AZ ranch

[BoFuller]

Memorial Day weekend we decided to take a break from the hard work and go to Las Vegas. Taking a helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon had been on my "Bucket List" for a long time so we decided it was time to check that one off the list.

 

[BoFuller]

This weekend I was marking out lines for a 30 X 30, a 35 X 35, and a 40 X 40 cabin. I think 30 X 30 is big enough for the two of us but mama thinks we need 40 X 40, so we'll compromise with a 35 X 35.

 

[BoFuller]

One weekend when I was hauling chat, I decided I needed a better ramp to get up into my 40 foot container. About 4 ton of chat does very well. And after it got rained on it got very hard. I like it. No more dragging the scraper when going in and out or banging the bucket when the front wheels drop off the edge.

 

[BoFuller]

This past weekend was one for woodworking. I made several items for inside the trailer (shelf for DVD player, coat rack, etc.) and then I made the holders for the gate at the end of the drive. I put a couple of RR ties in the ground and braced them with 4 X 6's. I just have a chain between them now, but I plan to put up two 10 ft gates. I buried the RR ties and the 4 X 6's to a depth of 24 inches. I hope that is enough to prevent lifting by frost. It was all the farther I could get my post hole digger to go.

 

[rdpecken]

Hi Bo,
24" is plenty from a frost perspective up at the Ranch. Our average frost depth is only about 6". All of the piers for our cabin and porch and shed are around 2 - 2-1/2 ft deep. They haven't moved in the 7 or 8 years they have been in place. My water lines are 1-1/2' to 2' deep, and have never frozen.
Your place is looking good. I wish I could move as fast as you are.
Randy

 

[mjncad]

Welcome back to posting Bo. The chopper ride looks like it was fun. I can't post a picture of my hardhat as it would attract the ire of the moderators...

What you call chat looks like recycled concrete road base that i can buy here. That stuff is pretty useful. I need to get a truckload before the summer is out to fill in some soft spots in our driveway.

Were you caught in the Phoenix ha-boob?

 

[BoFuller]

Welcome back to posting Bo. The chopper ride looks like it was fun. I can't post a picture of my hardhat as it would attract the ire of the moderators...

What you call chat looks like recycled concrete road base that i can buy here. That stuff is pretty useful. I need to get a truckload before the summer is out to fill in some soft spots in our driveway.

Were you caught in the Phoenix ha-boob?

The "chat" is a byproduct of the limestone quarry after they make the good stuff for the concrete companies. It is great for driveways.

The haboob - oh yeah - I walked out of Costco and saw this monster wall of dust coming toward me (like in the movie "The Mummy"). I quickly got everything into the truck and by the time I started the engine, visibility was down to about 25 ft. I drove along the side of the road with flashers on the whole way home (about 4 miles). Of course it left a huge layer of silt in my pool.

 

[BoFuller]

Hi Bo,
24" is plenty from a frost perspective up at the Ranch. Our average frost depth is only about 6". All of the piers for our cabin and porch and shed are around 2 - 2-1/2 ft deep. They haven't moved in the 7 or 8 years they have been in place. My water lines are 1-1/2' to 2' deep, and have never frozen.
Your place is looking good. I wish I could move as fast as you are.
Randy

Randy,

Thanks. That's good to know. This time of year the ground is hard as rock. If I do need to set them deeper, it will have to be in March.

"Fast"? - man, I think things are going slow as molasses in January. Actually, looking at all we have done in the last 3 months, I guess we are doing pretty good. I am just anxious to get started with my piers for the cabin. Building permit process is taking forever!!

 

[BoFuller]

One of the issues with being so remote is poor cell phone coverage. Actually I think it is a blessing, but my wife thinks it is a curse. :thumbsup:
Has anybody had an luck with one of those booster antenna? I think the company is called WAG?

 

[mjncad]

The "chat" is a byproduct of the limestone quarry after they make the good stuff for the concrete companies. It is great for driveways.

The haboob - oh yeah - I walked out of Costco and saw this monster wall of dust coming toward me (like in the movie "The Mummy"). I quickly got everything into the truck and by the time I started the engine, visibility was down to about 25 ft. I drove along the side of the road with flashers on the whole way home (about 4 miles). Of course it left a huge layer of silt in my pool.

Yep, your chat sounds similar to the recycled concrete road base I have available to me.

Haboobs are another good reason to move to your ranch.

One of the issues with being so remote is poor cell phone coverage. Actually I think it is a blessing, but my wife thinks it is a curse. :thumbsup:

I agree with you that it's a blessing.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

We love that part of Arizona. I was born in Cottonwood awhile back. Family is in Camp Verde and Cottonwood. My dad, 85 years old, spends the summers in a motor home moving between camp grounds between Flag and the Rim. He winters in Camp Verde.

We would love to do what you are doing but we're in the middle of something else right now. Our dream is to build a house using the recycled plastic blocks we designed for developing nations. We calculated the R value on a wall made with walmart bags and styrofoam to be about 45. At your altitude a/c wouldn't be needed.

We built a demonstration model for SMU with those blocks and it was very cool in our spring heat. It also went unscathed in two big spring storms with driving rain, hail, and seventy mile winds. You can read more by clicking on my signature and following the links.

 

[MacLawn]

Chat, haboob, man, sounds like Greek to me! Is chat something like what we call crush and run? About 1/2" rocks all the way down to kind of course dust - packs real good. I guess haboob is the great dust storm that hit Phoenix?

I like the gate you made with railroad ties...

 

[BoFuller]

Chat, haboob, man, sounds like Greek to me! Is chat something like what we call crush and run? About 1/2" rocks all the way down to kind of course dust - packs real good. I guess haboob is the great dust storm that hit Phoenix?

I like the gate you made with railroad ties...

You're right on both counts. You learn Greek fast!

I hauled one load Friday morning and as soon as I dumped it, the rain started coming down. I sat under the trailer awning and just watched it for over an hour. Couldn't do anything else. I guess that's common for Northern Arizona in July and/or August - nice mornings followed by thunderstorms in the afternoons. It wasn't the most productive weekend I have had at the Ranch, but it was relaxing. Sometimes that's good enough. :thumbsup:

 

[mjncad]

I guess that's common for Northern Arizona in July and/or August - nice mornings followed by thunderstorms in the afternoons.

Welcome to monsoon season. We're in the middle of it ourselves.

 

[BoFuller]

Monsoon is right. I left in the morning with not a cloud in the sky, and came back to mud. Then it rained hard for about an hour. I tried to make a second run to the quarry but at the end of the drive, when I turned the wheels, the truck just went straight. I just shut it off and waited till morning to try and move it.

 

[Ken]

Bo Fuller. Just became aware of the posting of your Ranch at Sigman Ariz. When El Paso Gas buiilt the compressor station about 6 miles east of Seligman on old Hwy 66 There was 3 houses then as the remote control sys was added housing was removed. I went to new job location about the time the new interstae type high way was built.

Your mention of no power other than Smaller generators.Consider what used to be called a rancher type of set up. No power in use the generator shuts off. ice box needs cooling the gen runs until the need for elec.is over. then shuts off. Can be propane and large enough . for summer fill up contract. other fuels could be considered.

The El Paso co. needed water but purchased from rail road water line running along the tracks for the old engines needs. Is there water found now that is drinkable there was such a strong taste of mineral no one wanted to drink it.
We were waiting for a Company Rep. from New Jersey area and when he arrived in rented vehicle. we offered a cup of coffee with warning it is strong to taste. He said he liked his coffee like he liked woman strong . so gave him a cup he almost choked on first sip and then there for a week never tried another cup.
Make friend with the ranchers is the Diamond M still around.
There used to be a rock quarry near Picacho Peak that had sheet layers of rock about 2 " and size of large table. excellant for back yard patios.
Also there used to be a cavran on old Hwy 66 that had elevator to cave level thought interesting.
The town of Peach Springs once considered by the Gov. dept. to need new out houses so one day driving toward Hackberry to work driving around a curve in the high started seing these bright red houses behind every house in the area. adobie house and tin covered shack all had bright red houses.

 

[BoFuller]

We have filled up our water trailer in town and at a local well not far from the Ranch and both have great tasting water.

I need to explore that automatic generator idea.

thanks!

 

[R_Walter]

You might want to consider building your cabin more dimensional. A 35 x 35 will leave you with a lot of leftover lumber. A 32 x 40 is a much better use of lumber and will be a little bigger.

 

[BoFuller]

You might want to consider building your cabin more dimensional. A 35 x 35 will leave you with a lot of leftover lumber. A 32 x 40 is a much better use of lumber and will be a little bigger.

I don't think it will waste any lumber as none of the inside of the 4 walls will have any lumber. Only interior walls, and they will be based on standard sizes, more or less. As far as the shell, nothing gives you more square feet than a square. Perimeter; 35 + 35 + 35 + 35 = 140 ft ; 35 X 35 = 1,225 sq feet
Same perimeter 30 + 30 + 40 + 40 = 140 ft; but 30 X 40 = 1,200 sq feet
but the biggest reason is that I only need one pile of logs; about 60 logs at 40 feet; instead of 30 logs at 35 feet and 30 logs at 45 feet. So I have more options on the next log each time.
And the inside dimensions will be somewhat up-in-the-air depending on the diameter of the logs. I can plan on 16 inch, but if I get 22 inch logs delivered, then my overall internal dimensions just shrank by 6 inches. I know that would drive a lot of stick builders nuts, but I'm actually looking forward to it.

 

[BoFuller]

I got tired of running into town whenever one of my 7 gallon tanks ran out, so Thursday I had this 120 gallon tank delivered. This should last me for awhile. :thumbsup: