane bottle leaning against the wall. dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> Jim, it's right behind the propane bottle leaning against the wall. dorf dude...


Man, that is a nice door, you got a really good deal on that one for sure, it is going to look really good hanging in your entry.


----------



## biggidybankston

Well now, I've been on this forum for 6 months; and I finally finished reading up on this thread. I'm truly amazed at the work you've gotten done. Now I'm a little bummed that your progress won't happen as fast as I click the "next page" button, but I'm looking forward to seeing your progress. It's really interesting seeing the differences in construction method. Your place makes my house look like a barn.

Do you still need bottle caps? My wife and I are headed to Gatlinburg, TN next week. I'll try and track some down from the Smokey Mountain Brewery. And some from the Sweetwater Brewing Co. right here in Atlanta. My wife and I will be very bummed that we have to drink all of that beer for your cause...:no:

-J


----------



## shumakerscott

biggidybankston said:


> Well now, I've been on this forum for 6 months; and I finally finished reading up on this thread. I'm truly amazed at the work you've gotten done. Now I'm a little bummed that your progress won't happen as fast as I click the "next page" button, but I'm looking forward to seeing your progress. It's really interesting seeing the differences in construction method. Your place makes my house look like a barn.
> 
> Do you still need bottle caps? My wife and I are headed to Gatlinburg, TN next week. I'll try and track some down from the Smokey Mountain Brewery. And some from the Sweetwater Brewing Co. right here in Atlanta. My wife and I will be very bummed that we have to drink all of that beer for your cause...:no:
> 
> -J


Yes I still need bottle caps. That project has been set back a little bit but will come around in the future, the more the better. Thanks for following and I hope for alot more "next page" progress in the near future. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

I can just about see the huge smile on your face now! :thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I am now living in the house. I gave up my apartment keys last night:thumbup:. First project is getting some sort of a kitchen working. I'll post pics when I can. dorf dude...


----------



## gma2rjc

Congratulations Shu!


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> I am now living in the house. I gave up my apartment keys last night:thumbup:. First project is getting some sort of a kitchen working. I'll post pics when I can. dorf dude...


I know that makes you happy being in your home but getting settled will make you even more happy. We understand how it is to get settled in, we will be here when you get ready to post more.


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I am now living in the house. I gave up my apartment keys last night:thumbup:. First project is getting some sort of a kitchen working. I'll post pics when I can. dorf dude...


Good show Shu! Must feel good to be living in the new pad. :thumbsup:

I'm sure you'll get the kitchen all sorted out in jig time. We'll be looking forward to hearing from you again once things settle down.


----------



## cocobolo

Have you got the kitchen usable yet? 

We can't have you starving to death you know! :huh:


----------



## shumakerscott

It was a busy weekend:yes:. I didn't get as far as I was hoping but progress just the same. My window sill was too high so I knocked it out and set a new one. Cabinets are leveled up and in position. I will have to get a couple more to fill in under the window. The sink doesn't work yet. I got the wrong adapters for the faucet and the stores don't open until Tuesday:furious:. Another holiday. I have a butterfly in the house. I take that as a good sign. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

DD, are you going to let the counter top go into the window and use it as part of your window sill?

You are coming along nicely, but I am sure you wish it would be faster. It all looks great DD.


----------



## shumakerscott

jiju1943 said:


> DD, are you going to let the counter top go into the window and use it as part of your window sill?
> 
> You are coming along nicely, but I am sure you wish it would be faster. It all looks great DD.


Yes, the countertop will extend into the window. I'm using OSB for now and then when I find something just right then I will go over the top of it. I'm leaning towards tile at the moment but that could change. dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

That is going to look great DD.:yes:


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> It was a busy weekend:yes:. I didn't get as far as I was hoping but progress just the same. My window sill was too high so I knocked it out and set a new one. Cabinets are leveled up and in position. I will have to get a couple more to fill in under the window. The sink doesn't work yet. I got the wrong adapters for the faucet and the stores don't open until Tuesday:furious:. Another holiday. I have a butterfly in the house. I take that as a good sign. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


The best part is that lovely curtain over the window. :whistling2:


----------



## shumakerscott

You like my curtains! You gotta use what you have on hand. Here is a pic of my kitchen lights, very bright and use only 36 watts total. My stove and sink are fully functional:thumbup:. I have the rough frame on the outside for the new door. I will leave the original door too. This is a temp setup to get me through the winter and stop the cold air from getting in. I cut open the waterbed so it would completely drain all the water from the baffles. I've also gotten alot of unpacking done. Starting to feel like a home. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

Great looking ceiling and lighting treatment!!! It is a great contrast/compliment to the rough beams.

The water bed photo reminds me of my home here in Minnesota. - My wife drinks Chardonnay and buys it by the 3 or 5 liter box. In order to get the last drop, she removes the bag, keeps it in the refrigerator to keep it chilled and then squeezes it to get the last drop out (she is very, very frugal).

I also see you also enjoy a Hungry Jack pancake every once in a while.

The other Schu -


----------



## cocobolo

The poor guy can't leave anything on the counter and we're all over him!


----------



## jlhaslip

Love that spray washer nozzle. I've only seen them in Commercial kitchens.
My house has the spray nozzle in the spout and it pulls out.


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf dude -
> 
> Great looking ceiling and lighting treatment!!! It is a great contrast/compliment to the rough beams.
> 
> The water bed photo reminds me of my home here in Minnesota. - My wife drinks Chardonnay and buys it by the 3 or 5 liter box. In order to get the last drop, she removes the bag, keeps it in the refrigerator to keep it chilled and then squeezes it to get the last drop out (she is very, very frugal).
> 
> I also see you also enjoy a Hungry Jack pancake every once in a while.
> 
> The other Schu -


I actually enjoy a pancake sandwich everyday for breakfast.
http://www.diychatroom.com/f39/pancake-sandwich-72076/


----------



## cocobolo

Good morning Shu...a very hearty congratulations on passing the 100,000 view mark! Very well done! :thumbsup::thumbup::yes:


----------



## gma2rjc

100,082!

Congratulations Shu!


----------



## BigJim

Way to go Shu, congratulations on topping the 100,000 mark. We appreciate you buddy!!!


----------



## brons2

I haven't read your thread in a while but it looks like you've moved back into your house about the same time I did. I wish I had a functional kitchen though! Nice going. Love your overhead kitchen lighting!!


----------



## shumakerscott

Thanks for your support! I received my new waterbed mattress on Friday!:thumbup:. I slept great this weekend. The temp outside door is in and sealed, what a big difference. I got the last 12 lights cut in last night. No more construction lighting downstairs:thumbup:. The halogen bulbs in the pic are going in the garbage. They would use a total of 600 watts, with the LED's I'm using 36. Next will be insulate my upstairs wall so I'm not heating the neighbor's house. One step at a time. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Oops, I forgot to attach the pics, here you go.


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Thanks for your support! I received my new waterbed mattress on Friday!:thumbup:. I slept great this weekend. The temp outside door is in and sealed, what a big difference. I got the last 12 lights cut in last night. No more construction lighting downstairs:thumbup:. The halogen bulbs in the pic are going in the garbage. They would use a total of 600 watts, with the LED's I'm using 36. Next will be insulate my upstairs wall so I'm not heating the neighbor's house. One step at a time. dorf dude...


So you are going to change that door for a different one down the road, are you?

Nice difference on the power consumption on those lights. At least the halogens were heating the house for you as well!! 

I've got to find some LED's to fit the light that just went in my stairwell. The six in that fixture chew up 360 watts...can't do that on solar power!

Do you still have things to do in the kitchen? Or is that all finished now?

I'm with everyone else...love those lights! :thumbup:


----------



## BigJim

Thanks DD for the pictures, I just can't get enough looking at the antique beams and ceiling, just beautiful, it for sure has that "wow factor" for me.

One of the antique homes my crew and I restored was built in 1824 and all the joist on the down stairs was full trees with just the top flattened off, I thought that was pretty cool.

I got to check into the LED lights, that is a lot of difference.


----------



## jules4

I took me a while but I finally finished reading the whole thread (no skipping ahead either)!

Rather than carrying on and on about how blown away I am by your confidence in taking on this project in the first place, how fantastic your window masonry is, how much I love, love, _love_ your use of the old timbers and rough planks, I'll just summarise: *WOW!!!*

You’ve also done a fantastic job writing and illustrating this thread. I especially loved the little details about the local people and goings on you add about your neighbours, the Stadtfest, the whatchamacallit tree for blessing new buildings, etc. (I’m glad you bowed to the demands of other readers and threw in a few details about yourself too - makes the story that much more engaging. :thumbsup: )

Between this and Keith’s Gulf Island thread, you two have the DIY virtual tourism market all wrapped up!

Tschau,
Julia


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## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott.,

Just wondering what name brand that you installed the LED in there and how much ya pay for it { in Euros please } 

I may end up replace few of the luminaire some have CFL but few are kinda power hog.


Merci.
Marc


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## ccnvchris

Dorf Dude! WOW! I stumbled across your project last week and just finished going thru the entire thing last nite around 11:00. What a job! I have to salute your determination and perseverance. You stuck to your vision despite the naysayers, and the budgetary constraints. Your home is outstanding! You have a real good 'art chip' in that noggin of yours. You did a good job of keeping the existing and traditional while bringing in the modern. And the sandstone wrap on the window holes with the stuccoed interior? Way cool! I also enjoyed the comments from your DIY'er friends. As long as there are smart @ss's in the world there will be hope for humanity. Keep up the good wok. I look forward to seeing what you have planned for the upstairs.


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## shumakerscott

The lights are from a chain store called Lidl. They were 5.99 each. Here is one guys review. I'm going to try and get more of them. dorf dude...
*Lidl Offer Livarno 3W GU10 Spotlight*

On 2010/09/02 Lidl had an offer of £5.99 for 3W LED lamps, in various fittings including GU10, Livarno brand (EDI Light GmbH), and claiming ~60lm/W on the box, ie about 180lm total. This lamp certainly seems less bright than the Econic at ~250lm, but the beam angle of 90° of this lamp cf the Econic 25° confounds easy comparisons. 
If the lumen values are correct then this Lidl lamp is less good efficiency (ie lm/W) but much better value (lm/£)! Both of them however do well in efficiency terms compared to CFL (at least as good) especially given the GU10 fitting. 
The light is a pleasant colour, and the multiple (15) emitters/chips make for a less harsh 'point-source' feel. 
My daughter preferred this to her current (6000K) bedside lamp, primarily because this illuminates the far end of her bed better given its broader beam; it seems to throw significant useful light beyond the 90° stated, possibly in part because of its slightly domed front. 
This comes on quickly, faster than the V3 for example. 
Like the Econic, this claims a 25,000 hour life.


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## shumakerscott

The door is temp because I will add a mud room with about 200sq ft in the spring. The door will be reused. The original door is still mounted inside. dorf dude...


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## brons2

shumakerscott said:


> The lights are from a chain store called Lidl. They were 5.99 each. Here is one guys review. I'm going to try and get more of them. dorf dude...
> *Lidl Offer Livarno 3W GU10 Spotlight*


How much heat do these lights create?

Would they be good to use in a can light that comes in contact with insulation?


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## frenchelectrican

brons2 said:


> How much heat do these lights create?
> 
> Would they be good to use in a can light that comes in contact with insulation?


Not very much heat AFAIK as long that product is listed to use in the recessed luminaires.

Merci.
Marc


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## scoggy

*Congratulations*

DD, was on one of my sojourns around the province, and on the day I thought you would be moved in, pulled over on the almost deserted summit at 6000 feet, and under a clear sky and a "gazillion' stars, next to the snow clad Rockies, I toasted you and your completion, and I swear the stars twinkled a bit brighter!!
Good on you! Why a mud room, are you into "clay" also? Have you generated ideas for your shop yet?
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

brons2 said:


> How much heat do these lights create?
> 
> Would they be good to use in a can light that comes in contact with insulation?


No heat to speak of. You can touch them and they are just slightly warm. You can't do that with halogen or compact floresent.


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## shumakerscott

Yesterday didn't go according to plan. On Wed night I decided to find the ladder with my toe:furious:. That's why I bought a battery operated LED night light with motion sensor. I got the driveway light up and that was a disaster too:furious:. I have some holes to fill in. It also has a motion sensor. I had some fine tuning to do becase of the trucks driving by setting it off. Here are a couple of pics. dorf dude


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## Shamus

shumakerscott said:


> Yesterday didn't go according to plan. On Wed night I decided to find the ladder with my toe:furious:.


Ouch and I've been there a few times myself. Last time I ended up on the floor. 

With the interior of my home undergoing what seems like constant demolition over the past two years I just can't manage to get everything cleaned up and out of the way every night. The result are accidents waiting to happen. 

My solution was the same as yours. I bought 2 battery operated motion lights. No more walking into or onto tools and material I didn't get moved the night before. I also picked up a couple LED plug-in night lights that come on at dusk. Now even the areas that are not under construction get illuminated.


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Yesterday didn't go according to plan. On Wed night I decided to find the ladder with my toe:furious:. That's why I bought a battery operated LED night light with motion sensor. I got the driveway light up and that was a disaster too:furious:. I have some holes to fill in. It also has a motion sensor. I had some fine tuning to do because of the trucks driving by setting it off. Here are a couple of pics. dorf dude


Shamus has the "Ouch!" part right!

Shame about the holes outside, but that shouldn't be too hard to fix. 

Trouble is - it's just one more thing to do.

Hope the toe heals quickly.


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## Jim F

That toe looks broken to me but there really isn't much they do about a broken toe anyway unless it's really bad. Generally keep protective footwear on and prevent re injury.


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## shumakerscott

It was a very busy weekend:yes:. My toe appears to not be broken, getting better. On Sat I cut the opening for the roof window, aufsteigfenster. The instructions got very confusing for the finishing trim ect... I covered the hole and Campbell said he'd be over to finish it on Sun. He has put lots of them in. We have 2 main brands of windows here, Velux and Roto. I will never buy another Velux. The Roto's come way more assembled and much easier to install. Just a word of advice if you were buying one and had a choice. I also got my satelite mount in, dish installed and I now have TV:thumbup:. The pic's don't show the dish, that will be in another edition. The weather here has been so nice, 17C, we were working in t-shirts, unheard of for the middle of Nov in Germany. Here are a few pics of the weekends progress. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Here are a couple pics of the satelite mount going in. Not enough room in my last post.


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## jlhaslip

looking good.

Nice to have that roof access...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> It was a very busy weekend:yes:. My toe appears to not be broken, getting better. On Sat I cut the opening for the roof window, aufsteigfenster. The instructions got very confusing for the finishing trim ect... I covered the hole and Campbell said he'd be over to finish it on Sun. He has put lots of them in. We have 2 main brands of windows here, Velux and Roto. I will never buy another Velux. The Roto's come way more assembled and much easier to install. Just a word of advice if you were buying one and had a choice. I also got my satellite mount in, dish installed and I now have TV:thumbup:. The pic's don't show the dish, that will be in another edition. The weather here has been so nice, 17C, we were working in t-shirts, unheard of for the middle of Nov in Germany. Here are a few pics of the weekends progress. dorf dude...


I hear you on the Velux. Excellent product, but IMO overpriced and - as you so rightly say - hard to install.

Last time I did skylights, I had 1 opening Velux and 3 brand X's to do. The Velux took longer to install than the other three combined.

17ºC????? Last year we were discussing temps and it was warmer here than over there. We have snow in the forecast for the latter part of this week! It's 7ºC here as we speak.

I like that flashing on your satellite mast...is that some sort of rubber or vinyl to match the roof tiles? Or is it a tile made especially for the purpose and then sealed? Looks excellent. :thumbsup:


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## tpolk

looks like a specialty tile


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## BigJim

Wow, the sky lite would have me worried. It may just be an illusion but it looks like the lite is lower than the roofing. I have always liked the Velux but I installed them on a regular roof too.

You did a great job, it does look good.


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## ccnvchris

Skylite looks good.Veluxe are klunky to install but a much better quality than the others i've seen around here. Would like to see the Roto's.


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## CoconutPete

Looking good!!!!

I forgot they make Velux ones that open that way - the one we put in my parents house opens the long way - looks outrageous when you open it too.


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## Bootz

I was paging through and I like how it goes.. Build build build BEER build build lol awesome DIY How old are you now? From what I saw you are 22 in the beginning ... that is a huge accomplishment for some one at that age... now that I am 27 I think I can say i have successful instillation of a retaining wall... sink... customized car headlights... plumbing... but you got the whole thing... electrician ... house builder! wow.. just amazing.. keep up the great work man.. BTW is that a granite sink? and if so .. have you had any problems with it at all? we were going to get one but heard alot of talk that they crack really easily... this so?


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## shumakerscott

Bootz, you flatter me, I'm 48. The roof tile for the mast is plastic, cost was 23 Euro, about $30. Here is the dish, It is 110cm, about 4 ft. That is huge compared to what most people use here, they use 60cm. I'm shooting for British Sky and not the normal German satellite. Also included is a pic of my new toy. It tells you what sat your on and the signal strength and quality. I've always wanted on of these. It will pay for itself when I start installing dishes again in the spring. I need extra income. You can see the solar panel mounts minus the vacuum tubes. I will get them in next year. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Very cool...is this the setup which goes from one satellite to another?

There's a guy over in Ladysmith that sells those setups - just not with such a fancy toy as you have! We can only get 4 or 5 different satellite's over here. If you look at all the ones that are available over in Europe it's incredible. There's dozens of them.


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## shumakerscott

I've now joined the 21'st century. I have a real telephone and internet. Not the fastest but ok. Not much work getting done at the moment. Dark going to work, dark coming home. I've got the basics and am content with that for now. After 2 1/2 years of work, time to slow down for awhile. I will get the bug again and start kicking butt pretty soon. Thanks for following along. I must insulate my neighbor's wall next. Pic's of course when I get going on that. dorf dude...


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## no1hustler

Telephone is 20th century. 

Nobody has them anymore. Its all about cell phones.


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## ccnvchris

Ouch! Dude. you just got schooled on 21st century tech by a guy that lives in Amish country! Hows that for ironic?


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## gma2rjc

A lot of people are getting rid of their home phones. But, there are people with scanners in their homes who can tune in on your cell phone conversation. They can also listen to conversations you have on your cordless phone at home. But not on a corded phone (only the govt. can do that :laughing. You'd be smart to keep your corded home phone.

My friends' husband has one of those scanners and he listens in on his neighbors. It's not right, but it happens.


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## shumakerscott

My phone is DECT. 
Security
The DECT media access control layer also provides encryption services with the DECT Standard Cipher (DSC). The encryption is fairly weak, using a 35-bit initialization vector and encrypting the voice stream with 64-bit encryption
It is encrypted, Not real strong but not scanable in normal senses. I'm not that important for anyone to want to listen to what I have to say. 900 mhz phones transmit in the open. My cell phone service sucks at the house. I get maybe 1 bar reception out of 6 and conversations breakup. No cable here in the village. I'm stuck to land line, around 125kbs download. No pics because of no work getting done. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've been getting alot of flack over my lack of window sills. So I went out to my rock pile and and put one in. I will let it dry overnight and then grout it. I'm getting back into getting things done:thumbup:. dorf dude...


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## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> I've been getting alot of flack over my lack of window sills. So I went out to my rock pile and and put one in. I will let it dry overnight and then grout it. I'm getting back into getting things done:thumbup:. dorf dude...


That looks great DD, I have always loved the stone mixed look and you have done it perfectly.


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## shumakerscott

Last weekend I put up my satelite for British TV. My plan was to install a 2nd dish for German channels. I was talking with a friend and he suggested a multi holder. They don't make one for my dish but it got me thinking. I found this mount and went to work. I cut a wood block that has the same angle and just fits inside the arm. I'm bouncing the signal to the white LNB and getting a straight shot on the black one. It works great:thumbup:. Here are a few pics, dorf dude...


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## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> Last weekend I put up my satelite for British TV. My plan was to install a 2nd dish for German channels. I was talking with a friend and he suggested a multi holder. They don't make one for my dish but it got me thinking. I found this mount and went to work. I cut a wood block that has the same angle and just fits inside the arm. I'm bouncing the signal to the white LNB and getting a straight shot on the black one. It works great:thumbup:. Here are a few pics, dorf dude...


Do you have to turn the dish each time you switch from one to the other?


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## cocobolo

jiju1943 said:


> Do you have to turn the dish each time you switch from one to the other?


I'm not sure about Shu's dish Jim, but we have dual LNB's on our dish so it can pick up two different satellites. The dish itself doesn't move. It sounds like the same thing that Shu has. From what I understand, this has something to do with being able to receive the HD channels.

You can get a setup which has a simple motor drive on it which will go to any satellite within reach. Of course I found this out AFTER I had ours installed. It is also very inexpensive. I believe the whole shebang costs about $200.

It is reminiscent of the old TV rotating antennas...remember those? Same idea.


----------



## BigJim

cocobolo said:


> I'm not sure about Shu's dish Jim, but we have dual LNB's on our dish so it can pick up two different satellites. The dish itself doesn't move. It sounds like the same thing that Shu has. From what I understand, this has something to do with being able to receive the HD channels.
> 
> You can get a setup which has a simple motor drive on it which will go to any satellite within reach. Of course I found this out AFTER I had ours installed. It is also very inexpensive. I believe the whole shebang costs about $200.
> 
> It is reminiscent of the old TV rotating antennas...remember those? Same idea.


Oh, OK, I see, thanks Keith, I appreciate that. I do remember the old TV antennas, come up a wind storm and there went the TV watching.


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## shumakerscott

The satelite does not move. I'm doing a bank shot with the white LNB. I got the bathroom window ledge grouted. It came out great:yes:. I will do more window ledges the same way. The best thing about it is it's free! Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I started laying out the next window sill. The rocks are really dirty and covered in mud. Not good for the shower or sink cleaning. My outside water is turned off now. I will take the rocks to the car wash and blast them clean tomorrow. Here is a pre install pic. They look ok to me, best of all the cost is $0. More to follow, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

The car wash is a great way to get them clean - I would not have thought of that.

I really like the contrast of the over-all theme of traditional a proven structure and the modern finishes.

Keep it going while you are getting settled and organized.

How good is the new internet connection since you are in a little bit of a void area geographically and limited by local wire connections?

Happy turkey day, but I know that is not traditional there. My English friend in the U.S. always had a rare beef tenderloin and left the turkey to the "bottom-feeders" (as he said).

The other Schu -


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## biggidybankston

So....:whistling2:

I polished off a 6 pack of 420's last night, just for you...it was a lot of work. Now that you've moved, where should I mail these to?


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## shumakerscott

Happy Thanksgiving! I spent the morning at the Dentist getting a major cleaning. 1 1/2 hr's. I attacked the 2 window ledges in the living room. The original lay out actually didn't work out and I changed it. Compare previous pic with current. Slightly different. I have 2 more window ledges to do but they won't be out of stone. I will come up with wood or tile, not sure yet. Only the stone framed windows will get stone ledges. I put up a stained glass on the front window, it fit perfect. It is called "Old Man Winter" perfect since we started getting snow 2 days ago. It looks fantastic from the outside. Tomorrow is grout the window ledges and then??? We'll see what happens, dorf dode...


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## cocobolo

Window sills are looking mighty fine. :thumbsup:

I'm trying to think who old man winter reminds me of. I think it is a combination of Groucho Marx, Leroy Neimann and Albert Einstein.

Did you do the stained glass?


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## shumakerscott

Yes I did do the stained glass. Hardest one I ever did. No straight lines, all curves. Difficult to say the least. Thanks for following, dorf dude..


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## shumakerscott

biggidybankston said:


> So....:whistling2:
> 
> I polished off a 6 pack of 420's last night, just for you...it was a lot of work. Now that you've moved, where should I mail these to?


 Thanks for the "Hard Work'


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## tpolk

looks like the guy from the Beatles yellow submarine days


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## shumakerscott

I got the window ledges grouted. The butterfly came down for a visit. It was his last flight. He died today. I'm suprised that he lived this long. I have included a pic of cleaning the pellet stove. That is 1 week of burning. I love this stove! Beats the heck out of wood stoves. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Those window sills came out great! Who would have thought of using free rocks for a sill...terrific idea! :thumbup:


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

I like the sills since they reflect other potions of you house. Are you going to coat them with a clear sealer to minimize the dust collection and butterfly debris?

How will the beer bottles stand on them because of the surface? I guess with a casement window you just speed up the consumption unless you don't plan on swinging the casement inward.

My great-grandfather (Frederick/Fritz) did not have that problem since he just sent on of his kids around the corner to pick a little pail of beer and it was wider on the bottom and more stable than a bottle. I think I have a couple of the old pails that I managed to save.

The other Schu -


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## shumakerscott

I will clear coat them. Beer bottles stand just fine:thumbup:. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

There's the proof, folks. Must have given this great thought before he picked the rocks out! :thumbsup:


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## jlhaslip

That is my kind of Research project... :lol:

Looks great.


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## shumakerscott

Today I stripped and mounted another post. The step wall is going in. Here are a couple pics. Should be done tomorrow, dorf dude...


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## Bootz

Hey man ... I picked up some bottled beer caps where should I send them??? You can PM me the Addy and I will get them in the mail asap


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## shumakerscott

Bootz said:


> Hey man ... I picked up some bottled beer caps where should I send them??? You can PM me the Addy and I will get them in the mail asap


Just hold on to them for now. Collect more. "Beer is cheaper than gas. Drink don't drive!" :laughing: They aren't needed for a while. Thanks for the hard work. BTW, Who lives in RI 02895? Please identify yourself. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Now that I have moved out of the apartment, no pets allowed, I get my dog on the weekends along with my boys. He has found that the pellet stove is the best place to be. He just sleeps all the time. dorf dude...:yawn:


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## shumakerscott

Winter is really setting in now. The house was getting a little chilly so I turned up the thermostat. It was even colder inside this morning?? I have 2 thermostats, one in the entry and one on the floor heat loop. I turned up the floor heat loop and the room temp. That was wrong. The floor heat loop appears to work backwards. It will keep pumping until the water temp drops to the set temp. The room thermostat tells it to keep pumping until the temp rises to set temp. Is this correct? The pellet stove is really ripping now that I turned down the floor heat loop. Nobody explained this to me when it was set up. There is actually a 3rd thermostat built into the pellet stove to regulate how hot the internal water temp gets but that is pretty much automatic. In the pic is the floor heat thermostat. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I worked on my wall again. I've included a pic of the hidden clips that hold the boards in the groove. I started with the tongue and profiled it with the post. Not the greatest work from me, yes there is a slight gap at the top. The post tapers. I just didn't feel like making it perfect. I used the clips all the way to the next to last board at the wall. I measured the gap and then ripped the board with a 25 degree angle to allow fitting it in the groove of the last board. The angle cut lets you slip it in against the wall. It has enough tension that I will just let it sit there, no nails or anything. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## tpolk

most excellent :thumbup:


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## Bootz

Well by the time you will need them I will have a ton... most likely Nati Bo.. because its the best beer around :x :laughing: the good thing though about this beer is that underneath the bottle cap there are little image games that you can play like... a picture of a D and a picture of a Fence.... so... Defense. .. you know... well lol I hope you like them I cant wait to contribute to a project that is going on here its going to be really cool. :thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

My new wall is making thermal adjustments. I will give it a couple days to settle in but then some Gorilla Glue might be in order. I don't want to hear the creaking over the next years. dorf dude...


----------



## biggidybankston

shumakerscott said:


> Now that I have moved out of the apartment, no pets allowed, I get my dog on the weekends along with my boys. He has found that the pellet stove is the best place to be. He just sleeps all the time. dorf dude...:yawn:


Didn't you know...its hard work being a dog!


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## cocobolo

Mine seems to have the same opinion...


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## shumakerscott

I opened up the flood gates. Bring on the dog pic's. I love it:thumbup:. Coco, your's seems to have a case of the "Frizz" and maybe snacks a little too much:yes:. Nothing personal of course. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I opened up the flood gates. Bring on the dog pic's. I love it:thumbup:. Coco, your's seems to have a case of the "Frizz" and maybe snacks a little too much:yes:. Nothing personal of course. dorf dude...


A _little_ too much? How about a _lot_ too much. :laughing:
The frizz she was born with, the only one in the litter like that. 10 1/2 years old now.


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## Jim F

Not a dog pic but he thinks he's one.


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## jlhaslip

This is what I use to scare off the Deer and Elk... 

Bears... not so much.:no:


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## shumakerscott

I'm supposed to pick up the wood for my stairs this Sat. I never finished grouting my tile floor so I got going on that again this evening. My motivation factor is low on this project but it has to get done before I can start on the stairs. I will finish it tomorrow. It sure dries fast with the floor being so warm. Grouting sucks. :yes: dorf dude...


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## Bootz

Well here is pete the ever growing poodle :x










To....










 Just thought i would share


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## Jim F

Not the grouting so much as the cleanup that really sucks IMO.


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## Bootz

Jim F said:


> Not the grouting so much as the cleanup that really sucks IMO.


Can you imagine you started from nothing... now you have built your self an awesome house? what person can say that now adays... well besides CoCo... who built him self an island or something or other :laughing: Is it alot of scraping ?


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## shumakerscott

Ok, I've been at it the last few days. The tile floor is grouted now. Steve came today and gave me a hand picking up the wood for the stairs. This thing is massive:yes:. I had a couple visitors and they couldn't believe how thick the steps are going to be. I bought some art objects, Whale's. I think they go great with the rock window sills. I'm not a whale nut but they fit in. What say you? We have been slammed by winter 13" of snow and temps down to 5F. My house is staying warm:thumbup:. I still need to insulate on the neighbors wall. That should really help. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Ok, I've been at it the last few days. The tile floor is grouted now. Steve came today and gave me a hand picking up the wood for the stairs. This thing is massive:yes:. I had a couple visitors and they couldn't believe how thick the steps are going to be. I bought some art objects, Whale's. I think they go great with the rock window sills. I'm not a whale nut but they fit in. What say you? We have been slammed by winter 13" of snow and temps down to 5F. My house is staying warm:thumbup:. I still need to insulate on the neighbors wall. That should really help. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude


The whales are terrific. Almost reminds me of the whale watching over at Tofino in the spring. :thumbsup:


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## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> Ok, I've been at it the last few days. The tile floor is grouted now. Steve came today and gave me a hand picking up the wood for the stairs. This thing is massive:yes:. I had a couple visitors and they couldn't believe how thick the steps are going to be. I bought some art objects, Whale's. I think they go great with the rock window sills. I'm not a whale nut but they fit in. What say you? We have been slammed by winter 13" of snow and temps down to 5F. My house is staying warm:thumbup:. I still need to insulate on the neighbors wall. That should really help. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude


Wow, those are some thick treads, are you going to mortise them in and have an open tread?

I agree with Coco, the whales are sharp.


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## concretemasonry

Scott -

Everything looks good as expected. Just a check up on you communications -

How is the satellite dish and selector working?

You mentioned the poor/slow DSL connection? Is it just a little slow or is there a reliability issue? - The photos posted look good for going through a web site.

I could post some photos of my 2 - 15# black cats, but they are boring and always have their eyes closed like they are sleeping.

The unique bottle caps are coming. Do you want the bottles with the labels later?

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

_"The unique bottle caps are coming. Do you want the bottles with the labels later?

The other Schu - Dick"_ 

I would like the bottles full with labels and caps! :drink: Actually just caps is fine. Once I get the stairs in then working upstairs will be easy. I've been putting off things up there because of access. My DSL is solid but slow. It takes a little while to upload pic's but not terrible. The stair treads are thick, 2". I guess I over engineered it. I will close them off. I plan on a hobby work bench underneath so I don't want stuff falling down on my projects. I'm undecided on what type of railing to use. Once it's in then I will decide. It's got to be a little different of course. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## BigJim

DD, I think your stairs will fit right in with the thick treads, it is going to look sharp that is for sure.


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## Bootz

Yea I been collecting the bottle caps pretty religiously so far lol tell me when you need them and I will send them your way

btw whales look good ... think you will do something with boats as well? do the whole mariners theme?


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## scoggy

*DD, your stair railing*

DD, why not look around the woods in your area, and use some limbs of trees or parts of trees themselves, to make a unique railing! Buddy of mine who lives up in the Chilcotin, built a 3000 Sq Ft log home, on two floors, and never used nails, and had an amazing two floor stair rail made out of skinny 'logs', and it looked awesome,..he even used treads like you are building. If you want pixs, I can email him, and after some time, he would prolly send you some pixs!
Cheers
Scoggy


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## Han'D'

Perhaps some woven vines or branches to use as a railing...

Great job Shu! I look forward to more progress!!:thumbup:


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## Jim F

shumakerscott said:


> We have been slammed by winter 13" of snow and temps down to 5F. My house is staying warm:thumbup:.


I feel sorry for the poor souls training out there in Graf. Been there done that- 3 winter's worth.


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## shumakerscott

We've been getting hammered by winter here in Europe. Our snow total is over 2 ft for the season so far. I've been comparing snow melt on the neighbors roofs to mine. My place seems to be the best insulated. Campbell thinks I don't melt to much because my roof pitch is less so the snow doesn't slide off so quickly. Either way I'm holding a toasty warm 69F inside and my feet are nice and warm. we are in a melt phase right now and most of my snow has slid off over the night. Rutch and boom! Avalange. 
I went to pick up my son yesterday and when I returned I had a lake in the kitchen. The hot water line to the sink was leaking. I just caught it after about 5 minutes leaking. If I had been at work my whole house would have been flooded! The fittings had loosened up, probably do to thermal cycles. The laminate floor looks to be ok. My cabinet that holds the sink suffered some moisture damage but is still ok. I'm just so glad I came home and caught it so quickly:yes:.
No DIY getting done, I have Cocobolo fever. That's ok at the the moment because I start a new job on Monday:thumbup::thumbup:. I could only give a 2 days notice and my boss is really mad at me. After 4 1/2 years it was time to go. I will be Maint Tech on a mobile Counter IED suite. 
http://ict.usc.edu/projects/mobile_counter_ied_interactive_trainer_mcit/
We will be on the road quite a bit but now that I'm in the house that's ok. Here are a couple winter pics. Might get going on the stairs soon. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> We've been getting hammered by winter here in Europe. Our snow total is over 2 ft for the season so far. I've been comparing snow melt on the neighbors roofs to mine. My place seems to be the best insulated. Campbell thinks I don't melt to much because my roof pitch is less so the snow doesn't slide off so quickly. Either way I'm holding a toasty warm 69F inside and my feet are nice and warm. we are in a melt phase right now and most of my snow has slid off over the night. Rutch and boom! Avalange.
> I went to pick up my son yesterday and when I returned I had a lake in the kitchen. The hot water line to the sink was leaking. I just caught it after about 5 minutes leaking. If I had been at work my whole house would have been flooded! The fittings had loosened up, probably do to thermal cycles. The laminate floor looks to be ok. My cabinet that holds the sink suffered some moisture damage but is still ok. I'm just so glad I came home and caught it so quickly:yes:.
> No DIY getting done, I have Cocobolo fever. That's ok at the the moment because I start a new job on Monday:thumbup::thumbup:. I could only give a 2 days notice and my boss is really mad at me. After 4 1/2 years it was time to go. I will be Maint Tech on a mobile Counter IED suite.
> http://ict.usc.edu/projects/mobile_counter_ied_interactive_trainer_mcit/
> We will be on the road quite a bit but now that I'm in the house that's ok. Here are a couple winter pics. Might get going on the stairs soon. dorf dude...


Shu...very sorry to hear about the Cocobolo fever.

It's an extremely rare disease currently only known to have happened to two people in the entire world.

It appears to be caused by a combination of crappy weather and a string of annoying happenings which shouldn't happen to any mere mortals. However, I do believe that you and I are both capable of rising above this [email protected]#%&**$$ ailment. While we do have warmer weather forecast for a few days, there is more snow due very shortly.

The Canadian version of this irritating fever is slowly passing...and the proof that I offer is that I actually did some work today, other than trying yet another fix on the engine.

I predict that your new job will cure your German version of this illness and all will be well in the land of the dorf dude very shortly.


----------



## shumakerscott

Here's what came off my roof last night. I have hooks for a snow fence but I didn't get them installed fast enough. No chance now with it being winter. Next year. dorf dude...


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## Shamus

Shu,

Read the link you gave for the new job. Looks/sounds like it should be very interesting. And your right, 4.5 years and it's time for a change.:thumbsup:

Now about this Coco fever.... It's rampent across the US now and although around here it's refered to as The Shamus Blues it isn't something you can take a pill for. It just has to run it's course. In another 3 or 4 months everything will be back to normal again. :sleep1:


----------



## cocobolo

Shamus said:


> Shu,
> 
> Read the link you gave for the new job. Looks/sounds like it should be very interesting. And your right, 4.5 years and it's time for a change.:thumbsup:
> 
> Now about this Coco fever.... It's rampent across the US now and although around here it's refered to as The Shamus Blues it isn't something you can take a pill for. It just has to run it's course. In another 3 or 4 months everything will be back to normal again. :sleep1:


Hmmm, I see a pattern developing here. Must be something to do with this wintertime lethargy. I'm a warm weather guy myself. 

If the weather dudes won't admit that we are setting new rainfall records here, then I'll know for sure they are a bunch of damn liars. Not that we haven't known that for years.

However, that being said - it looks like we are going to experience a somewhat incredible high of 15ºC tomorrow - it's the pineapple express coming up this way from Hawaii. Then snow two nights later - whaddareyuhgonnado?


----------



## Jim F

Is the new job Gov't. or private sector? My neighbor gets snow slides with his metal roof. I guess it happens with tile too. So long as nobody is walking there you are OK. What type of fittings does the kitchen sink have?


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## shumakerscott

Jim, here is a pic of the sink fitting. I don't know the type. The metal pipe the goes to the valve is what had leaked. The pipe loosened up. The new job is private contractor working for the Govt. Here is a newspaper link on our area right now. http://newspaper.grafenwoehr.com/2010/12/13/grafenwoehr-digs-out/1716
Winter is everywhere! Everyone drive safe and be safe, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

As for the snow slides, we had a very warm and rainy spell for a couple days. That loosened everything up and away it went. My roof is very low pitched, 24 degrees. It didn't get melted due to my insulation so I had a lot to come down. I have hooks but didn't get them installed in time. Now is not a good time to go out on the roof to put them in:no:. We are back down into the teens. I had to use a plastic spoon to pry my car door open again. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Jim, here is a pic of the sink fitting. I don't know the type. The metal pipe the goes to the valve is what had leaked. The pipe loosened up. The new job is private contractor working for the Govt. Here is a newspaper link on our area right now. http://newspaper.grafenwoehr.com/2010/12/13/grafenwoehr-digs-out/1716
> Winter is everywhere! Everyone drive safe and be safe, dorf dude...


Teflon tape on the connections???


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## Bootz

Yea we got our first snow here and when running my rout it was pretty slippery! lucky I have a project that requires inside work so I do manage to have a couple of projects to keep me occupied  Good luck to you btw is this the first winter this house has seen?


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## Lulimet

shumakerscott said:


> I had to use a plastic spoon to pry my car door open again. dorf dude...


 A cup of hot water works for me always :thumbup:


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## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> . I had to use a plastic spoon to pry my car door open again. dorf dude...


For me I did use the topedo heater to thaw out the frozen door on my trucks 

I get a bit of snow as well due I am on east side of Paris France I have few cm worth of snow but right now it bouncing around -4°C at the moment but it may drop down little more once I get more nord east wind.

Ya guys speaking of Cocobolo fever it pretty much international level however I been keep busy with work that help a bit but for traffic conditons it can be nutty as well { I am used to Parisan traffic } 

Merci.
Marc


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## shumakerscott

I have twins! I have just become caretaker of twin Cummins 185kw generators. Pic's to follow for sure, No time at the moment due to our pace of getting things fielded. Cold as heck and snowing. I love my new job. I'm fixing things :thumbsup:. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

185 Kilowatts! Holy smoke, that would power this whole island with room to spare! And there's TWO of them? Sheesh!


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> 185 Kilowatts! Holy smoke, that would power this whole island with room to spare! And there's TWO of them? Sheesh!


Wait until I can get some pic's up. These dogs are huge. My babies now. Fielding should be over in the next week then really mine. I could power my whole village with these guys. The Army really over spec's things some times. Expect the wourse and times 3. Better than to little I guess. Pic's soon. dorf dude...


----------



## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> I have twins! I have just become caretaker of twin Cummins 185kw generators. Pic's to follow for sure, No time at the moment due to our pace of getting things fielded. Cold as heck and snowing. I love my new job. I'm fixing things :thumbsup:. dorf dude...


185 KW size is not very big to me I work on much larger units the one I mantainced for many years that have 3.5 mega watts with 20 cylinder EMD engine { yeah it can push to 5 Megawatts but have to change the generator head end to work with 5 megawatts unit }

Shu if you have any question with the Cummins engine let me know I will be gald to answer for ya.

Merci.
Marc


----------



## Bootz

shumakerscott said:


> Wait until I can get some pic's up. These dogs are huge. My babies now. Fielding should be over in the next week then really mine. I could power my whole village with these guys. The Army really over spec's things some times. Expect the wourse and times 3. Better than to little I guess. Pic's soon. dorf dude...


So they just gave them to you? lol wow.... god bless America :thumbup: Btw Shu is this the house's first snow?


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## shumakerscott

_"Btw Shu is this the house's first snow?" _

It is the first winter being lived in since I bought it. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Bootz -

The masonry walls and the foundation have been there for centuries. The roof and beams were not nearly as old and the new roof is clay tile. The interior and finishes are the doings of Scott (Dorf Dude) to provide a great design contrast with the old and new. - A massive ubdertaking!!

Dick - The other Schu


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## kagne

*Question from USA*

Scott,
I traveled in Germany and Austria this past summer. All doors to hotel rooms (assume many others as well) have a flange - roughly 1/4"-5/8" thk and extending beyond the rest of the slab about that much. I am putting in a door to my music studio and have bought a slab and need to build the jamb. I'm considering routing the edge of the door to create the aforementioned flange (to possibly improve sound isolation and just because they are unique, intriguing and German(?)). Anyway, I didn't pay close enough attention to the detail while there. Has anyone ever seen this (in US or abroad) and, more importantly, does anyone have information about the design. If so, I'd love to get a cross section view of the jamb. Are there still door stops or does the flange serve that purpose? Are there special hinge arrangements required to make sure the door, and flange, seat properly on the jamb (and swing open w/o interference)?
Thanks
PS This was a gen'l post on one of the forums. Someone suggested asking you. I'm guessing your project may not have any of the type of doors I refer to, but maybe you've seen them elsewhere. Germany was awesome and so is your project. I'm guessing the neighbors do think your crazy, but as long as you keep making progress, they probably admire and respect you, as well.
Schuss,
Kent Agne
Belleville, IL


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## shumakerscott

Kagne, does this help? I'm a little unclear on what your asking. dorf dude...


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## kagne

*Doors*

Scott,
Attached is a sketch of what the slab looks like (best of my recall). This "flange" actually seats on the outer edge of the door jamb. I think the photo you sent is on the strike plate side of the jamb. I'm curious as to how it is hinged (other side), such that it doesn't bind when opening, or catch when closing. The hinges would have to be special or mounted in a special way. Hopefully this makes some sense.
Thanks,
Kent


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## shumakerscott

Here are 2 more pics of the hinge side. Maybe this helps?


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## kagne

*Thanks*

Yeah, the hinges look very different than what is typical over here. Don't know if it is worth the trouble to try to obtain such hinges, plus rework the door slab, but I greatly appreciate your time and effort.


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## shumakerscott

Here's a pic of my new twins. 185kw each.


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## cocobolo

...so, did you run a couple of lines straight to your house?! :thumbsup:


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## Bootz

well... since you have two... Can I have one? I mean... you wont miss it  lol just kidding looks great man!


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## scoggy

*Wtf!!!!*

DD, that pix looks like something from an 'ARNOLD" movie about alien biens!! Even if before, you, had feelings of insecurity, now,..it is really 'cajonies' time!!
How the Hell did you get them there? Why not 'sell' power to the 'berg', and really 'tap' into...'power'!!
Cheers
Scoggy:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## shumakerscott

The generators are in the trailer on the right. 2nd trailer is my repair shop and spare parts storage. The remaining 4 trailers have the Counter IED training suite. One trailer is made up to look like an insurgents home with bomb making shop. It's very realistic. In 2 of the trailers they see videos and take quizes to get in the mind set of the bomber. In the last trailer they get to set IED's and try to kill the infidels. In a video simulation of course. The whole thing can be run in 4 different languages, English, Polish, Romanian and Hungarian. We are getting reports that this training has already helped to save lives. There are suites set up in the states and even more to be fielded in the future. We are the first mobile one. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

"Let it Snow" :furious: Whoever wrote that song should be shot:2guns:Another 6 inches and still coming. Merry Christmas, dorf dude...


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## BigJim

Merry Christmas to you too DD, it is snowing here for the first time in many years on Christmas Day.


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## cocobolo

A Very Merry Christmas Shu!

All that snow in Europe has been making the headlines in the news here. Plenty of trouble at the airports we hear.
Stay warm and have a terrific day!


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## gma2rjc

Merry Christmas Shu. I hope you'll be able to spend some time with your boys today.


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## shumakerscott

My worst nightmare happened. I have wood worms. The other day I heard a munch, munch, munch. I located it in the new post I put in for the short wall I posted about earlier. I had yet to put a clear sealant on it. I mixed up a batch of very hot Borax and Bleach solution. The beam has a massive center crack so I dowsed it with a spray bottle. I soaked the whole beam. The crack allowed for deep penetration of the solution. So far so good, no more sounds from inside. I really think the Borax is the ticket. No need for expensive chemicals. I added some bleach just because it was already in the spray bottle I use in my shower. It couldn't hurt. Bleach kills everything. I've used Borax on 2 worm beams so far and no more worms. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

Borax is also good for getting mites off of dogs & cats.


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## shumakerscott

The post came from a neighbor. I was hoping the the worms had long gone. I didn't notice anything fresh when I cleaned it up like most of my old beams. Here's a pic of the crack. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

If you still have any concerns about any survival inside the beam, Shu...just give them the hot air gun treatment.

Even if the borax spray doesn't get everywhere - the heat will.


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## Shamus

cocobolo said:


> If you still have any concerns about any survival inside the beam, Shu...just give them the hot air gun treatment.
> 
> Even if the borax spray doesn't get everywhere - the heat will.


Spot on Keith.:thumbsup:

Wood critters can't take the heat. Don't burn the beam but make sure you get it good an hot. Remember one survivor (female) can produce enough offspring to eat you out of house and home, literally!


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## shumakerscott

Borax lingers forever in the wood. Heat is only temorary. The post is 8" x 8". Hard to get it hot inside with out a fire. I feel the Borax is the best long term solution. It will keep them away and kill at the same time. No distant relatives coming by for a vist. Bad place to hang out if you get my drift. Nothing tastes good here! dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

I hear the weather is a trifle cool over that way. 

We have ice on any fresh water outside here this morning, so the predicted cooler evenings are here. 

I think we would rather have that than all the wind and rain.


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> I hear the weather is a trifle cool over that way.
> 
> We have ice on any fresh water outside here this morning, so the predicted cooler evenings are here.
> 
> I think we would rather have that than all the wind and rain.


We had -24C this morning. Freeze your boogers at first breath! My car really complained about it too. I have no energy to work on things. This is one heck of a winter. All around the world so it seems. My pellet stove is at full and barely keeping me at comfort level. I still need to insulate more though. I can't wait for spring. Next year I will be ready. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Now that is getting seriously cold.

How is the floor heating system working now? Still OK?


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Now that is getting seriously cold.
> 
> How is the floor heating system working now? Still OK?


My feet are really warm but other external cold loads are bringing the inside temp down. I really need to finish sealing this place up by next year. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> My feet are really warm but other external cold loads are bringing the inside temp down. I really need to finish sealing this place up by next year. dorf dude...


That's good to know that part of the system is OK.

Right, sealing up leaks and stopping any airflow is one of the most critical parts of keeping a house warm at reasonable cost.

I don't know if you get the Fine Homebuilding magazine over there or not, but they have an excellent article (several in fact) in the January 2011 issue on the subject. It is an excellent read for anyone doing an insulation/sealing upgrade.


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## Bootz

Hey shu Hope all is well in Germany ! Hope you are having an awesome new year and wish the family good health for me:thumbup:


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

What is the Christmas and New Years activity there?

I think Santa Claus/Cinder Klaus with have a hard time getting down your fine tin chimney.

Do you try to stuff the Yule log into the pellet stove?

I am sure you have solved the conflicts and have them behind you.

Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The other Schu - Dick


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## cocobolo

Any improvement in the weather over your way yet?

We were supposed to have some decent stuff until at least Thursday, now we are getting snow again tomorrow! Can't win!


----------



## shumakerscott

-5C at the moment, grey and ugly. Supposed to warm up and start melting by the weekend, again... My roof will avalange again. Not sure when it is supposed to freeze again but it will. Been through this cycle 2 times so far. Sure wish I had gotten my snow hooks up. Next year for sure. I will try for country side shot if the sun comes out. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

I made a rush trip over this morning for propane (don't ask) as the snow was due here early this morning. Still none yet. Vancouver radio says it should arrive over there imminently, but it's coming across from the island side, so it should be here shortly

I'm hoping that the +1ºC temp turns it into rain.


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## gma2rjc

Dumb question: What are snow hooks?


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> Dumb question: What are snow hooks?


This is a snow hook. They go across the lower part of the roof. They hook on the slats that the roof tiles rest on. Either a metal grate or wood log rest on the hooks to make a fence to keep the snow from sliding down. As I write this I just heard a big whoosh, boom. My snow is coming down. Too dark for pics at the moment.


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## gma2rjc

Hey! You just hit 1,000 posts Shu! Congratulations! :thumbup:

Thanks for the reply and the picture.


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## cocobolo

Dammit, I wish I had noticed that first!!!

CONGRATULATIONS SHU!


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## gma2rjc

cocobolo said:


> Dammit, I wish I had noticed that first!!!


:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## shumakerscott

I tried to get a country pic today before the snow melts. We've had 32" so far this year but a major melt is upon us. The sun was peaking out but I couldn't get into position to capture it. The little roads are still snowed in so I had to use the highway. This isn't the greatest but it will give you a little view of our country side. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Weather ...over 'here!*

CoCoBolo, has it 'pegged' right! The "wet' air mass from Pacific, has met up with the Coatal Air mass comming down the BC upper Coast from Alaska, to here, and now 'they'..are deciding what to do! There were times today of "bootiful" sun and it was sooooo warm, ..then clouds came in and it got '"freezing cold", which is where it is at right now,but, there are clouds, so for CoCoBolo, nothing but cold air, but up here, I figure enough to make a 'Nasty'..snow! Have to drive to Victoria tomorrow, so will have chance to experience weather over the "pass', and into 'Lotus Land"! CoCoBolo, should just have some NE winds! So Many 'pundits' so few topics! That is why I love living on an ...Island!

Wood topic: Is there a way to 'bend' a piece of 1/2 x 4 good grade, finished one side Fir wood, 90%? It has to go, 4 feet, 90%, 3 feet, 90%,4 feet to wall. I built a frame for a "Canadian" Canoe, years ago, and just made a 'set' and poured hot water on it over the course of 3 months, and Viola! Need new 'THINKS"
Cheers
SCOGGY


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## shumakerscott

The weather has gotten warmer and the big melt is in full swing. A balmy 38F. I wanted to get a pic of the "Vils" in flood stage but it had gone down today. You can see by the snow line how high it got. I feel a break in the Cocobolo Fever:yes:. I'm getting itchy to get back at things finally. Winter is not over. We will have another couple rounds but it sure is nice at the moment. I promise the next pic's will be DIY. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I was checking out our sister site Extreme How To, the tab is at the top of the screen. I've been wondering what to do about my stairs so they don't look out of place with all the old beams and posts. Here is the answer http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/article.asp?article_id=61138
I'm going to beat the crap out of them, brand new wood! Their choice of a quick Cherry stain wipe should do the trick. Then some sort of a Poly to give them wear resistance. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Shu - Thanks for the weather update. In the winter, it is easy to stay where it is comfortable, especially when you have a satellite set-up like yours.

What is that green stuff under and around the snow? I haven't seen that for a month now since we got a record December snowfall bringing the total up more than any year for 18 years, but still below the annual average. We keep getting the "puny" fluffy snow of 1"-2" every couple of days and never have to plow or shovel, but it keep the surfaces very white and reflecting all the sunlight (which we have a lot of when it gets cold). Some day, we will get the icy surface and the sun and longer days will eat the snow quickly.

The other Schu


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## gma2rjc

Great pictures Shu.


----------



## Bootz

shumakerscott said:


> I was checking out our sister site Extreme How To, the tab is at the top of the screen. I've been wondering what to do about my stairs so they don't look out of place with all the old beams and posts. Here is the answer http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/article.asp?article_id=61138
> I'm going to beat the crap out of them, brand new wood! Their choice of a quick Cherry stain wipe should do the trick. Then some sort of a Poly to give them wear resistance. dorf dude...


we are doing that dark red color and may i say its really nice look... we are doing the wipe stain and the poly as well... and may i say its a lot of patience lol but its worth it


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> I was checking out our sister site Extreme How To, the tab is at the top of the screen. I've been wondering what to do about my stairs so they don't look out of place with all the old beams and posts. Here is the answer http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/article.asp?article_id=61138
> I'm going to beat the crap out of them, brand new wood! Their choice of a quick Cherry stain wipe should do the trick. Then some sort of a Poly to give them wear resistance. dorf dude...


That is a neat site DD, another thing I use to do when distressing wood was to use a pistol with rat shot. If the wood is hard you will need to get closer but be ready for the pellets to come back and hit you and that can smart a little. Be sure to cover your eyes, the pellets bounce even with soft wood. It does look good with the fake worm holes though.

DD the picture are great, that is some pretty country, thanks for taking the time to show us.


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## shumakerscott

_"That is a neat site DD, another thing I use to do when distressing wood was to use a pistol with rat shot. If the wood is hard you will need to get closer but be ready for the pellets to come back and hit you and that can smart a little. Be sure to cover your eyes, the pellets bounce even with soft wood. It does look good with the fake worm holes though."_

No chance of using a gun here let alone getting rat shot. Germany has extreme control on firearms and amunition. You can't even get .22 rounds without a license that links the ammo to the caliber of your registered weapon. I sure miss the States at times. Neat idea though. Want to try and mail me some rat shot :laughing:. dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> _"That is a neat site DD, another thing I use to do when distressing wood was to use a pistol with rat shot. If the wood is hard you will need to get closer but be ready for the pellets to come back and hit you and that can smart a little. Be sure to cover your eyes, the pellets bounce even with soft wood. It does look good with the fake worm holes though."_
> 
> No chance of using a gun here let alone getting rat shot. Germany has extreme control on firearms and amunition. You can't even get .22 rounds without a license that links the ammo to the caliber of your registered weapon. I sure miss the States at times. Neat idea though. Want to try and mail me some rat shot :laughing:. dorf dude...


Man that reeks, they are starting to crack down on ammo here since they can't do anything about the guns. Is it against the law to mail ammo? I will see if I can find you some rat shot if you want me to, if it isn't against the law, I sure wouldn't want to get you in trouble.


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## cocobolo

Can you still get those tiny lead pellets with a split in them? We used to use those for fishing when I was a kid.

OK, OK, no jokes now, I know it was a looooooooooooong time ago!


----------



## concretemasonry

Mailing rat shot (well packed and hidden) may be easier than sending American beer (a couple of bottles) to Germany. I checked on the beer at two sources and the requirements were very ridiculous, especially who can ship (only dealers/retailers) and they have to be shipped to a specific German site and picked up by the recipient. You can just pack and ship and hope the U.S. shipper does not catch it and it gets past German officials.

If you just ship as a ordinary gift, hide it and it gets caught, you are just out the materials shipped and the receiver should have no problems.

I had a Russian friend (basketball player) that needed size 16 Nikes and the only way to make sure they arrived was to ship them via U.S. mail to a NYC box and they would be delivered privately, so the Russian officials could not have a chance to help get them "lost". If they were shipped through U.S. mail, they would say they partially arrived in a package damaged by the U.S. Postal system.

The German systems can be very thorough and accurate. While going through the Frankfurt airport about 10 years ago, I made the mistake of having my laptop and my portable printer in the same bag. I endered up in a small locked room with a dog and an agent that vacuumed me and all my luggage. Put the dust in the scanner and released meleas than 5 minutes later.

You take take chances on shipping and not get into big trouble if you plead ignorance about local import laws.

Dick


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## cocobolo

Wow...talk about big brother!


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## gma2rjc

concretemasonry said:


> Mailing rat shot (well packed and hidden) may be easier than sending American beer (a couple of bottles) to Germany. I checked on the beer at two sources and the requirements were very ridiculous, especially who can ship (only dealers/retailers) and they have to be shipped to a specific German site and picked up by the recipient. You can just pack and ship and hope the U.S. shipper does not catch it and it gets past German officials.
> 
> If you just ship as a ordinary gift, hide it and it gets caught, you are just out the materials shipped and the receiver should have no problems.
> 
> I had a Russian friend (basketball player) that needed size 16 Nikes and the only way to make sure they arrived was to ship them via U.S. mail to a NYC box and they would be delivered privately, so the Russian officials could not have a chance to help get them "lost". If they were shipped through U.S. mail, they would say they partially arrived in a package damaged by the U.S. Postal system.
> 
> The German systems can be very thorough and accurate. While going through the Frankfurt airport about 10 years ago, I made the mistake of having my laptop and my portable printer in the same bag. I endered up in a small locked room with a dog and an agent that vacuumed me and all my luggage. Put the dust in the scanner and released meleas than 5 minutes later.
> 
> You take take chances on shipping and not get into big trouble if you plead ignorance about local import laws.
> 
> Dick


The agent vacuumed you? What was he looking for?

It's amazing how other countries are so thorough and the U.S. govt. as-good-as invites illegals to cross over the border with drugs and anything else they want to bring. Not literally, but they don't put enough effort into stopping it.


----------



## concretemasonry

gma -

I traveled out of northern MI to way too many places. The best security was at the gate where I checked my luggage. The agent asked we "where are you going today?" After going through the bag (one for 2 weeks) she said, "I see you have a new sport coat". Then, I had to tell here where I got it and how much it cost. - Cannot beat the locals.

In Germany, they had the time and I made a basic mistake (computer and printer in the same computer bag), so I was routinely brought in and vacuumed (probably for explosive dust). They were very polite, efficient and there was no real delay. It did not bother me at all. - Just a usual entertaining inconvenience.

It was good that they were doing their job since the Frankfurt airport is apparently adjacent to a U.S. base and a real international crossroads.

Amsterdam also has good security, but in a very quiet way. Before boarding an international flight, you normally had to step up to a podium to get a boarding pass. Since I traveled through there frequently, I noticed that the agent going over tickets, passports and visas also bore a very strong resemblance to the people in that line. - Might be criticized in the U.S. as profiling, but the agents were able to make the traveler comfortable and get a better feel for risk (no contract security people working by the hour when they are not scheduled at McDonald's).

I don't mind security if it is fair, organized and not a barrier.

Dick


----------



## Bootz

shumakerscott said:


> "That is a neat site DD, another thing I use to do when distressing wood was to use a pistol with rat shot. If the wood is hard you will need to get closer but be ready for the pellets to come back and hit you and that can smart a little. Be sure to cover your eyes, the pellets bounce even with soft wood. It does look good with the fake worm holes though."
> 
> No chance of using a gun here let alone getting rat shot. Germany has extreme control on firearms and amunition. You can't even get .22 rounds without a license that links the ammo to the caliber of your registered weapon. I sure miss the States at times. Neat idea though. Want to try and mail me some rat shot :laughing:. dorf dude...


from what i hear even if you want to play airsoft... you have to have a license to have a toy gun that shoots little bbs


----------



## scoggy

*"DISSTRESSING" wood*

DD, if it is 'disstressed' wood, that you require for your stairs...perhaps..because I live here amongst big trees, just cut the stairs to size...then 'threaten' them, with dissassociation from their 'parent' forest, and also, threaten them with 'pundits' from businesses that make 'pellets' for stoves...and surely..."they' will show major examples of "distress" perhaps more so than you require..but yet I diverge from the topic!!
Cheers
Scoggy:wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink:


----------



## Jim F

No chance of using a gun here let alone getting rat shot. Germany has extreme control on firearms and amunition. You can't even get .22 rounds without a license that links the ammo to the caliber of your registered weapon. I sure miss the States at times. Neat idea though. Want to try and mail me some rat shot :laughing:. dorf dude...[/quote]Not to worry, the States are working hard to catch up to Germany in the gun control arena.

On a side note, no word since 1/10. Hope all is well.


----------



## BigJim

Jim F said:


> No chance of using a gun here let alone getting rat shot. Germany has extreme control on firearms and amunition. You can't even get .22 rounds without a license that links the ammo to the caliber of your registered weapon. I sure miss the States at times. Neat idea though. Want to try and mail me some rat shot :laughing:. dorf dude...


Not to worry, the States are working hard to catch up to Germany in the gun control arena.

On a side note, no word since 1/10. Hope all is well.[/quote]

That is unreal, will they let you have a knife?


----------



## Bootz

jiju1943 said:


> Not to worry, the States are working hard to catch up to Germany in the gun control arena.
> 
> On a side note, no word since 1/10. Hope all is well.


That is unreal, will they let you have a knife?[/QUOTE]

Yea that is amazing the gun control they have in foreign countries ..... I my digress here but think it works ?


----------



## shumakerscott

_"On a side note, no word since 1/10. Hope all is well."[/quote]
*Not posting anymore
Please let this thread die. Thanks for following the last 3 years. dd....*_


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

I understand what you might be seeing from some other DIYers.

This will me be my last post, but I will continue to send you (via snail mail) some interesting bottle caps (not Bud, Coors, Miller, etc.) for your wall.

I am sure your project will be built to your standards and technology considering the ancient history of the home.

Dick


----------



## flamtap

shumakerscott said:


> _
> *Not posting anymore
> Please let this thread die. Thanks for following the last 3 years. dd....*_


What? Why!?

Hoping this is a joke or something. 

flamtap


----------



## Cattman

*Why????*



shumakerscott said:


> _"On a side note, no word since 1/10. Hope all is well."_


_*Not posting anymore*_
_*Please let this thread die. Thanks for following the last 3 years. dd....*_[/quote]


WHY??  This has been a great project to follow. :thumbup: If you are posting to another site please let us know where.:thumbsup:


----------



## scoggy

*DD, just like 'Fishing"*

DD, that post does not matter!!! "BRING US MAGIC!!"......as you are doing, sometimes there have to be 'doers', and some times there have to be 'receivers', I would like to be a 'compromise' of both....From Shakespeare..'Lead on McDuff!!"
Cheers
Scoggy


----------



## Jim F

Understand DD. It will die eventually and get a decent burial in the back pages. Probably going to take a while though.


----------



## handymic

shumakerscott said:


> _"On a side note, no word since 1/10. Hope all is well."_


_*Not posting anymore*_
_*Please let this thread die. Thanks for following the last 3 years. dd....*_[/quote]

Not sure what happened, but I want to thank you, Scott for the amazing project you documented for us.

You are quite an inspiration. Thanks for letting us follow along.

Mic


----------



## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> _"On a side note, no word since 1/10. Hope all is well."_


_
*Not posting anymore
Please let this thread die. Thanks for following the last 3 years. dd....*_[/QUOTE]

I can understand how you feel and I know you are getting very busy with work and other things and wish you the luck with it.

Just keep in touch with us from time to time.

Your French Next door .,

Merci.
Marc


----------



## ccnvchris

Best of luck DD. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## shumakerscott

*House Addition*

After much public outcry and emails I wiil keep putting things up for you all to read. On Friday the 11th I made the greatest addition to my house, a dog! She is a Lab - Australian cattle dog mix. I rescued her from an American family that had no clue about dogs. There is some work to do but she has a great personality. There is also a new beer on the market here. Fantastic stuff. You all are invited to have one with me :drink:! No DIY progress to speak of at the moment. dorf dude...


----------



## gma2rjc

We're glad you changed your mind Shu. I saw your thread was on page 2 and was going to bump it anyway... :laughing:.

She's a pretty dog.


----------



## cocobolo

Hi Shu...glad to see you back :thumbup:


----------



## BigJim

DD, we are sure glad you decided to continue to share your fantastic build with us. The DIY has really felt empty without you and Coco.

Great looking family, we know you must be proud of them.


----------



## sbmfj

what they all said....


----------



## Jim F

Welcome back Shu.


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

Welcome back!!!

I think you picked the right dog since they can have a disposition. How old and how big will it get?

I imagine your weather will be breaking and maybe your work will allow more progress.

Glad you are back and will be able to continue to report the progress. I always appreciated the good photos and real facts on the products, installation and reasons for selection.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## no1hustler

Not sure what pushed you away, but I'm glad you are back!


----------



## handymic

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Glad you are back DD, I've enjoyed watching your progress. Thanks for putting in the extra time and effort to document it here. The building techniques, although ancient, are all new to me and to see them in such detail has been a pleasure.

Can't wait to see the finishes.
Mic


----------



## zuluboy

*Historical*

In europe i have found a number of amazing designs..we are trying to emulate this in South africa and we a close to be the next number one. with all the natural beauty of a german touch in this forum

cheers


----------



## littlecleo

Very good to see you posting again! I started my home rehab remodel in August of 1998, so I've closely followed your progress over the last 2 1/2 years.


----------



## biggidybankston

A sigh of relief for your return, Shu! Looking forward to seeing more progress. Oh, and your new k9 is almost as cute as mine...almost...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

Thanks again for the photos.

Until you get back into the completion phase, I have a couple of questions.

My son and son-in-law are always interested in trying new beers. I have printed out the label to give to a couple of large retailers that have many different varieties for them to search for the beer, but i know importing and exporting gets very difficult. Do you know if the beer producer does any exporting? What is the actual name of the brewer?

By one of the photos, I see your son has a Vancouver shirt on. Is he a hockey fan?

I also see you have you have the cabinet bases in and installed. Was the floor level enough for the height adjustment to work easily? How did you install/adjust the rails for the upper units?

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

I have gotten the base cabinets installed in the kitchen. They are fantastic and I can recommend Ikea. The only problem was whan I opened up the boxes for the fronts. WTF? They don't match. I contacted Ikea and after almost 3 weeks I got an email and the correct doors are in the mail. They changed styles in 2010. I decided to Finally take down my curtains, that is code for clean the windows! They had 2 years of construction crud on them. Wow, I have light now. People can also see in from the outside. They are really looking as I watch them walk by. Now I have to get the roll down shutters installed. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I really wasn't in the mood to work today but I did get 1 roll up shutter installed. I was pretty nervous drilling a 16mm hole in my window frame for the band to pass through. They had the band coming out the side which is stupid. I had to get it back inside the frame. The rest went pretty easy. I had to cut the down legs because I will insulate the window ledges with hard foam this spring. Here are a couple pic's. In the last pic you can see the nose prints from the new dog, Mia. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I finished the entryway wall. All I have left it to mount the electric outlet. Another little project bites the dust!:thumbup:. dorf dude...


----------



## Jim F

Wat is the rational for the roll up shutters? Is that just the style over there or do they serve a special purpose like more security?


----------



## shumakerscott

Jim F said:


> Wat is the rational for the roll up shutters? Is that just the style over there or do they serve a special purpose like more security?


Almost all houses here have them. Privacy and security are the main reasons to have them. I could make a fortune selling them in huricane area's. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

The other asset they provide is elimination of radiant heat loss of the windows (especially at night) when it is cold outside. All the layers of glass and inert gas cannot be in the same world and window manufacturers recognize this. It has to do with black (night sky) absorbing radiant heat and it is true radiant and not really affected by gas or air spaces.

When you have a house close to a road and a sidewalk outside, it is very comforting from a security and sound standpoint.

Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

I went to Ikea today and got my kitchen straightened out. New parts will be shipped from Sweden direct. I also picked up a cabinet for my entry way. I now can drop junk as I walk in. Good place for keys, wallet ect... Here's a pic of what I picked up. My friend Campbell had fun with the Ikea instructions :laughing:. Thanks for all the support. dorf dude...


----------



## Jim F

shumakerscott said:


> Almost all houses here have them. Privacy and security are the main reasons to have them. I could make a fortune selling them in huricane area's. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


I used to see them when I was there and sort of wondered they were left over from the old air raid days. Obviously not if they are still using them on new construction.


----------



## no1hustler

Hahaha, ikea instructions are always funny.


----------



## SusieQ2010

Jim F said:


> I used to see them when I was there and sort of wondered they were left over from the old air raid days. Obviously not if they are still using them on new construction.


Just to help lift the confusion on the window shutters that are used in Germany, they are also used for Privacy. I remember when i was little and my mom would go around the house when it got dark, closing all the shutters, so nobody could actually peek inside. I was also used to sleep in complete darkness, which I actually missed very much when I moved to the states. 

Susie


----------



## shumakerscott

I had a package today when I got home. Ikea sent me the correct doors for my kitchen cabinets :thumbup:. I have some fine tuning to do but they match the rest. Now I need to start hanging the wall units.dorf dude...


----------



## BleachCola

awesome job Dorf Dude, I been reading the entire thread page by page on my iphone before going to sleep, finally got to the last page.


----------



## shumakerscott

BleachCola said:


> awesome job Dorf Dude, I been reading the entire thread page by page on my iphone before going to sleep, finally got to the last page.


How long did it take you? Thanks for following and stay tuned for more. Winter will go away and I will get back at it. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Campbell came over and helped me mounting the wall cabinets. We had to shimm up to an inch because the wall is so crooked. The guy who stukoed the wall should be shot :2guns: :2guns:. Oh that was me! We set the 2 cabinets above the sink then worked out from there. Great fun:thumbup:. I have some fine tuning to do but another step forwards. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

The kitchen is shaping up and looking great. I was wondering about the installation of the rails for the uppers. The outlet covers fit in well.

I see your remnants for your breakfast - Imported Hungry Jack pancake mix, a beer for mixing/lightning up and drinking and the griddle for the pancake and egg sandwich.

The other Schu -


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> The kitchen is shaping up and looking great. I was wondering about the installation of the rails for the uppers. The outlet covers fit in well.
> 
> I see your remnants for your breakfast - Imported Hungry Jack pancake mix, a beer for mixing/lightning up and drinking and the griddle for the pancake and egg sandwich.
> 
> The other Schu -


 We set the 2 cabinets above the sink and then shimmed the others out to their position. The wall was really out. I'm busted with my pancakes :yes:. I have them every day with ham, egg and cheese. There does seem to be a beer in many of my pictures. It wasn't mine :no: :yes:. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


----------



## scoggy

*Great "NEW DOG"...and kids also!*

DD, the 'errant son', returns! And HOW!! Wow, that dog looks like he will keep you very 'busy', like Lucky, but he is yours! Cabinet install looks really superb! And the boys..you must be feeding them 'nuclear waste', because otherwise they could not grow that fast! Good to have you back, and unfortunately, will not be able to partake of that 'new' brew, with you....at least not yet! Balmy weather here with -2C, and according to 'weather people', ..."Something wicked, this way comes!!" Pooh, Pooh!!
Cheers
syd:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## concretemasonry

I had no idea where the beer bottles came from since they accumulate wherever there is a flat surface (counter, sill, etc.) in a construction area.

Actually, my mother and grandmother used beer in the pancakes and waffles when they forgot to sour the milk the night before. It does wonders, but does not take too much to lighten them and sure beats yeast. I am sure beer instead of water in Hungry Jack would be an improvement.

Some more selected beer bottle caps are coming! - I am experimenting on stripping the labels off beer bottles for other purposes (wine labels are very easy).

You are doing a great job of blending the very old construction with the modern materials.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## BleachCola

shumakerscott said:


> How long did it take you? Thanks for following and stay tuned for more. Winter will go away and I will get back at it. dorf dude...



I started the same month you started posting, I read for a few weeks and then I stopped going on this forum, I just came back a month ago, so it almost took me a month to catch up 

:thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I got a call yesterday that my new fence materials had arrived. I went with plastic. Here's a link http://www.hahnkunststoffe.de/siteadminpublic/eShop/privatUebersicht.php?language=en Pictures of course as I get it in. I also went to the bank today and spoke with them about a 2nd loan for a shop. He looked at me asked how much? I said my price shooting a little high because it always takes more than you expect. He said ok with out batting an eye! :thumbup:. It's another 9 years of payments but I need a shop. Things are moving along. More pic's on the weekend. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

The fence profiles look like they will fit the area and neighborhood and be welcomed by the neighbors/old timers.

Considering what results you have produced with your home, getting approval for a shop should be very doable.

Any plans for rear entry to the house?

Looking good - The weather is getting better and the days are longer and sunnier.

The other Schu


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> The fence profiles look like they will fit the area and neighborhood and be welcomed by the neighbors/old timers.
> 
> Considering what results you have produced with your home, getting approval for a shop should be very doable.
> 
> Any plans for rear entry to the house?
> 
> Looking good - The weather is getting better and the days are longer and sunnier.
> 
> The other Schu


Dick, I do plan on a large mud room extension. I will pour the slab at the same time when they do the shop. Yes, the weather is slowly getting better and in 3 weeks we turn the clocks ahead. Time to get to work! An extra hour of daylight is welcome. This winter has been brutal. Now they are going to tear up the road in front of my house. That will take until Oct or Nov until finished. I have to get moving so the cement truck can get into my property. I got a letter that they are concerned about water run off into their ditch from my property. What? I have no run off into the street. I have a drain in my yard. Thanks for following, stay tuned. dorf dude...


----------



## BleachCola

offtopic-

Dorf Dude, do you think your ex wife follows this thread? I wonder what she thinks as you are one of the most hard working and dedicated persons I have ever seen.


----------



## shumakerscott

BleachCola said:


> offtopic-
> 
> Dorf Dude, do you think your ex wife follows this thread? I wonder what she thinks as you are one of the most hard working and dedicated persons I have ever seen.


You are the first person to ever bring this up. I built 5 miles away from where she lives. Her parents and brother live 1.5 miles away. I have made a stand and they know it. My kids know about this blog so I'm pretty sure she knows. They can't keep things a secret. What kids can? She now is married to a guy that can't get off the couch. Snow never gets shoveled, little things just get overlooked. My old place is slowly going to pieces. I didn't just say that did I? I like your insight. Come on over and drink a beer with me. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

From what have observed in you small town, make sure the shop and mudroom are very similar from the outside what you have done as an improvement or the area. - A traditional window box on the shop, might be too much, but might just cause them to to think twice about any objection.

The new road construction can be a challenge. Try to make contacts with the concrete supplier to find a solution since they usually know a way to makes things work.

I was not aware of the proximity of your ex-wife and the possible conflict with the children. I have gone though a similar situation, but not exactly the same. - Two wives with the same first name, 2 kids and 4 grandchildren. With a cool head, it can work out for the kids and future grand-children. - Just keep in touch with the kids as you seem to be doing.

The other Schu-


----------



## shumakerscott

I got started on my fence today. The old fence was so rotted, I had it wired together. I picked up 600 Stainless screws for $20, what a snag. The boards are recycled plastic. I used a piece of drain pipe as a spacer and leveled up the boards and set them with clamps. Drilled 4 pilot holes. Set the screws and move on to the next. I will have to notch the boards to fit correctly on the upright braces. Yes the boards are directly on the cement wall. I don't need to clearance them because they won't rot, ever. I already have people stopping and asking what it is. They have never heard of it. They only know of real wood. They asked about the price and I told them the fence cost around $500. Answer, "Wood would have been cheaper" My reply, "Not in 5 years" :no: Add your labor and stain costs and this is way cheaper!! Here are a couple pic's. I plan on getting further tomorrow. dorf dude...


----------



## tpolk

as always most excellent :thumbsup:


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Do you plan on shutters for the upper floor for darkness and sound or or are you going to use them on the bottom floor? I recall you said there was quit a bit of truck traffic right in front of your home.

You just need to mount the mailbox and put up with the neighbors grumbling about how much better your fence is.

The other Schu -


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> Do you plan on shutters for the upper floor for darkness and sound or or are you going to use them on the bottom floor? I recall you said there was quit a bit of truck traffic right in front of your home.
> 
> You just need to mount the mailbox and put up with the neighbors grumbling about how much better your fence is.
> 
> The other Schu -


I have shutters for all the windows. The upper ones are in but not the ground floor, I just haven't got them mounted yet. I also have to install window ledges and trim paint. Still to cold to paint at the moment. More fence pic's later today I hope. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I got the main section of the fence finished. I just have the gates and a short section to finish up. I had to cut notches with my table saw. Mia was giving it the big inspection. Then she went and started stealing things. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


----------



## tpolk

I know its been a long road and a lot of work, but what a beautiful home you have made you should be proud and happy


----------



## scoggy

*I am an ..ICON!*

DD, just had Cocobolo, here to deliver some Chev v/8 heads to me, and now, as far as I am concerned, I have met..two of the 'icons' of this site, and wow, it was totally positive! He took photos, we ..'bsed',and he had to leave, but he said he will be my ..'asskicker'..to get the 'coupe"..done! Wow, that is such a 'trip'!
Syd:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## Han'D'

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!

Absolutely fantastic looking and awe-inspiring work Shu!!

Glad to have you 'back in the saddle':thumbup:


----------



## twinAK

Dorf dude,
The new fence looks much better than the old one when compared side by side in the picture. Sometimes it just makes sense to fork over more cash for a low maintenance product. Nice work.

Tim


----------



## cocobolo

Hey Shu...like the fence a whole lot. It is very much in keeping with the house. :thumbsup:

Do me a small favour once in awhile will ya? Send Scoggy an email and jack him up about his car. Thirty five years is way too long to have a nice car like that sitting there with a running engine and not on the road!


----------



## shumakerscott

This is the true sense of Ironic. I didn't even open it or read it. My dog really did eat it:yes:. Now I have to buy a new one to replace it. She is getting to be quite the handful. dorf dude...


----------



## DangerMouse

So what's the problem? She's just telling you that she's teaching YOU just fine! :laughing:

DM


----------



## hyunelan2

From my years of owning Labradors, I have found one absolute truth: a tired dog is a good dog. 


The new fence looks nice. Is there much traffic on the street in front of the house?


----------



## no1hustler

Too funny!


----------



## BleachCola

shumakerscott said:


> You are the first person to ever bring this up. I built 5 miles away from where she lives. Her parents and brother live 1.5 miles away. I have made a stand and they know it. My kids know about this blog so I'm pretty sure she knows. They can't keep things a secret. What kids can? She now is married to a guy that can't get off the couch. Snow never gets shoveled, little things just get overlooked. My old place is slowly going to pieces. I didn't just say that did I? I like your insight. Come on over and drink a beer with me. dorf dude...


hay just got back into town,
thanks for explaining that whole situation, that's too bad about your old house. I would love to drink a cold one with ya but I'm stateside in Michigan, but born and partially raised in Poland. For some reason reading the entire thread I thought your ex wife and kids were in the USA and you moved to Germany afterwards for work. I will have a tall and cold brew for ya tonight Dorf Dude!


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Is your back yard secure enough to allow your dog to run and burn off some energy? Also, your boys may be able to enjoy him that way.

I hope I am not suggesting another job to add to the already long list of projects, but don't forget the "doggie door" in the rear mud room. - I would not worry about the grass at this point since the dogs can be very disruptive.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> Is your back yard secure enough to allow your dog to run and burn off some energy? Also, your boys may be able to enjoy him that way.
> 
> I hope I am not suggesting another job to add to the already long list of projects, but don't forget the "doggie door" in the rear mud room. - I would not worry about the grass at this point since the dogs can be very disruptive.
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


The back yard is secure. The weak point is the front gate. I will work on that this weekend. The grass is not a concern to me. It is just work to mow it. When the mud room goes up I will also put a large kennel run in. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## CoconutPete

Looking good!

I have that same Makita impact driver!! LOOVE that thing!


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I went ahead with installing a couple more roll down shutters, 2 more left. First I had to trim out the window boxes. I used tile glue and smoothed it out. It has a little texture but that's ok. Running the band is always fun:no:. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Think twice before planting ivy. It becomes an ugly girl friend you can never get rid of. It destroys what it gets a hold of. I'm going to give the stumps a shot of Roundup. Not sure if it will work but worth a try. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Morning Shu...

For what it's worth, the English Ivy (which is likely what you have there) needs to be relentlessly pulled out until there's nothing left.

Many jurisdictions in North America have declared it a noxious weed, which it most certainly is.

About 40 years ago, our neighbour brought over a small plant and put it by his outhouse. It has spread to several acres now, killing everything in its' path - including large cedar and fir trees.

And tell me that's not real sunshine you have over there for the first day of spring???


----------



## gma2rjc

That Ivy only grows where you don't want it. I have been trying for years to get it to grow up my chain link fence. 

Barb


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Morning Shu...
> 
> For what it's worth, the English Ivy (which is likely what you have there) needs to be relentlessly pulled out until there's nothing left.
> 
> Many jurisdictions in North America have declared it a noxious weed, which it most certainly is.
> 
> About 40 years ago, our neighbour brought over a small plant and put it by his outhouse. It has spread to several acres now, killing everything in its' path - including large cedar and fir trees.
> 
> And tell me that's not real sunshine you have over there for the first day of spring???


Yes, Spring seems to be setting in finally:thumbup:. What a winter we had. Temps are in the mid 50's during the afternoon, still freezing in the morning though. I'm getting itchy to get going on things. Stay tuned. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

My view count is way out of wack. Nathan?? I have a good idea who is doing it and please stop it:furious:. This is supposed to be a grown up site sharing ideas, not a childish playground game. Get a life and a job.


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## concretemasonry

It is very easy to kite a view count if a person just views repeatedly from the same computer or another.

Pumping the post content is just a matter of posting separate small updates instead on one more meaningful one. - Sort of like cheating on an expense report. I had a good accounting firm give me a short class in the ways to spot "creative accounting" and I learned enough to can the guy in a day and then found a lot more after the fact. - It is sort of like the "treat them like a mushroom" routine that is very simple.

It is difficult to understand why someone would go through of the ego-boosting gyrations.

Dick


----------



## Leah Frances

Didn't someone ask the other day why they can't 'thank' their own post?????


----------



## shumakerscott

Here is a pic of another project that I have been working on. This is when I first got it. Looks can be deceiving. Hundreds of hours work so far and many more to go. Maybe I will start a new thread. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Love the sign on the shop door! :thumbsup:


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Great wheels (not original) but great!!!

Original engine or did you you make a swap? - I have a German technician friend in Stuttgart that likes Ford Mustangs and also restored an XK150S Jaguar and drove to and in Russia despite the horrible fuel and roads.

I am not going to show the photo to my wife (she had a red one) and she badger you with questions. She does not to travel or eat food she thinks is different, but could put her on a plane with me and she might even go the Hungarian Grand Prix once she sees how comfortable and interesting Europe is.

The other Schu - Dick


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## frenchelectrican

IIRC He did mention the engine was 302 but I will let him comfirm it but it will be wicked if he put in 351W in there The C or M is ok to me.

The last wicked car I have was 1972 Chrysler New Yorker with 440 CID engine now that is smoothie running car but don't have it anymore.

I know DD did mention outside shutter and it is common in France as well.

Merci.
Marc


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## shumakerscott

It's a 64 1/2, 289, Toploader 4 speed.


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## tpolk

mine was a 1969 302 fastback, one of my first loves/children


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## shumakerscott

Here is a pic of the motor. I was priming the oil with my drill in this pic.


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## cocobolo

What kind of rocker arms do you have on there Shu?


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## shumakerscott

They are Harland Sharp. The cam is a Lunati Voodoo, mid range type. Heads are Edelbrock Performer with 2.02 intakes. With the price of gas so expensive here, over $8 a gallon, I will probably switch to fuel injection. It will pay for itself in short order. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Eight bucks a gallon...hmmmm...it's already at six bucks here and of course the ever greedy oil companies are already advising us of our usual summer price increase.

I'm thinking of getting an LSA 376/430 for the '35 Chevy. Supposedly it gets well over 30 m.p.g. in a much heavier vehicle than the '35, so I won't be too concerned about the gas price...yet. Cruising at 35 m.p.g. would be decent on longer trips.

I suspect the Edelbrock will guzzle plenty of fuel. Looks good though! :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

The $8 a gallon was in US currency. I've also looked at Gear Vendors overdrive unit to get the rpm's down while on the highway.


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> The $8 a gallon was in US currency. I've also looked at Gear Vendors overdrive unit to get the rpm's down while on the highway.


Right...well, until a couple of days ago, the Canadian $ was higher than the US buck. So, it's pretty close now.

So, your tranny can have an O/D attached? Does it just replace the present tailshaft assembly or...?

I guess the other option would be to lower the rear end ratio.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Right...well, until a couple of days ago, the Canadian $ was higher than the US buck. So, it's pretty close now.
> 
> So, your tranny can have an O/D attached? Does it just replace the present tailshaft assembly or...?
> 
> I guess the other option would be to lower the rear end ratio.


When did Canadian get higher than the US $? I'm not sure of the exact attachment to a Toploader. I'm still a long ways off until I cross that bridge. Here is a pic of the Epoxy primer after all the rust was taken care of.


----------



## cocobolo

Some time last November the Cdn $ briefly went higher. Then from around February 1st I think.

Of course, our brilliant government doesn't like that because of the trade with the US, so they are forcing our $ down again.

Last time I got a US $ check earlier this month, the gal in the bank said I should open a US $ a/c so as not to lose any money.


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

I had a feeling your car restoration/rebuild would be in detail, correct and also be done as well as possible considering what you you started with. 

I guess the 3.9-4.0L VW V8 (244 ci) with twin turbos would be a little over the top and far too pricy. The only way you can get one into the U.S. legally is in a twin turbo Porsche Cayenne (sp?) SUV (+$????) - 190 mph that is qieter than a Mercedes in town, better cornering than a Audi and better off road than a Rover according to some of the reviews. - there is another way, but it requires a U.S. $240,000 cash deposit for delivery of a Bugatti Veyron (268 mph) with 2 twin turbos in about 2 years. The VW/Porsche group does a great job on the dramatic possiblities and minimize the availability because they lose money on every one.

There is great to improve/restore a classic car that fools everyone. - The 1964 1/2 or 1965 Mustang convertible is one (my wife keeps reminding me of her convertible). Carroll Shelby has made a lot of money and fun by racing and producing Fords/Mustangs/Cobras in many configurations.

I look forward to more of your progress and photos of the home and car.


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## shumakerscott

I left no section alone. I went crazy with the inside of the frame rails. No way rust will come back. I went way above and beyond with urethane gas tank sealer in locations it was not intended for. Mustangs have a few unique locations that collect water and gunk. The first pic is at the front suspension location. The 2nd is the front window cowl, I sealed it completely. The 3rd is the undercarriage after Epoxy Primer and the finished paint.The 4 bullet holes are from the seat belt mounts. No corner or crevice left untouched. dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

Rebuilt house .. impact driver ... Old Mustangs .... I'm going crazy over here!!!!

I'll be in Denmark in a few weeks - I think I'll borrow my mothers SMART since I don't feel like mortgaging my house for gas while I'm there.


----------



## shumakerscott

Stop by :thumbsup:. I'd probably take the train though. dorf dude... ps I have extra gloves! :yes:


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## CoconutPete

shumakerscott said:


> Stop by :thumbsup:. I'd probably take the train though. dorf dude... ps I have extra gloves! :yes:


Do you have the Mustang at your house there? I can't even imagine how rare that car is there. I saw a black 68' last year at Lake Garda in Italy ... luckily I was on foot - I almost walked right into a telephone pole.

We're driving from Denmark to France so stopping by might be easy haha.


----------



## shumakerscott

*The Little Saw that Could!*

I picked up a new toy! It is Sunday and I've been cutting wood all day :no:. There is no way in hell I could ever do that with a gas chain saw. Sunday is quiet day. This little saw rocks. I'm really impressed. Don't snub your nose at these electric saws. Dolmar is a sister company of Makita. They are so light weight you can use it in positions that you can't a gas saw. It went right through a 12" stump. You don't have to pull start them, buy gas and 2 stroke mix. Just plug them in and go. You can use them indoors with no exhaust smell. For the average home owner these are more than enough. I will never give up my gas saw but for quick cuts I will grab the electric from here on out. Mia was claiming all the sticks as her's. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

CoconutPete said:


> Do you have the Mustang at your house there? I can't even imagine how rare that car is there. I saw a black 68' last year at Lake Garda in Italy ... luckily I was on foot - I almost walked right into a telephone pole.
> 
> We're driving from Denmark to France so stopping by might be easy haha.


The Mustang is not at the house right now. I need a shop first. Here is a try at posting a map image of where I'm at. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I had the neighbor come by, he has a construction firm. He will be working up an estimate for pouring the slab of my workshop. The new addition will be 1300 sq ft, that added to my 800 sq ft will will make it quite large:thumbup:. I will post more as this thing goes forward. We get daylight savings next weekend so I will have more time to work on projects after work. The only problem is at my job they are projecting us going on the road starting in June. Things are getting tight and I haven't even started. More pic's as things happen, dorf dude...


----------



## Han'D'

shumakerscott said:


> I picked up a new toy! It is Sunday and I've been cutting wood all day :no:. There is no way in hell I could ever do that with a gas chain saw. Sunday is quiet day. This little saw rocks. I'm really impressed. Don't snub your nose at these electric saws. Dolmar is a sister company of Makita. They are so light weight you can use it in positions that you can't a gas saw. It went right through a 12" stump. You don't have to pull start them, buy gas and 2 stroke mix. Just plug them in and go. You can use them indoors with no exhaust smell. For the average home owner these are more than enough. I will never give up my gas saw but for quick cuts I will grab the electric from here on out. Mia was claiming all the sticks as her's. dorf dude...


 
I have a 14" elec chain saw I bought sev yrs ago. Thing works great! Took down a 40' pine tree last year no problem. Also great for trimming!! Just keep it oiled and sharpened...:thumbsup:


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## DangerMouse

shumakerscott said:


> I picked up a new toy! It is Sunday and I've been cutting wood all day :no:. There is no way in hell I could ever do that with a gas chain saw. Sunday is quiet day. This little saw rocks. I'm really impressed. Don't snub your nose at these electric saws. Dolmar is a sister company of Makita. They are so light weight you can use it in positions that you can't a gas saw. It went right through a 12" stump. You don't have to pull start them, buy gas and 2 stroke mix. Just plug them in and go. You can use them indoors with no exhaust smell. For the average home owner these are more than enough. I will never give up my gas saw but for quick cuts I will grab the electric from here on out. Mia was claiming all the sticks as her's. dorf dude...


Yup, a 14a electric is a good tool to keep around! In the middle of winter, we get 6 to 8 foot logs into the truck cut with a gas powered Stihl for smaller stuff or the Dolmar for the larger, then we cut those down to size with the electric inside the woodshed out of the freezing winds. I didn't know Dolmar made electric saws, but if they're anything like their gas model, it's a dam good saw!

DM


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## DangerMouse

Oh, the reason I mentioned 14a is the wife brought home a BB store 'special' a few years back.... 9 amps and wimpy as all heck. 
I had her take it back.

For older electrics, try Craigslist or yard sales.

DM


----------



## shumakerscott

I got busy on the big wood pile that I've been collecting the last 3 years. It has to be gone before the foundation work on the shop begins. This is going to take a while. The other day a local store had fruit trees on sale for 5.99. I bought an apple and cherry. I got them in yesterday. In less than 12 hours Mia attacked it. Lessen learned here. Fence around it. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Is Mia a pedigree or could she be part termite or just a vegetarian?

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

She is a Terminator! The Blue Heeler in her brings out some interesting behaviors. Smart as hell but very stubborn. dorf dude...


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## Hurriken

concretemasonry said:


> Is Mia a pedigree or could she be part termite or just a vegetarian?


Nicely played!


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## shumakerscott

Today I put another window ledge in. I just have to give it a couple days to dry and then grout it in. It sure is nice Not having to buy things. I just walked out in my yard and started picking rocks from a couple of piles. If it's free then it's for me:thumbup:. dorf dude...


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## littlecleo

shumakerscott said:


> If it's free then it's for me:thumbup:. dorf dude...


My motto also! That's a great looking window.


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## CoconutPete

Looking good!


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## scoggy

*"dog in the window"!!*

DD, just love seeing that wolf in the window..never loose sight of your 'natural' icon! As for the "hunt", he is 'frustrated' at his new digs, and wants to 'show' you, ..he is in 'charge'..to protect you from..everything..so, like I did with..'lucky', 'walk' him lots, when you are at home,..in the fields, until .."he' is tired..and then..'peace' will prevail! Remember, "he', and his 'bretheren', were here a lot longer than 'us' as a..'civilization', and 'they' still do the same things..which 'entertain'..us, so who is the 'advanced', ..species?
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## Hurriken

My brother in Law lives near Schweinfurt. When he was remodeling his house he had to scrape off some of the old stucco (putz) and he discovered the entire house was built from local stone (I forgot which kind) and so he scraped it all off and it looks outstanding. Cost him some elbow grease but saved quite a few Euros.


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## shumakerscott

I've caught the crud going around right now. I did manage to get my window ledge grouted today. That was all I was able to get done. One small step forward:thumbup:. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Your window!*

DD, the "crud' will pass, and the window job is a work of art! Funny, both Tauruses, same birthday, ..and I have the 'flu bug', courtesy of my Grand kids!
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbsup:


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I've caught the crud going around right now. I did manage to get my window ledge grouted today. That was all I was able to get done. One small step forward:thumbup:. dorf dude...


Looking good Shu!

I wonder how many folks realize just how much time and effort it takes to do what you're doing?

Even something as simple as grouting - when it is in rock like that - takes a long time.

Mighty fine job! :thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Looking good Shu!
> 
> I wonder how many folks realize just how much time and effort it takes to do what you're doing?
> 
> Even something as simple as grouting - when it is in rock like that - takes a long time.
> 
> Mighty fine job! :thumbsup:


Thanks Keith, It was about 5 hours to do the window ledge and I'm not done with it yet. I have a final cleaning to do once the grout is fully set up and then a seal coat. Very busy at work so no progress the last couple days. Stay tuned, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude-

Glad to hear you are over the "crud" and back at work.

How you clean up the neat job? - Wire or stiff brush or do you get more thorough?

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

I have not cleaned off the window ledge yet. I'll let you know how I do it. I washed it with a wet tooth brush a couple times while it was fresh so it shouldn't be too hard to get cleaned. I've been working on the massive wood pile that has collected the last 3 years. I'm finally through the new stuff and back into to original planks. I cut up the stair case and found some great mortise work. This was hand done about 50 years ago. I hated to cut it up but....:confused1: Mia was dragging out every other board I would cut up, crazy dog!


----------



## shumakerscott

There was a section of my fence foundation that was broken. Today seemed like the perfect day to fix it. I drilled holes in the old part and inserted small rebar's. That should give it strength. I used a bar clamp turned backwards to push it straight. I also set posts for a fence and gate to block off this section from Mia. I want it for a garden type area. More on that in the future. Here are some pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got my garden section blocked off from the dog:thumbup:. I got the gate just right. It will drop closed at the very end but stay open at the half way point. I also got further with the main gate. Matt gave me a hand and we rewelded 2 hinges. One was broke and the other was in the wrong place, the gate wouldn't open properly. I'm glad that is finally fixed after 3 years:thumbup:. I managed to give away part of my wood pile. That is less work for me in the end. Here are a few pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The fence is finished! :thumbup: Tomorrow I'm picking up more materials to finish a fence that is already finished:wink:. I guess I was drunk at the time :laughing:. I will find a good use for it. Here is the final result. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

Looks good! Are those posts composite also?


----------



## shumakerscott

CoconutPete said:


> Looks good! Are those posts composite also?


It is all recycled plastic. No painting ever! The color matches the house perfect. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

My view count is going crazy. If you are following this please hit the "Thanks" button. I want to find out the exact "Real" people that are reading this and not outside manipulation. Thanks for your understanding. dorf dude...


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## no1hustler

I'm watching.  How would it be manipulated and why?


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> My view count is going crazy. If you are following this please hit the "Thanks" button. I want to find out the exact "Real" people that are reading this and not outside manipulation. Thanks for your understanding. dorf dude...


If you think your view count is going crazy Shu, there's one here that has had over 100,000 views since it was OFF the first page. Ridiculous.


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## cocobolo

no1hustler said:


> I'm watching.  How would it be manipulated and why?


It's manufactured with a bot, but who knows why?


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## shumakerscott

no1hustler said:


> I'm watching.  How would it be manipulated and why?


It is deep and old. Way before you joined. Total BS. dorf dude...


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## no1hustler

Roger that. Keep up the great thread. I check it several times a day during the week.


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## shumakerscott

The "Thanks" don't add up with the views. :no: Moderator's have any interest in this?? Maybe *All* the people that view this are too shy to click the button. :no: Don't thinks so. Who put a bot on this thread I wonder?? Step forward and man up. Waiting..... Nope didn't think you would. *POS*. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> The "Thanks" don't add up with the views. :no: Moderator's have any interest in this?? Maybe *All* the people that view this are too shy to click the button. :no: Don't thinks so. Who put a bot on this thread I wonder?? Step forward and man up. Waiting..... Nope didn't think you would. *POS*. dorf dude...


The thread I was referring to isn't the one you are thinking of Shu.

I believe there might be three which are using the services of a bot to fake up their counts. The one I was suggesting was way back on page four until recently.

You know, for a good DIY site such as this one, it shouldn't be permitted.


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## Jim F

Something can't be right with that one thread. It started in January this year and has almost 200,000 views. Why would anyone want to do that? They don't give out bonus checks for views do they?


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## macdonlg

*Views*

hey DD,

I don't know if I am missing something, but why are you concerned about views? What you are doing is appreciated by many, you are doing the work for yourself and your kids ultimately and giving us(the ones that are interested) the opportunity to follow your progress and in turn get some motivation and inspiration from your progress...nothing else is important.

By the way, to illustrate how inspirational this thread is to me personally, last year I was unemployed for 8 months, from March to November due to the economy, and despite trying to find work, I mean any work - I even applied to low paying jobs at Home Depot and the like, I could not find anything(AT ALL). What I really would have liked to do, if I had the money, was to come over there and help you continue your work, that is how motivational your project is for me...and I can tell you now, I was not only very disappointed, but acutally disgusted that you stopped posting, but that is water under the bridge, I for one am very happy you are posting again and look forward to your posts every week, although I still wish I could come over for a few weeks to help.

Godd luck man, don't sweat the small stuff.

cheers
Mac


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## shumakerscott

Thank you very much Mac. The actual views don't mean anything to me. It is just a representation of how many people are taking interest, that's all. I like to deal in facts. We live with rules. I live by the rules. When someone goes out of their way breaks rules and distorts the facts for what ever petty reasons then I get ticked off. They do it right in plain sight and yet they go unchallenged and left alone to keep continuing to break the rules. It is small stuff. One small rock doesn't weigh much but 100,000 of them is over a ton. dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

I usually check this thread whenever I'm on the forum just in case there are cool new pics. I'm only one guy, but definitely responsible for a handful of views.


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## no1hustler

Another thing to consider, I believe a "view" is considered by anyone that comes into the thread. You don't have to be a member to the site. So any random person that somehow finds this place maybe counted as a view and they have no way of hitting the "thanks" button.


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## shumakerscott

I've been cutting up all the scrap wood I took out of the original house. I came across the original floor boards. They are just over 16" wide! That is unheard of here. They have been cutting down the trees for centuries. No old growth left since 100's of years. This place is really old that's for sure. Only one pic today. The scrap pile is slowly getting smaller, got to watch out for nails and the toys Mia drops along my path so I will play with her. dorf dude...


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## hyunelan2

On the topic of views and bots - there are things like google bots that will crawl through threads to categorize terms for search results. So someone who types "restoring a house in germany" in Google ends up with the results here. A bot from google, plus Bing, plus Yahoo, plus whatever else is out there can add up when they crawl through several times an hour/day.


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## shumakerscott

I've never been very happy that the neighbor could just look over into my yard. Today I fixed that :thumbup:. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

hyunelan2 said:


> On the topic of views and bots - there are things like google bots that will crawl through threads to categorize terms for search results. So someone who types "restoring a house in germany" in Google ends up with the results here. A bot from Google, plus Bing, plus Yahoo, plus whatever else is out there can add up when they crawl through several times an hour/day.


We're well aware of these bots, and it is true that several of them reside on extremely popular sites such as this one.
This is nothing like a bot which is attached for the purpose of creating artificial numbers. These bots can get a jump in numbers in the thousands every day, which has nothing whatsoever to do with the people who have actually viewed a particular thread.
Unless someone actually clicks on this particular thread, no additional number should show.


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## shumakerscott

Ok, I was in my yard enjoying my new privacy, fire and a beer and I heard a noise and saw Kilroy. Top of a head, eye's and a nose over the top of my new fence.  It was the neighbor's brothers wife. First thing was "Why did you build the fence?" This is just too funny. I have 2 more boards left and they will go up in a couple days. No more free peeks into my life, "I hope".


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## cocobolo

Now THAT is funny!


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

You may need more than two boards if she gets a longer ladder.

That is a comfortable way to get rid of the old wood scraps.

Dick


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## gma2rjc

If they get too curious/nosy, you may have to sneak over there and board up their 2nd floor windows. :laughing:


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## no1hustler

shumakerscott said:


> Ok, I was in my yard enjoying my new privacy, fire and a beer and I heard a noise and saw Kilroy. Top of a head, eye's and a nose over the top of my new fence.  It was the neighbor's brothers wife. First thing was "Why did you build the fence?" This is just too funny. I have 2 more boards left and they will go up in a couple days. No more free peeks into my life, "I hope".


I was hoping you were going to say your neighbors name is Wilson from the show Home Improvement!


----------



## hyunelan2

shumakerscott said:


> First thing was "Why did you build the fence?" This is just too funny.


What did you reply? I would have found it very hard to resist the urge to say something like, "to prevent this very situation."


----------



## shumakerscott

Another day at the old wood pile. Getting further slowly. Nothing exciting but here are a couple pic's. dofr dude...


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## concretemasonry

Looks like you have few evenings of enjoying the "fire pit" with Mia and tempting he neighbor's sister-in-law. There must have been someone else there because Mia was not looking at the camera and smiling the way she usually does.

Do you have any uses planned for the rest of the covered wood?

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Looks like you have few evenings of enjoying the "fire pit" with Mia and tempting he neighbor's sister-in-law. There must have been someone else there because Mia was not looking at the camera and smiling the way she usually does.
> 
> Do you have any uses planned for the rest of the covered wood?
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


There is nothing under the silver cover except a concrete wall. I will cut it all up into firewood. Mia had caught a whiff of something. She is always on alert. The local Cottonwood's are starting to let the "Fluff" go. I'm so glad mine is cut down. It is Sunday morning here and I hope to get a big dent in the rest of the wood pile today. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I decided against cutting up wood and worked on the garden area along the front instead. I already planted wild flowers for the bees at the concrete wall. You can see them coming up. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


----------



## Dave Kelly

Hi my name is Dave and I just had to join this site specifically to thank you for this thread . I too have done a lot of remodeling work for myself and others. I have checked in often on this site but have not registered to post a reply until now but figurd if I am one who is adding to the numbers I should at least introduce myself and probably say that there are probably a lot of others out there like myself who just look and lurk in the background. You have done a lot of very interesting things here that are unique and I applaud your artistic qualities. Thank you.
Dave:thumbup:


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## tpolk

its always such a good feeling to work on YOUR space isnt it? i like that you take time to enjoy your efforts those times are what the teeth grinding times are for


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## scoggy

*Your Front Garden*

Herr DD, those plants in the front yard....they aren't the ones that 'look' like ..tomato plants..are they? ======8^) Have been off line for awhile, but love to see you 'fitting' into your place, and enjoying a fire with 'good friends'..(4 legged)! Any pictures of the inside..now?
Cheers
Scoggy


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I got another roll down shutter in and I totally screwed it up:furious:. Note to self, when you measure the band, drop the shutter so you know the full length! I ended up having to splice the band because I cut it too short:no:. I butted the 2 bands and sewed them together. It is a temp fix. I hope it lasts 20 years.:laughing: Inside the return box is a metal tang the band has to attach to. I heated up a screw and melted a hole. This works much better than cutting a slit. It bonds all the weave ends together so it won't fray. I also hit both ends of the bands that got spliced with a lighter for the same reason. Here are a couple pic's. I hope you understand what I'm trying to explain. You can see the 1st hole I melted at the splice. dorf dude...


----------



## scoggy

*Happy Birthday*

Herr Dorf Dude, HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!!! I know I am two days early, but wanted to make sure you got it before that Magic day!
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I got the last roll down shutter in tonight:thumbup:. I didn't cut the band to short either:no:. I can finally check that off the "To do list" Window ledges are next. dorf dude...


----------



## Jim F

Do those roll up blinds hand crank or are they motorized?


----------



## shumakerscott

I ended up getting a helper to work on the wood pile. He works hard and the price is ok. The pile is cut up:thumbup:. Now to clean it all up. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


----------



## frenchelectrican

Jim F said:


> Do those roll up blinds hand crank or are they motorized?


If I did recall the DD's place they were hand cranked and I know some are motourized as well I have couple in my house in France.

Merci,
Marc


----------



## shumakerscott

I've gotten further with the garden. My first batch of corn has come up. I planted a 2nd today. I'm going to deploy for a month and didn't want to bother anyone to water my plants. I picked up a Gardena timer and irrigation parts. After much trial and error I got the correct spray pattern. I didn't want to hit the tomato's but there was no way around it. I planned on a drip system but it wouldn't work correctly. If I built houses around them then it could work but I don't have that much time. Here are a couple pic's. Yes my fence is bent. It happens when it gets hot. The plastic expands. I need to make bigger holes so it has some free play. Another thing on the "To Do" list. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Here are the pic's. I forgot to upload them.


----------



## tpolk

people pay a lot of money where i live to get a Thomas Jefferson curved fence :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I finally got the rest of the kitchen cabinets hung. If you don't have a helper use a beer case and a couple cans:thumbup:. Campbell showed up and gave me a hand with the rest. I will need to brace the end cabinet with a threaded rod through the ceiling. I don't want a foot on the counter top. That would get in the way. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


----------



## tpolk

man I love how your place be shapin up :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I got the support rod in on the end cabinet. It sure is ugly. I will need to box it in with something. Does anybody have a unique limb or wood that is 12" long and thick enough for a 1/2" hole running through the center? In a week I will deploy to Poland and I will keep my eyes open for something there. Here is a pic, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Here is a pic of the backside of the cabinets. I'm thinking of some tongue and groove up to the bottom of the overhead beam. Any other ideas? dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I got the support rod in on the end cabinet. It sure is ugly. I will need to box it in with something. Does anybody have a unique limb or wood that is 12" long and thick enough for a 1/2" hole running through the center? In a week I will deploy to Poland and I will keep my eyes open for something there. Here is a pic, dorf dude...


Shu, if you can't find anything suitable over your way, I'm sure there would be lots of arbutus pieces over here that might work. Let me know.

Have you thought about slipping the threaded rod through a piece of chrome tubing?


----------



## shumakerscott

_"Have you thought about slipping the threaded rod through a piece of chrome tubing?_"

That would be just to plain. Now I'm thinking of a limb with a fork in it. Having the Y at the ceiling. That would look cool. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> _"Have you thought about slipping the threaded rod through a piece of chrome tubing?_"
> 
> That would be just to plain. Now I'm thinking of a limb with a fork in it. Having the Y at the ceiling. That would look cool. dorf dude...


OK, would the rod be visible anywhere if you used a fork? Or would you just want the fork to head off to one side so the rod would be buried?


----------



## shumakerscott

The rod would be buried. I sure don't want to see it. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I got going on the outside window ledges. It is 1 3/4" Styrofoam. There was a dead bird on the bricks. He froze to death. I had to cut 3/4" away on 3 of the window sills. That took over an hour. The window factory put the roll down shutters closer than my insulation was thick. Complicated to explain. Getting there. I also put a plastic bumper strip around the top edge. I will coat the ledges with a fiber mesh and tile glue. A coat of paint will go on top. End of story. Here are a couple pic's of things coming along. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Everything looks good as usual.

Good luck on your stint in Poland!! - It is a great place and one of the first to dig out and become modernized and international.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

I got the mesh cut and ready. I was about to mix up the tile glue and it started raining. It was forecast but I thought it might miss us. Maybe tomorrow. Mia was glad I came in:yes:. What a happy dog. dorf dude...


----------



## tpolk

sounds like a nasty e-coli outbreak in germany, watch what you eat


----------



## shumakerscott

I don't eat many Veggie's. I'm a meat and potato type of guy. Salads don't do it.:no:


----------



## tpolk

shumakerscott said:


> I don't eat many Veggie's. I'm a meat and potato type of guy. Salads don't do it.:no:


:thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I finally got some of my window ledges coated. I should be able to paint them tomorrow if it doesn't rain again. We had a hell of a storm the other night when I wanted to coat them. Good thing I held off. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Many people have asked what do I do? Now that this is public I can link you to it. I'm the repair tech on this system. http://www.eucom.mil/english/fullstory.asp?article=JMTC-fields-Multi-cultural-Mobile-Counter-IED


----------



## shumakerscott

Window ledges are done:thumbup:. Not all of them but it is a start. I love finding alternate uses for materials. It keeps my neighbors baffled. I told my neighbor that I used styrofoam and tile glue for the ledges and he just shook his head. Here is a pic. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Looking great!!!

Any plans for the traditional German window boxes for next year?

I see the tomatoes are getting to start gowing. What is the exposure of the front of your house (N, S, E, W)? Just give them plenty of water, fertilizer and sun and then stand back.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> Looking great!!!
> 
> Any plans for the traditional German window boxes for next year?
> 
> I see the tomatoes are getting to start gowing. What is the exposure of the front of your house (N, S, E, W)? Just give them plenty of water, fertilizer and sun and then stand back.
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


Yes on the window boxes. I have some now but didn't put them in. The front has an East/South East lie. It gets sun until around 3pm. The fertilizer has already been applied and I have an automatic watering system. dorf dude...


----------



## Jim F

shumakerscott said:


> Many people have asked what do I do? Now that this is public I can link you to it. I'm the repair tech on this system. http://www.eucom.mil/english/fullstory.asp?article=JMTC-fields-Multi-cultural-Mobile-Counter-IED


Checked out the link. Pretty interesting. I couldn't find a job related to my Army training and had to go back to school. I heard a rumor that Isreal was looking for M109 trainers at the time but couldn't find any info on that. But then there was no public internet when I got out in 85.


----------



## cocobolo

Hi Shu:

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with your progress very well lately, what with our crappy weather and too much work still to do.

But the last several days here have finally been looking really good, and today looks like it's going to be the best of the year so far. About time too.

Your tomatoes will do well where they are. The missus grows ours with plants in a similar exposure. She always gets a good crop. Make sure that the plants don't get rained on for the next few weeks, as that will cause them to get blight. We have a quickie plastic cover above ours and it works fine. You just need to keep the rain off the plants themselves.

Well, gotta go...time to set a bunch of tile today.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Hi Shu:
> 
> Sorry I haven't been keeping up with your progress very well lately, what with our crappy weather and too much work still to do.
> 
> But the last several days here have finally been looking really good, and today looks like it's going to be the best of the year so far. About time too.
> 
> Your tomatoes will do well where they are. The missus grows ours with plants in a similar exposure. She always gets a good crop. Make sure that the plants don't get rained on for the next few weeks, as that will cause them to get blight. We have a quickie plastic cover above ours and it works fine. You just need to keep the rain off the plants themselves.
> 
> Well, gotta go...time to set a bunch of tile today.


Keith, I'm leaving for Poland so my tomato's will just have to fair for themselves. I can't give them any attention. I will be following your progress, good luck. dorf dude...


----------



## Han'D'

shumakerscott said:


> Many people have asked what do I do? Now that this is public I can link you to it. I'm the repair tech on this system. http://www.eucom.mil/english/fullstory.asp?article=JMTC-fields-Multi-cultural-Mobile-Counter-IED


Shu, you are truly one cool dude! A great job, a great attitude and mass skills!

BRAVO...and thanx for all you do!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

We are set up and training soldiers in Poland. The response has been great from the troops. It has been a long week.:yawn: When the convoy was going down the highway the local truckers were on their CB's talking that the Russians were coming back. Here are a couple pics, I'm in one, dorf dude...


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## mpellerin

Thank you for the inspiration. I found this site late 2010 when I was about to start helping my son do a major renovation to the house he bought next door to ours. I read every post from the first, involving many visits to the site and I keep checking for updates. What you've done is amazing. 

I actually registered at the site to thank you then chickened out. I'm a lurker, and I think I felt a little like a stalker!

FYI, I am a 55 year old woman whose prior DIY experience was painting room walls and hanging pictures. Now my son and I can add to our resume: hanging, floating and sanding sheetrock. We primed and painted the entire interior. Placed underlayment and laminate flooring. Toilet installation. Gutting, sheetrocking kitchen walls and then the installation of and painting kitchen cabinets, countertops and the sink. Tomorrow we change a door and install a doggie door and over the summer hope to tackle the bathroom. 

I don't think I would have had to courage to do much of this if I had not read your adventure. What you've done is so remarkable it gave me courage to TRY. When I read that you were quitting posting I had a physical, visceral reaction. My gut twisted. Isn't that crazy? But I kept checking, and was elated when you started posting again. So, please know, a whole lot of your 'view count' is one old Cajun lady who can't stop reading until the end of the story. 

Keep up the good work, and keep sharing, because you'll never know who, or how many people you have helped. Just know that you have.

mpellerin


----------



## shumakerscott

mpellerin said:


> Thank you for the inspiration. I found this site late 2010 when I was about to start helping my son do a major renovation to the house he bought next door to ours. I read every post from the first, involving many visits to the site and I keep checking for updates. What you've done is amazing.
> 
> I actually registered at the site to thank you then chickened out. I'm a lurker, and I think I felt a little like a stalker!
> 
> FYI, I am a 55 year old woman whose prior DIY experience was painting room walls and hanging pictures. Now my son and I can add to our resume: hanging, floating and sanding sheetrock. We primed and painted the entire interior. Placed underlayment and laminate flooring. Toilet installation. Gutting, sheetrocking kitchen walls and then the installation of and painting kitchen cabinets, countertops and the sink. Tomorrow we change a door and install a doggie door and over the summer hope to tackle the bathroom.
> 
> I don't think I would have had to courage to do much of this if I had not read your adventure. What you've done is so remarkable it gave me courage to TRY. When I read that you were quitting posting I had a physical, visceral reaction. My gut twisted. Isn't that crazy? But I kept checking, and was elated when you started posting again. So, please know, a whole lot of your 'view count' is one old Cajun lady who can't stop reading until the end of the story.
> 
> Keep up the good work, and keep sharing, because you'll never know who, or how many people you have helped. Just know that you have.
> 
> mpellerin


Thank you very much. I'm glad you found the blog and it helped you. I was driven to do this by circumstances that were not of my choosing. I used it as therapy. Some times destroying things and rebuilding them helps! Start again new. Keep following, I'm not done yet, lot's to still do. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Today was "Media Day" We were invaded by reporters. They did live broadcasts as we were training from inside the trailers. The Polish General gave us a gift thanking us for the training. We had helicopter flyovers. Crazy! Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I actually got to go fly in the Helicopter:thumbup: I know this isn't DIY but thought you might enjoy this. The Polish were training with "Fast Rope" and we got to squeeze in a little joy ride. We also had a Bomb dog go through and he went crazy in the Bomb making lair.


----------



## shumakerscott

Here is a pic from inside during the flight. It was fun.


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## shumakerscott

Today we had some Polish Heavy Metal roll in for training.


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Here is a pic from inside during the flight. It was fun.


Wasn't it a bit noisy in there without headphones on?

Last time I was up in a Huey it made quite the racket.


----------



## frenchelectrican

cocobolo said:


> Wasn't it a bit noisy in there without headphones on?
> 
> Last time I was up in a Huey it made quite the racket.



I know how loud those unit crank up I have ridden both pistion and turbine helicopters and spend enough time on Aéros { airplane } 

Merci,
Marc


----------



## shumakerscott

I have made it back from Poland:thumbup:. A month is a long time. I returned to a jungle in my garden! That sucker has really grown! I think I over did it with the flower seeds. They started tearing up the street in front of my house. Campbell moved my car so it wasn't stuck in my driveway. My grass is really long too. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Welcome back!! I imagine there was a very happy dog waiting to see you again. How did you keep her out of the shots you took of the "jungle". I saw the "bomb dog" is the photos, but not yours.

A month in Poland can be a little long, but I enjoy the country and people. The beer is good and the Belarus "Russians" slip over the border or take the train to get the great Polish vodka that has gone out of sight in price here and in Poland.

Are you able to divulge what part of the country you were in, although most of it has the same history except for places like Warsaw. Southern Poland is very hospitable and some of the areas are much like Germany in food but you probably were at a base for most of the time.

A couple of days will make a world of difference in your yard and give you the option to thin and "fine-tune" it. the road work looks like it might lead to more noise or traffic, but you have the shutters to cut off many things if you choose. I think I can identify the tomato plants that will be fine after thinning. We have just reached the grass growing season when it is necessary to cut 2 or 3 times a week to keep things under control.

Welcome back.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

Dick, funny you mention Vodka. I did pick up a bottle of Zubrowka, Bison Grass. I drink beer but this stuff is so smooth and such an after taste finish! It has a blade of grass inside the bottle. It has a green tint. I pick up Mia from the Dog Hotel tomorrow. dorf dude...


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## Jim F

Looks like you've had the same sort of weather we've been having here in NY. Lots of rain alternating with sunshine. Everything is growing like crazy here too.


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## cocobolo

Welcome back Shu...glad you made it alive!

All that green looks much nicer than all that brown. All the rain we had here throughout the spring has finally caused everything to shoot up here - including the weeds of course. But for the past week or more we have the most sun imaginable.

It's just before 6 am as I write this, and it looks like sun again!


----------



## nshroyer

*fantastic work!*

Hey, I read through your posts over the last couple of days, AMAZING WORK!
Congrats on your rebuild and keep us posted as you work on the upstairs!


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Have you ever thought about training Mia to be a "bomb dog" and then you could "double dip" and save enough money on temoprary dog housing to buy more materials for your project. I know all those beautiful wood switch and plug plates are costly.

The buffalo or bison vodka is certainly unique. When you are a guest in Russia, you get the royal treatment that always seens to be Absolut, "Bison" and Chopin vodka.

What is your next project after the yard?

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

They are getting further with the new street construction in front of the house. I don't understand the purpose of the black tarp though. The new road height is going to be lower than the original with more water drains. I used to get a big lake in front when we had down pours. Mia has been supervising the construction. She also thinks she is a 50lb lap dog! I have a 3 day weekend so I hope for some progress pics in the near future. dorf dude...


----------



## no1hustler

That is a geotextile blanket. It helps control erosion. 

That dog sure looks happy. I have an 80lb lap dog. Great feeling.


----------



## CoconutPete

Ha! That's awesome. My dog does that too, but she's 7lbs - a bit easier to manage.


----------



## shumakerscott

I was busy today. I applied sealant to the stones around the living room window, and it's ledge. Also the 2 other window ledges, dining room and bath room. It is a wood gel but sure seems to work fine on stone. I also got weeding out the garden jungle. It's been a full day that's for sure. They got further with the street but I still can't drive in my driveway. :furious: Maybe by next weekend. I could at least park in front of my gate if needed. Here are a few pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## littlecleo

Very nice! I like the window sills a lot.


----------



## gma2rjc

The window sill looks great! :thumbsup:

Is it nice not having to drive back to your apartment after working on the house for the day?


----------



## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> The window sill looks great! :thumbsup:
> 
> Is it nice not having to drive back to your apartment after working on the house for the day?


It is fantastic not having to drive after working on things. Not only that but I don't pay rent on an apartment anymore. I'm still renting a shop at the moment and I don't know when I will move my stuff out from there. I need to get my shop here at the house built. So many projects! Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Shu, the window treatments look terrific.

What kind of sealer did you use? Got a pic of the can maybe? Thanks.

Hey, I was thinking, if you need a nice paved driveway, you can get those guys to put one in for you!


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Shu, the window treatments look terrific.
> 
> What kind of sealer did you use? Got a pic of the can maybe? Thanks.
> 
> Hey, I was thinking, if you need a nice paved driveway, you can get those guys to put one in for you!


I used a clear wood gel I had left over from my beams. I love finding alternate uses for products. Especially when I tell the Germans, they can't believe that I would use a wood product on stone. 2 years ago the local grocery store chain had a sale for 6.99 a can, I bought 15 of them. I still have quite a bit left. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I forgot the pic in the last post


----------



## cocobolo

Do you know if it is anything like Varathane?


----------



## tpolk

i like the first window pick quite surreal, like a painting on the wall. thru the looking glass as it were


----------



## concretemasonry

I think the idea of having the street contractor do the curb cut and possibly a driveway is an opportunity.

Since you have a gate, and parking area they could temporarily use the space, it might be "trade-bait" to help get some of the "bull-work" done conveniently. This could especially be true when they get down to the actual finished paving where access can be a problem.

Just another idea to get things easier for the finishing the exterior part of the project.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

Ok, I froze my Vodka and cracked the seal tonight:thumbup:. This stuff is so smooth it is dangerous! It was banned in the USA in 1978 by the FDA and ATF. Go to Wiki and search Bison Grass to find out why. On a DIY note I worked on my stairs. Photos when I get a little further along. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

thanks for telling me I am now a criminal. Every time I came back fro Poland or Belarus, I brought back a bottle fro various friends without knowing I could have been put in jail.

In Belarus, they often freeze the bottle and accompany it with a bowel of cold shot glasses in ice water. The instructions were to put a shot in your mouth and let it warm up and to get the flavor before swallowing. - Not a fast process and not good for a typical "Russian" style toast. This was mainly more than 10 years ago, so maybe the statute of limitations has passed in the last 10 years.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Do you know if it is anything like Varathane?


Here is a pic of the ingredients. It's in German but the key components should be identifiable. dorf dude...


----------



## brons2

Caught up to this thread for the first time in a while. Spent Christmas over there right on the German/Czech border, closer to the "triangle" than where you are now. Near Phillipsreut, Germany and Strazny, Czech Republic. Yea, there was a lot of snow over there. For us it was a nice Christmas, maybe not so much for you. We went south to Spain for the new year's though 

Anyway, nice to see your progress


----------



## flamtap

shumakerscott said:


> Here is a pic of the ingredients. It's in German but the key components should be identifiable. dorf dude...


I skipped the quoted text so for a second I thought this pic was the Vodka label! Yowza!

 :drink: 

flamtap


----------



## shumakerscott

brons2 said:


> Caught up to this thread for the first time in a while. Spent Christmas over there right on the German/Czech border, closer to the "triangle" than where you are now. Near Phillipsreut, Germany and Strazny, Czech Republic. Yea, there was a lot of snow over there. For us it was a nice Christmas, maybe not so much for you. We went south to Spain for the new year's though
> 
> Anyway, nice to see your progress


You were about 2 1/2 hours away. The snow last winter sucked that's for sure. If you happen to get over this way again give me a shout. dorf dude...


----------



## Han'D'

Shu,

Welcome back!

I just Wiki'd the Vodka. Sounds like typical US BS!! Won't allow entry into US due to coumarin but prescribe coumadin for patients to thin the blood... Seems to me this stuff kills 2 birds...:yes::yes:

Looking forward to yur progress


----------



## shumakerscott

Ok, Way off topic here but this is a DIY but it is not mine. It is from a guy that lives in Germany and sometimes works around where I work. He built it himself. It is a 1930 T bucket with a V12 BMW motor. Absolutely the sweetest sounding car I've ever heard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8eHcnhFg-k This will be a treat for any gear heads:thumbup:. Here are a few Pic's I took today. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

That V12 BMW is a piece of work. - Light weight, not big displacement, a beast to tune and adjust, but great output and a real jewel. Did they have to stretch the frame and change the suspension (obviously) because of the length of the engine?

Has the owner even taken it up to the Neurebering (sp?) for one of the weekly opportunities to run the 11 mile lap while running with and dodging motorcycles, busses and German test/developement cars with camoflaged bodies?

Very impressive project!!!

Dick - The other Schu


----------



## cocobolo

Definitely a pretty cool car Shu...I bet you can't wait to get at the Mustang again!


----------



## BigJim

Man, what a machine!!!


----------



## frenchelectrican

That is Incroyable with smooth running V-12 BMW engine and if you listen to the exhaust sound it sound like muted 12-71 Detorit Diesel.

That guy really blazing on the main road I am pretty sure he is crusing at least 125 KMH easy.

Merci,
Marc


----------



## shumakerscott

I got a new camera today. I had to do something with the extra cash I made in Poland:thumbup:. It is a Canon IXUS 310 HS. This thing is the bomb! Now I have to figure out how to use it. Here is a pic of my garden jungle. Many people have commented on it. They like it, it's different. dorf dude...


----------



## tpolk

nice garden :thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

Last week I found this self leveling laser for 40 bucks! I had to buy it of course. I set it up and checked the ceiling of the ground floor. It isn't too far out. Around an inch difference. I used a meter stick that showed the red beam. The lower the number the higher the point. I have one sink area because the beam was not square that I screwed the planks to. Now it's time to start setting the beams for the upstairs floor. Here are a couple pics. The new camera has a great wide angle, 24mm. dorf dude...


----------



## tpolk

look how far you've come, nicely done:thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

I got going on the sub floor beams today. :thumbup: The laser sure makes it easy. I'm using old key cards as shims. You can fine tune it very easily with them. Plus they don't squeak or rot. Here are a few pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## CoconutPete

During all those pages I completely forgot you had a 2nd story on there LOL.


----------



## shumakerscott

I got quite a bit further with the sub floor. I ran out of room now I have to clean up all my junk before I can proceed. I hate cleaning up. Working is much more fun. If you look close you can see the laser in the back corner. What a great tool! My magic number is 64cm at the top of the beam. They are getting further with the street in front too. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## no1hustler

Is that pex for radiant heat running under the beams?


----------



## shumakerscott

no1hustler said:


> Is that pex for radiant heat running under the beams?


No, It's the electric cables for my down stairs recessed lights. The only heat source upstairs will be a wood burner. It will draw fresh outside air. I'm going to rely on convection heat from the radiant in the down stairs slab. No insulation will go in between the floor beams and the ceiling. I want the heat to rise and get circulated with my ceiling fan over the stair case. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I almost got the first section finished tonight. 2 beams left. I have a little fine tuning to do on a couple beams but it's looking great. That 40 buck laser level is paying for it' self that's for sure. Next section is the staircase landing. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

Thanks for good photos from the new camera - the photos are great and even distant areas show up well. I have always used Canons and bought my first one about 40 years ago just a few hundred miles south of you.

Also thanks for opening up a new chapter with the second floor.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

Lighting can be very important. Placing a lamp in the wrong place can really suck. I had this light on the edge of the cross beam. It looked good and in the proper place. That is until I turned it on and tried to watch TV. It would glare at you. I moved it 1 ft back and now the wall blocks the light and it works as it should. The hole left in the beam is unnoticeable. You really have to look ahead with somethings. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I'm going to rely on convection heat from the radiant in the down stairs slab. No insulation will go in between the floor beams and the ceiling. I want the heat to rise and get circulated with my ceiling fan over the stair case. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


That should work well Shu...we have a similar setup in the new house. Wood stove(s) downstairs and a ceiling fan at the top of the high master bedroom ceiling, and it works like a charm.

And we only need to run the fan on the lowest speed...it draws about as much power as a 13 watt CFL.


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Lighting can be very important. Placing a lamp in the wrong place can really suck. I had this light on the edge of the cross beam. It looked good and in the proper place. That is until I turned it on and tried to watch TV. It would glare at you. I moved it 1 ft back and now the wall blocks the light and it works as it should. The hole left in the beam is unnoticeable. You really have to look ahead with somethings. dorf dude...


Every time I see pics of that lovely old stone and brick with the ancient beams it makes me drool. 

Absolutely beautiful, and something you could not duplicate today.


----------



## concretemasonry

What are the plans for the appearance and materials in the new found space that did not exist 400 years ago in the original haus?

What will the space be used for?

In this new space you have the opportunity to work on a smooth, even and plumb surface for the walls, since they were built by a good mason using square materials. Are you going to incorporate some of the same stone?

How about the ceiling? Smooth and clean or wood or a texture accented with wood beams added?

This is a new chapter in the book. That may be written as it unfolds.

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> What are the plans for the appearance and materials in the new found space that did not exist 400 years ago in the original haus?
> 
> What will the space be used for?
> 
> In this new space you have the opportunity to work on a smooth, even and plumb surface for the walls, since they were built by a good mason using square materials. Are you going to incorporate some of the same stone?
> 
> How about the ceiling? Smooth and clean or wood or a texture accented with wood beams added?
> 
> This is a new chapter in the book. That may be written as it unfolds.
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


Dick, It will be written as it unfolds:yes:. This floor I'm on now will be the Pool Room. The wood stove will be here too. The ceiling is what is there now, the open beams, that's finished. I need to put some lighting in. I might have to get creative on that one. The wires will probably have to come in from outside. I'm leaning towards sheet rock with sub construction on the walls. A coat of stucco to top it off. Not perfectly smooth though. I will add some highs and lows. This is subject to change. I've got a few ideas kicking around. Need to drink beer with my buddy and talk about it. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## tpolk

i used to install billiard tables and a good thing to try and remember is the heavier(thick slate, heavy timber in the frame) the better the play of the table


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## shumakerscott

tpolk said:


> i used to install billiard tables and a good thing to try and remember is the heavier(thick slate, heavy timber in the frame) the better the play of the table


I already have the table. It is made by Connelly, 7ft. Here's a pic from when it was set up in my apartment. This should be the last time moving it. It is very heavy, the top is 3 pieces even they are quite a handful. dorf dude...


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## tpolk

nice table, good weight. are you going to set it up yourself? almost all tables are 3 piece slate, the skill is in getting the seams level and smooth with shims and wax. having the frame level first helps this. You should be able to set a new cue ball any where on the bare slate and have it sit, also no click over seams or side fade when rolling on bare slate. wish i had one but getting the 5' clearance around not possible here


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## shumakerscott

tpolk said:


> nice table, good weight. are you going to set it up yourself? almost all tables are 3 piece slate, the skill is in getting the seams level and smooth with shims and wax. having the frame level first helps this. You should be able to set a new cue ball any where on the bare slate and have it sit, also no click over seams or side fade when rolling on bare slate. wish i had one but getting the 5' clearance around not possible here


Yes I will set it up myself. Came out pretty good the last 2 times. They recommended Bondo for fill. I have to fill the screw holes that go through the slate into the frame. I wanted an 8ft but in my original room 7ft was all I could get away with. Even then I had a short stick for certain places. Now I have the space but already have this table. It does play really nice. I will put a new felt on it this time. I know what I will be doing this winter:thumbup:. dorf dude...


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## tpolk

I know in old table restoration we would find plaster on the seams but we always went back with wax. The wax is made specific for tables and i dont think you can buy 1 stick. enjoy your table dont let it get to dry with the pellet heat


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## shumakerscott

I still can not get into my driveway because of road construction. That means my trailer is locked in. I had to get OSB boards for my upstairs floor. Little blue Toyota to the rescue:thumbup: with help from Campbell. We got started early and got 10 boards per load on top of my car. The locals were really laughing as we loaded it up but by the time I had them strapped down they were saying "Perfect" 3 loads later I had 30 boards sitting here. A delivery truck couldn't have done that with the state of the road. I ended up having to tag some ends onto some of my beams. I used Gorilla glue, slats and screws. Tomorrow I will start laying floor boards. Hello 2nd floor!!Here are a few pics from today. My garden is really turning into a jungle. Bottom left corner has a black dog head, always. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got the pool room floor in today:thumbup:. I'm so sore:yes:. I glued all the seams. The screws have thread all the way down the shank. This anchors the platten much better, much less chance of squeaks. I need to set more beams and continue on. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Now that the floor has had 24hr's to dry and settle I gave it a good bounce and stomp test. This thing is solid with no squeaks at all:thumbup:. I was shopping for flooring today. Of course the one I liked was almost double what I had planned on spending. I had to come home and think about it. I'm thinking big fat rustic looking oak planks, lots of texture, distress and weathered. Opinions? I should sign off as dead dude and not dorf dude.:yes:


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Now that the floor has had 24hr's to dry and settle I gave it a good bounce and stomp test. This thing is solid with no squeaks at all:thumbup:. I was shopping for flooring today. Of course the one I liked was almost double what I had planned on spending. I had to come home and think about it. I'm thinking big fat rustic looking oak planks, lots of texture, distress and weathered. Opinions? I should sign off as dead dude and not dorf dude.:yes:


The only opinion that really matter Shu is yours.

But it sounds to me as though the boards you're considering would be in keeping with the origins of the house. I think if it were mine that would go a long way towards convincing me that is a good choice. I try not to let price interfere too much - consider 5 years down the road from now, you won't even remember what they cost anyway.


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude-

It looks great and will make a great pool room. At least the fan is high and not in the area of the cue sticks. Is it remote controlled or do you have to pull chains of flip switches for control? How thick is the flooring you have down now and how far apart are the beams you just put in?

The rustic/rough floors will go well with the ceiling structure.

How does Mai get up there to supervise now?

Keep it up and design as you go to maintain continuity.

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> The only opinion that really matter Shu is yours.
> 
> But it sounds to me as though the boards you're considering would be in keeping with the origins of the house. I think if it were mine that would go a long way towards convincing me that is a good choice. I try not to let price interfere too much - consider 5 years down the road from now, you won't even remember what they cost anyway.


Thanks, I was leaning towards your thinking. I want what will look and wear best. I want to have a "Wow" factor every time I walk up the stairs and gaze across it. Not a "I should of" This is going to be the Grand Room, 45 square meters, 485 sq ft. Thanks and I will go back and get the right stuff. dead dude...


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude-
> 
> It looks great and will make a great pool room. At least the fan is high and not in the area of the cue sticks. Is it remote controlled or do you have to pull chains of flip switches for control? How thick is the flooring you have down now and how far apart are the beams you just put in?
> 
> The rustic/rough floors will go well with the ceiling structure.
> 
> How does Mai get up there to supervise now?
> 
> Keep it up and design as you go to maintain continuity.
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


The fan is not in the pool room area, directly above the stairs. I have pull chains. The OSB sub floor is 22mm, beams are around 50-60 cm apart with big ass screws holding them down into the old beams. I have put 20 screws per platen into them. Mia sits on the ground floor and talks to me about being left below. Cattle dogs can sure talk and express their opinions! dead dude, I'm beat


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## shumakerscott

http://www.ipocork.com/flooring_summary2.php?id_col=4&id=25&context=1,1,0
This is the floor I'm looking at, Merino Oak. This stuff is awesome. It has extreme texture. What ya think? dorf dude


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## concretemasonry

The color will open up the area and I assume the texture is extreme as you defined it. The texture will work well.

Any special lighting for over the pool table?

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> The color will open up the area and I assume the texture is extreme as you defined it. The texture will work well.
> 
> Any special lighting for over the pool table?
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


Dick, I bought the lights 3 years ago:yes:. How's that for planning ahead! You will have to wait for pictures. I don't know where they are exactly at the moment. They will add a modern touch with the rustic design. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

You're making great progress Shu. Are you still collecting unique beer bottle caps?


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> You're making great progress Shu. Are you still collecting unique beer bottle caps?


Yes I am still collecting bottle caps. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

After work today I got the stairway landing beams in and leveled. More work than it looks., very uneven underneath. I have to plan ahead for after the stairs are in and how I will finish the exposed areas. I also must leave room for the main roof support beam that will be next to the chimney. Lots of things to pay attention to. That laser level is sure working great, today's magic number was 80 cm. Shim it up until the laser hit that mark. Here's a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## tpolk

do you use one spot as zero for each laser set up?


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## shumakerscott

tpolk said:


> do you use one spot as zero for each laser set up?


I think the answer to your question is yes. I moved the laser to a good broadcast spot tor the area I would be working on. Turn it on and let it self level. I checked the reading from the top of the previous beams and raised the laser until it was hitting 80cm on my meter stick. I was hitting 78.6 to start with. 80 just happens to be very easy to see. There really is no exact number. I could have made it anything I wanted. I could have used a plain old stick and marked where the laser hit it and used that. The actual number is not important, just where the laser hits in reference to that number. Anything in the 70's and I know the floor is to high, above 80 and it's to low. When I get with in about 2mm I stop and set it. Does this help? dorf dude...


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## tpolk

usually when i have used a transit or level i have a benchmark which is always my starting point when resetting the laser. with a floor like yours i would pick one spot and call that zero and at each new set up would use that point to make the floor the same elevation regardless of how it reads on the tape. In fact you could mark a stick each time with a crows foot and raise or lower the floor until the laser hit that mark, no need for a ruler altho the stick rule gives you your difference immediatley. hope this doesnt sound confusing sometimes clarity in my head doesnt type well


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## shumakerscott

tpolk said:


> usually when i have used a transit or level i have a benchmark which is always my starting point when resetting the laser. with a floor like yours i would pick one spot and call that zero and at each new set up would use that point to make the floor the same elevation regardless of how it reads on the tape. In fact you could mark a stick each time with a crows foot and raise or lower the floor until the laser hit that mark, no need for a ruler altho the stick rule gives you your difference immediatley. hope this doesnt sound confusing sometimes clarity in my head doesnt type well


We are doing the same thing just saying it differently. I'm using the beams I already set as my Zero. They must be at the right elevation, unless I set them wrong in the first place. I check it from many points just to make sure. I set the next ones at the same height. I can raise and lower the laser and I find a point on my meter stick that is easy to read and go from there. The plastic cards I'm using for shims are 1mm. I use the reading I get and grab that many + 2. Compression factor. Thanks, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I put my little car to work again. I picked up more floor beams and some latten to start framing in my wall. More pic's as things get further. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

I guess that's one way to lower your car!


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## tpolk

cocobolo said:


> I guess that's one way to lower your car!


:thumbup::thumbup::laughing:


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten a little further with the floor. The new beams are still green so they need to get set soon to prevent warping/twisting. Here are a couple pic's. I've got some cleaning up to do:yes:. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

If you're at all concerned about any warping Shu, you can always clamp several together tightly. 

Just look down the boards, and put them together in opposing directions to any twist that might be developing, usually in pairs. That way, any warping that might develop as a result of the wood being inside will be minimized.


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## shumakerscott

Busy day today. I got the messed up wall all framed in. I've been looking at it for the last couple years wondering how I would do it with the least amount of work. It turned out really easy. I attached a strip to the bottom of the roof beam and attached the vertical latten. Then I stared with the horizontals. The more I got on, it straightened it self out. I attached the far ends to the adjacent walls and set them with a level. I did not level or square any thing else. It all just lined up really close. I call that good enough for this wall. I set it solid with some nail in wall anchors. In some places I Gorilla glued wedges to the back of the latten. That firmed it right up. 8 hours of leisure work and it's finished. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

The further you go, the larger the space seems.

What are plans for the shorter clay tile walls? Plaster or framing and gypsum board?

At least you have been able to maintain the classic deep set windows with wide sills.

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> The further you go, the larger the space seems.
> 
> What are plans for the shorter clat tile walls? Plaster or framing and gypsum board?
> 
> At least you have been able to maintain the classic deep set windows with wide sills.
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


Not sure yet what I will do with the other walls. I'm still kicking some ideas around. Price will have a big impact. I'm going to pull out the stops for the floor and probably cut back on the walls Thanks for following, dorf dude....


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## shumakerscott

I picked up the materials for the wall today. I have a heavy gauge dedicated power line for the stereo. I put in 3 outlet cups. I will have a slow trip circuit breaker on it for when the power amps fire up. I trip normal house breakers about 50% of the time turning them on. I wanted to get further but I forgot to buy spray foam:furious:. I want to foam between the wall and the new framing. That will firm it up and stop any rattles and buzzing when the music is loud.:thumbup:. I've been a hobby audiophile all my life. I like loud music at times. Here is the first pic of the new wall.
This is where the bottle caps will come in to effect. I've left a gap between the floor and wall on purpose. I can slip cables in, in the future.
dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I lost the use of my left hand today. It just swelled up:furious:. The doctor thinks it might be Gout. I told him to fix it, I have work to do. I got some meds and he wrote me off sick for the week. I still have work to do but can't. No pic's for a few days. This really sucks. Getting old I guess. Of course I will try and do something if I can but don't want to get caught. Right now nothing can be done. I can't even climb the ladder. dorf dude...


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## macdonlg

*Bad news*

Sorry to hear of your troubles DD, but I guess it's the body's way of saying I need some rest. thanks for showing us your progress, I log in everyday to check what's new. Wish I could afford to take some time off to go over there and help for a while, while seeing the sights as well.

Take care.


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## shumakerscott

macdonlg said:


> Sorry to hear of your troubles DD, but I guess it's the body's way of saying I need some rest. thanks for showing us your progress, I log in everyday to check what's new. Wish I could afford to take some time off to go over there and help for a while, while seeing the sights as well.
> 
> Take care.


Thanks for following. Glad you found this and enjoy it. Got any unique bottle caps? dorf dude


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## flamtap

DD, sorry to hear your predicament. A friend of mine once told me he noticed eating pineapple helped with his gout. Worth a shot? Dunno. 

I've been saving some bottle caps for a while. Can you let me know where to send them? There are a variety but many duplicates... do you want more than one of each design? 

Thanks as always for sharing this project with us!

flamtap


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## no1hustler

Take care of yourself!


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## CoconutPete

Hope your hand gets better soon!


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## shumakerscott

The meds the doctor gave me are really helping. I paced myself and took it easy and made some progress! My boards are only 13mm thick so they are not very heavy. I figured out that if you put screws at both ends of your boards then you can just draw a line where the backing latten is. It took me this long to figure that out:wallbash:. I was trying to hold it level and and draw a line That wasn't working. My hand was not strong enough. I like learning new things. :thumbup: I figured out where the dart board will go and added some back bracing. Gorilla Glue is my best friend. I cut blocks close to the size and stuffed them behind with lots of glue on them. Not moving any time soon. Here are some pi'c's, dorf dude.


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## tpolk

curious as to the double layer of framing vs 2x4 studs and plates. seems like half the work with 2x4 material


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## shumakerscott

tpolk said:


> curious as to the double layer of framing vs 2x4 studs and plates. seems like half the work with 2x4 material


2x4" is not a standard here. 3x5 cm is. That's how we do it here. It works out cheaper. A bit more work but it's easier to level with 2 layers. Not that I did any leveling with this wall, I didn't. I let it fall in place. I might be 1" out over all. Plenty close for this one. dorf dude...


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## Ironlight

Is it not worth insulating between the brick and the interior wall? I would think you get pretty cold there.


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## shumakerscott

Ironlight said:


> Is it not worth insulating between the brick and the interior wall? I would think you get pretty cold there.


I'm insulated on the outside. I need the massive stone to warm up when it gets cold. It will then release heat as needed. I don't contain it in any one space. The whole house is a heat sink. It's backwards from what your used to. I store heat inside and also block heat/cold from out side. I'm almost like strawbale construction but with stone. Understand? Right now it is very hot outside but I have a nice cool house. I've let the floor heat slab cool down over the last couple weeks. I can get a quick burst from the Pellet stove if needed. I hope this clears things up. It is a different way of heating. I check the weather forecast just to see what's coming and adjust my heat plan. dorf dude...


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## Ironlight

Makes perfect sense, thanks for the great explanation!


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## concretemasonry

The concept of insulation in a heavy structure is totally different than the pink panther approach in the U.S., Canada and several other places. The comfort and stability is amazing. The draw-back is that your are not aware of the short term weather outside if the windows are closed.

In Scott's home, I was wondering about the second floor over heating and was concerned whether the second level fan over the would provide enough air movement to maintain comfort without opening windows since the steady heat stored in the floor and lower level would rise.

The project is very interesting to watch unfold and it shows why most of the world prefers heavy, solid construction that really lasts if done right.

Dick


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## shumakerscott

Almost done. I didn't have a lot of time to work today. Should be closed up tomorrow. I'm headed to the recycling center tomorrow to get wine corks. If you have bottle caps for the wall let me know in a pm. Only 1 pic today. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I need beer bottle caps! This wall is almost done and it's time to start covering it up. Send me something unique from your part of the world! dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Looks good!!

With the mass of the walls, good windows and air gap, it looks like you will be warm in the cold months and keep your secret sounds away from the neighbors unless you have enough power/amps to raise the heavy tile roof.

What about the surface acoustics for the walls and ceiling?

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

I have been looking at the last pic. The main beam optically looks a little kicked to the left. It is about 6" off center. I set the chimney before the roof guy came. My goof on that one. This house is so out of square it doesn't really matter. Only really close eyes will see it. Now you all know! dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Looks good!!
> 
> With the mass of the walls, good windows and air gap, it looks like you will be warm in the cold months and keep your secret sounds away from the neighbors unless you have enough power/amps to raise the heavy tile roof.
> 
> What about the surface acoustics for the walls and ceiling?
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


Wine corks will go on the new wall with bottle caps mixed in. Great sound diffuser. The floor will be vinyl with texture. It will be a "Bright room" If I pull out the stops I will be able to rattle the roof tiles, no problem. That's why I put a dedicated circuit just for the amps.Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## Jim F

shumakerscott said:


> I have been looking at the last pic. The main beam optically looks a little kicked to the left. It is about 6" off center. I set the chimney before the roof guy came. My goof on that one. This house is so out of square it doesn't really matter. Only really close eyes will see it. Now you all know! dorf dude...


I had to REALLY look to see what you were talking about. I never would have noticed otherwise. I notice things like that about my own work. That's an inevitable downside with DIY. You become your own worst critic.


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## Willward

Looking good, Dorf Dude! I've been following along for several months now. Thanks for all your pix, comments, and inspiration!


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## shumakerscott

I got the last wall pieces up:thumbup:. Now I have the windows to do. I've planned on 2 wall lights and wired for them. I want them to be dim-able. I've been keeping an eye out for something that would work. Today I stopped at a furnishings store. One of those expensive places. The sales lady told me to look around on all 3 floors. I got to the 3rd floor and found a back room with markdowns. My spidy senses started to tingle. I felt the force. I found 2 aluminum wall vases. I figured that I would powdercoat them black matt and mount a halogen inside. I want to cut some slits to let some light out the front and sides. Not bad for 38 Euro! I also stopped by the recycling center to get corks. They had very few. This is going to take longer than expected. Usually they had tons. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

After a very late start because I was shopping for materials, I got going on the next wall. I'm using hammer in wall studs Makes things go much quicker. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

Are you going to put any soundproofing material on the wall that you share with your neighbor?

Barb


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> Are you going to put any soundproofing material on the wall that you share with your neighbor?
> 
> Barb


Barb, your jumping ahead! Yes it will be insulated, not because of noise but thermal.. That wall is a "Cold Bridge". It is exposed directly to the outside when my roof and walls stop. There will another bedroom and bathroom up there. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## Willward

shumakerscott said:


> After a very late start because I was shopping for materials, I got going on the next wall. I'm using hammer in wall studs Makes things go much quicker. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


dd, question on your horizontal stud technique, as this is precisely what I ws envisioning for several of my walls. Do you then run your electrical cable along the top or bottom of one of the studs? Or are you going to put them in the putz layer, as seems pretty standard?


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## shumakerscott

I have the electric inside my putz walls run inside at floor level then up to the outlet or switch. I built a jig for setting anchor blocks. I would just clamp it to the wall and then clamp an anchor block on the back side and screw it to the beam. I guess I should have gotten more pic's of this. On the next wall I will detail it better. This wall is now ready for paneling. It is cheap and quick. I will spend the money on the floor not the wall. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Here is a better pic of the alignment jig. I ended up using a temp screw to hold it in place, the clamp was working loose as I set the screw in the block. I hope this makes it easier to understand. This is after the horizontal board has been attached. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Paneling is going up:thumbup:. I wanted something kind of light. I had to quit because my jig saw started cutting cooked. It's only 9:30pm :whistling2:. There are some tricks getting the cuts around the beams. Tips if your interested and if you have any let me know. Slanted ceilings are really tricky to get right. First tip, a template really helps. Don't measure each one. Get it dialed in on a mock up, then work from that. Saves lots of time. Here is a pic of today's progress. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Corks Needed*

I'm having problems getting traditional cork's for the big wall. Plastic and screw tops have taken over. I need all that I can get, please help. I will pay postage. I will also take any beer labels, that will cut down on the total number of corks needed. The big wall will be corks, caps and labels. Labels mail really easy. Thanks, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Do you want the corks whole so you can cut them in half to get a flat back and more coverage for the number of corks? It is not to difficult to go to a few restaurants in the U.S. and tip someone to save the corks for a couple of weeks if it is one that pours a lot of bottles of wine.

I tried doing a small wall with wine labels, but it was pain to get them off in one piece. Usually soaking in water works well. Beer bottles seem to be worse. I tried to get the labels off the beer bottles that the caps I sent to you were on, but the newer labels, inks/foils and adhesives make it difficult and just soaking in water does not always work. They are easy to come by, but the removal can take some experimenting.

How about sending you the front of a "wine in a box"? - LOL

The postage for something light to Germany is not that much.

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

I ordered the floor today:thumbup:. I go on leave next week so things are coming together. I put a couple hours in on the wall today. This is real slow going cutting around beams and things. Only 1 pic but you can really start to see how it will look. I wanted a lighter color. The floor will be dark rustic oak. My saw was cutting straighter tonight. It helps to look from the left side of the jig saw while cutting, not from the top. Tip of the day! dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

Looking good!

So the plan for up there is a pool table and music you said?


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## shumakerscott

Pool table, darts, loud music and Beer:thumbup:. I've gotten further with the paneling wall. I hoped to finish it today but the light was failing and so were my eyes. Tomorrow for sure. Here's a progress pic. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Wall is finished. We picked up the laminate flooring on Sat. It is upstairs waiting to be installed. I sub framed the other wall today. I've been busy! I bought the stair case beams months ago. They have been stored inside the whole time. When I ordered them I stressed dried. They went through 3 drying cycles. Today I did a final sanding on the stringers and one of them has warped.:furious: Nothing I can do about it now. I will have to trim the steps to fit. The final finish will not be as nice as hoped. Oh well, the house is crooked as it is. You just can't get good wood. Here are a few pic's. One of them is of the new floor. dorf dude...


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## no1hustler

The flooring is goign to look great!


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## shumakerscott

I got furter with the paneling on the 2nd wall. I ran out and today is a holiday:furious:. I will buy more tomorrow. Here is a progress pic. thanks for following, dorf dude... PS I need corks!


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## shumakerscott

I went supply shopping this morning and got back at it this afternoon. I ran out of clips for the paneling. :furious: I thought I would but wanted to see how far I'd get. I got more corks from the recycling center. Only about 13,000 more to go!! I need alot of help on this one. I also powder coated the new lights and cut slits in them. Hard to see in the pic. I need to get the bulbs mounted and turned on for the correct perspective. Back at supply shopping tomorrow. Many little details to keep an eye on. More info as I get further. Here are a couple progress pic's, Also one of me and my evil possessed dog:yes: dorf dude...


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## gregzoll

Looking good Scott.


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## shumakerscott

I'm on a 2 week, work on the house vacation. It's nice to have some time off to run around and get things. I really hope that I'm going to surprise all of you by the end of this. I'm planning on a BIG push. Wait and see. dorf dude...


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## sbmfj

Best of luck!!


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## gregzoll

I take it, that it will be done by Oktoberfest. I wish that our homes here in the states were built that good. In Rochester, IL, there is a Stone house that they are trying to rehab. They could learn a lot from your project. http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x21...es-curiosity-about-Rochesters-Old-Stone-House

Also up in Kildeer, IL, there is a stone house, that used to be a hideout for Al Capone, that they have redone. It has something like 2 foot walls.


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## shumakerscott

I don't do Oktoberfest. I can buy a case of beer cheaper than 1 mug there. I prefer to remain more connected to my money :yes:. I'm actually very close to it but only went 1 time. Never again :no:. Disaster!! I learn from my mistakes. dorf dude...


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## Jim F

shumakerscott said:


> I don't do Oktoberfest. I can buy a case of beer cheaper than 1 mug there. I prefer to remain more connected to my money :yes:. I'm actually very close to it but only went 1 time. Never again :no:. Disaster!! I learn from my mistakes. dorf dude...


I went to one in my last October there. Couldn't get anybody to go with me they were all either broke or had other plans. I couldn't find a room in Munich so slept on the floor at the Bahnhof. I noticed a lot of other GI's sleeping out and about. An older German gent asked me why us Americans were all sleeping about like homeless people. He thought the government paid us better than that. I told him that at least in my case I just couldn't find a room. At the fest, I didn't buy too many of my own beers. I wound up at a table with an older guy who had been a POW in an American camp. He told me about the good times he had as a POW in the US and wouldn't let me buy my own beer.


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## gregzoll

Jim, I was watching a show about the German pow's, and it was interesting that a few farmers would have them work on the farms, knowing that the German was on the run. We treated their guys a lot better than our guys got treated during the war. The closes that I ever got to Germany during my Navy days, was when we dropped off a destroyed CH-46 in Kiel, that went overboard during Northern Wedding 1986.


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

How about the corks?

Are you after new or do you want used corks with the wine stain on one end and the pulling device scars on the other end? Red or white wine? I assume the aluminum twist-offs are a definite no-no.

Are you cutting them lengthwise or using them with the ends showing?

13,000 more will be a challenge that could hold up the grand opening.

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

I will cut the corks length wise. Used is preferred. I spent another morning shopping for materials. I should be set for a full day's work tomorrow. I can still see a couple things needed but that can wait. Time to work! I got the paneling wall done today :thumbup:. That's finally finished. Wait until tomorrows pic's. I had my electrician friend upgrade one circuit breaker today from 16 amp fast trip to 20 amp slow trip. Now I can weld without tripping it. The results will be shown tomorrow. Here are a couple from today. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Ok, It's been brought to my attention that "I" am not cutting the corks at this time. My buddy Matt broke his leg and is sitting around not able to do much. He can use a knife to cut corks though :thumbsup:. Credit given:yes::yes: The "Grand Opening" will not be held up because of the cork wall. I can always add them as I get them in the future. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I had to stucco the chimney before I could go any further. I primed it yesterday. The inlet had an insulation insert so I used tile glue and mesh to seal it up and give it some strength. I got the uprights for my banister around the stair case opening welded up. No pics of them yet, you'll have to wait. Look close in the last pic, they are laying on the floor. Another shopping trip in the morning then full on construction :thumbup:. I'm hitting the great Tile store. I need some for under where the wood stove will go. I hope find something cool and cheap! Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The ugly steel support beam is gone:thumbup::thumbup:. I now have a 18x18cm Tamarack post in place. Campbell and Udo gave me a hand. It slipped right in .I only made about 1-1/3 cranks on the screw jack and the pressure was gone. Not 1 creak in the ceiling. I think I'm getting better at this! The hoist really made it easy. I had to think about that one. That post weighs over 200lbs. I got the pocket cut dead on for the post to set in. Now I can finally move forward on other things that all depended on the placement of the post. Time to Rock! I also painted the chimney today before we set the post. Yes there is a slight taper in the chimney. Here are a couple pics.


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## vivithemage

Sweet man, going to start from the beginning, wish me luck


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## shumakerscott

I got going with the banister. I hate working with warped wood:furious:. Once that is finished then I can get started on the floor:thumbup:. Getting there. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've been at it almost 14 hours today with only a couple small breaks. Banister is in:thumbup:. Finally!! That was a sh!t load of work. I welded the uprights too. Only 1 mistake and it takes a good eye to see it. I Gorilla glued the end post to the floor. It is very solid. The Fein Multi Master came into play today. What a great tool for those special situations. Now I have to clean up before I can do any thing else. I hate cleaning, building is much more fun! Here are a few pic's from today, you can see my "Over Watcher Dude" next to the chimney, dorf dude...


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## tpolk

nice work :thumbsup: I can hear the clack of billiards from here coming thru the pumping sub-woofer tunes:yes:


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## shumakerscott

I did a little cleaning up and got bored with that so I sealed up the Banister with clear coat. It is step and floor stuff, made of PU water based. Tricky to work with. I will apply one more coat and roll it, no brush. I layed out the tiles for the wood stove. I will glue them directly to the floor with construction adhesive, no grout groove. Normal tile glue will just crack over time. My house vibrates with the truck traffic. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got the tile glued down today around the chimney. My plans for the steps were to use some oak planks I've had forever. My saw wouldn't cut them. Change of plan. I decided to go with the same wood I have on top of the banister and main support post. Tamarack, some people know it as Larch. It is going to provide a great contrast to the Fir. I ripped the treads then Gorilla glued and screwed the nose pieces in. I need to plane then about 1mm still. I got a letter today that my lights are being held in Customs. I will go and rescue them tomorrow. The Chinese have not figured out how to fill out a declaration invoice yet! Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I went and got my upstairs lights out of Customs this morning. I got the treads all sanded down. Started with 40 grit on the belt sander then 80. Then with the Fein with 80 and finish with 120. Heres' a pic of the new light and tread. I'm too pooped to write any thing more. It is HOT here. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

As usual, it is looking better and better every day.

It seems that you really rely on the Fein for many things and the knock-offs are just getting used in the U.S. now.

What will be going on the treads? If they are too slippery, Mai will have a problem getting to the "man room".

I understand the customs problems. I tried to send a couple of local beers to you and gave up because of restrictions (especially American beer into Germany). Importing Chinese goods into Germany may be much easier than getting some American products there legally.

The extra few feet of walls you added did a great job to increase the usable area and value.

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

I've always hated slanted roof invading living space. It is so common here. The Germans just treat it as normal. I take it as offensive. The building will not dictate my living conditions. My old place before the divorce was bad about this. The ex didn't want to change it. Good thing I didn't either, wasted money there!! The new lights are great:thumbsup: By the time shipping and Customs got done with me they were about $30 each. Bright as hell and only use 3 watts. There will be a big pay off in the end with power usage. My house is 97% LED. I'm so glad they finally got the technology going and the prices down. Here is a link http://www.ruyi-e.com/satisled/?zenid=th5qrlrjgqansuk1c3cd4bkp14 On the steps will be a Urethane, semi mat, I can't see covering the natural beauty of the wood. They will get scratched from her claws but anyway! I don't live in a perfect palace. Thanks for following and the support. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

First thing this morning I laid out a paint station. Clamped board makes a great table and the reflection from the window would allow me to see the coverage. Worked great! During the day I got 3 coats laid on. I attacked the stairs. I got all the support brackets glued and screwed. I made a jig from a piece of laminate. It is the same width as my Rise, 18.5cm. I worked out how far back I need them and attached a piece of scrap. I would set one and move the jig up. Saved a ton of time. The beam on the wall has quite a twist in it. I hope we can pull it back with threaded rod. Campbell will probably help with that. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## MarkusS

I can send you some special screws and wallplugs from Hilti which should fix your problem with the twisted beam - as long as the wall is somehow solid (e.g. no gypsum cardboard or OSB). I had almost the same problem today (twisted 6 x 16 cm solid beech) and the Hilti-stuff worked like a charm.

Shoot me a PM if interested, need the thickness of the wood and the wall for the correct size of the screws.


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## shumakerscott

MarkusS said:


> I can send you some special screws and wallplugs from Hilti which should fix your problem with the twisted beam - as long as the wall is somehow solid (e.g. no gypsum cardboard or OSB). I had almost the same problem today (twisted 6 x 16 cm solid beech) and the Hilti-stuff worked like a charm.
> 
> Shoot me a PM if interested, need the thickness of the wood and the wall for the correct size of the screws.


Thanks for the offer. I will see what happens tomorrow and let you know. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The Gorilla Glue did a big ooze. How do you clean it up? With the Fein Multi Master of course! Scraper blade works wonders. I counter sunk the holes for the threaded rod. I set them low because that is where I need to pull it in. Campbell told my this evening the they should have been center, just below the tread or else the beams will "Butterfly" out at the top. We have a fix for that. Pic's tomorrow. I also used the Fein for a final sanding. I had to do them in place but it doesn't throw dust too bad. It took quite a bit of fiddling to get things evened up. I should have gotten laminated beams instead of whole ones. That would have saved a lot of work with this warped mother.:furious: I had to shim the whole thing up about 3 inches. I goofed up. Hey this is my first staircase. I put cork on both ends of the stringers to eliminate any squeaks in the future. There is no wood to wood contact. I've been working so hard that I've been not eating. I cooked up a pot of "Construction Chili" Now I have some thing to eat very easily and quickly. Here are some pic's and will add a couple more in the next post. I think it has turned out great!


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## shumakerscott

Only 6 pic's at a time. Here is "Construction Chili" and me on the almost finished steps. Tomorrow for sure, except for the railings. I could not make them any wider do to my entrance being so narrow. The Urethane I used on the treads is water based. It raised the grain and with the following coats it gave me a non slip tread. Here's a couple more , dorf dude...


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## no1hustler

Looking good man!


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## shumakerscott

Treads are not set yet. I will not glue them, only screw, 6 per. I'm not sure how many times I will have to take it apart and adjust things. I have a big gap to pull in. Once it's glued your screwed! This thing is so massive it doesn't move. Thanks for the support, dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

Looks fantastic!


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## shumakerscott

I recall an episode of Holmes on Home's. He didn't like the attachment of a staircase to the upstairs. I don't know if he would approve my method either. These screws are 10" long, Torx 40 head. It is solid as hell. With a cork cushion. My little Makita Impact is earning it's keep lately. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Mia is very interested in the new staircase!


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## cocobolo

Hi Shu:

Sorry about the long time between posts. 

I was going to give you a hard time about your stairs...that is until you said it was your first set. So, I'll let you get away with it this time. :whistling2:

I would have preferred if you had set the treads right into the stringers. Sure it is a little more work, but once done they are there forever.

You could actually use a piece of re-bar which you can thread on the ends instead of threaded rod, only because it's quite a bit cheaper. I would put one right underneath every other tread, and tighten them up over a period of time. The wood will slowly give and come into line with that kind of pressure acting on it.

But what you've done so far looks pretty damn good. :thumbsup:

You might find that the raised grain becomes less noticeable with additional coats. So the non-slip effect will diminish. You can get little packets of a very fine silica sand which you can add to the last (or second last) finish coat. I usually tape off a section at the front of the tread about 3" wide and confine the sand to that. That's where any slipping happens.

Great weather here - finally - and at least another two weeks of it according to the long range forecast! :thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

Campbell came by and we set the stairs. Had to take it down again and trim the bent beam to try and get it closer to the wall. Once we set the treads the bent stringer lifted off the floor. With the treads we set 10mm pins along with screws. There is a large internal stress in this staircase. To bring the lifted leg down we put a screw jack on top and pushed it down. We then drilled holes through into the wall and used 2 lag bolts as pins and released tension. There are no wall anchors inside. Guess who the first one up the stairs was? Mia:yes:. This afternoon I laid the laminate for the upstairs landing. Tomorrow I will begin the rest of the floor. Thing are really coming along! Here are a few pic's, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

I see where that twisted stringer has been causing you no end of grief.

Maybe when you get it close enough you can add a piece of something like 1/4 round trim against the wall to take out any final minor discrepancy.

Mia looks like she has become a real ham. Seems to like posing for the camera.


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## shumakerscott

I should have gotten laminated beams for the stringers. Next time! Mia is not a ham but just has to be there. I don't pose her for the pic's:no:. She's an Australian Cattle Dog. Velcro dog is their nic name. It is such a huge step forward not having to climb up a ladder any more.:thumbup: I've actually almost got a house. Still more to come. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I should have gotten laminated beams for the stringers. Next time! Mia is not a ham but just has to be there. I don't pose her for the pic's:no:. She's an Australian Cattle Dog. Velcro dog is their nic name. It is such a huge step forward not having to climb up a ladder any more.:thumbup: I've actually almost got a house. Still more to come. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


You can make up your own laminated beams very easily from either 2 x 4's or 1 x 4's, just depends on how much gluing you want to do and what appearance you want.
We never had to pose Bridie for any pics, she was always there as well. I think it's just their nature.


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## flamtap

shumakerscott said:


> Only 6 pic's at a time. Here is "Construction Chili"


Hope you have good ventilation! 

:blink:

flamtap


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## cocobolo

flamtap said:


> Hope you have good ventilation!
> 
> :blink:
> 
> flamtap


:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## tpolk

are you corking under the treads?


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## cocobolo

Tim...are you thinking of this for squeak prevention?

Good point, because _any_ wood that moves even a tiny bit on stairs has a habit of squeaking. :wink:

But Shu has got some hefty screws in there, so they may not move...let's see what he has to say about that.

Shu...???


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## tpolk

yup squeaks as season /temps/ humidity change


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## shumakerscott

No I didn't cork under the treads. I considered it though. I just wanted to get the stairs together. If it becomes bad I can always disassemble and add it later. I got going on the main laminate floor. I spent the whole day and got it down to the last run. That's when my energy ran out. I thinks it turned out great! My 2 weeks vacation is over. I got everything done that I wanted to:thumbup:. Looks like we will deploy in about 4 weeks so I have to get a few more things done or else winter will be here. Here are a couple pic's. I left a packing label with a date and my name under the floor. 1 more pic of the stairs from above. dorf dude...

I was so tired I got the month wrong on note I left!


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## TJ_in_IL

I have been following your progress for a while now, and very impressed.
One question... is there that much of a time difference from there to the US where it is a month different (28 Sept 2011)? Or, do I get the prize for noticing?:whistling2:
Keep up the good work!

TJ


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## mgp roofing

Great project! I have spent quite a few evenings over the last couple of weeks reading through this thread. My own big project is just getting underway, I will start a thread on it soon.


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## shumakerscott

I got the last floor strip in tonight. You do know that you bevel the last cut, right:yes:. I thought I would bring it up just in case some one didn't know. That gives you clearance on the wall as you drop it in place. Here are a couple pic's. What thread is it where guys are talking about burning up expensive blades cutting laminate flooring.? I just used my jigsaw for the complete upstairs remodel with the same blade. Including cutting laminate. High speed spinning blades are not for laminate. Medium speed jigsaw with a touch of orbit works great. You do have a variable speed jig saw in your tool arsenal? Almost all my tools are variable speed. That gives you so much more use out of them. Harder to find but the pay off is worth it. Right now my Jig Saw is stuck at 3, 6 is max. It took a fall/hit and jammed the dial , I can't change it and I don't have time to take it apart to fix it. It works so I will leave it. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

That big OSB wall is "Screaming" for corks! I will take the new plastic one's too. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I got the last floor strip in tonight. You do know that you bevel the last cut, right:yes:. I thought I would bring it up just in case some one didn't know. That gives you clearance on the wall as you drop it in place. Here are a couple pic's. What thread is it where guys are talking about burning up expensive blades cutting laminate flooring.? I just used my jigsaw for the complete upstairs remodel with the same blade. Including cutting laminate. High speed spinning blades are not for laminate. Medium speed jigsaw with a touch of orbit works great. dorf dude...


Hey Shu...I didn't find it necessary to cut an angle on the laminate. With the 1/2" recommended space the board should drop in to place anyway. But if you happen to have a larger T & G it could prove to be very useful.

Bud was talking about the blades dulling quickly. This was on older laminate flooring I believe several years ago. But I had the same experience as you did using a jigsaw at medium speed. No trouble at all, just a single blade for the whole floor and it was still good when I finished.


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Hey Shu...I didn't find it necessary to cut an angle on the laminate. With the 1/2" recommended space the board should drop in to place anyway. But if you happen to have a larger T & G it could prove to be very useful.
> 
> Bud was talking about the blades dulling quickly. This was on older laminate flooring I believe several years ago. But I had the same experience as you did using a jigsaw at medium speed. No trouble at all, just a single blade for the whole floor and it was still good when I finished.


As my wall is hollow I wanted to drop the floor as close as possible. I didn't need to leave a 1/2 inch on those walls. Just a gap that I can slip wires into in the future. My molding will be screwed on so I can remove it in the future. dorf dude...


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## macdonlg

hey DD, looking very good. If you are planning to put corks on that whole wall it is going to take for ever to get hold of them, and then put them up. A suggestion I have is to glue burlap onto the wall and then if you want to, paint over it. It will look good and finiss iff the wall till you have enough corks to put on it...I have done this before and it looks very good.


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## shumakerscott

macdonlg said:


> hey DD, looking very good. If you are planning to put corks on that whole wall it is going to take for ever to get hold of them, and then put them up. A suggestion I have is to glue burlap onto the wall and then if you want to, paint over it. It will look good and finiss iff the wall till you have enough corks to put on it...I have done this before and it looks very good.


It won't take forever if I can get the power of the "Net" behind this. The OSB doesn't look so bad but the acoustics will be so much better with corks.


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## shumakerscott

I have completely switched focus now. We have fall weather on us now. I will be gone for quite a while so I'm in winter prep mode! 2 years ago I got snow hooks for my roof off Ebay really cheap. I got them in tonight to stop the snow avalanche's. For the fence portion I decided to use the Oak pallet planks I've had for years. They should last a long time. To buy the correct fence would have been expensive. These were free:thumbup:. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

This is not a progress post. I stumbled across this and wanted to share. If you have time give it a listen. What a voice and unique guitar playing style! Her name is Carolyn Wonderland.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Elh3omkjg&NR=1
Enjoy, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Did any body check out the video link I posted? She is soooo good. Ok now for progress pic's. I've gotten further with laying beam's and leveling the 2nd floor. On Friday I got a package in the mail from the States, beer caps:thumbup:. Thank's. I burned the first fire in my wood stove. I did it outside so the paint would burn and cure. No stink inside. It has developed some rust being stored outside over the last year but I can deal with that. This stove has a fresh air hookup so it doesn't burn inside air creating a vacuum drawing in cold air from outside. My chimney has a fresh air tube inside. You can sure see the old roof line in one pic. I would have had no upstairs if I would have left it original. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The construction crew showed up and got going on my entry way slab, 1 guy. His truck had a clam shell crane, great tool! A 2nd guy showed up just before the concrete truck. Slab is in:thumbup:. They ordered to much concret and the driver was asking where he could dump it. I said right on the ground. I now have a nice slab under my awning. I will break it up in the future but for now it's great. I got the rest of the OSB boards in upstairs. Big progress today. I will start this weekend building the entry. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Good progress! -

I was wondering about the rear entrance with the cold weather coming during your deployment. It is another phase to see what is created. The slab certainly seems to be well reinforced, but it shows you need an extra area for the excess minimum concrete load and equipment needed. You can always cut off the excess and square it up later depending on your exterior needs.

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

The slab will be broken up next year. I want to finish the area between the house and shop with concrete stones. Very common over here. There is actually a drain underneath the slab near the corner. Any ground seep will find it's way there under the slab because of the stones. This slab was kind of a bonus. They were just going to dump it in the yard anyway. They don't take the excess back with them. You take what you ordered. It's cheaper to order more than to run short and pay for a 2nd trip. I will begin framing this weekend. The awning has already been ordered, should be up next weekend. I'm so glad to be at this phase:thumbup:. I've been looking at that ugly wall way to long. dorf dude... ps, yes the slab has dog prints in it! Mia had to leave her mark.


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## shumakerscott

The concrete settled just below the insulation. I had to trim it off level. Fein Multimaster to the rescue:thumbup:. It made very quick work of trimming it down and taking the raised lip off the concrete. The slab is still too fresh to drill into. I Gorilla glued the base beams to the slab. I love this glue!! I used rest cuts for along the back wall. I didn't want to waste them. I want to put up the rest of the framing tomorrow. In about a week I will set some screws into the slab. Moving forward. dorf dude...


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## Jim F

Scott I haven't checked out your progress in a while. I have to ask you a couple of questions about your stairs. They look a little narrow so I'm wondering why you didn't want to build them wider. I'm also wondering why you didn't use stair stringers like these http://www.ufpi.com/product/wdeck/wdeckimage/StairStringer2.gif . Those cleats look like a lot of work. 

Not being critical, it looks like a good job, just curious.


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## shumakerscott

Jim F said:


> Scott I haven't checked out your progress in a while. I have to ask you a couple of questions about your stairs. They look a little narrow so I'm wondering why you didn't want to build them wider. I'm also wondering why you didn't use stair stringers like these http://www.ufpi.com/product/wdeck/wdeckimage/StairStringer2.gif . Those cleats look like a lot of work.
> 
> Not being critical, it looks like a good job, just curious.


Jim, They are a little narrow but 99.9% I'm by myself. They are quite comfortable to walk up and down. I don't have traffic going up and down them. When I will have company then it's going to be 1 at a time. I have a choke point at the bottom of the stairs, see attached photo. This is on the main route to the bathroom. If I made the stairs wider then I would have to detour around them every time. In hind sight I should have pushed the upstairs landing further back and that would have given me more room at the bottom. I didn't use a commercial product for the stringers because of cost and difficulty obtaining them. I have plenty of glue, screws and wood! Thanks for the comments, planning on big progress today. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Big progress today. Campbell came by and pretty much framed it by himself. I worked on the ceiling beams and helped as needed. His son also gave a hand. Thanks! Matt was bored at home with his broken leg and got started on the cork wall. I'm with holding pics at the moment until it is further along. Here are a couple progress pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I was at it 11 hours today. Campbell's son stopped by and gave me a very needed hand. Thanks Patrick:thumbup:. He earned some pocket money for that. Beams are in, ceiling is in, light holes cut, insulation is in. I can't complain about that:no:. I've piled things underneath because a storm is supposed to blow through. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Some pretty rapid progress there Shu! That's one heavy duty addition you've got up there.

Hope the storm didn't do any damage to that nice looking wood.


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## macdonlg

hey DD, you clearly do not subscribe to the theory that tomorrow is another day...:no:

Good progress made.


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## shumakerscott

macdonlg said:


> hey DD, you clearly do not subscribe to the theory that tomorrow is another day...:no:
> 
> Good progress made.


I don't have another day. I deploy on 5 Oct and don't return until Mid Dec. I must get things done now or else it will be winter when I return, not a good time to do construction. I'm not done yet. I still might have something up my sleeve!! Thanks for the support, dorf dude...


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## sbmfj

awesome attitude!!


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## gregzoll

Need to teach Mia this trick http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=a0ZchGqls4M

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tient-dog-balancing-biscuits-treats-nose.html


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## mgp roofing

Good to see some more progress. I have begun to save bottle tops for you, I will send them when I have a decent amount. Have a look at my carport & workshop project. Its in the early stages now, it will get exciting when I move a old house onto the site in a month or two, then start renovating it.


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten further with the entry way. It has 6cm of insulation above the "Living area" I don't insulate above the eaves. I actually put 1 layer down in this case because I had some extra. I also had left over radiant barrier foil so I added that too. Can't hurt. Since Matt got started on the cork wall I've been hitting it every day for a little bit. It's starting to look like something. Here are a few pic's, dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

:thumbup: The close-up picture of the cork wall is awesome. I like how there is a little space between them and the OSB adds a nice touch for the background. The bottle caps look nice too.

You and Matt got a lot done, considering the small pieces you're working with.


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> :thumbup: The close-up picture of the cork wall is awesome. I like how there is a little space between them and the OSB adds a nice touch for the background. The bottle caps look nice too.
> 
> You and Matt got a lot done, considering the small pieces you're working with.


That's why I chose OSB for the wall material. I knew I was going to cork it. Being able to leave a gap helps fit the different sized corks and it allows it to flow. dd


----------



## sbmfj

good job!
love the corks!


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

The planning on the cork wall looks like it was well worth it. Did any synthetic corks get mixed in yet? I better get over to the restaurants that are supposed to be saving corks for me, but it certainly looks like you will need a lot more.

What did you do or what are the plans for weatherproofing where the shed roof meets the house wall?

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

There are plastic corks already in there, about 20%. They blend in pretty well. The first priority of this wall is to look good but my very close 2nd is sound control. All the half round edges will break up echo's. It should really deaden the room. As for the weather proofing on the new room, wait for the pic's. It will become clear. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> :thumbup: The close-up picture of the cork wall is awesome. I like how there is a little space between them and the OSB adds a nice touch for the background. The bottle caps look nice too.
> 
> You and Matt got a lot done, considering the small pieces you're working with.


Send me your cap's and I will put them up! Need more corks too!


----------



## shumakerscott

Campbell got the awning frame up. I then covered it. It can rain now! Insulation is almost finished on the entry way. I asked Matt about covers for my night lights. They are actually to bright. Here is what he came up with. I like it.:thumbsup:. That's it for me today. Here are a couple pics, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

That cork wall is absolutely fabulous, and genuinely unique.


----------



## cocobolo

Hey Shu...best place I know of for tile ideas is right here. You just have to dig around a bit as it's a big site. But well worth the trouble.

http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1


----------



## shumakerscott

I finished up with the "Little things" tonight. How do you plunge cut into Styrofoam? I reach for my Fein Multi Master of course!:thumbup: Like a hot knife through butter. I capped the holes with another piece of styrofoam. I'm using LED's so heat is not an issue. If I had 50 watt Halogens in there I would have a big problem with heat. I got the roof tile latten laid out and screwed down. Tomorrow I can call it water tight! Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> I finished up with the "Little things" tonight. How do you plunge cut into Styrofoam? I reach for my Fein Multi Master of course!:thumbup: Like a hot knife through butter. I capped the holes with another piece of styrofoam. I'm using LED's so heat is not an issue. If I had 50 watt Halogens in there I would have a big problem with heat. I got the roof tile latten laid out and screwed down. Tomorrow I can call it water tight! Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


Man, that is nice!!


----------



## JohnDsouza

Its great.


----------



## shumakerscott

I was shopping for materials today and found a cool light for above my entry door. It is a 3 watt LED. I think it looks great. Greg came by and gave me a hand with getting the roof tiles up. I started laying them out and "OOPS" :no: I goofed up on the spacing. With these tile's you have no free play like with my house tiles. The spacing must be dead on and square. I will go back tomorrow and fix it. Put it up, take it down:furious:. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## twinAK

The ceiling looks real nice on the inside, similar to our plans for the back porch on our building project.


----------



## shumakerscott

twinAK said:


> The ceiling looks real nice on the inside, similar to our plans for the back porch on our building project.


To have exposed beams adds a lot of external work. Well worth it in the finished product though. You can't beat the look or the insulation value. Power cables are the most difficult to deal with. You must think ahead with this type of construction Thanks for following. dorf dude...


----------



## mgp roofing

Nice entranceway. I know what its like with those clay roof tiles. Once had to re-batten a 400m2 roof because the sample tiles we measured off were 3mm different in length to the ones that got supplied for the job.


----------



## shumakerscott

Entryway is water tight and air tight:thumbup:. Greg came by and helped me put up the carport frame. I still have some cross bracing to do but this thing isn't coming down. My beams were only 4 meter's long and that gave a bad opening to back into. I kicked it an additional meter. That opened it much better to back in. I used jack legs on purpose, it isn't a permanent structure. I don't have a building permit. It is only held together with screws. Some really big ones! I will cover it with a tarp. That will get me through winter this year. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

The carport is covered. I've already been told by the neighbor that it's ugly. I told him "I know" In 6 months or so it will be taken down. I added 3 beams on top and big @ss screwed them into the lower ones. I'm worried about snow load. Not so much any more though. I've gotten further with the cork wall. Matt gave a hand and I've been corking away at it too. Night light covers got finished and put up. Things are really coming together, 1 week then I leave until Christmas.


----------



## cocobolo

Nice job Shu!

Tell your neighbour that tarps are part of every standard north American structure. Sometimes they are "temporary" until the wind shreds them right off!

Love the way the cork wall is coming together, big improvement since the last pic of the wall.

Is that cardboard you have taped around your stair treads? Are you going to use a finish of some sort or cover them with something like carpet or...?

Good luck on your last week's push before you have to leave.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Nice job Shu!
> 
> Tell your neighbour that tarps are part of every standard north American structure. Sometimes they are "temporary" until the wind shreds them right off!
> 
> Love the way the cork wall is coming together, big improvement since the last pic of the wall.
> 
> Is that cardboard you have taped around your stair treads? Are you going to use a finish of some sort or cover the with something like carpet or...?
> 
> Good luck on your last week's push before you have to leave.


The European's have no respect for North American building. Neither do I actually. Stick framed thrown up for big $$. The structure might last a few decades and do it over again. Feed the machine. The only winner is the bank. My place will be standing for centuries. The stairs are cardboard wrapped and finished in a water based urethane. I will leave them covered until major construction is done. I really could use all the corks I can get. The local recycling center stopped collecting them last week. My source is gone.:furious: I hope to score big while I'm in Italy. Local bottle caps are also required. I want this wall to be a world wide project. All that have seen it are blown away. Australia, New Zealand and all Countries in between. Anybody really really out there? PM me for my address and lets get you on the wall. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> The stairs are finished in a water based urethane. I will leave them covered until major construction is done. I really could use all the corks I can get. The local recycling center stopped collecting them last week. My source is gone.:furious: I hope to score big while I'm in Italy. Local bottle caps are also required. I want this wall to be a world wide project. All that have seen it are blown away. Australia, New Zealand anybody really really out there? PM me for my address and lets get you on the wall. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


Shu, it's times like this I wish I was living over on Vancouver Island. I'm sure I could gather up corks over there.
I have a pal in Nanaimo who has lots of different contacts over there. I'll send him an email and see if he's able to help. Plus I just remembered there is a couple who have a cabin here who are steady wine drinkers. As long as they don't use the plastic corks I will see if they can save some. Maybe by the time you are back at Christmas we can assemble a little collection.
In fact, I can put a note up on our local notice board and ask folks to save their corks and beer bottle caps.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Shu, it's times like this I wish I was living over on Vancouver Island. I'm sure I could gather up corks over there.
> I have a pal in Nanaimo who has lots of different contacts over there. I'll send him an email and see if he's able to help. Plus I just remembered there is a couple who have a cabin here who are steady wine drinkers. As long as they don't use the plastic corks I will see if they can save some. Maybe by the time you are back at Christmas we can assemble a little collection.
> In fact, I can put a note up on our local notice board and ask folks to save their corks and beer bottle caps.


Plastic corks are fine. They blend in great!


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Plastic corks are fine. They blend in great!


That should increase the supply line then. I imagine that most of these cheapo wines have plastic corks!
I'll keep you posted.


----------



## shumakerscott

I've been busy! Snow tires mounted on my car. Got 2 of the 3 walls on the entry way meshed and sealed. 1 more side to go. I think I'm looking good time wise until I fly. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


----------



## CoconutPete

Nice!

I was hoping for another update before you left.


----------



## shumakerscott

I'll have a couple more!


----------



## shumakerscott

They closed the main highway last night at 5pm. They will put the finishing touches on it this weekend. Campbell and I decided to grab our lawn chairs as a joke. A couple people joined in. Then a few more and then it turned into a street party! We had a great time.:thumbup: Needless to say, I didn't get any work done. Now it's time to get to work. dorf dude...


----------



## gma2rjc

Did you have a permit from the city? j/k :laughing:

It looks like everyone had a nice time.


----------



## BleachCola

love reading this thread, hope it never ends


----------



## shumakerscott

I've been really busy before I leave tomorrow morning. The chimney sweep wanted access and stands on my chimney. Got it done! I set hooks and hung a section of my ladder. If I need it in the future I can just remove it. Killed 2 birds with that one. I found a cast aluminum eagle in the garbage at work. I glued it to the eve of my roof. The wood stove is hooked up and working with fresh air intake. Matt and I got further with the cork wall. The pic is turned sideways, sorry. I got a carpet to hang on the upstairs wall as a decoration and sound control. Hand made in India. My entry is fully insulated, huge difference with it done. Mia is at the dog hotel. Time for a final house clean before I go and the next pic's will be from Crackow! dorf dude...


----------



## CoconutPete

LOL. Love the eagle!

Looks like you are all ready to go - be safe.


----------



## flamtap

What a difference in a year! We'll be looking forward to your return, and updates while you are away. 

flamtap


----------



## BleachCola

enjoy your trip Dorf Dude


----------



## shumakerscott

This is a no comment photo. I will let you add your own. I woke up and saw this my first morning in Krakow. This should be fun! dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Looks like a good place to go through before heading for Italy - Even a great parking place for someone's yellow toy that is in transition.

In Italy, there probably be more red cars (Ferrari and Maserati - owned by Fiat) and maybe few yellow Lamborghini's owned by Audi.

I assume that may be something like the military modules you will be working out of.

Keep the travelogue/adventure photos coming.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Looks like a good place to go through before heading for Italy - Even a great parking place for someone's yellow toy that is in transition.
> 
> In Italy, there probably be more red cars (Ferrari and Maserati - owned by Fiat) and maybe few yellow Lamborghini's owned by Audi.
> 
> I assume that may be something like the military modules you will be working out of.
> 
> Keep the travelogue/adventure photos coming.
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


Dick This is outside my Hotel window in the center of the city. Nothing to do with military. More Mafia! Watched a drug deal go down last night too... I saw Nothing!!


----------



## CoconutPete

That is hilarious. Here is my take:


----------



## shumakerscott

CoconutPete said:


> That is hilarious. Here is my take:


I think the graffiti tags on the gate tell a story. You mess around here and you have big troubles, you end up in the river.


----------



## concretemasonry

If it is in Krakow, the car could be headed for Russia via the Russian mafia.

There is a strong connection through Poland by the Russian mafia

Poland is a big supplier of "hot" Mercedes and other cars into Russia. My Russian exchange student (age 17) explained the problem they had when her father (doctor/GYN from Georgia) got a "new" Mercedes. Her mother then got the father's 1 year old Mercedes, she got her mother's 2 year old Mercedes and her brother (age 11) got her 3 year old Mercedes, but there was no place to park them.

In some countries car titles mean little as long as you have insurance on the car.

Poland is an ideal place in terms of progress and the people are even better, but there is a lot of cross-traffic.

Enjoy the Polish beer and potato vodka (Chopin is pricey!) before being able to get the white sauces from Northern Italy.

Dick


----------



## BleachCola

I was born about 65km outside of kraków, still have family there and in gliwice. each time I go visit I seem to appreciate more and more. I'd recommend the wieliczka salt mine, its a lil past the city, amazing work on the inside.


----------



## sbmfj

A lambo in the ghetto def means shady business....


----------



## shumakerscott

I finally got out on the town in Krakow. I found the Irish Pub! In one pic is a pic of the joinery of a platform constructed in cellar bar. They added it to gain usable floor space. Very nice work. I might go back and get a couple more pics if your interested. Here you go, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

Hey Shu...thanks for all the great pics. Love the Lambo shot.

How long are you gone for?


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Hey Shu...thanks for all the great pics. Love the Lambo shot.
> 
> How long are you gone for?


I don't get home until Christmas


----------



## cocobolo

Well, then enjoy yourself on "holiday" until Christmas. Try not to get into trouble with the Mafia. And if they offer you a yellow Lamborghini for a thousand bucks, I think you'd better decline!

By the way, that cork wall looks excellent!

Isn't that eagle a specific symbol of something in Germany? I seem to remember something very similar to that from my stamp collecting days when I was a kid. And YES, I really was a kid back then.


----------



## shumakerscott

There is a tradition that lovers lock a padlock on the bridge to show their affection for each other. Here's a pic, dorf dude


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## cocobolo

Do you have a selection of keys Shu? You know...just in case you need a lock or two! 

Neat bridge.


----------



## cocobolo

Anything new to report on yet Shu? More pics of the town or???


----------



## gma2rjc

shumakerscott said:


> There is a tradition that lovers lock a padlock on the bridge to show their affection for each other. Here's a pic, dorf dude
> View attachment 39288


When either the guy or girl isn't quite sure they're ready to commit to a relationship, they use one of the tiny luggage zipper padlocks. :laughing:


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Anything new to report on yet Shu? More pics of the town or???


Nothing new really. We are training the Polish Airborne guys. We added a "Petting Zoo" I will try and get a couple pic's today of that. I don't have time to go run around down town on our work days. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

OK, you're excused. Looking forward to seeing more of the town when you get some time. Thanks.


----------



## gregzoll

DD, heard the airborne troops tried to do some tree trimming, and messed quite a few troops up a week ago. Hope none of the guys from your old unit were involved. My brother had the same stuff happen to him at Bragg, when he served with the 82nd. Officers thinking they know more than the NCO's.


----------



## shumakerscott

These are a few samples of our "Petting Zoo" They are types of IED's and trigger mechanisms. The kind of blurry one is after an explosion the kind of evidence they find at the scene. The belt is what a suicide bomber would wear. dorf dude...


----------



## sbmfj

woah, thats some crazy stuff.


----------



## concretemasonry

DD -

I assume those were a little new to you since you probably did not find any IEDs from WWI or WWII in you home remodeling. No battaries before WWI, but probably only mechanical.

It looks like an interesting challenge, since they can be different.

Dick - The other Schu


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> DD -
> 
> I assume those were a little new to you since you probably did not find any IEDs from WWI or WWII in you home remodeling. No battaries before WWI, but probably only mechanical.
> 
> It looks like an interesting challenge, since they can be different.
> 
> Dick - The other Schu


 This is what our soldiers are up against now. Very low metal content in the triggers. The blasts are wicked. We are helping them so they come back alive. So we hope...


----------



## shumakerscott

gregzoll said:


> DD, heard the airborne troops tried to do some tree trimming, and messed quite a few troops up a week ago. Hope none of the guys from your old unit were involved. My brother had the same stuff happen to him at Bragg, when he served with the 82nd. Officers thinking they know more than the NCO's.


 I actually served in an Armor unit. We didn't jump out of planes. Tanks don't drop very well! But yes there was an incident in Hohenfels and many of our troops got hurt a couple weeks ago.


----------



## preacher01

WOW!!!! That's all I can say. I am on page 60 reading every little detail and I think you are doing an excellent job. Unbelievable, I cannot wait to get through all the pages and catch up. I don't want to look ahead and spoil anything. Keep up the good work and good luck.:thumbsup:


----------



## oh'mike

preacher01 said:


> WOW!!!! That's all I can say. I am on page 60 reading every little detail and I think you are doing an excellent job. Unbelievable, I cannot wait to get through all the pages and catch up. I don't want to look ahead and spoil anything. Keep up the good work and good luck.:thumbsup:


Wow is right. It's your post Dorf that got me hooked here--Thank you.--Mike--


----------



## shumakerscott

We went out after work last night. We met up with one of the Polish instructors at the Hard Rock Cafe. We ended up in a couple different bars. One was called Propaganda. It was Soviet themed. The date on the cartoons is 1951. Here are a few pics.


----------



## shumakerscott

I was out for a day walk today. Caught a nice fall morning pic of the Wisa river with balloon launching in the background. The Dragon guards the castle. The dog sculpture is dedicated to our dedicated 4 legged friends. If you zoom in you can read the story of a dog who waited for his master after he died. That's all I got for today, from Krakow, dorf dude...


----------



## preacher01

Scott, I finally caught up on reading about the rebuild. I can't wait until you get back hame and start into it again. I hope you enjoy yourself and relax while you're away.:thumbup:


----------



## cocobolo

Many thanks for the terrific photos Shu. i especially love the one with the dog.


----------



## preacher01

Coco, since I have read through Scott's story now I'm starting to read your story. It looks like it is going to be some interesting reading. This is better than any books you can buy and read. It's amazing what a man can do when he sets his head and heart to doing it.:thumbsup: Good luck to both of you as you live out your dreams.:yes:


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Have you had a chance to look at the local construction and compare to your home's centuries old construction?

I guess the very old surviving homes may be stone or brick and the ones after 1900 were hollow clay tile. Anything during the Soviet occupation may be the old AAC concept and the newer ones are probably a mix. That area you are in has a lot of mines and to the west (Katoweicj) has a lot of coal mines that produced a lot of coal and an equal amount or rock excavated to get access.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## scoggy

*Corks..where are my ####ing corks??*

Shu, I have been religiously saving corks, and had an empty cardboard wine box full!! Yesterday, I could not find the box, and searched and searched! I finally asked my wife.."have you seen a wine box full of corks?"..to which she replied.."yes, I didn't know what they were for, so I gave them to Goodwill with that other 'stuff', that was lying around!" My mental Taurus gears started to strip, when I thought..what 'other' stuff! Damage control is now complete on most items, but alas and alack, will now have to start all over again with corks! Have threatened to become "attila The Hun", with her messy sewing room 'stuff', but fear I will have to err on the side of caution in this one!!:furious::furious::furious::furious:
Cheers
Scoggy
I remember building your house at this time of year, many Moons ago...it looks positively marvelous..a tribute to you DD!!!!!!


----------



## shumakerscott

These were the Scoggy day's.


----------



## shumakerscott

I found another one! Thanks for the help dude!!


----------



## scoggy

*Pix of Scoggy*

Wow, It is like a time warp! We had soooo much fun..and for a good cause ==8^) Those pixs let me know why I removed all mirrors from the house..feel much more relaxed ..now!
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## cocobolo

He still looks about the same Shu...just older!


----------



## shumakerscott

The Airborne Battalion had an Open House to the local grade schools today. The kids got to see Drill and Ceremony, check out weapons and vehicles, then check out some of the Airborne training. They had a great time.


----------



## concretemasonry

Does Scoggy ever smile? - He sure seems to be concentrated and determined to do the job. Does he have an older brother in Orange County, New York that builds custom motorcycles/choppers on T.V.

Good shots of the training, toys/equipment (I don't understand what they are for but can guess). I bet the kids had fun around the old plane. I bet most of them understood English/American because of the internet.

Those building in the background sure look like older Russian built structures (at least Russian influence), complete with the pale KGB yellow and the windows.

Keep the info and photos coming. It is much faster than traveling, but traveling is more fun.


The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Does Scoggy ever smile? - He sure seems to be concentrated and determined to do the job. Does he have an older brother in Orange County, New York that builds custom motorcycles/choppers on T.V.
> 
> Good shots of the training, toys/equipment (I don't understand what they are for but can guess). I bet the kids had fun around the old plane. I bet most of them understood English/American because of the internet.
> 
> Those building in the background sure look like older Russian built structures (at least Russian influence), complete with the pale KGB yellow and the windows.
> 
> Keep the info and photos coming. It is much faster than traveling, but traveling is more fun.
> 
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


During the time Scoggy was here he had EXTREME back pain but continued to work as he could. Tough guy:yes:.


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

He sure looks like a hard working dedicated German (assuming he is German). 

I sort of wish my grandfather had been born 100 yards east and then I would legally be 1/2 German, but being a Luxembourger, I am little rarer.

Buildings at the Polish ceremony look very similar to the ones in Belarus by the Russians and Germans after the end (and years later) of WWII.

Have you had the time to poke around the construction in Poland?

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

I went on a salt mine tour today. Here is a link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wieliczka_Salt_Mine
Amazing:thumbup:. I will not try and explain since the net has all the details. Here are a couple pic's I took. The first on is looking up the stair case. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I went to one of the Big Box Hardware Stores today. I compared selection and price with what Germany has to offer. Poland wins hands down, Price is about the same but variety and selection :no: Poland wins by a huge margin:thumbup: dorf dude...


----------



## CoconutPete

Based on the colors I thought that was IKEA at first!


----------



## shumakerscott

CoconutPete said:


> Based on the colors I thought that was IKEA at first!


Ikea was just across the street. I went there next and got a computer chair for my room. My back is very happy now. :yes: dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> Have you had a chance to look at the local construction and compare to your home's centuries old construction?
> 
> I guess the very old surviving homes may be stone or brick and the ones after 1900 were hollow clay tile. Anything during the Soviet occupation may be the old AAC concept and the newer ones are probably a mix. That area you are in has a lot of mines and to the west (Katoweicj) has a lot of coal mines that produced a lot of coal and an equal amount or rock excavated to get access.
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


Dick, The Sgt Major in charge of our training is building a house. I will get some pic's off him and post. Very similar to current German building. 1 week left in Poland then off to Italy! dorf dude...


----------



## sbmfj

Have a few plates of pasta, couple of slices of pizza, and a few bottles of wine for me while you're in Italy. Have fun!


----------



## shumakerscott

sbmfj said:


> Have a few plates of pasta, couple of slices of pizza, and a few bottles of wine for me while you're in Italy. Have fun!


Thanks. I'm not having a lot of fun. :no: My system is working with no problems, I'm bored. I want to work on my house :yes:. The upside of this long deployment is I'm going to be able to pay cash for the next stage construction. :thumbup:. Thanks for following. I will try and keep it interesting until I get back to true DIY. dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

When you get to Italy, you know what we _really_ want pics of, don't you?


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> When you get to Italy, you know what we _really_ want pics of, don't you?


Ok Keith. I've been thinking about this and nothing springs to mind. How about a hint? dorf dued...


----------



## cocobolo

Awww, c'mon now, don't give me that old song!


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Awww, c'mon now, don't give me that old song!


Are you talking about 2 legged creatures or 4 wheeled ones? :whistling2:


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Are you talking about 2 legged creatures or 4 wheeled ones? :whistling2:


Two of course! :thumbup:


----------



## shumakerscott

Here are a few more pic's. I went up in a balloon. It's helium and tethered. Height was 180m, about 500ft. I went on a Crazy Tour of Nova Hutta in a Trabant. It was supposed to be the perfect communist city. It never got completed. The car was a car for the people. 2cyl 2 stroke 27hp. The tour guide drove it like a rally car! They love Regan here because he helped them. They named the central plaza after him. We had a drink in a communist era bar. It was a trip back in time. The last pic is where we had dinner tonight. Great food, massive portions. dorf dude...


----------



## CoconutPete

Did the Trabant have an engine transplant? If not, how did he get it to stay running the entire duration of the tour? Hehe.

Nice pics!


----------



## shumakerscott

Here is a pic of the motor. It is the little blue box. Quite peppy actually:yes:. Up to 50mph then just runs out of steam. Our guide had this car just flying!


----------



## Bud Cline

I wonder what kind of mileage that thing gets.

Great pictures. I'm just a little envious. Just a little.:yes:


----------



## shumakerscott

Bud Cline said:


> I wonder what kind of mileage that thing gets.
> 
> Great pictures. I'm just a little envious. Just a little.:yes:


It get's around 20mpg. I'm limited to 6 pics at a time and I'm holding back. I don't want to over load you in 1 shot. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Ok 1 more. Here is my dinner, Schnitzel with fries. Cost was $8. I could not eat it all. My buddy got King Prawns, $15. Couldn't eat it all either. :thumbup:


----------



## concretemasonry

When I was in Poland my fried referred to the Trabant at the "car that grew on trees" and just showed up after a wind or whenever the country was coming out of a recession. They have no problem jumping a curb and driving on a sidewalk if necessary.

The schnitzel looked great and the Pomme Fritz looked strangely like what you can get in McDonalds. How was the local bier?

I remember going out for dinner in Poland and the bill for 4 was about 2,000,000 Zlotys (old ones) and I never could handle all the zeros that got added from rapid inflation, but I think they got rid of 4 or 5 of them when going to the new currency. The inflation in the past was hard to understand.

When in Italy, swing up the the place that makes red cars. The museum is a work of art and worth the time. Otherwise, try some spaghetti carbonara if you get north.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> When I was in Poland my fried referred to the Trabant at the "car that grew on trees" and just showed up after a wind or whenever the country was coming out of a recession. They have no problem jumping a curb and driving on a sidewalk if necessary.
> 
> The schnitzel looked great and the Pomme Fritz looked strangely like what you can get in McDonalds. How was the local bier?
> 
> I remember going out for dinner in Poland and the bill for 4 was about 2,000,000 Zlotys (old ones) and I never could handle all the zeros that got added from rapid inflation, but I think they got rid of 4 or 5 of them when going to the new currency. The inflation in the past was hard to understand.
> 
> When in Italy, swing up the the place that makes red cars. The museum is a work of art and worth the time. Otherwise, try some spaghetti carbonara if you get north.
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


My beer of the evening was actually Czek Pilsner Urquel. The fries were nothing to write home about. We will see what happens in Italy. dorf dude...


----------



## Ron6519

shumakerscott said:


> My beer of the evening was actually Czek Pilsner Urquel. The fries were nothing to write home about. We will see what happens in Italy. dorf dude...


We were in Italy in 2006, in the Umbrian hills. The food was delicious. We had our worst meal, pizza American style, in Rome around the Trevi Fountain.


----------



## shumakerscott

I finally got out today to see the countryside. We went to a town called Bassano del Grappa. Here's a link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassano_del_Grappa
There are still bullet holes from the 1st and 2nd World War in the walls. They left them there. Here are a few pics, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Those bullet holes are similar to those in Hungary from the war and the ones in the 1950's with the Russian problems.

Many people look on them as something to be seen and remembered. The patterns are very interesting. On a house, they are concentrated near the windows where the was a gun (usually a higher floor) since it was a battle. Some places, the scary ones were 4'-5' high in a walls, usually surrounding a courtyard for obvious reasons. Mostly machine guns because of the scatter or they were just shots.

It looks like old construction, possibly similar to yours and is bulletproof and close to fireproof escept for the wood in the roof framing. I wonder why they close the shutters with nice weather and a grad view.

That area of Italy sure looks very calm, serene and picturesque. If you have a chance, get over to Florence that is also pretty and is on a river also.


The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

While I was in Poland I made friends with one of the soldiers. We started talking about home building, go figure:yes:. I was asked about Polish home building so here are some pic's of his house. The foundation is cast in a trench. Cement block up to above grade then hollow clay brick like my house. The 2nd floor was precast slab then concrete was poured on to. In the 3rd pic you can see the reinforcement in the 2nd story wall for the roof beams to tag into. It all ties together. The roof is metal. The outside is 5 inches of Styrofoam then stucco over it like on my house. I only used 2 inches but the same system. The heat will be central wood/coal heating a large water tank. The floors all have water tubes but also radiators on the walls for quick heat. He will tie in solar also. Here are some pic's. dorf dude...


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## Ron6519

Interesting photo montage. I guess with the metal roof, the lumber can be relatively light weight.
Does anybody use those Polyform blocks to build houses over there?


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## shumakerscott

Ron6519 said:


> Interesting photo montage. I guess with the metal roof, the lumber can be relatively light weight.
> Does anybody use those Polyform blocks to build houses over there?


I have not seen any building with the Polyform blocks. I actually looked into them but the cost was very high.


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## concretemasonry

That sure looks like the newer (since 1990) Polish construction. Some real similarities to your German home.

The precast slabs are carry-over from the old Russian occupation when almost everything was made in a factory. Before that, in Poland and eastern Europe, they used prestressed specially shaped concrete beams (6" high by about 4" wide and put clay or concrete filler tiles between the block that also provided chases for running things in the floor. Usually topped with 1 1/2" to 2" of concrete. I recently saw saw the beam and filler in newer construction all through eastern Europe and in Belgium. The clay tile are a traditional Polish material and often 4" are used for non-bearing interior walls that were easy the chase out and run anything in the walls.

The 5" foam seems excessive for the climate, but at least it was on the outside and not the inside.

It sure is a nice home. It sure shows they do not want wood construction. - Did he have any plans for a couple of bullet holes for tradition?

Great photos!

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> That sure looks like the newer (since 1990) Polish construction. Some real similarities to your German home.
> 
> The precast slabs are carry-over from the old Russian occupation when almost everything was made in a factory. Before that, in Poland and eastern Europe, they used prestressed specially shaped concrete beams (6" high by about 4" wide and put clay or concrete filler tiles between the block that also provided chases for running things in the floor. Usually topped with 1 1/2" to 2" of concrete. I recently saw saw the beam and filler in newer construction all through eastern Europe and in Belgium. The clay tile are a traditional Polish material and often 4" are used for non-bearing interior walls that were easy the chase out and run anything in the walls.
> 
> The 5" foam seems excessive for the climate, but at least it was on the outside and not the inside.
> 
> It sure is a nice home. It sure shows they do not want wood construction. - Did he have any plans for a couple of bullet holes for tradition?
> 
> Great photos!
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


The house is new, still not finished on the inside yet. Next year so the owner hopes. Yes he chased things as you described in the floor and walls. 5" of foam is quite normal if not more. People are shocked when I tell them I only used 2". They seemed convinced that the thicker the better. I don't think you get that much more for your money as you double the thickness. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## Andrew Nowak

It's very nice to see my house in your blog. Currently I try to get every necessary documents to complete the whole procedure of getting permission to use. My construction menager said this state is enough to get permission. I would like to close the all formal case before I will be deployed next year despite it is still not finished on the inside yet. It is necessary to receive opinions of chimney-sweep, surveyor, plumber, electrician etc. I hope I will finish this year.


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## concretemasonry

Andrew -

That is certainly a great start and proof of ability to date.

I saw many homes during my trips and clay tile is certainly superior to the AAC (gaz block) that comes out of the old Russian plants because of quality control. I understand the process of permitting and the approval process.

A good recognized local architect could be of assistance (especially if you are deployed), but you have to be careful since there are some that are not much assistance.

Dick (Deek in eastern Europe)


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## shumakerscott

Here is a glimpse of where I was today. The DIY link is they are both hand made. No photos allowed inside the production line. Truly amazing machines :thumbup:. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Your visit to DUCATI*

DD, same power plant manufacturer as in your Cagiva, yes? I would give up my "kingdom", just to see and do some of the stuff you are ==*^) Are you going to go to any of the other auto producers digs..like Ferrari, or Fiat, or Lamborghini??
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

It was interesting thay you said "both" were made in plant and I did see a Maserati tag. At one time, I was told that both Ferrari and Mazeratti were owned by Fiat. Could Fiat also own Ducati?

Lamborghini was owned by Audi the last I heard.

I bet you could eat off the floor in the Ducati production line area.

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

Scoggy, my bike, Cagiva Raptor, actually has a Suzuki motor in it. Cagiva owned Ducati for some years, 1985-96. Then they bought MV Agusta when Ducati got bought by an American based company and went public. Masarati is owned by the Fiat goup. At one time they were owned by Citeroen. The motor's are made at the Ferrari factory on a separate line. If you look back at the history it gets kind of confusing who owned who.


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## Andrew Nowak

concretemasonry,
I am sorry I have had no time to relply recently... If I understand corectly you are sure that in Poland we build houses using materials being carry-over from Russian factories, we use their technology etc. It's not true. Firstly, we have not been under their occupation. I have never seen soviet soldier despite I am forty so I grown up during communism time. Of course, we were in their influence zone but not under occupation. On the other hand, we were very inconvenient und unpredictable ally for them so we did not take so many patterns, technologies from them. In different parts of Poland we build houses from different matterials, but most popular are ceramic blocks and bricks - not wood, not gaz blocks. Houses from wood were built before II WW, after that generally blocks and concrete. Wooden houses are usually built as cottages. Gaz blocks ( modern techology) are sometimes used in eastern part of Poland but not to often. In past in some regions people built from home made blocks - during communism time it was almost impossible to buy bricks, concrete if someone did not have suitable connections. It was really horrible time but people had to cope. Since 90's Poles are using modern materials. Some try to build different houses according technologies carry-over for example from America, like Canadian Style House but this is not this... Poles like strong walls so this is the reason why even houses made from wood are not popular. It seems to be strange because we have not earthquakes 

greetings
Andrew


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## concretemasonry

Andrew -

I am not currently in Poland, but did study the existing construction and present construction.

My reference to the "Russian" systems was based on the older products and the new products using available materials. As you are aware many of the older products and some current materials that were made in the large Polish/Russian factories or the that were "privatized" in the late 1990's. Some prime examples are the huge complexes that produced the old Russian products such as a power plant the may use the steam and fly ash in the production of "Gaz" concrete (lightweight concrete), cement production that some of the byproducts in cement Very ofter the horrible prestressed and pre-cast concrete products were also made in these huge complexes and some also made wire. Since then, portions have been closed or converted to produce improved products or or new products using the same materials and resources. The horrible 20 story precsat apartment buildings that are an unfortunate reminder of the old period and standardized construction. These buildings are currently failing because of maintenance required and the maintenance that was not done. Because of the old mistakes, the old massive buildings are not as common as they were and are now made using some Gaz concrete or hollow clay tile because of the desire for sound proofing, fire resistance and a long life.

In order to create jobs and give people a change to exercise their new right to possibly acquire land, the U.S. Bricklayers Union was brought in to run a bricklaying scool for new masons in Poland. the schools were impressive.

Fortunately, the changes made the construction of some magnificent possible. The Polish airport terminal and parking ramp are two examples done by my Polish Architect friend that also did the Ford upholstery plant and Taco Bell/Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut restaurants. There are also many fine examples of modern construction as evidenced by the auto dealers, electronic companies, and retail stores in the the Western style of design, construction methods and finish materials.

The finish, hardware and miscellaneous construction materials were often inported as the local manufacturing facities could be brought on like in spite of the regulations.

It is ironic that the first major structure in Warsaw after the separation was the reconstruction of the old city square made with the original drawings, original materials, original methods to create a magnificent setting. It was too bad they did not replace the very large, very ugly building in the center of Warsaw that many people hated.

I wandered through Poland looking at materials, material resources, construction methods and future plans. This ranged from the small country home made from Gaz concrete to the larger steel fabricating plants ans was impressed by the skills. The identical plants for steels concrete precast Gaz were always remaining because I saw identical plants in all of Eastern Europe and Poland that were identical to Russian plants. I always returned to Poland whenever possible since I also traveled to Misk and Russia (out to the Urals).

Dick


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## shumakerscott

11 more days and I'm back home. Might even have a new job that will keep me off the road:thumbup:. I don't even know what my first project will be when I get back. Anything outside is probably out of the question. Winter is setting in in Germany. I can't wait to start putting up project pic's again, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

We can't wait for you to get back at it again Shu. I'm sure all of us are looking forward to see your terrific build unfold.


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## concretemasonry

I am sure that between your projects roaming around in your mind, Mai will possibly provide some additional direction.

Some of those minor completions can be disturbing and troublesome when you face then again.

Dick


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## shumakerscott

Got out today to an Olive Oil Museum and a Winery and Museum. I made a deal with my dog sitter that I would bring her some wine. The first pic is an Olive press. The 2nd and 3rd are from the Wine Museum. The tractor still runs. Here are a couple pic's and a link to the Olive Oil Museum.

http://www.museum.it/en/main-page.html


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## frenchelectrican

Hey Shu.,

That tractor look very simauir to the Lanz tractor and they are semi diesel engine and one instering part that if you are not carefull they can run backward without effort.

I know one model of Lanz can do that pretty easy to put in " reverse " by slow the engine to point where it will stop a little then watch the flywheel slow down to point where it reverse the rotation then open up the fuel valve then it will run backward.

Just be aware they do have very good toqure level and they don't run very fast ( RPM or T/min ) as modern one are also they will "jump" a little during idle.

Merci.
Marc


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## banjo

Wow, I can't believe I finally got to the end, thank goodness you went on vacation otherwise I still wouldn't be done yet! 
Amazing work on everything, can't wait to see what you do when you get back!

Bill


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## shumakerscott

banjo said:


> Wow, I can't believe I finally got to the end, thank goodness you went on vacation otherwise I still wouldn't be done yet!
> Amazing work on everything, can't wait to see what you do when you get back!
> 
> Bill


Bill I'm not on vacation:no:. Were training Troops before they go into Harm's way. The first project will installing a dog door for Mia. I hope I left enough room to the left of the front door:whistling2: dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

The dog door: Being gone for almost a month + winter coming + a lonesome Mia = A good starting point and a more comfortable winter.

How cold will it be there when you get home and later in the winter?

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> The dog door: Being gone for almost a month + winter coming + a lonesome Mia = A good starting point and a more comfortable winter.
> 
> How cold will it be there when you get home and later in the winter?
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


Dick, I've been gone almost 3 months. That's why I was getting very motivated before I left. I knew winter would be set in when I returned. My home area is getting snow and massive winds right now. Great welcome home present! Adding on the front room will definatly make for a warmer more comfortable winter in the house. Mia will have a good place to hang out too. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

My cousin posted this video. It really hits the spot!:yes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tb8crsTmrQ&feature=g-upl&context=G224aafdAUAAAAAAAAAA


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## 830ttime

It only took the better part of a week but I am caught up. I started my kitchen and found this site. I am finishing my kitchen and found this thread. What an amazing transformation! I have enjoyed this very much and thank you for doing it...and thank you for traveling these last three weeks so I could catch up!

Keep up the good work. It is truly astounding.


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

The post from your cousin is very good and part came from one complete series that was on T.V..

If possible, you may find the complete series of the 2 year home construction (wood with a sod roof) project in the 1950's-60's by one man in Alaska. No power tools! It went from nothing to a completed home and is well documented. The home was well thought out and it must have taken twice as long as normal because of the camera set ups for solo documentation. I always wondered where he got the batteries for the camera and tape charged in the middle of Alaska. Her must have felt the documentation was an excuse to talk.

Merry Christmas and the best to you and Mia.

Dick


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## shumakerscott

I made it home:thumbup:. As I was unpacking I noticed a mouse outside my front door. I set the trap and look what I got. Who says the 2nd mouse gets the cheese? The 2nd mouse got them both dead. Take that. Mia was all over the area I set the trap. I got them before she came home but she could sure smell them. Here a pic of the 2 unlucky little guys. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*WhooHoo..You are home!!*

DD, glad you survived all the 'intense pressures' of the job..out 'there'! Now you are home..what is your agenda? Take the boys to that 'great Chinese restaurant' in Weiden..mmmmm!..or just get back to 'being DD?? Still have the 'block' here waiting for you ===8^).. Not to worry..if you have a GREAT Xmas..all is ..good!
Greetings from Canada
Squid:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

Please don't forget that I'm still needing corks. Lots of them. Any type or size. Plastic is ok too. dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

Welcome back!

Any snow? I'm in Denmark these days and unlike the last 2 years in a row there isn't even a sign of it.


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## shumakerscott

We had a little snow but it's gone. Wind and rain at the moment. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Weather*

DD, funny..last year this time..you were the 'receivers' of a 'nasty' weather..and like you..'we' also..but same this year..I went for a 10km walk today, and 'it' went from 'light rain'..to 'fierce" winds..to no wind with 'tonnes' of "blue sky"! Temps are now (C 12), and it seems that "california weather"..is here..and with 'property' so cheap..what a great time to get a .."cabin' here??========*^)
Scoggy:yes::yes:


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## cocobolo

Merry Christmas Shu!​


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## shumakerscott

Well it's 2012 now. I hope everyone made it safe and sound. I wish great progress on all your projects! Let's have a great DIY New Year :thumbup:. Thanks for following and let's see how far I get. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got Mia's doggy door cut and installed. She still won't go through it on her own but we are getting there. Baby steps. I've been burning the upstairs wood stove. Man this thing kicks:thumbup:. Here are a couple pic's. I'll try and make more progress soon. dorf dude...


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## BigJim

Man, that is a neat, clean install on the doggy door. 

You weren't kidding about your stove kicking, that bad boy is putting out some serious heat. Glad to see you back and settling back in.


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## shumakerscott

jiju1943 said:


> Man, that is a neat, clean install on the doggy door.
> 
> You weren't kidding about your stove kicking, that bad boy is putting out some serious heat. Glad to see you back and settling back in.


When the stove burns I reach 80 degrees up stairs. I have the ceiling fan on high to try and push the heat down stairs. Works pretty good but you can still run around half naked:yes: This is burning the [email protected] wood from the tear down. If I had real good wood who knows? Best wood stove I ever owned. It meets the strict standards set by Germany too. Don't forget it doesn't burn inside air. I have a flue inside the chimney for fresh air. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> When the stove burns I reach 80 degrees up stairs. I have the ceiling fan on high to try and push the heat down stairs. Works pretty good but you can still run around half naked:yes: This is burning the [email protected] wood from the tear down. If I had real good wood who knows? Best wood stove I ever owned. It meets the strict standards set by Germany too. Don't forget it doesn't burn inside air. I have a flue inside the chimney for fresh air. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


A flue _inside_ the chimney...what a terrific idea.

So, does that mean that the air actually comes _down _around the outside of your chimney? If so, it would pre-heat the air before combustion, another great idea.

Next time I do a wood stove installation I'll think about making something like that.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> A flue _inside_ the chimney...what a terrific idea.
> 
> So, does that mean that the air actually comes _down _around the outside of your chimney? If so, it would pre-heat the air before combustion, another great idea.
> 
> Next time I do a wood stove installation I'll think about making something like that.


Yes, I have a fresh air intake in my chimney. It draws from the top down. Not pre heated but it works great. I draw no air from under the door or around the windows. All heated air inside stays inside. Not up the chimney. It makes a big difference. It is a no brainer not to use outside air for combustion. Why suck cold air in from the outside? You burn up the air you already heated if you don't. Does this make sense? You create a positive pressure inside instead of sucking outside air in. This creates drafts and is a waste of your heat. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Yes, I have a fresh air intake in my chimney. It draws from the top down. Not pre heated but it works great. I draw no air from under the door or around the windows. All heated air inside stays inside. Not up the chimney. It makes a big difference. It is a no brainer not to use outside air for combustion. Why suck cold air in from the outside? You burn up the air you already heated if you don't. Does this make sense? You create a positive pressure inside instead of sucking outside air in. This creates drafts and is a waste of your heat. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


Oh yes indeed, it makes perfect sense.

I think that most - if not all - wood stoves made in Canada have provision for the induction of outside air into the combustion chamber.

As you say, burn air from an outside source and leave the heated air inside.

If for any reason it isn't possible to introduce an outside air source directly to the wood stove, then a good alternative is to use an air to air heat exchanger. These little gadgets are about 70% efficient and go a long way toward saving your heated air from escaping.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Oh yes indeed, it makes perfect sense.
> 
> I think that most - if not all - wood stoves made in Canada have provision for the induction of outside air into the combustion chamber.
> 
> As you say, burn air from an outside source and leave the heated air inside.
> 
> If for any reason it isn't possible to introduce an outside air source directly to the wood stove, then a good alternative is to use an air to air heat exchanger. These little gadgets are about 70% efficient and go a long way toward saving your heated air from escaping.


I was looking at air to air heat exchangers as I was building. I decided to wait and see how my air quality fared once I moved in. So far so good. As homes become more and more air tight you need a stove that burns from a fresh source. Here they still sell lot's of stoves that burn inside air. I really had to hunt this stove down and of course not pay through the nose for it. I'm cheap that way. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Shu, many thanks for posting that pic. Now I see how it works. 

For some reason I thought the outside air might have come in wrapped around the chimney in a double chimney type of affair. And actually, that might be a good idea, and it would definitely pre-heat the air, which in turn makes for better combustion.

Of course, there would then need to be some fabrication inside the top of the wood stove itself to separate the incoming air from the exhaust. 

I'm still working on that...:thumbsup:


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## cocobolo

I have another question for you about that stove...it looks like it is of some sort of double wall construction...yes?

Is the whole inside done out in firebrick or refractory?

And how thick would you say the metal is? Thanks.


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> I have another question for you about that stove...it looks like it is of some sort of double wall construction...yes?
> 
> Is the whole inside done out in firebrick or refractory?
> 
> And how thick would you say the metal is? Thanks.


The inside is fire brick lined, about 1" thick. The outside metal is about 5mm on the tops and 3mm on the sides. Your lucky I was lazy tonight and didn't light a fire. Here's a pic of the inside. It makes the exhaust do an "S" so it 2nd burns it. You can see the air holes along the front edge. This also helps keep the glass clean and create a complete combustion. Really a great stove for about $650. I stole it. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Now that is very nice. Over here they use fire bricks, but several on each surface. That idea of having just a single piece brick would work way better. We need to replace ours all too often, doubtless because of their small size (still an inch thick) but the edges will wear away from the daily cleaning out etc.


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## flamtap

I found some of the posts from earlier in the thread showing the fresh-air intake within the chimney: 

http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/german-house-rebuild-23424/index8/#post185245

http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/german-house-rebuild-23424/index10/#post191422

Many gas water heaters in this area use the concentric round metal vent like this: 










I like your stone work for a heater like you have though. 

flamtap


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## EvilNCarnate

Amazing work DD, spent the last 2 days at work reading the whole thread. You have done some amazing work on that place. Love it and keep it up man.


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## stefanmuc2k

Also just finished reading the entire thread. Very interesting, and you've achieved a lot.

I had a similar project albeit on a significantly smaller scale - I bought an office and converted it into a flat. (Changed the layout and replaced almost all interior walls.) Some of your earlier pictures brought back that strange "oh my god how will I ever make this livable again" feeling I had when I'd removed the old walls. I think you are better in dealing with this than I am, but anyway, I'm glad I got that phase long behind me. :laughing:

Thank you so much for sharing your project with us, and I'm looking forward to your future updates. :thumbsup:

-Stefan


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## shumakerscott

Where you at?


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## stefanmuc2k

I'm in Bavaria too, in Munich.


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## shumakerscott

I'm glad to see some new projects being posted. I'm just too lazy at this time. Being gone for 3 months took all the wind out of my sails. Very hard to get motivated at this time. I say sorry to all that have been following. I will get back at it, just not tomorrow. Well maybe a little something.... dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Very hard to get motivated at this time. I say sorry to all that have been following..... dorf dude...


Not to worry Shu...it's the weather over our way that takes all the motivation away. So we understand where you're coming from. :thumbsup:


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## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> I'm glad to see some new projects being posted. I'm just too lazy at this time. Being gone for 3 months took all the wind out of my sails. Very hard to get motivated at this time. I say sorry to all that have been following. I will get back at it, just not tomorrow. Well maybe a little something.... dorf dude...


Everyone has to take a break once in a while or burn out, you deserve a break.


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## jtitus07

DD....take a break, enjoy some time to yourself...everyone needs it every now and then. The house can wait a week or two.


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## shumakerscott

When I put my little wall in I never sealed it. The post was reclaimed and had worms in it. I sprayed it with Bleach and Borax last year. I finally got around to sealing it. The post really darkened up. I also hung up my old Broad Axe. It has a date of 1919 stamped on it. I bought it at a yard sale in 1985 for $30. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Somehow, that axe just goes with your house perfectly. Of course, it is a little new, given that it's not yet 100 years old! :thumbsup:


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## concretemasonry

The broad axe is a great addition.

Who is the strange black creature in the first picture? I thought she had her own personal door now.

The natural wood goes well with the massive masonry walls.

Dick - The other Schu


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## BigJim

Some folks don't like the post after they split like that, I love the look, it is natural. I really like the broad axe, I have wanted one for a looong time. You have a beautiful home Shu.


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## macdonlg

jiju1943 said:


> Some folks don't like the post after they split like that, I love the look, it is natural. I really like the broad axe, I have wanted one for a looong time. You have a beautiful home Shu.


 
And a wonderful companion in Mia, she seems to follow you around like a shadow.

Looking forward to see more enhancements to you place, I am an avid follower of this thread...great work Shu.


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## shumakerscott

macdonlg said:


> And a wonderful companion in Mia, she seems to follow you around like a shadow.
> 
> Looking forward to see more enhancements to you place, I am an avid follower of this thread...great work Shu.


It's funny that you called her a "Shadow" She is Australian Cattle Dog and Lab mix. Cattle dogs are known as Shadow or Velcro dogs. In the states you call them Blue Heeler. I wish at times she showed more Lab traits. She defends the front gate against all intruders as her tail wags. People don't understand and think she's mean. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## gregzoll

Sounds like our Golden. She will stand there and bark at you, but the whole time her butt is moving, and tail is just a going.


----------



## shumakerscott

Now that we are talking about dogs.... Mia, being a Cattle Dog sheds REALLY bad.:yes: I was chasing the hair with my home vac and shop vac. Last week end I was just surfing around and stumbled across this. It's called an Arnica Bora 4000. This is hands down THE BEST VACUUM ever made.:thumbup: It has the Dorf Dude's seal of approval:thumbup:. That is very hard to get, believe me. I'm picky and a perfectionist. The vacuum uses water as the filter element. No dust what so ever out the back end. It is not available in the States, sorry for you. If you are a business looking to expand I would contact them. I would like cut of course for this endorsement, really. I have a house to finish. Here are a couple pic's. This is only after 1 day. I vacuum every day now that I have it. If you have a weak stomach I would not look. Amazing. dorf dude...


----------



## CoconutPete

Wow - water as the filter. Such a simple idea and yet brilliant!


----------



## gma2rjc

My friend used to have a Rainbow vacuum cleaner that caught the dirt in water - no bag and no dust coming back out into the room. She loved it.


----------



## Ironlight

Neat. I did a little poking around in Google and it looks like it is manufactured in Turkey, or at least the parent company is Turkish. It would require some redesign to pass UL testing here in the states. It's 2400 watts which would never fly.


----------



## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> My friend used to have a Rainbow vacuum cleaner that caught the dirt in water - no bag and no dust coming back out into the room. She loved it.


I trained as a Rainbow salesman back in the 80's. I loved the concept but it is a complete rip off. I found them online for $2000 currently. Stupid money. I could buy a car for that. Rainbow is a pyramid scheme. My parents got ripped off by a Hoover salesman. I paid about $275 with the conversion for this machine. That is ok in my book. Well made for the price. Works fantastic.


----------



## gregzoll

Scott, how is this going to affect your unit http://www.pantagraph.com/news/worl...cle_1cb0a7e8-490d-11e1-9258-0019bb2963f4.html

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Army chief of staff, says the Pentagon will take two heavy armor brigades out of Europe in 2013 and 2014 and eliminate them.

Odierno says the military is working hard to mitigate the impact on European allies, and will rotate other Army units into the region to train with NATO partners.

The units will be eliminated, rather than moved back to the United States. Odierno says removing two of four brigades now in Europe will not necessarily make NATO allies shoulder more of the load if ground forces are needed for a large-scale operation in the region.

The units to be dismantled are based in Germany — the 172nd Infantry Brigade, currently in Grafenwoehr, and the 170th Infantry Brigade in Baumholder.


----------



## shumakerscott

Multinational soldiers train on tactical video games at the Joint Multinational Simulation Center in Grafenwoehr in December. Trainers say such simulations will play a larger role in the Army's future, as dwell time and home station training increase.
Steven Beardsley/Stars and Stripes
Buy a print
   A soldier scans a virtual roadside for signs of danger during a training exercise in the Reconfigurable Vehicle Tactical Trainer in Grafenwoehr in December. The Army will begin fielding a virtual system for dismounted soldiers later this year, with plans to have it made interoperable with vehicle simulators such as the RVTT.
Steven Beardsley/Stars and Stripes
Buy a print


GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Live training is indispensable for any Army unit. It’s also expensive.
The costs of ammunition and fuel add up; wear and tear shorten the lifespan of vehicles and weapons systems.
As the Pentagon scales back amid looming budget cuts, it envisions a smaller, more flexible and technologically advanced force. Some trainers say improved virtual systems, better games and larger simulations at home stations, as opposed to training centers, will play a greater role in preparing soldiers for future battles.


----------



## shumakerscott

http://www.stripes.com/news/virtual-training-expands-as-military-evolves-1.165507
Here is a link to the complete article. I work in Simulations so my job should be ok. If not then I will go into business for myself.


----------



## shumakerscott

I got working on the up stairs lights today. I knew there was no way I could do it off of a ladder:no:. I set up a scaffold with a step stool. It was not the most stable platform but better than a ladder. I ended up drinking a beer to get me more comfortable up there.:drink: I also got the birds nest down that had been up since before I had windows installed. She nested in here for 2 years. Now I see why she was so persistent. Eggs in the nest. I would take them down and she would build another one. All the lights are working except 1. I will have to get back and check the connection. They provide a nice soft light which is fine for this room. The pool table will also have it's own lights later which will hang down from the ceiling. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

As you can see in the last pic the back wall needs a lot more corks!! Come on now, help me out. I've gotten some cool beer caps but no corks. Thanks to those who have helped. dorf dude...


----------



## Andrew Nowak

Mouses, birds....What else will you find in your house? I am sure you really need this ax we can see on the wall. Or much more time spend at home


----------



## momb

*House Lookin Good*

Momb here. House is really looking great!!! Are you able to live there yet? Getting caught up by reading about the house, your job and vacuum cleaners. Your job sounds really cool. Thanks for the heads up about the vacuum cleaner. We now have 6 cats so my rainbow is really getting a work out. Drop us a call or email when you can. We will keep checking on your house project. The house is really looking good!!!!


----------



## shumakerscott

Andrew Nowak said:


> Mouses, birds....What else will you find in your house? I am sure you really need this ax we can see on the wall. Or much more time spend at home


Andrew, I knew there was a reason I liked you. A sense of humor :laughing:. The axe will be used on bigger animals! A real cold front is setting in from the east., low of 0F, high of 14F. I've got my wood stove in full gear right now. I know that you are getting the cold front in Crakow. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dde -

Thanx for the explanation on what you do daily and when you are deployed. The deployment can be a welcome change of pace, interesting, but can be tiring. - Makes you want to get home just as I felt after 41 countries (many too many times) of education and new friends. I never tired of Eastern Germany, Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary) and Belarus and Ukraine. Great experiences and people.

The upstairs looks great. I have a box of corks coming that I will forward to you to install for the finishing touches.

The other Schu - Dick


----------



## jasin

Sie haben eine Menge Arbeit :yes:


----------



## Andrew Nowak

shumakerscott said:


> Andrew, I knew there was a reason I liked you. A sense of humor :laughing:. The axe will be used on bigger animals! A real cold front is setting in from the east., low of 0F, high of 14F. I've got my wood stove in full gear right now. I know that you are getting the cold front in Crakow. Thanks for following. dorf dude...



Yes, the cold front is a fact, it is very horrible especially because it was not expected such suddenly. We have had incredibly warm autumn and winter before. Last night in Cracow was -25C as my wife said. I am actually in a little warmer place which you probably know - Wędrzyn. I will spend here next 3 weeks. I have installed the small temporary wood stove in my house and my dear neighbour is stoking every night to protect water installation. But before I left I noticed that temperature inside still is 6-7C despite the frost outside. It means that 15cm of styrofoam works wery well. Shu, only two month to spring:no:


----------



## shumakerscott

I've been offline the last 5 days. Good to be back. I mounted with help, Thanks Campbell, an electric stone plate heater in the bathroom. One heavy sucker. It is not needed at this time but come spring when the main in floor heat is offline then I can warm it up when needed. Not a cheap purchase but I think it really fits in well. Current draw is 1200 watts. Takes about 30 minutes for it to get hot. I think I will put it on a timer for the mornings when the time comes in the Spring. Here's a pic. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Andrew Nowak said:


> Yes, the cold front is a fact, it is very horrible especially because it was not expected such suddenly. We have had incredibly warm autumn and winter before. Last night in Cracow was -25C as my wife said. I am actually in a little warmer place which you probably know - Wędrzyn. I will spend here next 3 weeks. I have installed the small temporary wood stove in my house and my dear neighbour is stoking every night to protect water installation. But before I left I noticed that temperature inside still is 6-7C despite the frost outside. It means that 15cm of styrofoam works wery well. Shu, only two month to spring:no:


We hit -23C the last 2 days. My pellet stove working with the wood stove burning up the [email protected] wood is keeping my house right around 21C. It was funny the other night I had +21.5 inside and outside was -21.5. That's a huge difference! dorf dude...


----------



## CoconutPete

Nice update. Stay warm! Just spoke with my parents in Denmark, they are firing up the wood stove at full blast these days too.

So weird .... Just walked my dog - around 50 degrees here, actually a nice afternoon when the sun hits you.


----------



## concretemasonry

-23C ( or about -9F - it is an approximate conversion due to no calculator handy) is certainly cold and we have not seen that is over a year even in Minnesota.

Nothing is worse when you have a cold bathroom, but the thermal mass in your home should maintain reasonable stability for a few days.

The stone plate is a great feature that maintains the clean look, although not cheap. The timer should be great as long as it agrees with your schedule, if is not erratic and you switch it off when you are deployed.

From your description it is just on a timer, but is there a thermostatic limit control also?

The other Schu - Dick (family from Luxembourg, 200 yards from Germany).


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> -23C ( or about -9F) is certainly cold and we have not seen that is over a year even in Minnesota.
> 
> Nothing is worse when you have a cold bathroom, but the thermal mass in your home should maintain reasonable stability for a few days.
> 
> The stone plate is a great feature that maintains the clean look, although not cheap. The timer should be great as long as it agrees with your schedule, if is not erratic and you switch it off when you are deployed.
> 
> From your description it is just on a timer, but is there a thermostatic limit control also?
> 
> The other Schu - Dick (family from Luxembourg, 200 yards from Germany).


Dick, I have not decided the exact control mech for the heater yet. Right now it is just plug it in as needed. I will probably not put it on a thermostat. I'm leaning toward a programmable timer. One that will let me do 7 days. I will not deploy so much in the future so that is not an issue anymore. Job change!! Mia will be much happier about that.:yes: Thanks for following, dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

How  about a warm stone on the floor for Mia or does she appreciate the cooler comforts?

Dick - The other Schu (partially from Germany (Heidelberg)).


----------



## frenchelectrican

I know you mention cold weather and In France we did hit pretty good with cold one as well., I think it is pretty bad one this year and the POCO is pretty much right on the limit on the electrique system.

Good thing I have oil stove that will help a bit to keep it warm.

Merci,
Marc


----------



## cocobolo

That stone plate heater looks pretty darn good. Trust the Europeans to have something like that, I doubt they are in north America yet.

The CBC radio has been all over your cold temperatures over there. Apparently just about ALL of Europe is in a deep freeze. The Ukraine was reporting -38ºC last night.

I am extremely impressed that your wood stove can get a difference of some 43ºC between inside and out. Both wood stoves running here can barely manage a 25ºC difference.  We were down to around -8ºC a couple of weeks back, and I couldn't quite manage to get the temp up to 20º inside.

I will admit that a large part of the problem there is too many windows...as well as the wind blowing which drags the temps down a lot.


----------



## concretemasonry

cocolobo -

I think a large part of the difference is that the German house has a lot of thermal inertia or thermal mass and can maintain the interior heat (irrespective of "R-values") during the cold hours (night) and recover and store more during the warmer hours (day). That concept gets more heat out of a system over a few day/week cycle.

Large windows actually become holes in a wall in the evening due to radiant heat exiting and all the panes of glass and argon do not have as much effect in the evening as light curtain to eliminate radiant heat loss, so less heat is lost. Dorf Dude has very good and superior European style windows, but the glass is always a problem and the shutters do wonders.

The other Schu - Dick (partially German)

Dick


----------



## cocobolo

Dick:

Yes that very true. I'm well aware of how the windows function...the wife keeps promising to make some insulated curtains...promises, promises...but they haven't materialized yet.

I did triple glaze the windows facing north in the breakfast nook, all 21 of them, but it's impossible to break even on north facing windows, it's a guaranteed loss situation. The only benefit is the view.

As for the thermal mass, that's the ideal way to avoid big temperature swings. Not too hot in summer and not too cool in winter. All we have here for that is the terra cotta tile. Not much, I know, but it's better than nothing. And I have noticed a slight difference in the comfort level since it was installed.


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> How about a warm stone on the floor for Mia or does she appreciate the cooler comforts?
> 
> Dick - The other Schu (partially from Germany (Heidelberg)).


Mia has discovered that the warmest place is at the entry way in front of the stairs. That is where all the radiant tubes gather before they go into the bathroom to the heating system. With her hanging out there it looks like she wants to go outside but she doesn't. Being a Blue Heeler she will "Tell" me when it is time to go. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Here is Mia's preferred sleeping spot. I've burned 1 ton of pellets so far this year. Not bad actually. Yesterday I stopped and ordered another ton. Today I came home and it was delivered exactly where I wanted! :thumbup:. I didn't have to lift or move 1 bag. 100% delivered. I left the wheel barrows out and they did all the moving. That's service. :yes: If I keep burning the [email protected] wood then this should last until mid April I hope. Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

One thing about those pellets is there's no mess to clean up. And the pellets are always dry making lots of heat.

One ton really isn't much compared to burning regular firewood...I bet we get through at least that much every month.

How many square feet in your place again Shu? Thanks.


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> One thing about those pellets is there's no mess to clean up. And the pellets are always dry making lots of heat.
> 
> One ton really isn't much compared to burning regular firewood...I bet we get through at least that much every month.
> 
> How many square feet in your place again Shu? Thanks.


I have around 1600 square feet. I still have a huge cold bridge with the neighbors house too. My front door leaks like a sieve but that actually warms up the mud room and keeps my beer from freezing. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

One thing about the Germans and their pride is that they seem to do things right and neatly, even when it comes to delivering pellets.

The mud room sure seems to work. No need for extra insulation, heat and power to keep the beer at a proper cool (not cold) temperature. The season for the "white" beer is coming, but I don't remember the details of keeping eveything the right temperature and avoiding the settling of particles.

Dick


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I have around 1600 square feet. I still have a huge cold bridge with the neighbors house too. My front door leaks like a sieve but that actually warms up the mud room and keeps my beer from freezing. dorf dude...


Right...I forgot about that wall. Maybe it isn't that bad though, at least if they keep their place warm.

The 1600 square feet would be for both floors I take it?


----------



## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Right...I forgot about that wall. Maybe it isn't that bad though, at least if they keep their place warm.
> 
> The 1600 square feet would be for both floors I take it?


I am heating the neighbors house, he doesn't use those rooms. Yes the 1600 sq ft includes upstairs, which is wide open at this time. I have 2 weeks leave to use or loose very soon so get ready for some progress again. :yes:


----------



## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I am heating the neighbors house, he doesn't use those rooms. Yes the 1600 sq ft includes upstairs, which is wide open at this time. I have 2 weeks leave to use or loose very soon so get ready for some progress again. :yes:


Maybe you should give him a bill for the heating...

Any plans in the works to get something like foamboard in there so you don't lose all that heat?


----------



## shumakerscott

I put in for vacation today. I ordered a hand rail for the staircase. Cost twice as much as the stairs:yes:, crazy but that's how it goes. Plans for the break call for finish the kitchen counter top, frame in the upstairs windows, get some blinds for the street side windows. Maybe a window ledge in the bedroom, if I can find some rocks in the snow. Winter is really set in here. Pic's of course as I get going. dorf dude...


----------



## cleveman

Want to point out to everyone that -40 C = -40 F. 

Tell us about the rolling window shutters, costs, etc. I assume you have them on your windows. Options-insulated pvc, etc.


----------



## shumakerscott

cleveman said:


> Want to point out to everyone that -40 C = -40 F.
> 
> Tell us about the rolling window shutters, costs, etc. I assume you have them on your windows. Options-insulated pvc, etc.


I can't break out the cost of the shutters, it was a package price. They are pvc, non insulated. I was under extreme budget limitations when I ordered them. I went for the best I could with what I could afford. I've built this place on a shoe string budget doing everything I could myself. For example my window ledges are just rocks that I dug up in my yard, cost $0. Savings $ BIG. Outside window ledges are from Styrofoam. Huge insulation value, cost next to nothing. Not normally done here. Savings $ Big. I just did it because that's what I had and it made sense. Stay tuned for more:yes:. Wait until you you see my kitchen counter tops, might just surprise you. dorf dude...


----------



## concretemasonry

Nothing really wrong with pvc shutters and maybe better than steel. They are not meant to insulate since you have good windows and the shutters radically cut down on the noise do an even better job on eliminating the radiant heat loss. No glass window can really stop radiant heat loss. The shutter control tapes seem the be done well. The shutters are also a nice modern item that fits into the traditional appearance.

Don't tell me you are going to have paw prints in concrete counter tops.

The other Schu - Dick (sort of a German related to Attila the Hun from the past)


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Nothing really wrong with pvc shutters and maybe better than steel. They are not meant to insulate since you have good windows and the shutters radically cut down on the noise do an even better job on eliminating the radiant heat loss. No glass window can really stop radiant heat loss. The shutter control tapes seem the be done well. The shutters are also a nice modern item that fits into the traditional appearance.
> 
> Don't tell me you are going to have paw prints in concrete counter tops.
> 
> The other Schu - Dick (sort of a German related to Attila the Hun from the past)


No Dick, Mia isn't allowed in the Kitchen area. :no: We had -7F last night. It's finally going to warm up this week, about time. This Siberian cold front has stayed long past it's welcome. I'm not letting the cat out of the hat with what I have in store. You'll have to wait. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Ok, I'm back at it!:thumbup: I've been living here now over a year and my kitchen still isn't finished. Well that is going to change very soon. Today I cut a 13mm spacer for all around the top of the counter. I've been thinking about this one for awhile. I want a wood edge trim around the outside. By raising the counter top I can have a thicker edge trim. It will look better and not interfere with the opening of the low cabinets. I also extended the width of the counter top. I will have stools on the other side. I'm still not going to say what the counter top will be yet. You will have to stay tuned for that. Here are a couple pics from today. More tomorrow. dorf dude...


----------



## SingleGuy

This one thread has been going on for 4 years now. This is AMAZING! Great work I have to say! I've yet to get through the first several pages but I wanted to ask how the locals think now? Are they still laughing at you? Hope they are eating American Crow! lol

Seriously though, love Germany, love the rebuild.


----------



## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Are those cabinets the common European style with adjustable legs and that have the uppers hung on a rail?

I think many of the German locals are familiar with the products used.

How many of the pricey alder outlets plates did you end up using in the house?

Dick - The other Schu


----------



## fallrisk

Let me guess... Concrete counter top


----------



## shumakerscott

I picked up my router today and opened up a shop in my yard:thumbup:. Crazy weather, middle of Feb and I'm able to work outside. I bought some Larch boards and ripped them and routed the edge over. All lengths are cut and fit. Now I just need to sand and seal them. I hope to get the counter top in tomorrow. Lots of little time killers still to do. Here are a couple pics from today. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

fallrisk said:


> Let me guess... Concrete counter top


Nope!


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> Are those cabinets the common European style with adjustable legs and that have the uppers hung on a rail?
> 
> I think many of the German locals are familiar with the products used.
> 
> How many of the pricey alder outlets plates did you end up using in the house?
> 
> Dick - The other Schu


It is an Ikea kitchen. Dick I don't want to count how many outlets. I've still got some to install upstairs. Expensive!!


----------



## shumakerscott

SingleGuy said:


> This one thread has been going on for 4 years now. This is AMAZING! Great work I have to say! I've yet to get through the first several pages but I wanted to ask how the locals think now? Are they still laughing at you? Hope they are eating American Crow! lol
> 
> Seriously though, love Germany, love the rebuild.


They are blown away with what I have done. Especially using materials in ways other than intended. Also the rock window ledges which cost nothing.


----------



## shumakerscott

Almost got it done. Here are a couple pic's. I used laminate flooring. Reasons being my kitchen is WAY out of square. No way a standard counter top would work with out huge fitting issues and cost. This laminate has a 20 year walk on it guarantee and is water safe. Using it allowed me to custom cut all the small sections at a time. Plus I could do it my self! I still have some more to do but you get a sense of where it's going. dorf dude...


----------



## gma2rjc

Wow!! It looks fantastic! I never would have guessed that's what it is. 

:thumbup:


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## concretemasonry

Looks great, clean and functional and also fits into the out of square 200 year old structure.

I have heard the European Ikea cabinets are a higher quality than was exported to the U.S. because of the price market and low U.S.$ value. Have you any information?

I see the exterior shutters were down on one side. Is the other side a stained glass insert?

Dick - The other Schu


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Looks great, clean and functional and also fits into the out of square 200 year old structure.
> 
> I have heard the European Ikea cabinets are a higher quality than was exported to the U.S. because of the price market and low U.S.$ value. Have you any information?
> 
> I see the exterior shutters were down on one side. Is the other side a stained glass insert?
> 
> Dick - The other Schu


Thanks Dick. I've still got a couple days finishing it up. I have no idea on the Ikea question. The stained glass is a hanger. It catches the morning sun here great. Title is "Old Man Winter" I used to do stained glass in my former life. I might get back into it someday. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I thought I put up a picture of the stained glass in the past. Here is a better shot. I chopped up a huge sheet of glass just to get the eyes just right. Here's another one I did of an Eagle. It is mosaic. No light from behind. Note the gap between each piece of glass. Every feather ect... dorf dude...


----------



## Double

My eyes hurt...I just read 138 pages of this Project straight through!

This mgiht be the single best DIY thread I've ever read. Nice work!

I have an aunt and uncle in Bitburg who I visit every few years, and the quality of construction over there is something I always marvel at. Bravo!


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I worked on the little time killers. Lower cabinet trim, covered the back side of the hanging cabinets, finished mounting work top trim, electric ect... I still have to finish the kick panel under the counter top. I still have some counter top laminate left so I think Slate will be the choice. It will contrast very well. The first picture is of the sink cutout. the board on the counter is square with opposite counter. That shows how out of square this place is. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Since today is Sunday I had to do quiet work. I left a gap around the edges on purpose. I masked it off and calked it with black acrylic. It didn't come out that bad. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## fallrisk

Kitchen looks great :thumbsup:


----------



## flamtap

That really looks good! Nice design!

Do you have a dishwasher? Are they common in Germany? 

What's your favorite thing to cook now that your new kitchen is complete? 

flamtap


----------



## shumakerscott

flamtap said:


> That really looks good! Nice design!
> 
> Do you have a dishwasher? Are they common in Germany?
> 
> What's your favorite thing to cook now that your new kitchen is complete?
> 
> flamtap


I use my hands to wash dishes. Dishwashers are common here but I couldn't justify the price with me being a single guy. I cooked a Schnitzel today :thumbup:.Thanks for following. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

I went and visited an old friend today. He restores Mercedes. I took a couple pic's for your enjoyment. I only know a little about the white one. We walked into the shop and I spotted 4 racing slicks and asked why he would need them? He restores classic road cars. He then pointed to the white car on the lift. Full race cage and suspension. Check out the rear wheel flairs! It is a late 60's 6.3. He smiled and said that it will actually be about 6.9 liter when they are done. The owner is sparing no expense and wants to win at the road track. You don't see many of these racing. Enjoy, dorf dude


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## shumakerscott

Today I got the kick board finished. I guess that's what it's called. The panel below the bar table area. I've ordered bar stools, black of course. Found a great deal online. I hope they aren't junk. I spent te whole day dealing with little tirm pieces and getting power for the exhaust fan and under lighting. Time for another beer :thumbup:. dorf dude...


----------



## stefanmuc2k

Looks great, I really like the wider counter top, that's a great look, and very practical, too. I've been thinking of replacing the counters in my kitchen, so I just might steal that idea. :laughing:

Do you think the top is high enough for proper bar stools, or will you get lower ones? I have a bar setup, but the bar is a bit higher than the counter, and that matches the bar stools I have. (Bought them in Florida, back when I was working there.)


----------



## shumakerscott

The bar stools I ordered are adjustable like a desk chair. Today I went to Ikea. Made a great haul, too much to list. I did get wooden venetian blinds for a couple windows. When I cut them to length I had lots of slats left over. I showed them to Campbell and he suggested fillilng the gap on the kick strip under the counter with a couple. Fantastic idea! :thumbup:. Here is a before and after. Also a pic of the blinds. Much more to follow. dorf dord


----------



## shumakerscott

Today I picked up the hand rail for the stair case. Why is it a system can not be made correctly?  The plates that mount on the side with threaded rod for the uprights were wrong. The rods were to long. I couldn't tighten up the uprights. It's a really good thing I have a hand held band saw. :thumbup: One of the best tools I ever bought. I don't use it often but when I do it kicks butt. I had to take about 3/8" off every rod so the cap nuts would fully tighten. Ok that problem fixed. My side is 4mm cables, 7 rows. I bought 3 packs, double checked the UPC number just to make sure I had the right stuff. First 2 packs no problem, 3rd pack is larger diameter. It won't fit in the connector. I've got to go back. Here is a tip on how to measure cable. You will never get a tape measure to lay along a cable. I mounted the cable in place and then marked it. Took it out, wrapped tape around the cut area and then used a grinder with a thin blade. Worked great. I hope for finished pic's tomorrow. dorf dude


----------



## CoconutPete

That looks fantastic! I love the mix of the wood & the steel.


----------



## shumakerscott

CoconutPete said:


> That looks fantastic! I love the mix of the wood & the steel.


So do I:thumbup:!! But I hate the junk pile under the stairs. Soon, very soon.


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## shumakerscott

Here is another tip. Many of you probably already know but for the ones who don't. I mounted the top and bottom uprights. and then needed to center the remaining 2. I had a space of 294cm, you divide by 3 and that gives 98cm. You always divide by 1 more than your uprights. You are creating 3 gap spaces with 2 solids. Make sense? This is the case with all carpentry. I hope this helps someone. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

About the cars, since I also a car nut, I will take the silver Mercedes roadster for my personal car and white sedan for my road racing car since it is rigid, but built like U.S. NASCAR tank. Why is it that Germans like to race anything that has wheels? I went to a truck race there and expected pick-up trucks and saw large semi tractors (MANN, Mercedes, Volvo, Kenworth and others) on a combination oval/road track.

The railing looks like it has come out fine except for the rod length goof that you corrected. The bottom anchorage system looks good and will probably work well in the end. The bottom hardware is neat clean and seems to be sound and allow for tension adjustment through time. Are the connections on the short side of the lower uprights a pin into a hole or is there some other anchoring method to prevent rotation? Notice the black building inspector in the last photo. - Clear sealer on the stairway?

The blinds show work well for light control in the daytime. It was a good idea to mount them on the window instead of on the frame or trim.

Great contrast of materials, color and texture!! - Corks are coming.

Dick - The other Schu


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## no1hustler

I have always loved the cable railing look. Nice work!


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## shumakerscott

Here is where I'm at .Handrail is in. I'm building a little desk under the stairs. I will mount shelving on the wall to hold important folders etc... I need to close off the back of the steps to keep crap from falling down. Computer and printer will be here too. I will have to go wireless. It's starting to feel like a house and not a construction zone :thumbup:. Here's a pic. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Progress :thumbup:. I put upright backing boards on the steps. Leftover laminate flooring. That will stop any [email protected] falling down below. I then closed the back side of the stair case, mounted recessed lights and a light switch socket. Not finished yet but getting close. Shelves on the wall. This will be a little office-work bench. I still have to get power to it and a few other things. Here are progress pic´s. dorf dude...


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## stefanmuc2k

That looks really nice. I wonder whether you could move the drawers of the desk to the left to get more headroom where you are sitting - is that an option? Or do you have enough space anyway?


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## fallrisk

Is it me or does that handrail start off a little high?


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## shumakerscott

fallrisk said:


> Is it me or does that handrail start off a little high?


Optical illusion. I stays the same height all the way up. Top of step to top of rail 74cm. It is 2 pieces and at the connection it did kick a wee bit in towards the top. Nothing I could do about it. Thanks for following. Here's a pic of the desk so far. The desk lamp was only available in white but it has a magnifying glass in it and I really need that. I went with a 24" monitor too. Sucks getting old. I got everything hooked up WLAN. Was fun dealing with 2 different languages. Technical German can be frustrating. I have a plan for the edge of the counter top. dorf dude...


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## fallrisk

Thats not what i meant. It looks like the rail starts on the second or third step and doesnt run all the way down?


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## shumakerscott

fallrisk said:


> Thats not what i meant. It looks like the rail starts on the second or third step and doesnt run all the way down?


Then you are correct! I pulled it up to the beginning of the 3rd stair. As I go up the stairs I can cut the corner and not go all the way around. I start on the 2nd step with my foot. The railing still sticks far enough that you can grab on as you come down. Good observation. Things get a little tight at the landing and I opened it up a little. Works for me. It flows good. Thanks for the comments. dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

Looks good, way to utilize space under the stairs!


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## concretemasonry

It looks like once you are on the second step, you will have the handrail accessible with no problem. Even possible on the first step, but I occasionally use a cane and it would not be a problem without a cane. If it was too far down, it would interfere with the access since it is a tight corner in that area.

Dick - The other Schu


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## Ironlight

Those steps and handrail look super cool. I want them!


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## leiona

i love the stool you are using with your desk, may i ask where you got that? beautiful house by the way, great job restoring it!


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## shumakerscott

leiona said:


> i love the stool you are using with your desk, may i ask where you got that? beautiful house by the way, great job restoring it!


It's just a bar stool. I ordered 3 for the kitchen off the internet. Here is a link to a similar one.
http://www.allbarstools.com/Buffalo-Tools-Padded-Adjustable-Height-Bar-Stool-BS1002-BUF1116.html


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## shumakerscott

I talked with the neighbor that I'm sharing a wall with tonight. He was at the county archives researching our houses. He found records from 1812 that our houses were here then but they were actually built much earlier. I told him I know this place is WAY older than that from what I found during the rebuild. I would double that. He say's he has an old pic and I will post it when I get a copy. No big plans for DIY this weekend. Cleaning ect... dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I kind of lied about DIY this weekend. My bedroom window ledge has been needing finished up. I got up and started picking rocks from out in the yard. Scrubbed them clean and got them glued in with tile glue. I used the extra to start filling in the gaps. When I put the kitchen in I got a sliver sanding the trim. Tonight I finally got it out! It is more like a tree:yes:. If your weak in the stomach don't look:no:. It's a monster. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The weather has turned out fantastic! Time to get to work:thumbup:. I got busy breaking up the manure pit today. Mia loved walking on the walls and wasn't very happy that I broke it up. I will build her an elevated walking platform in the future. I will have great progress this year at this rate! Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Popular Mechanics put up 110 top DIY tricks. Here is a link to it. Some great ideas here for sure:thumbup:. http://www.popularmechanics.com/hom...f-the-110-best-diy-tips-ever?click=pp#slide-1
Dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got going on the inside wall above the stairs. My son gave me a much needed hand setting the posts:thumbup:. I also sealed 140 boards that will be the wall. Getting close! Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I started getting the horizontal strips mounted. It sure helps that I'm not very heavy:laughing:. Here are a couple pics.


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## stefanmuc2k

There is just something about building with wood - looks really great.


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## CoconutPete

Where did he take the last picture from? The stairs? You look WAY HIGH up haha.


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## shumakerscott

CoconutPete said:


> Where did he take the last picture from? The stairs? You look WAY HIGH up haha.


It was taken from the ground floor at the base of the staircase. It is about 20 feet give or take. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## coderguy

That main exposed beam is gorgeous; such nice work!


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## shumakerscott

Thanks for the nice comments. I had visitors yesterday and the comment was made about how warm my house always is. It stays around 72-73F. It is a different type of warmth with the whole house maintaining temp and not just the inside air. I can have the windows and door open for hours and when I close them I still am at temp. It doesn't have to warm back up. So far this heating cycle, mind you I was gone for a couple months, I've burned 2 tons of pellets at a cost of about $750. We had a pretty mild winter this year also. I hear stories of guys buying heating oil for thousands $$. I'm very happy with this system. My solar water should be online in the next couple months and that will help even more. :thumbup: More progress pics in the next couple days. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I rented a backhoe from a neighbor. Campbell drove it. The 2nd concrete wall is busted up. I would have been at it for days with my jackhammer. Mia is not happy that her walking wall is gone. We dug up the 2 tree stumps while we were at it. I'm so glad they are out:yes:. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude.


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## cleveman

Strange to see a Bobcat in Germany. I understand they (North Dakota) were bought out by someone?


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## shumakerscott

Not sure on the Bobcat buy out. Being Sunday I had to work quiet. I dug up the front garden and planted 2 Dwarf fruit trees. These are protected from Mia with a fence but she has already had her eye on them. I had to run her off. Last year she killed my apple tree.. I'm half way on the Great Wall of Seugast! I couldn't run the miter saw today. A tip from me. "Do not trust the factory end cuts to be 90 degrees" Always square them up. I have some boards that vibrate if I bang on the wall. I will caulk the back sides to hold them tight. I don't want to hear that buzzing in the future. A couple pics. dorf dude...


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## cleveman

Regarding your dwarf fruit trees, this is the fastest way to get apples.

Point of interest-is Apfelwoi popular in Grafenwohr?

I figure you are pretty close to the old border and unfortunately that was a depressed area back then because of the location. But they are back in the saddle again now.

I used to drive close by from the Frankfurt area to the Prague area. I think I drove past some town called Amstetten or Amsbaugh or something like that? I would take the Autobahn towards Munich, maybe go past Wurzburg, then head east on a Bundesstrasse.


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## shumakerscott

Between Good Friday and Easter was Sat. The only day I could run the miter saw. The big wall is finally done :thumbup:. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## no1hustler

You aren't allowed to make noise on holidays?


Looking good!


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## shumakerscott

no1hustler said:


> You aren't allowed to make noise on holidays?
> 
> 
> Looking good!


No way you can make noise on holidays, Sundays either but I fudge on that one sometimes. I'll rip a board or 2 if I have to. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

The European holidays are numerous and refrain from work and noise. I worked with a guy that was employed by a U.S. company that lived in Switzerland and covered all of Europe. - He would schedule his trips during the numerous holidays, so he did not have to work those days. He drove so his wife usually accompanied him on a one week trip since accommodations were already covered. He would take gifts to the customers and stay in their homes and still collect his per diem expenses for accommodations in addition to his daily one bottle of wine that was negotiated.

The technicians (German, Swiss, Italians) that worked with him always found a way to work on holidays and even hired neighbors for "labor assistance". - That may not work in a small Bavarian town though where it is a little different about about noise and activities. When I lived in northern MI, my wife got criticized by older neighbors for hanging out laundry on a Sunday even though she worked 6 days a week.

Dorf Dude - I understand the problems with working and buying materials on a weekend or holiday. You have done a lot considering some of the restrictions, traditions in addition to being assigned elsewhere for long periods. - Has Mai recovered from the loss of the wall? She looked unhappy in one of the photos after the Bobcat did its job.

Dick - The other Schu.


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## shumakerscott

Last year they didn't finish the highway in front of my house. Yesterday they blocked it off to put the final asphalt on. Of course we had to have another street party:thumbup: It was very cold out, 36F, so that kept the turnout low. But we had fun. Of course many people were ignoring the barriers at the end of town with the detour signs. We were there to kindly assist in turning them around and sending them back. We had one altercation with an American but he came back with a case of beer and said he was sorry. That worked out well. I met the sister of the woman who used to live in my house. She and her husband will stop by to see what I have done. I told her it is quite different now. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Today Mat brought over a front loader and cleaned up my pile. Greg showed up and gave a hand too. We moved the big stones up and made a wall. I will level out behind it. We built in a water fall feature. That is the big flat stone sticking out. Things are moving ahead. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## mgp roofing

Nice work.


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## shumakerscott

I got busy today. I decided to finish the trim around the staircase and balcony wall. Came out great! Now for the secret project:yes:. I have an artist friend that gave me an 8"x10" print of her original a couple years ago. I had it scanned and printed on indoor banner material. I had to get very creative on how to hang it up. My son gave me a hand. I will now frame it with a gloss black frame with the name of the picture "Navigator" on it. The artist's name is Patricia Jensen. http://www.patriciajensen.com/home.htm I hope you like it as much as I do:thumbup: dorf dude...


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## cleveman

Those arbor vitae in the back look nice. I think the German name is Thuja.


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## shumakerscott

cleveman said:


> Those arbor vitae in the back look nice. I think the German name is Thuja.


Thanks and yes Thuja is the correct name in German. I have already hit them with time release fertilizer. I can't wait for them to get huge! That will be some years. Mia loves going up behind them between the fence. She has her own secret path. The neighbor's kids come and pet her up there. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## Ironlight

Wow, I had not noticed how the skylight spills light directly down the stairway. That's wonderful! What a fabulous idea. 

And the stairway trim looks great, also!


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## shumakerscott

Ironlight said:


> Wow, I had not noticed how the skylight spills light directly down the stairway. That's wonderful! What a fabulous idea.
> 
> And the stairway trim looks great, also!


Thanks. I planned it that way with the orientation of the roof. I will need a sun block come this summer or else I will thermal over heat this summer from the solar effect. I get no heat gain except from the direct sunlight through the roof window. I'm so insulated that it doesn't get out. I hope this makes sense. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

After all this time I finally trim painted around my windows. What a difference! Looks better in person than in photo. Here is a before with the tape and after.The little details take up a lot of time. dorf dude...


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## leiona

wow that is too cool! i wish i had a window here to do that with..when i build my greehouse i am definetly going to copy it in one of the windows as a window seat. Loving your house :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

I got busy today. Trimmed in the exit window. I also created sitting benches with leather covers on 2 window ledges. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Window ledges and trim are finished on the remaining windows. I used construction adhesive for the most part on the trim. That way there are no screws or nails to be seen. I used tape to hold the pieces until the glue set. As luck would have it I ran out of the trim molding on the last 3 inches of the last window:furious:. I will have to buy a full length piece just for that little bit. I had left over wood from the stairs for the ledges. Worked out great. I have a little trim calking and then they are finished. The windows had never been cleaned so that was a job in itself! It was a multi pronged attack. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Good morning Shu!

Sorry for not being able to find the time to keep up with your thread. All the goings on since last time I checked in are absolutely great. :thumbsup:

I especially love the way your stone trimmed windows came out, but then they always looked good right from the start.

Sounds like your weather is similar to ours here - still getting nights at 3ºC. But we are supposed to get some decent highs this weekend and coming week - over 20ºC! It has mostly been only 10 - 11 - 12º in the day thus far.


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## shumakerscott

I've been growing tired of looking at my white fridge. I've been replacing "Divorce" stuff as I can. This was marked down 40% so I jumped on it and sold my old one. Here is a before and after pic. The stainless works much better on the eye. What do you think? dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Looks good...too bad they don't make a stainless steel spray paint. Just think of the money we could all save!


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## shumakerscott

Moving forward with the Pool Room. I've got the base frame set and have been checking my lighting to make sure it will be ok. This pic is with only LED lights. I have more to go in. We will move the top pieces tomorrow, I'm glad to have help for this. Slate tables are heavy! Here is an update pic. ps, I still need to clean up more and I need a lot more corks too! dorf dude


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## CoconutPete

That upstairs room is going to be sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.


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## fireguy

*Hammer time*

Stolen from a place in Germany. At first, I thought it was our friend, trying not to break noise rules.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t3-d7I-E4c&NR=1&feature=endscreen


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## shumakerscott

fireguy said:


> Stolen from a place in Germany. At first, I thought it was our friend, trying not to break noise rules.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t3-d7I-E4c&NR=1&feature=endscreen


I buy a lot of my materials from Obi. It's our Home Depot.


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## shumakerscott

Pool Table is level and I'm getting the felt stretched. Any tip's on doing the pockets? Lights are set above it too. So far ok with some minor trouble with the pockets. Here are a couple pic's. The Fire Dept had a Fest today and marched down the street with the OOmpah band. Not really my style of music, esp at 9:30 Am. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Pool table is in. We had a party this weekend for my Birthday. We had great times and the table is dead on:thumbup:. Bedroom door is in and I'm getting going on the walls. Here are a couple pics. Dorf dude...


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## no1hustler

Very nice!


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## CoconutPete

Awesome! So, is there a separate bedroom upstairs in addition to the pool room?


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## shumakerscott

CoconutPete said:


> Awesome! So, is there a separate bedroom upstairs in addition to the pool room?


There will be a spare bedroom and bath upstairs along with the pool room. If you go up the stairs the pool room is on the right bedroom on the left. Wait for the weekend pic's. I should be quite aways along. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Don't pound nails or start your saw at 9:00 AM on a Sunday when the band is playing and waking everyone up. If you do, keep the windows closed, no one will ever notice your noise with the massive thick walls.

Corks (used), about 500, are coming to help you finish the wall off to the juction with the other materials.

How is the sound system working?

The other Schu - Dick


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> Don't pound nails or start your saw at 9:00 AM on a Sunday when the band is playing and waking everyone up. If you do, keep the windows closed, no one will ever notice your noise with the massive thick walls.
> 
> Corks (used), about 500, are coming to help you finish the wall off to the juction with the other materials.
> 
> How is the sound system working?
> 
> The other Schu - Dick


Thanks Dick. The sound system kicks butt! Bob Seger's Live Bullit albulm at 200 watts RMS is amazing through my Polk speakers. It's amazing, Really. Stop by and give it a listen. Thanks for your help. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I started getting insulation on the neighbors wall. The problem is it is at 2 different levels. Hard to see in the photo's. I will try and get a better pic. There is a big step between the current wall and old wall. I cut the insulation and attached it with hammer in pins. I will use spray foam once it's all up to finish seal the gaps. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Here is a side shot that shows the step between the different levels.


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## cocobolo

A little hard to tell from the pics...but it looks like about 3/4" to 1" difference there. Could you glue another sheet on top of the low part to bring it out to the same plane?


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> A little hard to tell from the pics...but it looks like about 3/4" to 1" difference there. Could you glue another sheet on top of the low part to bring it out to the same plane?


I'm not concerned with the flatness of this wall. Just that it is insulated. The actual wall that I will use will be framed and not touching this one.There will be a gap between them. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Roger that! :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

I got the wall insulated and most of the sub framing finished. This was one heck of a framing job. Everything is crooked. I just had to pick a straight line and go with it. I had to get clever on the fastening. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## JackOfAllTrades

What brand of windows are those?

I am considering getting a German window for my home here in America. The company is called *"Intus*" and utilizes German engineering and frames. Here in the USA we don't have "tilt and turn" windows, casement would be the closest type.


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## shumakerscott

The windows don't have a brand name. They were made local to fit my holes. I got quite a ways with the paneling. Took me all day. Cutting around the roof beams took up a lot of time. I got a good pic of Mia checking out "Her" Kingdom. It's one of the stumps we dug up. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I spent most of the day cleaning all the "Stuff" out of the room and shifting it to the Pool Room. It sucks not having a basement to store stuff. I put up more insulation. I ran short but this was left over from the foundation pour. I got quite a way's for basically nothing. More framing tomorrow. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Looking good and it seems you are running out of unfinished space for temporary storage. Your framing is not the typical U.S. stuff, but is great considering what you started with.

What the vertical members (size) in the pool room? In photo, they seem very substantial and straight. Even though the interior portion of the wall carries no load, you will be ready for an Iranian bomb(LOL).

What did you do for the stair treads for Mai to get traction?

My latest collection of corks was too blah and colorless, so will still get a few hundred good ones.

Dick - The other Schu.


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## shumakerscott

Thanks for following Dick. The upright post's are 8x10cm. The construction method is from my brain. I had to work with what was here and that wasn't much. I didn't put anything on the stairs for Mia. She just goes up and down no problem. I finished framing the one bedroom wall and got most of the paneling up. Where the framing stops will be another wall going left. I would say 90 degrees but it isn't, far from it. As this will be a guest bedroom I will need a bed! I will build in a set of bunk beds in this corner. This is going to be fun:yes:. You will just have to wait and see. Here is where I'm at so far. Notice the beam that appears about in the middle of the wall. That's how far out of square this place is. When the roofing company set the beams they offset them to try and take some of the crookedness out. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Some of that wall framing reminds me of the traditional way the Japanese frame their houses. Not the modern ones, just the traditional ones!

The wall paneling looks excellent! :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Big progress today. I had some help setting the uprights, Thanks Kay :thumbup:. The room is getting much smaller as the walls go in. The niche to the right of the door will become bunk beds with overhead storage. Not exactly sure how I will do it until I start it. I've got a basic plan. Notice the 4 posts are made up of smaller sections glued and screwed together. That saved me a lot of money! Here are a couple pic's. I wish I had a wider angle lens. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Big progress today:thumbup:. I've nearly finished the paneling in the bedroom. Campbell came over and mounted the roof window in what's to become a bathroom. It sure lets in a lot of light. Next will be the bed room floor and bunk beds. Stay tuned! dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Cork flooring going in! I had a bumpy start but it is getting there. There are no 2 walls that are parallel. I have to just start and then angle cut from the very beginning. I will have to make a tool for joining the floor pieces. I'm going to weld up one. Pic's of course when I do it. That new roof window sure lets in a lot of light:thumbup:. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've just noticed how many hits since my last post, WOW! If you are following this could you please hit "Thanks" so I know who you are? dorf dude...


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## jbs11

shumakerscott said:


> I've just noticed how many hits since my last post, WOW! If you are following this could you please hit "Thanks" so I know who you are? dorf dude...


My favorite thread on this board. Great stuff!


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## shumakerscott

Ok, so much for building the floor tool. It was 7 bucks, I just bought it. I'm really impressed how well these floor sections fit, no seam at all. I'm half way and now all kinds of crazy cuts are next. That's for another day. I'm finished for today. Here are a couple pic's. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Bedroom floor is in :thumbup:. Now for the finish work. Here's a pic. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Oooohh! I like that! All nice and clean and shiny!


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## shumakerscott

No real progress this weekend. My neighbor had his 80th birthday party on Sat so I kept it quiet. Our village's shooting club has it's 100th anniversary this weekend too. They are making a huge 4 day party out of it. They put up Birch sapplings all along the parade route. This afternoon was the parade with lots of local clubs and fire departments. 3 marching bands and horse drawn carriage, twins riding unicycle's ect... At a walking pace it took 20 minutes for them to pass my house. Mia behaved very well and only barked at the horses. I set up a chair and watched it all from the sidewalk. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## cleveman

What do the birch saplings signify? Is that a birch tree in the last photo?


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## scoggy

*DD, you make magic!!*

Shu, it is nice for me to break away for a couple of months and totally detach, then come back on, and see what you have created..awesome, and I like the cordiality of your write ups!! Looks like Campbell was playing an 'air guitar' rift..after he put the roof window in! Always inspirational to see what you are doing.....and as you get further along..I recognize less and less of the structure!
Cheers:thumbsup::thumbup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Mat got a hold of a front loader for me and drove it today. We got the back dug down and sort of leveled. This area is where my new shop will go. I'm not letting the cat out of the bag quite yet :whistling2:. You'll be suprised at what I'm going to do. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Here is one more with better light to see what we did. dorf dude...


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## Old 169er

DD, you are amazing! It took me 3 days to read this thread.
I was in your area a few times in 1951 & 1952 but sleeping in a tent.
Your workshop will surely have thick walls and I have an idea of what you will use. Mum's the word.


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## shumakerscott

Old 169er, Thanks for following. You really don't have a clue what I'm up to:no:. I'm really going to pull a rabbit out of my hat on this one. I finally got the digging guy to come by and get this thing finished:thumbup:. Should be done tomorrow. It's so nice not having piles outside! Here are a couple pics of things getting cleaned up. Tomorrow is gravel and leveled. Stay tuned, dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

Did I miss something? What happened to the attached carport???


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## shumakerscott

CoconutPete said:


> Did I miss something? What happened to the attached carport???


The carport before was a temporary thing. I took it down this Spring. I hope for a permanent one by this winter. I left the beam bolted to the side of the house and I will extend it full width of the house. I still have big plans for this year. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## Old 169er

CoconutPete said:


> Did I miss something? What happened to the attached carport???


Mia is looking for it, too. :confused1:


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## shumakerscott

The digger guy was here at 7:40 this morning. He finished leveling the ground and brought the first load of gravel. His truck is a Unimog. Fantastic machine:thumbup:. It can do anything with the right attachments. Here are a couple pics for now, more to come. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

It's done:thumbup:. All level and packed. We got the trench dug for the retaining wall too. That will be the next project. I hope to get it going next weekend. Mia is inspecting everything. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## Old 169er

Long dog run and a new wall to walk on - you sure know how to make a dog happy. :thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

Here is a sneak peak of what will happen tomorrow. The trench on the right will get filled with concrete and the hollow planting bricks will start going in. More to follow. Of course Mia is on the patrol. dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

I love it how most of the pictures have your dog in the middle with this look on her face like "whoa! This stuff wasn't here before!"


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## shumakerscott

Retaining wall going in :thumbup:. We had one of the hotest days today so far this year. Campbell gave me a big hand today. Mia hit the foundation when it was wet and sunk up to her knees! She would not go back near it after that incident. I ordered way to much concrete. We ended up having to break it up and throw it over the wall in extreme heat. It sucked! We are absolutly beat! I had such a large mound of concrete left it looked like the Materhorn. Here are a couple pic's. Included is a sneak peak of what is going to go on the slab area. 16 boxes and it weighs over 1000lbs. dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

Pergola?


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## shumakerscott

I got at it first thing this morning. 6 hours later here is the results. I had a bunch of bags that went hard on me. Make great filler:thumbup: Greg helped. It's amazing what you can hide behind a wall! I will take the taper out of the sides of the wall over the next few days. This is one solid wall. I'm in the market for a cheap laborer to pull the dirt back level. I'm all DIY but some times it's ok to pay for a couple things. Not getting any younger. Here are a couple pic's. It's not going to be a Pergola:no:. Think bigger. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

With the wall set 24 hours I cast the first end caps. I think the pic's explain well enough. At this rate it should be done in 3 more days. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The Great Wall of Seugast is in:thumbup:. All that is left is a set of stairs on the left hand side. The wall is 1 meter 30 high, 6 1/2 meters long. Total cost was about 1300 Euros. Not a bad deal in my book. Time to start the next phase. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Ok, I'm letting the cat out of the bag finally:yes:. This is going to be my new work shop. Now that we have the basic frame built I'm throwing out an all hands for a tent raising party for next Sat. We have to move it, put the legs on and pull the cover on it. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

My flower garden is going crazy. It's actually a jungle. I'm getting a lot of nice comments about it. I did not plant any sunflowers this year. They are volunteer from last year. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I'm getting the tent raising party organized for Sat. It's an all hands event! Tonight I dug footings for the front legs to get anchored to. I drove re-bar spikes into the sides to make them stronger. My concern is wind picking this thing up. We get some pretty strong storms here. I will anchor the front legs into the pads. The rest of the legs will get big @ss nails driven into the ground. I also have a couple other ideas kicking around. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

What is it going to be wrapped with?

Is that small brown building next to the trailer on your property too?


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## shumakerscott

Yes, the small wood building is mine, it's a wood shed fully loaded with the scrap from the demolition. The frame is going to be wrapped with PVC tent tarpaulin. Heavy weight. It looks like I'm going to have a big crew for Sat. The more the easier. Just will cost me beer and Brats. Pic's to follow of course. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Your "shelter"*

Shu', I constructed two of those over a 5 year period, although not as "Skookum", one was blown away by a Spring 'mini Hurricane', (looked like a crashed Cessena aircraft in the trees across the road), the other collapsed from an unexpected winter snow, even though I had extra reinforcements, but alas, yours is the one to build..if you are serious!!
Cheers
Scoggy:yes::yes:


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## shadytrake

Hello there! I just finished reading your project from start to present and you have done beautiful work. I saw you mentioned that you are a hobby audiophile. My husband is a professional audiophile (over 40 years) so if you have any questions for your audio setup, he is happy to chat via e-mail. His main interest is in tubes and vinyl but he also works with solid state.

We don't drink a lot of beer but both of us love German wine. We'll save some corks and caps for you. If you PM your address, I'll send them when we get a batch.

Keep up the great work. I really love the creative use of the floor tiles for your kitchen counter-top. Genius!


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## shumakerscott

Thanks for following! I had a tent raising party. Thanks for all the help guys! We had a great time and got this thing up. I provided Brat's and beer. Many of the helpers were new to the dorf dude's house. They were quite amazed. Mia also made lots of new best friends! She also has the biggest dog house in the world. Here are a few pic's. Campbell even managed to a pic of me and Dave. The next step will be fine gravel and then OSB flooring. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Nice! I'm thinking a guy could fit something like...oh, let's say...a Mustang in there. :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Nice! I'm thinking a guy could fit something like...oh, let's say...a Mustang in there. :thumbsup:


Yes Sir!! I can't keep paying rent for the shop it is in. Time to get everything in one place. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've been robbed. Some one cut the top off my sunflower:furious:. It had the best color of all of them, yellow and dark red. It was a drive by cut and run. I've been violated! dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Time to call out the Gestapo...National Guard...army...:gunsmilie::2guns::gun_bandana:


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## shadytrake

How rude. The nerve of some people. If it is not yours then no clipping.:cursing:


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## shumakerscott

Today I hired a college student that is visiting his parents for the summer break. He got the fine gravel spread on the floor of the tent and then got going on the dirt pile on the hill. Thanks Cody! I got progress on the staircase and retaining wall extension. Time for more more blocks! I'm out of them. Next step is getting the floor in. Stay tuned!!! dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Wood worms!:furious: You know it when you have them. You hear a crunch, crunch. I got a post from a neighbor in the past and had a problem with it. I sprayed it with Borax and bleach and they stopped. Not sure which posting # that was. Last night I thought I heard something but tonight I really did. I guess some eggs hatched inside. The sound was coming from the top so I mixed a batch of Borax and hot water and soaked the top of the post. I did not seal the end grain and it just soaked it up. The munching has stopped:thumbup:. I hope I got him. I might hit it again a little later. If worst comes to worst I will have to remove it and soak the whole post in a bath. That means taking down the wall. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

I remember you treating those posts that you got before. It might be the warmth of your house that is letting the eggs hatch.

Your idea of giving it another treatment, or several for that matter is a heck of a good one.

Is there anything you can put between the post and the beam, like tarpaper or sheet metal or something? 

And do you think it might help to seal the wood somehow after you have fed them breakfast? If they are deprived of oxygen that might keep the little buggers away. You may need to add the sealer to the whole length of the post.

Whatever you do, I would be interested in seeing what happens.


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## shumakerscott

Thanks for the idea about putting something between the post and beam. The beam is sealed but direct contact is a risk. I will jack it and put something in between. Thanks for the idea. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Bugs in the wood!*

Shu, maybe..record that sound..of the 'bugs' eating the wood..and..sell it to those.."noveaux riche"..folks who are always on about whales etc..and make some .."$"..from it..to do your 'shop' up..nice..eh?
Cheers
S:yes::yes::yes:coggy


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## shumakerscott

The tent floor is going in. I pulled a 6 ft level across the gravel to take the final grade out. I laid heavy plastic and started laying the 22mm OSB. There are a couple small high spots but overall its not too bad. I can live with it. The OSB is glued on all seams. I made it exactly half way. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude


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## cdnNick

Does it have any built-in ventilation? I used to have a smaller version of this type of structure and it would be unbearably hot when the summer sun was beating down on it.


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## shumakerscott

cdnNick said:


> Does it have any built-in ventilation? I used to have a smaller version of this type of structure and it would be unbearably hot when the summer sun was beating down on it.


There are 2 vent flaps on each end. Summer here in Germany usually doesn't last very long. I can also open up the doors and get a crosswind. I'm more concerned about keeping it warm in the winter. I_'m open for ideas on that one. dorf dude..._


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## Bumpr1080

It looks like you could mount some foam insulation panels between those poles. maybe keep them up with cordage of some kind. At least they would be light and would not compound with the snow weight to weaken the structure. a layer system with foam, then plastic would trap air and be warmer too....It would however, block some of the natural light....:wink:


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## shumakerscott

I finally picked up enough OSB to finish the floor. I have started drawing the final grade level. I'm working it in a grid pattern. This area I really want to make sure is dead on. I will be rolling a Cherry Picker for pulling motors here. Here is a quick pick of leveling. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The floor is in:thumbup:. Now it's time to frame the inside. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The size of the shop is 775 sq ft, 72 sq meters.


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## shadytrake

Looking good! Can that tent material hold up to your winters or are you framing in around them? Is that what you mean?


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## shumakerscott

shadytrake said:


> Looking good! Can that tent material hold up to your winters or are you framing in around them? Is that what you mean?


The tent will hold up to winter snow load, rated for 25cm or about 11 inches. The inside framing will not touch the tent. The tent moves in the wind. It will be a separate structure so I can insulate and have solid walls. It will be unconventional that's for sure. I hope it works! Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten a little further with the steps on the back wall. I set a couple blocks at a time then wait a few days for them to harden up. No hurry with this one. Here's a pic, dorf dude...


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## no1hustler

Does the OSB feel like it gives at all when you walk on it? When you frame the walls, do you plan on fastening the bottom plate to the OSB? I've never seen anyone build walls inside one of those tents. Very interesting.


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## shumakerscott

no1hustler said:


> Does the OSB feel like it gives at all when you walk on it? When you frame the walls, do you plan on fastening the bottom plate to the OSB? I've never seen anyone build walls inside one of those tents. Very interesting.


The OSB has no give at all. It has 100% support from underneath. The gravel was leveled by hand. I paid very close attention to any high spots. The walls will be secured to the floor. This is going to be very unconventional that's for sure. Sometimes I like trying things that have not been tried. Just to see if it will work I guess. As I've been building this place over the last 4 years I've been told many times "You can't do that" Well I did and it has worked out fine. I don't think this place is going to fall down any time soon. It holds heat very well in the winter and is very cool in the summer. Thanks for following and stay tuned. More to come. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got a little further on the back wall. I thought I would throw a couple pic's up so you could track the progress. Nothing exciting:no:. I hammer a 2 1/2 ft piece of rebar in the ground to make sure it all stays put. Because there will be further blocks going on top of these I don't fill them full. I only fill half way so the next row is cast together with the lower. Make any sense? They have covers on them so Mia doesn't knock dirt inside. Lesson learned there. Anyways, Thanks, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I took another shot at the stairs today. I ran into massive roots:furious:. I broke out the Fein Multimaster:thumbup:. Greatest tool for those certain jobs. Roots away! Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

My steps are finally in:thumbup:. Mia likes them too. These suckers are not going anywhere. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten the form and rebar in for the little retaining wall on the other side of the "Shent", Shop-Tent. I'm short on cement and today was another holiday, no chance to buy some. Tomorrow is the mix and pour:thumbup:. Depends on the weather too. A couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

After 10 loads the wall is poured! It isn't perfect but will do it's job well into the future. That should be the last concrete work for awhile. Here's a pic. So far no paw prints:no:. We'll see in the morning. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*So..'refresh'..me*

DD, you are building under the facade of the portable shelter...because? For whatever reason..I love the 'cloak and dagger'..mystery routine ==8^) Totally like the way you 'imagineered' the stairs ..'Kewl'!
Cheers Scoggy:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

I admire the way you handle the numerous holidays and the avoidance of sound for construction on certain days, but still they have local parades with bands early on a Sunday morning.

I had a friend based in Switzerland on salary and he "milked" the system by knowing the holiday schedule in every country and scheduled every trip on mileage (with his wife) to get a an extra day off with meals and housing legally.

The project is looking good and keeps everton what is going to be revealed after the "cloak" is removed. That is certainly a cozy stair system since the rise for each step is probably probably 200 mm (8"), but it certainly very strong and substantial.

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

The saw mill was short handed and they could not deliver my wood but I could deliver it myself with their truck, no problem. I got a cash price with no receipt:thumbup: Once I got the load home Mia claimed it as her's. Greg gave me a hand off loading, Thanks! Campbell and I started framing. He cut it and I assembled it. We have decided to add 2 windows on the back wall. I found some used ones and I hope they are still there. Here are a couple pic's. I'm glad you enjoy following along. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*TOOOOOO much floor space?!?*

DD, you have way tooo much floorspace for just 1 Mustang ====8^):laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> DD, you have way tooo much floorspace for just 1 Mustang ====8^):laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


The Mustang will take up the whole front half. It is 4,60 meters long. To have working room that is the first 6 meters of the 12 meter Shent. I ordered the lights today. Found a great deal on recessed LED spots. The energy savings alone will pay for them compared to florescent's . I will also mount florescents but as a back up. Way to hot today plus it's Sunday to do more framing. Tomorrow is going to be our hottest day of the year so far. Here's a pic and check out the inside temp! I love insulated stone walls:thumbup:. I will open windows tonight and get another cooling effect. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Man it's been hot :sweatdrop::sweatdrop::sweatdrop:. We are not used to that here. I pulled the form of my little retaining wall and started digging out for the next one. As you can see Mia has been helping with digging too. I think I will regret hand mixing this next one but it's the only practical way. I will get-r-done. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I found 2 great sized windows for the back wall of the Shent. They are about 4' x 3.5'. Total cost was 100 Euro. Good price. They do the 3 way tip ect... I also got the first pour on the retaining wall in. I pounded re-bar in then used a left over piece of metal stuff. I don't know the name for it. Mia is giving me all kinds of bad looks for using up "Her" sand pile. She love's laying on it, esp. in the heat wave we've been having. Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## hyunelan2

I am confused, but perhaps I just overlooked a clarifying statement. Is the tent a permanent thing, or is it just a shelter for building the permanent structure inside, and you'll take it down to reveal the new building to the outside world once finished?


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## shumakerscott

hyunelan2 said:


> I am confused, but perhaps I just overlooked a clarifying statement. Is the tent a permanent thing, or is it just a shelter for building the permanent structure inside, and you'll take it down to reveal the new building to the outside world once finished?


The current plan is that the tent will stay. If it does wear out then I will cover it with metal siding. Plans can change though. We will see what the future holds. Thanks for asking, dorf dude...


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## shadytrake

Looking good!


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## shumakerscott

The retaining wall is in:thumbup:. I spent about 8 hours on it today getting sand ect... The top is not perfectly flat, I like to call it "Organic" It flows. I'm fine with that. It definitely isn't going to fall over, not in my life time. I will break the form off next weekend. On the road this coming week. No posts for a few days. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The concrete had set up pretty good over night so I took the form off. Now that is a wall! I just need to do a little back fill and it's finished. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Hey Shu...that's not bad for a young feller. And you even have a walkway down the side in case you need it. Good thinking.


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Hey Shu...that's not bad for a young feller. And you even have a walkway down the side in case you need it. Good thinking.


Well Thank you. I will finish the walk way in the future. I don't see it happening this year but we'll see. Winter is around the corner and I still have lot's of things to do. Stay tuned, dorf dude...


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## shadytrake

Looks very strong! Good job.


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Well Thank you. I will finish the walk way in the future. I don't see it happening this year but we'll see. Winter is around the corner and I still have lot's of things to do. Stay tuned, dorf dude...


I don't know how much snow you get where you are...but I used to have a 60' long boatshed similar to yours and it collapsed in the big snow in Vancouver around 1995 or so. It wasn't the only one, several went down, along with the floating boatsheds on the river.
With the walkway there, at least you can get at it easily to pull the snow off.


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## Jim F

I may have missed the explanation but what is the advantage of that tent exterior? Is it just more cost effective than exteroir walls and a roof? Also, is the tent going to eventually be replaced by a permanant exterior?


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## shumakerscott

Jim F said:


> I may have missed the explanation but what is the advantage of that tent exterior? Is it just more cost effective than exteroir walls and a roof? Also, is the tent going to eventually be replaced by a permanant exterior?


Jim, the reason for the tent vs a permanent building. A tent does not require a building permit and architect drawings. Speed and cost of construction, tent is much cheaper. In the future I will probably put a metal or plastic roof and walls on it. Once all the interest from the community is gone and they are used to it being there. The other reason is I just wanted to try it. I have never seen it done and I was told that it would not work. Well... I think it works. I'm not done yet but so far it looks pretty good. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## Amateuralex

Love this thread. Finally caught up. Beyond inspiring. Learned a ton. Thanks for this DD.


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## shumakerscott

I started on the next wall. I broke it down into smaller sections because I was working alone. Slowly but surely. Here is a pic of where I'm at. Thanks for following, dorf dude


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## cocobolo

Hot damn! But you are going to have one great area when you are done.:thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Roof truss's are in. We have a little bit leveling to do but not bad. Next is wall to wall reinforcement with threaded rod. That will keep the walls from blowing out. Easier to show pic's then explain it. Here is where we are at so far.


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## scoggy

*Great Build*

DD, would love to be a 'fly on the wall', at the 'firehouse' across the street, as they 'kibbitz', about what your tent ..is! =====8^):thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## scoggy

*Guess I missed your...'post'*

DD, so are you 'outandabout'..in Europe..for your 'Boss'..hence, no posts?
Cheers
PS from over 'here' Happy thanksgiving..although, I cannot decipher, how 'you and yours', were the first to have Thanksgiving..on a specified date..and 'we' have ours this weekend..and not on 'your' date..must be..'gubbermint' thing,..eh?
Scoggy:whistling2::whistling2::whistling2::whistling2:


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## concretemasonry

I assumed he was on a deployment to make a buck/euro or two for continuing progress through the winter.

Dick


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## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> DD, so are you 'outandabout'..in Europe..for your 'Boss'..hence, no posts?
> Cheers
> PS from over 'here' Happy thanksgiving..although, I cannot decipher, how 'you and yours', were the first to have Thanksgiving..on a specified date..and 'we' have ours this weekend..and not on 'your' date..must be..'gubbermint' thing,..eh?
> Scoggy:whistling2::whistling2::whistling2::whistling2:


Not a lot of progress. We got the vapor barrier in. I have 17 rolls of insulation waiting to go in the ceiling. I also have 30 recessed LED lights on hand. Most of the electric is ruffed in. I've been a little under the weather lately so that has taken the wind out of my sails. But yesterday Matt and I drove halfway across Germany to pick up my Christmas present to myself, 1982 Yamaha 650 Maxim. It is in fantastic condition with only 13k miles. I have always liked these bikes and they were not sold in Europe. So for me to find one with German registration was finding a needle in the haystack. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Toys...toys...toys...looks like brand new! :thumbsup:


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## Amateuralex

Gorgeous bike. It will feel pampered in your autopalace, er garage.


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## scoggy

*Your 'new' ride*

Shu, careful, you might wanna 'scratch' that itch..repeatedly..but..what a terrific find, and with so little mileage!! Did you find a 'history' with it? "Shed' looks nice also..double good on ya!!
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Ceiling insulation is in. Campbell gave me a hand. He also got the slats in and leveled. The ceiling is ready for sheet rock. I've also been working on the entry way. Getting a little bit further. I'm racing against winter. I won't get all the projects done but I'll push till the end. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Terrific job.

What a great area that is going to be to work in. I'm officially jealous! :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Terrific job.
> 
> What a great area that is going to be to work in. I'm officially jealous! :thumbsup:


Thanks, I'm going to have to be very space conscious in the final planning. I will pack this building very quickly. Lot's of thinking to do. dorf dude...


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## JulieB

I looked through your progress, you are simply amazing.


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## pwgsx

JulieB said:


> I looked through your progress, you are simply amazing.


 
I agree, wish I had the $$ and land to build my own shop and house.

Say, where in TX are you from Julie? :icon_lol:


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## shumakerscott

I've been asked for more pic's. I've just been getting the insulation in and finished. I thought it would be boring but here are a couple pic's. Big progress real soon. dorf dude...


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## pwgsx

How are you waterproofing the outside?


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## bofusmosby

VARY impressive DD!


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## shumakerscott

pwgsx said:


> How are you waterproofing the outside?


Great question:whistling2: I was thinking about it a lot and I might put a tent over it.:laughing:


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## shumakerscott

Yesterday was sheet rock day! Campbell thought I would be up for doing overhead hanging of the boards.:lol: Was not for me. He called a buddy and they got it in. I worked on the electric while they hung the boards. Well worth the money spent hiring Robert. I mounted the 30 3 watt LED lights, plenty bright. Next is the walls. Getting there. Winter is here, first snow of the year. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

shumakerscott said:


> Great question:whistling2: I was thinking about it a lot and I might put a tent over it.:laughing:


I was just poking fun at you. You have not seen the previous posts. Please keep following and don't take it serious. dorf dude...


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## pwgsx

LOL no, ive read every single page. I just figured you wouldnt trust the tent to not get a tear or hole and then leak into your nice drywall and all. I think I would line the top with tin and then recover it with the tent :thumbup:


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## shumakerscott

I took the last couple days off and have been busy. Campbell has been kicking @ss. Sheet rock is 95% done, windows are in, doors are in. Just waiting for a price quote on the big garage door. It sure hold's the heat well. We have an extreme echo problem. I'm thinking about hanging hats from the cross bracing cables. Send me your local hats. I have room for about 200. That should knock down the echo for sure. Here are progress pic's. The last pic is where the work bench will go, sockets up high. Getting there. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Shu...keep the echo...just think what it's going to sound like when you fire up the mustang inside! :scooter:


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Shu...keep the echo...just think what it's going to sound like when you fire up the mustang inside! :scooter:


The neighbors will love it!


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## shumakerscott

Mud going in :thumbsup: Campbell is a master at it. I'm so glad to have him as a friend! I kept busy with small things. It took up the whole day. Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

While Campbell was mudding I worked on OSB framing around the door. The door will be ordered tomorrow. I hope they can deliver it fast. Getting cold. Here's a pic. dorf dude...


----------



## rebelranger

Question concerning the 3w LEDs. What brand? If you have used other lights in similar application, how do they compare? How are they mounted, just hanging? Are they all on one switch?


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## shumakerscott

rebelranger said:


> Question concerning the 3w LEDs. What brand? If you have used other lights in similar application, how do they compare? How are they mounted, just hanging? Are they all on one switch?


These are from a firm called Kwazar, Polish. They are Warm White, Cold White is too blue for my taste. They clip into the holes with spring loaded fingers. The beauty of LED's is they don't get hot. No clearance worries. I have LED's in the house but not sure of the brand. I tried a Philips spot but it was too red in color. Yes they are all on 1 switch. Total draw is 90 watts. Not bad for complete lighting. When I put the work bench in I will probably will add a few more. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've taken note of how many hits this thread is getting. Wow. Are you all real people or is there a bot on this? In 10 hours I've had 1243 hits. Hit the like button if your signed in so I know who you are. :thumbsup:. Stay tuned, much more to come. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

My buddy Mat's parents thew out an old wood burner. It used to have a big ceramic tile cover thing around it. We call them Kachel ovens. Not sure in English. I'm going to surround with with brick and cement stones. This should keep me very toasty:yes:. Here's a pic of the stove laying sideways on the dolly and one of the tiles. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> My buddy Mat's parents thew out a old wood burner. I used to have a big ceramic tile cover thing around it. We call them Kachel ovens. Not sure in English. I'm going to surround with with brick and cement stones. This should keep me very toasty:yes:. Here's a pic of the stove laying sideways on the dolly and one of the tiles. dorf dude...


I think it is the same name worldwide Shu. Fine Homebuilding had a great article on these guys about 20 years back. :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

My plan is for a large thermal mass to absorb the heat. It will not be always burning. A hot quick burn then the thermal mass can release it's heat slowly. We'll see once it's up and running! I couldn't beat the price, FREE. Side note, the Door Dude stood me up tonight but at least he called and is supposed to come tomorrow. I need to close this thing up. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> My plan is for a large thermal mass to absorb the heat. It will not be always burning. A hot quick burn then the thermal mass can release it's heat slowly. We'll see once it's up and running! I couldn't beat the price, FREE. Side note, the Door Dude stood me up tonight but at least he called and is supposed to come tomorrow. I need to close this thing up. dorf dude...


Yep, that's exactly how they are supposed to burn. There's an outfit back east in Canada, maybe Nova Scotia I think, who are building these things now. Prices start at $15,000 and go up from there.


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## shumakerscott

I figured I better test burn the stove before putting it in. There is 1 plate for inside I'm not sure where it goes. I will be in contact with the manufacturer tomorrow about that. The stove seems to burn ok, even with a short pipe stuck on top. Putting off lots of heat. Dorf dude...


----------



## pwgsx

Hope a spark does not fly out on your tent, your whole roof might go up


----------



## shumakerscott

pwgsx said:


> Hope a spark does not fly out on your tent, your whole roof might go up


Nope, the tent is fire retardant and I will direct the chimney away with the prevailing winds.


----------



## shumakerscott

Campbell brought over his new toy tonight. :thumbup: The mud sanding will be done in no time with this monster! He will put a 2nd coat on tomorrow. I've left heat on overnight for a nice warm room to work in. I weighed the propane tank and will see how much it actually uses in 12 hours. More pics tomorrow. dorf dude...


----------



## shadytrake

Cool! Don't you just love freebies? I'm not one to dumpster dive, but I do hit the thrift stores occasionally. There are deals out there if you are willing to be patient and look through a lot of junk to find the jewel. 

Nice that you are re-using that old heater!


----------



## shumakerscott

Yesterday Campbell got the final mud on 2/3's of the sheet rock. I got the first coat of paint on it today. I've been burning the propane heater but the humidity is quite high because of of this. I can't wait to get the wood burner in. I hope to have the 2nd coat done tomorrow. Here's a quick pic. dorf dude...


----------



## shumakerscott

Mat came over and gave me a hand with the 2nd coat of paint, Thanks :thumbup:. That saved a lot of time for sure. The 2nd coat didn't look so good at first but as it dried, wow. Mia had to get in on the action too! She wanted paint on her like the rest of us. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## imautoparts

That metal plate likely fits on a little shelf or tabs just below the flue outlet above the fire. They fit in very loose usually - probably because of metal expansion they are built that way.


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## scoggy

*That 'gyproc sander attachment"*

DD I want to find more info on that 'toy' of Campbells for doing sheetrock..what a great thing, when I need somethinf like that for my current 'basement/bathroom' build..====8^)
Your 'shent' looks awesome, maybe I will tear apart my 'garage' and ...do it..better! Mustang is gonna look awesome in there, and with you working on it, will be the 'Sorcerer's Apprentice"!
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## CoconutPete

Looks HUGE!


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## shumakerscott

Filling up fast. Mat and I moved 3 loads today. I have so much stuff. Major problem tough. I have condensation. Time to shut down the propane. I'm not sure if it is because of all the mudding, painting and burning of propane or wrong choice of plastic for a vapor barrier. I think I screwed up with the vapor barrier. Retro fit in the future. I'm thinking Stryrodor, hard foam on the outside. That should eliminate the cold bridge. Any thoughts? I'm open for ideas. I'm just glad to be getting things moved out of the rented shop. I don't need to heat this winter because I still have enough work inside the house to keep me busy until next Spring. Here's a pic of the tent filling up. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Shu...don't panic just yet.

Every time on a construction site where they use the Herman Nelson propane heaters for cooking the drywall, there is water everywhere. I know the propane adds to it, but it is mostly the water in the mud that is causing the problem. The air holds more moisture when it is warm, and every time there is a cold surface, the water wants to condense and go all over hell's half acre.

Your vapour barrier will almost positively be OK. And as far as thermal bridging goes, almost any foam board applied to the exterior will take care of that problem.

I have spent the past several weeks trying to design a small net zero energy house and the v.b. and thermal bridging are two of the most important aspects of such a design. I can refer you to an excellent site on the subject if you wish.


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Shu...don't panic just yet.
> 
> Every time on a construction site where they use the Herman Nelson propane heaters for cooking the drywall, there is water everywhere. I know the propane adds to it, but it is mostly the water in the mud that is causing the problem. The air holds more moisture when it is warm, and every time there is a cold surface, the water wants to condense and go all over hell's half acre.
> 
> Your vapour barrier will almost positively be OK. And as far as thermal bridging goes, almost any foam board applied to the exterior will take care of that problem.
> 
> I have spent the past several weeks trying to design a small net zero energy house and the v.b. and thermal bridging are two of the most important aspects of such a design. I can refer you to an excellent site on the subject if you wish.


Any suggestions are welcome. I'm kind of freaking out with the amount of water I'm getting. Thanks Keith, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Mat has helped me the last 3 day's. We have made 7 huge loads. It's getting pretty packed in here. I have a couple more loads and then the Mustang. Once I get it sorted out the space should be ok. Organization will be very important. I suck at that! Here is a pick of the stuff thrown in today.


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## cocobolo

Let's see now...maybe if you stand the mustang on its' side?


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Let's see now...maybe if you stand the mustang on its' side?


It will fit. All wood working tools will leave this space. I will get things in order. Chaos at the moment. dorf dude...


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## bofusmosby

D D, I have a small garage (well, it's an old carriage house) and to help out with space, I built a small deck on one side about 7' above ground that is perfect for storage boxes. This give me more room for my old car.


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## frenchelectrican

Bonjour DD.,

I can see ya makeing a very good progess with the garage you are working in there and it is pretty instering peice what ya doing that something we European guys are pretty instering how it come out on that.

Merci,
Marc


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## shumakerscott

The Mustang has landed! It is finally Home. Perfect day to move it, not raining and snow is in the near future. Winter is ready to set in. I have a few more things to move but 99% of it is done. Almost there. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Scott, Deja Vu*

What a coincidence, your Stang into your garage, and my coupe into my garage! I am just about on track to do what I said I would about this winter! Feels like a huge weight off of my shoulders, and now I can do the stuff I 'know', not what my wife wants done!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:
Cheers
Scoggy


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## shumakerscott

I understand about the weight off your back. I'm almost finished moving out of the rented shop. Just the last garbage stuff to clear. I don't plan on working much in the shop during this winter. I'm going to shift to inside the house where it's nice and warm. I finally can work at my own pace and not under pressure. I think I will slow down a little bit. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Mat got an early Christmas present! Winter is setting in hard here. Snow for the next 2 days. Sure wish I had a carport this year. dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

Looking good! My parents sent me pictures too, they have TONS more snow than we have here ....... reverse worlds these past couple of years....


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## shumakerscott

We have had massive amounts of snow lately. This morning it turned to ice rain. My car was an ice cube. Now we are going to have a melt. I took the time to pull many tons of snow off the tent. It can really hold a load:yes:. Very strong. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

My next door neighbor liked the tent idea so much he bought 2. But he bought the cheaper ones and much smaller than mine. He didn't pull the snow off and look what happened . We have had a lot of snow and he should have known what would happen. Here's a pic. dorf dude...


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## CoconutPete

Yikes!


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## Bumpr1080

looks like his were much more exposed to the wind also.


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## shumakerscott

Bumpr1080 said:


> looks like his were much more exposed to the wind also.


We have had no wind storms. This was just snow load. I know it doesn't look like a lot of snow on the ground but we've had a huge melt off over the past week. Lots of rain. If this rain had been snow we would have another 2 foot of snow easy. I don't know why he didn't pull the snow off. I bet he will in the future. :yes: One of the guys that helped to put my tent up said he was taking bets for when mine will collapse. :no: Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Does the room you built inside the flexible shed have any connection that could provide some support your shed? - In other words, are they independent of each other?

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> Does the room you built inside the flexible shed have any connection that could provide some support your shed? - In other words, are they independent of each other?
> 
> Dick - The other Schu


The tent and the inside structure do not touch. You could pick the tent straight up and the inside would stand free. I've been thinking about some sort of support but so far it's held up under a pretty extreme load. Baptism by fire. This tent can handle quite a bit. If it gets too bad I could always put a heater in between and melt the snow load. I need to work on the run off on the sides. Esp above the door. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I finally got my shop door in :thumbup:. It's great. It has an electric motor inside so nice, easy and quiet. It took them all of 45 minutes to install. Cut the down legs to length, mount upper box and legs, hang the door inside the box, roll up and drop into the leg channels. Done. I don't think any normal garage door is as simple and insulated as this one. I am very pleased as you can tell. Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've had the last couple days off and decided to get busy on the Cork and Bottle Cap wall. Man this is a lot of work. Silicone a cork and stick it on the wall. One at a time. I've tried running beads of silicone on the wall and then sticking them but I don't feel that the adhesion is as good. Here's a pic of where I'm at today. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Here's a closer pic of the corks and caps.


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## shumakerscott

I've been busting @ss the last week on the cork wall. I have finally made connection to the left side :thumbup:. This has been a huge undertaking. Getting close to the end now. Here's a couple pic's. Dick your caps are up in front. Mat made me a drink holder from a 1978 Suzuki 1000 cylinder. Works Great!! dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

It looks like you are hunkering down for the inside finish work with the colder weather and shorter days.

It is a good finishing touch theme for for your pool room. What did you use to stick everything up and not slide down even though it is lightweight.

You might have a problem if you put in a keg installation and use traditional steins and not bottles and cans. I know you would not like to put something on the rails of the pool table.

Is that your four legged friend hiding under the pool table or just some materials or scraps?

Looking great as usual!

Dick - The other Schu


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## cleveman

What is that blue labeled beer, Hacker-Pschorr? Do you still get Flensburger Pils in that style bottle with the rubber stopper?

Looking good.


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## shumakerscott

I used Silicone to stick the corks up. Under the pool table was just a black garbage bag. I really don't intend to put a keg up there. I would probably end up drinking to much :drink: The beer is Mönchshof Lager. Flensberg is still with the flippy top. It is not really sold around here, it's a Pils and our area is more Helles. It is amazing how much beer styles change within just a 2 hour drive. Now it's time to get the Pool room cleaned up and ready for a New Years get together. Your all invited!! dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I was online shopping and found this sink. I was blown away and had to have it for the upstairs bathroom. What do you think? Now I need to come up with a stand for it. It weighs more than I do! dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Seems to me that sink is a perfect match for your house given what it's made from and the style. Great find.

And a big "well done" on that cork wall, absolutely unique!

Happy New Year Scott.


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## shumakerscott

I have not updated lately but still getting lots of hits. I put a bar in the Pool room. I had wood left over from the staircase stringers and made good use of it. I wall mounted a 24" monitor that is hooked up to a laptop. We use it for the jukebox and watching online videos ect... It is really a nice area to sit and hang out. I picked up a few more bar stools at a good price. Next I will build a simple rack to put the stereo equipment in. Nothing fancy. I will have a turntable and even an 8 track. Now if I could find a good reel to reel. Here is a pic of the bar area so far. Instead of spending lots of time and money finishing the counter top I bought a plastic table cloth that looks like wood. It was wide enough that I cut it down the middle and actually got 2, so the cost of 1 was only 7 bucks! Great deal. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

I like how you wrote "SHU" in the cork wall.


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> I like how you wrote "SHU" in the cork wall.


Under flash it really shows up. In regular lighting you don't really see it unless your looking for it. I had to sign my work! Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## TrailerParadise

Wow i love the work you have done on your home. I cant honestly say i would have done the same in your shoes, i just might have taken a wrecking ball to it and rebuilt. Id love your opinion on what i have done though, its not that far along yet but i would like your expert opinion! The link is in my signature if you would be kind enough to stop by! Good job!


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## shumakerscott

TrailerParadise said:


> Wow i love the work you have done on your home. I cant honestly say i would have done the same in your shoes, i just might have taken a wrecking ball to it and rebuilt. Id love your opinion on what i have done though, its not that far along yet but i would like your expert opinion! The link is in my signature if you would be kind enough to stop by! Good job!


I've been keeping an eye on your progress. I'll chime in if I see something. I could not knock the house down. If I did then I would have had to set the new structure way back off the side walk. I would have lost a lot of my yard. That is the case with many structures here. Thanks for following. Big progress next week in the spare bedroom. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Thought you might have...*

Shu, thought you might have 'put' a Ford sign or even 'Mia's' name on the cork board, but I plan to go to Portland Swap meet this year..soo..might find a nice Ford sign..for..your garage..will prolly not be big, because 'gubbermints' here and there want a 'mortgage' payment to send same to you ===8^)
Cheers
Scoggy
PS "casa del DD', just seems to get better and better!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Have you ever had one of those "Brain Fart" days? I had a bad one today. Last week at work we got this great pallet in made of 2x12. I broke it apart and decided to make a table for the stone sink. I went to the tile store today and picked out the counter top, no problem. I got tiles that look like wood planks, really cool. I got home and started making the frame. First go around I didn't take in to account how big it really was in relation to the size of the bathroom. Cut it again:furious: 2nd time I don't know where my brain was at. Now it's dark and snowing so 1 more time tomorrow. Here's a pic of it being too big. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

DD -

You will make it work and being the right color makes it easier, since thes tone could have been a 60's, 70's Ford turquoise. It will work good with the cork.

Make the sink and then surround that as a unit from below and throw away the 2x12 forms to support it well by a bottom base to minimize the depth away from the back wall.

I assumed you were thinking of usung it in that room.

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> DD -
> 
> You will make it work and being the right color makes it easier, since thes tone could have been a 60's, 70's Ford turquoise. It will work good with the cork.
> 
> Make the sink and then surround that as a unit from below and throw away the 2x12 forms to support it well by a bottom base to minimize the depth away from the back wall.
> 
> I assumed you were thinking of usung it in that room.
> 
> Dick - The other Schu


Dick, sorry for the false presentation. I just happen to have the sink upstairs laying on the floor with the cork background. Not where it will actually be used. Just a storage situation at the moment. Again sorry for misleading you. Wait a couple days and it will become clear.


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## shumakerscott

Here is a picture of my wood work shop. It really sucks not having a proper shop with heat! Next year maybe. I've been building the table for the stone sink. I came across a deal at the local grocery store for mixed set of saw blades. 3 for $20. I tried the medium toothed blade and it cut like butter and no wobble. I went back and bought the last set they had, snag.:thumbsup: I'm set for saw blades for awhile. I ended up buying a new finishing sander, a Bosch. This is the best sander I have ever laid my hands on. Light weight, compact, variable speed and very quiet. I'm the dorf dude and I endorse this product!:laughing: Here are a few pics. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I just finished staining and gluing the tiles on top. Getting there. Once the sink is mounted and the table is in place I will close the sides , install 1 or 2 shelves and work out some sort of a front door. The screws on the front will be capped off with a black plug. The bottom of the legs have a 45 degree cut that is hard to see. dorf dude...


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## pwgsx

Very nice!!


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## BigJim

pwgsx said:


> Very nice!!


+1, I like the way you mortised the ends, that looks good.


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## cocobolo

You missed your calling Shu, you should have been a woodworker! That's first class. :thumbup:


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## concretemasonry

Wait until he is done with the finished masterpiece!.

The other Schu - Dick(from Luxembourg by 200 yards)


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## cleveman

I'll have to ask at the grocery store where the saw blade sets are.

Funny, I can't buy wine at the lumberyard either.


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## scoggy

*In the Background of first shot..*

Shu, was that a '79 Yamaha Xs11 Midnight Special..in your 'Garage shot"? Where did you get that one..you keeper of secrets?
Cheers
Scoggy:whistling2::whistling2::whistling2:


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## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> Shu, was that a '79 Yamaha Xs11 Midnight Special..in your 'Garage shot"? Where did you get that one..you keeper of secrets?
> Cheers
> Scoggy:whistling2::whistling2::whistling2:


Your right about the Midnight but it is an 81 XJ 650 Midnight Maxim. I imported it before I bought the Mustang. Just another project I hope to finish one of these days. There are a couple of things I held on to with tight fists during the divorce. It is the brother now of the red 83 I bought last Oct. That is a major reason I bought the red one, it has a German title. The Midnight has cleared customs but no German title. I can use the red one's and get one for the Midnight way easier with a template for them to copy. I guess the Gold back wheel is a dead giveaway:yes: Good eye. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I finally got done sanding the main posts and frame work for the bunk beds in the spare bedroom. God what a mess, sawdust everywhere. Mia is tracking it in the house. I plan on doing a mortise and tenon of sorts on the exposed framing of the bed. I cut the first lines with a Japanese hand saw then carried on with the circular saw. Doing a Dado sort of thing. I had to work from left to right. The foot on the saw is wide on the left but very narrow on the right side. I used the right side for support as I cut narrow sections out. Always moving to the right. Here are a couple pic's to maybe help explain. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

As for the new sink I hit a few snags. It took me almost 2 hours getting the hole cut for the faucet. Very hard tile, good stuff! I bought a construction Silicone to fill in the gaps. After 5 hours it still didn't harden or even get a skin on it. My mastery of the German language failed me on this one. I had to dig all of it out. It will never harden:furious: I used paper folded in a V and ran it down the seam. I've read that a straw works good for this but I didn't have one. Mat got the Powder Coating done on the Faucet. The black looks fantastic! I have to go shopping for real black silicone tomorrow. Back at the bunk beds too. Busy, busy. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've had a busy weekend. The bunk bed frame is in, just need to clear coat it. I need to buy 1 more under mattress frame for the upper bunk. We call it a lettenrost, not sure the English word for it. I can now have overnight visitors. Syd you in? I got most of the tile trim around the kitchen counter top. About time for that, only been over a year.:yes: I applied 4 coats of clear on the bathroom sink table. Back to work tomorrow. Next weekend I get the water lines in the upstairs bathroom. I hope to get the following week off to get a big push done in the bathroom. Time to get a shopping list together. Here are a couple pic's of the progress. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Ok, I have a question. I bought a fiberglass tub off a friend. How do you mount it? Does it just free hang from a frame or does it have a lower support for the bottom? I want to try and spray foam around it for insulation. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks, dorf dude...


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## TrailerParadise

Mine has a piece of styrofoam under the bottom that provides even support across the whole bottom. Not sure where you would get one though, mine came with it glued on.


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## gregzoll

You could probably build a frame that would allow you to create a mold, so that you can form a foam support for the tub.


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## shumakerscott

So the tub need's a lower support? It just can't free hang in a frame? dorf dude...


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## gregzoll

I would think so, so that it is not able to just sit directly on the floor, even though you have a frame for it to sit in. Once you do the mold for the foam, just remove after setting up, then you would just have to place into the frame to support the top edge, but have a foam bottom for it to support even further from bottom flex.


----------



## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> Ok, I have a question. I bought a fiberglass tub off a friend. How do you mount it? Does it just free hang from a frame or does it have a lower support for the bottom? I want to try and spray foam around it for insulation. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks, dorf dude...


Bonjour DD.,

That fiberglass tub you will need support on both bottom and top right below the ridge edge.

DO not let it hang free without any support from the bottom otherwise you will get a tonnes of hairline cracks will show up. ( I know they can flex a little but more than a little forget it., It will do it big time ) 

I just have one done with one of my freinds about a year ago it was not too bad..

There is pretty thick styrofoam below the tub that is used for support the tub but do the below the edge as well so it will not flex at all.

Look like that is 250 liter tub. the one I did help with my freind he have pretty big arse sized tub that is 550 liter size corner verison.

Merci,
Marc


----------



## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> So the tub need's a lower support? It just can't free hang in a frame? dorf dude...


Bonjour DD.,

Oui or Ja. ( which way you want ) The steel or cast iron tub can support from upper frame if the casing is thick enough. But not the fiberglass unit that useally don't support from upper frame section at all.

See above for rest of my comment.

Merci, 
Marc


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## scoggy

*"Block out any place where 'sound' can get 'above' the tub*

Shu, I put a 'jacuzzi' tub into my upstairs Broom, and I should have ..'insulated' the 'sound' ..out..much better..don't know if this is innappropriate..but..INSULATE..to the max..because..when you are having a 'nice soak'..you do not wanna hear the ..'pump and mechanisms' working..believe me!
Cheers
Syd:no::no::no:


----------



## shumakerscott

The plumber guy showed up today and roughed in my water lines in the upstairs bathroom. Monday I will pickup drain pipes and start closing in the floor:thumbup:. I took next week off so some big progress should happen. I've worked on the sink today but am holding back pic's until it is further along. You will be blown away by this one! I am. Here's a couple pics of the water lines. There will be a work sink by the door. Then down the wall is wash basin, urinal, toilet and the long lines on the floor are for the bath. We will shorten them as things come together. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

I knew of a few people that got the tub placed approximately right, spray oil on the bottom and dumped in joint compound/plaster, etc. (sets reasonably quick and shrinks) and then resets the tub (weighted a bit) to create an an approximate base and pulls out the tub. After the solid material sets, shrinks and cures they put in a little spray foam in for isolation and then sets the weighted tub in the final location.

They claim is give a good solid base and the foam isolates and eliminates load concentrations and sound transmission (with jacuzzi jets). It makes a form tub feel like a rock soild cast iron tub.

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

I've been battling the sink drain for 2 days now :furious: I keeps leaking. After closer inspection I noticed 2 slits cut in the sides, WTF? They sold me the wrong one. This must be for a sink with an overflow system. Mine doesn't have that. I got busy with some self sealing tape and silicone and patched it up. Installed and waited a few hours. Leak test failed.  The stone is not cut exactly even. Round 3. I laid a nice thick bead of silicone and tightened up slowly and made a nice bead at the joint. I will wait overnight until testing. I also battled with the drain pipe but won that one :thumbup: If your building something custom then don't expect things to work right all the time. Adapt and overcome. Here are a couple pic's of the Pop-up drain and my mods. In the top of the last pic you can see the slit as it sits in the sink. Taken from underneath. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

You do not get to see pic's of the finished sink until I'm done. I'm keeping it under wraps. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I spent the morning measuring up the drain pipes. It got really tricky at the end where it joins the Stack Vent pipe. Of course I had to go back and get a couple more fittings. No matter how much you plan something a little detail will slip by. I also picked up the vent shingle adapter thingy. I just need to mount it and find center of the pipe. Drill a hole and cut from the inside for the vent pipe. Pic's of course as this happens. Here is the drain pipe layout and vent thingy. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

That bomb shelter may last forever and nothing will rust. That "thingy" will look good on the tile roof and is much better than wrinkled tin. that home is now ready for another 200-300 years.

Looks good and is nice to see the inside details and work now that it is cool outside.

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

Drain pipes are in, Stack Vent in, Floor set, Wall insulated. :thumbup:. Very productive day. Just after I climbed in off the roof a snow storm hit, perfect timing. The Fein Multimaster made quick work cutting the hole through the roof. I didn't trust the flex connection on the vent so I used lots of duct tape, just to make sure. With the insulation we just used up all the extra's I had around. Sure ain't pretty but gets the job done. Time to put up a wall. Here are a couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten quite a way's with the framing in the bathroom. Getting there. They sent the wrong drain pipe with the Urinal :furious:. No sense wasting the time and postage mailing it back. I'll just Amazon another one. I love shopping from home. All your stuff just shows up:yes:. I've talked with the city about putting up a carport. I've got the green light :thumbup:. No plans to submit, nothing. Just put it up and keep it under 50 sq meters. Cool. Here are couple pic's of the framing so far. I'll start framing in for the bathtub tomorrow. PS, Don't forget to take into account the finished floor height when planning and measuring dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten more wall framing done today. I cut the frame for the bathtub and was being clever and thought I was measuring correct. Wrong! I don't know what planet my brain was on. I had to break out the "Board Stretcher" A couple pieces of laminate flooring and construction glue. I'll give it 24 hours to set up. What a bonehead. I chose not to insulate the inside wall between the bath and bedroom. I'm single and do not expect many visitors. The main bathroom is down stairs anyway. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Matt got a new toy today. A multi axis metal mill machine. One heck of a tool to have!!! I want to learn how to use this thing for sure. 50 years old and still works as new. They built them to last back then. Here's a pic. He's hiding a sandwich behind his back. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got the lights for the bathroom today. These things are tiny and they put out 3 watts. 3 watts is quite bright. If you look into it you have spots for a few minutes in you eyes. We are going to have to powder coat them black but they rock:thumbup:. They are also dim-able. I will not cut holes in my ceiling but will make a wood channel for them. Here is a pic.


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## shumakerscott

I've been busy the last couple days. Greg has been over giving me a hand. Thanks! The OSB is starting to go up. We made light channels today. I did it this way so I would not have to cut holes in the ceiling. We got the first one mounted. Man these little lights are bright, very warm color to them, slightly yellow. Good for this room. We also got the bathtub frame put together and tub sitting for fit checks. Got a couple small adjustments to make but looking good. You have to think in 3 dimensions, adding the width of the wall and tile to all things. Gets complicated for the simple mind at times. Step back, drink a beer and think about it. Have a nights rest and look at it again. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Another 2 walls are in. Time to get more OSB. Light channels are in and waiting for the rest of the lights. Here's a pic. dorf dude...


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## princevlad

it took me a few days to get through all this and that was skimming everything.

Let me just say Wow. fantastic job.


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## jmon

shumakerscott,

Gregzoll suggested I stop by and check out your german house rebulid. All I can say from the start to where you are now is one incredible transformation.

Great job. I wish I had your skill set.

I was stationed in Germany for 12 years. 1977-1990, with the US Army. Grafenwhor was one of the largest US forces training centers in Germany at the time. That's where we did all our live firing exercises for MLRS, Lance/Pershing missile and hand to hand weapons training etc. I don't know if it is anymore, I'm sure a lot has changed since then. They were turning all the barracks back over to the Germans when I was leaving back in the early 90's. 

Germany has one of the nicest and spectacular landscapes, castles, and vineyards that I have ever seen.

good luck to you and great job by the way. What a spectacular transformation.

You should upload your transformation to utube and send to HGTV which is a home improvement, house hunter channel here in the US. They do exactly the same kind of demolition and restructuring projects. 

Maybe some day I'll see your transformation air.


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## shumakerscott

jmon said:


> shumakerscott,
> 
> Gregzoll suggested I stop by and check out your german house rebulid. All I can say from the start to where you are now is one incredible transformation.
> 
> Great job. I wish I had your skill set.
> 
> I was stationed in Germany for 12 years. 1977-1990, with the US Army. Grafenwhor was one of the largest US forces training centers in Germany at the time. That's where we did all our live firing exercises for MLRS, Lance/Pershing missile and hand to hand weapons training etc. I don't know if it is anymore, I'm sure a lot has changed since then. They were turning all the barracks back over to the Germans when I was leaving back in the early 90's.
> 
> Germany has one of the nicest and spectacular landscapes, castles, and vineyards that I have ever seen.
> 
> good luck to you and great job by the way. What a spectacular transformation.
> 
> You should upload your transformation to utube and send to HGTV which is a home improvement, house hunter channel here in the US. They do exactly the same kind of demolition and restructuring projects.
> 
> Maybe some day I'll see your transformation air.


Thanks, I would like to see it more public but I'm too busy:laughing:. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Further along. Greg has been stopping by and giving me a kick in the @ss. Thanks, I need it sometimes. The bedroom door wall is done, lights are all in, sink wall is half done, covey holes at the bathtub done. I hope I measured correctly on the covey holes. There should be a minimum of tile cutting if I got it right. Don't forget the thickness of the surrounding walls and tiles. You must add that in or subtract it as the case may be. I just love how technology with LED's is progressing. These tiny little lights kick butt and they are dim able. Unheard of 2 years ago. Here are a few progress pic's. I'm gone the next 2 weeks, no progress during that time. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

We've had a winter storm the last few days. About 8 inches of snow. I've been looking at the roofs to see who is melting and who is holding snow. The neighbor across the street just did his roof this summer and he is melting fast. Bad choice of insulation. There are a few others that are not doing to well either. Many are holding but they do not heat the house, only a couple down stairs rooms. My place is 100% heated to 23C and not one bit of melt from the roof. I only have 4 " of Styrofoam in the roof but it is one continuous sheet on the outside. Working great. I was told when I put it in that I needed much thicker. I don't think so!:001_tongue: I was also told that my wall insulation was too thin. I proved them wrong too. The stone mass inside warms up and holds the heat with a buffer from the outside. No cold bridges. I don't think the added cost of thicker insulation adds up to any savings with this type of structure. Just having a continuous insulation buffer seems to work fine. My heating costs are well below what others pay. I don't even have the Solar Panels in play yet Not that they would have helped this winter. Darkest we've had on record. No sun what so ever. Ok, I'm off my soap box now. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*'darkest on record'*

Shu, over here, we have had a few sunny days, one day of snow, and I read yesterday that we only have 1/8th the rain we normally get! Will be an interesting stretch from here until summer, Robins have returned, Daffodils and Croci, up and trees starting to bloom. Have to get back to finishing the downstairs bathroom! Will go out and source those LEDs you used, like em a whole bunch, and need something like that now, to complete my job.:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

I was on the road the last couple weeks, so no progress. Greg came over today and got me back into the project. He insulated the tub, we recycled the packing material from the urinal. I set some more electric cups and mounted the water pipes. I sure hope I got them in the right location. Plumbing is not in my comfort zone. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## frenchelectrican

Bonjour Dorf .,

There one thing I know you will probly cuss a little for last couple day I got hit with pretty strong snow storm and I am pretty sure you may got hit pretty hard as well.

I did got almost half meter worth of snow in my area ( Merde ! ) crazy ?

How much did ya got hit in your area ?

As far for the bathtub now that is heckva a nice idea now you are tempting me to do the same thing with my tub as well. I am planning to remodel my house soon not sure when yet.

Merci,
Marc


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## shumakerscott

frenchelectrican said:


> Bonjour Dorf .,
> 
> There one thing I know you will probly cuss a little for last couple day I got hit with pretty strong snow storm and I am pretty sure you may got hit pretty hard as well.
> 
> I did got almost half meter worth of snow in my area ( Merde ! ) crazy ?
> 
> How much did ya got hit in your area ?
> 
> As far for the bathtub now that is heckva a nice idea now you are tempting me to do the same thing with my tub as well. I am planning to remodel my house soon not sure when yet.
> 
> Merci,
> Marc


The last couple weeks have been bitter cold, down to -14C. Lots of snow. More coming with freezing rain. We got a couple really nice days about a week ago but that didn't last. I'm ready for Spring. I want to work in the tent but no heat, yet. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Another wall finished! Almost done then I can tile :thumbup:. Here's a progress pic. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Getting further. The metal trim was powder coated black by Matt. I goofed up on the measurements when I built the wall. I had to cut the first row of tiles by 1.5 cm. I got it close but you have to think in 3 dimensions or else draw it all out. I prefer to work with my hands and eyes. Here's a quick pic. dorf dude...


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## RWolff

concretemasonry said:


> The construction on this job is the traditional method that is common in most of the world that has centuries of proven durability and economy. It is a "heat sink" with many benefits.- It is not like a "short term" lightweight frame structure with very little mass and real thermal resistance. A heavy, massive structure works much differently than one created by "pink panther" users that have little thermal, moisture and structural stability and more durability/mold moisture problems.


There are two issues with this, one is, most people in the USA don't live in one house for 30 or 40 years, gone are the days when a family built ahouse, farmed the land and had generation after generation all living in the same house and passing it down the line. In the USA most people change jobs and careers as often as they change their underwear, they don't view a house as a HOME or shelter, they view it as an "investment" to live in and sell for more, move on to a bigger house for a few years, sell it and move on to yet another one.

Very few houses or buildings in the USA are older than around the mid 1850s, in a city like New York City I can only think of at most a dozen buildings that date to around 1810 or 1820, you will not find anything left from the 1600s and 1700s it's all been destroyed to modernize, build bigger, or due to fires.
I've seen huge mansions on 5th Avenue built of marble, cut stone blocks, fine woodwork, ornate gothic ceilings and the whole nine yards- destroyed in less than 30 years because they wanted either a taller building or a more modern one.

Here's the 1870 Stewart mansion, faced with white marble, it was demolished in 1901- just 30 years after it was built:










A building like that was built to last 500 years easily, it, and all it's neighbors in midtown Manhattan were all destroyed by the 1940s, most of them were barely 60 or 70 years old.

Modern construction in the USA reflects this, shoddy cheap OSB (oriented strand board for those who don't know what this is, it's a cheap mixture of sawdust and glue) used, fake brick veneer glued over OSB walls. No one really cares other than to get it built fast and cheap, because after a few years it's "outdated" and falling apart anyway, besides, the original owners are already on their third house forward anyway, with their first one long forgotten and someone else's problem.

Moisture: in the OLD days, when these German houses were built, they were like all old houses back then drafty, and leaky, but heat was cheap and they didn't know any better.
In the USA coal was king, coal was CHEAP, everyone burned coal, so much so that the brick and stone facades of buildings in the cities turned BLACK, no one cared if the furnace or fireplace was only 25% efficient because they could just shovel in more coal.

NOW however, when it costs hundreds of dollars a month to heat the ever increasing sized McMansions with 4, 5 and 6 bedrooms and 3 car garages people seem to "need" these days, every little leak around windows and doors adds up to a lot of money wasted heating the sky, as a result houses today are almost sealed fishtanks to keep out all the infiltration of cold air. Today we have gas burning appliances such as gas stoves, water heaters and furnaces that put out a lot of moisture, we have electric and gas clothes dryers, dishwashers, hot showers, humidifiers and more all putting lots of moisture into the sealed fishtank where it has no place to go but through the walls where it hits to cold exterior sheeting, aluminum or vinyl siding and condenses into ice.
Next we have construction that doesn't allow ventilation from the walls into the attic, blocked or no soffit and eave vents and the result is mold, mildew, moisture damage, rot. Add to this a roof that leaks a little, a washing machine that malfunctions and leaks 20 gallons of water into the house etc

Houses back in the old days were SMALL, a few hundred sq ft at best in footprint, my house built in 1930 was about 900 sq ft, today that size is a "starter" home or cottage.

Mass is fine but solid brick walls have near zero R value, the hollow clay blocks are better but every web that touches inside to outside is a "short" where there's no hollow cavity between.



> I defy anyone to define where the warm side and cold side on the wall is on this type of structure since the interior may be the warm side from January to March and the interior could be the cold side from April to August or September.


Which side of the wall is warm and which side is cold will reverse with the seasons, it doesn't matter really, since insulation's job is to SLOW DOWN the transference of energy no matter which side it comes from and whether its hot or cold energy, but most of the moisture that hits COLD surfaces comes from inside the house going thru the wall to the exterior which might be zero degrees. In the summer, even if it's humid and you have the A/C on, the room temperature is doubtfull it will get below 68 degrees F and it will be drier indoors anyway since the A/C dehumidies the air, the moisture from outside @ 85 degrees coming in and hitting the inside wall @ 68 degrees is hardly worth mentioning, certainly nothing like the reverse where the temperature difference could be 80 to 100 degrees and the moisture turns to ICE in the walls.

What I find interesting in this project I'll comment on more when I finish browsing the 120 pages of this thread! but this is real interesting to see the use of hollow clay blocks, our colleague who started the thread refers to them as "brick" but here in the USA they would be called hollow terracotta (or clay) blocks, and these were in use extensively in the USA back in the 1800s, especially around 1900 when skyscrapers were going up and these blocks were used in floors as well as partition walls because they were lighter, and fireproof
In fact one old building next to the World Trade Center site which suffered a lot of damage on 9/11 survived the big fires inside it burning for a long time, because it's walls and floors were made with this clay block!

I also like the tile roof and will comment more after I finish the whole thread in a day or two.


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## shumakerscott

Thanks for the comments. The big debate over "Heat Sinks" could go on for days. I'm living proof that this solid mass concept is working fine. My home is very warm, constant 23C, 74F, and I'm using minimal energy to heat it. In the summer it is nice and cool too. The pellet stove heats in 2 ways, 85% of the energy goes into the storage tank and then heats the slab. 15% radiates into the room. We have had a pretty extreme winter this year, still going, check the news. I just bought my 4th ton of pellets and that will get me through with some to spare. Total cost of 980 Euro. Lets compare that with anybody's gas or electric bill. :yes: The comments I get from visitors is that it is so comfortable and warm inside. In summer the heat stays outside if I keep the shades drawn during the day. Thanks for following and I enjoy your comments. dorf dude...


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## RWolff

shumakerscott said:


> The pellet stove heats in 2 ways, 85% of the energy goes into the storage tank and then heats the slab. 15% radiates into the room. We have had a pretty extreme winter this year, still going, check the news. I just bought my 4th ton of pellets and that will get me through with some to spare. Total cost of 980 Euro. Lets compare that with anybody's gas or electric bill. :yes: The comments I get from visitors is that it is so comfortable and warm inside. In summer the heat stays outside if I keep the shades drawn during the day. Thanks for following and I enjoy your comments. dorf dude...


Have to head to bed, but before I do... Your system is real good with the storage tank, and the solar, that's the way to go.

My house is about 1,000 sq ft total living space, but I also have a full basement which is heated. I have R100 +- insulation in my attic, the majority of the heat loss in a house goes up through the roof, so if the attic is super well insulated that's a big plus.
I added a wall inside the original exterior walls, the walls are about R21.

I heat with gas, I never turn my thermostat down, it's set around 71 degrees or thereabouts and stays around that 24/7, reading about moisture with your propane heat early on, sounds like an unvented construction heater to me, here all normal gas furnaces need to be vented to the outside, so then any moisture winds up out there instead of the room.

My gas bill which includes the 100,000 BTU forced air gas furnace, gas water heater, gas cook stove runs about $135 a month here during the cold months in Iowa where the winters normally get down to single digits.

One 5,200 BTU window air conditioner comfortably cools the entire house even when its 95 degrees and 95% humidity at times in the summer here.

You might be able to convert these values to compare them to your costs and all.
My electric is a little over 7 cents a kwh and even with 3 computers on 24/7, and the sound system, and all my lights etc it rarely costs more than about $50 a month.

Last month's bill I used 158 therms of gas (therm is 100,000 BTU) which was $135 with the service charge, tax and use.
My electric shows I used 751 kwh of electric @ 7.5 cents, or $65 ( but $8.50 of that is a service charge you pay even if you use nothing)

I use the utilities' free budget billing plan which equalizes out the costs more evenly so you don't get $45 bills in the summer and $400 bills in the winter, they recalculate every 3 months and adjust accordingly up or down, and by the end of the year it's pretty close to what was used.

So my monthly payment is actually $103 for gas and electric, and all taxes, that's about as cheap as it gets!


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## shumakerscott

7.5 cents a kilowatt! I pay almost 5 times that, 34 cents. That's why so many people are putting up PV panels here. I have an alternative plan it the back of my mind. Now if I could only find the time....:whistling2: Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Some more tiles up. I had to raise the top of the bathtub frame to allow a single tile perimeter around the sides. You will see it in the next couple days. Now the tub is too high and I will have to add a step for getting in and out. It might be a good chance to get artistic. We'll see. I built a cubical in the tub frame. I will use it for toilet paper and cleaning supplies. Here's a pic of the progress. Tomorrow will be a lot more visual progress. dorf dude...


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## hyunelan2

$0.34 a kilowatt? Wow! After our recent aggregation program went into effect, we are paying $0.0483/kilowatt (plus distribution fees and taxes, for a total of $0.0732/KW). In fact, at work we were looking to switch all the city streetlights to LED. Once the aggregation program dropped the cost of electricity, we can't justify the cost of the program as the savings in electricity will not be enough to cover the increased cost of the bulb over their usable life.

At $0.34 though, every light in the city would be LED, that's for sure. I now see why you have put so many LED fixtures into your house. At your rates, my last ~$125 bill would be nearly $500 for the month! I'd be unscrewing 3 of every 4 lightbulbs!


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## shumakerscott

At $0.34 though, every light in the city would be LED, that's for sure. I now see why you have put so many LED fixtures into your house. At your rates, my last ~$125 bill would be nearly $500 for the month! I'd be unscrewing 3 of every 4 lightbulbs!

My brother is getting ready to build a shop/apartment. I talked to him about LED's for lighting. It would be cost prohibitive. But the property sits on a bluff with a great potential for a wind generator. That will pay off in spades compared to the savings with LED's.


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## shumakerscott

Last wall is up :thumbup: Tub base is sealed, tiles going up. I might actually get the tub in on Sat. My vision is finally becoming real. Looking better than expected. Here is a pic. dorf dude


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## frenchelectrican

hyunelan2 said:


> $0.34 a kilowatt? Wow! After our recent aggregation program went into effect, we are paying $0.0483/kilowatt (plus distribution fees and taxes, for a total of $0.0732/KW). In fact, at work we were looking to switch all the city streetlights to LED. Once the aggregation program dropped the cost of electricity, we can't justify the cost of the program as the savings in electricity will not be enough to cover the increased cost of the bulb over their usable life.
> 
> At $0.34 though, every light in the city would be LED, that's for sure. I now see why you have put so many LED fixtures into your house. At your rates, my last ~$125 bill would be nearly $500 for the month! I'd be unscrewing 3 of every 4 lightbulbs!


I am not far behind the dorf dude with electric rates and I do pay anywhere from 0.15 to 0.30 "Cents" per kilowatts depending on the time and the day it used.

Most of my time it useally average about 0.22 "cents" That why I used alot of CFL or new LED if they are pretty well set up.

That rates is based in EDF in France but I know Wisconsin is much lower IIRC about .08 to .10 KWH but I will check on that later to confirm that number.

Merci,
Marc


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## shumakerscott

The tub enclosure is getting close. I will need a step for getting in and out. Campbell came up with the idea for a massive beam. I just so happen to have one. Unfortunately I have left it outside uncovered. I cut it ruff and am drying it on top of the pellet stove. I think about a week drying should get it. I have time. Here are a couple pic's dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude-

Just rotate the chunk of wood 90 degrees every day to avoid one dry side and 3 others not as dry. That should keep thing stable after a week and drive the moisture out uniformly.

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

Almost done with the tiles. I ran out of light and energy. I made an access panel for the drain. I used 2 hard drive magnets and a couple washers to hold it in place. For holding the tiles up in the cube I used a slat just slightly longer than the height, worked great. For cutting the tiles I made up a jig. I just moved the screws as each piece was cut. Beats the heck out of trying to hold them with your foot as you cut. Matt's brother showed up and got the shop/tent hooked up to the main power:thumbup:. No more extension cord running across the yard. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Today I got the grout in. Now I know why I don't like doing tile. What a pain to get nice and clean. Black was not the best choice but well worth the effort. The contrast is fantastic. Greg stopped by and gave me a hand mounting the sink and urinal. Starting to look like a bathroom. I have a little more tiling and grouting to do. Today was Sunday so I had to keep quiet. No grinders cutting tiles. I found a company selling PV solar systems that just hook up to a normal household socket. I ordered a 735 watt system. It is only 3 panels but I can expand it in the future. No new hardware to buy. They have micro inverters that mount behind the panels and parallel up with each other. I have been waiting for this type of system. No electrician needed to tie it into the grid. Pay back time is about 8 years. I plan on adding more in the future. Here are a couple pic's of the bath. The tiles need a final wash in a couple days after the grout has really set up. dorf dude...


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## RWolff

shumakerscott said:


> That's ok at the the moment because I start a new job on Monday:thumbup::thumbup:. I could only give a 2 days notice and my boss is really mad at me. After 4 1/2 years it was time to go. I will be Maint Tech on a mobile Counter IED suite.
> http://ict.usc.edu/projects/mobile_c..._trainer_mcit/


This was a couple of years ago, page 95 haha, but I went to look at that web site and wanted to ask if you/the branch you work in now have had any involvement with a virtual environment called Opensim?
It is similar to "SecondLife" with a fully interactive virtual 3D world you can build in, move around in etc. I run a server from home, connected to a public access grid in Germany in fact and here's a couple of pics of a building I did last year, it took 3 months and over 9,000 objects. I don't want to derail your house thread, so if this is something you do too, we should do a thread on this as a new topic.

You mention working in a military branch, and this is soemthing happening now in fact, and there is talk about using opensimulator software for various simulations as well as for vets with PTS to use to decompress with:



> The Military Open Simulator Enterprise Strategy: Rationale and Use Cases
> The Military Open Simulator Enterprise Strategy (MOSES) is an experiment designed to test the limits of 100% open source software designed to re-create the stable Second Life(r) experience. The primary goal is to determine if MOSES can be placed on a private network, behind a firewall, and completely disconnected from the Internet. MOSES is hosted at the U.S. Army Research Lab Simulation & Training Technology Center in Orlando, Fl. It is installed on US Army servers and maintained by the Army. It is connected to a commercial network so that users access it from the open Internet.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RfqIFRmhKQ


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## RWolff

shumakerscott said:


> This is the true sense of Ironic. I didn't even open it or read it. My dog really did eat it:yes:. Now I have to buy a new one to replace it. She is getting to be quite the handful. dorf dude...



LOL!!!!!!! that's gotta the funniest damn picture I've seen in a long time hahaha, trust me, those of us with dogs are no strangers to the irony of events like this one, mine have mostly taught me to keep pens and all papers off my desk, if I don't, when I come home the pen is certain to be on the floor in pieces with blue ink all over, and the papers are guaranteed to be securely shreaded and left randomly across the floor like so many rose petals scattered by the wind. Of course only the most critical portions of any paperwork's text will be consumed while the rest of it is just shreaded 



> With the price of gas so expensive here, over $8 a gallon, I will probably switch to fuel injection. It will pay for itself in short order. dorf dude...


The funny thing is how people in the USA scream gripe and complain when gas went UP to $3 a gallon, and I tell people that in Europe, people pay twice what we do as a normal price. I also tell people the Canadian keystone pipeline is NOT to bring us cheaper gas, it's for Canada to send it to the Gulf port cheaper to sell it OVERSEAS where people would be happy to get it for as cheap as $6 a gallon, they aren't going to sell their $6 gas to us for $3!!!!

I usually drive a scooter, 80 mpg, popular in Taiwan and many places in Europe, catching on here in states but still too many get in their "two ton tanks" (3/4 ton pickups with dual rear wheels and extended cabs) to go to the grocery store 3 blocks away for ONE bag of groceries, then they complain and whine about it costing $100 to fill the tank...
I bought this a year ago this month, it already has 2000 km on it, I even ride it when it's down in the single digits F to work, the store etc. I can carry 3 bags of groceries on it. Hardly ever use the car any more now, this runs real nice, about 35 mph (50-55km) electric and kick start and it was under $700


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## cleveman

Dude, tell us what you are doing to fix the tile to the walls.

Mach's gut aber nicht so oft.


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## RWolff

cleveman said:


> Want to point out to everyone that -40 C = -40 F.
> 
> Tell us about the rolling window shutters, costs, etc. I assume you have them on your windows. Options-insulated pvc, etc.



Out of curiosity I looked them up here in the states, they sell them especially in Florida for hurricane and security, but all the homes they are pictured installed on are these huge, expensive McMansion.
One site that actually listed prices- the others all had contact forms for "estimates" so you know they are expensive!!!

I punched in an approximate rough double hung window size of about 36" x 60" and the manually operated one was over $600, the motorized one was over $1,000
So, figure on about $1,000 per window at least.


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## shumakerscott

cleveman said:


> Dude, tell us what you are doing to fix the tile to the walls.
> 
> Mach's gut aber nicht so oft.


http://www.vebatec.de/en/produkte/1k/flex.php
Here is the link to the glue I used. This is really tough stuff. The tiles won't be falling off in my lifetime. dorf dude...


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## RWolff

concretemasonry said:


> When I lived in northern MI, my wife got criticized by older neighbors for hanging out laundry on a Sunday even though she worked 6 days a week.
> .


Wow is all I can say, that and DD's situation about noise/work on sundays sounds a lot like the antiquated, and I might add unconstitutional "blue laws" in the US back bafore the 1950s when it was an actual crime to open a business on sundays or buy alcohol.

Thankfully, "the church" here no longer has the power it once had to arrest, try, and even execute people being accused of or suspected of being "witches," or fining/jailing business owners for daring to open a business on sunday even if their belief system was totally different.

I'm old enough to remember the "blue laws" and I'm amazed they lasted as long as they did, now sunday is like any other day of the week, most larger businesses and stores are open, except banks, those that aren't open choose not to open, but it's no longer under threats of fines or jail.




shumakerscott said:


>


As a wolf enthusiast I live it  I sponsor a wolf at two different wolf sanctuaries.


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## gma2rjc

Here in West Michigan, if you live in Hudsonville or Holland, you can be pretty sure that a lot of businesses won't be open on Sunday, but it's better than it used to be. I believe you still can't buy alcohol on Sundays in those towns.

A guy my brother used to work with lives in Hudsonville. The guy was working 60 to 70 hours a week and the only day he had off and could get work done around his house was Sundays. He was outside washing his car one sunny summer day and the water stopped coming out of his hose.

He set it down and walked over to the spigot around the other side of his house and the thing was turned off. He thought that was strange, turned it back on and went back to cleaning his car.

Pretty soon, it stopped working again. He went around the house and turned it back on. Well, this happened a few more times and he couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. So he stood just off to the side where he couldn't be seen from the spigot and as soon as it shut off again, he poked his head around the corner and caught his elderly neighbor guy shutting it off.

When he went over there, the old guy lectured him about not working on Sundays. They take it pretty seriously around there.


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## RWolff

gma2rjc said:


> Here in West Michigan, if you live in Hudsonville or Holland, you can be pretty sure that a lot of businesses won't be open on Sunday, but it's better than it used to be.


That's more of a they are already open 6 days and do need a day off kind of thing, and sundays are usually slow anyway.




> I believe you still can't buy alcohol on Sundays in those towns.


Which if enforced by anyone probably violates something I'm sure, it just hasn't been challenged there yet in court, but I find it pretty outrageous that one religion foists it's own rules on everyone else that way. They ar elucky I don't drink or live there, because I WOULD file and go to court for my rights to purchase a legal product on any day of the week I want to.



> He was outside washing his car one sunny summer day and the water stopped coming out of his hose.
> 
> Pretty soon, it stopped working again. He went around the house and turned it back on. Well, this happened a few more times and he couldn't figure out what the heck was going on. So he stood just off to the side where he couldn't be seen from the spigot and as soon as it shut off again, he poked his head around the corner and caught his elderly neighbor guy shutting it off.


Oh boy, someone tries that kind of stunt on my property I simply would not tolerate that one bit! He would get one warning, then the next time the police will be on his doorstep citing him for trespassing, I would take that very seriously here!


----------



## shumakerscott

Greg came over and framed in the roof window. I got the silicone done and the tub is set. I'll let it dry over night and the water connections should be done tomorrow. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## BleachCola

Looks great !


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## shumakerscott

Tub is done:thumbup:. I took my first bath on Easter. I got the floor all cleaned up and put down the underlay. It is a foil sided foam, about 2mm thick. Urinal is working too. The toilet will go in once the floor is done. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got a way's laying the laminate in the bathroom. NOW WAIT A MINUTE!! I did lay laminate in a bathroom. A gap is left at the ends but I have the same stuff in the Pool Room. We have partied and spilled quite a lot with no effect. This is no Box Store Laminate. I read from the label. "25 year residential, 12 commercial warranty. Impact resistant, resistant to household chmicals, slip resistant, under floor heating stable, abrasion resistant, cigarette stain resistant, scratch resistant, UV stable, wear resistant, hard to inflame." With all these qualities and a proven track record over the last year it will be fine in a limited use bathroom. Mia can't even dent it with her claws. Here's a pic so far. Now I'm down to some table saw cuts. Should be done tomorrow. dorf dude...


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## OCPik4chu

Just wanted to post to let you know that I finished reading through your thread and I am extremely impressed. I loved seeing all your progress and solutions as each stage came along. I would love to have a house like that here in the states for sure. I am looking forward to further progress indeed. And if you are curious Id say it took me a bout a week of periodic reading to get through the whole thread.


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## shumakerscott

My PV solar panels showed up today. :thumbup: Delivery was for the AM. The dude showed up at 11:59. He made it by 1 minute. Now to get them up and mounted kicking back my electric bill. Only 3 panels, 735 watts, but a start. I can easily add more in the future as $ become available. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Is that some sort of a mini-inverter in the pic there Shu?


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Is that some sort of a mini-inverter in the pic there Shu?


Yes the inverters are outside mounted under the panels. No big tie in at the junction box. Just plug it in to the house and it will buffer my electric backwards. Simple and really cool. I can't wait to get this on line. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I had a smoking hot bath tonight after working on the roof:thumbup: Bath's Kick @ss. I finally have one. The insulation on the tub is working great, no need to top off with hot water. I got the first set of PV mounts in today. I don't see why the solar won't be online tomorrow. Here are a couple pic's of the mounts. German roof tiles work so well in this situation. I can do what I want and not puncture the envelope. I just had to take off a tab on the roof tile with the grinder. Here are a couple pic's of the solar mounts. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I called in some help for getting the PV panels up on the roof. It only cost me beer.:drink:I had a brain fart when I measured for the mounts but with the roof tiles it was an easy fix. Just swap them over. I'm making power:thumbup:. The manual says the panels won't produce power until they are hooked up. They lied. I got zapped! I think I'm addicted to solar, I want more panels. Looking at a wind generator too. Can I hook a wind generator direct to an inverter and tie in to the grid? Here are a couple pic's dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

This is how easy the connection is. Just plug it in, that's it. I ordered 3 more panels this morning. They will tie in with the existing ones with a jumper cable.


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## frenchelectrican

Bonjour Dorf.,

Just wondering what the cost of the solar panels ya got there? ( In Euros or Dollars whatever it suit ya )

But just be aware it will take a little while to recoupe the cost of the panels but once it recouped then after that it is your money build up there.

We do have some solar panels over here but they have to run thru the transfer switch which it will lock out once the main grid system go out ( I know it can capable to run in island mode but some case it hard to justify it)

Merci,
Marc


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## shumakerscott

frenchelectrican said:


> Bonjour Dorf.,
> 
> Just wondering what the cost of the solar panels ya got there? ( In Euros or Dollars whatever it suit ya )
> 
> But just be aware it will take a little while to recoupe the cost of the panels but once it recouped then after that it is your money build up there.
> 
> We do have some solar panels over here but they have to run thru the transfer switch which it will lock out once the main grid system go out ( I know it can capable to run in island mode but some case it hard to justify it)
> 
> Merci,
> Marc


 Marc, the cost is 1500 Euro for 3 panels, inverters, cables and mounts. What I like about it is it just plugs in to an existing outlet. dorf dude...


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## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> Marc, the cost is 1500 Euro for 3 panels, inverters, cables and mounts. What I like about it is it just plugs in to an existing outlet. dorf dude...


Bonjour Dorf Dude.,

That pretty low price on the panel I think you got it a pretty good deal with it.

I know some of the solar panel the price did go down some but I did not expect that low for KW rating of that panels.

By the way how big those panel is ? 750mmX 1200mm size ?

Merci,
Marc


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## shumakerscott

The panels are 1m60 x .80m. Here is a link to their site.

http://solar-pac.de/epages/solar-pac.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/solar-pac/Categories

Your right about the cost being low. I've been waiting and looking for something like this in this price range. Now I'm exploring wind power. Nothing huge but something to take advantage of our windy weather here. Around the 500 - 1000 watt range. I spoke with the neighbor and they have no problem. Now I have to talk to the city about height restrictions. I'm not looking at a big pay off. I just want a lower electric bill. Prices keep going up. Maybe in the future I will go off grid but for now this system helps. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## Windows on Wash

Nice update.

Keep up the good work.


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## flamtap

Marc mentioned this too, but there is someone in my area in NC who put up a large solar array, but he has to run it through a switch of some sort as well, which effectively turns off the solar array if the "grid" power goes out. 

This is to prevent a utility worker being electrocuted while working on downed lines or something, not knowing that the solar panels are still connected and powered. I imagine there must be a transfer switch that will allow the panels to continue working in an outage, but he doesn't have one of those, yet. 

Does your system have any sort of cut-off? Or a way to monitor just how much "juice" it's giving you? Anyways, it's very cool. 

flamtap


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## yipper

This is a great thread... awesome stuff!


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## shumakerscott

flamtap said:


> Marc mentioned this too, but there is someone in my area in NC who put up a large solar array, but he has to run it through a switch of some sort as well, which effectively turns off the solar array if the "grid" power goes out.
> 
> This is to prevent a utility worker being electrocuted while working on downed lines or something, not knowing that the solar panels are still connected and powered. I imagine there must be a transfer switch that will allow the panels to continue working in an outage, but he doesn't have one of those, yet.
> 
> Does your system have any sort of cut-off? Or a way to monitor just how much "juice" it's giving you? Anyways, it's very cool.
> 
> flamtap


The "Juice Monitor" is on order. I have no disconnect switch except for just unplugging it. In the future as I fine tune we'll see. I'm really starting to get some ideas. I would love to hear suggestions too. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I went over to my Buddy's place today to get my brakes fixed and summer tire's mounted. A neighbor showed up and my friend said to me "Tell him what you just bought" Referring to my PV solar panels. I tried to explain and then just pulled up the web site. solar-pac.de He was going off, "No way" You can't just plug a solar array into a common outlet. There must be safety features. If the grid goes down and you are still making power then I could shock the sh!t out of the whole village and I would be legally liable if some one was to get hurt.!! I'm thinking Huh??:no: I would have a better chance of winning the Lottery. I'll take my chances. If power went out then we would be having a storm, no sun light. My peak output is 735 watts at this time, divide that between all the houses in the village. Man the mentality :whistling2:. At times I really have to wonder why Germany is the leader of Europe. It turns out my friend set me up. The neighbor is an Electrical Engineer ect... They don't do well with new ideas. Things must be done in the proper way and pay for all the inspections. Keep the machine alive. Not here with me!! Those of you that have followed this thread know that. I'm putting in more panels:thumbup:. Just plugged into a common outlet. Pushing my meter back one day at a time. The goal is to reach 0 usage. I can not make more than I use. I have no contract for selling back excess. Things get complicated then. They buy back at less than they sell anyway. No real advantage for all the extra work. I know people with huge systems that took out 20 year loans with the bank. On paper it will work out in 15-20 years. I'm over 50 so I will pay as I can afford it with cash. No loan. Thanks for letting me rant, dorf dude...


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## Oso954

Try unplugging it midday. (Careful, if it is producing the prongs are a danger.) Put a voltmeter to the prongs and see if you have any voltage. My guess is that you won't have any.

Grid tie only inverters are normally set up to separate the panels from the grid on power failure. Your panels contain some type of mini -inverter to sync with the grid, they probably shut off on loss of grid power.
If they don’t shut down, I’d get rid of them. 


Grafenwoehr. Brings back memories of freezing in the cold, with tanks running all over the place.


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## gregzoll

Oso954, would be even easier if he just had a kill switch like this http://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Button-Weatherproof-Pushbutton-Switch/dp/B0091ZP10Y/ref=pd_cp_hi_0 We actually got one for a gag, for one of our LAN coordinators, as a "Internet Disconnect Switch".

Schneider Electric has this http://products.schneider-electric....ts/safety-switches/solar-disconnect-switches/


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## shumakerscott

*Try unplugging it midday. (Careful, if it is producing the prongs are a danger.) Put a voltmeter to the prongs and see if you have any voltage. My guess is that you won't have any.

*I forgot to mention that I did unplug it and tested for voltage, 0 volts with the sun shining. A system like this goes against the long established institution. "You must hire a Meister" I was told that so many times during the complete house build. I just said Nope, I think I will try it myself. So far so good. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

We had our first nice sunny Spring Day. My power meter was turning backwards! :thumbup: Now that's what I'm talking about. 3 more panels in a week or so. That should get me doing alot better on overcast days and really kicking butt on sunny days. Here is a link to a Plug and Play Solar firm in the states. I know nothing about them but it is similar to what I installed. http://plugandplaysolarkits.com/ The key for Solar to work is to have an efficient house to start off with. Insulate and have low power consumption, Ditch the halogen lights and go LED. At the moment I miss the direct sunlight after about 4pm, I have a south east lay with the roof. I plan on adding panels down the road that are more south west and that should keep me covered. My next 3 will be on the same orientation as the present. This is fun! dorf dude...


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## flamtap

> Can I get an electric shock when I touch the grounded plug? No, the inverter turns on only when it is connected to the power grid.


The above is from the web site, translated to English by Google. I'd be curious to know if your panels will produce any power if your "grid" power goes out. Can you turn off your main breaker to test? This safety feature might be built-in. 

flamtap


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## shumakerscott

flamtap said:


> The above is from the web site, translated to English by Google. I'd be curious to know if your panels will produce any power if your "grid" power goes out. Can you turn off your main breaker to test? This safety feature might be built-in.
> 
> flamtap


If the grid goes down I do not make power. I tested the voltage on the plug, 0 V. It requires grid power to make power. There is no way they could sell a system that would have Live voltage on a bare plug. The lawsuits would pile up. Now I might home brew something that would :whistling2:. I've got a couple ideas for the future. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

At 6:30 am, dawn, I was making 12 watts, at 8:00am I'm making 295 watts and climbing and the meter is going backwards. Supposed to be sunny all day:thumbup:. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I made a total of 2.2kw today with a high of 772 watts. I could by a beer with that but not at a bar. With the additional panels this could really ramp up quick. I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas. dorf dude...


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## frenchelectrican

shumakerscott said:


> I made a total of 2.2kw today with a high of 772 watts. I could by a beer with that but not at a bar. With the additional panels this could really ramp up quick. I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas. dorf dude...


Bonjour DD.,

Just wait for few more days then the cost will start recovering so you should have few nice days to get it running what ya need it.

Merci,
Marc


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## RWolff

After reading the parts about your LED lights, I decided to try one, wow, they work great!
I bought a LightKiwi PAR20 50 watt equiv. supposed to use 6 watts, on Amazon.com and put it in the track light over my computer desk, that baby is bright!
I bought 3 more and put 2 of them in the window lamps at my gallery building which I leave on 24/7.
They replaced 2 CFL's that were using about 52 watts, those CFL's tend to burn out. I'm saving about 40 watts an hour now but when I get some track lights for the gallery I'll definitely use these LED bulbs, probably the PAR30 size though.


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## shumakerscott

Way to go on the LED's. It is important to reduce the load through out the house. Lights are a key area that power can be saved. I just switched out an outside Halogen flood light for a 10 watt LED. My dog would always trip the motion sensor at night. Light on, sucking power. I've been using LED's for 2 1/2 years and not one failure. Cfl's I've had 3 die already. Also things that are on standby take a look at. I have a couple more things to work on in that area. You add up the watts and then multiply that over a month or a year. Huge. I think I might be getting my first commission from the solar panel company. A friend wants to buy a system. I will get a bit if he does. My power meter is still behind the starting point from 6:30 am yesterday morning. Not much sun at all today but the rest of the week is looking good. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

My power meter is behind where it was 3 days ago:thumbup: I have a split meter that switches at 10pm and back at 6am. I have 2 rates, day and night. I don't kick back the night one of course. Tonight I moved and mounted the solar hot water frames. I will talk to a local firm about getting them hooked up. I don't do plumbing per say. Here are a couple pic's, new LED spot light, 30 times more efficient than the old one. And a pic of the roof solar. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got the 2nd 3 sets of brackets mounted. Now I only need a couple people to help me get the panels up on the roof.:thumbup: I'm thinking about 2 more panels for the back side of the roof. I stop making real power after about 3:30pm or so. 2 panels on the back side would allow me to catch the last few hours of sun light. I think it would be worth it in the long run. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

3 more panels mounted, Thanks Greg for the help! Rain predicted over the next couple days so it will take some time to see the difference. I did a little budget check and I think I can get 2 more panels to catch the later days rays. Campbell came over and we all ended up sitting on the roof and had a couple beers in sun. Good time and great progress. Great vantage point from the top of the roof. People driving by were looking up and I'm not sure what they were thinking. 3 guys with beer sitting on a roof just hanging out?? Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

We had overcast conditions yesterday but it got bright enough for the solar to make a peak of 1046 watts. Not too shabby. Every little bit helps me not pay the power company at the end of the year. I've been needing a rain gutter over the top of the door on the tent. After some thought I glued a board above the door to the tent frame. I re purposed a florescent fixture for the job. It is glued and screwed, water tight. I started to knock down the little wall off the barn. Man did they use some good mortar:furious:. I thought it was going to be an easy job. Once I get it down then a Bobcat can fit through and remove all the extra dirt I have up behind the tent. Get it leveled out and grass planted. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

> Every little bit helps me not pay the power company at the end of the year.


You pay your electric bill once a year?


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> You pay your electric bill once a year?


I pay monthly with a yearly reading of the meter. They base my monthly costs on the yearly usage. Having the panels kick my meter backwards this year should reduce my monthly payments next year.


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## shumakerscott

I kept a first time measurement on my power meter on 14 Apr, it read 4582. Today is 1 May and I have a reading of 4590. That is 8 kw over 2 weeks. At 26 cents a kw I've only used 2.08 Euro more than I have produced :thumbup:. We have not had sunny summer weather. Many rainy days. I watch a big plasma tv every night, make coffee, pellet stove runs every night, laptop, lights, hot water pumps ect... I'm the dorf dude and I endorse this product!! :laughing: I'm not sure if I need more panels come summer. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## gma2rjc

It will be interesting to see if the power company contacts you or comes out to change your meter, thinking yours is malfunctioning.

I say that because when we moved into this house we had a few electricity-hogging appliances and replaced all of them within a short period of time, cutting our electric bill down drastically. One day a guy from the power company knocked on the door to let me know that there would be an interruption of power for a few minutes or so, while he replaced the meter.

I told him that the meter was brand new as of October, which was probably about 6 months prior. He (lied) told me that they were replacing all of the meters up and down the street. I asked all of my neighbors and not one of theirs had been replaced. They didn't charge me for it, so it didn't matter to me. Had they simply asked, I would have told them why my usage dropped.

The same thing happened the year I weatherproofed the house so well that our gas bill (on the budget, year-round) dropped from about $131 to around $60 per month, give or take a few dollars. Anyway, the gas company came out and let me know they were replacing the meter. It took me a little while to realize why they did it.


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## shumakerscott

gma2rjc said:


> It will be interesting to see if the power company contacts you or comes out to change your meter, thinking yours is malfunctioning.
> 
> I say that because when we moved into this house we had a few electricity-hogging appliances and replaced all of them within a short period of time, cutting our electric bill down drastically. One day a guy from the power company knocked on the door to let me know that there would be an interruption of power for a few minutes or so, while he replaced the meter.
> 
> I told him that the meter was brand new as of October, which was probably about 6 months prior. He (lied) told me that they were replacing all of the meters up and down the street. I asked all of my neighbors and not one of theirs had been replaced. They didn't charge me for it, so it didn't matter to me. Had they simply asked, I would have told them why my usage dropped.
> 
> The same thing happened the year I weatherproofed the house so well that our gas bill (on the budget, year-round) dropped from about $131 to around $60 per month, give or take a few dollars. Anyway, the gas company came out and let me know they were replacing the meter. It took me a little while to realize why they did it.


There is a movement against these "Plug and Play" solar systems. They are trying to say that they are dangerous and you must have an Electrician designed and installed system. That keeps the money in their pockets. I have mine hooked up safely. It is only 3 wires. I'll keep my money in my pocket Thank You! Plus I did not have to take out a 2nd mortgage to finance the system. Another win for me. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## gregzoll

gma2rjc, I joked with our gas meter reader and electric/water reader, when we started to tighten up our house. I have started to see a savings on our gas, with our new water heater, on the latest bill. Cannot wait for the summer bills, when they are pretty much zero for use, but still of course you have that damn gas delivery and line maintenance charges on the bill.


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## shumakerscott

I finally got the little wall knocked down. My cheapie hammer drill fell apart. Literally. The front just fell off and the motor was smelling funny. You get what you pay for! I will not be buying an expensive one to replace it. I'm almost done. 1 more cheap one should do it. I broke out the Big Dog impact to finish the wall off. It was a cheapie too but has really held up well. Here are a few pic's. The Fire Dept. is having a Fest again on Sunday. They started putting up the tent tonight. I know I will not be driving a car on Sunday:drink:. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

You have to watch out for the German firemen at a beer fest. They make everything enjoyable and possibly dangerous. Is this near your home?

Are the German alcohol laws as tough as the Netherlands? (0.0%?).


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf dude -
> 
> You have to watch out for the German firemen at a beer fest. They make everything enjoyable and possibly dangerous. Is this near your home?
> 
> Are the German alcohol laws as tough as the Netherlands? (0.0%?).


Concrete the last pic was taken from my driveway. That's my fence and mail box at the bottom. All I have to do is crawl across the street. We have a limit of .03% so this boy won't be driving. I might have to call in sick on Monday. :whistling2: dorf dude...


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## gregzoll

Is that a transformer cabinet next to the tent?


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## shumakerscott

gregzoll said:


> Is that a transformer cabinet next to the tent?


Yes it is. When they put in the new street all the houses went underground power. They took the overhead cable down some months ago.


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## scoggy

*You really have mastered..*

DD you really have mastered how to turn a VW into a Mercedes!! WOW..love those solar panels..and how they help you! Prolly see your house on TV, on a 'retro fit' show about making your home into a King's lare, great work! Could have prolly seen you guys on the roof on .."Google Earth" =====8^) Excites me to come back and see it!
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

I got this tool 15 years ago and can't remember what it does. I think it's for a table saw to do angle cuts but there is no holding the piece of wood with it. It's a piece of junk but would still like to know how it's supposed to be used. Any ideas?? dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Not 100% certain Shu...but I think what you do is to put one side up against your saw fence, hold the wood against the other side and then push the wood through your saw. I made a couple of similar gadgets out of wood, one is adjustable, the others are fixed at a specific angle.

You don't need to clamp the wood to the tool in any way. Try it with a piece of plywood and see how it works.

Turning the tool from one end to the other allows either a right or left hand cut.


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## ponch37300

cocobolo said:


> Not 100% certain Shu...but I think what you do is to put one side up against your saw fence, hold the wood against the other side and then push the wood through your saw. I made a couple of similar gadgets out of wood, one is adjustable, the others are fixed at a specific angle.
> 
> You don't need to clamp the wood to the tool in any way. Try it with a piece of plywood and see how it works.
> 
> Turning the tool from one end to the other allows either a right or left hand cut.


That would be my guess also. Here is a google search for "table saw angle jig", http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...urce=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=K06FUf6gE_O10AGqlIDwDw


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## scoggy

*Happy birthday*

DD, happy May 10th Birthday, I will be away, so wanted to wish it to you now, hard not to remember yours, when mine is on the same day:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Cheers
Scoggy


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## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> DD, happy May 10th Birthday, I will be away, so wanted to wish it to you now, hard not to remember yours, when mine is on the same day:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
> Cheers
> Scoggy


Thanks, back at ya but your always going to ahead of me, old timer:whistling2:


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## scoggy

*DD..almost!*

Shu, went to a 'auto meet' in S California, last week, and a guy had a 'stang ..like yours...for $10000 us, and I thought..****.. that is toooo much, but, that is now the 'new' .."stang' ..priice! And yours...is way 'out there'!!!!
Cheers
Syd:whistling2::whistling2::whistling2:


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## shumakerscott

I finally got the last wall in the bathroom pretty much finished. The solar hot water guy stopped by and will install in the next week or so. I had to have a place for him to mount the hardware. With the PV solar panels I've saved 34 Euros so far :thumbup:. Here's a pic. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The Solar hot water guy is supposed to get my panels hooked up this week. I put up the wall paper on the section where he will be mounting the hardware. I suck at wall paper. :no: Yes I cut 1 section too short. There is a learning curve. Today's weather was total [email protected], Mia won't even go outside, so I worked on the lights above the bar. They are beer bottles with the bottoms cut off. Older LED's for the bulbs, low power. Not super bright. To change the bulb all I have to do is unscrew 2 connections and drop the bulb out the bottom. Worked out great. Last week I put up an add for "Free Firewood" to try and get rid of the old beams I cut out of the roof. I would not get around to burning them for years. A guy showed up right on time and got 2 loads out with 1 more to go. Good to have them gone. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Solar guys showed up at 7:30 this morning. I hadn't even had a shower yet. I had them move the big red pressure ball out of the down stairs bathroom. Sure looks better. They will finish up tomorrow. I got the tiles up around the work sink area. Just need to grout it. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The Solar guys didn't get it done today but almost. The vacuum tubes did not want to mount through the plastic rings on the frame. They shrunk after 2 years outside on the roof. It took them a couple hours. They were cussing :furious:. All tubes are mounted finally. A real nice job plumbing the pipes. They just have to fill the system and get a few hook ups done. Rain and cold predicted for the long term. I won't get a good test with them for a while. I took a pic of their van. It says that the firm was established in 1710. 1710? What kind of heating and plumbing did they do back then?? Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I had to go to work today but the Solar guy's got it done. I'm now "Green" :thumbup: I have no idea how they set up the programming. I think I will take it at face value and trust that the parameters were set correctly. It's their job on a daily basis. Of course now that I'm ready the weather has gone to total sh!t. Supposed to be rainy and cold for the next week. I can't wait to get the whole system in to operation working together under ideal conditions. I still made some electric from the PV panels though. It gives me a good feeling knowing that it's all come together. Now I'm waiting on the bill. 2 1/2 days for 2 guys plus their materials. Here is a pic of the Solar stations. on the left the little white meter is tracking my electric production. Next project! dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Today we had broken up spells of overcast with some sunshine but low temps. The solar hot water was working great!:thumbup: It picked up and transferred enough heat to keep the house and hot water up to temp during the day. I now have the pellet stove going during the night. It is going to keep things warm until I go to work tomorrow but not burning a lot of pellets. This system seems to be working out great. Time will tell. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

We now have a new web page format. Lets see how that works out. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*New web page*

Shu, saw the NWP, and the first time..got lost, but a few beers, and was ..on!
Your house looks better every time! Black Bears in the back yard..so..it must be Spring!
Cheers
SCOGGY:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> Shu, saw the NWP, and the first time..got lost, but a few beers, and was ..on!
> Your house looks better every time! Black Bears in the back yard..so..it must be Spring!
> Cheers
> SCOGGY:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


I've got my thinking cap on and can't figure out what the "NWP" is? Please de-code your message:yes: Thanks buddy. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Campbell came over and installed the door between the bath and bedroom, Thanks:thumbup:. I got the utility sink and faucet mounted. In German it's called an Ausgussbecken. I think it has a nice ring to it. I've got one more doorway to finish and then the last door can be mounted. I should get that done today. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Time for an update. I gave away the wood pile and that exposed the retaining wall that wasn't really retaining any thing. I didn't want to keep the rocks so I put an online add for "Free Landscaping Stones." The wall was gone the next day and I didn't have to lift a finger:thumbup:. I finally got a rain gutter mounted on the awning at the entrance. What a difference. So much dryer with no splash from the ground. Notice in last pic the splash on the wall where I still don't have a gutter. I buried the power cable to the shop and leveled out the dirt. I've ordered the round stones for putting up a new wall where the old rock wall was. Same one's I used last year behind the tent. I will go much higher and level out behind it. This is going to be pretty big by the time I get done. I still have so much stuff to clean up but no place to store it until I use it. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The Great Wall begins :thumbup:. Today I had the sand, stones, and 20 bags of cement delivered. They wouldn't breakup a pallet of stones so I had to get more than I calculated. I might end up needing the extra ones in the future. 35 Euro for delivery was a great price considering how many trips it would have taken me to get every thing. The truck driver has been watching the build since the beginning, just from driving by. He was blown away and asked if he could stop by in the future. I said sure. Mia claimed the sand pile as "Her's" The foundation row of stones is in and level. I just need to stake it with rebar and then it will not be going anywhere. Here are a few pic's and I hope for great progress over the next few days. I've already got 2 people that want to throw junk behind the wall before I get the dirt in. Aren't walls great for that. dorf dude...


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## Amateuralex

My back is hurting just looking at all that.


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## shumakerscott

Amateuralex said:


> My back is hurting just looking at all that.


At least I didn't have to move the wood pile that was there or remove the stone wall. It was cleared for free. I had a clean pallet to work from. Some digging and stone removal but could have been worse. Stay tuned... dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

2 rows are in. :thumbup: 2 1/2 ft rebar stakes on every other stone with concrete. God I'm sore. Solar update- I read my meter tonight and I'm 5 kw behind my 14 April reading. I need to use more! We've had a couple good sunny days. Hot water is also working great, I've got 60C in the 1000 liter storage tank. More stones going up tomorrow. Here's a pic. dorf dude


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## Windows on Wash

Awesome. 

I am feeling for you brother.

Apparently the dog is not as sore in this case and a bit more well rested.


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## shumakerscott

3 rows higher. :thumbup: I will now need a scaffold to work from. I plan on at least 2 more rows higher. Getting there. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Last 2 rows are up. This is finished height, 5 ft. I will buttress the sides to the angle of the hill. It will be clear as I go along. We are having a heat wave, 98 F. My 2 solar systems are working perfectly. I have massive hot water and my power meter has been pushed back 12 kw before 14 April's meter reading. Maybe 6 panels were to many. Her's a pic of the wall as of today. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Last row is finished! I also set footings for the awning that will come in the top of the stones. I have set the first buttress, all 4 stones are rebar staked deep in the ground. This puppy is not going to move. The old wood shed will have to come down. The only problem is that it's full of wood. It has to come down so the new awning can go in. Time for a wood moving party. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude....


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## scoggy

*Was thinking of you..*

DD, went from 'here' to Winnipeg Manitoba, in 35 hours, stripped a '57 Ford..to nothing..put all parts into the interior of the '57 2 door, my friend is having shipped..and..on the way there, missed the 'BAD' weather..and on the way back..missed the BAD weather..what a great "MOTHER NATURE"..lottery win!
That is why we live on the side of a mountain! Are you gonna have a "shent-out" party this year?
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> DD, went from 'here' to Winnipeg Manitoba, in 35 hours, stripped a '57 Ford..to nothing..put all parts into the interior of the '57 2 door, my friend is having shipped..and..on the way there, missed the 'BAD' weather..and on the way back..missed the BAD weather..what a great "MOTHER NATURE"..lottery win!
> That is why we live on the side of a mountain! Are you gonna have a "shent-out" party this year?
> Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup:


I will have a "Shent" party when you come over:yes:. The Shop-Tent "Shent is now paid for compared to the rent I used to pay for the old shop. :thumbup: Solar update. I've saved 84 Euros in electric, 29 Kw before my 14 Apr meter reading. The hot water has had 131 hours of production. This dual system is working great. There will be no progress this week, I'm on the road for work . Many people would be jealous that I get to go to Italy but I really don't care for it. :no:. I like Germany much better. Schnitzel and Beer is way better than Pasta and Wine. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Have an interesting time on your assignment to Italy.

Are going over the hump by road or flying? I drove to Italy via Vienna and enjoyed northern Italy, but refused to drive south of Florence (crazy drivers and bad roads except the big ones). I bailed out and went back around Mt. Blanc (I did not have the time to go through the learning process). We did find some good German "style" food in the north, but beer was difficult unless you stayed in a private place.

Fill us in when you return to see Mai.

Dick - The other Schu.


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Have an interesting time on your assignment to Italy.
> 
> Are going over the hump by road or flying? I drove to Italy via Vienna and enjoyed northern Italy, but refused to drive south of Florence (crazy drivers and bad roads except the big ones). I bailed out and went back around Mt. Blanc (I did not have the time to go through the learning process). We did find some good German "style" food in the north, but beer was difficult unless you stayed in a private place.
> 
> Fill us in when you return to see Mai.
> 
> Dick - The other Schu.


I drove the Brenner Pass. All the Autobahn's are under full construction and thousands of campers and trailers heading south. It took 9 hours of [email protected] driving with idiots. A couple close calls but safe and sound. I've learned some of their dirty tricks on the road. It doesn't pay to be nice around here. I'm not sure if I will get any "Tourist" trips in for pic's. I just want to go back home. I will get a big greeting by Mia for sure but she is really happy at the dog hotel. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I made it home safe and sound. Mia gave me a huge greeting and has been hanging on me all weekend. I will get back on the wall this week. I'm still sore from what I've done already. Solar Update. I'm 43 Kw ahead of my 14 April reading. 92 Euros total production. I'll post pic's as the wall gets further. Thanks for following.


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## shumakerscott

I've got the 2nd buttress wall in. The neighbors ground is really pushing into my property. This should stop it. I really wanted to procrastinate this one but I dug deep and got it done. Now I can sleep well knowing it's done but my back is feeling it. I will continue to the right 2 bricks high for about 25 ft. They won't stay level. I will go with the lay of the land. Here's a couple pic's. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I finished laying the rings today. I ended up staking every other one. I called Matt to give me a hand finishing it. I mixed and he ran it up the hill and poured. It only took about an hour. Much nicer with help :thumbup:. Thanks!! Mia has been hunting Bumble bees all day. Now that the back side of the wood shed is cleared out she waits for them to fly in and out and attacks. Before there was too much junk to have access. She also loves laying in either the sand or sawdust. No way I can keep a clean house. She tracks it all in. I still have some wall work to do but getting there. Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Mia looks quite slim after chasing the bees.

Out of curiosity, why are some of the wall blocks a laid in staggered or running bond for a different appearance? It is just because the local supplier did not have the half length units? With you low height and thae amount of grout you mixed it is certainly not a strength problem since I have seen those units in 3 individual 15' walls stepped on a gravel footing with no problem.

Dick - the other Schu


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Mia looks quite slim after chasing the bees.
> 
> Out of curiosity, why are some of the wall blocks a laid in staggered or running bond for a different appearance? It is just because the local supplier did not have the half length units? With you low height and thae amount of grout you mixed it is certainly not a strength problem since I have seen those units in 3 individual 15' walls stepped on a gravel footing with no problem.
> 
> Dick - the other Schu


I staggered the main wall rings for strength. The hill behind will be pushing against it. They are filled all the way through with concrete. The side walls are stacked straight on top of each other because I don't see a need for so much strength and when I stagger them I must use a form to finish off the row at each end. The half ring you mentioned is not available. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've only gotten a little further with the stones. I've been gathering up junk as back fill. Lot's of little projects not worthy of this forum to mention. A solar update. I'm 75 Kw before I mounted the PV panels on 14 Apr, 123 Euros saved. The hot water has had 271 hours of production so far. The water tank is staying above 60C, 140F. Here's a couple pics. Mia is still hunting Bumble Bees dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

It's been way to hot in the evenings to do any work this week. I got up early on Sat and Sun and laid a few more stones. Getting there. I went for a motorcycle ride with Matt yesterday. We ran into a guy at the wind turbine with a 1938 Zundap. Starts on the first kick. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I waited out the heat and got prepped for another concrete pour. I had 32 C showing and the UV in the direct sunlight was killer. I ordered another pallet of stones today. I had to cut the neighbors fence out of the way. He never sees it, it's on the back side of his shed. I threw a piece of fiberglass roofing in to close the hole. Now Mia will not be sneaking out. Looks terrible but for now it will do. Here's a pic. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten a little further. This is the last of the 2 stone stacking. The rest will be singles. I have about 6ft to finish on this section. All rows have been re-bar spiked deep. This wall isn't going to move in my lifetime. :no: Another pallet of stones scheduled for delivery tomorrow. Weather for the weekend is predicted for extreme heat 95F+. I will be getting up early for sure. I really need to find a way of covering the neighbors ugly doors. I'm thinking Bamboo mat's. Any other ideas? I'm open for suggestions. Here's a pic. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Looking good!!

Now you have gotten some of the borders under control, what is the next later summer project before thew cold weather? Is the back area going to be natural flowers, a lush lawn or a meticulous putting green? Are you into BBQing?

Winter is coming soon before you can turn to more interior work. - Pay attention to drainage since what goes up comes down and eventually has to be drained. I imagine everything will drain around the house toward the front.

The bamboo will work well for a few years, so you can change it then.

Dick - the other Schu


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## gma2rjc

You could staple mesh wire to your side of the neighbors' fence and grow some kind of ivy or vines on it. 
It would be mostly maintenance free and, after a year or so, would look nice too.
.
.


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## shumakerscott

We are having a Heat Wave. It's 11 AM and already 85F. I started working this morning at 6 just to beat the heat. The one side wall is done :thumbup:. I've noticed over the last couple days a Wasp's nest in the yard. Mia has started doing battle with the Evil Creatures. I took matters into my own hands and concreted over the whole area. Let's see them get through that! Here are a couple pic's. Not much more getting done this weekend. Getting even hotter tomorrow. "Edit" We hit 101F dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Last night we had a storm from hell hit us. It has been so hot for the last weeks with no rain. A front moved in with extreme violence. I thought it was a Cat. 5 Hurricane. Tree's were either uprooted or just snapped off. Matt lost a few trees. The tops are loaded with cones making them very heavy and the winds did the rest. One pic he's holding a top that weighs about 40 lbs. Here are a few pic's I took around the area. I have not noticed any damage on my house. The sound of chain saw's singing is all you could hear all day. Not DIY but thought you might be interested. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

WOW! That's an impressive wind for sure. Look on the bright side...free firewood for everyone!


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## shumakerscott

Here's a Radar pic of the storm. I'm located exactly where the pink area is just north of Amberg.


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## cocobolo

Was there any official wind speed given at the peak of the storm?


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## concretemasonry

Mother Nature can be brutal. I think the storms are a method of survival for the fittest and getting rid of those that are not strong enough. - That reminds me that I better get some tree trimming done of some I want to save.

Judging from the skies in the pictures, you now have some clouds. Did any heavy rains dump a bit on you?

Did you even hear the storm from the inside of you bomb shelter? Those roll up shutters do the job, but make it hard to enjoy the entertainment. I imagine the protective area you built for the wasps protected them well and they just emerged later. I had some wasps bury in the sandy soil of my lake home, but I did not dump the waste concrete wide enough, so they got out and brought the whole family back with them.

Dick


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Mother Nature can be brutal. I think the storms are a method of survival for the fittest and getting rid of those that are not strong enough. - That reminds me that I better get some tree trimming done of some I want to save.
> 
> Judging from the skies in the pictures, you now have some clouds. Did any heavy rains dump a bit on you?
> 
> Did you even hear the storm from the inside of you bomb shelter? Those roll up shutters do the job, but make it hard to enjoy the entertainment. I imagine the protective area you built for the wasps protected them well and they just emerged later. I had some wasps bury in the sandy soil of my lake home, but I did not dump the waste concrete wide enough, so they got out and brought the whole family back with them.
> 
> Dick


Dick my yard was ankle deep with water. We had flooding. I found a drowned mouse just outside my door this morning. Other areas had huge hail, almost baseball size. I'm glad that missed us. It broke roof tiles and windows. Yes I could hear it inside. The plastic roofing of my awning was so loud with the rain hitting it. I never put up a rain flashing on my entry, I had water leaking inside last night. Time to fix that one. As for the Wasp's I think I got them. They only had 1 entry that I could see. I'm not calling that one yet but... Supposed to be cooking hot again by this upcoming weekend. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten started on a new project. Knocking the stucco off the wall between me and the neighbor. My plan is to raise the cement stones and replace the plastic boards for a privacy fence. Here is how far I got today, about 1/4 of the way. What a dirty job. The temps are supposed to start climbing by the weekend. We'll see how far I get. Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## Jim F

I can't picture where that stucco wall is. Is that the wall between your house and your neighbor's? I suspect you will post more pics with a more perspective as the wall project progresses.


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## shumakerscott

Jim, here is another perspective shot. The grey boards will come down and I will brick up to the same finished height. It's the stucco below the grey boards that is getting knocked off and re-done. I hope this helps. dorf dude...


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## Jim F

Scott, I put most of your outside progress pictures together in a zip file that should be viewable and in order with this link. 

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8NZmhehEnrRUTc0RGo1MHRwMDg/edit?usp=sharing 

I couldn't upload the zip file directly due to the file size being over the 100 kb limit. If for some reason it doesn't work, or you want it removed, one of the admins can do that for you.


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## shumakerscott

Jim, I'm not sure how to manipulate your link. But Thanks. I had to give my wrist a break today from the air hammer. I've decided to raise the wall behind the "Shent" one more row. The ground behind will be more level then. I got another delivery of sand today and of course Mia had to claim the pile as "Her's" I drilled into the existing stones and spiked them with rebar. I've found that my band saw is the best way to cut it. Fantastic tool.:thumbup: I was using a grinder and cutoff wheel before. Here are few pic's. dorf dude...


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## Han'D'

shumakerscott said:


> ... I really need to find a way of covering the neighbors ugly doors. I'm thinking Bamboo mat's. Any other ideas? I'm open for suggestions. Here's a pic. dorf dude...


How about planting bamboo. Can you grow it there?


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## Jim F

shumakerscott said:


> Jim, I'm not sure how to manipulate your link. But Thanks.


 Try this: 

Click link,

Under file tab click download,

Click Extract all files in the left pane,

Follow Extraction Wizard prompts,

A new box comes up with the picture thumbprints. In that box is a left pane where you can view the pics as a slide show.

Hope this helps. I just thought it would look really dramatic to see outside progress from a couple of perspectives, front and back over the years.


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## shumakerscott

Campbell's son is on summer break and is looking for work, I hired him. He sanded my awning beams and clear coated them. I set the stones behind the "Shent" 2 more to go then finished. Here are a couple pic's from today. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I finished the snow fence on the roof. I've been getting materials from www.Bausep.de Great service. I also got the insulation for the tent from them. Here is a pic. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Greg came over this morning and gave me a hand putting up the Bamboo screen. Wow! What a huge difference:thumbup: It is amazing what a little investment can do. No more looking at those ugly doors. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

My roofing came in this week. I had a few helpers come over today and now the new roof is on the old barn. It is fiberglass reenforced plastic panels. We went right over the top of the old roof. We extended the front a little bit. This gives more rain protection underneath. Here are a few pic's from today. I'm dead. Not used to getting up and down on my knees so much. Now it's time to get the rain gutters ordered. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've been blown off by 3 different people with Bobcat's for leveling out my back yard dirt piles. Guess what? I'll keep my money and do it my self by pick and shovel. :yes: Going quicker than I thought. Which isn't very fast but.... I'm like an ant. Keep chipping away a little bit. I've gotten a few more ring stones set too. Starting to take shape. The rain gutter showed up the other day for the new roof. I hope to get it up this weekend. Here's a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## clambake6

I've been following your project for quite awhile now, and I have to finally chime in. What an amazing job you've done there! Demonstrates the fact that just about any project can be handled with the right attitude.

I spent 8 months at Graf back in the mid=1970's. Actually, our unit, How Btry 3/2 ACR, lived at Vilseck while they remodeled our barracks at Amberg. Spent many many hours on the tank trails at Graf (both in the dust and in the mud) as well as out on the bunker line.

I'll bet things have changed a bunch over the last 40 years.


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## shumakerscott

Graf has changed a lot since you were here. The tank trails are paved now.

I've been busy. I've had to dig all the dirt out of the way for the wall to pass. I felt like I was cutting a pass for railroad tracks to go through. You can see the stone wall we put up last year. I don't think I'm going to leave it there. I'm leaning towards raising the cement rings another row higher. That will give me a larger area that is flat. Here are a couple of pic's. 6 stones further. All spiked of course. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I was in Italy last week for work. I got a nice pic from the car as we went down the Brenner Pass. Greg and his kids came and gave me a hand yesterday. The rain gutter is finally mounted :thumbsup:. I got further with the wall. We busted up all the old windows and buried the glass. His kids loved breaking out the glass. I started a fire and burned all the frames. While we were at it we burned up about 12 pallets, 10 doors and tons of old wood that was just laying around the past 5 years. If it would burn we threw it on the fire.:yes:. Major yard clean up. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've been slowly back filling behind the wall. I've been setting stones along the neighbor's fence. I hit some huge roots. I considered cutting the stones short but then in the future the roots would push to wall up. I cut the roots off. Problem solved. It took more time but... Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*I had some help tonight. Work took about 20 minutes but the Beer drinking lasted a little longer! That is the last stones for that side. Time for back fill. The top step is "Monolithic" That is an inside joke. It's one of those "Big" words. They had hedge bushes on sale for half price. I bought 13 and checked the spacing. I goofed in my math. Back for 5 more tomorrow. I need more stone rings anyway. I'm on Staycation next week. I hope to get alot done. Pic's of course. dorf dude...
*


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## shumakerscott

I picked up 5 more Arborvitae and 9 more concrete rings yesterday. I put a couple hours in this morning moving dirt over. I'm dead! I forgot about the big rocks we buried under this dirt pile. I'm going to have to break out the jack hammer to take care of a couple of them. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I finally got my wood delivery for the awning in back:thumbup:. Of course Mia has claimed the piles as "Hers". I've been setting more stones and got started on the posts. Now maybe you can get an idea of what I have planned. The awning will be above the old shed. I'm defiantly going to need some help getting the beams up. They are wet. Here's a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Much further!:thumbsup: We had one heck of a hail storm 2 days ago. The new rain gutter caught it and dumped it in my yard. Looked like soap foam. I had some help today getting the roof joists up the hill and up on the frame. These suckers are green and really heavy. Around 150 lbs each. I'm done in. Thanks guys! I got the pellet stove for the shop and punched through the tent for the stove pipe. Wait until you see how it get's finished! I got started with some tile work for fire protection. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## frenchelectrican

Bonsoir DD.,

We did heard that you got hailstorm but we got some rain but not too bad.

That is pretty instering to see how you punch the hole to the tent for le exhaust for pellet stove.

I will give you a quick update that I got injuryed from work but I am ok and the other thing is that myself and my lady we both got married not too long ago but only one twist of fate that my mother did get a chance to see my wife before she passed away and right now I am in Wisconsin for a short while then will head back to Paris.

There is a details about the injury in electrical section and it called funky jobsite you may have to dig it a little but you will find it.

We will throw a link for you.

http://www.diychatroom.com/f18/freaky-jobsite-crossover-electrician-talk-186272/

Merci,
Marie et Marc


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## shumakerscott

Glad your not hurt too bad Marc. The blocks in the wall are Ytong. They are a silica based insulated block. Pretty soft stuff. Heat transfer won't be a problem. I was kicking around a couple of ideas on how to get past the tent layer. Then I remembered the advice Campbell gave me. "Drink a beer" So I did and "Bing" The solution became clear! I screwed and sealed the tent to the framing and coated the outside with cement stucco. I'll add 1 more sealing of silicone between the tent fabric and stucco. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got up with intent of getting further today. I started and my body said "No Way" My muscles are dead. I made a couch day of it. I'm back to work tomorrow and need a break. Here is a side profile pic of the new framing going over the old shed. I have about 10" clearance over the roof line. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

*Pellet Stove Issues*

Those who follow this know that I run a Pellet Stove. Today it wouldn't feed pellets. I'm very familiar with working on this thing by now :yes:. If you decide to go with a pellet stove I would recommend that you be pretty handy. I have ordered my winter pellet supply but delivery won't be for a couple weeks. I picked up a few bags from the hardware store to tide me over. So as I was checking out why I had no feed of pellets it didn't make sense. The motor would turn, feed cup was free but the auger wouldn't move. I got the shop vac out and sucked all the pellets from the auger. On close inspection I found a nail wedged against the auger and side wall. That nail was in the bag of pellets I just bought.:furious: I'm going use a magnet to check for any more nails in the rest of the bags after I dump them in the stove. All the issues I've had have not been due to component failure. The stove is great. One lesson learned is to let the stove run completely out of pellets after a few bags and vacuum the sawdust out. That keeps it from getting packed up in the auger. Here's a pic of the offending culprit. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*When you told me..awning..*

Shu, after our phone call, and now seeing the item in place..yes..it does make sense to me..now! Boy I was way off, trying to imagine what it was! Everything looks fantastic, and work is getting done..wish it was same here ==8^( Just gotta keep on pushing!!
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

The pellet stove in the "Shent" is up and running. :thumbup: I have come up with an undercover chimney. When the wood stove goes in to the right of the pellet oven then I will go higher with the chimney. Things are coming along. dorf dude...


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## poorboy01

*Scott...thanks for all the help*

Scott, thanks for the inspiration. I was toying with finishing my basement and stumbled on your thread. I love reading every detail. It’s given me the drive to move forward and start framing things out.

I especially love that you’re in Germany. My home country I guess you could say. Our family came to the US:thumbsup: just after the civil war from a little town called Nolle in the Melle? Section of Germany. I know nothing about that town other than it still exists to this day and that’s where we took our last name from...any idea how they would pronounce that in Germany...anyway...I think it’s about 125 miles to the NW of you.

We’re gearing up for Oktoberfest here in the next week or so...nothing like the real thing you’ve got but at least our little town still does it in the correct month.

Anyway keep up the good work and I look forward to following along....I’ll have a Martzen tonight for you while I run the chop saw.


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## shumakerscott

poorboy01 said:


> Scott, thanks for the inspiration. I was toying with finishing my basement and stumbled on your thread. I love reading every detail. It’s given me the drive to move forward and start framing things out.
> 
> I especially love that you’re in Germany. My home country I guess you could say. Our family came to the US:thumbsup: just after the civil war from a little town called Nolle in the Melle? Section of Germany. I know nothing about that town other than it still exists to this day and that’s where we took our last name from...any idea how they would pronounce that in Germany...anyway...I think it’s about 125 miles to the NW of you.
> 
> We’re gearing up for Oktoberfest here in the next week or so...nothing like the real thing you’ve got but at least our little town still does it in the correct month.
> 
> Anyway keep up the good work and I look forward to following along....I’ll have a Martzen tonight for you while I run the chop saw.


I'm glad you have found an insight from what I've done. Not sure about your family origins location. I tried a search but it all ended up way up north. I would like to see a Project Showcase of what your doing. We all would. Good luck on your project and thanks for following. Stay tuned, I have many more things coming up. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

All the trusses are set. The cross latten are set. I worked out the total length to include the rain gutter overhang. I hope I got it right!  Just need to cut for the final length. I finally got the Arbor Vida planted. I left gaps at both ends so Mia can sneek in and out. On the road this week so no more progress until next weekend. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

This weekend we got the roof up :thumbsup: I've spent the last couple days getting the rain gutter up. I planned on dumping the shed's water into the shops gutter. We'll see how the works out when we get heavy rain. Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten all the finish work on the awning done. Bracing, trimmed to length ect... I went on a service call last week and got a great photo op. I thought I'd share. This morning we had a great fall sunrise. I missed the great part by the time I got the camera. Still not too bad. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Welcome back Dorf Dude!

It looks like you are getting ready for the cold weather and possible snow and have plenty of wood scraps to use for roasting sausages up with a few brews to wash them down.

Dick


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## shumakerscott

I've spent some time inside the "Shent" I finished getting tiles up in the heating corner. 5 meters of work bench are in. It sucks having to keep moving things out of the way. Eventually I will get this mess organized. Moving in a hurry and just throwing things where they land creates more work but I was against a time schedule. I have heat and winter looms. Plenty of time to get this organized and functional. The bench grinder is portable. I can set it up as needed. Just the vice is set. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Over the last 2 days I've had 3 tons of pellets delivered. Long story. I can fit 192 sacks in my entry. :yes: They smell great. Unfortunately as things go, the price has risen this year. They will always get you in the end. Short of having your own forest there is no way to save. My annual heat bill this year should be around $1800. But this will include heating the "Shent" Still not bad. We will see how bad the weather gets. The "Old Timers" are saying bad winter. Stay tuned. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Are you going to recycle the pellet bags? - That seems to be the green thing to do.

Everything is a far cry from the start a long while ago. Probably, the most advanced and energy efficient place in your town or near by.

Dick


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## cleveman

My old neighbor used to tell a joke about how the indians used to know when the winter would be cold, because the "white man made up a lot of firewood."


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## shumakerscott

Yes the bags get recycled. I use one and stuff the empty's into it. We recycle every thing here. Solar update: I've saved 242.00 on electric and have made 777 hours of hot water. When there is a 6 degree difference between the solar panels and the hot water tank then it starts. At the moment I have a dual tariff electric meter, day and night. I've requested a single tariff so the solar will push back against my total usage, not just the day time. If funds are available then I will add more panels next year. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Now I'm ready for snow. My buddy Greg came over and gave me a hand putting up a temp carport. I hope the tarp will make it 1 more season. I broke out the duck tape on a couple areas. :wink: I will look for some type of solar powered light with a motion detector. I had one 2 years ago but poor design left it water damaged. Here's a pic of today's progress. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*The 'new roof' on 'carport*

DD..are you kidding me! Once the snow arrives on the upper part, it will accumulate and flow,hence transferring the accumulated weight to the bottom part of the slope..and then..I don't think those supports without 'cross' structure are gonna do anything..but..collapse..but then again..you prolly figured the run and the rise of the slope..and all will be ..good! All I remember is that 10 inches of snow equal one inch of rain..on a flat surface..and snow..accumulated..has an impact speed of 70KMH over a flat 20 degree surface..unobstructed..so..maybe snow will 'fly' off the edge!
Cheers
Scogy


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## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> DD..are you kidding me! Once the snow arrives on the upper part, it will accumulate and flow,hence transferring the accumulated weight to the bottom part of the slope..and then..I don't think those supports without 'cross' structure are gonna do anything..but..collapse..but then again..you prolly figured the run and the rise of the slope..and all will be ..good! All I remember is that 10 inches of snow equal one inch of rain..on a flat surface..and snow..accumulated..has an impact speed of 70KMH over a flat 20 degree surface..unobstructed..so..maybe snow will 'fly' off the edge!
> Cheers
> Scogy


I'm no engineer but the sliding of snow is not my worry:no:. I hope it will slide. I used massive lag bolts to tie this thing together. The header beam on the house is set quite well also. My worry is flat snow load. I jumped the gun with the last pic. I have another beam added and when it does snow I will put a jack stand under it. I was busy cutting up old wood today. I'm trying to give it away. It saddens me but I had to retire my old boots today. Over 15 years with the original laces. The bottoms are slick as glass and toes worn through. It's time. Good bye old friends. dorf dude...


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## gregzoll

You could always get a pellet maker, to turn that old wood into Pellets.


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## gregzoll

Do not show Mia this picture. She may like to dress up the same way, next time you go out to the range.


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## avengerki

DD I love your rebuild!!! First I get drawn into pretty much non-stop reading of Cocobolo's beautiful Gulf Island Build, but then I hop over to check out your thread after seeing all of your comments over there and I can't stop reading your thread. I love those old European homes and loving your build, maybe some day I will finally get my passport so I can go for a visit.

I love your attitude. So many times I have been told you can't do that let a professional do it, I still do it. A few years back I had a roommate(really I was the roommate and he my landlord) that couldn't even clear a clogged drain on the kitchen sink, he had poured an entire pot of rice down the drain, he was going to call a plumber to come fix it. Needless to say I cleared his clog for him the whole time he was going "are you sure you know what your doing?" "don't break it". Stick it to the naysayers, if you never try yourself how are you going to improve yourself.

BTW, I am only on page 53 now so got some ways to go to catch up. Oh ya, I love your webpage I had to laugh at that.


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## shumakerscott

Avengerki, Thanks for following. I've really slowed down lately. Winter is setting in and I've been busy with work and a short vacation. I went to Edinburgh. Next week I'm back to Italy. The pellet stove in the shop is set to hold 10C. The problem is the hopper is not very big. I made an extension from cardboard and duct tape. That will give me a couple more days that I don't have to fill it. Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## Tscarborough

You Sir, are a Freak. And I mean that in a good way.


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## cleveman

I have a shop which is basically a garage on an uninsulated slab with maybe r-13 in the walls and r-30 in the ceiling and I haven't seen it drop below freezing.

So on one hand, I don't think you'll be heating it much to 50 F. On the other hand, I don't think you have to heat it at all.

More importantly, I would not park a car under that carport with a snowload on it.

I built a pergola a couple of months ago, and I spanned only 12' with 2x6's, 12" oc and the actual span was about 9' because they were cantilevered over the beams. The beams were 3 2x12's with 1/2" plywood in between, bolted together.

I don't see that you have much for rafters or beams there.

Keep up the good work. Mach's gut aber nicht so oft.


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## avengerki

Woohoo finally read it all. I was wondering how the laminate was holding up on the counter tops? Did you put a sealer on over the top of it, or sealed the seams some how? I just finished installing laminate in a bedroom the other week, with another bedroom to start in a couple of weeks. I do wish I had gone with a cork flooring but I am looking at using cork flooring elsewhere in the house. 

I like the plug and play solar panels you got. I keep looking at getting a system for my MIL's cabin but she needs a battery backup otherwise I think that would be about perfect, although I think it could work for me maybe. During the winter she has frequent power outages for a few days to a couple weeks at a time.

Love all the use of LED lighting, I need to look back into it as its been like five years and the last one I got didn't work for my purposes.

Have you thought about getting a pellet mill? I know they have a medium size initial investment, but I think you can use like leaves, any paper product packaging and even some plastics to make your own pellets, besides just wood. 

I love your upstairs game room. From the cork wall to the beer bottle lighting it is wonderful. You also happen to have two of my favorite games in there, darts and pool. Do you use a throw rug or something in front of the dart board, those occasional bounce outs can be really rough on a laminate floor. Thank you for not having one of those long tube fluorescent lights hanging over the pool table, the lighting flickers so it tires your eyes even if you don't notice and it does not light a table properly multiple spot lights is the best way to do it any your LED's should be great for that.

Great stain glass work. I love the eagle and old man winter. I know you are not doing any now but looking forward to what you come up with in the future whenever you get things settled down enough to start working on that again.

Your ability to find different and non-standard uses of materials is great. I always love getting told something won't work, I try it and it works great. I have gotten so many ideas from your rebuild that I can't wait to try them out when I get a chance. I love the devices and gadgets you can get there that are hard to impossible to find in the states.

I did get a tool like your Fein tool and really like it a lot also. I know yours is killer but I got what I could within my budget. Sorry for the long post I just didn't want to keep making small ones and saved it all up till I finished catching up. Keep up the great work, any complaints about your shent, are you eventually going to apply for a permit and then build a thermal mass outside? When I saw you building the retaining wall around the tent I kept thinking you know if he got the permits he could just keep building up the retaining wall to turn into an outside wall of the shop.


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## shumakerscott

avengerki said:


> Woohoo finally read it all. I was wondering how the laminate was holding up on the counter tops? Did you put a sealer on over the top of it, or sealed the seams some how? I just finished installing laminate in a bedroom the other week, with another bedroom to start in a couple of weeks. I do wish I had gone with a cork flooring but I am looking at using cork flooring elsewhere in the house.
> 
> I like the plug and play solar panels you got. I keep looking at getting a system for my MIL's cabin but she needs a battery backup otherwise I think that would be about perfect, although I think it could work for me maybe. During the winter she has frequent power outages for a few days to a couple weeks at a time.
> 
> Love all the use of LED lighting, I need to look back into it as its been like five years and the last one I got didn't work for my purposes.
> 
> Have you thought about getting a pellet mill? I know they have a medium size initial investment, but I think you can use like leaves, any paper product packaging and even some plastics to make your own pellets, besides just wood.
> 
> I love your upstairs game room. From the cork wall to the beer bottle lighting it is wonderful. You also happen to have two of my favorite games in there, darts and pool. Do you use a throw rug or something in front of the dart board, those occasional bounce outs can be really rough on a laminate floor. Thank you for not having one of those long tube fluorescent lights hanging over the pool table, the lighting flickers so it tires your eyes even if you don't notice and it does not light a table properly multiple spot lights is the best way to do it any your LED's should be great for that.
> 
> Great stain glass work. I love the eagle and old man winter. I know you are not doing any now but looking forward to what you come up with in the future whenever you get things settled down enough to start working on that again.
> 
> Your ability to find different and non-standard uses of materials is great. I always love getting told something won't work, I try it and it works great. I have gotten so many ideas from your rebuild that I can't wait to try them out when I get a chance. I love the devices and gadgets you can get there that are hard to impossible to find in the states.
> 
> I did get a tool like your Fein tool and really like it a lot also. I know yours is killer but I got what I could within my budget. Sorry for the long post I just didn't want to keep making small ones and saved it all up till I finished catching up. Keep up the great work, any complaints about your shent, are you eventually going to apply for a permit and then build a thermal mass outside? When I saw you building the retaining wall around the tent I kept thinking you know if he got the permits he could just keep building up the retaining wall to turn into an outside wall of the shop.


Thanks for the compliments. The laminate floor counter top is holding up fine. No sealer or anything applied to it. Just don't buy cheap stuff and it works fine. The laminate on the main floor is holding up fine even with a crazy dog and a flood. I've looked at pellet mills but I think the cost, electric, time and labor goes against any real savings. I'm looking into a battery back up solar system. Just trying to figure out how to tie it in with a grid tied system without getting in trouble. I'm already in a grey area with what I've got. Maybe just out in the Shent. Separate from the house. The 2 lights over the pool table each have 4 mini tubes for bulbs. They take a few minutes to get fully bright. No flicker that I can tell. No complaints from guests. Stained glass might be a fall back if I get laid off. I have a few ideas if that ever happens. Nobody wants to pay the hourly wage for that type of work. I'm always looking for alternate uses for common materials. My brain is wired differently. No complaints on the Shent. Those that have seen inside are amazed. I will never be able to apply for a permit. The rule is 10ft from the property line for a structure. I've broken many codes! I just have to keep the neighbor's happy. No calls to the officials and I'm fine. The back neighbors actually have their terrace built on my property. I have them in a pickle. They don't care anyway. I think they all leave me alone because of what I have done with the house. Even the city official that visited. It sat empty for years, too much work. That's just what I was looking for. I spoke with a couple people that considered buying this place. Way too much work. If I would have to hire out the work then this would be a loss. It would have been cheaper to build new. I thank my friends for all the help the last couple years that's for sure. I have plans for the new awning in back. It will get closed in. I'm just letting the locals get use to it for now. It will become a wood shop. Kind of like putting out a deer stand. You put it up months before and the local wildlife get used to it being there. Thanks for following. This winter will be slow on posts. I can finally slow down. Will try and sort out all the junk in the Shent then get going on the Mustang. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I was up on the tent a couple months ago noticed dry rot from the UV. The tent is from China, nuff said. I ordered a piece of good quality PVC to get me through the winter with no leaks. We put it on the weather side. I will finish the rest of the roof next year. Greg came over and gave me a hand getting it up. I used self tapping screws with rubber grommets direct into the metal frame. The new tarp is way better quality. 7 year warranty. Very heavy. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## sleepyg

DD the shent looks great. The whole house looks great also.


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## shumakerscott

I got with my buddy Matt awhile ago about a Door Knocker. I gave him my ideas and this is what he came up with. No one else has one like this! I decided to hang hats from the re-enforcing cables in the Shent. I could sure use some more. Old, dirty, worn out is fine. PM me if you can help out. No real progress on any other projects. I'm taking a break:whistling2: Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Pretty cool Shu...love the piston!


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## Windows on Wash

+1

Gotta love the combination of ICE components and the home.


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## scoggy

*German house rebuild*

DD, just as always,great stuff, love how you 'fool' the locals! Can I sit in the passenger seat when you take the 'DD Stang' for a test run!!??
Cheers
Syd:yes::yes::yes::yes::yes::yes::yes::yes:


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## scoggy

*Can't reach 'Cocobolo*

DD, send a message to 'Cocobolo', that I can't send him email, because 'it' says he does not have an account, and I have tried everything!
Thanks
Cheers
Syd


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## csmurray1

amazing build


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## cocobolo

scoggy said:


> DD, send a message to 'Cocobolo', that I can't send him email, because 'it' says he does not have an account, and I have tried everything!
> Thanks
> Cheers
> Syd


You have my new email address, do you not???

Coco


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## Joxie

Looking good! Also like it is set in some beauitful scenery. Must be some great views from the top there!


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## shumakerscott

Spring has finally sprung!:thumbup: Getting back at it. I hired 2 local kids to level out my gravel in front of the house. No more wild flower garden. Too much work. Things are really getting rolling now. Here are my helpers.


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## concretemasonry

Welcome back after a cool winter!!

A couple of window boxes would be a nice German touch, but select the right plants for the northern exposure.

You spring looks to be a little more progressed than ours. - 

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten back at digging and spreading out my dirt pile. Man I'm out of shape! I've also finished the last stones on this retaining wall. One more wall to go. :thumbup: More projects coming up soon... dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I'm back at it full throttle:thumbup:. I rented a bucket truck for the weekend. Matt gave me a hand mounting 2 more PV solar panels. That brings me up to 2kw. They will catch the afternoon and evening sun. As a 2nd benefit they shade my windows which will keep my house cool in the summer. In the one pic it looks that the panels are not centered but it's the roof ridge that's not centered. I also stained the eves on the front and will do the back today. What a fantastic machine. My neighbor asked why I didn't just put up a scaffold? It would be cheaper. I told him that finding a scaffold, loading it, setting it up, having parts of it in the way where you want to work, taking it down, hauling it back ect... You get the point. This bucket truck puts you exactly where you need to be at the flip of a switch. Well worth the money in my book. Here's some pic's from yesterday, time to get to work! dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

After many tries to get a firm to do my driveway I got one. It's not really a DIY project but I am helping so I think that counts. They hauled out many loads of dirt and back filled about 18 inches. A side benefit is the little backhoe is mine for the weekend. I will be working on the back dirt pile on Sat. No working on Friday and Monday, they are Holidays here. Now for some pic's. dorf dude...


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## Bortso

Wow, quite the project you've got on your hands. Good luck with everything!


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Are you going to fill the voids in the "grass pavers" with gravel/rock or with soil you can cut the grass and be more natural?

If you go with soil and want a "green" effect, keep the soil level down a bit below the top of the pavers to avoid compacting the soil that prevents good grass growth. - The Brits learned that a long time ago.

Dick


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## shumakerscott

Dick, I'm packing the dirt in the holes. Not too concerned about great grass growth. Grass will grow no matter what. I've turned the stones upside down where the carport will be. The holes are tapered and I will concrete them in. It will be locked in. I was out at 6:30am on Easter digging my dirt pile away. I have a delivery of sand coming and had to make room. The further I get the more work I find. I have lots of stones to cut and have always had a problem getting a straight cut. I glued a level on my grinder and now I know that it's straight. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Concrete is poured/spread in the stones. Matt helped and made a DIY tool. The "Superscrape 2000" We've poured the pad in front of the door. Of course Mia had to inspect it. I was able to rub out the paw prints. I've taken down the old fence and stacked concrete rings on top of the wall. I've not filled them with anything. Very stable as is. I found a good re-purpose for the outhouse toilet. Mia's not to sure about this new dog around here. A couple of pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I had a Birthday to deal with this weekend. Not much work got done:no:. I got a nice sample of some local beers in a mini keg. Nice gift. It was from the workers that put in my driveway. I did get the 6 pads poured for my carport. I inlaid threaded rod bent at 90 degrees for the upright posts to sit on. I turned beer bottles over to keep walkers by safe. The bathroom wallpaper is finished. Turned out great. Now I just have to finish it up. Here are a few pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Carport is up:thumbsup: Much work still to do but the main structure is in. Sure nice to have a forklift to raise the main beams. I thank my friends for helping. Time to get some rain gutter on order. Here's a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Hi Shu: Long time no chat. I'm back on the island so I thought it was high time I looked in on you again.
Wow! There are a huge number of changes since I was here last. Everything is looking absolutely first class. Just shows what you can do when you aren't stuck on a small island.
It's nice to be able to access things like lift trucks, and gravel delivery and concrete...and on and on! Hopefully I will be in the same boat when the house sells here.


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## zfreeman

Awesome job


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## Windows on Wash

zfreeman said:


> Awesome job


+1

:thumbsup:


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## shadytrake

Hey DD, Finally got caught up on your projects. Great work. Question for you about that stove you got in late 2012. You mentioned that you were going to do some sort of thermal mass thing with it. Did you ever do that?

I was wondering if you have hear of those rocket mass heaters that you can build with basically nothing but recycled materials. I want to build one to heat our greenhouse. Apparently they produce more heat for way fewer amounts of fuel (pellets or wood).

Sounds like a project right up your alley!


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## shumakerscott

shadytrake said:


> Hey DD, Finally got caught up on your projects. Great work. Question for you about that stove you got in late 2012. You mentioned that you were going to do some sort of thermal mass thing with it. Did you ever do that?
> 
> I was wondering if you have hear of those rocket mass heaters that you can build with basically nothing but recycled materials. I want to build one to heat our greenhouse. Apparently they produce more heat for way fewer amounts of fuel (pellets or wood).
> 
> Sounds like a project right up your alley!


I have not gone forward with the wood stove/thermal mass project. The pellet stove works so well at heating the "Shent" I felt no urgent to need to pursue it. You are right on the money with the Rocket Stove idea. I've found a few plans that have me thinking. The only problem with a wood burner is you have to babysit it. Pellet stoves can be left alone. I've got my eye on the look out for materials to build a Rocket. One of those future projects. I have been staining the carport the last few days. Much more still to do, at least another week. It takes forever to do it right. Minimum 2 coats but I'm shooting for 3. It will pay off in the long run. The sun will be beating down on it. I've looked at your project, busy busy. Keep up the good work. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

It's been awhile since I've posted. No big projects, just finished up the carport. 3 coats of stain, roof and rain gutter on, lights and electric hooked up. I put a 2nd fill of dirt on the grass stones yesterday. It's raining today which is perfect. It will wash the excess the dirt away and help pack it in the holes. The only problem is Mia tracks it in the house big time. I've never claimed to be a good house keeper:no:. Here's a couple pics


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## shadytrake

Nice! That looks fantastic!


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## cocobolo

Wow! Does that ever look nice Shu! Beautiful job. :thumbup:


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## concretemasonry

Shu -

Looks great!!-

How often do you have to mow the driveway? How far down did you leave the top soil out to avoid compacting the soil.

The other Schu- Dick


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## shumakerscott

I've never mowed yet. I've waited to put the 2nd layer of dirt until the grass had a good hold. Mia keeps things packed down. Random dog wanderings keeps things in check. She packs the dirt in and doesn't even know it. The down side is she tracks it in the house, big time. Thanks for following.


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## yuri

What kind of dog is she? Rottweiler?

Congrats on the World Cup Win.:clap:


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## shumakerscott

yuri said:


> What kind of dog is she? Rottweiler?
> 
> Congrats on the World Cup Win.:clap:


Mia is a Blue Heeler aka Australian Cattle Dog/ Black lab mix. It makes for some unique personality traits. Never a dull moment with her around. She loves to get vacuumed. Claims every thing as "Hers" Thanks on the World Cup. My neighbors are ecstatic. I lost interest when America got put out. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## yuri

My mother had a Blue Heeler and it lived for 13 human years. Very tough dog, gets down to -40C where I am and it did not mind the cold.

My sister has a Black Lab / Husky cross and it is a great dog. Does not mind the cold either.

German friend of mine and some customers like and have Rottweilers. Big heavy dog and if raised properly are not vicious.


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## shumakerscott

I had a situation where the carport roof ran into the down pipe from my house. I had to seal it so water would not drain down. I was planning on fiberglass mesh and resin. I talked with my buddy and he had this stuff on hand. Not sure what you call it but seems to be the right thing. Thanks Hecky! I added some sealant for extra protection after the pic. :yes: Look's to ugly to post. It's self adhesive and molds to shape. Cool stuff. Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Widows are finally finished. It's only taken a few years. Here is a pic.


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## shumakerscott

The walls on my barn are cracking., have been for a long time. The culprit was the rain down pipe. It washed out all the soil under the wall. The original owners new it and tried to cram little rocks and plastic in to stop it. Obviously didn't work. I broke open a hole in the floor and started digging. Wow!:no: This is bad. I found 2 good original solid stones down in there but it back washed way under the floor. It must have been going on for 20 years. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## Windows on Wash

Grout pump it.


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## shumakerscott

Windows on Wash said:


> Grout pump it.


My concern is not about the floor but the walls. I will end up knocking the floor out in the future. It was a cow stall and has built in slope and trough's for pee to drain out. I'm just going to shore up under the walls. I plan on re bar spiking it as best I can. More pic's as things evolve. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I cleaned out under the walls. Got the re bar spikes pounded in. They are tight. Wedged in between rocks. They sounded like tuning forks as I hit them with the hammer. 3 bags of Premix poured in. This wall is not going to sink any more :thumbup:. Next project! The pipe in the pic's goes over to the Shent. I will run power, air line ect.. between the buildings.


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## scoggy

*Is that 'cow shed'...*

DD, is that 'cow shed' the same one I tried to organize for your tools, and then walked home from there to your place in weiden? Good to see you are 'attacking' ..issues on 'all' corners of your .."kingdom"!!
Cheers
Scoggy:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## shumakerscott

scoggy said:


> DD, is that 'cow shed' the same one I tried to organize for your tools, and then walked home from there to your place in weiden? Good to see you are 'attacking' ..issues on 'all' corners of your .."kingdom"!!
> Cheers
> Scoggy:laughing::laughing::laughing:


Same Cow Shed. Just trying to figure out best projects to finish before Winter sets in. Pellets ordered, Mustang motor ordered, Getting the yard cleaned up. Time to hunker down. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*DD...Do you have...*

Shu, do you have current pixs from all sides around your 'house'..and do you have a pix of DD jr as he approaches..the military..as in 'brushcut'; hair?" VW ...'start' BBQ and party tomorrow..but I am not gonna attend..have ..'other' stuff to do..but love Brats..so ...who knows..watch for 'fire' on 'Gooigle' Earth!!
Cheers
SQUID:thumbup::thumbup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::jester:


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## shumakerscott

Time for some updates. 4 pallets of pellets are here. I hope there enough. Should get me till March at least. I picked up a wood stove for the Shent. I now have dual heat sources, wood and pellets. This little guy is rated at 10kw and really kicks butt. I'm impressed. My trailer is 18 years old and the bed has been failing. After much soul searching I decided to just throw a 18mm OSB bed on top of the old one. I've sealed the heck out of it. I promise to not leave it out in the weather any more.:no: Mia is happy and has claimed it as "Her's" Now I have to try and get inspection on it. Suspension bushings are showing their age. Fingers crossed. Mustang motor is in Country. Should be about a week and it will be here. That will be a Winter project. Here are a few pics of things. dorf dude


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## cocobolo

Any chance you can show us a pic or two of the other side of that heater setup you have in the last pic above?

I must have missed it if you posted it earlier.


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## shumakerscott

Mia claiming the trailer. Not sure what to show on the heaters.


----------



## Windows on Wash

That dang dog does claim everything. 

Not much of a working partner but sure knows how to relax.


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## concretemasonry

Probably not a partner, but a supervisor that is always around to observe.

Is that a "vanity license plate on the car that is SHU62? I did not know that vanity plates were that common in Germany.

Dick Schu...


----------



## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Probably not a partner, but a supervisor that is always around to observe.
> 
> Is that a "vanity license plate on the car that is SHU62? I did not know that vanity plates were that common in Germany.
> 
> Dick Schu...


Great observation Dick. Yes it is a Vanity plate of sorts. The first 2 letters must be "AS" because I live in the Amberg - Sulzbach county. I could choose the rest if it was available. I chose HU62. That gives me A SHU 62. The year I was born. You sir are one of a very select few that has caught that.:thumbup:. As for me heating in the Shent. 2 stoves, 2 exhaust pipes. I cut the round stones and the pipes exit inside. Nothing fancy. The stones are camouflage. These stoves are not registered. They are very strict here. I'm a Rebel! I'll get a better pick after work today. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Here's a pic of the stove pipes entering the stone stack. That should clear it up for you. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Being the owner of a Pellet Stove leaves you with 2 options. Fix it yourself or pay a company. I refuse to pay if I can. Last night my stove quit working. After troubleshooting I had no pellets dropping into the burn chamber. The stove was trying to drop pellets but nothing getting delivered. I gutted the stove to find out the main shaft had sheared off. I got together with my buddy Matt and came up with a permanent fix. He cut a key way in the main shaft with his mill, 5mm. This should be the last time I have to deal with it. Working good so far.


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## cocobolo

Very handy to have such a good friend around when you need him!


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> Very handy to have such a good friend around when you need him!


Very nice to have the tools and knowledge on hand! Pellet stoves are not for normal people. Much work involved. I take it and DIY on. I'm "Green" as I can be but you must put in some work to keep it up. Pellet stoves don't just keep working all the time. Better off with a wood stove if you can't fix things. Thanks for following. More to come.


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## Windows on Wash

cocobolo said:


> Very handy to have such a good friend around when you need him!


+1

I have a 2nd tier buddy with access to a HAAS machine and a full shop. Needless to say, he is on the Christmas card list!!



shumakerscott said:


> Very nice to have the tools and knowledge on hand! Pellet stoves are not for normal people. Much work involved. I take it and DIY on. I'm "Green" as I can be but you must put in some work to keep it up. Pellet stoves don't just keep working all the time. Better off with a wood stove if you can't fix things. Thanks for following. More to come.


We won't have that problem in the US as our President and EPA saw fit to ban most of the older units.


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## shumakerscott

Time for an update. I made a big push on the Mud Room. Took a couple days vacation. First step, frame and level the old wall. 2nd, break up and set a new threshold on the door. I spiked it into the sandstone door frame, not going to move. 3rd, pour a self leveling floor. This should bring you up to speed.. dorf dude...


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## kbryan

You've really transformed the place! It is enjoyable reading about building adventures, and I hope you will continue sharing all your projects with us. Truly, you have done an incredible job!


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## shumakerscott

Thanks for the comments. I've almost got it finished. I'll just let the pic's explain. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Do those keys fit any of the old door locks there Shu?


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## shumakerscott

No they don't. Just cast iron wall art from China. I think they look good and now I will keep my eyes open for more keys. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> No they don't. Just cast iron wall art from China. I think they look good and now I will keep my eyes open for more keys. dorf dude...


Yes, I agree, they look just like those very old keys we used to use in England when I was a kid. You know, about 250 years ago!


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## shumakerscott

Winter is holding off for the moment here. I forgot that I didn't have a snow fence on the back shed. Got that fixed. The carport needed some sort of snow retaining mechanism. I just laid plastic boards on the roof being held back by the heads of the screws holding the roof on. I hope it works. Without these, then the snow will slide down and tear off the rain gutters. I've installed a new roof tarp on the "Shent" The original Chinese tarp went to [email protected] I also got back on my 64 Mustang. New rear leaf springs are in. Time to get sanding! Here are a couple pics. dorf dude...


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## shadytrake

Looks good! We got a dusting of snow this morning! Been a lot of years since that has happened in November.


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## Amateuralex

Mudroom looks great. I'm still really enjoying this thread. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## shumakerscott

I've shifted focus to working on the Mustang. I've decided to DIY my body work and paint job. I've gotten the passenger side door jam sanded, that took most of a day. The cowl section is going much slower. I'm having to use a heat gun and strip it down to bare metal. 50 years of paint jobs have left a mess. I need to start with a fresh canvas. Here's a couple pic's so far. :no: I've been posting here for years and the attachment paper clip is gone.:furious: What the hell happened here. I can't figure out how to attach a pic. I hate it when they make changes. dorf dude...


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## BigJim

Shu, I will let the Admin know about the problem, some strange things have been happening on the forum lately. Thanks for the heads up.


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## shumakerscott

Trying to post a couple pic's again of the stripping down on my car. See previous post. I can attach pic's again.:thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Should I open a new DIY with the car? That will be most of what comes. Some house stuff to finish over the winter. Thanks, dodrf dude...


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## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> Should I open a new DIY with the car? That will be most of what comes. Some house stuff to finish over the winter. Thanks, dodrf dude...


Shu, that is up to you, most of us who follow your thread know about your Mustang. Which ever you feel most comfortable doing is fine with us.


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## shumakerscott

But I get more "Bonus Points" if I start a new thread! :laughing: Can''t use them here anyway. Joke. I will keep the thread alive as such. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Those Car Shows finish cars so fast. Amazing what editing can do in 45 minutes. When a car takes months or years then it's real. Every inch is known. Just saw a "Fast and Loud" I almost laughed at it but love it just the same. Respect, but normal people can not do it like that. Mine will be longer as in time. I can't wait to get rocking. dorf dude...


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## flamtap

shumakerscott said:


> Those Car Shows finish cars so fast. Amazing what editing can do in 45 minutes. When a car takes months or years then it's real. Every inch is known. Just saw a "Fast and Loud" I almost laughed at it but love it just the same. Respect, but normal people can not do it like that. Mine will be longer as in time. I can't wait to get rocking. dorf dude...


It's the same with home improvements, of course. I've spent most of the year building a closet and built-in shelves in my bonus room. A "team of contractors" could have done twice as much in a weekend, but I'm happier with the end product knowing it was my handiwork. I know you know that feeling well. 

flamtap


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## Jim F

I typically see these on metal roofs for snow control around here.


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## shumakerscott

We have a similar thing here too.







. It just gives the snow some thing to grab on to instead of sliding off the roof. My method of just laying boards down involves no drilling. The one fence I did drill holes, I sealed the holes with silicone. So far this year no need for them. No snow and none in the forecast the next 2 weeks. Weird winter, motorcycles still running about. No complaints:no:. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*Time you spend on your 'stang..*

Shu, don't worry about time spent doing..on your Mustang, it is like therapy, sometimes 'mindless' work, where you drift off mentally, but keep doing, and besides, I have been doing mine for 34 years!! And, yes..it..is..a;most done!
Cheers
Syd:wink::wink::whistling2:


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## concretemasonry

Dorf dude -

You seem to be a little like a clone of one of the techs I worked with that installed, trouble-shot and educated customers on concrete products producing equipment in Europe and western Russia. - He lived in Switzerland and normally drove to an assignment that was usually for 1 to 6 weeks.

He had a '65 or '66 Mustang convertible and a '56 3.8S Jaguar sedan with 3-carbs to balance and tune. He usually took a car to most areas as a "therapy" after a 12 hour work day. He always found a way to get some parts flown in along with necessary supplies. - He even drove his Mustang to England just for the fun of it for a 2 week assignment.

Cars are a great outlet, learning and linking experience.

The other Schu - Dick


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## peteymelon

Lovely  :thumbsup:


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## tbeck3579

Absolutely perfect and perfectly amazing! After seeing this thread was 174 pages along I was tempted to move on to the next subject. I'm so glad I didn't. Your home is wonderful. Owning a home in Germany is an accomplishment in itself, but building takes real fortitude. I can't believe the progress you've made. I moved back to the "homeplace" my grandfather built in 1905. I started remodeling it in '89 and I'm still remodeling. I need you here to help  I would have been done years ago. What caught my attention was not only the huge project you chose, but the locals calling you "Zimmerman". Great grandfather, grandmother's side, the one who built this farm was a Dutch/German and his last name was Zimmerman. I moved state-side in '89 after living in Germany for 2 1/2 years. I lived in Berlin before the wall came down. So much of your story is so interesting because I can personally relate to the mammoth project you are doing. Thanks for posting your building diary from Germany!


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## shumakerscott

Time for a little update. The glow plug in my pellet stove died. It lasted 4 years which is pretty good. I ordered a new one and was blown away by the price:furious: 165 Euro and it took a week to get. Does anyone know of a direct source for these things? I've attached a pic. But on a good note my kitchen is finally finished. I've been searching for 1 cabinet door. Ikea changed the color a year after I first bought the cabinets. When I moved into the house and set it up they could not supply this 1 door. I finally hit gold on Ebay:thumbup: 1 Euro and 11 for shipping. No more ugly white hole. Here are a couple pic's. Time to go work on the Mustang. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Making progress on the Mustang. Under side of the hood and trunk lid Finally done. Door jams done. Cowl stripped to bare metal. Much more to still do but getting there.


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## BigJim

Wow, that is a lot of work, but it will all be worth it when you are finished.


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## shumakerscott

The hours involved is in the triple digits. Don't believe those TV shows that do it it a week. Well they can do it when 50 people jump in on it. I'm a 1 man show. It will get done in time. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Time for a Solar update. My panels have pushed back 640 Euro's of power since installation. It will be more this year because they are jacking up the price 2 cents as of 1 Jan. I just received my 2013 refund, yah they held on to it for a year:furious:. It was 565 Euro's. That would be due to over payment and the solar push back. I reinvested the refund and bought 2 more smaller panels with 240 watts, total system will be 2.24kw when they get mounted. My biggest power user is the hot water heater. It has been on night time only power but now is on the daytime meter. I should see big savings with this. It's a long term thing. It will take 2 years to really see any savings due to how the power company reads the meter and issues refunds. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Now that the solar is in order, next is to create a paint booth for the Mustang. - I hope you are not planning a complete immersion of the body in primer like they do in Stuttgart.

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

Dick, I'm going to paint the car where it sits. Just going to clean the heck out of the floor to keep the dust down. Paint quality is very low on my list of priorities. I've seen way too many cars with a Jazzy paint job that sucked. Mine will have an ok paint job and Rock! All rust cut out and fixed right. All interior cavities have been rust treated. Suspension and steering upgraded. Motor is a 347 Stroker, 4 speed with a Gear Vendors overdrive. The rear end will have a Trac Lock with the stock 2.7 gears. I need the tall ratio for the highway. Gas is very expensive here. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## 78Vette

Most interesting thread I've read to date. Awesome work with everything you do! You're a true DIYer.


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## shumakerscott

Thanks. I do the best I can. Thanks for following and I will post more pic's. dorf dude...


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## Newguy2015

Wow! Scott you have stones. But the house for just the price of the property, who could pass that up...from what you say, you know what your doing.:thumbup:

How'd you get the authorization to do this in Germany? I was stationed there in Berlin in 1989. Saw the wall come down....


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## shumakerscott

The only authorization I needed was from my 3 direct neighbors and the County. I submitted an architect drawing of what the outside would look like with the walls raised. That was it! The house was pre-existing so what happened inside was of no real concern. No load tests on the old beams, plumbing inspection, electrical inspection. I have a sewer manhole in the driveway. I asked about how to hook the house to it. They told me that its on my property so just dig down and connect. The house had a rain gutter already attached so that was really easy. The only real inspection was of the chimney. In America you have WAY more regulation and permit getting for every little thing but the Germans make up for it in so many other ways. If I would have knocked this place down and built new then all kinds of conditions would have to be met. I look for loop holes. The "Shent" is a fine example. Not a permanent structure. It also helps that my neighbors are cool and like me. The back neighbors patio is actually about 4 ft on my property on one corner. The true property line isn't straight across. They don't give me any trouble. All in all I guess I got lucky. The projects are not over yet. Way more to do but at least I have a warm roof over my head and can take my time. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

It's been a while since an update. Spring is setting in here slowly. I found a great deal on more PV Solar Panels. Free shipping. These are smaller than my previous panels, 120 watts each vs 250 watts of the bigger ones. I invested in 8 more for a max output of 960 watts. This brings the total combined of all panels to 2960 watts. Today I installed 2 and will get the rest in shortly. Here are a couple pic's of getting them mounted. I ran a wood/machine thread stud into the runner. I don't know the real name for these. Coated in silicone for obvious reasons. On the bottom of the metal brackets I attached velcro to protect the roof. I ran a nut down the treads just slightly below roof height and tightened the brackets. They apply a little bit of pressure to the roof. Nice and stable. More pics as I get more panels mounted. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

2 more panels up. I have 4 more but I'm going to wait to see how far back I push my meter. I might just sell them on. If I start making too much power then I could have problems with the power company.


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## Vegas Sparky

I've been waiting so I could post the 2,615th reply. :laughing:

*KILLER THREAD*, dorf!

You're an animal! :thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

I've been waiting for you! :thumbsup:


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## shadytrake

Love that you are able to power so much off the grid!


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## shumakerscott

shadytrake said:


> Love that you are able to power so much off the grid!


Shady, I'm not off the grid. My system is grid tied. I have an analog meter, red dot that spins. When my panels make more than I'm using then the meter goes backwards. This saves me money. I call it pushing back. If they ever put a digital meter in then my savings will be greatly reduced. I will still be saving but not pushing back. Digital meters don't go backwards. I hope this makes sense. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

We had a great Spring day. I decided to start moving the rest of the dirt up to the back and level it out. Rain is predicted the next 2 weeks so I grass seeded what I had done so far. Mia dog was not happy about me taking "Her" dirt pile. I left her favorite spot until later. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The rain held off today. I decided to work on the upper level. The dirt pile is gone :thumbsup:. Dirt is spread and leveled. Grass seed applied. That was a lot of wheelbarrow loads up the hill. I still have some more stones to put in on the side wall. I will have a sloping dirt ramp at the top. The lawn mower will have an easy time getting up there. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Here is another pic of what I got done today and couple of what the next project will be. I will terrace this section too. Man that's going to be a lot of work!! This will all be done by hand. No machines can make it up there now because of the carport. I guess a bobcat could but it could only do a little. Not worth it. I have time and need to keep busy. I'll keep posting as it goes. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Last section of the wall finished :thumbsup:. Once it cures I will back fill and finish the slope going up. The neighbors have all come by for an inspection, I passed! They finally get the big picture of how this will finish out, terraced areas. You can't do any thing with a sloping hill. They want to know my future plans for them. It will be 3 sections. I don't have any plans yet, just to get the last one finished. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## Windows on Wash

What....no dog pictures???


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## shumakerscott

I never pose her in the pic's. She is a free spirit. But is this dog enough. She always seems to find wet concrete!


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## Windows on Wash

Making her mark.


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## shumakerscott

No chance of any progress lately. Wicked storms the last few days. Trees down, a couple people have died in weird accidents. Trains wrecked, trucks blown over. Winter isn't quite over yet. :no:


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## JourneymanBrian

Greetings from Berlin. Where is Grafenwoehr?


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> No chance of any progress lately. Wicked storms the last few days. Trees down, a couple people have died in weird accidents. Trains wrecked, trucks blown over. Winter isn't quite over yet. :no:


Sounds like a typical April Fools day.

Mind you, we have had some pretty nasty storms here as well. Came through the Coquihalla in the wee hours of April 1st and ran into the worst snowstorm I've ever been in. Twenty miles of intense snow and wind.


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## shumakerscott

Is that the "Highway though Hell"?


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> Is that the "Highway though Hell"?


I think so...it's the one they make the TV show about. Spectacular scenery, but a real SOB in the snow.


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## shumakerscott

JourneymanBrian said:


> Greetings from Berlin. Where is Grafenwoehr?


 Right here. 
https://www.google.de/maps/place/Gr...1s0x47a035402e7d3aa7:0xbe090679cbd02834?hl=de


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## shumakerscott

The weather was cooperating today. I've gotten started on the final wall. This makes for a good starting point for the rest of it. Once this cures then I can really get going. I've spiked the stones with re-bar. Not going to move in my life time. It's a little wonkey, not straight, but for this it's ok. It's level. I took delivery of my new toy yesterday. 1983 Yamaha XS 400. It is immaculate. Looks and runs like brand new. Here are a few pic's. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*What a beautiful ride!!!!*

DD, that looks like one sweet ride, and red no less...wanna sell me your Cagiva =======8^) ?? Wow EURO production bikes have lotsa differences than NA ones. Your wall looks straight from here!
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

Progress. Further on the wall the last couple evenings. I used up my sand tonight and have ordered more. Let's see how long it takes. I can go no further until it arrives. I'm spiking every other one. A couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I got my sand delivery! :thumbsup: 10 more stones set tonight. Here's a couple quick pic's. Tomorrow will be much further. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

I've gotten a lot further today. 3 row's high and I ran out of sand. I needed a break anyway. I'm dead.


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## shumakerscott

Getting further. Now I can get a sense of how much back fill will be needed. I don't have enough at this time. I'm looking at future projects that can help fill this in. Also asking around if friends have stuff they need to get rid of. I will take it. This is the final height of the wall or so I think. A couple pic's.


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## shumakerscott

This is the quickest, cheapest, easiest way to do a retaining wall in my opinion. Not so easy getting things up the hill but I hope you get my point. It goes fast. The concrete pours are "Monolithic" That means large sections are cast as one. All locked together and re-bar spiked in the ground. You could even re-bar between the stones if you wanted to. I didn't do that, not needed. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Looks really good Shu. What was the cost of one of those stones? Haven't seen anything quite like that over here.

I just did a small retaining wall out of P.T. 4 x 4's, but we have a much bigger one to put in very soon. Even thinking of a gabion wall, but your system is 10 times easier.


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## shumakerscott

The stones are carried by every hardware store around here. The cost was around $2 each, which seems a little high but for the ease of use and the speed of the finished product you can't beat it. I'm an "Old Pro" now making walls with these things. I've got a great system worked out. You don't have any kind of landscaping stones you could use? Any hollow stone would work with the Spiking and Monolithic pour method. I try to have at least 4 inches concrete foundation under them. Go to You Tube and search "Hollow Concrete Block" dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

I think $2 is a terrific bargain!

Not only is it easy to put in, but it looks really first class. 

I'm going to see what Mr. Google produces here. I have looked at the big box stores...nothing like that on hand. The only hollow stuff is the regular 8" concrete blocks at about $5 each. And let's face it, they aren't the most attractive things on the planet.


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## shumakerscott

Further progress today. A couple of pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

A little further, 2 stones deeper and 1 row higher. I think 6 more deeper and that's it. I need a lot of back fill. I'm asking all my neighbors for stuff. I've gotten a couple of tires yesterday. Notice in the last pic my hedge is turning brown on the right hand side. Anybody know why? A few pic's. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

The right side of the wall is finished. :thumbsup: All the stones are topped up with concrete. I had to put some blockage to keep the dog from walking on it. On the left side I will go as far as I can with the sand I have left. I don't want to order another load. My neighbor came by for an inspection. He was blown away. You can't see any of this work from the street. The Shent blocks it. I got a new "old" chainsaw. Poulan 2050. The saw cost me a case of beer. I had to get a new blade and chain. Runs perfect and ton's of compression. I've done my gardening. Strawberry's in the stove and toilet. I want to put a flower of some sort in the stove door. Here's a few pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

3 stones deeper on the left side wall. I got a wet saw and my buddy gave me a hand finishing the patio stones. This is my ugly unfinished corner. Will get finished some time. I'm chipping away at the projects. Slowly getting there. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Solar update>>> I've only used 10kw the last 47 days. Hot water has really been kicking too. Solar Rocks!!:thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

I've broken up the slab at my front door. It was my plan all along. I had a great helper and he earned some$$ We used the broken up stones as back fill behind the wall. I will have to go 1 row higher with the stone wall to allow the dirt to level out. I have a question. When breaking up the slab I found the concrete had turned blue on the earth side. What causes this? Here's a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Good morning Shu: Well, that's an interesting question. I've done my share of concrete removal over the years, but honestly I have never seen that before.

If the blue was under the entire slab, then there may have been some sort of mineral in the ground which caused the colouring. If it was just close to your blue wall there, maybe something washed off the wall and added the blue? Who knows?

Your wall is looking absolutely gorgeous. You may have mentioned this before...but are you going to add any sort of cap to the wall?


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## shumakerscott

The entire bottom of the slab was blue. So was the original floor in the house when I busted it up. Made it very hard to break. Must be something in the soil causing it. No cap planned for the wall at this time. I'm looking out for costs. Thanks for following.


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## Sporko

Looking good!


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## shumakerscott

I took a sample of my hedge to the Nursery where I bought them. Not an infection or bugs. It was something environmental. I had to replace them. Too bad I couldn't afford the same sized bushes. The price goes crazy the next size up. They will just have to catch up with the rest. A couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

I seem to remember seeing this here some time ago. I wonder if your soil there is alkaline, just where those two or three bushes are, rather than acidic which the cedars like. Even if you have dumped some sort of concrete dust or the like, it might have done the damage. The bulk of your bushes look good, so I'm thinking that the ground is to their liking.

I hope you get to find out what it was so you don't get a repeat elsewhere.


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## williamlayton

I have one portion of my garden that has a tough time supporting plants.
When we first bought this house in 2000 the yard was a heavy based clay soil .
I had 25 yards of soil mix/garden mix delivered and spread over the back of the lot for a flower garden.
Right after that the power company had to replace a portion of the underground wiring. In doing this they had yo dig a hole for a receiving pit in the middle of the yard. of course the clay soil and my new soill got mixed.
Anywho--this are would not support anything.
I finally planted what, in this area is called graveyard roses, they are not hybrids and they bloom all year---depending on the winter---not big blooms just small blooms. The point is---they grow.
Who knows what has happened in that spot over the years---maybe it was just the plants.
Blessings


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## shumakerscott

Solar update. I'm -4kw on my day time power after 2 months. I think I'm pushing back too much and could get in trouble. I bought an electric heater to warm my living room. I have AC for the summer. Summer is coming and I will be making big power the next 6 months. I will probably have to take some panels off line for awhile or else sell to the neighbor. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Is anybody following this thread living in Helena MT? Please PM me if you do. I'm worried about a friend.


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## JonTempleman

Great thread, I admire your dedication and resolve


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## shadytrake

Looking great! Are you planning on using a backhoe to level out the extra earth above the terrace walls?


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## shumakerscott

I've been a little slow lately. Complicated but there has been some progress I've gotten the drain set under the awning.It dumps into an existing drain that was buried. It isn't needed very often but I have had a couple flooding issues in the past. We get some freak rain storms at times. I get a flash flood coming down the hill. This will catch and stop it. The last row of wall stones are up and ready for concrete. I spiked every one with rebar at an angle drilled into the lower stones. They won't move. Due to the death of 3 of my hedge bushes I've installed a drip irrigation system with a fertilizer siphon tank. That orange thing is the drip spout. I was trying catch the water dripping. The hedge should kick now. I hope the pic's explain it. dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

shadytrake said:


> Looking great! Are you planning on using a backhoe to level out the extra earth above the terrace walls?


No backhoe. I'm the Hoe and I'm using my back :thumbup: That's why things have slowed down. Not as young as when I started this. My body is deciding things on it's own. It won't listen to me.


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## concretemasonry

Looks good and I like the different levels of the yard and landscaping.

The grass in the "Grass Pavers" looks like it has a good start.

Dick - The other Schu.


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Looks good and I like the different levels of the yard and landscaping.
> 
> The grass in the "Grass Pavers" looks like it has a good start.
> 
> Dick - The other Schu.


Dick, the grass on the upper levels hides the unevenest of the ground. I have much further work to get it right. As for the Grass Pavers they are getting there. A couple more years then it will set in I hope. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Grass does wonder for covering up things.

The grass should definitely take hold quicker than you think. I have seen numerous installations in the UK, Germany and France where they were use for parking cars infront of or along the house on small lots. There, they used a string trimmer once in a while keep it neat and identify the location. In MN, I worked for a company that supplied grass pavers for a 700' long access road for a service truck to a large outdoor swimming pool in a park area. - During the second year the grass grew well and was mowed to about 2-1/2" along with the rest of the park grounds. Unfortunately, the pool service people could not find the road, so they had to get markers installed for the service truck to follow. Someone had a red face about the planning of the concept.

Keep and open area for your pal to dig and root around in.

Dick


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## bbiondo

Awesome thread! Lots of stuff to learn from you. Thanks for taking the time to take all those pictures and details.


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## shumakerscott

Solar update. The latest panels I put up I've taken them off line. I will sell them on. My day time reading on 8 Mar was 6344kw. As of 3 June I'm at 6339, 5 kw behind and summer is just beginning. This is crazy. I have my AC unit ready to start eating power as it gets hot. I've used Electric heat in the mornings to take the chill off. Washed and dried clothes every week. I speak with friends about putting some panels up and they are... We're not sure, I have to ask my wife, ect... Talk about leading the Horse to the trough but you can't force them to drink, sheeze! Pay back is around 7 years with the rates we pay here. Your rate of return will vary. I'm getting worried and might take the whole thing off line for awhile. I need to show some consumption. On 7 Feb I had a reading of 6197, so since then I've used 142kw. At .31 cent per kw I've only used 44 Euro of day time electricity over 4 months. Night time still pushes forward but I can't change that. I've used 160 Euro of night time power over the same time period. Bottom line is average 50 Euro a month the last 4 months combined and Summer is just beginning. I wish I could get off this split meter to combine Day and Night usage. No chance. They would put me on a Smart meter and things would not work out so well then. Thanks for following dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

6339kw yesterday 6932 today, still going backwards, I should unplug this system for a while. Crazy for sure.


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## shumakerscott

I got back at it today, with some help from a friend. 3/4 of the back wall is concreted. I was running short on sand so I stopped on the wall and set the drainage pipes at the front door. I'm protected from any type of rain storm now. Pipe slope is a little off but it will not see much use. Just an added measure of protection. That made for a days worth of work. Here's a couple pic's.


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## concretemasonry

Dorf Dude -

Have had a chance to put in the classic window boxes and flowers in the front of the home? It was always nice to see them when I was in your area.

Dick - The other Schu


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## shumakerscott

concretemasonry said:


> Dorf Dude -
> 
> Have had a chance to put in the classic window boxes and flowers in the front of the home? It was always nice to see them when I was in your area.
> 
> Dick - The other Schu


No window boxes. Just doing Strawberries and 2 Flowers in my own artistic flair.


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## shumakerscott

A pic.


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## shumakerscott

Back wall is finally done:thumbsup: I don't know why it was so hard to finish it. Now to level out the dirt pile and back fill with more dirt. Slowly getting there. Heat wave hitting us at the moment. Showing 95F only to get hotter the next couple days. Might see 100F. The house is nice and cool 76F. dd...


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## shumakerscott

We broke 100F today. House is still nice and cool. Thanks for following. dd...


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## shumakerscott

A true temp reading. Solar power really helps. Hot water tank is kicking and my electric is good, going back.


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## cocobolo

Nice job Shu.

I have kept my eye out for blocks similar to yours, and the local corner store at Celista, maybe 10 miles away from here, has a couple of rows of them in front of the store. It seems the blocks have been there for so long that nobody remembers where they came from!

Don't you just love that solar power!


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## shumakerscott

I love solar. Everyone should. I get free electricity and hot water. It's FREE! The up front cost is what is stopping people from joining in. Power companies don't want it either. They would go broke. Oh which they are. Their business model is so old they can't catch up. The grid tied mentality is changing. Slowly getting there. dd...


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## scoggy

*Great 'stone' job*

Not to be confused with 'Cheech and Chong", great stone job!! How is the 'Stang doing? Amazing how you can be a 'Pioneer' power saver, with solar, and no one around there, wants to also try it!! Wait until the 'KW' price starts to soar...and they will beat a path to your door..on how to do it! Maybe hold workshops for $$ when that happens!! =====8^)
Cheers
Scoggy:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## shumakerscott

I've finally gotten to an update status. I've built a front vantage point for Mia from my left over stones. She is not so sure about this and prefers digging a hole in front of it The back dirt pile is finally spread out. It was with my back and hoe, back hoe! I will order top soil to finish it out. Mia was chilling out and I snapped a nice pic. Slowly getting there. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

It must be nice to get to the end of a project like this one Shu. That was a ton of work, and most of it heavy work at that.

Hopefully getting the topsoil spread out won't be too back-breaking. 

I like Mia's perch!


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## shumakerscott

cocobolo said:


> It must be nice to get to the end of a project like this one Shu. That was a ton of work, and most of it heavy work at that.
> 
> Hopefully getting the topsoil spread out won't be too back-breaking.
> 
> I like Mia's perch!


Thanks. Getting the top soil up there will be in wheelbarrow loads. I tend to keep them small and will make more trips than big heavy ones. I need about 6" of fill all the way across. I might try and pull a Tom Sawyer on this one :yes:. I have 4 wheelbarrow's. dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

You definitely don't want three of them sitting there lonely now, do you? Way better if you can get them all working!


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## shumakerscott

I went on a service call today and found a bridge with some nice flowers. Flowers are big around here. My front fence has a warp problem being plastic, I'm trying to fix it with some steel bracing. I've also gotten my tool handles sanded and oiled up. A couple pic's, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Dirt pile is shifted up the hill and spread out. Grass is planted. That was a lot of work but at least it's finished :thumbsup: On a side note is there any one in Missoula following this? I have a favor to ask. PM me please. Thanks for following. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*VW fired*

WOW....what next, will have to take a month off just to absorb that fact =============8^)
Cheers
Syd:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## shumakerscott

I'm coming back to the States next week. Missoula MT on the 3rd of Sep. Going to learn Straw Bale house building. I've gotten some landscaping done out front. The grass up in the back is setting in great! I'm now at war with a mole. He really likes the new dirt I've laid down. This is Caddy Shack 2. I've tried many things and it has escalated. Here are a couple pic's. dorf dude...


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## scoggy

*While you are gone to USA...*

Where is Mia, while you are away? Take lotsa pixs at the "Hay down" ====8^) Coupe in Garage, and I rebuilt a BIG Ford 9 inch for it...plenty tough, but only a 3:00 ratio, but can change that out when it is 'road worthy'!:wink2::wink2:


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## shumakerscott

A couple people have beat me up about stopping posts. The DIY phase has pretty much ended and now it is day to day type stuff. I will in the next couple days show a few things. Thanks for following over the years. I didn't know that after the construction phase people would still be interested. I will do my German dialog thing. Life in Seugast. There is only 1 Seugast in the world! Google it.


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## cocobolo

Good to hear from you Shu...I'm most happy that you have reached your goal after such a massive undertaking. Congratulations from the old guy who has been through something very similar in the past.

I trust that the younger crowd will be able to look at your accomplishments over the years and see that something such as you have done does not come easily or quickly. 

It isn't just a matter of all the effort that you have to put out, but there's an incredible amount of financial drain while you're doing it all.

I say "Bravo!" and I hope that there will be many others joining to say say the same thing.

Now it's time to sit back and enjoy...but I think I can speak for many of your followers when I say keep in touch and let us know what's happening from time to time. And thank you for the work you have done with all your posting.

:vs_clap::vs_clap::vs_clap::vs_clap::vs_clap:


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## BigJim

I was just yesterday wondering when you were going to post again. Glad to see you have finished but sure do miss seeing you post. You have take on a job most people would have walked away from and created a fantastic home for yourself. Seeing all you have done and how you did it, is nothing short of amazing.

We hope you do continue posting about things that interest you, DIY isn't just for home building we have other areas as well, we sure love to hear about the country you live in. I join Keith in saying "Bravo!" and very well done.


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## shumakerscott

Old German houses have names. I decided to keep my house name alive. I used a few hundred sheet rock screws. Came out ok. We've had a beautiful Fall this year. A couple random pic's.


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## cocobolo

Gorgeous colours there Shu...thanks again. :smile:


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## gregzoll

Scott you should turn this into a book. I would just love to be able to buy it for the pictures of Germany and the rebuild to give it to my father as a Birthday gift next year.

I stopped following the thread for a while, when my health and my wife's got bad last year. Congratulations on finally getting to the end of the Marathon.


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## cocobolo

Shu...I got to thinking about your comment on house names. It was the same over in England when I was growing up as a kid.

My Grandfather's house, where I was born during the war, was named "Khan Yunis". The house we moved to after the war was called "Somenos".

I named the house on Ruxton Island "Eagles Reach" and we will be naming Val's house after it is done. We do have the name picked out already.

Do you know if your house name has a meaning?


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## sleepyg

Just because you have finished the work does not mean the work is finished! Keep us up on how the solar is doing and any new products you start using. Photos of the area are always good too.

Sleepyg


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## Amateuralex

I'll greatly miss updates to this thread. It's an amazing story. Thanks so much for sharing.


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## shumakerscott

Time for an update. I had a bad situation with my Pellet Stove. I was having violent re-starts after it self cleaned, warm. It blew the glass door apart! :surprise: 2 sides to the story. Mine and the Dealership. The dealership said the stove was dirty and was not flowing proper air. That's why it blew the door off. I asked then why when it starts cold I have no problem? The stove is clean, 100%. I'm anal about keeping it so. I presented my theory. The stove is doing a hot re-start. The warm steel is starting to gassify the pellets when they are dropped in. That creates Methane gas. When the stove finally lights up, Ka Boom. Volatile gas is ignited. I'm going to have them re-program the stove to wait much longer before trying to restart. I'm adding a Winter pic just for fun. Thanks for following...


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## Windows on Wash

Ouch. That might of hurt if you were right in front of it.


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## shumakerscott

Windows on Wash said:


> Ouch. That might of hurt if you were right in front of it.


Mia dog was very close and now she has trust issues.


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## Windows on Wash

We don't call those issues...we call that a heightened state of awareness.

Poor pup. That is a funny dog too. Good little helper.


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## cocobolo

Shu, you know that regardless of what you say the company will be right and you will be wrong. Never fails.

Funny how that works. And how do they know you didn't keep the snow clean....?????


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## sleepyg

I'm with Keith on this, how do they know you have a dirty stove? I think I would have "TRUST" issues too after that!


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## cocobolo

Shu...I'm sure you know I meant to say keep the stove clean. One little typing mistake on this laptop, and it makes up its' own words. Sorry about that.


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## shumakerscott

Sorry for the delay posting. The stove tech came and reprogrammed the oven. It will now cool down more before restarting. I went skiing this weekend in Austria. It's been 20 years and I'm sore! I didn't crash though. It's starting to feel more like Spring here. We will see what projects get going this year. Thanks for following...


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## shumakerscott

I'm sorry for not keeping up with this. Last summer I went to a Straw Bale work shop in Idaho. Supper cool! Here are a couple pic's of things.


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## Windows on Wash

Very cool...but where it the dog?

He is the celebrity in this thread now!!

Just kidding. Looks awesome and the skiing looks amazing too.


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## shumakerscott

It's a she and yes she is a star.


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## cocobolo

shumakerscott said:


> I'm sorry for not keeping up with this. Last summer I went to a Straw Bale work shop in Idaho. Supper cool! Here are a couple pic's of things.


Looks like an interesting project. And it also looks like dry country, which is what you need for straw bale building.

Were you able to do some hands on work during the project?


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## shumakerscott

I'm back at it again. The paint on the house has not stood up very well to the UV. The new paint is supposed to hold up better. I purchased a scaffold so I wouldn't have to rent or borrow anymore. My front little garden area is coming in nicely. Mia like's it too. We had a Steam Locomotive come through awhile ago. Really cool. I've also taken up the E-Bike. I can highly recommend it. You get a great work out and the hills are gone. Here are a few pic's, dorf dude...


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## cocobolo

Hey Scott, good to hear from you again!

Shame about the paint not holding up...I think it is a universal cry these days. Lots of promises, but not such good results. Sure hope you have better luck this time around.

What a fabulous steam engine! Last time I rode on a steam powered train was way back in June of 1957. Went from Halifax to Montreal. From there we hopped on to a brand new diesel powered train, Montreal to Vancouver, what a difference.


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## Windows on Wash

Nice pics. 

Good to see the pup is doing well.


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## shumakerscott

It's amazing what a little paint will do! It look a lot more friendly and not so Eastern Russia.


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## BigJim

That does look good, it looks like a different home.


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## Windows on Wash

Brightens it up quite a bit. I like the color.


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## Fisher1871

Shumaker,

Been reading through your German House Rebuild thread. Fantastic job.

I'm up to January of 2011. It cracks me up b/c I was stationed in Ansbach as part of 12th. I had just separated from the the Army and had some terminal leave built up. I remember the all the snow that winter.

Also, check out the Bavarian Ski Club if you are not already a member. I skipped to your last page and saw that you went skiing in Austria. The Ski Club is based out of Graf - amazing group of men/women and they host awesome trips. (at least the did from 2006 to 2011).


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## DallasCowboys

Congrats to what you have done to your home and the amount of time you gave to this forum. You must have the world record for the longest lasting Thread.

I was stationed in Baumholder from 88-92 and made 6 trips to Graf and 4 to Hohenfels.

I am familiar with the area and the weather. 

Germany is a beautiful country just as many have said.

Good luck to you and Mia. 

Raymond
Dallas / Ft Worth


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## DallasCowboys

I know this Thread is 9 years old and you have not posted for 6 months...but I guess you will return sometime.......

I have a few questions for you.....just curious......

When your meter was running backwards and it concerned you....was it because you did not want to use TOO MUCH solar energy and 'game' the system? Were you afraid of developing a bad reputation in your town?

You said you have British SKY cablevision.....is it any cheaper than it is in the U.S.? Its about $90 a month here for a decent channel selection and then you are locked in for 2 years. Is it any better in Germany?

I recall you installing a solar water heater. It sounds like it worked out for you. Are the undercounter / on demand water heaters still popular in Europe?

When you built your SHENT....nice name..............you said that the walls were not connected to the tent. Was that for practical reasons or was it for legal reasons? I was thinking that you did not connect them so that it would not be regarded as permanent. Just an idea...

When you started on all these projects, did you have a technical background in the trades? Or did you learn as you went and encountered each obstacle? Did you learn by doing or asking 1001 questions on youtube and at the Building Inspectors Office?

Have you ever been to Chiemsee? It was one of Mad King Ludwig's 3 castles. This is the one that was built on an island in Lake Chiemsee. I visited the place when I was stationed in Germany. The palace had a Wall of Mirrors and a wooden floor with opposing grain wood. If you ran the wood in one direction with the grain facing one way it looked dark. And if the grain ran the other way it looked pale. I emailed them about a year ago and asked them for the wood that was used but I never received a reply. I am not surprised though. Have you ever seen it? It's beautiful and unique. Do you have any idea what kind of wood they used?



Thanks for the Thread. I hope things are going well for you.


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## shumakerscott

Ok I just checked out the thread. There are a few questions to answer. I will try. I had no formal training in the building and trades. I was the kid always building the tree house or fort. I do not want to make too much solar electric because I have no contract to sell it. The power companies want to buy it at wholesale and then sell it back to you at retail. What a rip off. The reason for the Shent is because a permanent building would cause me to build 10 feet from the property line. The inside is not connected to the outside because it moves when the wind blows. I hope this clears things up. dorf dude....


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## shumakerscott

Spring is slowly trying to show up. I had Mia out for a run with the E-Bike. She can't run like she used to but she tries. Her hips are giving out. Thanks for following, dorf dude...


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## shumakerscott

Thank you all for following over the last years. Mia is having hip problems as mentioned. You know if you work very hard on a project then you get "Burn Out" I have that. I'm darn near a million hits and that is crazy! Only minor projects now. Thanks!! Dorf Dude


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## Windows on Wash

shumakerscott said:


> Thank you all for following over the last years. Mia is having hip problems as mentioned. You know if you work very hard on a project then you get "Burn Out" I have that. I'm darn near a million hits and that is crazy! Only minor projects now. Thanks!! Dorf Dude


Take care of the pup (I know you are) and yourself. 

We had some good luck with Dasuquin and fish oils for our pups when the joints started getting stiff.


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## jlhaslip

Feed the Pup some Glucosamine (without condroitin).
Humans need the Condroitin, animals don't.


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## shumakerscott

Mia is on all the for mentioned products plus a couple more. A steroid supplement also. Thanks again for the many years support. You should have sent me money:biggrin2:. Joke, I pay my own way. dorf dude...


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## 123pugsy

shumakerscott said:


> Thank you all for following over the last years. Mia is having hip problems as mentioned. You know if you work very hard on a project then you get "Burn Out" I have that. I'm darn near a million hits and that is crazy! Only minor projects now. Thanks!! Dorf Dude


I hear you on the burn out. I'm struggling at this time to "get in the mood".lain:


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## kbryan

Hope all is going well for you. I miss your posts! Please let us know how you are faring these days. Thanks!


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## Mikeofbismarck

Amazing work


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## SubSailor

I remember following this thread when I first joined here, never would've thought almost 10 years later I'd still see it with people actively commenting. Great job dorf dude, beautiful home.


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## Jim F

So how's it going in your German house? Are you to the point where you can pretty much enjoy living in it or are you still building?


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## shumakerscott

I put up a 3mx4m awning this fall. I'm living in the house which is very warm except when Mia leaves the door open. Thanks for the support over the years. Dorf Dude


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## SPS-1

Good to hear from you. Happy Holidays to you, and to Mia.


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## shumakerscott

Here is a pic of the awning.


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## shumakerscott

Solar is really kicking. I'm down to 45 Euro electric a month.


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## Windows on Wash

shumakerscott said:


> Here is a pic of the awning.



Good to see a picture of the pup on Christmas. 



Hope you guys are all doing well over there.


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## shumakerscott

Thanks for following. Mia got Lyme disease this year. Bad time but she has endured. Tough old girl. I'm in the house and you all have followed, thanks I'm taking a break now. Follow this one. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChhBsM9K_Bc9a_YTK7UUlnQ


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## shumakerscott

Thanks for following. It feels good to post again. I wish I had more going on.


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## TheEplumber

shumakerscott said:


> Thanks for following. Mia got Lyme disease this year. Bad time but she has endured. Tough old girl. I'm in the house and you all have followed, thanks I'm taking a break now. Follow this one. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChhBsM9K_Bc9a_YTK7UUlnQ


I think I've met them and been on their site. That's a beautiful place to live.
When I stopped in it felt odd to have a few cameras on me. Doesn't look like I made the final cut though...


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## BigJim

Man it is good to hear from you again, we have thought about you while you have been gone. I don't know why I didn't get the update on this thread until today. 

One of our grandsons and his wife and son are being stationed there in Germany in April of this coming year. He and his wife are both in the Army.


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## kbryan

*I miss posts by the Dorf Dude* *shumakerscott! *Hope you are doing well. You are missed.


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## shumakerscott

Long time no post. We have had really severe storms this year. Sideways rain and tornado type winds. I ended up with a roof leak. It was the roof cap felt. It got blown because I did not stick it down, forgot. The cap tiles were there but the felt got dislodged. Today was the fix. I replaced it and peeled the backing off the glue goo. The black on the top is copper to help control the moss. Mia is still kicking! Much slower now and can't hear but still a good dog. Heating is running 4 tons of pellets a year and electric is arond 50 a month. Working out very good. A couple of pic's. Dorf Dude.


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## SPS-1

Good to hear from you and Mia again.


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## BigJim

shumakerscott said:


> Long time no post. We have had really severe storms this year. Sideways rain and tornado type winds. I ended up with a roof leak. It was the roof cap felt. It got blown because I did not stick it down, forgot. The cap tiles were there but the felt got dislodged. Today was the fix. I replaced it and peeled the backing off the glue goo. The black on the top is copper to help control the moss. Mia is still kicking! Much slower now and can't hear but still a good dog. Heating is running 4 tons of pellets a year and electric is arond 50 a month. Working out very good. A couple of pic's. Dorf Dude.


It HAS been a long time, good to see you and Mia still kicking. Our grandson his wife and family are stationed there in Germany now. Both our grandson and his wife are Army. Don't stay gone so long, we do miss your adventures over there.


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