Unclejake

Only a third of it. They remaining basement will be external access only. I'm paying a lot of attention to keeping rodents out too, so it takes a while to ensure all the small gaps are plugged

In fairness that gauged timber was a TradeMe purchase and cost only $360 (it's H4 and I have some left over). I'm planning on this structure lasting several decades

Subfloor almost done http://www.iforce.co.nz/View.aspx?i=4fu3nkcs.qfr.jpg

The bloody 12v LED light bulbs are ball tearingly expensive. They're $35 each. I foolishly bought some 12v incandescent bulbs but then a mate pointed out how many amps a 60 watt 12v bulb draws. The wiring would have to be massive. The incandescent bulbs were cheap though I'll try some Aliexpress LEDs to see just how shit they are

Most will be less than 1 amp so I am hoping that's going to be ok. Thoughts?

Ta, I quite like the NOS ones though. I'm only going to use them with 12 volt so they will be awesome EDIT: Actually you're onto something there Simon. Thank you http://shop.bungalowandvilla.co.nz/products/product/BAKE55BR?category=NTLXLTLE&

OMG. How cool are these light switches! http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1068863619

I would find that acceptable

Access is available from both top and bottom but lots of overhanging trees from the top so carrying big stuff down is impossible. It all needs to go up. Also: From above is around 12 mins walk and I need to park on the road (with the generator and dropsaw running on the back of the ute). From below is 4 mins and I can park the 4x4 on my own beautiful beautiful land. Land fo lyfe. Fuck it's awesome there

WRT a secluded bush hut... don't forget that I am old. I've wanted one since I was a kid... but only now do I have the tools, money, and (arguably) skills to make it a reality. My biggest frustration is my lack of time. I wish I had more, but I don't. It was never a dream to have such a hut, but still I'm fizzing at the bunghole about it. ☺

It's a better idea than doing everything by hand! The main use has been for the rockbreaker, but soon I'll need my dropsaw up there too. Carrying the rain water tanks is going to be a bit of humour (when I get that far) Our pioneering forefathers were tough bastards. I'm a sook

The generator weighs 32kgs and it hurts a great deal. Last weekend I strapped it to my backpack in the dark (on the stairs), slipped the backpack shoulder straps on, and then spent 15 mins trying to stand up. It sucked. In the end I crawled to a tree and used that to get myself vertical. / I'll do it again when I get some lights. //Once the basement is finished I'll be able to leave some tools there

Epic woodworking skills on display here sir. You must be very proud.

Only if you are ok being a sex slave

The split level internal access basement is almost finished. LOL. /It gets dark bloody early now which is a PITA

I'm sure we both remember June 2013 and 10 days without power for some Wellington residents. This cabin is a bit of fun TBH. The house will have 240v though

There's a bit of doomsday in the motivation TBH. The cabin will be off the grid capable, with 12v solar, 240v generator, LPG cooking and hot water, and of course a potbelly for heating

And that's all for March. More to come in April, but this baby will take me until November or December to finish as I only have about half a day a week free, so it'll be a wee while between meaningful updates. I'd love to have the subfloor finished by May. Always May EDIT: Oh, I should probably share the view that'll be from the cabin's second deck. There will be two decks, one covered and hard up against the cabin (that'll have an outdoor kitchen), but there shall also be a second deck a few meters away with an outdoor dining table. This is what that dining table will look at. I quite like it (sorry about the horizon).

But then I visited Steelies in the Steelies house, and realised that my '< 10sqm' cabin was going to be just too small, so I had to dig some more holes, add some piles, carry more concrete... but in the excitement I seem to have started the creation of a twin level internal access basement. Ain't no one got time for a single level external access basement. They're for chumps. Split level with internal access is where it's at. The foreground (bottom right) in this picture is where the chainsaw is in the first picture. There's heaps and heaps more digging to go

Next came digging. Lots and lots of digging. The top 150mm of soil is nice organic type stz, but beneath that is compressed greywacke dust (or something like that) which is about as soft as Danger. It can't be dug with a spade, and a mattock was far too slow and akward, so I hauled a generator up there and used an electric rock breaker. Nek munute it was time to lump up pre-mix concrete and get some piles in.

It may not be every boy's dream, but I've always fancied a cabin in the woods. As luck (plus planning, decades of hard work, and some determination) would have it I now own 'some wood's. First I selected a site, and then cut down all the gorse. No trees were cut down, but some were trimmed. There may be one smallish karo tree that needs to be cut down later, but I'm trying to avoid it. UJ are kind to nature you see. What you probably can't see is how steep it is. It's steepish at least

Plus 1 for Frost Motorsport

Thanks team. It's a PITA fo sho

Peugeot ZF 4 speed auto gearbox 4HP20 making a terrible noise and not providing any drive as soon as there's any warmth in the box. It's from a 2004 Peugeot 607 2.2A (petrol) with around 120,000kms I think. Service history unknown. Fluid colour unknown. Is there a trusted Peugeot skilled transmission specialist in Wellington? Ta, P.S. It's not my car but I'm motivated to help if I can

Thanks TGB. They are doing the job this afternoon