The Tools we are using on this Project
The platform and Ramp is now ready for helping us get the concrete into the
“hollow tubes” in the wall.
The ramp is 12 feet long as we found that having only 8 feet produced a “too
steep” angle on the ramp while trying to push up two concrete blocks as
samples of the kind of weight we will be struggling to get up!!
It is much easier with the extra 4 foot extension!
Ramp
Modules-and-Ramp
Tipping-Barrow-on-Platform
Barrow-going-up-Ramp
This afternoon, we built 4 wooden platforms to help with the next stage of
pouring concrete down the hollow columns in the ball wall of the swimming
lane.
In order to make them as mobile as possible and also fit into the gap
between the diagonal struts, we made them 450mm by 550mm oblong modules so
they can be joined together in different arrangements.
They are 1330mm high (4 feet 4 inches) to reach the top of the 6 rows of the
concrete blocks.
We will use a 8 foot long ramp, or maybe a 12 foot long one, depending on
where the position is and how much soil there is heaped up near the swimming
lane.
We probably keep these platforms for other jobs in the main house when we
need to get up high somewhere.
Tall-Platform-Modules
The truck now starts! We have Noise and Action again!
The wire had corroded and come off the connector to the starter button
circuit. We conclude that there is enough conduction when rain gets in, with
the 12V and the differences of the metals (copper wire soldered (lead and
tin) onto a brass spade terminal connector), to allow the copper to
“oxidise” and turn into dust.
We had already started coating other joints with the plumber’s LSX to
provide a waterproof protection, but this one was an old joint and we had
missed it!
Oh Dear! Our dumper truck “starter” button doesn’t work anymore! It seems
that something has disturbed the wiring inside when the last maintenance was
done on the truck last week.
We had to resort to our newly mended platform trolley to transport over 3
loads of 10 blocks and an odd quick load of 4 blocks!
We repaired the bent wheels! The front two wheels suffered under the strain
of hoisting the concrete blocks! We were (and still are) loading 10 blocks on the trolley (this weighed in at about 270kg!) and that started the problem but really it was when we put on 13 blocks (a total of 351kg!!) .. that did the real Damaged!
I welded on some extra steel pieces to reinforce the axle to the
flange of the wheel. We only hope now that the ball bearings will survive!!!
The battery was successfully charged up using the mains charger overnight.
But when we tested the solar charger, we discovered that there was only
4volts coming out! Oops!
But after chasing down the wires and switches and relays, and not
discovering what the problem was. There was a mysterious drain of 150mAfrom
the battery and there wasn’t nothing wrong with the solar cell (it produced
24V in the bright sunshine we were having).
We slowly realised that an old keylock switch we don’t use any more, was in
the “heating” position, for warming up the engine when it is freezing out
there, and we suddenly remembered that we used the heater last week for that
exact reason .. it was blooming cold!!
But it seems that the switch was left in that position all this time – oh
xxxx!!
So the problem is now solved – because there wasn’t any in the first place!
We suspect that there is a problem with the dumper truck’s battery or the
charging circuit from the solar panel. We got only 3 starts out of the
battery today before it went flat.
We put it on the mains powered charger and left it overnight.
We have made a tool to speed up applying mortar to top of the block for the next row. This is slightly complicated in that there are only narrow rims on the blocks to put mortar on and large holes to fall into. An additional complication is the Re-bars running up the center of each hollow, so the tool had be open ended to allow use without having to lift over the top of every bar.
The tool provides two slots a front and back to fill with mortar and trowel off level with the sides, this gives a fixed mortar bed of 12 mm. The spacers continue up the face of the previous block on the row to provide a per-pend joint.
Home-made-mortar-application-Tool
Mortar-Tool-On-blocks
Mortar-Tool
Our new nail gun was delivered today (quite quick!). This gun comes with two tips,one allows you to drive standard nails into timber for joints and panel fixing, the other one has a pointed bit which locates in a hole in a metal fitting and allows you to fire a nail through the hole.
I have tried the standard nose with the nails which came at the same time and it works great! I can’t try the metal connecter one yet as the special nails havn’t come.
