New display stands

Tammy uses stands to display her Tastefully Simple products at her expos.

This is what she used when she first moved here:

This Spring I found some of my long boards for her to use and I built some boxes to hold the boards.

Once Tammy seen her friend Eva's lightweight stands Tammy felt her boards were way too heavy.

At Tammy's Women's Expo last Saturday I finally got a look at Eva's stands and today Tammy and I bought some pine boards at Lowes.  The boards are one inch thick and I wanted to get half inch boards to make the stands even lighter.  But neither Lowes or Home Depot had half inch boards in the eight and ten inch widths we needed.  I called a local lumber yard but they didn't have any half inch boards in stock.  Tammy was impatient and we bought the one inch boards instead of calling another lumber yard.

The boards were eight feet long.   Eva had - and Tammy wanted - four stands each three feet long.   The eight inch board yielded: two three foot stands and four six inch legs.  Perfect.

The ten inch board yielded: two three foot stands and two ten inch legs.   I was two legs short.

Instead of buying another board (Tammy spent $40 on the boards so far) and using only part of it for two legs, I found a board from my 'wood boneyard' and cut two ten inch legs out it.  Tammy is like my uncles Curt and Larry where the only good wood is new wood.  Tammy wasn't happy at using what she calls my "sh*t wood" for the final two legs.

We also had to try to use her new screws instead my old used screws to fasten the legs to the boards.

I attached the legs in a way that the stands could fit into one another for easier transport.

As you can see in the stand on the left those legs were made from my crappy wood.

Burning down the house

Yesterday Tammy almost burned down the house.  I had the wood stove going so the house would be warm for Tammy while I was outside working.  Since Tammy forgets to add logs to the fire I took a break to come in the house to add a log or two to the fire.  When I stepped inside the house the house smelled strongly of smoke and I saw the living room was all smokey.

Tammy was in the living room talking on her computer to her daughter.  I went to check the wood stove and found she had placed a knitted pot holder on top of the wood stove and placed an old candle on it to melt the wax.  The pot holder was smoldering and smoking heavily.  I took it outside and stomped it out.

Tammy said she didn't notice the smoke.  It took the air cleaner a long time to clear the air.

Tammy has joked that instead of remodeling the house she would like to either hire a bulldozer to knock my house down or burn it down.  Maybe she's not joking?

What's left of the pot holder.

The candle and the burn mark.

"Burning Down the House":

Watch out you might get what you're after
Cool babies strange but not a stranger
I'm an ordinary guy
Burning down the house

Hold tight wait till the party's over
Hold tight We're in for nasty weather
There has got to be a way
Burning down the house

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNnAvTTaJjM

Recent sun photos

The sun shone a bit the other day.   Here are a few photos.

The ski runs have snow.

Water trough and baby calf

Sunday I cleaned the water trough I had for the cattle in the hayfield.  Now that Momma and Baby use the corral they now use the water trough in there (which I also need to clean one of these days when the temperature is above freezing) .

Here the water trough is drying out after I scraped the gunk out and washed it.  Once Baby came and saw the trough in the yard and not in the hayfield she mooed a few times and stared at it.

Also on Sunday Tammy said she saw Momma and Baby running along the hayfield fence keeping up with a jogger as he ran along the road.  Tammy said it was hysterical.   The jogger kept looking over at Momma and Baby not sure what was going on.  Eventually Momma and Baby got distracted by the cattle across the road.  Lately the bull has been by the fence alone and Momma has been making googly eyes at him.

Frosty days

Heavy frost the past few mornings.   This photo was taken late afternoon today.  Unless the sun shone on it the frost didn't melt today.  These frost lines are the shadow of the fence.

Warm enough?

The wood stove was burning nicely today.

The temperature in the house this afternoon.

Tammy said she was comfortable.  Not too hot, not too cold.  Yes she is wearing a fleece coat.  I am in a t-shirt by the end of the day due to the warmth.

And, yes, on Black Friday I bought a shop-vac.  With all the house remodeling I really need one.

Also, see the three small tables.  Initially I had one small wooden one and Tammy had the other for use.  Then she commandeered mine.  So I got one of her small glass tables out so I could use have a table to use.   That didn't last long.    And the table behind the couch... I just have my shop-vac on there temporarily. Underneath the shop-vac is all Tammy's stuff.

Bathroom is finally done

The bathroom is finished.   I completed the shower last Thursday night, and once the caulking dried, we were able to use the shower starting Saturday.

I had custom ordered a shower door from Holcam through Lowes.  Shipping time was suppose to be 14 days but the shower doors did not arrive until 18 days passed.

The reason I ordered a custom door is due to the size.  Standard doors go up to 72 inches tall but I wanted a taller door.

My shower is 59.5 inches wide.  The height I wanted was 76 inches tall.  The height is because the shower head is mounted high.  I am tired of having to bend down to get my head under most shower heads so I made sure to put this shower head high - well over six feet high..  Therefore I needed a taller shower door to keep the water in.

I got a price estimate for 74 inches tall.  Then I had Lowes call and ask for an estimate for 76 inches tall and was told 76 inches would be the same price.  I went home to remeasure and double check the height.  I decided that 77 inches would be ideal.  But when I went back to Lowes to check the price I was told it would be over $130 more.  For one inch?  Then the Lowes guy and I were told the previous 76 inch quote was wrong but Holcom would honor it.  Sold.


I got a frameless (on the doors) Euro style shower door.  The handle is mounted in the glass.  I went with a clear glass after considering obscure, rain and other styles.  Most of the other glass styles cost more dollars.  I was already spending more on the larger size and the brushed nickel (Tammy's requirement) finish.  Still, a major reason I went with clear glass is that I didn't want to hide the tiles in the shower.  They look too good to hide.

The difference between model EF-3 and EF-4 was in glass thickness: 3/16" vs. 1/4".   Surprisingly the thicker glass was cheaper.  I'm not sure why.  Perhaps it is because the thicker glass is easier to work with?  Especially since the holes for the glass handles are drilled through the glass.  My shower glass is 1/4" thick.

Shower door specs: http://www.holcam.com/model-ef46-ef49.php

Shower door installation instructions: http://www.holcam.com/documents/installationDocs/Sliding_Door_Units/MODEL_EF-4.pdf


I installed the shower door unit myself.  I found the directions to be "old fashioned", that is, correct and terse but not the easiest to follow. Also I would have liked a "why" in some cases.  Take for example, step 1.

"Measure wall to wall on sill of tub. Cut track to a length of 5/8" less than wall to wall dimension."

5/8"?  That's a lot.  Especially when Step 3 says to "Cut header to a length 1/16" less than a wall to wall dimension."

I looked for a youtube video showing how to install the shower door.  I found videos from Holcam's competitors but none from Holcam itself.  The competitors had people cut the bottom track an eight of an inch or so shorter than the wall to wall dimension.

So I was uneasy about cutting my track 5/8" shorter.  I called Holcam the next day to ask if it was 5/8" or if it was a misprint.  They answered their phone right away and I got the feeling I spoke with someone who worked at the company.  The size was indeed 5/8".  The reason was due to the wall jams as seen in the photo below.  The indentation on the left side of the wall jam added to the indentation for the other wall jam add up to 5/8" as the bottom track fits inside the wall jams (right side in the photo).   The top track fits over the wall jams so that is why it is only 1/16" shorter than the wall to wall dimension.

The youtube videos for the competitors showed latex caulk applied to their bottom track before it is set on the shower's threshold.  When I spoke with the Holcam lady she told me not to caulk the bottom of the track.  Just set it on the threshold.  The track will be held in place by the wall jams and the caulk that is placed around the shower frame on the outside when construction is complete.  If I applied caulk to the bottom of the track I could trap water under the track.  The bottom of the track is actually two "legs", or rails.  The chamber between the rails is where water could possibly be trapped if the rails are sealed.

The top and bottom shower frame tracks sent were 60" long.  The mark is where I cut the top rail.   The wall jams were shipped cut to the correct height.

The second photo shows the top of the top rail.    I don't know why it is indented as I imagine it could catch and hold water.  The "stains" are part of the material and I could not clean them off.  Fortunately they are on the top and no one will see them.

The shower doors are mounted on their top.  Since the doors are frameless, a strip of metal comes out of the glass.  In this strip are two holes, one on each side, where you install the rollers.  The holes are diagonally made.  Where you position the rollers affects the door height.  The rollers are mounted in the top rail.

You can see the tracks for the rollers in the previous silver/black photo of the top rail.


I like that the rollers are on top and not on the bottom of the door.  Less on the bottom of the doors means less for the water and dirt to collect.


Shower restrictors. One for each end of the rail and the third for the middle. These help hold the doors on the rail as they keep the rollers from jumping the tracks.

The wall jams had three holes in them where one fastens the jams to the wall.  Naturally the holes did not align with the tile's grout lines.  So I had to drill through my tile.  Ya.  Easier said than done.  I borrowed a concrete drill bit from my neighbor Bob.  It took a long time to drill one hole through the tile.  At the start of the second hole either the bit or I were tired as the drilling was barely happening.  I quit for the night.

The next morning I bought a carbon tipped tile bit from Lowes.  It cost $7.48.

This bit drilled better and quicker.  However... once the hole was deep enough to hold the tip it broke off.  What?!   I had been placing water on the hole and bit to lubricate it as I drilled.

Between the concrete bit and the remainder of the tile bit I was able to drill two more holes.  When Tammy got home from work we stopped by Lowes when we ran errands and I returned this defective bit and got another one.

When I used the second tile bit I really went slow and often put water in the hole and on the bit to cool it down.  I got one hole drilled.  Once the bit arrow was completely in the second hole it broke off.  Again... what?!

At least I finally got all six holes drilled.

Everything came together well.  The only thing missing from the parts were the four lock washers for the rollers for the doors.  I had some lock washers so this was not a problem.

When I was done the shower frame height came to 75 and 3/4 inches.  I guess like almost everything else with house construction, a size is always a little less.  I.e., a 2" by 4" inch board is really 1.75" by 3.5".


When all was said and done I had a problem.  (What's new with this bathroom remodel? )   Actually I realized this problem when I prepared to install the shower frame.  I had built the shower narrow enough so I can completely open the bathroom door.  However, I didn't figure in the shower door handle.  Yup.  The handle sticks out from the door.  Duh! 

The photos below show the most I can close the door.  I needed a half inch more room for the shower handle.

One can completely open the bathroom door if one closes (mostly) the shower door second.

Oh well... another feature of my bathroom.    Good thing I don't need to completely open the bathroom door.


My new shower is great!  I have so much more room than the 32" by 34" shower insert I had been using.  And the new shower has so much more light than the old shower, which didn't have much light.  Tammy likes the shower too.


After I took my first shower I noticed I had a problem.  I had a little bit of water on the floor outside the inside shower door - the door closest to the shower head.  A test showed that the water came from underneath the shower door glass.  The water bounced up under the door and over the outside taller rail on the bottom track.  I had hung the doors all the way to their lowest point.  There was still a small gap between the door and the bottom rail.

I called Holcam again.  They were very nice and helpful.  They said they had this problem a few times with other customers.  Their guess was that high water pressure may cause the problem.  Nope.  Not in my case.  My well's water pressure has a maximum pressure of 58 to 60 lbs.  I think my problem may be a combination of hard tile floor, narrow shower enclosure and a high faucet head.  Holcam said they would sent me a "T-strip" to place along the track next to the shower door with the problem.

I also had to adjust the shower handle's hot/cold settings.  The handle only went from very hot to warm.  No cold.  Tammy said she didn't want any cold water in the shower but I want cool water for a hot summer day shower.  Another reason to ensure cool water is an option is that since the shower handle unit was installed upside down the handle goes from hot to cold (cool) instead of the marked and typical cold to hot.  Since the handle unit is upside down I had to remember to make the adjustment clockwise and not counter-clockwise.  No need to make the water any hotter.

Of course the bathroom being difficult all along one last thing occurred before I could pronounce "completion".  Just before I finished installing the shower doors Tammy cleaned around the sink's faucet and told me it was loose.   I checked and found the plastic nut holding the hot water handle pipe in place was broken.    Another trip to Lowes...

How the bathroom looked near the start of the project...

Here is how the bathroom and shower looks now that it is done.

I started in May and finished in November.   Nah... that didn't take too long.

Baby checking me out

Baby is checking me out.

Earlier when Momma and Baby were in the corral they spent most of their time in two places: the east end of the loafing shed and the hay feeder.  You can see where Momma walked back and forth between the two places.  I got a shovel on Saturday and cleaned it up.

Baby is a messy eater.  When she isn't dropping hay on the ground she is getting a white milk face.

I brought some apple cores for Momma and Baby.  Usually Momma pushed Baby aside as Baby took too long to eat the pieces.  Baby is learning as she now gobbles up the apple pieces quickly.  Here Momma is distracted by me as she thinks I will produce some whole apples for her.  Baby is taking advantage of Momma's distraction and is gobbling up the apple pieces I laid on the ground earlier.

Baby in the corral checking me out.  1:34 long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxLSAUO6oMs

Corral well - bracing

My work on the corral well has been going... slowly.   And with much frustration.  If what I know now I knew back when I started, I would have done the work on this well differently.  Much differently.

Friday and today I worked on the well for the first time in over a week.  The break in work was due to both the weather and frustration.

The frustration was due to all the time moving gravel around the well.  Two sides with just the tin were either bowing or leaning.  I had to dig the gravel behind the tin all the way down to the water level.  I then used some odds and ends of stiff 'fencing' used in concrete to make the tin more rigid.  

Each time I removed and adjusted the tin it seemed as if gravel slid down below the water level and my dug out area was getting shallower.

Adding to my woes was that the gravel I put behind the metal was causing the metal to lean in even though I had pounded rods and pipes into the ground to hold the pieces up.  So I had to start adding braces to hold the sides up.  Because the sides of metal were not equal I had to brace each side against the opposite gravel wall.  Ya... not ideal when sloughing occurs.  Yes, I had to readjust or replace with longer pieces some of the braces a few times.

Of course working with braces caused sand and gravel to slough underneath the metal pieces and into the water pit. 

The more I worked the more I filled the area behind several of the metal pieces.  Yet it didn't seem as if I was getting any deeper.  Where is all this gravel coming from?!

Here is how I ended back on November 8 before Winter made an appearance.  Yes, my work area is getting smaller.  Using my small handle shovel is out.  So was the post hole digger.  I was down to using my hand or a small half gallon can.

With the metal and tin braced, and the weight of the sand and gravel against them, I was unable to lower the metal and tin.  So when I got below the metal bottom the sand and gravel would slough into the water.    Time for a break.

Here is how I started work today.  On Friday I did my final (cross my fingers) work on fixing a side tin.

I reworked some of the braces and got the work area a touch larger.  I found in my junk pile some pipes and I pounded three of them into the ground. With one pipe already in the ground bracing one side I should be able to create a platform to fit into the pipes on which I can set my pump. I also was able to get the hole deeper.  It was dark when I finished for the day so I didn't get a measurement.  When I started it was about 14 to 15 inches deep.   I may have gotten the hole a few inches deeper.  Good enough for now.  Depending on how this holds up over Winter I have big plans on making this right next year.

The hole is deep enough that when working on bracing I leaned and water filled my boots.  At the end when I exited the well my boots were filled with water to their tops.  I took the boots off and drained the water from them and when about turning off, unhooking and draining the pump.  Then I put stuff away.  I was barefoot on frozen ground.  I moved fast but had very cold feet by the time I got into the house and got the wood store lit.