Good grief! It is a good thing most other projects do not take so long to complete. The third window took three days to complete. First, the frame wouldn't fit. Second, the wind protection box had to be modified two more additional times before it worked as needed. Finally, on the third day, the hatch was installed with little complications and the window was completed.
Besides needing a break from a frustrating project, the Planner was waiting on an official welding jacket. The 100% cotton long sleeve winter shirt he had been using finally gave up the thread. It literally unraveled around him as he worked. Buttons were falling off and could be found on the floor. Cuffs tore away from the sleeve when snagged on material. It served it purpose and its purpose was done.
So with this 100% leather welding jacket, the Planner is sure to melt away. It is leather in Texas summer. Unlike the welding shirt, the jacket is only worn when welding. The shirt was worn almost daily, hence the reason for its demise.
I am always stating it is easy to watch where the welds are being welded. Weld marks leave black streaks on the opposite side of welding materials. It is a pretty fantastic effect on the opposing wall.
The first layer of black smudge marks are from the frame. The second higher black smudge marks in the shape of a box are the welding of the hatches onto the outside.
Depending on what is being welded, the observer can also see heat marks as the metal gets hot, hot, hot under the welding tip. The bright orange spot is the exact location of the welding tip.
If there is any gap between the two metal, sparks and blue light can be seen. Don't look though, this blue light is so bright it will cause damage to your eye bulbs. And since at this point in medical history, eye bulb replacement is not common surgery at the local clinic, look away.
Not having lifted a hatch to almost 90degrees yet, two 2x4 scrap boards were screwed together with a stopper board to hoist this heavy hatch as high as it will go. 4'x4' windows are going to be great! Now for a cold shower on this hot day. Sorry, no pictures of that for you. No really, no pictures of the completed shower. I know, how does that happen? It never occurs to me during the day to take a picture of the shower. Only when I am using it late at night before bed. Need to put a reminder on my phone, take a picture of used, wet shower. Yup, gonna have to do that. Just know, the completed shower and the party held within is lovely. A 4'x4' shower for me and the bright green tree frog who has taken up residence.
What a busted weekend. Started window number three in the shop and did not complete it. Started an outside shower and did not complete it either. Having so many uncompleted projects leads to more uncompleted projects. They seem to multiple, rapidly.
Not wanting more uncompleted projects, Monday the parts to complete the shower were bought at the local box hardware store. A change of plans about how to build the shower is one thing, changing plans when driving the beep-beep is another thing.
It was planned to finish out the shower with PVC so a PVC cutter was taken. The beep-beep has unlimited powers but 10' PVC is pushing the limits. Knowing ahead of time how much needed to be cut, the PVC was modified on the spot.
In the Kid's left hand was the result of the modified plan on the fly. This is a piece of galvanized piping, also in a 10' section. No tools were brought to modify accordingly.
Needing a new blade any ways, the Planner thought he could just cut through the pipe with the bare blade.
And he would have cut through the bare pipe if there was nothing but time. Lots and lots of time.
Oh, and a pair of gloves too. Less than two minutes into the cutting and a blister had formed. Gloves are a great invention. They do exactly what they state, they keep workers hands soft as a baby's butt. A blister on a man's hand who does physical labor daily but diligently wears gloves results in soft touchable hands, not coarse callused palms. Too bad the gloves were left at home along with the saw handle.
Good thing we were still in the box hardware store parking lot and single cuts to purchased materials are free. Five minutes later, two pieces and no additional blisters. Now to finish the shower so there can be a shower party. Too bad it won't be tonight. Another day and another two uncompleted projects.
Somethings in life are just not fair. In college, it was taught fair is what is right for the individual student, not the class as a whole. While I adhere to this thinking to most everything I do in life, sometimes life is just not fair. The summer heat is upon us here in South Texas. Temperatures are in the upper 90's and the humidity is in the 90th percentile. Okay, I don't really know how high the humidity has been but it way up there. Sweat pours off the skin and yet the body is still hot.
Well, experiencing summer heat is dependent upon your job. Take me for instance. I am at working shuttling the Kid to and fro summer camps this week. Don't fret, camps are within a five-minute walk from work. It is not like it is hard to do, therefore I am not experiencing great summer heat melt downs. Unfortunately while I am working in a cool 78degree building and the Kid is at camp (which this week includes the pool in the afternoon), the Planner is at home sweating like a pig. If he had a mud trough he might waller in it. Promise you. He is experiencing full summer heat melt downs. Have I mentioned I have the best kid ever? He is attending camp to learn about a local town residing figure head and came home with a mustache which he wore with great pride. Rock on Stinky Feet, you are the best-mustached man around.
Struggling through the heat, the Planner prepared for this weekends workload. Window #3. The Worrier is coming down to assist with the installment of window #3 while I commute to the next city over for the Kid's sailing camp.
To ensure time is on their side, window frames and hatches were prepared ahead of time. Frames are made of 2"x6" rectangular tubing and cutting was made easy with the use of the new band saw. To accommodate the full-length material a homemade roller was made out of various materials. The roller served it purpose but will need immediate modification in adjustable height.
Working only in the early mornings and late evenings and still having to take the kid to sail classes in the afternoons, the materials were prepared and ready for installation over the course of the week.
Again, I note the unfairness in my working conditions versus the Planners. Here I am at work watching the Kid and his friend play with homemade kites from the window of my air conditioned building over looking the beautiful bay. The Planner is at home over looking the parched, dry yard and dusty driveway as it has not rained for weeks and weeks. All the rain has gone away. Why when the rain is needed the most does it not rain?
Saturday the Worrier laid out the window opening, another 4'x4' window. This will be the first south facing window in the shop. In fact, this will be the first south facing opening period. Better prepare the lashings as it is going to quite breezy inside the shop.
Once again, the wind is blowing between 18mph-25mph this weekend making the installation of this south facing window interesting. Interesting to say the least.
As the Planner cut out the window, the Worrier created greaseable hinge barrels for the window hatches. This allows for complete service of the hatches ensuring working order when the time comes to batten down for bad weather.
Ensuring window hatches are easy to lift up and down is critical as they weigh a ton. Don't really know how much they weigh, but if I really wanted the exact weight, the Planner could calculate it based on known material specifications. But a ton will work for you too, right? Good.
Again, I note the unfairness in my situation. Here I am sitting in a public library on a Saturday invoicing bills and recording home school paperwork freezing my ever loving fanny off. Then there are the men working at home sweating off their hard-working fannies. On in case you are wondering what the picture does not show, I am wearing socks and shoes, pants, and a t-shirt, thermal shirt, and hooded zip up jacket over it all. Notice how my nose is still red from it being so freaking cold in the library. Cause books need it be sub-zero? Oh, and one more thing. It took countless pictures to duplicate this exact pose from weeks and weeks ago. Countless. So I thank you, hardworking men, for ensuring the Kid and I have a place to come home to even if it is the shop. Cause I know, once the shop is complete, then the house is next. Here's to the house.
Upon my arrival home, I am met with two very tired, very hot, very frustrated men. The wind blew and blew, the welding hut was causing major problems and was modified twice, and the frame still wouldn't mount.
Assessments were made, squabbles were squawked, and still, the frame would not mount correctly. Gatorade was delivered, a break was held, and these devoted workers went at it again. Devoted, determined, stubborn. Your choice.
At the end of the day on Saturday, the frame job was called quits. The window was far from completion and the wind still blew causing a whole new set of problems. Something would have to be created to protect the shop from outside elements, even if it was just for the night. As I cook inside my air conditioned trailer (no, cooking without AC means instant death in an Airstream), the men continued to struggle. Don't think I didn't notice the continued unfairness this week has presented me.
Sunday dawned, clear, windy, and hot. Not wanting to repeat Saturday's lack of a progress, a new project was started. An outside shower. Oh, yes, an outside shower. Nothing is better on a hot summer's day than an outside shower. Nothing!!!
Nothing, except a shower built from a re-purposed outside decking and patio stones. No more cramped Airstream showers. This shower is being built large enough to have a shower party.
Up until living in the Airstream full time since November, the shower has not ever been used full time. Showering in the trailer was always better than most trailers because the base it still 32"x32". It is the sloped side that kills you. There were always park facilities, campsite facilities, house facilities. Showering in the trailer was a thing for one or two days at a time, maybe a week. Not nine months. Nine months!
Done, done, done. Showering in the trailer is done. Showering in an outside shower will now have a confined space of 4'x4'. No! I am not being facetious. I am being straight up, straight arrow, never bending truthful. 48"x48" of glorious, confined space. On three sides, that is.
The fourth wall will be open to the wide, wide world of the treed backyard. This open wall allows for a breeze to air out the shower, a standing platform so the feet remain clean, and a great view.
Am I worried about the neighbors seeing? No. There are none visible within line sight of the shower. All materials at this point were from the salvaged decking and not a penny has been spent. Notice how some boards are darker than others. Sun faded. Rustic. Worn. Warm. Free. Uh huh, a free outside shower is better than just an outside shower.
Testing the stability of the shower, the Planner attempted to pull over the shower. 4"x4" posts were dug three feet down for stability and support. This is the first structure at Plan473 that was not built hurricane approved. If it had been planned other than just with this mornings notice, it would have been. Guess our chances will just have to be taken.
In attempting to reuse salvage plastic decking from One Man's Trash turned out to be futile. The boards are designed to be screwed and these boards were being nailed with a nail gun. Hey, it is easier. The nailer had too much power or the boards were just too weak resulting in splintering and fracturing was occurring so the plastic decking was scratched.
Instead, more wooden decking was used and voila, in less than a half days work in the total and complete shade of the live oak trees, the shower was built and a walkway was laid.
Now, water lines are needed. At this time, there will just be water from the storage tanks. Hot water when the weather is hot, cold water when the weather is not so hot. A hot water storage tank will be installed later, but as it is the dead of summer, this is not a top priority. Hell, this is not even a priority. Hot water is something to deal with in October. Lots of time for that project.
As for the Kid and I, when we were not assisting with the shower we created a new chicken swing. The original PVC pipe was too light and smooth for correct chicken footing. A 2"x2"x3' lumber strip did not work either. This 2"x4" concrete piling form board worked perfectly. Just enough weight to offset their jump motion, gription for their feet, and balance for their swing.
It did not take Nosey Nelly long to explore the new swing. As a first tester, I would say this swing might be the final design. What a great way to end a weekend than with a swinging chicken and an almost completed outside shower.
(This is not my picture, nor can I find the link to this blog. My apologies to its rightful owner.)
At the end of April, I stumbled across a blog about a homemade, DIY, ice chest, chicken nipple waterer in looking for ways to keep chicken water cool for the upcoming summer heat. My immediate thought was hot dog, I have the exact ice chest. My second thought was this will work perfectly for this 1980's ice chest that has been drug around for years without usage. Nobody wanted to throw it away "it's a good ice chest" or "it still works" yet nobody ever used it because it was a crappy ice chest to begin with. Oh yes, it kept your drinks cold but there are built in handles in stead of attached handles fitting nicely inside your palm and the lid is rounded and cannot be used to sit drinks upon nor sit upon as it was uncomfortable as all get out. Yet, the ice chest remained in storage, from house to house, from city to city, from decade to decade later. Oh wait, did I mention this was not even my ice chest, it was donated to me from a friend who experienced all of this ice chest drama? Well it was but we all have that ice chest story, right? He was so glad to finally have found a use for it. Score one for the chicken waterer.
This ice chest for having been moved and moved and moved again still had the original label on it describing it's "fine" qualities. Having the need to make this ice chest waterer I looked and looked but could not find the original post of which I saved the image from. Drat! One, I have no instructions and two, I cannot give credit where credit is due. So to you sir, of the ice chest waterer with chicken nipples on PVC, I thank you for your inspiration. But as with all things with no instructions, I left the building to the Planner. The last time I tried to build something without instructions, the Kid and I attempted and tried to create the little peeper feeder. Much to my dismay, many hours were wasted. Alas, at least we tried.
Being there was only this one ice chest and now way to make a mock ice chest waterer, I did not even attempt to make it without proper supervision. Because of this and busy work schedules, it was weeks before time was finally secured to create this new waterer. The old Gatoraide waterer works excellent, it is just not big enough for 10 chickens in the summer heat. Water has to be added twice daily, algae is starting to grow, and the water does not stay cool. Do you drink hot water on hot days? I think not!
To make a homemade waterer, a few simple supplies were located at the local hardware store and very few tools were needed. Yes, the old label had to be removed because, hey it is a chicken waterer and chickens are chickens and they will peck and eat the paper. Paper, 20 years old or not, is not part of a healthy diet for chickens. Next, was the installation of the float. A float, you say? Yes, a float as in the same float found in your toilet tank. A float was used because this is not just an ice chest waterer, this a fancy dancy model attached to a water source. As the water level decreases, water is let in from the main water line.
To install the float and PVC connection point, a pilot hole was drilled, then a large hole was drilled into the outer wall and inside foam only.
Then this fancy deburring metal tool was used to remove any rough edges from the plastic. While not designed for plastic work, it worked great.
A deburring tool. Who knew? Not me. I was so fascinated with this tool in which I have never seen (apparently it has been owned for quite some time) that I demanded a whole lesson on it.
The best way to describe this deburring tool is a potato peeler. The head swivels and the tiny blade shears off the tiniest bit of metal (or plastic in this case) leaving the edges smooth to the touch. I was even given a lesson on an actual piece of burred metal. In my amazement over this tool, I forgot to take pictures. Sorry.
Next, a smaller hole was drilled on the inside for the installment of the float. To attach the PVC to the water line a push connection was installed allowing for easy removal of the line from waterer.
Push connections are common practice in plumbing. However, as with no other plumbing part has such detailed instructions be given. Plumbing parts are designed for plumbers. Unions, T's, offsets, 90-degree elbow vs street 90 degree. IF you don't know how to use, too bad. The list of instructions for this simple part went on and on. Seriously, FIVE different instructions. If you know what a push connector is then you should know how to install it. Being I did not know what a push connector was nor how to install, I read both front and back of the packaging and the instruction manual. Now I am a competent push connector installer. NOT!
Luckily for me, I have a Planner. Once installed, the PVC water line was installed for the chicken nipples.
This turned out to be the hardest part due to the ridges. It is hard to mount PVC when the mount location is not smooth. Can't guarantee this is not gonna leak. Should have seen all the hot glue on the inside. Only time will tell. Drip, drip, drip, drip. Can see it now...
Having originally thought to place it under the coop, this idea was nixed when it was decided to attach waterer to outside water line. Now the waterer can be accessed without entering into the coup, the waterer does not take the chance of becoming a chicken roosting point (yuk), and if needed ice jugs can added daily to help aid in keeping the water cool.
To place the chicken nipples at the correct height for proper drinking, the ice chest waterer needed to be elevated. An ice chest full of water weighs more than one would think therefore requiring a sturdy base. Also, as with all other building aspects at Plan473, the platform had to be able to withstand some hurricane winds. No, no, it was not designed as the shop was for 150mph winds but it should be able to hold its own for at least category one winds.
If you read on the correct number of chickens to chicken nipples requirements you can find anything from such craziness as two birds to one nipple to the far extreme of ten to one. Okay, come on. Two to one, ten to one. Each one of those is just as ludicrous as the other. These chickens currently have two nipples and are not fighting. However, they are getting bigger and it is getting hotter so four nipples were installed.
Skeptics of chicken nipples are consistent in their complaint. Chicken nipples leak making a mess. Instructions after instructions state over and over again, chicken nipples must be installed to a flat, flush service area.
Not rounded PVC piping. In other words, these nipples will leak. That, however, is a chance I am willing to take. Besides, in a few weeks, it will be upper 90's. Water evaporation will cure any leaky nipples.
Upon inserting of nipples onto PVC, they were secured into place with none other than more hot glue. Used the hot glue as added protection against water leakage.
PVC line was installed into the ice chest and the water line was secured into the push connector. The last step was to fill the ice chest and with cool water.
Before the ice chest could even fill with water, the crazy chickens were attacking the nipples. Yes, attacking. The chicken with the dark brown neck looking at the nipple love to attack the nipple. All she really needs to do is gently nudge, but no, she receives some type of satisfaction from attacking. Crazy chickens!
