BarG's Bull Stuff

[plantdude]

Nice, looking good. My wife has been after me to do something similar. If I do the cabinets I'll have to do the floors, then the backsplash, then remove the popcorn ceiling, upgrade the appliances, and that's just the kitchen... Whoo, whole can of worms there, glad my wife is not on the forum
You're saving a boatload doing it yourself, that's for sure. Best of all American made!

 

[BarG]

I wanted to share a pic of my finished kitchen and a couple of pics of my new hobby .

 

[BarG]

 

[BarG]

So a neighbor gave me a bucket of quail eggs, I loaded my chicken incubator with 24 egg's and hard boiled about 30. So out of several different hatch's I got up to 50 quail but the roosters were too many per hens, so I've processed 18 roosters so far to keep the ratio right 1 rooster to 5-6 hens. They are pretty delicious no matter how you prepare or cook them. I started with 24 egg's in February and been hatching from my birds ever since, I have 32 im keeping on high protein food till they mature in 6 weeks. I've spent about, $700 building a pen and coming up with ways to keep everything low maintenance. Self watering and feeders with little or no waste and some new cages to fatten up and separate the sexes when needed. It's pretty enjoyable if you take the work aspect to a minimum, average 10 minutes a day, and twice a week a bit more for maintenance of pen and cages (a little bit of grunt work,) nothing that's a big deal. I spend a lot of time just watching them and improving everything , for fun. A nice break from my shop which is sweltering this time of year.

So also thank you very much to those of you who liked my kitchen, that actually turned into fun also. Between that and my new hobby I'm behind on everything else. My wife has been selling our extra eggs at her work for $4 a dozen. I told her to start giving them 18 since they buy so regular, between her selling chicken and quail eggs it practically pays for all the feed.

 

[plantdude]

The kitchen and pens look great. That's some nice looking wood on the cabinets.
If you're breaking even on feed cost you are doing great. I usually am happy to cover about half my feed cost from selling eggs (chickens). My daughter raises chickens, quail, and ducks. She makes a decent amount off the eggs (especially the quail eggs) and barters part of the chicken eggs off for milk at the local grocery store. Went out to visit her a few months ago and she was plucking and cleaning a chicken for dinner. I had a hell of a laugh about that. 5 years ago she was almost strictly a vegetarian. Guess things change when you have kids and a family to feed.

 

[deluxestogie]

The kitchen woodwork is lovely. (It's so tidy and clean that it's almost suspicious!) That wood might make a handsome guitar face.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

It all looks great. Very nice matching the panels. You do really good work. The bowls you sent are very much appreciated. We keep them on display.

 

[plantdude]

I got to looking closer at your pic after getting distracted by your pens. You mentioned you used elm for the countertops, what type of wood did you use for the cabinet doors? I've always liked the appearance of wood that shows a multi color light and dark feature like you did. You definitely nailed it and have something to be proud of. That is true artistry. You even have the same cuts running on the lower cabinets and the panels above them as well as on the drawers next to the oven. You spent some time on that. Damn, it is impressive.

 

[BarG]

Thanks Bob, you know I'm a very suspicious character, lol, and knuckle head, I started out covering up a really cruddy floor several years ago. Plantdude, the counter top and recessed panels on the doors are also elm, I tried to book match where possible. All the drawers are full extension. One thing I am really happy about also is the deep sink with no divider and no creases or crevices to have to clean, and all the extra space underneath with out the double drains, one pipe straight out the back. We have a removable dish drainer that collapses and fits underneath when not in use. I kept track of my time and spent about 265 hours starting in dead of winter till months later , I didn't get in any hurry till I demoed the crappy old cabinets and had to do the elec. And plumbing before I could install the cabinet carcasses and have space in my shop to set up for the doors and drawers.

 

[BarG]

And gas line for the new stove. I went with the pex to replace the pvc original water since it's a north facing wall.

 

[BarG]

So, changing the subject... @BarG, have you ever noticed that catfish seem to talk to you when you catch them? They kinda do that little grunt and try to bite you while you get the hook out of their mouth. I'm not sure exactly what they are saying. They sound a bit grouchy though. Guess it's hard to blame them given the circumstances. Probably something like, "put me back in the water already". They are more endearing than most fish given their personality. Large mouth bass and crappie just kinda stare at you, gar just try to bite you, but catfish are always willing to say something, even if it may not be very nice.
I was gifted a boat by an in law. Somehow they fit 40 horses in the little engine that may or may not run when I get it out on the water. The tilt doesn't work so when I hit sandbar or log my work begins. I'm looking forward to some adventures and possibly a lot of paddling this spring and summer with the grandkids. Best of luck to your fishing this year.

Yeah plantdude, them catfish grunt big time and love to clampdown on you. That's those crazy wildmen an women catch em by hand, stick there hand in a hole till something clamps down on it. Lol

 

[BarG]

I got a 27-30" white oak log given to me by a neighbor. Black stains are from barbwire. I'm cutting several pieces to load in the kiln after I cut them more consistent on the sawmill. They will radial split like crazy while drying out but I plan on filling All the splits with super clear epoxy with black color added. Maybe make a couple of patio tables and stools with some pieces cut into half rounds. It seems some people might be interested in something like that.

 

[BarG]

My tiller needs a new engine, one of the reasons I haven't done a real garden in a couple few years , Im still smoking a lot of the tobacco I grew for several years. But I miss my cigars, I haven't rolled one in over a year. I miss my bezuki wrappers I used to get from farmgrowit.

 

[BarG]

Have you ever had a space th is really nice but really hard to get to. I did. I almost couldn't do it because of my oven handle wouldn't allow a double door, .a triple works.

 

[BarG]

Barrel hinges. First time to use them.all mm so any previous jigs for dowels or such pretty useless. Even at all the the money I saved I still got nickeled and dimed to death.

 

[BarG]

Nice, looking good. My wife has been after me to do something similar. If I do the cabinets I'll have to do the floors, then the backsplash, then remove the popcorn ceiling, upgrade the appliances, and that's just the kitchen... Whoo, whole can of worms there, glad my wife is not on the forum
You're saving a boatload doing it yourself, that's for sure. Best of all American made!

I bet your wife loves you whether you do all that or not. Other wise she would have left you a long time ago.

 

[BarG]

My second wife is an about face from my first. It don't matter what I do. Either she'll laugh at me, or most often think she knows better, or just downright not give a hoot or holler about what I do. I got lucky.

 

[BarG]

The Deerest place in Texas is also known to the locals as Margaritaville

 

[plantdude]

I bet your wife loves you whether you do all that or not. Other wise she would have left you a long time ago.

She must. She is the most patient person I know or she wouldn't have been able to put up with me for so long. We were high school sweethearts and have been together ever since. We now have three grandkids running around and a fourth on the way. Time does go fast. A good woman is hard to find - and a patient one even harder

So the cabinet doors were elm, that's some nice looking wood and you matched the patterns well. I've worked a little with pecan, walnut, cherry, and a few types of oak, for some primitive bed frames, headboards, benches, and picture frames - nothing as fancy as what you've done by any measure - and notice each type of wood has its own quirks and qualities. I've never tried elm, I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever go nuts and start a wood working project again.

 

[indianjoe]

BarG,
you been busy and are very talented at all that work. Looks like you are doing well.