What the fool did recently,
Sorry for not keeping you posted on progress on the timber frame. When we tore the part of the house that the phone lines were connected to, we were a little over eager. Besides the girls have abused the phone too much lately at the cost of some of their chores. You’d be amazed at how much they will do to get dad to hook up the phone lines.
The power company finally decided that I deserved to have my lines moved, 10 weeks late…….. two hours after the lines came down, the phone lines went ….Oooops!
Well the south wall took me only two weeks to get up, Now I know that you stick builders can frame a wall in ten minutes, but it takes a little more time to get the oak planned, mortices cut out and tenions made when you’re working with a white oak timber frame. It doesn’t help if half way throught the job your power planner eats itself. I brought it back to Mikita and they will fix it but of course since it’s a 6&3/4 inch wide one they don’t keep parts and I’m certain that the first boat with the parts sank…….
I wish you could have seen the ease I placed the top plate in place using a forklift! Now I know that I should be using mules or calling a couple dozen of my strongest neighbors over, but with a simple pull of the lever it floated right into place, THUNK!
Same for the bridge timbers, 6 by 12 x 24 foot long white oak less than ten minutes later everything was in place! I love hydraulics! This week end the roof trusses will fly into place, good lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise…..
Replies
frenchy- you don't sound like any fool to me. It sounds like you're going to have one sweet place there before long.
Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
Long is a relative term,
I've been at it for over a year now (actual building) and just the west wing is done. (well about sealed to the weather) flooring and trim still need doing.
I first started this in Feb. of 1999 when I ordered the saw mill to start cutting timbers. At that time I set a deadline of ten years before the whole house would be done.
Based on my experiance so far, I may have been a bit optimistic....
The Amish have an expression that I love,
Celebrate hard work
Well I certainly have, Every day I work on the house. weekends it's at least 20 hours and I love it!
I'm building an ultimate no compromise home of my dreams. The way I want to and if it takes me ten hours to do something well, so be it!
But I digress,
I call myself a fool because I started this project not knowing what it would cost, nor how long it would take. The blue prints were just something I drew up to satisfy the building dept. I haven't looked at them since they were submitted. I know that I'm several thousand percent higher than any minimum standards so I don't worry about it. and the size of the unit is closely restricted so that's not an issue either.
I never got competitive bids nor will I compromise on something because it might not be the lowest cost item....
I know I'm a fool when it rains and I run around trying to get tarps all over the tools, I knew I was a fool when I grabbed that 220 volt live wire while standing in a foot of rain..
Additional proof of my foolishness available by reading just about any of my past posts.....
Frenchy,
How 'bout the "Motley Fools" their investment information is good and they have been successful at making the word "fool" a good thing.
Who cares about the money, you'll just piss it away on something less worthwhile anyway.
Grind it out brother. Post some pics.
Ditch
I'm sorry,
I'm picture handicapped. I won't go into the tale of woe that befalls me every time I touch a camera, let me simply say that posting pictures isn't an option. anyone else in the neighborhood is welcome to take any and all the pictures they want and post them. I just don't have the ability.
As for money, other than the cost of materials my only other expense is for tools. The few bucks I've had to pay for subcontractors wouldn't cause the average contractor to blink if put into his eye.
Now I've spent a fortune sharpening planer blades and buying drill bits, but what the heck we all need some vice............
Frenchy, two things I would add:
1. Not to put builders down, but it sounds like you would be better classified as a sculptor.
2. Fool can be a verb too. When you are done, you will have fooled logic, the forces of nature, your own limits and your neighbors living in their 'hovels' and substandard (by your standards) homes.
Good luck and more power to you.
BTW, I never put a phone in my shop for a reason, other than ordering materials, it is only a tool for other fools to disturb you with.
Well you certainly can't call me a builder! No self respecting builder would work for the wages I pay myself, on the other hand I don't have to pay myself workmans comp, or taxes and as for unemployment, if I ever reach the point where I could claim that, i certainly wouldn't be so crass as to claim money for it!
Hmmm I just realized I'm looking forward to the day when I could be unemployed... Feb. 2009 can't come soon enough!
The phone is a tool and I guess from the stand point of a teenage daughter, vital...
where in the heck is Wayzata Minnesota? We (the family) will be in Minneapolis at the End of this month. That has to be some beautiful looking house.
From Mpls. drive west on Hwy394 when you get to county road 15 west get off, turn when you get to Casco point drive, turn when you get to Ivy place, stop before you hear a splash.
As for beauty, you need to see it thru my eyes or have an equally good imagination. if I'm on schedule, by the end of the month I should be about 1/2 way throught framing the great room.
How far out from Mpls is road 15?
well,
I haven't looked at the odometer so I'd be guessin'
lets put it this way, it's after 494 and before the freeway narrows (oops the wife guesses it's about 5)
whatever you do don't,.... repeat don't, take 15 east
as for the rest of it, if you turn onto the roads I named you can't go wrong, ie, Casco point only goes one way, so does Ivy place.
about here I should brag about how I've never got lost looking for my home and since no one has ever offered me a prize for intelligence it must be easy..........
Edited 8/9/2002 8:20:00 PM ET by frenchy
Sorry I was unable to get out your way. I was only in town for 3 days. Of course I had to go to the fair and see THE pig of all pigs.
Day 2 was off to the sink holes. Believe it or not, it was the day before the twister went through that area.
Day 3 (the day of the storm) I was installing my BIL front door.
So again sorry, but I will be back to Minneapolis sometime to see my Sister again.
Will advise.