Girl friend and I Bought a new Fish house

[I_icefish_in_my_sleep]

It's been a while since my last post, I don't get on the computer like I used to.

My girl friend and I were on our way towards Millie Lac's lake, hubby and I had a campground site at the sherwood forest that we sold and my girlfriend and I went to clean out the guesthouse, we spent the night,cleaned out the personal items and came home the next day.

On our way down the road on hwy 18.... I spotted this fish house in a field for sale, (we've always wanted our own, it's just not the same as using hubby's fishhouse.) So I say...OMGosh, I just spotted a fish house and it looks to be the size we want, she turns the car around and we go back, we take a look, there's no price on it, just a phone number, she calls it and the guy selling the house is 2miles away, he meets us and lets us in. He wants 3grand, we tell him, we'll be in touch. All night long we're thinking about how we can do this and were not coming up with many answers, she's saying I just can't really afford it right now, but it's fun to dream, I say, wait till I talk to my hubby, don't give up yet, he may have a answer that I'm not thinking of.

We get back I unload the stuff and start talking to him about this house, and low and behold he did have a way we could do it. So that next weekend when we had to close on the campsite in Atkin we picked up the house on the way home. Whoo hoo!

Get this.....It has a 39"x39" sky dome in it! The walls are made of lou-on and are beautiful after we lemon oiled them. It has two bunks, we're going to lower the top bunk, put hinges on the back so we can raise it and sit on the bottom bunk to fish. It's 16x8 but has a V front that has cabinets in the V so it's really almost 18feet long. The wheels wells are inside, you lift up the box to expose the wheels and take them off. We're making plates that fit where the wheels were so the box cover can either be used as a table when up, or a bench with padding when down. It's so freaking cool!!! We tore out the carpet that was in it. We Fixed the wood flooring in a couple of spots and we're putting that pink dense foam board on top of the existing floor with a 1/2" board on top, plus the carpet we put in will have a dense rubber back on it, it's an indoor/outdoor carpet with no loops, it's soft, not that plastic turfy stuff.

We are making the beds a bit wider and we're cutting the bunks in length a bit to make a water closet/bathroom, with a curtain. It's set up for 12volt and gas but we want to bring in an electric line and use a generator when were out on the lake for a weekend.

From floor to ceiling when finished with the floor it will be 6'4 1/2" and the best part is it can go out a lot earlier than the one my hubby has, we need about a foot of ice, his needs about 17 or 18" to go out. I do have a portable to get out there even earlier, which I'm sure I'll be doing!

I looked it up, a frame for that size house, just the frame alone would be about 5grand, we got the place for half that, plus it has a furnace, gas light, two 12v bulbs in the ceiling, double bunks and brackets to make another bed, cupboards, 2built in jacks on the back, one in the front, brackets to hold 100lb tank, an out side light, plus an extra tire, 4 rattles reels, not to mention the great feature of a sky light.

We also named it, I traded a girl a big box of apples if she'd make a sign for us. It's called: "Hardwater Hideaway"We can hardly wait to get out there and drop a line.

Hey Lisa, how you doing, glad to see your still on the board.

Talk soon, Diana

[Iambjm]

It sounds like you really got a sweet deal, congrats. I bought myself a Yetti this summer that had hail damage and got a good price on mine. I am just getting started on finishing mine on the inside. I can hardly wait..........

[I_icefish_in_my_sleep]

I'll have to look up what a yetti is, not sure if I've ever heard of it.

[Iambjm]

My Yetti, it is 6.5 X 12 with a 3 foot V

[Mrs Boilerman]

Wow, lambjm, you won't lose that baby on the lake - it's a bright'en. I was thinking about repainting my husband's fish house because the paint has peeled so much over the years, but he says if I do no one will recognize it and won't be able to find him on the lake. There are days when 6 people are jammed in there and it seems to me hiding in plain sight would be a good thing

I originally wanted to paint it an aqua blue and have the kids paint cartoon fish on the sides, but never got past the blue stage. I think I did that in a drizzle, which probably explains why the paint is peeling.I still think cartoon fish on the side would be cool.

[I_icefish_in_my_sleep]

How exciting to redo that Yetti! I did look it up the other day. I bet you'll be able to put the house out on pretty early ice.

The house that we just bought had Lou-on(spelling?)on the the walls, when we used old english lemon oil on them they turned color, because of the mahogany layer on the board. Very exciting for me as my line is white(ice line), and I'll be able to see it really well. My girlfriend called me yesterday, she said the installer gave her a list of items needed to redo the beds and floor, he's starting on it today. WE are soooo pumped up about it. The only other thing that is needed is to wire in some electric lines, don't know how far we will go with wiring this year, maybe just a line, eventually plug-ins where needed. It's so fun to design what you want. Come on Ice!

[I_icefish_in_my_sleep]

Up date on our redo in the new fish house.

The construction is done, beds work great, (hinged so you can sit on the bottom bunk) sewed a curtain for the water closet, window and made padding for wall behind the bunks, for insulation from the cold wall. Our mattresses are too big, but we knew that was the case. Finished resizing one of them yesterday.

Hey, the electric knife does a wonderful job of cutting thick foam. (the soft foam stuff) Still waiting on the carpet to be installed. Won't be till after deer hunting season. It's coming along really nice.

We have a ceiling sky light, that were going to put a cellular blind in, rig it up so it slide across, we found out if the sun is beamin in it's really bright on the eyes.

The temp is starting to drop below the freezing line, yeah! Come on Ice, stay away, snow. lol

Diana

[leech~~]

I-icefish, always nice to see some gal's pickup some new hard ware.

Have a fun winter!

[Iambjm]

I wish I was as far along as you are, I just got going on mine last week, I am using the thinner pine tongue and groove and discovered I need to add 1x2 firring strips to the walls for added support for the tongue and groove. Didn't have time for pictures today but I am going to start taking some tomorrow. Still haven't lined up a guy for the wiring, but I am working on it.

PS it is spelled "luan" wow I can't spell either it is Lauan

[I_icefish_in_my_sleep]

Lambjm, I actually like the building and fixing part. Wish I was near enough to help you do some of your work, would love to see pic's.

The lauan is so light and it's really pretty grained. When we oiled the walls with lemon oil they turned a reddish color and the water stains that were at the bottom by the holes just disappeared. Right by the heater there is a shape of a long fish in the grain of wood.

I finished resizing the mattresses this last weekend, just need to bring them out to my friends house(where the fish house is) and put the padded back boards up behind the mattresses, it should keep the cold off our whoo hoo's while sleeping, plus it will be comfortable when sitting back. I've already picked up the flat brackets were just hanging the padded boards with one bracket for each side. Should be a cinch.

We are waiting for the guy that is installing the carpet, he's doing it for a pan of Lasagna. How nice is that!

It would be really nice to have some electrical outlets this year, not sure if that will happen, might have to wait till next season.

The tires come off inside the house, we're thinking we will bring in a line though that hole then use a pipe bracket connected on one side to hole it up to where we want it. The only problem with that is, we would need a small hole cut into the box cover. May have to rethink that idea. If we bring in the cord though the window then the window is always cracked open. We should really figure out how to install a plug for out side to an outlet inside.

Were really hoping to see some ice form before getting dumped with a bunch of snow. The smaller lakes in the area are starting to ice up at the shore line. Come on Ice!!!!

I don't get on here much, but when I do it's nice to come and snoop around on this site, as it's fast approaching my favorite season, Ice fishing!

Send pic's!

[Iambjm]

I am moving along slowly, but did get the wiring roughed in on Monday. Now I can concentrate on getting the walls done. One of these pictures is kind of dark

[Lisa Almquist]

I have ice house envy!!! Good job both to you Diana and Barb!!!

Quote:

Hey Lisa, how you doing, glad to see your still on the board.

Talk soon, Diana

I'm doing ok Diana! I graduated from nursing school in May, took my RN boards in June and am working in Duluth now. I'm enjoying my new job and have been working a lot.

I'm hoping to get some ice fishing in this winter. I actually went to nursing school with a couple girls who love ice fishing as much as me so I hope to get out with those gals too. My husband is a full time student at this time so I'm not sure how much time he'll have to ice fish this winter so at least I'm making a back up plan.

Can't wait to hear about the adventures you gals have in your Yetti and your Hideaway! That's just way too cool!

[I_icefish_in_my_sleep]

Lambjm, It's exciting to start cutting wood isn't it! Love seeing the progress, thanks for the pic's.

The only pic's I have are on my phone, don't have a way to load them on a computer. I didn't take my regular camera out yet.

Last Sunday I went to our fish house and we put up the sky light boards, stapled up the Velcro to hang the water closet curtain, put the brackets on the back of our padded boards that hang on the back wall of our bunks to shield us from the cold wall. Started up the furnace and lit the gas light. Well I'm going to have to investigate some for why it doesn't seem to get very warm in the house with the heater. Yikes, can't have that! It was 32degree's outside and we only got the temp up to 52degrees after 2hrs. Something isn't right, the dial on the top isn't perfect, and it's hard to figure out, maybe we just didn't have that set right. It seemed to kick heat at the furnace but didn't get that warm in the whole house. If you know what I mean. The thermostat is close enough to the floor, our thermometer is about half way up the wall and across the room by the door. So maybe we need to move that a bit or check it with a different thermometer. When it's -20 outside you want that furnace kicken some heat!

I do have an extra wall mount furnace that could be installed, we'd have to mount it put in a line hole, plus add a vent, not sure I'd want all that on another wall. We're planning on sleeping in it this weekend to check everything out. Still don't have the carpet in yet, my girlfriends hubby knows how to install that, plus we need the hole covers put together, they'll have pink foam insulation in the hole, a board that fits the top of that, then the bigger cover attached, won't need to put handles on as the top piece will sit on top of the rug, with no handles it will take less room to store them.

Some of the smaller lakes have 3" of ice, this last weekend was warm enough to stall ice making on the bigger lake.

Lisa,

My daughter lived in Duluth for the last 4yrs, graduated from UMD last spring, she's working in the cities now. Congrats on your schooling! Big accomplishment. How fun to find girl friends that Ice fish!!! Whoo hoo!

I'm going to snoop for that post on here that talks about the heater not putting out enough heat. I saw it the last time I was on. Hope I can find it again.

I hope it stays cold outside, not too much snow!

[Iambjm]

I have been working on mine almost everyday and have been warming it up with my Mr. Buddy heater and it only takes about 15 minutes. Then I turn the heater off and I have a halogen worklight that actually keeps it pretty warm the rest of the day. I did beef up the original insulation by adding another half inch. I only have 8 feet left on the walls to finish and I can start installing the ceiling. I probably will be adding more pictures in a day or 2.

[I_icefish_in_my_sleep]

You will really be glad for that extra insulation!

It's exciting to see it all come together and know its yours, isn't it!

I went out an fished on a lake on Sunday, just portable. I found out after I was out there that it was a crappie, and northern lake, didn't get a bite but it was still fun just to be out. It was so nice outside here on Sunday, 41degrees!

Been sewing some ordered xmas gifts for a gal. I just have two more seams and I am finally finished. been working on them for just over three weeks, in between working on fish house, work and daily work to be done at home.

Sure will be glad to get out in that new fish house.

Happy fishing everyone!

[Lisa Almquist]

I went out on Sunday too and picked up 4 crappies. Bite was pretty slow but I didn't care. It was just great to get back out on the ice!! I think we had pretty close to 40 degrees too.

Not going to lie, I've really got fish house envy with you two ladies. Congrats on your new houses now I can't wait to see pics!