Are You Handy? 2

[Gertch]

Put my back into the second tier after I hit the Depot for 6 more landscape ties today. There was a very large stump that had to come out but LUCKILY it pulled easily. Looking down from my livingroom window you can see it was no small obsticle

And by 5 o'clock, after hours of serious digging, I got some of the ties drilled and staked after leveling and raking

and tomorrow I should have the entire level finished. Then it's on to tier number three...

That's a lot of back breaking work! Hopefully you had some shade to work in.

The lawn around our second driveway, which is also used and plowed by the city as access to a backup generator, got all torn up this winter. So I spent most of the day taking away soil to move the hill away from the driveway. That Johnny bucket sure comes in handy for moving the dirt around.

 

[CaptainStoner]

I discovered my vehicle had an oil leak a few days ago. The leak was from the filter, which I hadn't quite tightened enough the last time I did the oil. So I'm calling this one a break even on the handiness scale.

 

[John Picard]

I discovered my vehicle had an oil leak a few days ago. The leak was from the filter, which I hadn't quite tightened enough the last time I did the oil. So I'm calling this one a break even on the handiness scale.

Do you lubricate the o-ring on the new filter before installing it? You do know that by doing so prevents it from tearing as well as eases installation, right?

I replaced the u-joints on my truck yesterday. Two issues: I didn't have a vise with jaws that opened wide enough, so I had to go to my neighbor's, and one of the joints (Chinese made) was .0030 too large and I had to run to town (using a borrowed vehicle) to get a replacement.

 

[CaptainStoner]

Do you lubricate the o-ring on the new filter before installing it? You do know that by doing so prevents it from tearing as well as eases installation, right?

Yep. Just needed a bit more twist. Had the same thing happen with the trans filter last year, which on this car is identical to an engine oil change.

 

[RJDiogenes]

What's the next project after this one SPOCKED?

We want to take advantage of the good weather so most likely we'll be painting the exterior when all the shingling is done. We sealed the shingles today since we have a good stretch of sunny days. Our plans also include getting our shed moved to a new location (near where I took down the tree in the front yard) and framing in a stone driveway. That shed will also need to get painted and the front door totally replaced. We're also talking about a kitchen overhaul with all new cabinets and countertop but that's down the road a bit. We have windows to replace, a basement to finish, basement and attic access stairs to install, some serious landscaping... the list goes on

I was going to wash the dishes today, but I'm tired....

 

[SPOCKED]

I was going to wash the dishes today, but I'm tired....

Shimmy's all stretched out under our picnic table on the cold ground - you could join him lol


Too hot to dig today so I focused on finishing the second tier. All nice and level and rebarred into place.

I'm going to spend a little quality time with my daughter, then get back outside since we're expecting a welcome temperature drop in the early afternoon

We'll be taking the long, thick slabs of slate that are currently the steps for our deck and using them as steps here. Then I'll zip in some stringers for the deck. The support for the slate steps is in disrepair so moving them over here will be a nice change. Then we want to put flower boxes along the foundation wall for each tier above. It should all look pretty good when it's done.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I was going to wash the dishes today, but I'm tired....

Shimmy's all stretched out under our picnic table on the cold ground - you could join him lol

I am definitely a cat person.

 

[ancientone51]

I mowed the back and front lawns yesterday.
Found I could do them both if I have to...lookrd like rain. Back first makes the front look easy...smaller and flatter.

When school is out, many projects scheduled.

 

[Tim]

Seriously, guys, your results put my minuscule efforts to shame.

Get your back over here and help me dig today!!

Buy me a plane ticket. I might not want to go back, though...

 

[SPOCKED]

I found a few hours to work on the 3rd tier this afternoon so here's a little update.

It's starting to take shape I think I'm done with the tiers - you can see that we did some leveling at the top and spread some topsoil. It's really not enough of a slope to justify another tier (thank the gods ) I didn't have enough landscape ties to finish the left side and I doubt I'll be able to get to it until after we get back from Nashville at the end of the month. We had about a solid week of rain so this project has really slowed up, unfortunately.

 

[Gertch]

Looks real nice! Hopefully in the heavy rains it doesn't turn into a series of waterfalls.

 

[Gertch]

Oooh, heavy traffic causing double posts?

 

[RevDMV]

Father/Son Cub Scout cake bake, we took judges choice. The theme was Jurassic Park.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I want that for my Birthday Cake.

 

[RevDMV]

It was a lot of fun. Next years theme is solar power so we'll have to start brainstorming.

I'll have another 5 years or so of cake baking since my youngest hasn't even started scouts yet.

 

[SPOCKED]

The slab steps from our deck seen here are going to become the steps on the side yard because I'm replacing them with new stringers. The brickwork as you can probably tell is decades old and falling apart.

Saturday I finished the side of the top tier (after being away for the better part of 2 weeks) and we bought 12 bags of stone (which of course wasn't enough) in a darker color instead of the white (which I've raked out) since it looks so much better.

Getting the slabs in and level is very difficult and time consuming and I did the best I could (though I didn't have all day). Here's how it came along by the early afternoon..

Next week we'll buy another 6 bags of stone to finish the job. We were up and down these steps many times and it's lightyears better than before

Meanwhile, I'm tearing out all the crumbly bricks from the deck to make room for the new stringers (why didn't the former owner save everyone a whole lot of time and effort and just do it this way decades ago? )

Here's the new stringers this afternoon..

and an evening shot of the almost finished side..

My back is really sore, but I'm pretty happy with the job

 

[Captain Ice]

Looks really nice, SPOCKED

 

[Mallory]

Back to the grind, eh SPOCKED? Nice work though, as usual. I'm sure Shimmy disapproves though, cats hate change.

 

[Gertch]

Wow, that is a lot of back breaking work but it looks nice - and solid!


The platform I made for my solar pool heaters is showing a flaw - the wind is still whipping them around regardless of the bungy cords holding them down.

And then I replaced the lattice in the barrier between the pool and the rest of the deck

with clear roofing panels.

 

[ancientone51]

Great work as always...all of you

maybe this summer I can get some projects done...I can dream