Keeping character, or restoring a pond

wroughtn_harv · Sep 25, 2005

I would initially discourage you from attempting to drill through the stones. Think of a deer after a thirty odd six round passes through. Hole on one side, great big hole on the other.

To go through the stone you'll be using a hammer drill. The hammer action fractures the stone as it gets near the far side.

You can use this to your benefit if you want. If your stones are football or round shaped the blowout area can be the bottom and the cavity will be the start of a hollow to assist in fit up on top of the next stone.

The large boulders in the pond will be drilled all the way through so that the water tubing for the fountains can feed the heads. I will go through with a three quarter inch bit as a pilot. Then I'll take a one inch through from the top and a one and a half from the bottom. The three foot three quarter inch Hilti bit cost me around two hundred dollars. You can bet your sweet bippy I'll be doing those holes with a soft hand and tender heart.

I think the polyurethane adhesive from Home Depot will work just fine in your benches.

If I were building them I'd fit the stones up against each other as best as I could. I'd then drill them in about an inch and use rebar pins.

This means many dry fits to get it as close to being as good as it gets as one can to being as good as it gets.

Also keep in mind that stone is brittle. Vibration and impacts are the two ways we fracture it. So no hammering after it's glued up.

I'll be doing benches on the rock deck next week or early the week after. The benches will be on the deck going out over the water.

Here's one of the rocks I'm planning on using for the deck. I asked Dawg to stand on the stone to give you an idea of it's size.

wroughtn_harv · Sep 25, 2005

The stones for the deck are going to be a challenge to fit up. Not just because they're different shapes, but they're also different thicknesses.

And they're heavy.

DannyD · Sep 25, 2005

I will look forward to your benches. My 'seat" is not as big as that, at least not as round. It is long. Stone for the top alone was 200 pounds, another 200 for the legs, which are 13 odd stones stacked. We will make adjustments for level at the site.

Photos of the progress will be on here for sure. My first "stone" project sort of......unless you count the water falls.

thanks so much, your advice is appreciated

wroughtn_harv · Sep 25, 2005

Bird there's an interesting custom with the hispanic laborers. Lunch is expected to be provided.

I've seen contractors provide one broasted chicken and a loaf of bread for a crew of five for lunch. Of course those are the same guys that haggle like crazy trying to stiff the laborers for a buck or two a day.

The justice of that of course is the contractor's kids are going to have to live in a world where the laborer's kids grow up believing all contractors are bad and acorn never falls far from the tree. So in trying to grab what they can anyway they can to allegedly help their own they are in fact helping prepare a bitter plate for their offspring to have to digest.

I'm still a kid at heart. I love the banter and pride men who work hard share. It is sad that it seems these days the only ones I can find that camaderie with is day laborers. It's a young man's game. Maybe that's why I like it so much.

As for judging, if I was to be judged today by what I was in my youth I'd be in trouble, probably forever and then some. So I try to be a little generous with opportunity. Opportunity is what's got me by all these years.

Bird · Sep 25, 2005

( Lunch is expected to be provided )

It certainly should be, but I know a lot of the farmers who used them down south of Dallas did not.

wroughtn_harv · Sep 25, 2005

I don't know if you've been around a labor center lately but for those who haven't we're not talking about illegal aliens per se.

In Plano, TX it's by the DART station and behind Best Buy. You will find a lot of hispanics that might or might not be here illegally. But you will find a lot of Americans, black, white, whatever, looking for day work.

It can be tough going in there looking for workers. Everyone is trying to get your attention, make eye contact, make it personal.

Some of them have regular jobs and need extra money and try to pick it up working in their off time. Others like the freedom from committment day labor offers. And then there are those who can't or won't pass a pee test or have social problems that keep them from passing through regular employment filters.

One of the things I like about working with these guys is similar to the old saying about the advantages of being nice to an ugly old woman in a romantic way.

They're appreciative. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

My wife asked me the other day about what would happen to the guys working with me on this job when it's all over. All I could say was I hope they're the better for having worked it. That in some small way they've enjoyed working with me as much as I've worked with them.

Cliff_Johns · Sep 25, 2005

Before this thread, it would never have occured to me to hire day labor for anything. It just would not have crossed my mind. I want to thank for enlightening me both about your construction process and about the people who are helping you do it.

Cliff

8NTX · Sep 25, 2005

( I don't know if you've been around a labor center lately but for those who haven't we're not talking about illegal aliens per se.

In Plano, TX it's by the DART station and behind Best Buy. You will find a lot of hispanics that might or might not be here illegally. But you will find a lot of Americans, black, white, whatever, looking for day work.

It can be tough going in there looking for workers. Everyone is trying to get your attention, make eye contact, make it personal.

Some of them have regular jobs and need extra money and try to pick it up working in their off time. Others like the freedom from committment day labor offers. And then there are those who can't or won't pass a pee test or have social problems that keep them from passing through regular employment filters.

One of the things I like about working with these guys is similar to the old saying about the advantages of being nice to an ugly old woman in a romantic way.

They're appreciative. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

My wife asked me the other day about what would happen to the guys working with me on this job when it's all over. All I could say was I hope they're the better for having worked it. That in some small way they've enjoyed working with me as much as I've worked with them. )

I'll have to agree with Harvey about the day laborers. I built a fence this past spring; about 200 linear feet of wood privacy fence to put up (and remove the old one). I hired two laborers each day for two days. The first day they were fair to average. The second two (on a Saturday) were quite possibly the hardest workers I ever have worked with. They had regular construction jobs during the week and were making some extra money. Didn't take a break except 20 minutes for lunch (9 hours). They didn't even want to. Didn't even ask to use the bathroom, and were very thankful when I brought them water, and a big pizza for lunch. Garland (very near Wylie where Harv is) has a day labor center built and operated by the City. It's kind of a zoo in the mornings when you go to pick them up, but it's controlled somewhat by the guy who staffs the place. You make your deal with them when they get into the truck. Worked out great for me. None of them spoke a word of English, but somehow we communicated. Worth every penny.

Bird · Sep 26, 2005

Harvey, it looks like those day labor centers are springing up everywhere. I'd heard of the one in Plano, but haven't seen it. I know where the guys congregate (without an actual day labor center) in Frost and Lewisville (I think Lewisville is considering building a center for them), and a couple of days ago, I noticed the one in Denton.

BB_TX · Sep 26, 2005

those day labor centers are springing up everywhere. 
McKinney just finished constructing one. There was an unofficial gathering place on a lot at the east end of downtown. Since it was an empty lot, the city purchased it and constructed a better facility for them.