Finally. a new home for my V

phatdaddy

phatdaddy

God
It was a little over 2 years ago Hurricane Michael came thru and did a major number on my hometown. Still not done with projects, but getting closer on this one.

I left my boat under the shed during the storm and I think I would have been OK, until my neighbor's tree fell on it.

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this is a shot of the morning after, clearly see the tree on the boat shed, which is resting on the gunnells of the boat and keeping the tree off my house.

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this is a closer shot showing the way it was leaning


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this is the new one, used the same footprint as the old one, built the same way.


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this is my "dock", really makes loading and unloading much easier.

hope this one last 25 years like the other one did.
 
Nice work - looks like you made your own trusses and I like the dock idea. I’m getting a little tired of climbing onto the fender and then into the boat, though with our lousy fishing here in Oregon for the last few years, it hasn’t been an issue lately.

Congrats on a good project completed.
 
Thanks scook, I am not a carpenter, so all pretty crude, but hopefully sturdy. I built the trusses because i don’t like heights. Figured they would be less work in the air than ridge pole and rafters. I have a service truck with a pipe rack on top. I put a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 plywood on top and used it as scaffolding to set the trusses. The roofing is metal that came off my house when I got a new roof from the storm.

I still have to add diagonal bracing to the 4x6’s and wire in some lights and plumb in water

Not sure you ever get done, just like a boat.
 
Phat, her new home looks awesome!!! I wish I had that kind of skill. But in fact I think I'm going to try to build something like that. Has it been 2 years already? WOW. I remember posting those pics for you after the storm. Seems like yesterday. The new shelter looks awesome. What did you set the uprights in? Concrete or just ground? How deep? :head:
 
Yep D, 2 years Oct 10th.

They are 16 ft 4x6 s set 4 ft in the ground with 320 lbs of concrete on each pole. Our soil is very sandy so easy digging, no rocks and no frost line to worry about. I probably could have gotten a Pole Barn company to build it , but its a weird size. 11x28. The steel trusses they use now are pretty slick,but to custom make the for 11 ft would have been too much. Also I wanted a 4 ft overhand on the dock side to cover the walk from rain and sun and built out of pressure treated wood.

I think I have around $2500 worth of lumber and couple of hundred dollars in nails and screws. I did manage to buy a nail gun and a palm nailer for the project.
 
Looks like a great home for the V20. I absolutely love the ramp, what a great idea. My hips get tired pretty quick climbing into the boat by way of the fender.
 
One of the things I’ve enjoyed about being a contractor is how easy it is to justify (in many cases, rationalize) buying another tool or piece of equipment. I’ve turned the corner on a MIG welder - just waiting for my son to arrange some time off the job to go with me. It’s been a really long wait - I’m definitely looking forward to getting the backlog of projects and repairs done.
 
Scook, that is definitely a skill I wish I had. My dad had an old Lincoln arc welder that i could make sparks with and do some splatter welding with, but I never learned how to really weld. I understand the new wire fed machines are pretty simple to use. Don t know never tried., but would love to learn.

We did a job in Louisiana and EVERYBODY over there can weld. I think they teach it in the 5th grade.

D, any good project requires new tools
 
Phat, welding is simple really. Without getting into the exotic types there are really only 3 main ones. Stick, MIG and TIG. (Not counting gas welding or brazing of course) MIG (Metal inert Gas) and TIG (Tungsten inert Gas) can weld Aluminum. Stick cannot. I could show you how to stick weld in less than an hour. Just have to watch your heat settings and your polarity, depending on what you are welding. MIG is just like flux core wire feed except that your have an inert gas shielding your work. Although you can use it for thick metals, TIG is usually used for the really fine stuff. 1/16" and thinner, and of course, Aluminum.

Just remember that:
1) Welding is dangerous... you're working with white hot melted metal... burns are common, as are tiny holes in the tops of your shoes. DO NOT wear sneakers... trust me on this one.
2) DO NOT, EVER weld without a proper welding helmet on. You can permanently blind yourself very quickly from the intense light and radiation.
3) Welding fumes are harmful. Weld in a well vented area and avoid having your head right over where you are welding.
4) Always wear leather welding gloves and long sleeve shirts. The radiation from welding is enough to give you a sunburn in a short period of time.
 
The only thing I’d add to D’s list is that fumes from welding galvanized material are really deadly. I’m planning to buy a Millermatic 211 - supposed to be VERY user friendly, which is what I need. There’s a guy in the neighborhood who does beautiful multidisciplinary work (built a small teardrop trailer that’s a work of art), whose certified in both steel and aluminum - says he’ll teach me to weld with it and I’m not turning down the offer. I’m looking forward to adding more metalwork to my projects.
 
scook said:
The only thing I’d add to D’s list is that fumes from welding galvanized material are really deadly. I’m planning to buy a Millermatic 211 - supposed to be VERY user friendly, which is what I need. There’s a guy in the neighborhood who does beautiful multidisciplinary work (built a small teardrop trailer that’s a work of art), whose certified in both steel and aluminum - says he’ll teach me to weld with it and I’m not turning down the offer. I’m looking forward to adding more metalwork to my projects.
Click to expand...

Unless you're doing it for a living, welding is one of those skills that you rarely need, but when you do need them they are real handy to know. Want to add another roller to your trailer? Weld one in place. Want to make a bird feeder? Weld one up. Emergency repair of ? Weld it.

Just remember to get a real good helmet. Personally, I love the instant darkening ones that Harbor Freight sells. So much easier than the old style where you had to flip the helmet down over your face. The batteries in the unit last several years depending on the usage. (And although they say that the batteries are not replaceable, if you know how to solder you can buy replacement batteries on ebay for less than 5 bucks) They're just regular button batteries, but with solder tabs on them. Mine uses (2) CR2032 batteries. All you need to do is melt the solder holding the old batteries and then solder the new ones in place. It's so simple that anyone with even basic soldering skills can do it).

I like the Millermatic 211. A bit pricy, but like all Miller products it has a well deserved reputation. Plus you can do MIG, MAG and Flux core welding with it. Very versatile.
 
My son and I were discussing auto darkening helmets and I expressed concern about how quickly the cheaper ones darken. My ears are pretty well shot - I don’t want to screw up my eyes. He said he thought that may have been an issue in the earlier days, but shouldn’t be a problem now. I’ll have a look at the Harbor Freight offerings. Thanks D.
 
I use a harbor freight helmet. Works good so far, I can still see the computer. Im not a professional at all. Just self taught. THey seem to last for a couple years. I think its a lot easier if u need to hold stuff together and tack it.
 
scook said:
My son and I were discussing auto darkening helmets and I expressed concern about how quickly the cheaper ones darken. My ears are pretty well shot - I don’t want to screw up my eyes. He said he thought that may have been an issue in the earlier days, but shouldn’t be a problem now. I’ll have a look at the Harbor Freight offerings. Thanks D.
Click to expand...

I cannot swear to exactly when I bought my auto darkening helmet from HF, but I'm guessing it was at least 5 years ago. I've never had a problem with weld flash. Never even got spots before my eyes like you would get by looking at a bright flashlight. They really work well. Unless you really want the cool graphics of the expensive helmet, don't bother with one. The cheap ones HF sells are just the same in a plain Jane style. I can't see any difference in the performance of either one.
 
I was in harbor freight yesterday picking up a trailer jack and saw the helmets on sale

Thought about u guys

Started to pick one up just to wear around the house, kinda like a Mandalorian
 
I’m not a slave to fashion, so graphics aren’t anything I care about, but if I’m going to wear it around the house I might have to step up a little:you:
 
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