Don White wrote:
"John H" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 08:04:22 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

On Jan 1, 11:05 am, John H wrote:
On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:21:15 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."





wrote:
John H wrote:
On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:47:57 -0500, Boater
wrote:
D.Duck wrote:
You DO know this Boater is a fake don't you?
Reggie is in my bozo bin along with the rest of the turds.
Smells much better in here now. Herring realized he was in there and
changed his handle to get around it...poor dumb schitt thinks that
still
works...but the log says no, no, no.
:)
Starting tomorrow, that name-calling will earn a name, address, and
telephone number posting.
--
** Good Day! **
John H
I think it makes sense to post his Name, address and phone number EVERY
time he mentions his Bozo Bin.
You handle the Bozo Bin.

There, I've partially broken a resolution already, talking 'about' him.
Oh
well, some are meant to be broken.
--
** Good Day! **

John H- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
C'mon John, do it for the rest of us
Do what?
--
** Good Day! **

John H

Get a life and stop obsessing on Harry!



What, exactly, are *you* doing with this post, dummy?

CalifBill wrote:
"D K" wrote in message
...
John H wrote:
On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:07:51 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

John H wrote:
On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:48:59 -0400, "Don White"

wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
...
"D K" wrote in message
...
Don White wrote:
"John H" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:29:54 -0400, "Don White"

wrote:

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:34:39 -0500, Boater

wrote:

Gene wrote:
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:03:49 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III,
Esq."
wrote:

We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing
market to
build
a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. Has
anyone in
the
group done this and do they have any words of advice?
Yes, with three houses and two workshops. Not only was I
General
Contractor, I was also 50% of the labor.

Your only real savings, in this market, will be sweat equity.
You can
buy cheaper than you can build.... you just have to find an
equally
desperate mortgagee and mortgagor.... or you could do it the
seat
equity route, if you have the cash, tools, and a desire to
make it
happen.

No bank is going to let *you* (as their mortgagor) serve as
General
Contractor unless you hold a contractor's license.

Advice? You're crazy to even attempt it...... uh, but wasn't I
thinking about adding on to the workshop.....

.... Oh, never mind......
It's an incredible burner of time. I had to do it because the
general I
hired to build a custom home in Northern Virginia turned out to
be way
overextended financially from previous projects, and could not
line up
the subs I wanted, and was teetering.

I can imagine the waste of time. I had the misfortune to have
my
house torched once - if it wasn't for a neighbor coming home at
2 AM
and raising the alarm we might have been killed.
Anyway, I hired a private adjuster, and you wouldn't believe the
****
I went through with him and his crews.
Had to show his "carpenter" how to cut stringers.
Came home from work one day and his "plaster guys" had done the
kitchen with 1/2" drywall, no shims, to replace the nearly full
inch
of plaster and lath. There was almost a half inch gap between
the
door and window casings and the drywall.
Had it all torn out by the next day I got home from work, but
there
was always some BS waiting for me.
I'd leave work saying, "Let's see what they ****ed up today."
Anyway, I finally got everything done about 85% right, but I
never
yelled so much and got in so many faces in such a short period
of
time. Actually, I went easy on the crews, they were what they
were,
but laid into the adjuster, who's really a GC, a lot.
What was good is the adjuster did keep us in the house because
he was
real good at getting the essentials quickly restored.
That was important to me as I had the wife and 4 little kids to
think
about, and work, so there was no way I even had time to be my
own
general.
Win some, lose some.

--Vic
In 1976 when I was a lot younger and more energetic, I built a
cedar cape
Cod style house myself.
This was the norm up this way at that time. In fact, there was a
Provincial
Govt program where those with minimal savings for a downpayment
could use
sweat equity in order to get a $23K mortgage to build.
Of course I couldn't build my house for that amount...the program
was geared
to small bungalows on modest serviced lots.
I had to find a 2nd mortgage for another $9K. Thought I was in
debt up to
my eyeballs way back then..... but the house was beautiful.on a
2/3 acre lot
with well & septic system way out in the country (about 20 miles
from city
center) To add to my financial burden, I traded in my 5 yr old
Volkswagen
Beatle for a $5K Dodge Aspen S/W.
It all started in march of 1975 when I took over a share in a
co-op program
when a member was transfered to the states by his company.
Wife and I cleared the lot of trees & brush while snow was still
on the
ground so we could burn off as much as possible in big bonfires.
I hired a company to dig the foundation hole and another to put
up the
concrete foundation. Got my brother and a few buddies to help out
putting
the 1st floor on...then the wife and I would build the walls and
ask
relatives to show up to help erect same.
The big 4' x 12" x 16' douglas fir beams were tricky to put up
(post & beam
construction). Once, my brother & law and I fell off the ladders
dropping
the beam and narrowly missing me on the floor.
I did hire a friend of my wifes' family to help finish off the
double course
cedar shingles on the exterior walls, and another guy to lay the
asphalt
shingles on the roof.
(turned out the roofing guy was married to a cousin of mine).
Once inside, an old friend who was a licensed electrician got the
permit but
a friend of my brothers (apprentice electrician) did the work.
Next we got other neighbourhood friends to do the plumbing while
home for
Christmas vacation from Alberta.
Lastly the in-laws gyprocked the entire house no charge. I just
supplied
the materials.
Finally got in in February 1976.
A few years later I added an attached 1.5 story garage all by
myself.
Now when I have a project, I hire a guy from my wifes' former
company to do
most of the work while I act as assistant. (re addition for mon
in 2002,
replacement of all the old windows with vinyl, tearing down of
old garage &
building of 2 new sheds, decking & fence additions etc)


A 1ft by 4ft by 16ft beam is a hefty beam all right.

--
** Good Day! **

John H
Lord help us! I hope you don't ever plan to build your own house.
When I put a " after a number...that means INCHES
when I put a ' after a number...that meens FEET
so...4"x12" x 16' means a four inch thick by 12 inches wide beam
16 feet long.
Wrong. It's 3-1/2" X 11-1/4" X 16'

Depends. If it is dimensional lumber or older lumber. My mothers
house was built in 1908. A 2x4 is 2" by 4". A problem when having
to replace a piece of lumber.
Up here, the lumber yards use the old measurements when selling
dimensional product.
Everyone with half a brain (sorry Johnny) knows that a 2" x 4" is
really 1 5/8 x 3 5/8 inches
Hey Donnie, what's a * 4' x 12" x 16' *?

Or are you going to say it was just a typo?
--
** Good Day! **

John H
That is a very unusual and special piece of lumber. VEry hard to find
in most lumber yards. It is 4 ft. x 12" x 16 ft.
It's even bigger than any bridge timbers I've ever worked with. Hell, now
I
know who's been cutting down our giant sequoias.
--
** Good Day! **

John H
It's usually douglas fir or yellow pine.


And a glulam beam.



Or a Parallam.

wrote in message
...

Did you have the " VW for the complete idiot" book? I think I still
have mine around here somewhere.
Maybe we should find an old 1600cc squareback engine and put it in our
boat!

Sounds like a must have book for me.
My '65 VW Bus is sitting in the garage awaiting new front bushings and/or
tie rods.
I think I'll wait until spring.

Eisboch

Eisboch wrote:

wrote in message
...

Did you have the " VW for the complete idiot" book? I think I still
have mine around here somewhere.
Maybe we should find an old 1600cc squareback engine and put it in our
boat!

Sounds like a must have book for me.
My '65 VW Bus is sitting in the garage awaiting new front bushings
and/or tie rods.
I think I'll wait until spring.

Heated garage. You need to tear up the concrete slab and put in a heated
slab and run hot water or whatever it is they run through the slabs. If
you've got the land, and I think you do, consider a geo-thermal system.
If I was building a workshop I would be doing the former.

Don White wrote:
"John H" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 08:04:22 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

On Jan 1, 11:05 am, John H wrote:
On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:21:15 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."





wrote:
John H wrote:
On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:47:57 -0500, Boater
wrote:
D.Duck wrote:
You DO know this Boater is a fake don't you?
Reggie is in my bozo bin along with the rest of the turds.
Smells much better in here now. Herring realized he was in there and
changed his handle to get around it...poor dumb schitt thinks that
still
works...but the log says no, no, no.
:)
Starting tomorrow, that name-calling will earn a name, address, and
telephone number posting.
--
** Good Day! **
John H
I think it makes sense to post his Name, address and phone number EVERY
time he mentions his Bozo Bin.
You handle the Bozo Bin.

There, I've partially broken a resolution already, talking 'about' him.
Oh
well, some are meant to be broken.
--
** Good Day! **

John H- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
C'mon John, do it for the rest of us
Do what?
--
** Good Day! **

John H

Get a life and stop obsessing on Harry!

You first!

On Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:17:11 -0500, BAR wrote:

Don White wrote:
"John H" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 1 Jan 2009 08:04:22 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

On Jan 1, 11:05 am, John H wrote:
On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:21:15 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."





wrote:
John H wrote:
On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:47:57 -0500, Boater
wrote:
D.Duck wrote:
You DO know this Boater is a fake don't you?
Reggie is in my bozo bin along with the rest of the turds.
Smells much better in here now. Herring realized he was in there and
changed his handle to get around it...poor dumb schitt thinks that
still
works...but the log says no, no, no.
:)
Starting tomorrow, that name-calling will earn a name, address, and
telephone number posting.
--
** Good Day! **
John H
I think it makes sense to post his Name, address and phone number EVERY
time he mentions his Bozo Bin.
You handle the Bozo Bin.

There, I've partially broken a resolution already, talking 'about' him.
Oh
well, some are meant to be broken.
--
** Good Day! **

John H- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
C'mon John, do it for the rest of us
Do what?
--
** Good Day! **

John H

Get a life and stop obsessing on Harry!

You first!

He's as ignorable as Harry.

On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:01:13 -0500, wrote:

I bet you had that 36MM socket and a 4' pipe to get the hub nuts off
too. I still have mine, along with the 24" pipe wrench to get the
exhaust fittings loose.
Did you have the " VW for the complete idiot" book? I think I still
have mine around here somewhere.

I sure did! That was a terrific book. First thing I bought when the
bug suffered blow-by and was losing compression.
A mate where I worked as a packaging machine mechanic sold me
a "good" engine for $150 and when I swapped it I found it wasn't much
better, so I rebuilt that one. All I needed was tools and that book.
As far as I know the original engine is sitting in my ma's old garage.
It was there when she sold the house.
Can't remember ever pulling wheel bearings, so I don't think I had
that 36mm, and never had any trouble pulling the exhaust, but I did
replace the kingpins while on the road in Oregon. And all the other
normal VW stuff too. Forgot a lot, which is probably good.
Put quite a few cross-country miles on that bug.
Ever heard that high-pitched squeal from the engine when a bug
accelerates? That owner doesn't have "The Book."
Because The Book says a dab of white grease on the dist shaft
will prevent the points' shaft fiber rider from making that squeal.
The Book is right. I put a Bosch pure mech advance dist on mine, BTW.

Maybe we should find an old 1600cc squareback engine and put it in our
boat!

I take back my earlier '74 date as the last time I used metrics. And
I do have a set because you find some metrics on GM cars.
You reminded me of something I forgot. Had a '67 squareback, a
transition year.
Most PITA car I ever owned. Bad syncros and some blow-by when
I bought it. Still remember the shocked look of the VW guys when I
walked into a VW shop carrying the transaxle, hubs and all, tossed it
on the floor and told them to fix the syncros.
Man, that car ****ed me off so much it had turned me into a little
Incredible Hulk.
Only car I ever sold, as a guy I worked with at IH liked it and bought
it from me. Good riddance and God bless him.
I mentioned him before - he later lost some fingers in a
malfunctioning punch press. That squareback probably jinxed him.
But that was '76, so THAT was the last time I used all metrics.
All it took was a little blow-by with that car it would leak through
the engine hatch seals and you'd be smelling burning oil. Drove me
crazy not being able to eliminate it, as I usually had a wife and baby
in the car.
Even if I taped up the engine hatch, the smell would get through the
door hatch seals.
Ever try to balance the dual carbs? Impossible.
Damn, I hated that car. There's plenty of nightmares I had with it,
but in the interest of all I won't mention them.
Only decent thing about it was the gas heater, but I always had
thoughts of that thing turning into a blowtorch or a bomb.
As far as putting that engine in a boat?
Think I'll go with e-tec, Yamaha, or Merc.
Not necessarily in that order.

--Vic

You might want to check the date stamp on your post...
JR

On Mon, 28 Dec 2026 13:13:20 -0500, wrote:

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:03:49 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market to build
a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. Has anyone in the
group done this and do they have any words of advice?

The real trick is finding good trades. If you are not in the business
it is really a crap shoot. I just finished an addition here and it
went well. We didn't hire any strangers.
I just contracted the labor and bought all the materials myself. That
solves the problem of "draws" for the most part. I did have one trade
who needed his money daily but it was after the work was done so I
didn't have a problem with it.
HOME PAGE:
http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
--------------------------------------------------

On Mon, 28 Dec 2026 13:13:20 -0500, wrote:

On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:03:49 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market to build
a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. Has anyone in the
group done this and do they have any words of advice?

The real trick is finding good trades. If you are not in the business
it is really a crap shoot. I just finished an addition here and it
went well. We didn't hire any strangers.
I just contracted the labor and bought all the materials myself. That
solves the problem of "draws" for the most part. I did have one trade
who needed his money daily but it was after the work was done so I
didn't have a problem with it.

Check your date thingy. You're showing up on my machine as Mon, 28 Dec 2026 13:13:20.

I know your thinking process is light years ahead of ours, but slow that damn machine down!

On Feb 12, 7:16*pm, Happy John wrote:
On Mon, 28 Dec 2026 13:13:20 -0500, wrote:
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:03:49 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market to build
a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. *Has anyone in the
group done this and do they have any words of advice?

The real trick is finding good trades. If you are not in the business
it is really a crap shoot. I just finished an addition here and it
went well. We didn't hire any strangers.
I just contracted the labor and bought all the materials myself. That
solves the problem of "draws" for the most part. I did have one trade
who needed his money daily but it was after the work was done so I
didn't have a problem with it.

Check your date thingy. You're showing up on my machine as Mon, 28 Dec 2026 13:13:20.

I know your thinking process is light years ahead of ours, but slow that damn machine down!

I'd like to know how you can dig up these ancient threads...