Taadaaaaa!

I finally got around to hanging my African critters today -- at least temporarily until I decide where I really want them all. But that will likely wait until I get the mounts of the NZ critters. In fact, the nyala is only reserving that spot for my red stag. And my bushbuck and springbok will go into the wide spaces on either side of the nyala. Anyway, at least they're all up off the floor in my other trophy room for now.

Photos aren't too great because of the bright window lighting when I took them. It was also hard to get an overall view because of the light fixture and fan. But you'll get the idea. -TONY

Looks great Tony. All your hard work appears to be paying off.

WOW! Thats awsome.

Thanks guys. Still not the way I want them, but it's better than having them on the floor. -TONY

quote:

Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:
but it's better than having them on the floor. -TONY

Know what thats like!!!

"it's better than having them on the floor"

Agree! We had a fire in a rear bedroom last year that left me with 35-40 heads stacked on the floor of our living room. I've had some health problems and just haven't gotten around to hanging them again. Problem is, the painters removed all my hangers in my trophy room and plugged the holes so I have to start from scratch and it's a huge job.

Bill

Sounds like a crowded living room. Just the 8 I had in my other trophy room made it unusable for anything else.

Did you see my explanation about the bolts under the table in the OW's New Room Part III As Of May 15 thread? -TONY

Looks great..been following your TR progress...very,very nice

"Posted 21 May 2006 00:40 Sounds like a crowded living room. Just the 8 I had in my other trophy room made it unusable for anything else. Did you see my explanation about the bolts under the table in the OW's New Room Part III As Of May 15 thread? -TONY"


Tony: We've been concentrating on the other rooms and not gotten around to buying new living room furniture after tossing out all of our old stuff, so the LR has been only a warehouse for my heads this past year. We'll be at our cabin until November, but getting those heads hung again is on top of my list of things to do when we return -- even if I have to hire someone to do it.

Funny thing, my trophies don't mean as much to me as they once did, and I haven't had anything mounted that I've shot in the past eight or nine years. Compared to some people I know, my collection of 50-55 species is nothing, but the darned things are like that proverbial albatross ... I'm stuck with them for the rest of my life.

Like you I had to build a separate room for them, and when I ran out of wall space I filled up my cabin, too.

Yes, I saw your explanation and I understand. Again, that's a nice table.

quote:

Originally posted by billrquimby:

Like you I had to build a separate room for them, and when I ran out of wall space I filled up my cabin, too.

As crazy as it sounds, this is a good part of the reason why my fiancee and I are building a cabin in Canada. I just got sick and tired of not being able to import my Wood Bison trophies. So now that I have a place for them, I guess I might as well hunt Walrus too.

Best,

John

"As crazy as it sounds, this is a good part of the reason why my fiancee and I are building a cabin in Canada ...."


Don't do as I did and put big windows everywhere. You'll need more wall space than you might realize.

Bill Quimby

<~~~~~~~Jealous!!!!

Below is my latest, though not quite done, creation. As orientation, it's on the wall where the stepladder shows in last of the above photos.

The top in the center and floors of the little arched alcoves will have Mexican Talavera tile, and there will be three glass shelves in the high part of the center section, which is 4' wide. There are accent lights in the alcoves and center section ceiling. Doors of the lower cabinet will be stained glass.

Probably about a week or so from completion, not including the stained glass, which will take me a bit longer. Just getting ready to paint. Rear wall of everything will be a custom mixed hue that matches a darker shade of the color in the floor tiles.

I got my bushbuck back the other day but haven't hung it yet. Springbok is the only one left from Africa. -TONY

John the Greek
[/IMG]

My Canadian cabin is starting to fill up - but I make sure there's room for the books.

Outdoorwriter, you must have more time on your hands than I do. I'm still working on the mudding in the basement. Into the third room now, which will be my reloading/hunting stuff storage room. Built-in closet will hold gun safe. An extra lock before anybody can get to them. CDN police seems to be quick in charging with 'improper storage' after a break-in, and confisquations of your guns is right behind that. I guess the real trophy room addition will have to wait till next year.

Frans

Frans,

Considering what the tradesmen of today charge per hour to do something, time is the most expensive commodity I own -- whether I have enough of it or not.

Seriously, what I usually do is take how much I normally make an hour and what a job in the house would cost me per hour. If the former is less than the later, I do the job myself, thereby making more than my normal per-hour income for the time spent.

Real life example from a couple years ago when I remodeled the master bath:

Although I can do most plumbing chores, I HATE them with a passion. So when I wanted to move the sink from one wall to an ajacent one but only a few feet distant around a right angle corner, I called my friendly plumbing service who advertised that they gave estimates by the job rather than at an hourly rate.

Now, mind you, I had already stripped both walls to the studs and removed the old sink, vanity, etc. The guy comes in, spends 10 minutes telling me how he will route the new drain and tie into the old one by cutting it and installing a rubber T-sleeve, etc. and then says he'll throw in routing the 1/2" copper water lines around the corner.

I said, "So how much?"

He said, "$650.00."

I said, "You're out of your f___ing mind! You're talking about less than $50 in material and probably less than two hours in labor."

He said, "Yup, you're right."

And I said, "And you're outta here. I'll write you a $25 check for your estimate."

An hour later, I went to Home Depot and bought everything I needed for the job for $41. I had it completed three hours later, given the fact I'm not a pro plumber. Minus the basic wash in the material costs, that breaks down to $200 per hour I made on that job alone.

Naturally when I got to the shower and decided to install a complete new hot/cold water manifold, shower head and faucets, I didn't bother with the estimate and just did it all myself. -TONY

as long as there are helpless little old ladies out there that is what they will charge.Not much competition in that business either.No cooprations to deal with and not too many new players (mostly a redneck business)

With the building boom we are experiencing around here, it's tough to even get somebody in to make you a quote. I was ready to pay somebody to do the mudding, because I realized it was going to take me a lot of time on the evenings and weekends. I could get one guy to come take a peek, but he never made me an offer. I'm about 75% done now, hope to have it finished by the end of the month.

Haven't even had time to figure out if and how and where I will hang some trophies down there.
Maybe I will do something with the two bear rugs that will come back in a month or two.
Frans