DBT85s Workshop - Moved in and now time to fit it out

[DBT85]

Well apart from the Drama of the Missing Poker today was another good day. Father in Law Mike arrived at 10 to help get the mesh down and in little time we got the first layer down and tied together, then then circular spacers wired in and then the top layer tied in too. Apart from that all that was left for the site was to clear up to give us space to work tomorrow.

My 7.2m 75x225 also arrived from Davies timber, a solid lump and nicely straight.

The local hire company (whom we know well enough that I can just walk in and take things off the shelf) delivered a lifting rotating tipping 2 ton dumper and the easy float, but not the fearsome poker. More than a little annoyed at not being told until 16:45 when they knew I needed it for the last 5 days and I even checked on Monday to be sure they had it.

Anyway, off to screwfix to collect the 5x8m tarp and M16 rod. The former to cover the slab and the latter for the rafter/tie joint.

Tomorrow morning the concrete is due at 8:00 from Accumix Concrete (mix on site), Mike will deal with the dumper while Jim and I rake, poke, and tamp the slab. The dumper is a little snug on the access path and will likely only be able to dump from 75% of one long side and half of one short side, so I'm going to be raking a fair bit. Fortunately we're going to have the time it takes him to make his round trip back to the mixer.

In the morning I'm going to try the local hire firms and even places like Travis to see if I can get a poker a little closer to home as Solihul (the nearest HSS to collect from) is far enough away to be a pain in the backside.

Anyway, pictures. I have been doing the time lapse stuff, but will just put one video together for all of the hole being filled. Some has been missed because I thought it was on when it wasn't, but most is there.

A snug fit

All set for the morning

Yesterdays crappy sunset

 

[owen]

Exciting! I'm guessing you've asked the guys mixing the concrete if they have access to a poker? I'd be surprised if they didn't know someone who could lend you one for an hour.

 

[DBT85]

Exciting! I'm guessing you've asked the guys mixing the concrete if they have access to a poker? I'd be surprised if they didn't know someone who could lend you one for an hour.

I did indeed. I managed to call them to ask that, by the time I tried to call to say "can you wait an hour" they were shut for the night. Most places are closing at 5 right now so half the hire places I tried didn't even answer the phone. HSS did, so I ordered it, then called to sort out collection time as was told it can't be before 9 and its a good 30-40 minute drive. The wife will be collecting it!

 

[MikeG.]

Looks great. Don't worry........you'll be fine.

Just checking that you've got 50mm cover to the edges of the mesh?

 

[Sheptonphil]

Guess who’s not going to get any sleep tonight with all the excitement.

Looking real good.

 

[DBT85]

Looks great. Don't worry........you'll be fine.

Just checking that you've got 50mm cover to the edges of the mesh?

Yep got 50mm to the edges.

 

[MikeG.]

Guess who’s not going to get any sleep tonight with all the excitement.

Me? I've got a big concrete pour tomorrow, too. Maybe 12 or 15 barrowfuls........

 

[Sheptonphil]

Guess who’s not going to get any sleep tonight with all the excitement.

Me? I've got a big concrete pour tomorrow, too. Maybe 12 or 15 barrowfuls........

A local building project finished their foundation concrete pour yesterday, forty nine thousand tonnes!! The last bit was 12,000cu yds gonna need a big tarp for that.

 

[DBT85]

So it's overcast and lightly spitting! Ha. Mike did say it would rain on concrete day.

 

[DBT85]

Mike why do I need a electric poker and not a petrol one

 

[MikeG.]

Count that as a bonus. What you don't want is it hammering down after you've floated it. That would be a pain. But rain during the rest of the proceedings is no problem at all. High heat is the bigger issue, and so the weather has taken a turn for the better for concreting.

Have fun!!

A petrol poker is fine, just unnecessarily large and cumbersome. It's a sledgehammer for a nut......

 

[DBT85]

ah fine, so its not to do with magic poker ness or anything. Fine. I think I might have got something sorted with Travis which is 15 minsa way rather than HSS which is 30-45.

 

[DBT85]

Well it's in. It was quite wet and slipped about. After 3 trips with the dumper the dude said he'd park in the field and so things moved a little more swiftly as he dumped right in.

Were marginal on concrete tho. We'll see.

 

[flying haggis]

Guess who’s not going to get any sleep tonight with all the excitement.

Me? I've got a big concrete pour tomorrow, too. Maybe 12 or 15 barrowfuls........

A local building project finished their foundation concrete pour yesterday, forty nine thousand tonnes!! The last bit was 12,000cu yds gonna need a big tarp for that.

got any pics???

 

[Sheptonphil]

got any pics???

To save diverting the thread here, here’s a link to the =P~ foundation laying pictures there’s more out there if you use the topic as a search in google.

 

[DBT85]

It's as done as it can be for now, the rain is falling at an annoying level so that small craters will still appear if not covered, so we made a tent.

It's had 2 easyfloats to deal with the bulk of it and I'm hoping to get on it and trowel later once it's firmed up a bit further.

I'm thankful for the cooler weather but the spitty rain is a pain in the backside.

Regardless, what's there right now will suffice for a surface to then cover anyway. But if I can improve it a little I'll try.

Very thankful to Jim as he was invaluable.

After first float

As she rests now after a second float

We were pretty much bang on with concrete in the end, but it was a very close run thing. After 2 cubes had gone in the driver said It's going to cost a fortune as I've already been here the better part of 40 minutes. That's when he pulled round the back and dumped right into the hole which made life much easier. It was silly of me not to ask him when he arrived if he'd do it. I didn't only because I was told he wouldn't when I booked it.

Anyway, the only part of the whole build that scared me is now mostly done. The best I'll do to it now is go over with a steel trowel later.
Oh and the featheredge arrived while we were having a break so we had to offload that. Come friday the only thing I'll not have on site for the entire build will be a nail gun and any paint for the featheredge.

 

[Sheptonphil]

Well done getting it done despite not having best working conditions. Looking good.

 

[DBT85]

Yeah it's turned out OK. I'm half way through toweling. Surface looks like the moon on the half I've not done yet. Maybe started 20 mins late but it's working.

 

[DBT85]

Scratch that, got in it a bit later than I thought. The last 3/8ths are too set to trowel.

Lucky it's having a floating floor really.

The rain has at least stopped and the surface now would take it if it came again I think. I can erect my tent again if needed but it's cool and humid now.

 

[owen]

A bit of water won't hurt it especially if it's not the finished floor don't worry. When are you going to start building the walls? That's when it starts getting exciting