Creating a Lake

s219 · Jun 22, 2014

Wow, that's a heck of a mess to deal with, but glad you got it fixed! Bet your dad feels bad about that one.

bindian · Jun 22, 2014

Eddie,
I agree about the "dumb" idea. I wish I never put a drain pipe on mind small pond. I have a post next to my pipe, but it can be hit from 3 other directions. The lawnmower hitting it could snap it.
hugs, Brandi

bindian · Jun 22, 2014

Dishpointer said:
Eddie,

Don't feel bad about the pipe. My dad installed the same setup when building his lake with thoughts of using it to fill up a tank for watering trees. Well, it ended up freezing and breaking the pipe and now his dam seeps water all year with no good way to fix it unless he drains the lake and digs out the pipe in the dam. At least you stopped your leak.

What about draining the lake, filling the pipe with Bentonite Clay, they capping the pipe with concrete?
hugs, Brandi

EddieWalker · Jul 6, 2014

Karen's son was here, so we decided to see if we could get some work done on the zip line. My 24 foot ladder was about ten feet short at getting to where I wanted the cable to go, so I rented a towable lift. Once the cable was secure in the tree, we unrolled the cable and hooked it to the backhoe, where I tightened it up. I'm going to make a permanent anchor, but needed to know where to put it first.

The cable wasn't tight enough, so that needs to be addressed. The height for the platform is good, but I need 16 foot 2x12's for my stairs to get up there. Then the platform will extend out 6 feet, which I'm hoping will make it easy for everyone.

I bought a deep sea fishing rod at Gander Mountain that had the largest real I could find for a reasonable price. It was on sale for $80. It's attached to the trolley with a key ring and it works pretty good at getting the trolley back to the platform. There is some issues with it when the trolley bounces around and the line gets tangled, but I'm hoping that becomes less of an issue once the platform is built and the fishing pole is up above the cable.

Eddie

EddieWalker · Jul 6, 2014

Karen's son was here, so we decided to see if we could get some work done on the zip line. My 24 foot ladder was about ten feet short at getting to where I wanted the cable to go, so I rented a towable lift. Once the cable was secure in the tree, we unrolled the cable and hooked it to the backhoe, where I tightened it up. I'm going to make a permanent anchor, but needed to know where to put it first.

The cable wasn't tight enough, so that needs to be addressed. The height for the platform is good, but I need 16 foot 2x12's for my stairs to get up there. Then the platform will extend out 6 feet, which I'm hoping will make it easy for everyone.

I bought a deep sea fishing rod at Gander Mountain that had the largest real I could find for a reasonable price. It was on sale for $80. It's attached to the trolley with a key ring and it works pretty good at getting the trolley back to the platform. There is some issues with it when the trolley bounces around and the line gets tangled, but I'm hoping that becomes less of an issue once the platform is built and the fishing pole is up above the cable.

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Eddie

scott_vt · Jul 6, 2014

Good Afternoon Eddie,
Darn that looks like a lot of fun on a hot day !

Do you have to use a special type of cable ? Turnbuckles on the end to tighten to the desired amount ?

Very cool ! :cool2:

bindian · Jul 6, 2014

Eddie you big kid!
hugs, Brandi

bindian · Jul 6, 2014

Eddie, you big kid!
hugs, Brandi

dragoneggs · Jul 7, 2014

Okay if not copper... how about a chemical etching on sheet metal? You can pick colors... sort of. Then maybe seal it? Just thinking out loud.

EddieWalker · Jul 7, 2014

A friend took this Saturday morning

I'm still trying to bend shingles. I can get them hot and flexible, I just haven't created the proper way to bend them and keep them bent. Five ideas have failed so far.

Eddie

s219 · Jul 7, 2014

I wonder if you can just nail them up wet/hot and have the nails hold them into the right shape until they dry? That's how bentwood furniture is made.

sld · Jul 7, 2014

s219 said:
I wonder if you can just nail them up wet/hot and have the nails hold them into the right shape until they dry? That's how bentwood furniture is made.

Or just one row at a time with a big band around it. A ratchet strap would persuade a wet shake shingle I would think.

EddieWalker · Jul 7, 2014

We're thinking alike. I tried nailing them into place, but the shingles pulled the nails out. I tried screws, but the shingles either split, or the wood went past the screw head. Most split. I tried to nail them and use a strap like Brandi suggested, but I wasn't able to keep them in place and get the strap on them. It wasn't pretty. LOL

Now I've been working on forms. The first two tries relied on weight to bend them into a form. You wouldn't believe how much weigh those shingles can hold and not bend!!!!

My current plan is use leverage and a form that will hold the thick end in place and bend the shingle over my form. I plan to build it some time this week, so wish me luck

Eddie

ustmd · Jul 8, 2014

Eddie,

Last issue or maybe issue before, Fine Woodworking had an article on wood bending. Of course they were bending for furniture making, but it might have some useful tips.

s219 · Jul 8, 2014

It's amazing how powerful wood grain can be when it's not cooperating. Well, keep at it! You're certainly not afraid of a challenge!

sld · Jul 8, 2014

With a band saw and a big enough hunk of cedar you could cut your own curved shingles.

Probably only need 3-4 templates or shapes to cover that onion.

i579rbd · Jul 9, 2014

Hi Eddie,
Would making relief cuts on the underside help?

bindian · Jul 9, 2014

Eddie,
I don't remember mentioning nails with a strap. I mentioned the ratchet strap to hold them to a form when steaming them. I don't think they will hold and stay in place without steaming them.
hugs, Brandi

EddieWalker said:
We're thinking alike. I tried nailing them into place, but the shingles pulled the nails out. I tried screws, but the shingles either split, or the wood went past the screw head. Most split. I tried to nail them and use a strap like Brandi suggested, but I wasn't able to keep them in place and get the strap on them. It wasn't pretty. LOL

Now I've been working on forms. The first two tries relied on weight to bend them into a form. You wouldn't believe how much weigh those shingles can hold and not bend!!!!

My current plan is use leverage and a form that will hold the thick end in place and bend the shingle over my form. I plan to build it some time this week, so wish me luck

Eddie

EddieWalker · Jul 10, 2014

Brandi,

Your right, I took the ratchet idea of yours and tried to modify it into an all in one process. Attach the shingle and bend it into place, then leave it there to dry kind of shortcut.

Watching videos on youtube of bending cedar shingles, it looks like they all use a press to get them to take shape. I've been overwhelmed with work and other things that need to be done that I haven't put any time into building the press other then thinking about it while I'm driving. I've been outside working on the gazebo and zip line until dark every night.

Wedding is now less then a month from now and I'm beginning to panic. LOL

Eddie

bindian · Jul 10, 2014

EddieWalker said:
Brandi,

Your right, I took the ratchet idea of yours and tried to modify it into an all in one process. Attach the shingle and bend it into place, then leave it there to dry kind of shortcut.

Watching videos on youtube of bending cedar shingles, it looks like they all use a press to get them to take shape. I've been overwhelmed with work and other things that need to be done that I haven't put any time into building the press other then thinking about it while I'm driving. I've been outside working on the gazebo and zip line until dark every night.

Wedding is now less then a month from now and I'm beginning to panic. LOL

Eddie

If in panic mode, may I suggest temporary wood-like asphalt shingles. Mom and Dad had a house built and used them. A builder living down the street wanted to build the house for them, but he only used wood shingles. Dad didn't want them for the fire hazard. After the house was built, the builder dropped by and stated he thought Dad would have wood shingles. He was surprised to learn the were asphalt shingles.
hugs, Brandi