Thanks for all the comments. The LA is DC based. I am near Harrisburg, outside of his normal service area (CL ad ran in Baltimore and was picked up as a "nearby" area to us). He has a guy who is Baltimore based who might be interested in the work, but his interest will be higher if we do more of the project at once rather than phased since that would be a ride for him too. That doesn't perfectly match my fund from cash reserves approach, but the HELOC rate is real low and my employment is stable. The LA would help administer the project, but I believe only if we contract him to do the construction documents vs the concept doc's. Which is a % for the construction docs, plus hourly for the administration (where he might not be local to supervise easily). We re-did the basement in the old house and we juggled contractors which wasn't a ton of fun. I guess I did it for cost savings, but it was certainly work. We (my wife in particular) are organized and capable, but there is always the knowledge gap to deal with. I don't think we'd do it for a neighbor though. The cash benefit is nice, but we'd need the future dividends of the work done right and the improvements being ours, at least for our period of ownership. I prefer the materials LA is proposing. A part of me wonders if it over improves the property to the neighborhood, if the neighbors are all using pavers or blocks. We hope to be in the house ten more years, but it won't be our last place. I expect to take a financial loss on these improvements. But I do expect the improvements to make our place sell faster. The people my wife knows in the expensive neighborhood would definitely let us see their yards. I just don't if the people she knows have done anything. I can find out. I'll ask the LA if he cares if I post the design concept on the net if anyone wants to see what we are working towards.

I've worked with animals in a vet clinic, been a soldier, a teacher, a mechanic, a house builder, and a woodworker in my life. I have owned/used four table saws, and have used several more belonging to other folks. I have had three major injuries due to workplace situations---they were not accidents, since they happened because of MY inattention. I was burned when opening an overheated radiator(something I had done dozens of times before----and did dozens of times afterwards) because I was not paying attention. I severely cut an index finger when trimming vinyl siding trim---with a box cutter(utility knife)----because I was not paying attention. And I severely sprained my left wrist by stepping backwards into a hole while building a small porch---because I was not paying attention. I know good woodworkers who would never even plug in a table saw without every available safety device in place. And some who toss the stock guards and do not use any. Some people understand equipment and some have no clue. That is simply human nature. I know tools and physics---but can't do math for beans. I once ripped 16' long pressure treated 2" by 4" boards on a small portable table saw just as the OP needs. However, I had outfeed rollers and an assistant who knew what I needed him to do. Was a brand new saw and I needed to rip seven boards. I had so much fun and was so impressed by the performance of the saw, I actually ripped 10 boards before I realized I was doing too many. (this was $400 portable---not a $100 model) Raised the blade to half the necessary height(about 1&7/8") used the fence and two holddowns(to keep the boards against the fence) and a push block---I do NOT own nor use a push stick. Was it safe? Yes, due to equipment and experience. Would I have done the same with a $100 portable saw? No! Tried once and failed, burnt out the saw motor. Can the table saw be used safely for the job the OP asked about? Maybe---depemds on the saw, the available safety equipment and the experience of the user. In my experience, that job is only done safely with a properly equipped table saw, planer(either hand power planer or larger) or a jointer by a user with experience using the tool.

So sweet of you to want to make you husband a pie from your own kitchen. I've made a lot of pies, but only two BCPs (Banana Cream Pies). I love BCPs and home baked, from scratch always tastes the best. Both times I couldn't resist making "black bottom BCP" -- that means I grated semi-sweet chocolate atop the baked (from scratch) pie shell, then added the easy-as-pie to make vanilla/banan pudding and banana filling. I topped it with my own whipped cream (just a bit of sugar and vanilla added). I put a few shaving of semi-sweet chocolate atop the whipped cream (just a bit). Pie crust is easy for me to make, but it was t always that way. My first attempt used a d tossed out a whole 5 pound bag of AP flour just trying to get a simple shell. So if making your own pie crust will be anything other than fun for you, keep it simple for now and go with a sure bet such as the wafers. Same for the filling and topping. Your sweetheart will find your homemade pie delicious. Have fun making it and send us a photo if not a slice. i too was just looking at a photo and recipe of BCP, so there could be something in the air.

Colleen, does the fondant hold the marzipan on? Or does it stand up by iteself on the sides? Writersblock, that's a good word...instagramization. Some of the best tasting food in the world is fugly. :) Including desserts. That fondant shell on the plate is the way I eat it unless the host/ess made it and is looking and I'm trying to spare her/his feelings. (For Lars who (for good reason) doesn't like to have his gender excluded.) Which reminds me: I used to attend conferences at this hotel/conference center where all meals were plated and served. The plates were gorgeous. The food looked lovely and appetizing. The breakfasts were mostly tolerable, the lunches were survivable especially if there was salad, and the dinners were inedible. Gorgeous served plates of disgusting, flavorless, inedible food. Luckily, sessions were usually done by 11:00 p.m. and the In-'N-Out Burger was only a mile away and open at least until midnight. That was barely into the cellphone age, first models past the brick, so way way before Instagram, but people would have been enticed by that beautiful food... I get the preservation qualities of fondant, but why is smooth so good? Just to be different? Do we really need cakes that need to be steamed like silk blouses? I'd much rather a pretty basket weave or scalloped textured buttercream on a wedding cake. I guess I'm just not stylish anymore. :) OTOH, silver dragees aren't nice to eat either, though very pretty. Thanks for teaching me to spell that, btw. I had thought it was -et. :) I have a fondant rolling pin. I use it for other things...