Mars - One way...would you go?

[infinix]

KJ, it looks like you are a dreamer with no real world experience. Seeing as you are 19, it makes sense that you can still dream. Just know that all, (well most, there has been one or two who were psychologically unstable) astronauts are the absolute best and the brightest the human race has to offer. This was true for NASA. For SpaceX, I would imagine that you can add richest to that list since they want to make money.

Chances are, if at age 19, you aren't already the creme de la creme in your school, you will never get to be an astronaut, much less go to Mars. Only the best apply to be astronauts, and with an acceptance rate of 0.4%, you better be the best at whatever you do to be able to go into space as a scientist.

Now, if you are betting on SpaceX, you could possibly afford to go if you had a couple hundred thousand dollars lying around. But you'll be going as a tourist, and you still will NOT be going to Mars in your lifetime. There is no way SpaceX could make it to Mars within the next 30 years. There is just no funding available. Again, I could be wrong, but the odds are against you there.

And what's with the obsession of building your own basement extensions? Listen to what others tell you. It is impossible to do it by yourself. One person can't possible put up a support structure where each wood beam can weight upwards of 100 lbs and each metal support could weight 5 times that.

 

[KJbushway]

yes I am a dreamer. I have a bad fear of hieghts and I won't go on roller coasters. Never planned to be a NASA astronuat or anything like that, I wear glasses, from what I have been told that already takes me out of the equation. Do I believe that the private sector might have a bigger role in the colonization in the solar system or even just between moon and Earth, yes. Let NASA contuine its primary goal which is to explore the universe, and leave things like bring tourists to the private companies.

If I plan to build a basement of my own design in the future, I could do most if not all the work by myself. My determination is such that I don't let things slow me down, that includes working with others. Now your entitled, just like everyone to believe such a thing to be a pipe dream. I however, I have a hard time believing anything is impossible until I try it myself. But in the interest of not going off topic, lets just leave it at our posts.

 

[Shatnertage]

Well lets say you want to add a smallish 10x10 room to your basement. Assuming a ceiling height of 7', that's 700 cubic feet of dirt you'd have to dig out and get rid of. That's just for starters. Then you've got to install the supports which, as infinix says, probably isn't a one-man job. I think that if you look at the actual physical labor involved, you'll see that building your own basement isn't really the best use of your time. You'd be better off finding something that already had a basement and having fun down there from the start.

It's good that you've got dreams, but your refusal to acknowledge the very real difficulties a do-it-yourself basement presents is unfortunate.

 

[KJbushway]

I love diggin holes, sounds stupid, but my idea of a fun day is just digging a big hole with a shovel.

No I acknowledge just how difficult home improvement is, building is not easy. I tried building my own small barn out of old porch wood. I had to stop because I wasn't able to finish(running out of good wood) but I have parts of the walls up , single thick wood beams that I lifted and held in place while I naild it the wood floor I built. all this without expirence. But simply if Iam bored, I want to do something. This actually would be a good use of my time. I am hardly ever determined, but when I have been i get things done. When I was younger, my father said that I had to retrieve a round dog's toy that I had thrown high into a tree. Without any expirence I started tieing flat peices of board together till it was taller than the house itself.I tried picking it up and if fell apart because there was nothing stopping individual pieces from bending and falling over. When I realized this, without any expirence I started tieing branches to the peices of wood were they meant and it worked, in the end my father told me to not worry about it, but I built it without any help and without prior knowledge I was no more than 9 or 10 years old.

 

[Finn]

No. You clearly do not understand. It is physically impossible to do what you want. If Chuck Norris could not do it, you would not be able to do it.

 

[KJbushway]

Chuck norris is about the same level as Sarah Palin.

Now Walker Texas Ranger, if he can't do it nobody can.

 

[infinix]

I didn't realize I was dealing with an engineer savant. Go ahead and build your basement then. Please keep us updated on the progress, with pictures.

 

[Darth Duck]

^That could be hard when the first floor comes crashing down.

 

[KJbushway]

Never said I was an engineer but I have my own means of building it. Extended and updated original basement is more likely. My points were just that if you put your mind to something you can do it. The second you let someone tell you you can't, it becomes impossible.

This won't happen till I get my own house. I could give you pictures in the future if 2 things happen.

a picture thread of some sort is still running.

trekbbs is still around.

^That could be hard when the first floor comes crashing down.

hahaha

 

[Amaris]

I love diggin holes, sounds stupid, but my idea of a fun day is just digging a big hole with a shovel.

No I acknowledge just how difficult home improvement is, building is not easy. I tried building my own small barn out of old porch wood. I had to stop because I wasn't able to finish(running out of good wood) but I have parts of the walls up , single thick wood beams that I lifted and held in place while I naild it the wood floor I built. all this without expirence. But simply if Iam bored, I want to do something. This actually would be a good use of my time. I am hardly ever determined, but when I have been i get things done. When I was younger, my father said that I had to retrieve a round dog's toy that I had thrown high into a tree. Without any expirence I started tieing flat peices of board together till it was taller than the house itself.I tried picking it up and if fell apart because there was nothing stopping individual pieces from bending and falling over. When I realized this, without any expirence I started tieing branches to the peices of wood were they meant and it worked, in the end my father told me to not worry about it, but I built it without any help and without prior knowledge I was no more than 9 or 10 years old.

I'll help you dig.

 

[Finn]

Dude... Nobody actually thinks you are an engineer. You don't get it, do you? This is not one of those things one person can do it alone even with determination. It's an admirable trait but you need to realize what you want to do require lot of group effort. There's no getting around it.

 

[KJbushway]

thanks for your opinion, but I can do it alone and I will.

 

[Finn]

No. It's not an opinion. It is a cold and simple fact. You are just a kid who haven't even started college.

Have you done the research on the permits, local zoning and HOA policies ( tough when you don't know the location yet)??? Who would draw the plans? You realize there are different types of plans, right? What would you do with the dirt. Who would haul it away. What are your estimates for how much it would cost. Where would you get the concrete? Oh, and what equipment you plan to have down there. It may be illegal to have certain equipment at home without permit or proper training. Would you have a MSDS Binder?

 

[KJbushway]

I will but thank you for giving me a better check list for when I do start.

 

[Finn]

Not alone! You'd have to be an [deleted by mod] to do it alone.
My father in-law, an architect, just gave me a list of who you would need. Many, many people.

Designers
Architects (note it's plural)
HVAC engineer
Plumbing engineer
Electric engineer
Structural engineer

Contractors
General contractor
Mason
Electrical
A/C contractor
Insulators
Dry wall installators
Painters
Carpet layers.

Just buy a house with a basement and save your $$$ for nifty equipment. If you go at it alone, you would be approaching retirement age if you don't get killed first.

 

[KJbushway]

as a mechanic I will have expirence with most of that.

dry-wall installars? I'm not going to use dry wall.

I understand your trying to help me and I thank you for it. your actaully helping me in a way by giving me a better check list. I promise you the second I fell over whelmed I will ask for help. the digging part I am going to do on my own, I just love to dig holes.

Now I won't be able to respond for some time. so I wanted to leave with that.

 

[Finn]

You are in for a big awakening, if you are lucky enough to survive your first year at community college.

 

[KJbushway]

thanks for the good luck. no seriously. I am going to be a mechanic. one of my core classes I have to learn is about eletrical and about micro-computers. I am still digging by myself. I would just love to dig a big hole.

 

[Finn]

Okay. Mechanics tend to specialize.

 

[KJbushway]

yeah. I am into restoring the classics, as side project. I plan to add a small garage onto my house as well, though separate, an oil fire is dangerous and hard to put out. I don't want it by my house. I want to build a 70 dodge charger with a 528ci V8 engine.