tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post2198456859470966935..comments2023-10-19T05:40:59.162-04:00Comments on Sippican Cottage: I'm Fixing A Hole Where The Rain Gets InSippicanCottagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14940797380578921776noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-85662555458632166522013-11-23T13:20:09.472-05:002013-11-23T13:20:09.472-05:00My Dad was a highly successful masonry contractor ...My Dad was a highly successful masonry contractor for over thirty years here in Austin. Started out as a bricklayer (his father a founding member of the mason's local here) and went out on his own. Anyway on one of his jobs (a city project) in the plans was a detail for a stone pilaster that if followed would have resulted in cracking of the wall. He notified the architect who felt there was nothing wrong with the design and rejected my Dad's proposed free fixes (installation of control joints, etc) finally the architect stated that the detail was a "conception", but was still good.My Dad sent a letter stating he had looked up the definition of "conception" and that it was nothing but a f**king idea. Control joints were installed at every pilaster. Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13642228725661059539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-9063179188883110412013-11-23T12:06:01.137-05:002013-11-23T12:06:01.137-05:00I often do real estate arbitration. I had one case...I often do real estate arbitration. I had one case where the buyer was suing the seller because the electrics weren't up to code. We took testimony and then went to inspect the house. (the buyer wasn't there, just his lawyer.) I was very suspicious of buyer's claim because seller was chief electrician on a nuclear submarine, and he'd done all the electric work himself. <br /><br />Got to the house and buyer's expert witness (retired master electrician who gave the test for journeyman status) pointed out all the things that didn't meet code. <br /><br />After the hearing was over, the master electrician came up to me and said, "Damn, that guy did a fine job; especially that thing around the hot tub; genius. Better than code, much better."<br /><br />But, the law was clear, and I had to order seller to pay buyer the cost of ripping out the great install and put in a worse one that met code. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-3844075961821059822013-11-22T22:26:48.042-05:002013-11-22T22:26:48.042-05:00Having stepped over & in a few statute turtles...Having stepped over & in a few statute turtles it seems to me sir that you have the capacity of Sam'l Clemens to grasp the enormity of the situation, or perhaps that of the Dire Straits lyricist.<br /><br />Yet, and this I simply must know, to what extent does the pink board serve a structural employment?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-71667479161048598132013-11-21T21:48:24.057-05:002013-11-21T21:48:24.057-05:00Rob De Witt, it is a Dad's job to replay bits ...Rob De Witt, it is a Dad's job to replay bits from old TV shows and other obscure and outdated references to his children. Or youth not his own. Give them the Whistler's "I know many strange things..." and "The Shadow knows..."Sam L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00996809377798862214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-9759154510367795782013-11-21T10:24:11.129-05:002013-11-21T10:24:11.129-05:00Off music for a while, are we?Off music for a while, are we?chasmatichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14962911972107586613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-89764947357050582172013-11-21T09:14:06.802-05:002013-11-21T09:14:06.802-05:00I recently employed the old "vaccinated by a ...I recently employed the old "vaccinated by a phonograph needle" trope only to be met with blank stares. It's like "dialing the phone;" hardly anybody under the age of 40 can translate that phrase. <br /><br />Damn useful once, gibberish now. Alas.Rob De Wittnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-73642193454059999112013-11-21T08:57:35.449-05:002013-11-21T08:57:35.449-05:00I smell another book. Or it's my breath backi...I smell another book. Or it's my breath backing up on me. Could be either, or both.<br />Cracking writing Sipp.dadofhomeschoolershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10164690638335065954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-49810742264971179222013-11-21T06:46:04.680-05:002013-11-21T06:46:04.680-05:00UMASS Dartmouth was the beginning of the end of th...UMASS Dartmouth was the beginning of the end of the town, in my eyes anyhow. One of the last houses the old man built is on the north side of Cedar Dell. Built for a Hawaiian biology professor. Neither he, nor any of the other Manchester alumni that he rolled with would have stood for the test, nor had any patience whatsoever with them that administered it. Great stuff as always, Sipp.bogthinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17474655742835245149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-69850657454493009442013-11-21T00:55:38.096-05:002013-11-21T00:55:38.096-05:00Thank you. Thank you for that.
I just built an ad...Thank you. Thank you for that.<br /><br />I just built an adobe addition onto the adobe home my ol' man built for me and my issue. Every, um, guy who looks at it starts in on: "Well, I woulda done this and you coulda done that..."<br /><br />Well, um, guy, I didn't see you on the ladder with me at 100deg F slopping mud and setting adobes until I couldn't hold on. I didn't see you anywhere when I shouldered the 16ft 6x8 beams onto the bond beam I poured by myself.<br /><br />There aren't a lot of questions about mud on those tests either.<br /><br />--GrayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-76733737348538410972013-11-21T00:35:35.856-05:002013-11-21T00:35:35.856-05:00You could turn this all into theater, with Mountai...You could turn this all into theater, with Mountain Man from Duck Dynasty as the lead. At the rate he speaks, it'd be a 6 hour mini series.<br />Jerry<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-78374818326076526942013-11-20T23:47:11.495-05:002013-11-20T23:47:11.495-05:00A few years ago, I noticed a friend's commerci...A few years ago, I noticed a friend's commercial auto-repair garage had one of its beams in need of some uplift and additional bracing. I went online in search of a jack with the obvious capacity, not trusting the abilities of a garden-variety hydraulic jack such as might be purchased from the likes of Harbor Freight...<br />I found one, and it did the job quite nicely.<br />I am now the proud owner of a Bridge Jack (made in Oklahoma). They claim on their page that they managed to break one at 100,000 pounds....<br />Look for a "bridge jack," if you ever need to raise one side of your house, without first removing the Armageddon Beer from your refrigerator....! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-19879291519056746962013-11-20T20:20:18.987-05:002013-11-20T20:20:18.987-05:00Hi Leslie! And the turtles are all upside-down.
I...Hi Leslie! And the turtles are all upside-down.<br /><br />It's Thud, my bruvvah fum anutha muvvah. <br /><br />If anybody wants to see someone who actually knows what they're doing, building something amazing, instead of watching me doing ham and egg carpentry on a free hovel, <a href="http://overthewaterx2.blogspot.com/2013/10/many-mickle-makes-muckle.html" rel="nofollow">go to Thud's page. </a> He's got cute kids, too. <br /><br />Gerard- Your continuing enthusiasm for this little literary excursion is essentially the reason for its existence. So if anyone doesn't like it, I'll send them over to put toilet paper in your shrubs. <br /><br />And I was just kidding about Palladio. He was in my class in Parochial school. He used to sit in the back and eat paste.<br /><br />Pogo! I love Pogo. One of the great hearts on the Intertunnel. <br /><br />I admit I've cheated like that railing, and worse, many times in my life. Man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.<br /><br />Leelu- I dunno. Sooner or later I have to fix the basement, don't I? All the pictures look like July, and are going stale. <br /><br />Hi Sporf- Thanks for reading and commenting. Overthinking is not a trait common to carpenters, only people that can pass the exam.<br /><br />Hi Lorne- Many thanks. I'd like to finish a book called Maine Family Robinson, a project I started years back that got shelved, but I must hit my thumb with a hammer all day and can't write much. A book is a speculative project, and I'm too poor to speculate in anything except Guinness futures -- one can at a time. <br /><br />I did write one book though, already, and you can buy it on Amazon here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1463673493?ie=UTF8&tag=sippicancotta-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=1463673493" rel="nofollow">The Devil's In The Cows.</a>SippicanCottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14940797380578921776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-42816794055787227252013-11-20T18:55:12.929-05:002013-11-20T18:55:12.929-05:00This is the most enjoyable series of blog posts I&...This is the most enjoyable series of blog posts I've ever read. I've copied all of them and the photos as well. If you write this all up as a book or pamphlet I will buy it.<br /><br />Hat Tip to Gerard van der Leun for posting the link on his site.Lornenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-82451893084977863342013-11-20T18:28:42.853-05:002013-11-20T18:28:42.853-05:00I once heard Herman Kahn define the phrase "t... I once heard Herman Kahn define the phrase "trained to capacity" as the inability to solve simple problems that would have given no trouble had one not taken graduate training.<br /> Those who can, do. Those who've never tried, take graduate training — then do assessment.Sporfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-118802156989327572013-11-20T17:55:21.900-05:002013-11-20T17:55:21.900-05:00Sip,
Can you keep this going until New Year's...Sip,<br /><br />Can you keep this going until New Year's??leeluhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02981890968657705310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-43690626486411627032013-11-20T17:38:13.543-05:002013-11-20T17:38:13.543-05:00Vanderleun, you can rent one of his houses in the ...Vanderleun, you can rent one of his houses in the Veneto.Thudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18320037763190473684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-47327170142988833842013-11-20T17:31:15.395-05:002013-11-20T17:31:15.395-05:00When we repaired our porch, built in 1898, they re...When we repaired our porch, built in 1898, they required us to increase the railing height from the old 24 inches to 28 in.<br /><br />When it was inspected, the city inspector demanded it be raised further, to 36 inches, for reasons entirely unclear.<br /><br />So our carpenter partially screwed in a piece of 2x4 above the pretty handrailing and balusters.<br /><br />The inspector okayed it.<br />Two weeks later I removed it.KCFleminghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00124201866124646626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-33714270872232886302013-11-20T17:30:16.641-05:002013-11-20T17:30:16.641-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.KCFleminghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00124201866124646626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-77739590728193365612013-11-20T17:23:03.403-05:002013-11-20T17:23:03.403-05:00I built a house on a small lot once. The design h...I built a house on a small lot once. The design had a one foot bump out to give the living room a little character which was needed since it was so small. The bump out put the outside wall of the house 19 feet from the sidewalk. The city code said 20 foot set back. The general contractor said it should be no problem the city will give you a waiver. So I applied and sure enough for $1900 it would give me a waiver. I asked why the 20 foot setback was necessary and they said to allow for possible street widening if it were ever necessary. I asked how the $1900 would mitigate this problem and why wouldn't $19 mitigate it just as well? After a long dirty look I was asked if I wanted the waiver or not. So that's what a lot of the code boils down to. Someone's hand must get crossed with silver and then the code can be waived. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-56057708946729798692013-11-20T16:52:32.348-05:002013-11-20T16:52:32.348-05:00There is an old joke about experts, and breaking d...There is an old joke about experts, and breaking down a word into component parts.<br /><br />An 'ex' is a has-been, and a 'spurt' is a drip under pressure.<br /><br />Therefore an expert would be a has-been drip under pressure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-17688730495536211612013-11-20T16:06:54.301-05:002013-11-20T16:06:54.301-05:00Actually, when I did take a tour of his houses I n...Actually, when I did take a tour of his houses I noted that there were nuns every which way in that part of the world.vanderleunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296245324443413545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-54097028136890641362013-11-20T16:01:36.150-05:002013-11-20T16:01:36.150-05:00"Mr. Palladio; I think he went to public scho..."Mr. Palladio; I think he went to public school, and I had the nuns"<br /><br />Given his era and location I'm pretty sure Palladio had his share of educatin' by nunsvanderleunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10296245324443413545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-32967138658567198732013-11-20T15:17:45.575-05:002013-11-20T15:17:45.575-05:00As I'm reading this I can hear the wind crashi...As I'm reading this I can hear the wind crashing through the woods around my house as it charges in straight across from Ireland (I think it blew me here at some time) I'm dreading going out in the dark in the morning to fit some rather heavy lintels.... a heart attack in florida would be blessed relief.Thudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18320037763190473684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14474631.post-42145879714218523692013-11-20T15:04:28.788-05:002013-11-20T15:04:28.788-05:00I have grown weary of experts. (But, not of this s...I have grown weary of experts. (But, not of this story. "It's statute turtles all the way down now". So good.)Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02284936021406079076noreply@blogger.com