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I'm really liking the put up fencing and let the cows do the work idea...if you want to go faster, try goats but you'll need a heck of a fence.

We keep our feed in steel trash cans. Medium size holds one bag, that's the one we feed from. Biggest size holds two bags, unopened. We are also overrun with squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits, so if its not one thing, it's another. But rats when we get them are the most persistent. I gather...

My wife opens the run on nice days. We have lost a few to hawk strikes doing that. We have had foxes, raccoons, and coyotes in the neighborhood, a "pest rated" fence 6" off the ground around the outside seems to be working at keeping those out/away. We put deer netting over the run also due to...

I used a couple of rough pine 2x8's across my 3-season porch, and along the inside ridge. They had a nice silver-gray to them when I picked them up. I found a quick hit with a random orbit with 120 grit took the fuzz off leaving the saw marks. Also sanded a small bevel down the corners. This...

Certainly easier than the way I used bowling alley...but it still makes me happy.

I have heard that apple trees prefer gypsum over lime.

For future reference, palm nailers aren't too bad to use, especially for connectors. They even make cordless (hoseless?) ones now.

Dad had his woodstove in the corner of the kitchen, it would roast us out of there, or if it was comfortable everyone was there getting underfoot because it was too cold everywhere else. The living room next to it was always cold. Dad cut two square openings through the wall, one stud bay...

There's a bunch of state university sites for ag extension service that have barn plans, usally all the same ones. This is one such site: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/ag-topics/natural-resources-and-facilities/facilities/building-plans/construction-building I haven't been poking...

It can, as long as you keep in mind the super secret chasing livestock technique: Walk toward them while rattling grain in a bucket. Whatever type of bucket they are used to, metal, rubber, etc. This is also why you get them used to be fed grain from a bucket at odd intervals from a young...

I'd pack the gap with dirt and call it good...?

If you have hard water, do not get the longest frost free valves. We have iron in ours as well, and it will plate out onto brass if allowed to sit (like over the winter) and essentially rust the brass threads. The frost free faucets have a long square valve actuator rod to get to the valve at...

One way to keep metal from degrading where it is against PT boards is to use the peel and stick butyl flashing, like they use to seal around windows.

Broaching keyways...

As far as notching tool handles, I had one hammer with a slick varnished handle that was just miserable for slipping. I ended up dragging a coarse power hacksaw blade across it in two directions, and then gave it a quick rub down with my favorite hammer handle finish, 10w-40, which soaks right...

For 180-270 swing, some designs use a cylinder to move a chunk of 50? 60? chain past a sprocket. Some use the length of chain straight along a length of steel angle or channel, like a rack and pinion, others make most of a loop of chain and a 2nd sprocket, and pin the loose chain ends to a...

We also have a red tricolor Aussie girl. Just hit 6mo., we had a black tri boy before her.

Are you going to put trim or crown up after? That's what I did on my pantry cabinet and oven cabinet. Also, my floors and ceiling were not perfectly level, I ended up finding one spot in the room that gave me an extra inch to tilt them up so I had to trim less. Swung the tap measure from the...

If you like independent thinking herding dogs, they can be fun. Especially if there is another pet for them to use up their energy on, or you are willing to play fetch or run or walk with them. Thankfully for us, we have the Labrador who enjoys getting him worked up and running around, while...

A tennis racket or a "chuck it" ball throwing tool will keep you from blowing out your throwing arm, as long as you can keep her from chewing it to bits. I totally know that "time to play" getting the ball dropped in my lap thing. Heeler (often blue or red, for the common colors blue merle or...

Looks like a typical off-road only truck, with the brush guards, portal axles, and wider bunks (12' maybe?). A quick google of "off road logging truck" will show you many similar photos. Those from the PNW will have large logs as shown, while those from Maine and Canada will have lots of much...

Rough frame... Note fill-in section to the left of the door. Also, the inspector was fine with removing 1/2" from the bottom edge of the header because the new door RO was that much taller than the slider. Wall plate rests directly on the header (7'8" walls) so there wasn't room to move it...

My Aussie is just the opposite, given that choice he'll go for 13F every time.

Do you want that in red or blue?

With 1/2" ground rod, going into sand, within 50' of my compressor, I've used one of these (no bit, the end slips over the 1/2" ground rod): Walked it in like nothing. Your soil conditions may vary...

This is the "3 boards" channel I also mentioned, I see they are also using chunks of all-thread to support the top edges of the boards. I hope this is during install, and they actually fill and pack it closer to the boards...? Either that, or this system is about to fail. So I suspect with...

Full disclosure, I haven't made or used them myself. This is the first google hit: Indiana Woodland Steward - Water Bar for Continuous Use Road

Just the plow end of the angle cylinders, or the frame side too? I don't know if pulling the retaining bolt on the angle pins will get you any better penetration. Maybe drill out that retaining bolt if it won't behave, what would they cost to replace, $0.25? $0.50? Might be time to just...

with disks that are angled in both directions in an X and "meet" in the center (as opposed to the ones where the front and back are a single straight run) the front one is angled so that the pans roll dirt out, and the back ones roll it back to center, so him running it weighted to the back...

Unit is a mitsubishi, looks like this: It is on wall brackets, 3 ft from the ground. I suspect the big problem is the oval slots on the end and back. They are seriously big, like jam three fingers in. I picked up 1/4" hardware cloth last night, so will use that. I was wondering if bug...

Mice got into our mini split outside compressor housing and trashed the wiring and insulation. I would not be surprised if the wiring has soy based insulation like many people complain about in their vehicles for similar reasons. Harness is not available as a replacement part and the...

Upper open sections got clear corrugated panels.

In another thread, I said I would post how this project went together once it was done, so here it is. An aluminum deck vendor was mentioned in another thread, Aluminum Decking, Railing, Fencing, Pergolas and Deck Framing by Nexan Building Products and I was looking to see if they had something...

Oil pits aren't allowed here, but a friend's Dad has a shop building on a side hill, one leg of the driveway loops around as a ramp. When it gets to about 2' high, there is a level concrete section that runs perpendicular and meets the shop apron, with a gap in the middle. Sorry the pic is a...

I built a 12x16 3-season 2 years ago and love it. Since my house is 2-story, I did not have issues with rooflines, so this is more about the porch itself. I am going to 2nd the comment of just going with regular windows, but not for reasons of cost. It would be too hot a space to use much of...

I thought I had posted pics of my dogs in this thread, but it seems I have only posted them in other topics. Current duo: Previous Akita and Cattledog: Labrador doing what she does best:

I guess I am not seeing where a header under the rafters would cost you space, unless you are counting every inch going out the side, vs. the ends?

For small projects from just a quick sketch to build: ...to bigger ones, after countless hours of fussing, including making all the plan sketches for permits:

Even the best calculations can steer you wrong. Sometimes you just have to cut metal and see what happens. For example, here is the original version of my garden tractor front loader: Here is the redesign I came up with later: Both versions used scrounged cylinders in nonstandard sizes...

A mower engine needs the weight of the blade to act as a flywheel, without it they are hard to start and vibrate a lot. For tractor use (pulley instead of a blade) you want a "heavy flywheel" engine. One common source for these is pressure washers, I have picked up a couple from a small engine...

Much more elaborate than I was thinking, I had in mind something like this: I know how easy it is to get carried away with some of these things and add a lot of extra weight which then takes away from how heavy a bale you can pick up. 10 lbs here, 20 there adds up...

Handtruck. One of the ones with the bigger knobby tires. Load up a stack, place several stacks near the work area... I found I could get about 12 of the wall blocks I was using in a stack before the handtruck got unmanageable. About 300 lbs.

No recent experience with the current crop of minivans, grew up with Astros and GM fullsize. I would certainly consider one for my next when my current truck rusts out, the idea of 4x8 sheet goods flat on the floor has a lot of appeal. Know what you mean about the cold, my old Akita would...

Pretty much our whole end of the county looks like it is the first days of spring and not the longest days of summer. Anyone else here under siege?

I built my wife a greenhouse/potting shed, with a porch which gets used to store lawn furniture and garden supplies. She uses it just about every nice day to play with a glass torch making beads. Just because they grow up doesn't mean they have to stop playing. Just make it something...

I don't water my lawn in the summer, just let it go dormant, so in a dry summer like last year it is not unusual to go all August without mowing, then start again once the fall rains start. First pass around the yard and I got a stung like 3 or 4 times after bumping a maple sapling with the...

I will just add my 2c for a drywall lift making life easier. I bought a new HF one for about the same money as used ones on CL or a rental, and now my BiL has it for his current project.

We lost our Akita in '10 due to arthritis, she was 14. Out vet had us switch from Frontline to Advantix about 10 years before, because Frontline wasn't working very well in our area any more. We got a bouncy young yellow lab to replace her and keep our cattledog company. She came with a few...

My local HD/Lowes have PT 1x's (3/4" actual) and "5/4" decking boards (1" actual). I would think either could work pretty well for a trailer. I have also picked up composite decking really cheap on a closeout (used it to redo a picnic table) and they often have short lengths of various 4' or...

If that doesn't pan out, you could use 4-1/2" flat bar, too. Just have to knock the corners off. 18" of it might be cheaper to get than disks. You might even be able to get away with using 4", but the 130mm circle would be right out at the corners, so you'd have to weld the bolts on, and...

If you are under 200 SF for most of Mass, you can do whatever you want (used to be 120)...though I think there may still be a few communities still enforcing the old 120 rules. Still have to follow all your setbacks for your zone, of course. For a shed, there are other options to economize. I...

You could cut out the bottom, and maybe some of the side up a bit to get rid of the thickest part of that bottom corner. Then cut a "wedge" out of the side to allow you to pull the sides together into a tighter (if lopsided) cone. Drill and bolt as you pull it together so you aren't fighting...

We run anything maple in the woodshed short enough to fit in the firebox, split it into kindling in the early stages to help get the fire going, but once there is a bed of coals just put in anything that will fit. Sometimes white or red oak, too. Anything I can't identify stays in the shed...

If you already have a 1x4 fascia (or 2x4 subfascia) across the ends of your rafters, the easiest way to protect it is piece of drip edge. I've actually run two on some stuff, one over the sheathing overlapping the fascia, with the shingles on top (no reason you couldn't run it under tin just as...

Oh no, I better not weld up anything with my Home Depot welder...

Once you get your base set, stacking the blocks goes very fast, and I think makes a better looking wall than timber. The lip on the back makes it easy. I had the pallets dropped off, then moved into the work area in stacks with a hand truck, so I wasn't running back and forth carrying stones...

My little forge shed has a sand floor, but I put in a shovel width "rat wall" about 18" deep all around the perimeter, and added a 2x2 along the inside edge of the form boards to create the rat guard effect to seal off the openings in the siding. I dug an additional post hole down to a total of...

In the modified 9', ten sections of shelves, 12" wide and 2' long would leave you a full 3' for at the door. Knock the two front corners off 3/4 in from each end and 2-1/2" back, and they'll almost touch. At the back, they'll gap enough for a 2x4 upright flat against the wall. Run the shelf...

Why would the horizontal board have to go under the 2x12? Why couldn't it go next to it, inset between the posts...or even on top. It would at least keep the 2x12 from bowing even if it wasn't right at the opening. Also, nailer blocks could be above the opening, or you could use joist...

I'd say both: A bunch of the guys trying to quiet down generators user a deflector that screws on to the regular muffler (at the four threaded holes we see in yours) as a starting point to weld on another exhaust pipe and muffler, either from a compact car or small tractor. Some autoparts...

What about a gas powered auger? There's a couple types of manual t-handle post hole augers as well, some with a spiral twist like an icefishing auger, and some with a pair of curved sides that meet at the bottom. This latter style uses pipe for the upright section of the handle, so if you need...

I've found that when you're feeling low and need someone to make sure you get your rest so you can recover, a retriever parked on your chest does a pretty good job.

You can make it softer and easier to bend by heating it, then letting it cool (fast or slow, doesn't matter unlike steel). The problem then is it stays softer and easier to bend once you are done, and the horse is even more likely to unbend it again with another hard pull. If it were...