3R Home and Barn Project

[3RRL]

On a lighter note, we had time to do a few other things.
I forgot to post the photos of the Chinese Diesel generator welder I bought along with several other things when we got Loretta's tractor. It's only been 10 months since I got it and just now took it out of the crate.
It is pretty sweet looking. Very nicely put together with excellent fit and finish. Not too bad looking for $500 bucks. I wouldn't have bought it if Scott hadn't sent me the link and the price I could get it for. When I went to the AG show last March, I saw similar tools that were anywhere from $3000 to $6000 bucks! The more expensive ones did have an air compressor built in though. But still, for what I paid if it works any good at all it will be a steal!
I might get to it later this week? I'll start a new thread about it.
Here are the pics.

 

[3RRL]

Along with a chipper and shredder, we also got an 18 ton log splitter in that package deal. This is the first time we go to use it. I had to weld the base together first. It's vertical and horizontal. We've never had a log splitter before, but with our wood stove heating, we're gonna cut and split lots of wood. We still have to build the woodshed and the pallet to transport the wood, but that will come later. We've had lots of hardwood (all Oak) cut around the property for many years but never split it. We spent a few minutes gathering some pieces and cutting them to about 16" to 20" long before splitting them.
Here are a couple of photos of Loretta (who just loves it) with a little less than a rick of split wood.

 

[3RRL]

This log splitter may not be the greatest, but it sure beats using a maul to split like I did down at camp all those years. Here are a few shots of some 16' diameter logs being split. Loretta said she really got a kick (satisfying) having the power to split wood this easily.



We figure to build a wood shed that will hold about 3 cords. One for seasoning and two for use. Our Winters are mild compared to some of you guys, so we're not sure how much we'll burn yet. Anyway, there is enough downed oak right now for about 50 cords (WAG). We'll be working on getting that cut for splitting later. Some of the Oaks are just huge! We took a few logs inside and fired up the new Hampton stove. It has a break in period so we are only on the second small fire in it. Instructions say to make 5 small fires to let the stove "break in" before really loading it up. Thought we better get to that before it gets any colder.

 

[3RRL]

Oh, I realized I never showed the finished deck addition with the removable section to load up the firewood.
Here's how that turned out.

 

[john_bud]

Be careful with those little snakes! MUCH more deadly venom than the larger ones. Natures way of protecting them...

 

[Foothill Rancher]

I worked in snake country such as yours for 30+ years, we were always told the little ones had'nt learned how to control the amount of venom when they bite, maybe so, the big ones always scared me more.

 

[3RRL]

I worked in snake country such as yours for 30+ years, we were always told the little ones had'nt learned how to control the amount of venom when they bite, maybe so, the big ones always scared me more.

Me too!
We have plenty good sized ones.



I've noticed the little ones will lie there not moving when you approach them. At first they don't even curl up until you get really close and start bugging them. Otherwise they just lie there. But don't ever try picking one up thinking they are "cute". They will strike and poison you just like mommy and daddy. This is what scares the heck out of me with the grandkids or my dog. You kind of get "lured" into thinking they are harmless with that behavior. The big ones will coil up right away into a defensive position and let you they are not messing around.
You're probably not that far from me, right? I'll bet you have some rattlers around your place?

 

[Foothill Rancher]

I'm about sixty miles east of Stockton, you and I are aways apart. I'm fairly close to Eddie Walker's parents, a county apart.
My home ranch is a little higher up and although we have snakes I don't run into to many, my other one though is lower and at that one you have to watch where you walk, in barns and such you want to watch where you step and put your hands, my avatar shows this ranch.
The pictures of your fantastic home looks just like an area in the west part of our county that I worked in for years, more snakes in this area than I've ever run into.
I worked for a utility for years and was in this area around new homes and in the fields so you never knew when you were going to run into the snakes, if we had a heavy rain year you could bet in the spring you were going to run into the big snakes, if a lite rain year then it would be a lot of the little fellas.
By the way, thank you for sharing the building of your home, I have followed it with great interest and I think its just great.

 

[3RRL]

Thanks Randy,
I have also enjoyed sharing it.

Oops, we have grass now.
Looks like choosing to seed was a good idea after all. I guess I'll have to get a lawn mower now.
A ride on mower would be nice. Any suggestions?



Also too the time to make a sturdy shooting bench for left or right handed shooters.
I used all scrap materials including the left over carpet. I can shoot up to 200 yards into a hillside from the basement entrance. It's nice to keep in practice for all of us. Now I have to get some sandbags because I really hate that old Outers stand. It sucks.
Anybody know where to get sandbags reasonable?

 

[tommu56]

Rob I use shot gun shot bags filled with sand in a plastic bag or jean pants legs sewed shut with a plastic bag in them too.

get play sand at H.D. inside the store it will be dry to fill them

tom