Improvements in and around my home
The previous post covered updating all of the firmware and some of the hardware configuration. I already mentioned that I installed 4 x 300GB 10K SAS drives. I performed some initial testing of XCP-NG and Xen Orchestra by mounting the ISO under the Virtual Media manager for the console and booting up to an install…
I decided that I wanted to have try some dedicated Virtual Machines (VMs) rather than Docker containers for some of my environments. Most of these would not require much by way of CPU, RAM or disk space, so I thought a second hand Dell R210 ii server would be a good fit. The server is…
Way back in 2009, I purchased a 2 post 19″ 8U desktop rack from Ebay for £8.50 and £3.00 P&P. I do not have a picture of the actual item, but it looks a lot like the one below, except it uses round tubing and has threaded holes rather than using cage nuts. As part…
The firewall and routing capabilities of my Ubiquiti UDM-Pro are OK if you are a home user and not super interested in granularity of logging, multiple WAN IPs or complex routing, however pfSense does a much better job. I decided I wanted to install a pfSense firewall, mainly as a learning experience, but also to…
Many websites these days do not like you using traditional ad blockers such as Adblock Plus. Yahoo, for example will not even let you use their latest mail interface if you are using an ad blocker. Another alternative is to use something that blocks adverts at the DNS level such as Pi-Hole, you then…
This part covers the board cladding. Left side covering Right side covering Rear covering Front covering The story so far. First panel attached. Whilst hanging the first sheet, I realised that the frame was no longer square and was leaning to the left, so I wedged some pieces of wood between the frame and the…
This part of the build covers the roof assembly and coverings. Additional framing for the slope. Flat roof framing Roofing boards Roofing felt The assembly so far. Side framing for the slope Flat roof frame left Flat roof frame right The roof frame is 2 x 3600mm (11′ 9 3/4″) lengths of 2″x 4″ (50x100mm)…
This part of the build will cover the framing aspects. Short Wall 1 Short Wall 2 Rear Wall Front Wall Full Assembly The first short wall consists of 2 x 2900mm (9′ 6″) lengths of 2″ x 4″ (50x100mm) pressure treated timber for the top and sole plates, then 6 x 2000mm (6′ 6 3/4″)…
Most of the assembly of the shed will be performed using an air framing nailer I purchased from Cash Converters for £35.00 it was still new and in the box – normal retail for this is anywhere between £99.00 and £175.00. The base is made in three parts: The Skids The Frame The Boards The…
My old shed was bought about 17 years ago, and unfortunately it has seen better days. I replaced the original paper thin roofing felt about 13 years ago, and that in itself is probably about the best preserved part of the shed. The back wall has rotted away where there was a buildup of leaves,…