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1929 Trench build Tutukaka NZ

Started by Oor Wullie, Apr 06, 2022, 09:36 pm

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Rassilons Rod

The blue paint moment! :D
In the cities in the streets there's a tension you can feel,
The breaking strain is fast approaching, guns and riots.
Politicians gamble and lie to save their skins,
And the press get fed the scapegoats,
Public Enema Number One.

Oor Wullie

Phase 2 blue done: base, column ends and edges, front awning, phone hatch.

I did an upgrade to two base post hole concreting, getting them to level. Now to relevel all the blocks and get the base in place permanently. The columns and walls will go up quick from there.

Sign boxes and roof to build. The windows and lamp to finish.

Note on the painting: no blue for the centres of the floorboards as they'll be covered in lino and none for the inner columns as the walls fit to them.

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Oor Wullie

The base is in place. Spent a day levelling blocks only to have some still needing a bit more pea gravel.

Then fitting the base over the posts, I found a bit of post shifting as the concrete dried, so I shaved off a bit of two of them to get a nice fit using a handy reciprocating saw.

I stapled the damp proof course to the bottom of the base and top of the posts and put a hefty screw diagonally through each post and into the internal base edge, just to set in hard in place.

Loosely fit the floorboards except for the two which will take the columns.

Next step is to get the columns up. Instead of my last idea of using tier one roof as a square brace, I'm ripping a paling down and using 1280 mm lengths as temporary square bracing, the width between the inner column faces. Once the walls and door awning are on, these braces come off and I get stuck into sign box construction.

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The painted base

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Damp proof course stapled on the base bottom and joist

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Base fitted and screwed to posts and seated on pavers

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All floorboards but two loosely fitted

Oor Wullie

Afterthought. I followed the plan and used floorboards but a sheet of marine ply would hand been a better option, allowing for two end boards to attach the columns underneath. The down side of following a plan.

Volpone

Boards instead of a single sheet of ply is handy if you ever need to take up the floor for any reason.  With an inward-opening door, the only thing you can do is hang a rope from the ceiling to hang from while you take up or put down the floor with the door closed.  Don't ask how I know this.
"My dear Litefoot, I've got a lantern and a pair of waders, and possibly the most fearsome piece of hand artillery in all England. What could possibly go wrong?"
-The Doctor.

Oor Wullie

Dec 26, 2022, 04:05 am #200 Last Edit: Dec 27, 2022, 12:34 am by Oor Wullie
Yep Volpone, the floorboards are staying.

Did a bit of work today, Boxing Day here and full summer heat. Nothing exciting but I'm recording the lot.

First, I cut a fence paling to 1280 mm, the distance between the inner column to column. Then ripped it lengthwise into four strips. This will brace the standing columns and hold the square until the walls are attached. Two temporary screws each column face.

Then I got stuck into a tricky job. Some 10 degree slopes cut from the 45 mm length of a 2x4. Set the table saw blade to 10 degrees and cut the first, then to zero or 90 degrees, depending how you think of it. This cuts the second angled piece. First one was a bit wafer thin on the end. Kept repeating this til I got nine pieces out, three thicker ones, three thin, but not too thin, a fat one, the wafery one and a flat. These will go on the outside floor and the right angle will butt against the walls. Several purposes: protects the exposed floor and drains rain over the edge of the base angle, stops rain entering under the walls to the interior and wicking up into the walls. Means I'll have to in-cut these pieces around the bottom of the wall central mullions, but that's life. If they sit well, I won't need to cover them with that aluminium faced butyl tape, just paint them. What I use for the floor outside the doors is up in the air. Maybe that flat piece or maybe one of the thin angled pieces. I have rubber stripping going on the inside of the doors but my doors open in and out with a 5 mm clearance from the floor.

Then I did some touch up painting on the column 1/4 round trim where there were still gaps and gave the phone hatch another coat.

Still want to give the outer column faces another coat, tomorrow at this rate.

I also made up two butt-end joins on some scrap paling offcuts. I'll screw these into the ends of the floorboards which join to the columns, making an open half-box. It will help in making sure that the column angles sit square as I screw them in. Got some stainless steel 100 mm hefty screws for this. Once the column paint is dry in two days, I'll get them standing and the three walls up.

fivefingeredstyre

Quote from: Volpone on Dec 23, 2022, 11:48 pmBoards instead of a single sheet of ply is handy if you ever need to take up the floor for any reason. 
I second this. Been there, three times...

Although, I think actual floor boards would be more hard wearing and condensation resistant than ply. and less likely to warp. I've fitted marine ply in each time i've replaced the floor - its never gone the distance...

Hopefully I might get more mileage now I've spaced the box off the floor...

Quote from: Volpone on Dec 23, 2022, 11:48 pmWith an inward-opening door, the only thing you can do is hang a rope from the ceiling to hang from while you take up or put down the floor with the door closed.  Don't ask how I know this.
Or... You could take the door off its hinges...

Or put the floor in in two halves...

;)

Oor Wullie

Hot time in the old TARDIS tonight. 32 degrees C in the shade. But Susie and I got the columns up and framed and the floorboards down.

The honest part first. I'd gotten one set of columns on the floorboard and the top brace piece done last night. We got it screwed in place to the frame when I noticed that one of the column corners was not square to the board! I tried a million excuses why it might still be OK and finally took it back down and fixed it. I'll sleep well tonight with no regrets.

The second set went up quicker because ... learning curve.

Put down the rest of the floorboards and they fit, the last one with the help of a rubber mallet.

A step ladder on the floor and the cross braces are in.

Worktable moved back to the table saw area.

Very hot, very sunburnt and very happy. Perhaps the three walls go on tomorrow if Susie is keen on more heavy lifting. Man these boxes are tall.

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Two braces on and coach bolts anchoring the end boards to the posts below for hurricane proofing.

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Floorboards down and cross bracing in.

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Materialising!

Angelus Lupus

Quote from: Oor Wullie on Dec 28, 2022, 03:50 amA step ladder on the floor and the cross braces are in.

No picture with the step ladder? What has become of the old traditions? LOL ;D (was it Purple who started that one?)

Anyway: Looking good!
A mixed-up non-conformist, trying to fit in.

Andrew Harvey

Ah Ha! It's flying together! Nice pictures with that beautiful clear blue sky and lush greens in your garden! Looking forward to seeing the walls in place!
 Andrew

Oor Wullie

Reflection post. The way I used spacer braces at the top of the columns is a good call. It ensures that the first roof tier will fit with no problems.

A note to anyone following what I did, I'd have been wiser to put the same length spacers at the bottom as well before attaching the columns to the floorboards.

I measured all the gaps last night and it worked out well. If there is any variation, it's a mm or two at worst. I'll check the door opening square and it's columns vertical level this morning before getting the walls and front awning brace up. Wouldn't want the door opening anything but perfect. I guess that, even with three walls up, there is still room for adjustment before the door stepped awning goes on to get that square.

Momentum is governed by reflection and getting things right.

Since I used fence palings for the floor, one board sits low on one side of the base frame. Gonna lift it and shim it up.

But I should have the walls on today. Had a day off yesterday to let the muscles, skeleton and sunburn have a rest. Being 963 is a lot different to being 953 is all I can say.

I'll get some pics up of the walls later.

Oor Wullie

And the three walls are up by 10 AM. Better to use the morning shade than to wither in the face of a yellow dwarf sun.

I'm happy enough. But the very minor level difference of the floor board ends and a degree here and there on the vertical of the columns means the sides of the walls are not as equidistantly spaced as I'd dreamed they'd be. But from angles, it looks fine and the tops are level all around. A few stripped screw-heads means that if I ever move her, I'll have to drill them out.

One thing I thank my past self for is the hinge plates inside the door frame end at a precise point where the door awning sits on top of them. I must have been using my noggin that day. Thank you Doctor X-1.

The deciding factor on where the walls sat was based on the awning position. Remember I said the plan gave a mystery leeway of three mms each side? This must be why. However, the ends stopped me from getting a perfect even centre fit where the variations demanded it.

All in all, I'm chuffed. My grandkids won't bat an eye.

Next step is the door hanging, I guess. I have today and most of tomorrow before another week of on and off rain, so I'll tarp her up and work on the sign boxes next. Amen

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Oor Wullie

Dec 30, 2022, 08:32 am #207 Last Edit: Dec 30, 2022, 08:36 am by Oor Wullie
Doors and phone hatch hinged and on. Not a bad fit. I used a 5mm spacer timber under the doors to ensure clearance as I set the two way hinges. They look strained a bit so eventually I'll replace them. I moved the stepped awning up 5 mm or so to clear the tops of the doors but will move it back as it will effect the height of its signbox which affects the shared roof tier 1. Easy enough to move the awning. I could have simply cut the door bottoms but didn't want to stop to repaint so may just trim the awning and paint it. Sign boxes aren't ready anyway. 

Looks TARDISy for sure. The gaps around the doors and hatch are intentional and I have foam weather stripping for them, plus a baffle box for the hatch. Work in progress.

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fivefingeredstyre

Now this is starting to look like progress! :)

Oor Wullie

Jan 01, 2023, 01:55 am #209 Last Edit: Jan 01, 2023, 03:52 am by Oor Wullie
There's a good synergy between taking a gap day between hard work and problem solving.

Yesterday I was too tired to do anything, having worked 6 hours the day before getting the walls and doors up. This gave me time to both rest as well as making a decision to take the walls off, one by one, and get my end measurements perfect, instead of living in embarrassment the rest of my life for spending so much time and money and settling for imperfection.

Got one done this morning, to perfection. I checked the top levels and the column vertical square and level and only found minor error. The floorboards also contributed and they are not exact even height. Each feature is minor, but risk is multiplicative, not additive, if you know risk theory. Each separate variation plays off the others, making the outcome far worse.

Anyway, the answer to fixing the walls was to shim up one side by about 7 mm. It made it more square overall and allowed me to move the wall over enough so that the awning didn't overlap the column. I got 92 mm "boards" next to each column where it was as bad as 80 and 100 either side before. It just looked shite.  The gap between the wall bottom and the floor on the shim side will be covered by the drip angle trim I've already cut the other day.

Two more walls to reset. But now I know how.

One recommendation for the tool kit is to have some square head screwdrivers on hand to use when the drill driver bit strips a screw when you try to remove it. I find the hand tool will get it out when the drill just makes it worse.

Have a look at this photo on the right lower wall. You can see where I lost some paint from where the old position met the column. Probably 10 mm change just from the shimming and shifting the wall to the left.

You can also see the gap to the floor on the left side where the shim was.

Future embarrassment and eternal frustration rectified. If you see an error, down tools, take a day off and do the measurements and problem solving. You'll thank yourself.

I also need to drop the right door a few mms. Slight difference in height from the left one and I want to get the lock in place soon. But how do you redrill new hinge screw holes so near to existing ones? I'm going to drill the old ones out to dowel size and insert glued dowel. Then the new screw holes have something to sink their teeth into.

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Update: All three walls and front awning reset. Yahoo! Much better. The door adjustment left for another day. Rain is looming for a week and a half on and off.