2bit gathering #1 at the woodlands April 21st

[2bits]

Thomas you are doing great on that land, would like to get over and meet you while i'm in Texas I'm going to be there the 1st of April for a few months Hope to get to camp with the Dallas area group.

Well the first of April is a good way a away, so I should be definitely settled and have a few RV hookups ran, and a bathhouse built by then! Let me know, and I'll be posting gatherings here as they come up.

[bc toys]

Sorry Thomas meant June 1st but will not get to camp tell July got lots to do when we get there maybe i'll get my land in order for some teardrop camping got water electrical and sewer on it already. not many trees it is in Cleburne Tx by the state park fm21

[Todah Tear]

2bits,

Have you ever considered building one of those cob houses on your land or a pod house or a yert? I think those are so cool...and w/o an HOA or restrictive zoning limiting your imagination, the sky is the limit!

link to a cob house search http://www.treehugger.com/search/?cx=017401606067716418337%3Abtpggki1yw8&cof=FORID%3A11&q=cob+house&sa=Search


Todah

[2bits]

Wow... I was on all night last night looking at these. I have always loved the Hobbit style houses, but I think they are kind of cost prohibitive looking at some of the projects that were bigger than a shed. I am taking an interest in the cob concept though and I would love to do something like the courtyard, that is some great ideas they have, thank you for sharing that! I love the smooth flowing lines. I HATE sheetrock! haha

[Mike_La]

Hi Thomas.
Congrats on your new place; and on the first gathering. I haven't been on the forum for some time. Busy, busy.
Enjoyed reading and seeing the pictures you've posted. Don't hurt yourself doing too much at one time.

Beautiful place.

Later,

[2bits]

Thank you Mike, I am getting closer! I just keep working until I feel like passing out then drink a beer and go back to work haha so far it is working! I got the 10x20 shop moved yesterday (they did not like where I wanted it WAAAY back n the woods, but we got it there! Next is the mobile home!

[aggie79]

Thomas,

Your place looks like paradise to me! Congrats on getting the woodshop moved.

I don't know how you survived the heat this weekend doing all that work. We were camping with some non-teardrop friends and almost cooked ourselves at Cleburne state park this weekend. And we weren't doing anything other than sitting around.

Keep up the good work.

Take care,
Tom

[2bits]

Thanks Tom,

You my friend are insane haha, I was there for the shop move on Sat, Worked on it Sunday, and then today and I am completely whacked. I couldn't imagine being out in this heat for fun!

Here is a couple of pics of the shop.... probably not the right thread for it but since we're here...

This is the shop before I forced the guy to try to move it through these two trees. He wanted to drop it right there and go home.I do not think so.. The building is 12' wide at the roofline and the space between the trees at that height was 12' and he didn't want to do the extra work to line it up straight.


But he made it just fine:


Looking forward to the street from where the shop now sits to show the path it took all the way back, we were roping trees and pulling them back out of the way! We did need to cut one tree down but it was behind the shop out of sight and completely dead anyway so it was no loss. I knew it was gonna be tough but it is there now:


The skid broke loose completely and tore out of the front


Yesterday I temporarily fixed the skid, I just hated to see it like that. I will do a better job next weekend.


and some nice pics of it sitting in it's final resting place:

[S. Heisley]

It looks like it's got a bit of a dip in the middle; but, I imagine you'll straighten and shore it up good.
That was some fine driving on the part of the truck driver!

[2bits]

It looks like it's got a bit of a dip in the middle; but, I imagine you'll straighten and shore it up good.
That was some fine driving on the part of the truck driver!

Oh it is TOTALLY jacked up right now.. I do not know how it is still standing. The dip is mainly due to my temp fix of the skid. Since the front skid is broken into two pieces, I put the leveling stone on top of the skid at each end but didn't do the middle because 3/4 of the joists are not attached in the front at all... I have my work cut out for me. I could do it in a day, but it is harder with the heat. Next weekend I will jack it up again, fix the front skid into one solid piece again and replace all the broken joists in the floor, then attach the skid to the joists and put the stones underneath... It got REAL tore up and while the mover got it in there, I wasn't happy with his performance as he made some key mistakes, but that's done now and I am glad it is in.

Here is a pic of the joists and the wall after I pulled up the floor. only two on one end were still connected to the front plate on one end and in the first pic, the front plate doesn't even exist anymore due to the skid ripping it away, that wall you could just wobble around. It will be a full weekend next weekend and I HOPE to have it done enough to be serviceable, so I can work on shed #2 and shed #3 then take down the carport and move the mobile home.

[aggie79]

Thomas,
Inquiring minds want to know. Did you get moved? It's been really hot out there. Don't push things too much.
Take care,
Tom

[2bits]

Thomas,
Inquiring minds want to know. Did you get moved? It's been really hot out there. Don't push things too much.
Take care,
Tom

Thanks for checking in on me Tom, I am pushing it to the MAXX every day! Yes, the trailer was moved out to my land last Saturday, and they got it all snuggled in the trees exactly where I wanted it. They couldn't pull it in the way we had planned, so they ended up just nosing in, then used a winch to drag the back end over about 30 foot, then they winched it backwards to pull it in position. It is never coming out of there now!

That evening I hooked up the main power from the pole, and I had lights and AC. The next morning, I hooked up the water and ran the septic line to the tank. the next day the plumber came out and installed 100' of gas line and attached it, and that afternoon, the gas man came up and installed a meter and got it all going. Aside from my new plastic water cutoff leaking right off the bat, which is quickly replaced with a metal one, there were no hiccups in the process. My sheet rock didn't crack, pergo floors didn't buckle and the roof didn't make any leaks! I moved my 10x10 deck in one piece from the old lot, and dropped it back in place the other day so I have a little deck while I work on the wraparound deck (After the teardrop build). but I put in a new 14' gate the other day and it looks real nice, and 80% of my stuff is moved, the only thing left in storage is stuff I don't need right now anyway, I am ging to leave it there while I replace the fllor in the spare room. It is great to finally be out there!

I do not have any photos right now because I do not have internet hooked up yet, my only options are sattilite, and tethering my 3G cell service, which looks to be the best option. gotta figure out how to do that with my old phone now. I just remembered the new forum software lets you do that instead of hosting on your own, so I'll burn some pics to CD tonight and bring them to work and upload them tomorrow... I'll probably start a new thread for it, since this gathering was almost 6 months ago.

[S. Heisley]

Oh! WOW! Congratulations, Thomas! This is wonderful news! More power to ya!
I can hardly wait to see the pictures!!!

[CAJUN LADY]

My goodness, you've been bustin your butt Thomas! Way to go buddy!
Like Sharon said, can't wait to see pics of your paradise. I know you must be one happy man right now! Congratulations to you!

[2bits]

Thank you! I am loving it! I like saying I need to "go into town" for something...