phoenix / goodwill rebuild

Magicman · August 21, 2015, 01:40:34 PM

That is interesting.

Mine would go crazy. smiley_dizzy

Andy White · August 21, 2015, 07:31:24 PM

Austin,
That technology is really fascinating in what it can show. If you use it on the whole house, and seal everything you find, your house should be very energy efficient for sure! The power company may have to send you a check every month! I know it won't be long now that we can get the grand tour of the progress you are making. Keep us updated, and we should see you and Stacey really soon. 8) 8) Andy

dablack · August 22, 2015, 10:05:24 AM

Andy,

Yes , I did use it on the whole house when it was 101F out side. I'm trying to fix what I can. I only posted about 15% of the stuff I noted.

Like I said before, we pretty much took the summer off so there really isn't much to show that you haven't already seen. I did get our GE oven delivered. Being a GE employee really helped and it was also on clearance. That was good too! I'm going to try and install it this weekend but it is so heavy, I might have to wait for Monday after work when one of my buddies drives by.

This morning, I'm just painting cabinet doors. Someone made a Whole WHACK of them!

Austin

GAB · August 22, 2015, 12:42:38 PM

Quote from: dablack on August 22, 2015, 10:05:24 AM
Andy,

This morning, I'm just painting cabinet doors. Someone made a Whole WHACK of them!

Austin

Yes and judging from the pictures he did a mighty fine job.
Gerald

WDH · August 22, 2015, 07:51:38 PM

A very fine job, indeed.

Magicman · August 22, 2015, 08:24:56 PM

Must have had access to some highly valuable framing lumber. 8)

dablack · October 19, 2015, 12:57:32 PM

Well, sorry for the lack of updates but no one wants to see pictures of drywall mud drying.....

With that said, we did finally get the oven in.

I've also been busy putting up the wall boards that Dennis cut for me.

It is turning out really nice. On one side of the wall or the other, I'm putting paper up behind the boards so you can't see through the gaps. The last picture with the girls in it, you can see the window shining through the gaps on the left. That wall only has boards on one side. It will get paper put up and then the boards will go up on the other side. This will block the light from coming through if the gaps in the boards line up.

We are really please with how the house is turning out. The kids love helping put up the wall boards. I'm sure they will be even more pleased when I get done with the master bath so momma and I will be out of the kids bath!

thanks
Austin

Den-Den · October 19, 2015, 01:03:52 PM

Looking good!
Building while living inside is a journey more than a destination, you are moving along nicely.

Austin; did those gaps come from the boards shrinking after installation or was it from the boards warping before installation?

dablack · October 19, 2015, 01:35:31 PM

Just a little warping before installation. Most, I can bend straight but others fight me. Sometime, I hang on a board and Madeline (eldest) nails it on! I'm sure it is a sight. That bright light from the window makes the gaps seem much bigger than what they are. Since those boards have been in the house for the last couple of months, I doubt they will shrink much more on the wall.

plowboyswr · October 19, 2015, 03:18:54 PM

Looking good! Glad your young ones are having a good time helping. I am definitely enjoying the :P even if it is just watching the mud dry! :D

Magicman · October 23, 2015, 10:16:18 AM

Austin, I have been off for a few days and your progress update made me smile.

Farmerjw · December 09, 2015, 10:26:25 AM

Austin, when I did the walls upstairs in my girls bedrooms years ago, I used a dado blade from Harbor Frieght on my table saw to make a shiplap joint. Then there weren't any visible gaps as the boards shrink. Pretty easy, one pass, flip the board and make the second pass on the other side. Just a thought. The house is looking very nice and know how we felt as we built and lived in our house at the same time. Now that my girls are moms and their kids sleep in their old rooms when they stay over, the memories flood back and the old stories abound! You are making memories and great adults to be! Thanks for the progress update.

dablack · May 05, 2016, 06:06:46 PM

Hey guys. Sorry it has been SO long since I posted. I haven't been working on the house much. Working in Oil & Gas, I'm sort of reluctant to spend any money. I did do a month long clean up around the place. Cleaned up a bunch of old stumps and construction debris. Burned the old slab pile and tree tops that had been sitting in a pile since the goodwill trip. House site is now looking much better. Last weekend we also picked about 4 gallons of blackberries off the property. The apples trees I planted back in 2011 finally put on a couple of apples but I snipped most off since the trees are still so small.

I'm finally ready to get back to the house. I'm finishing a few things that go inside the house and then will build the porch. After that will come hardiplank siding.

The few things that I'm doing on the inside is to help clean out my little 1 car garage. Then we can finally move out of storage. Storage is cheap in Rusk, but I'm sick of paying to store my stuff! I should have built or bought a little shed a year ago!

Anyway, I'm not giving out any details on what I'm working on but I will post pictures. Yall will have to figure it out as I go.

Kbeitz · May 05, 2016, 06:20:22 PM

Apples already ? Our trees are just now getting there leafs.

dablack · May 05, 2016, 06:24:36 PM

The little apples I cut off were the size of native pecans. I should have been watching and gotten them earlier. I left one or two on each tree. I really need to spray for the green aphids! They are taking over.

Magicman · May 05, 2016, 08:18:07 PM

No idea what you are doing, but it is nice to see you come up for air. ;D

Ljohnsaw · May 05, 2016, 08:43:48 PM

Either you are putting in a mortise in that beam/post (not sure which it is) or you are making a recess for that blue electrical box - in which case, I'd say you are making a post.

never finished · May 05, 2016, 09:47:19 PM

dablack I sure have missed you. This thread has been a must read for me.

dablack · May 09, 2016, 12:34:20 PM

Thanks for the kind words guys. I'm glad to be back at it.

So, yeah, the electrical box beside the wood sort of gave it away. (then again, most people that have seen my garage know that there is random stuff everywhere)

Of course, this really doesn't tell you what this is or where it goes. I will show that tomorrow.

Austin

Ljohnsaw · May 09, 2016, 03:05:50 PM

Looks like overhead lighting to me. Running romex on the other (top) side?

dablack · May 10, 2016, 08:34:16 AM

Yep, you got it. This is for over the bar. This is a 3x6 beam that is supposed to look like a 6x6 that is half in the ceiling. I already have a 6x6 post on one end of the bar that has the wires to run a plug and the cook top in the island. It is supposed to give the kitchen a sort of timber frame look. The boss is very pleased with how bright it is now in the kitchen. Before we only had the two can lights in the ceiling. When standing at the cook top, you would block the can lights behind you. These pendants are much better and throw a ton of light, right where you need it.

Austin

Den-Den · May 10, 2016, 09:49:13 AM

That looks great!

dablack · May 10, 2016, 11:16:17 AM

Thanks Dennis. It is turning into a nice house, VERY SLOWLY! I've got to finish the pine "timberframe" stuff in the kitchen so I can then clean out the garage, get out of storage and then FINALLY do the porch and siding.

Magicman · May 10, 2016, 09:00:11 PM

We are so proud of your accomplishments.

dablack · June 09, 2016, 08:45:34 PM

I've got two good news items and one bad news item.

The good news is, last month, Dennis (Den-Den) brought by some beautiful Lufkin Red Oak that he had sawn. The boards are about 14x1.5" and 10' long. This wood is for the island top.

The second good news is that I have much more time to work on the house.......

The bad news is cash is tight until I find job. GE has cut Lufkin industries in half a couple of times and this time it finally got me. So if any of you have been emailing me at the old GE email...... I don't get those anymore. I'm looking locally right now and then will spread the search to Houston and Dallas. Then San Antonio and Austin. THen finally out of state. We will NOT be getting rid of the house and land even if the job takes me out of state. This is our forever home and I'm not letting go!

Now on to the good stuff! PICTURES!

This is the first two boards on the island. I'm cutting out the cooktop opening so I can screw down the top from below. Dennis planed, jointed, and cut biscuits for me. It made it EASY! My only failing was, I should have had more clamps.

Tomorrow I should have a little more done. I'm hoping I will have the 3rd piece on and stained.

thanks
Austin