Showing posts with label in. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
How To Build A Chicken Coop Easily In One Weekend
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Alford]Andrew Alford
Building Your Own Chicken Coop Can Be a Very Smart Decision
If youve made the decision to build your own chicken coop youre a part of a growing group of Americans who are saying "No" to economic downturns, and doing something positive for themselves, their family and their own nutrition. Raising chickens and harvesting your own eggs dates back to earlier simpler times, but its something that almost any do-it-yourselfer can do if they put their mind to it.
STEP ONE: The first step in building your own chicken coop is to study the procedures, which is what this article is about, and while it may not be comprehensive it should serve as a good starting point. By doing your homework, youll understand more about the breed and number of chickens youll need to satisfy your needs, as well as the chickens tolerances to temperature and environment.
STEP TWO: Be certain to check the zoning laws in your community, this will tell you the number of chickens you can have, whether a rooster is permitted, and whether youll need an inspector to sign off on your finished coop. Unless youre located far from any city and have ample acreage, zoning laws may be applicable, and its best to find out before you are forced to dissemble your creation.
STEP THREE: Next comes the design, choose a design that is not only aesthetically pleasing for you (and possibly your wife or significant other) but also functional for your chickens. There are multiple designs online as well as detailed books about choosing and constructing your chicken coop. Basically, youll want to design a chicken coop that is roofed, well ventilated and has ample space. Of course youll need to have nesting boxes and roosts allowing your chickens to nest and sleep, exercise, and other assorted chicken like activities.
STEP FOUR: How much space do you estimate youll need? Step four is very much part of the planning phase, and will depend on the breed and the number of hens you plan to house. Packing too many chickens into a small space is a recipe for disaster; theyll need space to move around, nest, peck the ground and of course lay their eggs, etc. While this recommended space will vary depending on the breed, approximately 4 sq. ft. per chicken has proved ample for my needs.
STEP FIVE: What is the climate in your area? While its not necessary to have an air-conditioned chicken coop, there is an optimal climate for a particular breed, and this will need to be considered prior to building and purchasing your chickens. If you live in a cold climate, youll need to ensure the inside not only has suitable ventilation, but also heating and insulation if required; this might include a heat lamp for young chickens, and/or a heating pad for your hens.
While chickens for the most part are easy to maintain, youll need to keep a watchful eye, and potentially make changes to their environment as the seasons change. Plan on supplying electrical power to your chicken coop to run the necessary heating, cooling, or monitoring devices you may require.
Once youve given adequate thought and planning to your new chicken coop, its time to set aside a weekend accomplish the task. Once your chicken coop is up and functional, and your hands used to their environment, youll soon be enjoying fresh eggs for breakfast, and possibly answers to share with family and friends.
Did you know the average American spends over $400 trying to build their chicken coop. It can take may of them 2 months or more to come up with something that quite honestly can be less than adequate for raising healthy chickens.
You may also be surprised to know that most people who decide to [http://buildanewchickencoop.com]build a chicken coop rush in to it totally blind and without any prior planning.
Andrew Alford has been building chicken coops for many years and it you want to save time and more importantly MONEY then learn [http://buildanewchickencoop.com/how-to-build-a-chicken-coop/]How To build a chicken coop the right way first time.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Build-A-Chicken-Coop-Easily-In-One-Weekend&id=6708266] How To Build A Chicken Coop Easily In One Weekend
Read More..
Building Your Own Chicken Coop Can Be a Very Smart Decision
If youve made the decision to build your own chicken coop youre a part of a growing group of Americans who are saying "No" to economic downturns, and doing something positive for themselves, their family and their own nutrition. Raising chickens and harvesting your own eggs dates back to earlier simpler times, but its something that almost any do-it-yourselfer can do if they put their mind to it.
STEP ONE: The first step in building your own chicken coop is to study the procedures, which is what this article is about, and while it may not be comprehensive it should serve as a good starting point. By doing your homework, youll understand more about the breed and number of chickens youll need to satisfy your needs, as well as the chickens tolerances to temperature and environment.
STEP TWO: Be certain to check the zoning laws in your community, this will tell you the number of chickens you can have, whether a rooster is permitted, and whether youll need an inspector to sign off on your finished coop. Unless youre located far from any city and have ample acreage, zoning laws may be applicable, and its best to find out before you are forced to dissemble your creation.
STEP THREE: Next comes the design, choose a design that is not only aesthetically pleasing for you (and possibly your wife or significant other) but also functional for your chickens. There are multiple designs online as well as detailed books about choosing and constructing your chicken coop. Basically, youll want to design a chicken coop that is roofed, well ventilated and has ample space. Of course youll need to have nesting boxes and roosts allowing your chickens to nest and sleep, exercise, and other assorted chicken like activities.
STEP FOUR: How much space do you estimate youll need? Step four is very much part of the planning phase, and will depend on the breed and the number of hens you plan to house. Packing too many chickens into a small space is a recipe for disaster; theyll need space to move around, nest, peck the ground and of course lay their eggs, etc. While this recommended space will vary depending on the breed, approximately 4 sq. ft. per chicken has proved ample for my needs.
STEP FIVE: What is the climate in your area? While its not necessary to have an air-conditioned chicken coop, there is an optimal climate for a particular breed, and this will need to be considered prior to building and purchasing your chickens. If you live in a cold climate, youll need to ensure the inside not only has suitable ventilation, but also heating and insulation if required; this might include a heat lamp for young chickens, and/or a heating pad for your hens.
While chickens for the most part are easy to maintain, youll need to keep a watchful eye, and potentially make changes to their environment as the seasons change. Plan on supplying electrical power to your chicken coop to run the necessary heating, cooling, or monitoring devices you may require.
Once youve given adequate thought and planning to your new chicken coop, its time to set aside a weekend accomplish the task. Once your chicken coop is up and functional, and your hands used to their environment, youll soon be enjoying fresh eggs for breakfast, and possibly answers to share with family and friends.
Did you know the average American spends over $400 trying to build their chicken coop. It can take may of them 2 months or more to come up with something that quite honestly can be less than adequate for raising healthy chickens.
You may also be surprised to know that most people who decide to [http://buildanewchickencoop.com]build a chicken coop rush in to it totally blind and without any prior planning.
Andrew Alford has been building chicken coops for many years and it you want to save time and more importantly MONEY then learn [http://buildanewchickencoop.com/how-to-build-a-chicken-coop/]How To build a chicken coop the right way first time.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Build-A-Chicken-Coop-Easily-In-One-Weekend&id=6708266] How To Build A Chicken Coop Easily In One Weekend
Monday, February 10, 2014
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Beginnings of a built in the sides
Ive built two base cabinets for either side of the window. These are 24" deep and will have bookshelf sections above. Ive also assembled the tops for these, and trimmed them out underneath. There will be a window seat between the two side towers. Ive used basic cabinets construction and pocket hole joinery for the tops - see previous posts on how to do this.
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The arched top door Minster Oh framing in the glass
With the bottom staves dried in place, I can now move the frame around a little and frame in the rest of the top to house the glass pack. This is a pretty simple process, as you can see by the pictures. Once this is complete, I filled in the rest with staves. Now the core of the door is complete! Ill let the glue dry for a day, and then do some sanding on the core before making the outside layers. Incidentally, the core is very heavy, which concerns me a little, but well see what happens...
In these pictures, the glass pack is just laid in place. I will put it in permanently later on with stop material.
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In these pictures, the glass pack is just laid in place. I will put it in permanently later on with stop material.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
woodworking stores in pa
Useful woodworking stores in pa Best choice
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Custom woodworking furniture store in pa dutch country, Hardwood furniture for dining room, bedroom, office. living room. amish furniture sold in pa. finest selection of custom hardwood furniture from amish woodworking shops.. Pa dutch woodcraft - amish furniture store - amish bedroom, Providing amish furniture made from solid cherry and oak wood. boothwyn, pennsylvania.. Pennsylvania store locations - rockler, Shop for woodworking tools, plans, finishing and hardware online at rockler woodworking and hardware. find thousands of woodworking supplies like drawer slides. Woodcraft industries, inc., Woodcraft industries is a leading manufacturer of quality real wood unfinished furniture, and markets the spring creek line of finished furniture.. Woodworking in lancaster, pennsylvania with reviews, 113 listings of woodworking in lancaster on yp.com. find reviews, directions & phone numbers for the best woodworking in lancaster, pa.. Rockler - woodworking tools supplies hardware plans, Shop for woodworking tools, plans, finishing and hardware online at rockler woodworking and hardware. find thousands of woodworking supplies like drawer slides.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Mother In Laws You Gotta Love Em dont you
Take every mother-in-law joke you ever heard, the good, the bad and the ugly, and wrap them all up in a 4’ 2” package, throw a piece of ribbon around it and you will have my mother-in-law.
My mother-in-law is one tough cookie. She survived loosing her mother at 6-years of age, being orphaned at 10-years of age, loosing all her brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins after being transported to Auschwitz at 16-years of age in a cattle car, jumping off of trains getting out of Europe after the war to ensure her future sons wouldn’t become part of the Russian Army at 20-years of age and she survived raising my wife for the rest of her life. God bless her for it and I love her to death because of it, but damn, she can become one angry bull when anyone doesn’t do what she wants.
My father-in-law was the family’s forth generation to enter the painting profession, his family’s business doing everything from fresco ceilings to exterior house painting. In Europe, to become a painter back then meant a five-year apprenticeship learning to do everything from making your own paint to graining. Having lost all but one brother and his sister to the camps, his family home and business destroyed, he didn’t argue when his new wife told him she wanted to leave for places yet decided. When he finally hit Canada, he had a second shock; the profession he held near and dear wasn’t respected here the way it was in Europe, something he still doesn’t understand to this day. Past destroyed and pride wounded, he picked up his brushes and rollers and went to work with the rest of the painters. While he never gained the same stature he had at home, he worked himself up the chain and started to earn a fair living for his family.
By their tenth anniversary of arriving in Canada, the old man was making enough money to allow his wife to start decorating…well…everything.
Now I’m not saying she did it single-handedly, but if you ask any of the old fabric hawkers, they will tell you that there was a worldwide shortage of green velvet material back in the mid-1960’s, and it caused quite a commotion. That was the same year my mother-in-law started decorating her home.
In her livingroom sits a couch that, she proudly likes to tell anyone who will listen, is the first king-sized pullout bed ever made. Now a king-sized mattress is roughly 80” square. You then have to have room for the mechanism and then the arms are added outside of that. So while she is proud as punch of that couch, the reality is, the damned thing is 2” shy of 8’. It has to be the biggest couch I have ever seen. As with all manufactured products built prior to the late 70’s, this manufacturer didn’t skimp on the gauge of the steel, so the damn thing is as heavy as it is long, probably weighing in at 250-pounds, if it weighs an ounce.
Added to the 3 ½-square miles of green velvet fabric that covers this thing is a low-back easy chair, a matching love seat and six diningroom chairs, all, you guessed it, covered in green velvet. But it doesn’t stop there.
When I first came on the scene, the walls were covered with embossed wallpaper that reminded me of the doilies that my grandmother had on all the arms and backs of her chairs. If the design wasn’t bad enough, it was done in some sort of short, green fuzz that, to my mother-in-law’s eyes, looked like green velvet. This, of course, using those same eyes, made this paper a perfect match for the furniture. I’ll tell you, I am lucky I suddenly became comatose during that first visit, because if I hadn’t, I would have run screaming from the place and would have never got to marry my wife, who, I will mention, hates anything made of velvet - in any colour - with a passion – thank bloody God!
Married to a painter, my mother-in-law wasn’t shy about serving him up a busman’s holiday, insisting that he repaint often. The first time around for the “green” rooms, off they went to order more of the same paper. The old girl was dashed when they told her that the paper was no longer in production. My father-in-law, bless his heart, took it on himself to carefully steam the paper from the walls, cleaned all the glue off the back of each piece, rolled each one up and when the painting was done, re-hung it. He did this, not once for her, but twice. The second time he damaged enough paper that there wasn’t enough to do both rooms and hallway, so the hallway got painted an “almost matching” green. He still says the paper was getting brittle with age, but I think the crafty old bugger tore the stuff on purpose because he was tired of looking at it.
The beloved paper might be gone, but the sea of green velvet still exists. When they moved into their new abode she drove me nuts pushing me to try and arrange that furniture in the in the same arrangement that they had been living with for these last forty-three years. Because the layout of the new wasn’t anywhere near the layout of the old, it was impossible to do exactly, but I got it as close as I could.
Now you would think she would be happy, wouldn’t you. Here she is, 70-years older than she ever expected to be, living in a nice condo high over the city, in reasonably good health and surrounded by her furniture and nick-knacks. Nope.
The other day I noticed that her livingroom drapes were closed all the time so I asked her about it. She told me she couldn’t open them. I thought there was something wrong with the rod, so I went to look and found nothing, the drapes moved, as they should, and as I’m a glutton for punishment, I went back to her and reported this. She told me that she could open and close them herself, just fine thank you very much, but she couldn’t open them because then she would see the drapery rod.
Now this took me off guard, seriously off guard. The rod was new, and was an exact match to the old one in the old place. I know this because I had purchased and hung it myself; taking this upon myself because I felt the 40-odd year old one was yellowed and worn. I then honestly thought she was joking, and even chuckled. Oh, boy. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong thing to do. Her eyes flashed black and this small, frail, four-foot nothing woman suddenly appeared to tower over me.
Seeing that I had royally pissed her off, I tried logic, asking why, after forty-odd years she suddenly didn’t like the look of the rod. I think you can categorize that as mistake number two. I spent the next ten minutes trying to convince her I didn’t think she was crazy as it was obvious, now that I took a second look at it, that this new rod was completely different than the old. It wasn’t. It was the same style and worked exactly the same way, but I had a much better chance of convincing her that it was my mistake than I did convincing her they were the same. I left shortly afterwards defeated.
For the rest of that afternoon I thought about what I could do for the old bird so she would open her drapes again and get some sunshine in their lives. Whatever it was, it had to be something I could make as, if I did that, I knew all would be forgiven.
I did get an idea, but there was a catch. It involved bending some small pieces of wood.
I had steamed a lot of wood when I replaced the bottom of my boat; so bending wood wasn’t new to me. My problem is that I didn’t have a steam box or a place to use it if I did, so just before dinner than night, I tried something else; something I had read about, but never tried.
I filled my wife’s stockpot almost to the top with water, added a little rock salt and set it on the stove to come to a boil. I went into the office and dug out some scraps of oak; 3/8” by 1 5/8” by 12”. When I had trimmed them equal, I threw them into the pot. I then returned to the office to make a mold.
I let the wood cook for about an hour, pulled them both out, and with my wife doing the deed with the clamps; we clamped them both together around the mold.
Once I had devised a mount that would take my mother-in-law’s abuse, here’s what I came up with…
I have them finished with four coats of varnish, ready to install tomorrow. They will mount under the windowsill and will allow the two panels of drapes to be connected in the middle and be “swaged” to each side.
This is how it will mount and work…
I know this isn’t a faithful reproduction of George Washington’s potty-chair to you guys, but to me, it is huge. If there is one thing I hate more than green velvet, it’s “swaged” anything, especially drapes. After these get installed, every time I walk into that room I’ll have to face those droopy drapes and know that I did it, with protest, but I still swaged those damned drapes.
Awe, well. Its Christmas, and these just might bring a smile, and hopefully a little sunshine, onto the old girl’s face.
And with that, I wish all of you nothing but health, happiness and good fortune throughout this coming new year.
Peace,
Mitchell
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
charcoal DIY Zimba Draperies in the Office
You might have seen last week that I decided to paint the light gray DIY Zimba Schumacher draperies charcoal. The plan was to always make them charcoal, but for the knockoff week of Creating with the Stars, I thought light gray would be best. Looking back, I think that the charcoal would of been great, maybe even better than the light gray! Hindsight, right?
I finished two panels (in charcoal) right before Creating with the Stars started and then was left with one set of charcoal and one set of light gray. So I decided to paint the light gray to match the charcoal. I painted 6 panels total, so I was definitely ready to be done! But Im in love with the look!
The charcoal is great because it adds a punch of contrast! Here are a few pics of the office area. Ill take a few of the living room side soon.
Currently we have one of our almost finished Eames chairs upstairs. The base still needs to be polished some and we are rethinking the sealant on the chair to something that is more shiny. The rug is from Ikea and the Moroccan pouf is from ebay (I love having something to rest my feet on!)
I purchased the orchid for Creating with the Stars, but didnt use it. The scale is perfect for my desk! Trader Joes has the best prices in town!
I love how they turned out! For $20 for two panels and cost of paint this turned out to be a huge cost saver compared to the $100/yard Zimba fabric!
Also, I forgot to mention on my first post, the Ikea Lenda panels come with a tab top, I simply cut them off (cutting as close to the top of the panel as possible :)
To see how I made the stencil and my process see this post
Ill take a few pictures of the living room side and share those shortly!
Hope you all had a great weekend! :)
Read More..
I finished two panels (in charcoal) right before Creating with the Stars started and then was left with one set of charcoal and one set of light gray. So I decided to paint the light gray to match the charcoal. I painted 6 panels total, so I was definitely ready to be done! But Im in love with the look!
The charcoal is great because it adds a punch of contrast! Here are a few pics of the office area. Ill take a few of the living room side soon.
I purchased the orchid for Creating with the Stars, but didnt use it. The scale is perfect for my desk! Trader Joes has the best prices in town!
I love how they turned out! For $20 for two panels and cost of paint this turned out to be a huge cost saver compared to the $100/yard Zimba fabric!
Also, I forgot to mention on my first post, the Ikea Lenda panels come with a tab top, I simply cut them off (cutting as close to the top of the panel as possible :)
To see how I made the stencil and my process see this post
Ill take a few pictures of the living room side and share those shortly!
Hope you all had a great weekend! :)
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