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Excavation, slab, and block work done, the pain continues.
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Posted by: Mr. P

Well I'm famous for jumping in over my head, and this is a classic. I rented a backhoe, got the slab in, personally laid over a hundred concrete block and filled them with bagged concrete, one frigging bag at a time, some of which were transported in the back of a 928, lol.

Now I'm on the way up with the frame. I got the treated base plate down, bolted in position, and have the 2x6 studs in and up to the first level, got the floor framed up with a 4' overhang, and 3/4" exterior T&G plywood glued and slammed in with a 3-1/2" nail gun. Guys, if you EVER try this kind of thing, just go yourself a nail gun. I got a Porter Cable framing gun, and without it I'd be dead in the water. With it, dang, I'm blasting away like I know what the hell I'm doing. Since my progress is slow, I caulked the joints and rolled on a coating of polyurethane just to be sure the floor didn't suffer any damage when it got rained on. I'm generally out of lumber now so I'm going to hook the trailer up to the ole Volvo and go back to Home Depot for a load of studs, etc.

Life on the ranch, never a dull moment. This is my way of keeping in shape. In the end, the wife gets a 24 x 8' walk in closet, and I get (another) shop. This one will be finished with a drywall ceiling, epoxy floor, and all white paint on the walls and ceiling. This is going to be my "sanitary" shop, for doing work on cylinder heads, carbs, guns, etc.

It may not sound like a big project, but hey, try it yourself sometime and see. That frigging block work is for the birds, never again in this lifetime. It took forever, is really tough on your shoulders and hands, and by the time I got all the cores filled I don't think I ever want to see another 80-pound bag of concrete mix the rest of my life. This project gives the word "asprin" all new meaning.

I am, however, looking forward to using the shop for the intended purpose. Perhaps I'll have a supercharger on that worktable in the real near future, the 928 needs a boost.

Mr. P

Posted by: RCowan99SSConv

Hey P., Are you using any particular kind of Epoxy on the floor? I was looking at the POR-15 Hardnose paint but its a little$$.

Posted by: Mr. P

Hell I don't know, I'm still working on the carpentry. At the appropriate time I'll look into the paint and pick something. In the interim, if you have a recommendation for concrete lemme know.

Well I'm done with my break, checked up on the news, sucked down a beer, checked the Pit on the laptop, and I'm heading back out to kick some more ass, I mean studs.

Mr. P

Posted by: The OLE MAN

Hey 'P',

If you need any help, drop a dime on a brother.....

Oh, you did realize I was talking about the BEER, right.

The OLE MAN

Posted by: Mr. P

Yeah I know, but this project is all about doing it myself. The ranch is in a remote location on a ridgetop, nobody can even see the place, so I'm just working away if and when I damn well feel like it. If I were in a neighborhood I would be pressured to get the darn thing done, for the sake of the neighbors.

The good news is, I'm getting it done. I need windows and another load of lumber now. The wall framing will take just a couple hours at most and then I'm into the roof. This is a "total body workout" in case you didn't pick up the notion. Climbing up and down a hundred times a day, pushing 3/4" plywood onto the floor plate, etc, keeps a boy off the streets in that terrible silver car, ha ha, chasing bikers, joggers, women and children into the bushes.

regards, Mr. P

Posted by: The OLE MAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. P


	Yeah I know, but this project is all about doing it myself. The ranch is in a remote location on a ridgetop, nobody can even see the place, so I'm just working away if and when I damn well feel like it. If I were in a neighborhood I would be pressured to get the darn thing done, for the sake of the neighbors. The good news is, I'm getting it done. I need windows and another load of lumber now. The wall framing will take just a couple hours at most and then I'm into the roof. This is a "total body workout" in case you didn't pick up the notion. Climbing up and down a hundred times a day, pushing 3/4" plywood onto the floor plate, etc, keeps a boy off the streets in that terrible silver car, ha ha, chasing bikers, joggers, women and children into the bushes. regards, Mr. P

SHIT 'P',

All that work, when do you find time to

The OLE MAN

ps, when you coming out to the LEFT coast? My offer to BUY is still VALID

Posted by: Mr. P

The wife and I celebrated last night after we rode our bikes on the Natchez Trace National Parkway, which is just literally a few minutes from the house. Speed is waaay down, you're supposed to drive slow and look at the trees, deer, turkey, and it's quite the spot for riding a bike.

We popped a bottle of champagne and celebrated her new acquisition, a Volvo XC90 5-cylinder turbo 5-speed, which I'm chipping and installing sway bars. I drove one that has been chipped (actually you send in the entire ECU and they reprogram it and it takes 3 days) and it would get out of its own way. Power is up by 40 due to boost being up from 8 to 14 psi. They have a bigger (6-cyl) twinturbo model but it only comes with a 4-speed. The 5-cyl turbo is a good driver if you get the ECU reprogrammed, and the good news is, the motor never knows it's been reprogrammed unless you keep your foot in it.

Now I get to haul lumber in the thing too, ha ha. I intend to knock this project out and get on with something else, like sitting under a tree drinking whiskey, just for a change, ha ha.

Mr. P

Posted by: MikeT

Volvo: strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.

Posted by: Mr. P

You are right about that Mike. That's the magic of Volvo. They build em tough as Vikings, but put enough charm in them that the women like them too. That way, men can convince their women to drive em. How else was I going to get my wife out of her 850 Turbo and into something like that?

Now I have a SUV at my disposal any time I need one, and the wife is out there listening to the 6-CD changer, climate control, 5-speed turbo with AWD thinking it's cool.

Mr. P

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