Well I have started my big project, that once done, should make doing most of my other projects happen easier. I rented a track loader and cleared an area that is about 140 ft. long, by 70 ft. wide. The front half of that area, is where my shop is going to go. The back half of that area, is where my wife's garden is going to be.
I am going to build a 40X60 shop, not sure how many doors, or where the doors will be. My wife wants the longer length of the shop to run east and west, which is going up hill. I found that from the high point, to what would be the other end of the shop, the ground drops 4 ft. I want the shop running north and south, so there will not be as much difference in the high end and the low end. I have figured out the ground drops or rises at 1 ft. every 15 ft.. So only going 40 ft. down hill, there would be around 2 ft. 8" of height variation from the high end to the low end. Also if we had the longer length running north and south, there would be more room for her garden. How the shop is going to be laid out, has not been determined for sure, at this point.
I have 260 yards of base ordered, will be delivered next week. Then the following week I will rent the track loader, and laser level again, then get the base moved, spread and leveled.
Then in all of the buying steel, base and building the shop, I am also going to build a large carport where we park our vehicles. Then the poorly built plywood shed, that the previous owner built is going to get removed. Probably going to put another good sized flower bed, where that shed currently is. The next year is going to be a very busy year. I cleared out an area about 20 ft. by 25 ft. that was all very tall, dense yaupon. That clump was between the house and my wife's greenhouse. I cleared out the yaupon with a chainsaw about a year and a half ago. Then just left it like that, spraying the yaupon, every time I saw green stuff growing. A month ago, I dug up all of those yaupon stumps and roots, that was a lot of fun. So that area is cleared and ready for the next step. I am going to build about a 2 ft. high concrete wall around the area I cleared, then make sidewalks all the way around the wall. Then sidewalks to the deck, then to the front of the house, the driveway, carport area. Then probably another flower bed, on the other side of the sidewalk, where the shed currently is. This flower bed, will also get a 1 1/2 ft. to 2 ft. wall around it, and a walk way all the way around. Then I will make steps going up to each flower bed. Then around the outside wall, I will have about 3 ft. diameter concrete pads. Those pads will be to place my wife's large potted plants, through out the spring and summer. Then those plants, will get put in the greenhouse for the winter.
Inside the walled flower beds, we are going to fill them up 3/4s of the way, with sandy loam, then plant roses, and whatever else she wants in them. Then hopefully building 1 1/2 ft. to 2 ft. walls around each flower bed, will keep out much of the weed seeds that wash down hill, every time it rains. And hopefully keep most of the copperheads out of her flower beds.
Then I am going to build up the front and rear yard, with sandy loam, and make ferrows running crossways to the slope of the hill, to slow down the water running down hill when it rains. Currently, when it rains, sand, soil, seeds and rocks all get washed down hill. A lot of our bermuda seed we put out, wound up down at the bottom of the hill, we have bermuda, growing down near the road, we never put any bermuda seed anywhere but the yard.
Also when I rent the track loader again in two weeks, I am going to widen the trail up the middle of the property. Then make me a much nicer 100 yard rifle range. I will build a nice big berm just past 100 yards. I may even try making a small pond, in the area of where my feeder is. I am thinking dig out a pond and use the soil to build my berm for the rifle range.
On the surface, we either have sand or some very nice sandy loam, depends on if it is a grassy area or if there is brush or trees, with lots of roots. If it's a grassy area, it will be just sand. But if there are oak trees, or yaupon, the soil is some good sandy loam. So every where I clear out yaupons, I am opening up an area with some very nice sandy loam.
But whatever is on the surface, is only about 1 1/2 ft. to 2 ft. deep, then you get into a white or red clay, that are like pottery clays. I am sure those two types of clay will hold water very well. I figure I will dig out a pond and line the bottom with that clay. Then see how well it works.
In the shop, I am going to have an area set up with metal working equipment, my welders, mills, lathe, and eventually a plasma table. Then I will have at least two lifts. I currently have 2, two post lifts. I want a four post drive on lift also. Then I will have my chassis dyno in the floor on one end of the shop. This is all of the stuff I really need to sit down and spend some time arranging. But the way the shop is going to be situated on the area I cleared has to be finalized first, then determine where everything will be in the shop and where the doors will be. I want doors on the north and south ends. I the shop was run north and south, I could get more flow through the shop, with fewer doors.
Eventually, I plan to cover the walls with spray foam, then line the insides of the walls with plywood. The plywood will help with insulating and sound deadening. Then give me placed to hang banners, pictures or whatever else I decide to decorate the shop with. We are not going to have enough money to have the walls covered with the spray foam or lined with plywood, when the shop gets built. That will happen some time in the future, as we get money, and I find deals on plywood.
I am going to need to pick up a stick welder with a generator, to weld up the shop, then eventually use it for the front gate and entry way, and corner posts.
I would guess, that for the next year to year and a half, I am going to be busy with the shop, and yard projects, then try and have the garden ready to plant next spring. Then I also am going to get some bees set up back in the area, where I am going to make the berm for the rifle range, and make an attempt at a small pond. We really need bees, to pollinate our peach, apple and lemon trees. We don't have bees where we are. I want to create a place to make a colony of bees as happy as possible, with as many trees or plants flowering as much of the year as we possibly can. Then hopefully have plenty of water, with a pond. I have been informed we will have to feed them during the winter, but hopefully most of the rest of the year, we will have something flowering to provide them with food.
I am shooting for having the shop built, sometime in the next six months. Should have the concrete done, building up, doors installed and the building wired up. Then the equipment in the shop, so it's useable. Then as we get money over the next few years, finish the shop, the way I want it. I also should have an second level storage area, on one end of the shop.
I am going to build a 40X60 shop, not sure how many doors, or where the doors will be. My wife wants the longer length of the shop to run east and west, which is going up hill. I found that from the high point, to what would be the other end of the shop, the ground drops 4 ft. I want the shop running north and south, so there will not be as much difference in the high end and the low end. I have figured out the ground drops or rises at 1 ft. every 15 ft.. So only going 40 ft. down hill, there would be around 2 ft. 8" of height variation from the high end to the low end. Also if we had the longer length running north and south, there would be more room for her garden. How the shop is going to be laid out, has not been determined for sure, at this point.
I have 260 yards of base ordered, will be delivered next week. Then the following week I will rent the track loader, and laser level again, then get the base moved, spread and leveled.
Then in all of the buying steel, base and building the shop, I am also going to build a large carport where we park our vehicles. Then the poorly built plywood shed, that the previous owner built is going to get removed. Probably going to put another good sized flower bed, where that shed currently is. The next year is going to be a very busy year. I cleared out an area about 20 ft. by 25 ft. that was all very tall, dense yaupon. That clump was between the house and my wife's greenhouse. I cleared out the yaupon with a chainsaw about a year and a half ago. Then just left it like that, spraying the yaupon, every time I saw green stuff growing. A month ago, I dug up all of those yaupon stumps and roots, that was a lot of fun. So that area is cleared and ready for the next step. I am going to build about a 2 ft. high concrete wall around the area I cleared, then make sidewalks all the way around the wall. Then sidewalks to the deck, then to the front of the house, the driveway, carport area. Then probably another flower bed, on the other side of the sidewalk, where the shed currently is. This flower bed, will also get a 1 1/2 ft. to 2 ft. wall around it, and a walk way all the way around. Then I will make steps going up to each flower bed. Then around the outside wall, I will have about 3 ft. diameter concrete pads. Those pads will be to place my wife's large potted plants, through out the spring and summer. Then those plants, will get put in the greenhouse for the winter.
Inside the walled flower beds, we are going to fill them up 3/4s of the way, with sandy loam, then plant roses, and whatever else she wants in them. Then hopefully building 1 1/2 ft. to 2 ft. walls around each flower bed, will keep out much of the weed seeds that wash down hill, every time it rains. And hopefully keep most of the copperheads out of her flower beds.
Then I am going to build up the front and rear yard, with sandy loam, and make ferrows running crossways to the slope of the hill, to slow down the water running down hill when it rains. Currently, when it rains, sand, soil, seeds and rocks all get washed down hill. A lot of our bermuda seed we put out, wound up down at the bottom of the hill, we have bermuda, growing down near the road, we never put any bermuda seed anywhere but the yard.
Also when I rent the track loader again in two weeks, I am going to widen the trail up the middle of the property. Then make me a much nicer 100 yard rifle range. I will build a nice big berm just past 100 yards. I may even try making a small pond, in the area of where my feeder is. I am thinking dig out a pond and use the soil to build my berm for the rifle range.
On the surface, we either have sand or some very nice sandy loam, depends on if it is a grassy area or if there is brush or trees, with lots of roots. If it's a grassy area, it will be just sand. But if there are oak trees, or yaupon, the soil is some good sandy loam. So every where I clear out yaupons, I am opening up an area with some very nice sandy loam.
But whatever is on the surface, is only about 1 1/2 ft. to 2 ft. deep, then you get into a white or red clay, that are like pottery clays. I am sure those two types of clay will hold water very well. I figure I will dig out a pond and line the bottom with that clay. Then see how well it works.
In the shop, I am going to have an area set up with metal working equipment, my welders, mills, lathe, and eventually a plasma table. Then I will have at least two lifts. I currently have 2, two post lifts. I want a four post drive on lift also. Then I will have my chassis dyno in the floor on one end of the shop. This is all of the stuff I really need to sit down and spend some time arranging. But the way the shop is going to be situated on the area I cleared has to be finalized first, then determine where everything will be in the shop and where the doors will be. I want doors on the north and south ends. I the shop was run north and south, I could get more flow through the shop, with fewer doors.
Eventually, I plan to cover the walls with spray foam, then line the insides of the walls with plywood. The plywood will help with insulating and sound deadening. Then give me placed to hang banners, pictures or whatever else I decide to decorate the shop with. We are not going to have enough money to have the walls covered with the spray foam or lined with plywood, when the shop gets built. That will happen some time in the future, as we get money, and I find deals on plywood.
I am going to need to pick up a stick welder with a generator, to weld up the shop, then eventually use it for the front gate and entry way, and corner posts.
I would guess, that for the next year to year and a half, I am going to be busy with the shop, and yard projects, then try and have the garden ready to plant next spring. Then I also am going to get some bees set up back in the area, where I am going to make the berm for the rifle range, and make an attempt at a small pond. We really need bees, to pollinate our peach, apple and lemon trees. We don't have bees where we are. I want to create a place to make a colony of bees as happy as possible, with as many trees or plants flowering as much of the year as we possibly can. Then hopefully have plenty of water, with a pond. I have been informed we will have to feed them during the winter, but hopefully most of the rest of the year, we will have something flowering to provide them with food.
I am shooting for having the shop built, sometime in the next six months. Should have the concrete done, building up, doors installed and the building wired up. Then the equipment in the shop, so it's useable. Then as we get money over the next few years, finish the shop, the way I want it. I also should have an second level storage area, on one end of the shop.
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