Large Scale Central

Vic's 2020 Mik's Challenge, Grizzly Flats station Rehab

The MIK - Annual Build Challenge
#1

My challenge will be rehabiliting a Pola Grizzly Flats station I picked up at a thrift store two weeks ago, for it I paid the princely sum of $18 semolians. But that came with a catch. It’s a mess.

First off it missing the roof sections over the bay window, these will have to be replaced, hence the chimney opportunity, the interior has a bunch of loose parts and trim and the whole thing is being held together with scotch tape. Like I said, its a mess. I haven’t touched it since I bought it. No pics or napkin sketch till I can access my desktop next week. I have to email myself the pics, downsize them on a photo app, then I can post them to my album. Little tedious but I’m used to it.

#2

Pics, here is the station as is, still haven’t taken the tape off to see whats inside.

Obligatory napkin sketch

I’ll be blunt honest, I don’t know how much I’ll get done on this, my backyard is the priority because I’m so damn close to finishing the paving and the retaining wall and I want to get it finished before the ground dries up and turns back into concrete.

#3

FYI progress, most of what you see is fresh paving and the new retaining wall as well.

As you can see I still have a bit of digging to do as well as extending the paving. This was new years day, the wall and paving are moving toward the fenceline as of yesterday.

#4

Just put a chimney on the retaining wall and voila, bob’s your uncle…

#5

Jim Rowson said:

Just put a chimney on the retaining wall and voila, bob’s your uncle…

LOL it may come to that (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

#6

Thats a nice space. I like the block color scheme.

#7

Vic Smith said:

…I want to get it finished before the ground dries up and turns back into concrete…

You Californians are a riot! Around here the ground dries up and turns to concrete during the winter and thaws out in the Spring.

#8

Not just there, since there is no top soil, I rarely get down 6" before I hit (borrowed from Wiki) Caliche (/kəˈliːtʃiː/) is a sedimentary rock, a hardened natural cement of calcium carbonate that binds other materials—such as gravel, sand, clay, and silt.

Water soaking and a shovel is the only manual way through.

I do see your intent…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#9

John Caughey said:

Not just there, since there is no top soil, I rarely get down 6" before I hit (borrowed from Wiki) Caliche (/kəˈliːtʃiː/) is a sedimentary rock, a hardened natural cement of calcium carbonate that binds other materials—such as gravel, sand, clay, and silt.

Water soaking and a shovel is the only manual way through.

I do see your intent…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Yep thats like what I have, hard as rock during summer when dry, easy peasy to dig after a good rain. I also am having to deal with bamboo roots that turn the rock soil into reinforced concrete. I had to use a breaker bar to break it into chunks. I finally got really mad and used a chainsaw to cut parts of the roots out of the ground. :o

#10

Devon Sinsley said:

Thats a nice space. I like the block color scheme.

Thanks, I had a few specialty block samples I could use, but the others are simply rattle can spray paint :smiley:

#11

Vic Smith said:

…I finally got really mad and used a chainsaw to cut parts of the roots out of the ground. :o

Uncle Fester would have used two or three sticks of dynamite…

#12

John Passaro said:

Vic Smith said:

…I finally got really mad and used a chainsaw to cut parts of the roots out of the ground. :o

Uncle Fester would have used two or three sticks of dynamite…

Well there are windows nearby, so that wasn’t an option(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

#13

Challenge starts tomorrow, I’ll be pouring concrete and cutting down bamboo, sheesh maybe I can start working on this Sunday. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)

#14

Yadda-Yadda-Yadda-Blaah Blaah Blaah-Yadda-Yadda-Yadda-

it’s not raining there, no snow in the forcast, cause it won’t snow at you 64 deg temp for tomorrow. But our 12deg. in the morning will force us to stay inside and start the build Challenge.

TRADE YA, IF I COULD…

Dave

#15

I hear ya Dave, but I’ve been trying to get this yard work done for years now, so I got to make hay while the sun shines because sooner or later the rains will be back.

#16

And Your rains run to the East and 2 days latter, I get snow. But thats a good thing, when it melts we send it down river back to you…Drink up…

#17

Sounds to me like you have a supply of bamboo for a real nice bamboo floor in your MIK project

#18

Yes, lots of progress this weekend. Laid out all of the pavers save for 25 Saltillo pavers that I had to order, but the space is measured out. Got ALL the CMUs down, a couple more bags of cement and it will be time to adhere down the cap blocks. This is a BIG milestone for me. Also between cutting up roots and putting copper nails into the monster tree it looks like it’s finally dying, cut the rest of it down this week. Next it cutting down the bamboo.

Oh and didn’t get to do anything on the challenge.

#19

Sounds like your yard project is a challenge in and of itself, Vic. I know it’s very satisfying getting A project like this off your to do list.

#20

Dan, the BEST part is now that the blocks are cemented into place, my wife will have to stop grousing about moving the wall back in such a way that my layout wouldn’t be possible. So yeah for my side (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)