Introduction thread

Zona · May 17, 2011, 01:02:30 PM

I didn't see a place to post an introduction thread so here it goes.

Hey all, my name is Kyle, I'm a Sergeant in the US Army (7 years here in a few weeks

) and I have 347 days left in the service of the government (ETS). I was origionally directed here, more or less by accident, by a link someone posted on JeepForum in this thread: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f7/if-i-had-extra-23-000-laying-around-1137570/

Well after I saw Eagle's A-frame build in Kentucky I was HOOKED and became a constant lurker of the 'owner-builder' section. I've always had the 'independent spirit' as my dad calls it, from the time of my youth in Durango/Bayfield Colorado to now- and this forum is really helping to push me to accomplish my dream of buying land, building an off-the-grid home and living a self-sustaining life.

So after I leave the Army I plan on attending college at the University of Arizona or Fort Lewis College (Colorado). I haven't quite decided yet, either way it's paid for already (thanks taxpayers!

)

I never grew up doing the hunting/fishing/building thing but have been very good at teaching myself basic trade skills (mostly automotive) to fill in the gaps. My construction knowledge is very limited so I'm eating this site up like chicken wings on a deployment.

I know that this goal is years away, but I want to maximize my time between now and then by consuming as much knowledge and experience as I can while accumulating the necessary tools to get the job done when the dream starts to take shape. I've already started picking up tools here and there, as my father always told me "you can never have enough tools or guns" so I'm hoping to have a nice compliment of useful hand and power tools in the next 5 years or so. I'm also trying to find excuses to build things for my (rented) home right now, such as a rack for the Jeep doors or a doghouse that the dog never uses to get my hands dirty. Well, I'm rambling so I'll just leave you all with a

StinkerBell · May 17, 2011, 04:12:04 PM

May 17, 2011, 05:00:55 PM

Welcome and Thanks for your service

I need to get back to JeepForum! I haven't been there in a while and must confess I go mostly for tech help on the XJ when I need it.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing how you progress!
Cheers
Erik

Minicup28 · May 17, 2011, 05:23:34 PM

Welcome Aboard, I'd steer you toward the University of Arizona. I'm a '66 Wildcat.
That education has served me very well over the years.
"Bear Down"

Zona · May 17, 2011, 07:34:12 PM

Quote from: OlJarhead on May 17, 2011, 05:00:55 PM
Welcome and Thanks for your service

I need to get back to JeepForum! I haven't been there in a while and must confess I go mostly for tech help on the XJ when I need it.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing how you progress!
Cheers
Erik

I went to the local Habitat today to try and enlist as a volunteer but I guess they closed down?

So I'm going to try and call tomorrow, if all else fails I'm going to try and hit the one in Tucson. Thanks for the support.

Quote from: Minicup28 on May 17, 2011, 05:23:34 PM
Welcome Aboard, I'd steer you toward the University of Arizona. I'm a '66 Wildcat.
That education has served me very well over the years.
"Bear Down"

Haha, you and most others in my family. I'm the only one that has been in the military since Korea so I'm a little behind the family power curb when it comes to the Red and Blue.

May 17, 2011, 10:41:47 PM

This is a great place to learn about building a cabin/home - everyone is very helpful.

I'm a military brat - my dad was in the Air Force for 30 yrs - most of the time as a B52 instructor pilot. I'm an RN at the Veterans Hospital in Fresno so work w/lots of veterans... were you deployed at all? Re the free education, you deserve that after doing your time in the military!

glenn kangiser · May 18, 2011, 12:08:55 AM

to the forum. Putting your life on the line... you deserve the free education. Hope we can be of service to you too.

Zona · May 18, 2011, 09:48:42 AM

Quote from: Sassy on May 17, 2011, 10:41:47 PM
This is a great place to learn about building a cabin/home - everyone is very helpful.

I'm a military brat - my dad was in the Air Force for 30 yrs - most of the time as a B52 instructor pilot. I'm an RN at the Veterans Hospital in Fresno so work w/lots of veterans... were you deployed at all? Re the free education, you deserve that after doing your time in the military!

Yes indeed to Iraq (Tikrit

) from July 06- October 07.

Squirl · May 18, 2011, 10:46:35 AM

Quote from: Zona on May 17, 2011, 01:02:30 PM
So after I leave the Army I plan on attending college at the University of Arizona or Fort Lewis College (Colorado). I haven't quite decided yet, either way it's paid for already (thanks taxpayers! )

You earned it. Thank you for the service. Nice ride too. As far as building knowledge, the books posted in the books section on the homepage are a great place to start. A basic framing book is one of the best places to begin. 90-95% of the houses in this country are stick frame, which also applies to most of the building code. IIRC Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico all have building codes to follow. There are sections posted on where to find them, and a new section devoted to completely understanding them. Armed with a good picture book and the code, it can be a great step by step guide to how to build a house.

A small shed is always a good learning curve. I have never seen a person in a country setting that couldn't use a shed. They only cost a few hundred dollars too. If you can't afford it, you probably couldn't afford a whole house. It was a while since I had framed or built anything and it was well worth it to relearn what mistakes are on a small structure.