MY HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS - (OR 'PRACTICAL USES FOR THAT MODEL FOO')

[bucketfoot-al]

Well, the weather has warmed (I mean, lemme tell ya, those chilly 60-something degree South Texas winters really take it out of you, you know? )

More importantly I am over my (very forgettable) 2 months of sore throat crud followed up by a real Grand Shingles Episode (*NOT*)



Getting more sleep. Staying out of cold drafts, etc, etc.

Now its time to use all that accumulated "Model Foo" - and put it to some good practical use.

Two projects are getting underway simultaneously:

1. Fence restructuring/repair and

2. Air Conditioning the Model Studio (aka Garage). Why? Well, as an example, next week, May 13-18, the temperatures down here will jump by 15 degrees ... to 107, 107, 107, 103, 101, 101. That's degrees. Fahrenheit. That's San Antonio. Its NORMAL.

And while I generally LOVE the heat ... a 90-degree garage studio does not a happy modeler make.

So, let's take these projects one at a time, shall we?

[bucketfoot-al]

PROJECT #1:

Our neighbor to the right has a bare ugly backyard ... except for the 4 trees that sprung up in the left rear corner with our lot ... and destroyed the fences ... refer to photos please ...

Now when that side of the fence had sections blown down 2 years ago during a Texas Thunderstorm, Missy and I fixed them the same weekend - and the neighbor (who is not handy - she's a Pharmacist ... there shoulda been a joke in there somewhere ... forgive my riff ... ) was very appreciative.

[She now rents the property. High class renters only - currently a USAF full bird Colonel and family we've become friends with. But then most of the homes in our development are owned by retired military members or Veterans like .. well .. MOI. Just the type of neighbors I want - a veritable caleidoscope of Americans from all backgrounds and states - and ALL members of what I like to call "The Brotherhood of The Uniform". ) God Bless America. There's a reason they call San Antonio "Military City, USA"

Anyway - I digress.

Recently I had an epiphany that disclosed to me how the fences can be fixed.

BRACKETS. Long steel brackets with holes in them (the better to screw in the screws into )

I contacted the neighbor's property manager and explained that I would be willing to fix our common fence - if she would cut back those trees. Now you know, fences are EXPENSIVE to replace - or pay someone to fix. So - when someone gets right neighborly and offers to do it for fun - well, the landscaper came yesterday - and the trees are history ... but as we are going out of town to visit our granddaughter, this is where we must pause our story for now.

Here's a photo collage of the miscreant trees and the damage they caused, to get you started. Much more later.

[bucketfoot-al]

PROJECT #2:

I didn't want to pay to have a "Mini-Split" AC installed in the garage. I wanted to do it myself - get a portable AC - *BUT* - there is no opening as the garage is insulated.

To install a portable AC I would need to install a "Dryer Vent" to shoot the hot air to the outside. OK you say. Its just drywall. Well, it IS - but only on the INSIDE. The outside ... has 4-5" of Limestone Facade (because ... the central Texas Hill Country and San Antonio sit on massive Limestone deposits ... there are quarries all over the area ... )

Anyway, my goal (as I told my skeptical wife) is to get it all done for UNDER $500. You laugh. Well, you know, "he who laughs last" ... we shall see!

$600 AC ... just purchased ... tax - free, from the Home Depot online Military Base Exchange store for a friendly military price (plus 40% off sale) for ... $356 ... The rest of the "equipment" was about $162 at Home Depot proper, so ... technically we're over $500, but if we ROUND down to the nearest 100 ...

"Not so fast" you say. "You haven't done squat yet!" Absolutely true. I DID make a small hole in the drywall at the spot I want to put the vent - to make sure there were no wires or obstacles in there, using a hand-held drywall saw. Inside I saw a wall of blue - an insulation panel. carefully I cut another hole in THAT and - BOOM - on the other side was the Limestone siding.

On the other side, I made a circle (sort of) where I want to place the vent - I picked a spot where half the limestone was missing (which should theoretically make the task easier) ...

See the collage for illustration of the tools ....

Just HOW do I plan to get through that Limestone facade (let's face it - that is 90% of the job). Well, I have Plan A, and if that don't work - a Plan B

But I can't talk about that now, because we're on our way to see our grand-baby in Arkansas ... we just had a 40-minute date on the way ... at Bucc-ee's!!!!!! (That's called Texas Living!!!!


PROJECT #2 Collage:



"LIVIN' LIFE" Collage:

[tay666]

Good luck with both projects.
I did a bit of fence work last year. Not fun, but made the wife happy.

[barad_dur]

Hope that you and a great trip and fun visit.
Good luck with your projects!

I envy you and Trevor having the skills to to do your own home projects.
I always have to hire people as I have no mechanical like ability at all.

[overspray]

Where do the spikes go on the fence? Can't you make it look like a dino?

[bucketfoot-al]

Good luck with both projects.
I did a bit of fence work last year. Not fun, but made the wife happy.

[bucketfoot-al]

Hope that you and a great trip and fun visit.
Good luck with your projects!

I envy you and Trevor having the skills to to do your own home projects.
I always have to hire people as I have no mechanical like ability at all.

Hold off on your Attaboys until I've actually done something Joe!

Seriously, thank you for the encouragement. I am willing to tinker, and you would be surprised how many of the modeling skills, or specifically the bashing skills are transferable to useful projects.

Having said that, I have no aptitude for anything electrical or plumbing related, and have to hire people to do those types of jobs.

We got here, it's a lot Greener and Rainier and cooler than San Antonio

[bucketfoot-al]

Where do the spikes go on the fence? Can't you make it look like a dino?

Let me give it some thought. I might come up with something.

[tay666]

Seriously, thank you for the encouragement. I am willing to tinker, and you would be surprised how many of the modeling skills, or specifically the bashing skills are transferable to useful projects.

So much this!
Cutting things up. Sticking things back together. Using a dremel. Drilling and pinning. Sanding, shaping, and of course painting.
All that stuff is directly transferable.
Then there is the more intangible skills. Problem solving, persistence, attention to detail.

This is why I cannot work on models when I am doing home projects. I use up all my mojo doing the 1:1 scale stuff and have nothing left for models.

[bucketfoot-al]

Seriously, thank you for the encouragement. I am willing to tinker, and you would be surprised how many of the modeling skills, or specifically the bashing skills are transferable to useful projects.

So much this!
Cutting things up. Sticking things back together. Using a dremel. Drilling and pinning. Sanding, shaping, and of course painting.
All that stuff is directly transferable.
Then there is the more intangible skills. Problem solving, persistence, attention to detail.

This is why I cannot work on models when I am doing home projects. I use up all my mojo doing the 1:1 scale stuff and have nothing left for models.

There will be no modeling til the work is done down here either. And after its done the next thing on the agenda is cleaning up the model studio.

Only then, as I told my wife, will the paint brushes start flying. Because I have five primed or already in painting stage projects that need to be completed before I even think of starting a new Bash.

[Squidy53]

I envy you and Trevor having the skills to to do your own home projects.
I always have to hire people as I have no mechanical like ability at all.

The same applies here. With your model making skills DB I find it difficult to believe you've an inability to do home projects. I have an inability too -- it's called a complete lack of interest.

As for Trevor's lack of mojo for model making after doing homey tasks? Too big a price to pay!

[tay666]

As for Trevor's lack of mojo for model making after doing homey tasks? Too big a price to pay!

Yeah, well, I have to pay that price, because I can't afford to pay a contractor to do stuff.
I am just glad I am finally at the point where I can pay a mechanic to do most of my car repairs.

[bucketfoot-al]

As for Trevor's lack of mojo for model making after doing homey tasks? Too big a price to pay!

Yeah, well, I have to pay that price, because I can't afford to pay a contractor to do stuff.
I am just glad I am finally at the point where I can pay a mechanic to do most of my car repairs.

Yep, nothing is cheap anymore. Electricians will charge you 200 bucks just to come out to your house, before doing anything.

The only kinds of home repairs that I do are ones that I enjoy, AKA consider to be 'fun'.

I know I don't have any skill for anything serious, like the kind of work that you've done in that masterly renovation of your bathroom.

[bucketfoot-al]

PROGRESS REPORT INCOMING:

Got started early this AM on the fence. The neighbor helped me with one fix by pushing the fence to my side so I could secure it to the post, which had bent our way by like 5 inches or more.

The rest of the fix was straightforward ... which was good because it was already about 84F with 65% humidity ... anyhow, I bent the straps as needed and screwed them in with wood screws, fixing both the shared fence and re-attaching the neighbors back fence to the common fence post at the back corner of our lot ...

Now some sharp folks might ask - whatcha gonna do when the trees (more like tree-bushes) start growing back? .... heh heh heh ... I'm ready for ya ...

I applied the "Old World Method" - in order to make sure they don't grow back, you just have to drill some holes in the stump (not through it, so you gotta be careful) ... and fill them with some diesel fuel. Now don't pour it in the ground 'cause that's a. technically polluting and b. it won't do anything. Its got to be inside those holes so it gets absorbed into the roots, killing them so the tree doesn't grow back.

Anyhow ... here is the first collage ...note how I used the big stump - cut a hole in the bottom of the fence to accommodate it, then screwed one of the straps into it:

[bucketfoot-al]

After everything was secure, I spray painted each steel strap with Desert Camo Sand paint ... making it blend in ... except in the back, but no one sees it there because its the runoff canal ... enjoy!!!

[Tim Fortuna]

Mission accomplished! Good job Vlad.

[bucketfoot-al]

Mission accomplished! Good job Vlad.

Part 1 Accomplished.

Part 2 (installing AC in garage) awaits for, probably, this coming weekend to get back to.

[tay666]

Whatever works. Love the ingenuity.
The paint made a world of difference.

[bucketfoot-al]

Whatever works. Love the ingenuity.
The paint made a world of difference.

Thank you Trevor!!!