Some projects we had going on.
 

I mentioned in another thread about having the main beam replaced on our 2nd story deck. That was interesting watch them raise that 700 lb I-beam in to place and remove the old wooden one. First 2 pics are with the new steel I-beam in place. There were 4 steel posts, 1 each end beyond the new posts in the pics. Also 1 to the left of the doorwall about where the green chair is and another to the right at about the edge of the doorwall. A lot less cluttered now with only the 2 posts. The I-beam and face board above it will be wrapped with aluminum trim, probably box the posts in with wood.

I removed the screens before the beam was replaced. I didn't want the frames buckling when they lifted the deck. It also gave me a chance to paint the posts the holding the roof up and the board above them. I don't have an extension ladder that will reach that high. Plus after fracturing my pelvis in 3 places a couple of years ago, me and extension ladders aren't on the best of terms.

Also put T1-11 paneling on the house wall inside the deck. That's the only part of the 2nd story we didn't have sided when we did the rest of the house.

3rd pic is the wall my son and I built. There is a cement patio with a stone wall under the wood deck. Cement was cracked and a previous owner put the wood deck over it. The wall was sinking and leaning into the lower patio. Wall was around 16" thick, first load of rock and cement that went to the dump weighed 5,000 lbs. We sunk the 4x4's, 2x6's on the back side. A foot of pea gravel, a drain pipe and another 3 feet of pea gravel so the rain doesn't wash out the new wall.

The OSB leaning against the wall was just to protect the cement patio as the wall was busted out. I have to get rid of that and decide what to face the patio side with.

Looks like a nice project. Nice looking house and yard.

Thanks Ray. Been here 12 years and we're almost done with the landscaping, almost.

Looks like you have been quite busy ,its very nice.

I think I know what I'll face the patio side of the wall with. My neighbor Darryl just stopped over and said to take what I need from decking for his new deck. It's not wood, a Trex like product. He said the bundles of 10' and 12' boards they delivered will be a lot more than they'll need. I'll have to take a look at it and see for sure.

I changed the advance springs on his distributor the other day and set the timing up a little higher. He's said it's running awesome and few deck boards was the least he could do. Works for me.

Looking good Hank. Also looks like a lot of work. You don't plan on doing much this week in the heat do you?

Well this sucks Tony. Last week the forecast for this week was 70's. So I had the windshield and rear window pulled out of the Chevelle last Thursday. So now I have to clean up the goop and rust, prime and paint so I can get the glass installed. I finished cleaning the back window pinch weld this morning. Not sure if I should use some seam sealer or body filler to fill a couple small rust holes. Then I have to start on the front, a lot of adhesive in there to scrap away then blast the rust areas.

I put the Chevelle in front of the shed this morning. That gave me a couple hours before the sun came over the shed. Then things got miserable, I had urethane and blasting media stuck all over me. It's not that hard but with safety glasses and a respirator you get a little sticky in this weather. I'll keep working on it best I can. Want it done for Back to the Bricks and of course Frankenmuth.

Oh, and I never do too much, I'm retired now!

Well Hank, put some goggles on, fire that sum-bitch up and bring it up to the shop. AC is blowing cold!!!! I'm freezing in here!

That's a long drive with no windshield or rear window and then back again. Not sure you'd like the mess from scraping and blasting in your shop either. I had to use the leaf blower to clean the driveway when I was done today. Can't believe how much media was on the drive from a gravity feed spot blaster.

Hank you are more than welcome at my house anytime. I am sure I could find a few things for you to do while you are here. :)

Trust me, I have plenty to do here. Just need the weather to cooperate.

I was jealous of your shop before Tony but every day I go out and try to do some more on the Chevelle the more envious I get. It's miserable outside even if you're not trying to do anything. 90's all week with high humidity, supposed to get a break on Sunday, high of 78.

I had to go outside a couple of times today. Had to meet a guy to buy some ammo from him. He was a rather heavy set guy, sitting in the sun in his non-air conditioned pickup. Felt sorry for him. Took an old Harley that I've been working on for a customer on a test ride. Came home and jumped in the pond for a cool off. I don't think I could do what you are doing Hank. I'm spoiled.

Wish I was spoiled! Didn't get much done today, as you can imagine. Maybe tomorrow I'll start peeling the crap out the front pinch weld. I can do that in the garage, it's the blasting that needs to be done outside.

A non-air conditioned car/truck? Maybe the Chevelle but I would never own a daily driver without AC. I was worried the other day when the power went out a few times in a storm. No AC in the house in this weather, no way.

I agree with you guys, I don't know how people survive without A/C working in this heat. I called my brother yesterday, he has been working out of his garage lately. I know that he has 2 window air conditioners that we had given him to use in his house. He said that he took one of the air conditioners and installed in high in the back of his garage. The thermometer in his garage said 72 degrees at 1pm yesterday. It was cooler in his garage than in his house. But in this heat I called everyone that I knew might be in danger of heat problems and made sure they were OK.

You guys need to take care of yourself in this heat.

So in the other post I mentioned I'd been busy. Still waiting for Charlie to come back and trim the new i-beam and face boards in aluminum. He has a full time job doing maintenance and renovations in several office complexes so I have to wait until he has a free weekend.

In the meantime I threw some siding up, first pic. That's the end of the roof that comes from the shed and ties into the deck above. It was partially covered with T1-11 and some other boards. Then some 1x3 along the top and some 1x6 along the house side. Ripped off the 1x's and covered it all in siding. It was a little busy looking, actually shitty looking with all the different boards up there. The shed doors are T1-11 and this siding looks like T1-11. Same siding I put on the house wall inside the upstairs deck. Still need to hook the wiring to the shed back up. Maybe I'll just run 220 out there. Need to redo the conduit too. Instead of running it up the edge of the brick they ran it up 2' from the corner then over to the edge. I still have to paint the siding, it comes primed.

2nd pic, I put some of that siding above the door awhile ago. The way it was made you scratch your head trying to figure out what they were thinking. The wood came down from the joists above, flush with bricks. Then in to the header above the door, then down, then back out flush with the bricks, then down behind the top of the storm door? It also leaked in between the storm doors and french doors. Found that out when rinsing all the dirt and crude out. Anyway, ripped out the mess they made, sealed it up, stuffed it with insulation and covered it with siding.

I was still trying to figure out what to do with wall we built. Lynda suggested using the same siding instead of adding yet another type of wood or siding so I did. 3rd pic She had a good idea, I think it turned out good.

Also had to move the cable for the dog run. It was wrapped around one of the old posts before the beam was replaced. I want the new beams wrapped and don't want to strap a cable around it so I drilled a hole through the beam and bolted an eye bolt to it. 4th pic.

Lynda said "Maybe you could put a couple hooks at the other end so I can hang some plants." Sure dear, I like standing on a ladder, drilling overhead through a 3/8" thick steel beam with a shower of metal shavings raining down on me. Anyway, I put 2 hooks at the other end, 5th pic.

I tack welded the nuts for the eye bolt and hooks to the beam. When Charlie comes to wrap it I can take them down then punch a hole through the aluminum and put them back up. I need to finish putting up furring strips on the bottom of the 2nd story deck. After the i-beam is wrapped I'll cover the bottom of the deck with flat aluminum or vinyl panels. Like what's on the bottom of the roof between the shed and deck.

Okay, gotta go work on the Chevelle now.

Nice work Hank. You may want to slow down a little though. And stay off the ladder!

When I have to drill something overhead like that, I take a small round tub, like the ones that "I can't believe it's not butter" come in, and drill a hole in the center of it, a little bigger than the bit I'm using. Slip it over the bit, put it up against the material I'm drilling, and the chips will fall into the tub. I've even used duct tape to hold it in place if I have to use both hands, like when I'm on a ladder. Well, sometimes it works.

I'm a lot more careful on a ladder now Tony.

Sure, now you tell me how to keep the shower of metal shavings off me. Oh well, I did have on safety glasses and the rest brushed off or went down the drain.

The SPAMMERS are alive and well, is this not the guy did not even spell Chevelle correctly?

Made me laugh....