Projects that are done!

[forgeblast]

Hi all we were busy they year and would like to share what we finished.
We needed a new bridge to cross a sometimes creek. sometimes it rains and when it does sometimes it runs.

These are the connectors they are pallet shims i picked up off ebay.

The bridge will have a roof put on it next year. The decking is hemlock to give us some traction in the winter. Its 6' wide by 20' long.

Next the green house was finished. I start a lot of the seeds inside and only needed a place to harden off my plants. I also wanted to be able to store the lawn tractor there in the winter time.

also cut a lot of firewood, all beech the round stack holds about 2 1/2 cords is 7' high and will shrink to 5'8

next we poured a pad, installed the roof, and laid the blocks for a bbq and a bread oven.
the bread oven will be done next year.

field stone was then placed over the blocks

we also had time to build a sandbox and make some doors for our little one.

the final project was to finish my homebrewing stand. This has electronicly controlled temp sensors, pumps to move the beer, and i can make 10 gallons at a time.

I am trying to finish two other projects before next week. I made kitchen doors and need to sand and stain them and will be landscaping around the bbq.

Enjoy
Forgeblast

 

[lhfarm]

Do you have time to drink any of the beer? Very impressive collection. I have a bread/pizza oven in my to-do book (past the list stage years ago). I'd like to see more pictures of your BBQ and oven base.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Thomas]

Sure hope that was end of list and now your getting R&R...nice.

 

[forgeblast]

Well, I teach so I am going back to work this week. I enjoy being outside and I was able to put my 10mt old in our baby backpack and do a lot of the work. Although my wife said that the to do list for next summer is going to be much much smaller. (finish the shed, and maby the bbq, and cut firewood).
Ill run and go and get some pics tommorrow, but the base is 6' of 2b gravel compacted with draintile in it with a 4'' poured concrete base that has rebar in it i had left over styrofoam insulation and that is directly under the concrete. I also have the property sloped away from the oven and some drain tile guiding any water away from the base.
The oven will be 32 w x 36 l and the bbq is 32 w by 4 l. I basically used the metal i had as a guide for the bbq, and the base of the bread oven came from the Brick Oven Plans | Build an Italian Brick Oven site.
you can get free downloads that show you how to make the entire oven for free!
All the block is dry stacked and then filled with concrete and rebar.

 

[valley]

I really like your bridge. We'ed love to have a creek, even a sometimes creek.

 

[jinman]

I love all your projects and your using what you have to build with. Using those turkey fryer pots to make beer is a great idea. I admit to being lazy and loving my propane grill, but in the winter an open pit grill would be ideal to cook and keep warm. Sitting around the grill/campfire would make lots of pleasant evenings. You can go back to school knowing that you've sure had some productive time over the summer.

BTW: I'm having a really hard time seeing the dimensions you mentioned for your bridge. My eyes want to believe that bridge is 4' wide instead of 6' wide. I don't know if it is an optical illusion, but those boards look 6" wide and 8 of them side-by-side would be 4' instead of 6'. It doesn't really matter because it looks very nice and strong.

 

[forgeblast]

From the angle they look off but its 8'' rough cut hemlock, plus the uprights being 4x4's make it look a bit smaller. I made it 6' just incase i ever need to get my truck up to the back part of out property.
Tommorrow i am having ten ton of #1 stone delivered and it will be used to cover the ground around the bbq and firepit, after i put down landscapers fabric.

 

[forgeblast]

Here are some pictures of the floor, this shows the breadoven (left) and bbq floor (right). the bbq floor has field stone that was put into cement. I did this so that it would slope away from the base of the block. I also did it because we have a fire pit and i wont be throwing logs in the bbq, it will be strickly for cooking. I also forgot that I made the picknick table and landscaped where it is, basically sloped the property, put landscape fabric down, #1 stone on that and built a low step to connect it to the bbq/firering. A stone wall goes all around it. Being in PA anyhole we dig we find tons of stone. Any time i put a fence post in i have to take my jackhammer bits and smash through stone.

Here is the grove, being preped for the stone coming tommorrow.the two trees close in the picture are perfect for a hammock.

This shows the step and our fire pit and bbq

This shows the back corner that has a faucet on it for any cleaning.

Here is a picture of the floor doesnt look too great there but once i cast the pad that the bread oven will sit on i will go in and put field stone all ove it too.

 

[valley]

Some great stuff! I Partitularly like that bridge. I wouldn't mind one of thoes ovens. I'd like to know how they do with bread. Oh! and the pond, like to do one here, would have to be smallish like a swiming pool.
Great to see what you guys are doing!

 

[forgeblast]

Last major thing for this year was redoing the kitchen doors. The where the white formica coated doors.
Well 2 years ago sears had a sale on routers and tables, 70 for both. I then got the bits through rockler when ever they would have a sale. I also got the ratchet clamps from hf for 4.99, the hardest part was finding the stain. I had almost all the boards done when i ran out it took a month of caling around to find it again.

before

The wood is poplar it took the stain so nice.

the last thing to do is the countertop, sink, and backsplash.

 

[jdmar]

Fantastic work. You have gotten a lot done. I can't compete with all that. Here is the pics of all my finished projects......

Peter

p.s. no, sadly I did not forget to add the pictures

 

[jinman]

Forgeblast, it looks to me like you have the art of cabinet making down pat. You must have a lot of satisfaction and pride in that job. Well deserved!There is a cabinet shop about 3 miles from my house, and everytime I drive by I want to stop and ask them if I can come in and just watch and learn.

 

[forgeblast]

Thank you all for the great comments.
Jinman setting up the router was the hardest part. but rockler has jigs, etc to do it fast and easy and right every time. That being said would i do it again....prob not. It was a lot of work, a lot of sanding, staining, poly, etc. When the baby was sleeping and my wife was working inside i would sneak out and glue up panels, and stain, I had an assembly line going. It really makes the kitchen look so nice, we had oak faced on the cabinets itself but the white doors were just not doing it.
I had not used a router ever before. I watched some videos on how not to do it on utube, and just search for sites on setting up and raising the panels. I used a lot of pine for test pieces and honestly the jigs and bits made it a fairly easy project to do. I would say spend the extra money and buy the better bits, it makes all the difference in the world.
This summer should be a bit slower, just need to finish the fieldstone garden shed, Plant 170 trees and shrubs for the crp program, start the chicken coop, and start putting fieldstone on the house. If the snow holds out for a bit i may be able to organize more of my supplies.

 

[Countrygirl10]

I like the pit. Keep up the good work!