Druidic exploits of a various nature!!

[Wazza]

You like like a handy fella with the tools and equipment ,so whats the hold up on the shed to keep the tools dry struth mate ,a mans gotta have a shed before all else

[v8druid]

You like like a handy fella with the tools and equipment ,so whats the hold up on the shed to keep the tools dry struth mate ,a mans gotta have a shed before all else

made thousands of metres of balustrading over the last 45 years Wazza .... should be able to knock it out by now, eh?

shed is in hand mate ..... need some planings to get the last of the flat area winter-proofed .... yet another juggle about and I can then get on to .....The Shed !!

[v8druid]

well yon forecast was spot on ...... paint pot out this morning .........after a LOT of fettling and spatter removal




getting Blackfriars black board paint to cover with a decent finish is an art form ..... one I am well acquainted with after many years of decorative iron work coating



but a slow process ..... yet to find a better product to produce as good a finish ..... all down to the wrist action


then moved on ..... eventually ..... to the lil' 70mm box section job I mentioned .... a.n.other job for Alex .... sign post gibbet for the project he's just finishing off on ... for this year, at least !!



all it needs now is the base plate to arrive


Then ...... got started on 'the boss's gate requirement





I'm in the middle of this and Pam arrives ..... she's been in painting mode today ..... having interrupted the gibbet creation earlier, to get her a tub of bituminous mixed up to do the soffits on the mower shed (which saved me doing it),there was now a can you just ?? ....

Pam hates heights ... as in, can't stand on a chair .... could I come and do the gable....she could manage the rest





it certainly needed a coat, after all the blazing sun shine we've had, through the summer, it was in need of sealing over again, for the coming winter's weather .. that end catches a lot of the worst of it ...... so half an hour later I was back to me bench .. having covered the 'pointy bit', leaving Pam on the rest




only one sure way to create a match pair ........





as long as you make damned sure the first one is absolutely 'bang on'





hinge creation tomorrow ....... then I am going to need some idea of just what she has in mind for infill ...... I have several ideas, but have to get them past 'committee' .... she has a few, but no idea of HTF I am gonna achieve some of 'em ..... more on that one again


treatment night, so 'early bath', hence half a shed end painted and me finishing while it was still light ...... great sky tonight after it ......





hard to do it justice without going and getting a decent camera out.......by which time it would have disappeared ....... bright orange, in multitudinous shades


ten day forecast is awesome ..... dry, dry and more dry YAY!!

[v8druid]

another lovely day yesterday and sky to finish off with



sod all done yesterday, aside from entertaining lil' miss Clara .... not seen her for a week, as she and mummy have been visiting cousin Shem in Plymouth ... she made up for it .... and kept me on my toes all day !!

Squeak has turned 'Punk', with a green forehead .... god knows where he'd been






and much to Clara's amusement

did manage to get a suss on me gate hinges after she'd gone home, in readiness for a crack at 'em today ..... after I'd lopped this up into 4, more manageable lumps, in readiness for a repatriation with Josh and Katie May, the next time we head down to Plymouth ...



made for their wedding .. 5 years ago and been taking up space here ever since ... didn't want it slung out, so it had to be made more transportable ..... after I'd removed all the 'pretty' lights



one of the many things I was tasked with, back then .... bit of a head scratcher at the time .... "you want what? .... how big? er .... ok see what I can do " the things we do

anyway ...... been a busy day today, on all the fiddlys for yon gates .. takes for ever to make the lil' bits, especially when they have to be mm accurate, to get it all to fit and work ...












only two more to make ....... once I'd got a 'fit' sussed.

stuck some cross bars in't frames, suitably positioned to match an existing 'run line' and fitted the first pair, ready for a trial fit .....






then set them up for a lift into position to suss the other pair of hinges ......




the posts they're attaching to were perfect when i put them up about 5 years ago .... but being timber, have been subject to the vagaries of the UK climate and aren't as upright as they were, when they got set in concrete

so needed to tailor make the top hinge set ..... once i could measure up the discrepancies .....

enter the 'Drema to the fray



and a bit of assistance











suitable sussed, they went back on the bench ....



and I turned my attentions to producing the bespoke top hinge set to allow for some bent/warped posts

by the time I was ready for a re-fit, my assistant had 'burgered off' to her keep fit class, so was a one man op getting it all back in spot and suitably 'fixed' in spot ........






mission accomplished though ....






big grin from 'the boss' on her return

now to dream up the next bit ...... infill and decoration

Certain people have been playing with 'templates' of what 'she'd' like, this afters.



made the mistake of telling her I'd got several sheets of 2 & 3 mm stainless stashed away

yet another great skyline tonight .......

[v8druid]

got Clara-ed the following day so sod all achieved other than mowing the grass after she'd departed

but was a beautiful day ..... up here at least ...









..... was pretty bloody foggy, down in the village though
crazy cat developed a new skill set .... Mower Surfing ... rode around the entire lawn, either on the bonnet or on my lap










not the greatest of pix, but on the move and almost dark

not a great deal achieved Friday ... Pam's elderly farmer cuzs turned up, mid morning .... which slowed any progress ..... followed by more visitors after lunch, which damned near knackered the entire day ..... did get the one end of the black shed finished off with a fresh coat of 'bitch' and a few facia boards cut and painted ready to get the guttering up, for the inevitable winter downpours, in between the interruptions

Now't done over the weekend, as been down to Plymouth for Lil' Shem's 1st birthday and his christening gathering

Forecast looks good for the coming week, so soon as my infill material arrives for yon gates, I can get those finished off and 'the boss' can get the paint brush out

Should also have 40t of planings before the end of the week to play with too, so'll hopefully have some more usable space the spread a few bits out, to get at said stainless sheets, currently at the back and buried, to make Pam smile ..... yet again ...... once they've had a talking to with the plasma

[v8druid]

As said ..... sod all done over the weekend due to a Plymouth jaunt ..... got back about half nine last night ... can't seem to better the 2hrs 20mins for the trip ..... dial 80 and sit there for 170 miles .... bloody busy on the M5 though ... will have to have a go much later in the evening next time we go down

Fire guard fitted a treat











and was pretty well 'received' ..... took some getting in the back of the Golf though .... was an 'only just' job and I mean ONLY !!




so .....day recovering from the weekend today and we've had Clara most of the day too ..... plus I've an early start tomorrow ... up at 05.30 to be in Llandough hospital for a loooong hour plus, head first, in an MRI scanner ... again!!
.... at 07.45 a.m. !! don't think they realise it's a 100 mile round trip for me ... done enough mileage this weekend already .. gonna be pushing my luck
I'm claustrophobic ... it's always a very loooooooooooooooong hour plus

[v8druid]

gonna have to bear with me on the pix front tonight ..... 'Bucket appears to have crashed so gonna be uploads which takes for ever

as said earlier ..... 'Twas a loooong day Tuesday ... 90 minutes in the MRI scanner is enough for anyone .... especially a claustrophobic Druid ...

back on the road by ten and home just after eleven ..... traffic much better at that time of day ...

second breakfast and set to sorting the battery cables on the Thwaites ..... she wouldn't start for me the other day, which is unusual and having looked at the battery connections, had decided it was time for some new ones and a good clean up of the earth point on the chassis.
couple of new pole clamps and some fresh ends to the leads and she was away first flick !!

Moved her to a new parking spot behind the 'Drema, for now .... trucks were going to need all the room I could give them when they arrived with the planings.

WP_20181002_18_47_36_Pro.jpg

then spent some time with a paint brush on these .....

WP_20181002_18_36_35_Pro.jpg

... started with the hard bit first .... and had 3 doors done by tea time

been trying to get around to painting these a darker colour for a loooong time ... always something more urgent, when it's dry.

As I've been waiting on the planings and materials to finish the gates, I thought I'd use the dry time to get these done ... another ear ache-er to be ticked off the list, when they're finished !! Plus it'd be nice to have 'em not quite so conspicuous from the top of the drive !!

spent a lot of yesterday, between interruptions finishing off the doors ..

WP_20181004_09_52_06_Pro.jpg

and a bit around the side that has a bit of damage to it .... been there since I bought the box, 30 odd years ago and makes it a bit difficult to roller it, so slapped the brush over it whilst I had it 'wet', after the finnicky bits on't doors.

been on t'other end on/off today, again between interruptions and Clara.
unknown to me ... 'the boss' been sneaking a few pix today


Photo2985.jpg

Phone call late afternoon ... was I at home about 6.30 tonight to take delivery of ........ 40t of planings .... you betcha.

another phone call 6:15 from a truck driver for directions, from the main drag and ten minutes later I can hear them rolling down the drive way ... no. 1 in, turned and tipping ...

Photo2987.jpg

second one in and turning round, ready to hop into his mates wheel tracks

Photo2986.jpg

parked him up alongside his mate, so's no.1 could get back out ....

Photo2989.jpg

then swapped 'em around, with no. 2 tipped ready to depart...

Photo2988.jpg

good job Pam was up in the window taking pix .... I was way too busy 'marshaling' traffic !!
first bloke thought it was a bit tight .... told him it was before I opened it all up a bit .... his boss used to get in and out, no sweat

Nice bit of stuff .... and a good pile of black top for spreading about....

WP_20181004_18_48_18_Pro.jpg

scored a bit of scrap too .... old cast iron cat's eye!!

WP_20181004_18_48_34_Pro.jpg

got the last little bit of the box ends done this morning and was going to set about relocating this lot to where I want it,but weather was dry and so were the boxes, so carried on with the old green shiny shit ... sposed to rain tomorrow see what the morning brings, weather-wise .... they never get it right these days !!!! Planings time



ON EDIT
Dunno WTF is wrong with the emoticons?? showing fine in preview ??

[v8druid]

spent the day yesterday ........ painting !!


boxes were so dry it just had to be done .......








they've shrunk !!


amazing the difference the darker colour makes ... no longer look like they dominate me patch


body is wrecked this morning after doing the roofs and finished about half six last night ..... 'slorra square metres of paint










the one's a doddle as it's flat .... t'others're corrugated so much harder work to cover .... fabricator's friend slaps it on........with me behind it .... have had LOT of practice


what I couldn't get at will get done as and when things get moved

was gonna have the morning spreading planings .... visitors this afters ..... but it has pissed down all morning so thy'm all still sat



Oh and as you can see ..... 'Bucket's back up

[Wazza]

Where the shed ??? , winters coming aint it ??? ...

[v8druid]

Where the shed ??? , winters coming aint it ??? ...

if only it was that easy .... hundred and one hoops to jump through before you can even dig the footings.
if it was a case of just bang up what you want, I'd have had the steel here a long time ago and been fabbing the steel-frame ready ... it's all in the head, what I want, right down to connection details
don't want to 'poke' the planners, 'til everything else I want to do is done and sorted, or they'll be telling me what colour socks I can wear on Wednesdays .... bas**rds

[245dlc]

What kind of paint are you using?

[v8druid]

What kind of paint are you using?

it's a Paintmaster oil based product Bert .... brilliant coverage ... and sticks like the proverbial sh1t on a blanket .... have used it before

[v8druid]

yet another cracking sunset last Sunday evening ....





and been a lovely week .... until last night/today, at least .... unfortunately I ain't been here to get them planings cast about the place and off line
got hauled off to Centerparks in Longleat, Monday morning ... 'packagey things' ain't really my sort of 'bag'
have to admit though ..... they have it sussed ... big-time!!


very nice 'villas' in the forest ... very well equipped/appointed, with good quality finishes and 'proper' gear installed.
If you're buying kit a thousand units at a time I suppose you'd get some serious deals !!


Even with that number of 'villas' littered about the forest, it didn't seem over-developed at all





no motors on site other than for loading/offloading your gear, so very child/pedestrian friendly ..... and the staff couldn't have been better/more helpful/cheerful in their work.
free road-train service to transport you about from virtually outside your door...





... to the various 'attractions' and lots to do/see/enjoy.
This company has spent SOME serious bucks on creating some very impressive structures/buildings/venues within their grounds and all incredibly sympathetically placed in the environs.


I may sound like a salesman for Centerparks, but it is rare I am impressed on the level/scale that I have been this week ... eleven out of ten for everything ... honestly ... bloody superb!!


Pam, the kids and Clara have all had a great time .. and so have I .... I would without doubt, visit there again ..... and the prices were just so sensible, they were damned near unbelievable








we were even greeted by a 'local' on arrival











Lil' Clara has had a great time ....








.....capped off by a pretty impressive pool complex .... 28C air temp. and 30+C water temps ...
even I've been in the water.....I don't swim and hate the water, having nearly drowned as a young kid, I have zero confidence in it and have struggled to try to learn to swim on/off for years ....
plus I bloody detest COLD water and see no pleasure in getting in the stuff.


30+C was a major help though and again tried to learn .... sort of managed to cover some distances, with some flotation assistance (I also have negative buoyancy, so I'm told), which is a real downer - literally - in overcoming my 'water' issues !!!
Feel a bit of a prat at 61 with a float, but ..... it gives me the confidence to at least have a go and floating about semi weightless is great on the old bones.


all in all, it's been a great few days away .... went too quickly and yet seemed like a lot longer .... can safely say I'd go again ...... pity about the monsoon conditions today !!!! Been in shirt sleeves all week .... and will be next week too, looking at the forecast .... planings'll wait !!

[v8druid]

well it finally stopped persisting down 'bout 2pm today .... man have we had some rain ... but not as much as a lot of folk, it would seem from the news and social media posts.
this had about an inch in it Monday when we went off to Longleat .....







Abergavenny has had some quite serious flooding on the roads in and around the town, so friends have told me .
the fungi seem to like the rain at least ....





and an even bigger patch beside the drive way ... of some weird looking things.


had an hour trying to clear up some of the leaves and numerous lumps of dead tree bits off me patch, in the hope I might get to spread some black stuff about tomorrow .... hopefully some of it will have dried a bit tomorrow and get what's left off there....as much as poss. anyway





the propane weed flame thrower makes a great fire lighter, especially when it's a bit wet three drums of leaves have bitten the dust this afters ... 'nother one to go
spread a bit along the side nearest the machines first, so's I have summat to track onto and can get at me beam .... either that or have to put the batteries back on't Jake and the Thwaites to shift 'em out the way .....


looking at this I can see me needing a.n.other load , but hard to tell 'til I get it cast about a bit and see how far it'll go
Cold old NE wind this afternoon, but s'posed to swing back around to the SW tomorrow so'll hopefully be back to warmer breezes and not so bloody wild as it has been all weekend !!!!!


very strange sky tonight





Forecast is good for the week so here's hoping ........................ correction - it WAS good ... just looked again and crap tomorrow now, but better the rest of the week ...


wish they'd make up their minds !!!!

[v8druid]

Monday, as forecast, was a total right off ...... Tuesday was a drier but seriously foggy to start ......


Kicked off the day with a filter change in the water system, after all this bloody rain,the ol' spring is a bit stirred up and even two ten inch, 1 micron filters were struggling a bit .... job done and clear water restored to the household, I headed for the piles of black stuff


the rest of the day didn't start so well ...... run the 'Drema up and left her to warm up a bit, whilst I dragged a few lumps off the top of the planings pile .... grabbed me rigger gloves out the cab, slipped on the right one and slid me hand into the left, as I bent down to grab a lump ..... WTF ... must have a thorn in that ...... nope, hurting way too much ...
****ing wasp hibernating in the lil' finger .... b'stard had my second knuckle 3 times before I got it off .... very swollen fingers and wrist not working too well today, to go with the problem I already have had for a few weeks with my left shoulder/arm ... 'swhat the MRI was for the other day ... Gaucher's is known for producing skeletal problems in sufferers ... me left side is not working as well as it was ... and even less today.


so after I'd stamped the lil ****er into oblivion and tried in vain to suck out his sh1t from my finger, I hopped into the cab, dropped onto me 3ft which was easily accessible and started chucking it about a bit ......








got to about here, looked down and there's Granny and Clara .... "can I come and sit on your lap Grand dad ?" .... slowed proceedings a tad





hour later and the little un's ready for her lunch ...





so got on a bit quicker ...





spread about reasonably evenly and tidied up again, having tracked it in as much as poss ... she's a bit of lump in a relatively confined area..... then get it rolled down a bit and ready for a top off with the beam
that was until Clara wanted me to go play with her for an hour !!!!


so ...... a bit later ..... it got the roller for an hour and a half .....











apologies for some of the pic quality .... not been the brightest of days ...... and 'twas getting on ...


I think jake and the Thwaites are gonna get shifted out the way tomorrow; give me some more maneuvering space .... and a nice level stand for pulling a top with the beam .... few bits to 'trim' at the bank edge, for the drain first though


looking a hell of a lot better than it was, anyway .... and before anyone says .... why didn't I use me 7ft bucket .... it's full of buckets and buried amongst everything .... bad planning that !!!!


sod all achieved today ..... Clara-ed ..... yesterday however I did get a bit done .... not as much as I'd planned, due to a dead battery on't Thwaites .. new one time me thinks .... so got the long narrow bit filled .....





and rolled down .....








hopefully at some point tomorrow I'll get Jake an' his mate out the way, so I can spread the rest of that pile about to top off and flatten what's gone down reasonably well already ........ with me beam





after I've filled in the odd gap here and there and shifted the burning drum .... bloody leaves take some getting going ..... gonna need a new drum soon too ... t'ain't gonna last much longer





Alex called by this afters, to borrow a set of chains ..... he's had his tool boxes delivered this week .... really finish the job off in some order ..... we must've got the measurements right, even though they took some sussing ....... like a glove








the guys who made the main body did a lovely job of these !!


should've taken one, with them open ..... they are some shape inside ....... and amazingly voluminous