Broke ground for the garage today...

[katanaman]

  Finally.  I would love to comply with the request for pics but I keep getting grief over the size limit of my attachments.  What am I doing wrong?  I had a bunch of pictures of the Lotus in its illegal tent, the new garage's lot before and after clearing, etc.  I don't know, however, how to get the pictures attached in a suitable manner.  Thus, another worthless thread...

[EuropaTC]

Hi,

I'm going to make a few guesses here and assume that it's because your file sizes are over the limit set for the forum (which is pretty generous anyway).  The thing is that modern cameras and even some phones now will take shots at such a high resolution that the file sizes are just too big to view online, so you have to reduce them.

The first time you try it you will think it's a hassle, but after a couple of tries it will be second nature.  If you have photo-editing software on your PC then it's easy because most packages contain an option to "resize" the image.  I use Adobe Photoshop which is fairly typical - you either specify a percentage of the original or select the pixel size of the final image. If you use percentage it's a trial and error thing until you get the right file size, if you can do pixels then I normally set mine to either 800x600 or 640x480 which works fine on most forums.

Right - details. The easiest way is if you have editing software, but if not and you're running windows you can just about do it with the Microsoft package. I'm still running XP and to resize an image in that, if you look at the picture in "Windows Picture & Fax Viewer" (just click and it's automatic) then at the bottom right of the icons there's one just before the help icon that says "close image and open for editing". 

Do that and it will open up the image in "Microsoft Paint", a fairly crude graphics package but it will work. From the top menu select "Image" and then "Stretch/Skew" from the options. On the top box, "Stretch", it shows the current size as 100%. Enter something like 10 or 15 in both Horizontal & Vertical boxes and the image will shrink. Then on the "File" menu, select "save as".  I normally keep a similar file name to the original, for example "P100070.jpg" I'll save as "P100070a.jpg".    By doing that process I can easily shrink a 7,000KB image file to 140KB, well under the allowances for most forums.

If you don't have the same system then there are loads of free photo editing packages available for Apple/Windoze/Linux which will do the job and there are even places on-line where you can resize over the internet. 

Hope that helps, if not come back and we'll work on it because ....   

Brian

edit to add.....

As I said, loads of free software out there to do the job for you. For example something like this should do the job nicely.

http://www.freepicturesolutions.com/free-picture-resizer.html

[katanaman]

  Hah!  I will try the pics now!  Thanks, Brian!  First is the Europa in its (illegal) tent garage.  Second photo is the prepared lot ready for the first, stem wall pour!

[cal44]

Welp............one picture came through.   More please.
I bout' pass out with excitement after the footings are dug and steel is in.......and then the pour.
I like bigger rock but the mud had to go up a hill....thru a pumper so bigger wasnt' an option for me.  I did a 1/4" fall on the last garage floor, that was to much.  This time I went with 1/8"....mo' better.

Ohhhh the smell of new wood while the garage is framed...........I wish they made a spray in a bottle of the stuff..........I'd wear it like after shave and perhaps suffer from lumber lung....id' be worth it.

mike

[katanaman]

  Mike, you're right.  I am going crazy 2 days into the wait for the pour one week from now.  Now, I didn't go crazy, but I was analyzing the picture that did make it onto this post and noticed a pretty good rendition of Teddy Roosevelt in the dirt towards the camera from my wife's feet!!!  See?  Not Jesus or the Zig Zag guy...  I realized that I will have room to construct a 10 meter practice area for my Russian air pistol.  Just can't sheetrock all of the interior walls -- I will leave an area between the studs and put a light bulb on the target / pellet trap in the far stall.  For when I get frustrated during the restoration...
  The pic is unrealistic because during the winter this place gets dreary, noisy (from the wind) and cold.  The heated floors will guarantee having car club members (it's an American iron 1950s kind of club -- they don't mind my MGB) come over and offer suggestions for the restore efforts.  In fact, there are Corvette guys with fiberglass experience.  I was taught, way back in the late 1970s, how to make molds and van wheelwell flares by a friend who built 60' yacht hulls for a place called Nordland Boats in Tacoma.  Never thought that eventually I would need to know that stuff...                 Dan

[katanaman]

  Footings today.  4 days late, cigarette packages and butts all over the place...

[cal44]

Dan,
explain if you would, the process you are doing.   I see the footings poured with steal.  Are you building block walls?  The steel appears to be sticking up on all four sides of the footings.

We had a dry waller on the site that would throw his butts all over the job site on the current project.  Couldn't wait for him to leave. 
mike

[katanaman]

  The footings done yesterday have brackets on them to support the stem walls, which I think will be about 10" more.  All of this is to be sure that in a worst case rain there won't be a ground water incursion.  I have been here during a very wet storm with 141 mph. winds (2007) and didn't see any water collecting there, but the builder is being sure.  Then, the pink foam insulation will be lining inside the footings to support a) possibly a chicken wire type of grid to wire the lines for the recirculated hot water to, or b) the lines will be just stapled to the foam to locate them.  I will need to carefully photodocument all of this if I install the 2 point lift later on, as drilling into the line will ruin at least the restoration bay's heating system.  The last pour covers all of this up for an eternity.  CROSS YOUR FINGERS  The test afterwards to prove integrity for the lines for the heating will be crucial.  Remember that everybody implored me not to give up my heated floor!
  Then go the 2X6" walls which will be sided with Hardyboard horizontal siding.  I will put in windows, only high up, to enhance ventilation in the summer months.  2/3 of the garage will have a bit of an attic, while the restoration bay will be vaulted, so that south side window will need to be able to be opened.  The builder told me that subcontractors can easily install insulation cheaper than I could hope to, so I will let them do that also.  The restoration bay will be sheetrocked, and after things slow down in the winter I will paint all of this bright shiny white, then paint a dealership sized LOTUS logo on the back wall. 
  Lastly.  I just might get a hold of a mail-order game cam.  Last night I chased a bear through just behind the footings because he took my wife's 3rd bird feeder this year.  We gotta stop him before he learns to fly.                             Dan                         

[cal44]

Thanks for the explanation Dan.  I didn't think of stem walls, cuz it rains so much here in SoCal.
Sounds like the bases are covered. 
 
On to the electric.  I put my receptacles just above my work bench (all four gang boxes)and maintain the same height with them all around the garage.   I stayed with 4 ft fluorescent two bulb fixtures........a bunch of em.  Cheap to buy and use.

Garage doors are double sided steel with insulation in the center and belt drive motors for a nice quiet operation.   When she states.........."fine.......why don't you just live in the garage", I think, oh gawd yes......
I look forward to seeing pix of your progress
mike

[BDA]

That garage is going to be a killer! Can't wait to see more pictures. Just be careful of the bears!