Workshop Build

[domdee]

A boring update:

I had a delivery from my local building merchants today.
I ordered some timber and soft sand.

2off 8'x4' sheets of 11mm OSB ripped down to 300mm. This will form the edges of my shuttering for the base.
5off cheap 4.8m lengths of 3x2 for stakes. Going to put them at close intervals to prevent flex in the OSB.
5off cheap 4.8m lengths of 3x1 to put round the top edge of the osb to stiffen it up further and also so i can use this level to tamp the concrete to.

It was delivered today with 3 bulk bags of soft sand for the blinding layer before dpm.
£196 inc vat.

Also got 10 tonne of crushed brick coming tomorrow so will be eating my weetabix.
£216 inc vat and delivery

Although OSB probably isn't the best material for shuttering, I though it would be best for me as i need the depth.
I'm hoping i can get the delivery driver of the crushed brick to dump around a 3rd in the hole, and the rest on a tarp sheet. This way i can try and compact it down in stages.

Will be hiring a wacker plate from the same place as I got the digger. £25 a day.

Best quote I've had for 3m3 of concrete so far is £350. Think its one of those mix on site wagons.

The build isn't progressing as fast as I'd like. I'm currently working nights so don't want to upset the wife even more by working on this all weekend. And I keep putting off buying the materials as saving up the money has been hard, and you can spend it in a blink of an eye which i begrudge.

Once the base is sorted I'll be much happier as the bad winter weather will be here before we know it. And i can put the structure up in leisurely stages.

 

[big-all]

its not in the least boring
we need to remember for every thread with say 20 posts there will be hundreds off searches that will gain from your posts but not take the time to join the forum just to "thank you"
after all we would all have to join several forums a day just to say thank you

 

[domdee]

Yes you are right big-all, that why I am trying to give as much info I can, including costs, to help the best I can.

I wish more people would include a few of the smaller details in their posts.

 

[big-all]

Yes you are right big-all, that why I am trying to give as much info I can, including costs, to help the best I can.

I wish more people would include a few of the smaller details in their posts.

yes indeed when we have a pet project that excites us we can get verbal dihorea but that indeed is whats needed if it puts the fine detail forward

 

[domdee]

Spent about 4 hours today shuttering.

Had to cut my stakes all by hand. Saw is about shagged too so was hard work. Need to invest in a chop saw before I start building.

34 in total.

Started the shuttering at the shallowest end. Got 1 long side and 1 short side in before the crushed brick turned up.

I ended up with 11.5 tonne in the end. The wagon driver said it was too much of a mess for them to remove the extra so they delivered it as was. And I had to pay for the extra tonne and half. Cheeky gets! As I had got cash out the wall to pay for it i only had the right amount. I told him i would ring the office to discuss...

I finished the remainder of the shuttering and called it a day. I will spread the brick out over the weekend and get whacked down.

I have to say I kind of regret going with the crushed brick. Its full of sh!te like screws, nails, cables, pvc window trims, copper pipe, plastic bags, glass. And i haven't really done much with it yet. So no doubt I'll find all sorts of junk as i go on. And its pretty dusty/sandy. Yes there are some good sized lumps in it don't get me wrong, but I think it may be too fine overall. We'll see how it compacts down.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Hi Domdee,

You have a beautiful large garden, my advice would be to make the workshop as big as possible, as you will soon fill it you will wish you had a bit more space.

Andy

 

[domdee]

I would have it much bigger if I wasn’t trying to keep the cost down. But need to save for my extension I’m building.

 

[martin hill]

Why don't you make the left or right hand side so it bolts in place. This way you can un bolt and extend in the future. You'll only have two walls and the roof too extend and bolt the side back on.

 

[domdee]

Yes thinking about expansion for the future. Especially for stables And Tac room. Wouldn’t be difficult to open one end up. Or both

 

[domdee]

Levelled our a bit of the crush today prior to wacking down. Going to hire the wacker Tuesday dinner with a bit of luck.

 

[domdee]

 

[domdee]

 

[domdee]

Picked up the wacker this afternoon, a day later thank I had hoped.

Got it home, started it up after some time of trying, did a lap of the base and it conked out. Went to start again, pull chord snapped. Took it to bits to see if I could shorten it, but too short as it was before it snapped so no. Took an old generator pull start off from a similar engine i have to see if I could do anything. Totally different. So had to ring the chap I hired it off and he told me to bring the pull start housing in and he'd re-chord it.

Did that, got back home and tried to fire it up. Could I hell as like get it going. Stripped the air filter down - FULL of dust and sh1te. Took the plug out - black and caked up in soot and carbon. Cleaned it up. Still no joy. Took the fuel float chamber off. Full of crap and crud. Cleaned it. Put back together again. Still wouldn't fire up. Messed about with the governor springs a bit as they seemed slack. Fired up then died. Tried the throttle and choke in numerous positions. Still no luck. Went and had a brew and thought I'd ring them back up to say the wacker wont start, but before that i just tried it one last time.... VROOOMMM the bugger started, and was faultless there on after.

Not looking forward to starting it up tomorrow but we'll have a go.

Anyway back to the job... after several passes in many directions the crushed brick didn't want to compress any more It had about 6" layed in before. I reckon its about 4" now, and is surprisingly level for a first layer considering the hole I dug to star with. While talking to my old man on the phone I noticed as I walked over the base that it was spongy in places still. I think that's because the crushed brick is that full of dust and small stuff that its not firmed up enough. Still loads more left to put in and whack down so I'm planning on grading it with various sizes of fencing mesh / chicken wire to try and reduce the dust content and to use the bigger lumps. And really give it a good whacking down again - up, down, round and round, clockwise, anticlockwise, length ways, width ways, you name it I'll be doing it.

Wish me luck for tomorrow.

Thanks for looking

 

[domdee]

wacked some more in. The heaps gone down. Graded a load of crush to get the big stuff out. Wacked it down. Then did a another layer all in. More wacker woes. The belt snapped after 5 mins. The belt snapped. Went to the hire place and got a selection of belts to try and a smaller replacement Wacker. One of the new belts fit so carried on with the original machine. Blinding layer of sand going in today.

 

[domdee]

photo issues sorry. Using my phone to upload.

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