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Keeping character, or restoring a pond
- Thread starter wroughtn_harv
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wroughtn_harv
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wroughtn_harv
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Betsy lives about a quarter of a mile from the project. At her house the Austin chalk or limestone is on the surface. At the project I finally found some in one pier yesterday. Out of seventy piers or so there's one where I hit the rock and it was down about seven feet.
The bit I used was one I built using a special head with seventeen replaceable carbide teeth. It'll hurt you just looking at it. But to cut into the limestone you need down pressure.
Betsy can't drill a hole. But while Iris's twenty eight gallons per minute high flow circuit spins that auger she can provide down pressure.
The bit I used was one I built using a special head with seventeen replaceable carbide teeth. It'll hurt you just looking at it. But to cut into the limestone you need down pressure.
Betsy can't drill a hole. But while Iris's twenty eight gallons per minute high flow circuit spins that auger she can provide down pressure.
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wroughtn_harv
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wroughtn_harv
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wroughtn_harv
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I'm sure what I'm doing confuses some people following this thread. Mostly because I'm not the best at describing or defining. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
This picture might help.
The first thing I'd like you to notice is how we're following a twelve inch wide block base with an eight inch wide one.
Here's the logic for our doing this.
We're using the twelve inch for strength. This is more important at the base of the wall. We're using the eight inch because we don't want to have to look at a cinder block wall around the pond. The static or normal water level will be about the height of the second eight inch from the bottom.
We're going to add another course of eight inchers. This will give us a line of four courses of eights around the perimeter.
Going from twelve to eight leaves us with a four inch ledge. This gives us a base for our round flat stones to rest upon.
So the top thirty plus inches of the wall will have round flats exposed instead of plain old cinder blocks. We think this will be pretty. Two courses below the water level and two above.
If you've looked carefully at our forms for the beam I'm sure you've either wonder if the pixels were dancing or we're really making it wavey.
Your pixels are fine. We're doing the wave thing. This picture gives you and idea of why.
So as you follow this thread and it looks like there's no rhyme nor reason to what we're doing, there is. At least rhyme.
This picture might help.
The first thing I'd like you to notice is how we're following a twelve inch wide block base with an eight inch wide one.
Here's the logic for our doing this.
We're using the twelve inch for strength. This is more important at the base of the wall. We're using the eight inch because we don't want to have to look at a cinder block wall around the pond. The static or normal water level will be about the height of the second eight inch from the bottom.
We're going to add another course of eight inchers. This will give us a line of four courses of eights around the perimeter.
Going from twelve to eight leaves us with a four inch ledge. This gives us a base for our round flat stones to rest upon.
So the top thirty plus inches of the wall will have round flats exposed instead of plain old cinder blocks. We think this will be pretty. Two courses below the water level and two above.
If you've looked carefully at our forms for the beam I'm sure you've either wonder if the pixels were dancing or we're really making it wavey.
Your pixels are fine. We're doing the wave thing. This picture gives you and idea of why.
So as you follow this thread and it looks like there's no rhyme nor reason to what we're doing, there is. At least rhyme.
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wroughtn_harv
Super Member
This is a shot of the freshly poured beam along the south side (done today).
You can see the waves. And you'll also see we're stepping up as we're approaching the new spillway.
What is important at this stage is the steps be eight inches (height of a course of block). And that each stage be level.
What really helps on the keeping everything level part is this http://www.us.hilti.com/holus/modules/prcat/prca_navigation.jsp?OID=-14787
This is one of those purchases that you really really put off and then after you've done it you wonder how in gawd's green earth you ever got anything done without it.
I've got a couple of other lazers but this is my first really good one. It's self leveling which is almost mandatory if you're setting one up and leaving it run all day. The manual leveling types drift with the heat or get bumped out of alignment.
It was a hard pill to swallow but I feel so much better for doing so.
You can see the waves. And you'll also see we're stepping up as we're approaching the new spillway.
What is important at this stage is the steps be eight inches (height of a course of block). And that each stage be level.
What really helps on the keeping everything level part is this http://www.us.hilti.com/holus/modules/prcat/prca_navigation.jsp?OID=-14787
This is one of those purchases that you really really put off and then after you've done it you wonder how in gawd's green earth you ever got anything done without it.
I've got a couple of other lazers but this is my first really good one. It's self leveling which is almost mandatory if you're setting one up and leaving it run all day. The manual leveling types drift with the heat or get bumped out of alignment.
It was a hard pill to swallow but I feel so much better for doing so.
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wroughtn_harv
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I really got looking making the cut along the northside. When I shot my grades I only had a three inch variance.
So what I did today was use the mini-hoe and excavate for the beam. It's much easier for me to rough it in with the excavator and then have the laborers pretty it up with shovels.
So what I did today was use the mini-hoe and excavate for the beam. It's much easier for me to rough it in with the excavator and then have the laborers pretty it up with shovels.
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wroughtn_harv
Super Member
This where the new spillway will be.
Monday we'll put in the iron and pour this cut on the left of the picture.
This will be where our new ramp to get in and out of the pond will be located, over the new beam.
We've used up just about all of our sand and gravel at the other location. And we have seventy plus yards stockpiled about fifty feet from this cut.
So we'll move the mixer, water barrel, and process to this end of the pond. It will put us closer to the majority of our work. It will also enable us to clean up the other end and prepare it for final detailing.
Maybe by then it will look like we're doing something besides making one heckuva mess.
Monday we'll put in the iron and pour this cut on the left of the picture.
This will be where our new ramp to get in and out of the pond will be located, over the new beam.
We've used up just about all of our sand and gravel at the other location. And we have seventy plus yards stockpiled about fifty feet from this cut.
So we'll move the mixer, water barrel, and process to this end of the pond. It will put us closer to the majority of our work. It will also enable us to clean up the other end and prepare it for final detailing.
Maybe by then it will look like we're doing something besides making one heckuva mess.
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tjkadar
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- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
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- Sumter, SC
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I can honestly say that I can't wait to see the finished product on this project. What has happened so far is way beyond anything I would have ever thought of tackling. It continues to impress me and I'm anticipating the end with bated breath. Good job!