OP
Keeping character, or restoring a pond
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wroughtn_harv
Super Member
This is from the northwest corner looking southeast.
The plan is when we're done with the bottom of the pond I'll take the excavator and our road will become the top soil and fill behind the wall.
While we haven't changed the foot print of the pond, it's still it's original shape. We have drastically modified it's capacity. Which means according to a friend a serious tax advantage for the client because we've changed the gallonage retained during flood conditions.
The plan is when we're done with the bottom of the pond I'll take the excavator and our road will become the top soil and fill behind the wall.
While we haven't changed the foot print of the pond, it's still it's original shape. We have drastically modified it's capacity. Which means according to a friend a serious tax advantage for the client because we've changed the gallonage retained during flood conditions.
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Good On Ya Harv!
Treat a working man with respect, feed and pay him well, THANK him for his hard work, and give him somethin' to show the family. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
You are using these guys to do what could be thankless grunt work and are allowing them to enjoy the fruits of their labor. No doubt they hold you in high regard. You can bet those photos will be proudly shown to anyone who will listen to their stories!
Ron
Treat a working man with respect, feed and pay him well, THANK him for his hard work, and give him somethin' to show the family. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
You are using these guys to do what could be thankless grunt work and are allowing them to enjoy the fruits of their labor. No doubt they hold you in high regard. You can bet those photos will be proudly shown to anyone who will listen to their stories!
Ron
Holy hole in the world! Had no idea the project was that big. I take it the house and all the walks etc are in the background......or so it looks to me. Kudoos also to you and the crew, many folks would just take credit and not share it, but as we know you are not like most folks, you are better. That is one fine project, any idea when it will be "done".
ronjhall
Super Star Member
Danny
Just think how many Koi & gold fish that could be put in that pond when its full of water. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Maybe I should offer some. My gold fish seem to have had a bumper spawn this year. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Just think how many Koi & gold fish that could be put in that pond when its full of water. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Maybe I should offer some. My gold fish seem to have had a bumper spawn this year. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Where we buy some of our "puddle" supplies they have a 4 foot carp in thier pond, and it is not close to the size of Harv's and the guy's project. Me thinks any fish less than 8" would be food for what lurks in them there waters. Koi would grow to how big in that pond? I have seen some nice sized Koi in much smaller ponds. We dont have any in our "puddle", to much $$ for the cats and coons to get at.
OP
wroughtn_harv
Super Member
These guys are day laborers. For some reason or another they're not part of the everyday workforce as most of us know it.
I pick them up every morning and I pay them every night. Our relationship is tenuous at best. I have no obligation to pick them in the morning and they have no obligation to accept my offer of employment.
What is disappointing to me is how others treat these men. To say I feel shame to share citizenship with some of these employers is an understatement.
But of course there is some reward for me in this. What some see only as a body to guide a mower I've had the good fortune in finding an artisan who has taught me how to work stone.
One of the men has done hard time. Not something we've talked about, he knows I know by the way I've checked him over. He also understands that I don't judge him so much for what he has done as I do by what he can do. His treating me as boss has modified to over the last couple of weeks where he now treats me as a friend is as gratifying to me as any aspect of the project.
I understand it's egotistical of me but I see finding good in a man not unlike finding good in a stone or a piece of wood. Most people look at a stone and see nothing but a rock. They makes judgements about people just as quickly and without anymore consideration.
It's their loss. And there is some justice in the outcome. Their life is poorer, as it should be.
I pick them up every morning and I pay them every night. Our relationship is tenuous at best. I have no obligation to pick them in the morning and they have no obligation to accept my offer of employment.
What is disappointing to me is how others treat these men. To say I feel shame to share citizenship with some of these employers is an understatement.
But of course there is some reward for me in this. What some see only as a body to guide a mower I've had the good fortune in finding an artisan who has taught me how to work stone.
One of the men has done hard time. Not something we've talked about, he knows I know by the way I've checked him over. He also understands that I don't judge him so much for what he has done as I do by what he can do. His treating me as boss has modified to over the last couple of weeks where he now treats me as a friend is as gratifying to me as any aspect of the project.
I understand it's egotistical of me but I see finding good in a man not unlike finding good in a stone or a piece of wood. Most people look at a stone and see nothing but a rock. They makes judgements about people just as quickly and without anymore consideration.
It's their loss. And there is some justice in the outcome. Their life is poorer, as it should be.
OP
wroughtn_harv
Super Member
I've been asked via PM (private message) about drilling holes in stone. It's such a good question that I believe we need to share it.
Here's what I've found out about it.
1. I use regular concrete bits. Well, I say "regular" and what I mean is "regular Hilti bits".
We've found out your bits you buy at the hardware store will drill ten to twelve half inch holes three quarters of an inch deep in our granite boulders we're mounting on the wall. The Hilti equivelant will drill at least ten times that many. At Home Depot the Bosch bit is about seven dollars and the Hilti (in the rental department) is thirty six dollars.
I have an account at Hilti and pay about twenty for the same bit.
2. Granite is the hardest stone I've dealt with. Sandstone is much softer and limestone is a piece of cake.
3. I use a two part epoxy I get at granite countertop supply stores for attaching the pin to the stone. But on this project I'm using a polyurethane product from Home Depot. It seems to work just fine. It costs a lot less but the working time is hours instead of minutes like I have with the expoxy.
4. Stone isn't like wood. With wood you can use a pin just a little bigger than the hole and it'll make a better fit. If you attempt to do this with stone you'll discover the secret they had back in the old days for splitting rock. So for a three eights pin it's better to use a seven sixteenths hole and your adhesive than three eights and three eights.
5. I use a grinder and special disc to prepare stone surfaces for contact. By that I mean I remove bumps and bulges if applicable or cut in corresponding dips and valleys to make two pieces fit.
I noticed in the rental department at Home Depot they now carry the grinders and discs.
6. You really don't gain much besides tool wear and personal frustration from going deep with the pins and their holes. One inch is usually all you need if you're basically using the pin as a dowel.
7. And this is probably the most important tip I have. Listen to the stone.
The stone itself knows more about what works and even more importantly, what works well together. If you listen you'll know what I'm talking about.
Here's what I've found out about it.
1. I use regular concrete bits. Well, I say "regular" and what I mean is "regular Hilti bits".
We've found out your bits you buy at the hardware store will drill ten to twelve half inch holes three quarters of an inch deep in our granite boulders we're mounting on the wall. The Hilti equivelant will drill at least ten times that many. At Home Depot the Bosch bit is about seven dollars and the Hilti (in the rental department) is thirty six dollars.
I have an account at Hilti and pay about twenty for the same bit.
2. Granite is the hardest stone I've dealt with. Sandstone is much softer and limestone is a piece of cake.
3. I use a two part epoxy I get at granite countertop supply stores for attaching the pin to the stone. But on this project I'm using a polyurethane product from Home Depot. It seems to work just fine. It costs a lot less but the working time is hours instead of minutes like I have with the expoxy.
4. Stone isn't like wood. With wood you can use a pin just a little bigger than the hole and it'll make a better fit. If you attempt to do this with stone you'll discover the secret they had back in the old days for splitting rock. So for a three eights pin it's better to use a seven sixteenths hole and your adhesive than three eights and three eights.
5. I use a grinder and special disc to prepare stone surfaces for contact. By that I mean I remove bumps and bulges if applicable or cut in corresponding dips and valleys to make two pieces fit.
I noticed in the rental department at Home Depot they now carry the grinders and discs.
6. You really don't gain much besides tool wear and personal frustration from going deep with the pins and their holes. One inch is usually all you need if you're basically using the pin as a dowel.
7. And this is probably the most important tip I have. Listen to the stone.
The stone itself knows more about what works and even more importantly, what works well together. If you listen you'll know what I'm talking about.
Harv,
On the bench I asked about I was planning on drilling through the legs........about 5 large stones each.......and pinning them with the concrete rod. Yes I will be using a larger bit than the rod, and will cement or whatever compound you suggest to use to hold them in place.
thanks
On the bench I asked about I was planning on drilling through the legs........about 5 large stones each.......and pinning them with the concrete rod. Yes I will be using a larger bit than the rod, and will cement or whatever compound you suggest to use to hold them in place.
thanks
Bird
Rest in Peace
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( disappointing to me is how others treat these men )</font>
Yep, Harvey, we used some of them when we were building my brother's house. We kept plenty of ice water and soft drinks available and told them to help themselves any time, but then we had to tell them to take a break when we did because I think they'd have stayed at it without a break until they dropped. And of course, they never carried any lunch with them, and I know on many, if not most, jobs, they just don't get any lunch, but we made'em stop and have lunch with us every day, and I can tell you we more than got our money's worth. We had one really little guy and I had doubts about him carrying concrete blocks and managing a wheelbarrow load of wet concrete or mortar, but that little rascal could sure outwork me.
As for doing hard time, that reminds me of when I bought a new house in '72. My wife called me at the office one day to tell me a guy in the landscaping business in a suburb had come to the door and offered to put a lawn in for us. She told him she'd have to talk to me and he said he'd stop by again the next day. I did a little quick checking and learned that he'd been known to steal the trees and other material he used in his business, and had been arrested for it in the past, so I told her we didn't want to use him. I later hired a guy who worked with his two grown sons to do the job. My wife said, "I guess you checked him out and he hasn't been in trouble." I told her, "Nothing except two years for murder." The look on her face was priceless /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif when she said, "And they're going to be here working with me and these two little girls in the house and you gone!" So I had to tell her that the only trouble the guy had ever been in was for killing his wife's boyfriend when he caught them together. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Yep, Harvey, we used some of them when we were building my brother's house. We kept plenty of ice water and soft drinks available and told them to help themselves any time, but then we had to tell them to take a break when we did because I think they'd have stayed at it without a break until they dropped. And of course, they never carried any lunch with them, and I know on many, if not most, jobs, they just don't get any lunch, but we made'em stop and have lunch with us every day, and I can tell you we more than got our money's worth. We had one really little guy and I had doubts about him carrying concrete blocks and managing a wheelbarrow load of wet concrete or mortar, but that little rascal could sure outwork me.
As for doing hard time, that reminds me of when I bought a new house in '72. My wife called me at the office one day to tell me a guy in the landscaping business in a suburb had come to the door and offered to put a lawn in for us. She told him she'd have to talk to me and he said he'd stop by again the next day. I did a little quick checking and learned that he'd been known to steal the trees and other material he used in his business, and had been arrested for it in the past, so I told her we didn't want to use him. I later hired a guy who worked with his two grown sons to do the job. My wife said, "I guess you checked him out and he hasn't been in trouble." I told her, "Nothing except two years for murder." The look on her face was priceless /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif when she said, "And they're going to be here working with me and these two little girls in the house and you gone!" So I had to tell her that the only trouble the guy had ever been in was for killing his wife's boyfriend when he caught them together. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif