When I'm not tractoring, I'm?

[smilingreen]

Re: When I\'m not tractoring, I\'m?

Well...
When I am not on my tractor working....12 to 14 hours a day, I am digging in the dirt, planting bushes, fixing equipment, mulching, weeding, tree trimming, tree removal, fixing equipment, rotary mowing, mowing lawns, installing edging, installing lawns, fixing equipment, trimming bushes and shrubs, installing ponds, laying rock or brick, fixing equipment, tilling, spreading dirt, fixing equipment and grading driveways. When I am not doing these things, I am on the computer doing invoicing, reading what you guys have been up to or.......sleeping!!! Dang, just think how much more I could get done if I didn't have to sleep!!! I took a half day off work today just so I could bush hog one of my fields. Oh, did I mention, "fixing equipment"??Hey DocHeb, If you need anymore good walnut, I have several customers with big walnut trees that they want taken out. 2' diameter trunks, trunks straight 12' to 14' before the branches start. Have one customer that has 5 of these babies laying over on there side after a storm went through. Just up rooted them. No other damage.

 

[DocHeb]

Re: When I\'m not tractoring, I\'m?

For my office/library I chose quartersawn red oak finished with satin polyurethane, laid on the diagonal. I like the natural red oak color, and found a pallet of that material at the distributor's that he wanted to get rid of. The strongest floor would be quartersawn white oak, which would be great if you wanted to stain the floor. Just a personal preference, but I don't care for naturally finished white oak.

The quartersawn material is very stable, having less expansion as compared to face sawn material. This makes for less seasonal variation, and less open cracks in the dry air of Michigan winters. This makes for less cracks for kitchen spills to leak. Quartersawn material is less resistant to compression (i.e. high heels damage). The quartersawn oak also shows the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.woodworking.org/WC/Woods/162.html>"rays"</A> that are irridescent and have such marvelous "depth" when finished.

In the dining room I put a center of parquet floor made of Black Walnut & Oak, and surrounded it with quartersawn oak in a log-cabin pattern. When I get home I'll post a picture. We did that so that it gave the appearance of a rug under the table, without the difficulty of sliding chairs across a rug. Since I did this they have come out with many types of easy-to-install, <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.goldenstateflooring.com/Flooring/product.cfm/KEN/-/kencustomaccents>premanufactured inlays</A> that can really make your project shine.

As far as hints for installation, make sure the flooring is in the house for several weeks, with the bundles separated, so they can equilibrate with the house humidity. If your installing it yourself, start in an inconspicuous area so you can get the hang of the nailer used for tongue-and-groove flooring. Hire a professional to do the sanding - the learning curve is pretty steep and you can destroy the floor quickly with that power sander loaded with 36 grit paper. Get the Taunton Press book <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070103.asp>"Hardwood Floors"</A>, it is well worth the money

For our new house we're using <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.naturalcork.com/floating_floors/floating.htm>Natural Cork Flooring Planks</A>. From what I've read it's supposed to be softer and quieter than oak. I hope so - I've convinced my wife that it's the greatest.

 

[DocHeb]

Re: When I\'m not tractoring, I\'m?

<font color=blue>"If you need anymore good walnut"</font color=blue>

I'd love to, but I don't have my own mill --- yet /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. It is really sad to see these trees get cut up for firewood. Most of the good walnut trees go to veneer rather than dimensional lumber.

 

[DocHeb]

Re: When I\'m not tractoring, I\'m?

As threatened, attached is the picture of the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.goldenstateflooring.com/Flooring/imageview.cfm/KEN/-/kencustomclassics?Image=ccmonticello_large.jpg&Location=Samples>Kentucky Floors, Monticello Pattern</A> in the dining room.

 

[DocHeb]

Re: When I\'m not tractoring, I\'m?

Finally, a close-up of the log-cabin, quartersawn oak around the central parquet. This floor has been in for eight years, and is still pretty tight with minimal cracks between the boards.