Marc's Patio & Garage Studio

Thanks Cram, Duct silencer supply installed. I did not assemble any of the box in the attic like I thought I might. To tight of a space. Secured the box down with some metal strapping and 1/2" screws into the 3/4" plywood. It ain't going anywhere. I'm going to frame out for drywall right up to the box, by adding in another 2x4 brace between those two joists (bottom chord of truss) and a couple 2x4 nailer's to back drywall. I just hope I've left enough room for my hands to get up there and attach the rest of the duct board when I get there. :lol: :lol: AND I need a new blade or something on my circular saw. I "burned every cut. You see all the black. I stunk/smoked up my garage. Wonder if old wood caused this? I used a plywood blade through 3/4" ply. My jig saw cut holes without burning up the wood. Marc

ive had the same before with a new blade and i think its when the blade moves side to side when your cutting. no big deal. looking good mate. joey

A plywood cutting blade will make this happen since it is not designed to cut much more then 1/8" to 1/4" deep. Pretty much any badly beaten up circular saw blade e.g. cutting laminate products, nails, metals, is going to smoke if it has been used up.

guitardad72 wrote:

Thanks Cram, AND I need a new blade or something on my circular saw. I "burned every cut. You see all the black. I stunk/smoked up my garage. Wonder if old wood caused this? I used a plywood blade through 3/4" ply. My jig saw cut holes without burning up the wood. Marc

Plywood blades go fast. I have three finish work blades that I rotate through duty. The guy that sharpens my saws loves seeing my face. I think they go fast because there's no room for air in the cut as the teeth are so close [on plywood blades] and if the blade doesn't keep up to speed it can heat up, then the board starts to get a handle on the sides of the blade. Looks good though.

Thanks Guys, Excellent replies. Now I don't feel like a dummy for burning up all my cuts, just feel like a dummy for basically using the wrong blade :roll: Since I'm cutting 3/4" ply and it don't have to be pretty I'll just use a regular rip blade for cutting the return silencer box ply. Marc

Hey Marc, Really nice craftsmanship on that box, pal! :-) My only concern is that it will be a weak link in that it's only one layer of 3/4" plywood. Ideally you would have an equivalent (or greater) amount of mass around that box as the leaf to which it is attached. In my case I sacrificed volume and number of turns but I did my best to maintain the mass. --Keith :mrgreen:

Yes Sir Keith, I would have liked to use a higher density material for the box BUT I already had the plywood. Bought this 3/4" ply for the 2004 for Hurricane season becuase everything else was sold out. In fact Keith on your visit here I believe you stood on some of this ply as we put up the stucco :D I throughly cleaned the wood and bottom line I had no idea what else I was going to do with this ply that cost me $45 per sheet. Though it would not be a treat I could add drywall to 5 sides of these boxes afterwards. The 2nd silencer (return) is all cut and assembled except for the top. Let me tell you what a joy it was cutting with the right blade. I got the area it's going in the attic prepped with some braces and had to move and secure a few wires. I just pulled out some old electric too that was put up for the storage room. Once the second box is in place I'll be able to put my drywall back up on ceiling and put the 2nd layer of drywall with green glue up. THEN I got to level the floor. Remember it's un level it drops 1 7/8" , no need to regurgitate why but the inner walls have to go on something. My choices are: 1. Only things that were suggested is mortar or grout. I'm not 100% confident in putting my inner walls on mortar or grout 1/2" to 1 7/8" thick, that is on top of concrete. 2. I'll have to use self leveling cement for my hardwood floor in the end, but for the inner walls, self leveling cement don't seem like a great idea. Can't find anything that says I could use self leveling concrete. 3. The only thing I feel safe with (at this point) is to build the walls on the un level floor and measure my studs a gazillion times to get my top plates level. I'm putting 2x6 rafters on top of the inner walls for the inner ceiling. I'm shooting for 1" space between the top of 2x6's and the outer ceiling drywall. K who wants to help me think this through. :twisted:

If you could establish your high point and then your low point, with a long straight edge and level or a leveling instrument(whichever is easier for you) would you be able to cut/ build a looong shim to place under this wall? The shim would be the length of your wall plate run with the height of whatever the high point diminsion is, to the low point.

xSpace,

If you could establish your high point and then your low point, with a long straight edge and level or a leveling instrument(whichever is easier for you) would you be able to cut/ build a looong shim to place under this wall? The shim would be the length of your wall plate run with the height of whatever the high point dimension is, to the low point.

That's the best idea yet. I can imagine the raised bottom plate also being of use when it comes time for the self leveling concrete. Progress report: 1. Got the duct board cut but not yet taped for the return silencer box. 2. Bought 2 bags of R11 fluffy insulation with no paper. I think the package says Owens Corning Sound Attenuation. Thought I'd get more done over the past few days but had a field trip to the zoo with my son. Mother in laws birthday dinner was today. I've had to get stuff ready around the house cause I have to make a trip to Canada... My grandfather (who is/was like a father to me) was read his last rights today. Yesterday the the docs said "it's a good time to let him go". There are just to many things wrong and he's not strong enough to take the treatments or even consume anything. By posting this I know I'll get some sympathy replies BUT just to let you guys know, he's 92 and lead a strong and prosperous life. His passing is a life to celebrate and remember. He's always been a source of inspiration for me. Got a gig in Tampa tomorrow (2 hour drive), 2 gigs Friday (local) and then a wedding near Fort Myers on Saturday night (4 hour drive).... then I got to drive to Halifax NS, Canada. I let my Canadian passport expire ( was waiting to get a US passport when I get my US citizenship later this year), I don't have time to renew (5 weeks for Canadian Passport). Without a valid passport, I can't even buy and airline ticket BUT I can cross the border by land, so I have to drive. Google says 1 day 8 hours, 2000 miles. I'm leaving right from my gig Saturday night. Life on life terms can suck sometimes and work on the studio is on hold till I get back. I think I'm going to leave my webcam on as much as I can during the drive up I95. I'll be able to talk and listen to chatters but I can't really read text in my chat room. I'm using Sprint Wireless which worked a couple weeks ago driving on I95 for 3 hours with out crashing. Amazing technology today huh... Marc www.marcdobson.com

I went to Canada, missed my grandfather by 3 hours. He was gone. It was a nice week in Canada, not the best reason for a trip but all family helped out and got along in order to celebrate the passing of a life. I have to mention him in this thread and give him some credit. If I did not have his influence I doubt I would have taken on building this small studio room/addition to my house. He built many buildings including apartment buildings which he rented. Through my childhood and young adult years he made sure I learned how to do things and participated with repairs and renovations. Once he held up a nail with his hand, gave me the hammer and said "whack it". I think I was 7 years old. I swung with all my might and hit his thumb so hard his nail was black for weeks. I learned a few cuss words that day too. Anyways, I'm back now. When I got back, I hit the ground running with gigs and playing catch up on missing a week of every thing at home in Florida. I'm guessing I won't get much done on the studio till late next week. Marc

guitardad72 wrote:

I went to Canada, missed my grandfather by 3 hours. He was gone. It was a nice week in Canada, not the best reason for a trip but all family helped out and got along in order to celebrate the passing of a life.

Marc - it's refreshing to see someone write from that angle on someone passing. we've just lost a saint from that same generation - our grandmother. honestly - having the family together again was something special and I'll miss it with her not being around as a "draw" to have people come visit as much as before. I'm sure he was a good man to know and fortunate for you to have him there for 30+ years of your life.

Well, have not been at this forum for a while nor have I got any work done on my studio since Feb of this year... 6 months. That unexpected trip to Canada set me back financially. Saying good-bye to grandpa was nice, everybody got along but then the inheritance and poorly written will became an issue. Even though I will receive nothing I got very involved with the whole thing and it consumed a lot of my time. My greatest lesson learned for this year and advice to everyone is make sure you and your loved ones have a will written and estate plan for today's standards. It's particularly hard to show someone in there 80's or 90's who grew up during the depression what's up now a days BUT really important. I won't go in to details but just advise take a look into it, this can be a head ache waiting to happen and my family did not see it coming. AND Where does time go? I admit I get sidetracked sometimes but been busy with - Summer vacation came for the kids and wife. They just started back this week. - I bought a stick (www.stick.com) and currently baffled by it. - Added a vocal harmonizer to my solo show and programmed midi changes into about 100 midi tracks... still got over 100 to go. - I quit smoking (4 weeks today). - This summers gigs turned around on me. Lost a few of my good venues from last year and had to hit the pavement hard. I started this project cause I need a place to work in peace, I got kids. Wanted to get it done before my daughter was born but in 3 months she'll be 2 years old. I've learned to get things done (rehearsing, phone calls and some recording) around my kids schedules. Would love for this room to be done but then again even though kids can be a PITA when trying to get things done there are memories I have now which I would not have had IF the room were done already. Best example... I had to learn the song "I Loved Her 1st" for a wedding. Song is about a father gracefully giving his daughter away to a new husband. I rehearsed it one day with my 1 year old daughter in my lap. My daughter babble sang a long, banging on the computer keyboard with this app http://www.hanselman.com/babysmash/ (great software for infants). I could not get through the song with my voice crackin and a tear in my eye. So, studio ain't done. Life changes. I'm fine with it and when I get some work done (or until enough time passes with no work) I will post again. Marc

Marc! good to see you hopping by again. Loosing a familymember is always hard. I've been through that whole "inheritance" process myself last year. That's one of those things that can really divide a family. Damn. So, you bought a stick. Cool! Is it hard to play? Kids... yup they do take up all your spare time. But, it's worth all that! I have a son who's just 7 months old, boy I love that little bloke and just want to spend as much time with'm as I can. The studiobuild can wait.. one more day. I'll look up that babysmash link you gave since my son LOVES to bang the keyboard and mouse. hahaha! Oh well, time to do some studio-work again.. if the wive lets us, eh.

Ro wrote:

Marc! good to see you hopping by again. Loosing a familymember is always hard. I've been through that whole "inheritance" process myself last year. That's one of those things that can really divide a family. Damn. So, you bought a stick. Cool! Is it hard to play? Kids... yup they do take up all your spare time. But, it's worth all that! I have a son who's just 7 months old, boy I love that little bloke and just want to spend as much time with'm as I can. The studiobuild can wait.. one more day. I'll look up that babysmash link you gave since my son LOVES to bang the keyboard and mouse. hahaha! Oh well, time to do some studio-work again.. if the wive lets us, eh.

Eh Ro, thanks for relating :) Yup loosing a family member can divide a family, just experienced it. Is the stick hard to play?... IMO Basic technique is not hard to get for a guitar or bass player. I've had to loose my finger picking nails. Melody side is tuned in 4th's like a guitar so that was sort of easy. Bass side however is tuned in 5th's, big low string is in the middle of the neck and strings ascend in pitch towards you. Where the notes are on the bass side is kinda mind warping but the beauty in the tuning is that this makes chord shapes and scale patterns the same on both sides. Chords don't sound like mud like chords can sound on a bass guitar because of the 5ths tuning. Typical blues walking lines make you jump strings at some point which is a PITA but the ability to chord with the right hand is awesome. The hard part is gaining independence in both hands. I used to gig playing bass and/or playing keys holding down a left hand bass. I'm not there yet on the stick after a month but am hoping to play it at all my gigs with in one more month of wood shedding. The stick is part easy for a guitar or bass player but more of challenge. Once I'm up in running I will be the only stick player on the Space Coast of Florida, the only solo act in Central Florida playing the stick and one of few stick players who lead sings. Party bought the stick to help with quitting smoking. Here's a pic of my Stick :) Kids are great and they will never be this age again. The baby smash app is a must have for any parent of an infant with a computer. My daughter loves it and knows exactly whats coming when I say baby smash. In fact she expects is sometimes too. The app shuts down all keyboard stuff except for "alt + F4" (and a couple other things) so that a child can pound a keyboard and parent has 99% no fear of computer settings or apps getting messed up. Over the past 3 months since I've had it the developer keeps updating this FREE app too. The guy is a dad. Good to hear your working away on your studio. Marc

Hey mate great to see you again! Sorry to hear about your grandfather... I just dropped by to see how your project is coming along. Been busy with our daughter - 14 months old....that smash app sounds great - time flies huh?! ;) All the best and will pop by again soon for an update Cheers Eliot/Sideshow

WOW, I ain't been here in a while and believe me if I would have gotten any real work done to my studio, I would have posted. I can't believe my daughter is almost 5 years old and I was trying to get studio finished when she was born. I have made some use of the room rehearsing but not much. All I got left is the interior walls :) Money and time is the issue. I had to rework my debt last year, I'm climbing out but am not allowing myself to borrow any money. And time... I'm spending it with family and following a child hood dream, that's why I am posting today :) if someone wants to listen to some mixes. It's a long story and kind of an accident but working on this child hood dream is kind of changing my life. I've had some real success and it's keeping me working a bunch. I've put together a real live one man band contraption and show. I just did a live 2 camera video recording and am mixing down the mulit track audio. It's a complicated rig, I sing, play guitar, harmonica and a this back pack contraption drum kit with bass drum, snare, hats, crash, splash and hi hat cymbal. I know what your gonna think before you see it and what you'll think during the 1st viewing, I'm OK with that, 60% of you will giggle a loud. There ain't no way for me to explain other than the video. And while your there (if you click), the reason I am posting is to get some feedback on the audio mix because my studio ain't done and I am mixing in an awful shaped room and testing the mix with my ears (which are used to live music) on multiple speakers systems. Once the DVD is finished, I have a pile of people who wanna buy a copy and that'll get me closer to finishing my studio room :) There are 4 mixes of same song on this page and words of my babble. Video is at page bottom. http://marcdobson.com/free-falling-sound-check Another example is here: http://marcdobson.com/content/georgia-sound-check Thanks

wow! that's super cool, and prolly a pain to play :)

There is many problem faced by many people for property taxes.... The Property and Special Taxes Department administers three major property tax programs: the State-Assessed Property program; the Private Railroad Car Tax program; and the Timber Yield Tax program. [ ... AND THE MODERATOR SPAM DELETION PROGRAM, TOO! :) ]