dm434 Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Today after going with my small trailer for 4 bags of cement to the builders merchant's I ended up getting 6 for the price of 5 since GPH at Inverurie were celebrating their WESTHILL branch birthday...I never look a gift horse in the mouth and I know I will need at least a bag or two for a job at Drumoak....only saving £4.44 + VAT but I have always believed if you look after the pennies the pounds will take care of themselves Later on today I only got 4 kerbs at a corner fitted / laid today but at least that's a start....but leveling and making sure the edging is plumb does take time and I think it is always good to get things as 100% as one can from the start...only 30 to go you putting some more concrete behind those pin kerbs Bill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 I was hoping that would be sufficient David....do you think I need more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm434 Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I was hoping that would be sufficient David....do you think I need more we usually put a lot more in . be a shame if they get knocked n come loose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 Aye David but money is no object with the council ... I'm sure I could slap some more on ...just in case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm434 Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Aye David but money is no object with the council ... I'm sure I could slap some more on ...just in case good come back Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 And I'm now on my mid morning piece time break David which could be stretched to an hour ...just like the Aberdeenshire Council Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 Every so often you get one of those days where you go two steps forward and three back...well today was like that for me... maybe it was due to the loss of the hour....I don't know but at the end of the day things got better and got done so "All's well that ends well" Today I strung a line between two kerbs from yesterday to the willow fencing to discover the foundation was not wide enough. Hands up a mistake by me or should I say by my uncle Jim who was sighting the line before the foundation was done. He is 81 coming on 82 but very fit but deaf as a door knob and now I'm wondering about his sight. Anyway my own fault I should have checked and measured myself...a bit like measuring twice and cutting once Anyway uncle Jim is like a second dad to me...he phoned today saying my cousin had booked him for a holiday in Tunisia at the end of next week and he was wanting to come and help me level the forth and final foundation since he knew it was easier to do that with two people...bless him...haircut for him at 8am then out to help me....great when families work together It was easy to rectify his (I mean our mistake) by putting up another line and digging out and extra bit. It must have been nearly 1 pm new time before I was ready to start mixing cement...but no go from my new mixer. Checked the RCD socket on..ok....next check mixer fuse ok.... then try a light into RCD ...works ok....extension cable out and tried from a back bedroom close to mixer and no go...pulling out hair time but tried extension into a double socket (non RCD) at back of garage and hey presto mixer works. Confused.com since plugged a hand held light into the other RCD socket and it lit...any "sparkies" on here to offer suggestions Enough chat and well a picture paint's a thousand words Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Today this forenoon before lunch myself and uncle Jim dug out and put in level pegs for the foundation along the back willow fence.Before lentil soup and trifle from mum we went up to my late fathers grave with daffodils from his garden since every time Jim come to Kemnay he needs to visit his elder brothers grave....only a year apart and they looked like one another and could have passed for twins but my old man always said he had more hair than Jim After lunch afternoon I got two more kerbs in and then one batch of a 3/2/1 mix of crate in along the newly dug foundation along the willow fencing. It's getting there slowly but surely but I'm in no rush Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Only two edges in today and one batch of crate in back foundation before light rain stopped play...never mind I got over 190 used plastic coffee cups of 6 different varieties of sweet peas planted. Weather is looking better for tomorrow so lets hope I can get a bit more done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 Only two kerbs in yesterday but all foundations now in except for a small bit beside whirly. Most of pea crate and sand used so had to go and get a 1/4 ton of building sand. Quicker and easier to go to GPH builders merchants at Inverurie then go to the quarry and get weighed....ability to pull check and cover etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0025 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 just erected a new drive and had mr jewson with his big wagon delivering suplyes on site! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 5, 2014 Author Share Posted April 5, 2014 On Thursday light rain was forecast so time to get the "Westland Lawn Feed, Weed and Moss Killer" on from Costco in the forenoon and thanks to the BBC weather forecast ...in addition there was more heavy rain on Friday so I was pleased to see it was washed in when I visited later in the early evening on Friday. Old Primroses from my mum's parents always put on a nice bit of colour. ..... ......but must move those "rogue" yellow polyanthus ...me thinks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 5, 2014 Author Share Posted April 5, 2014 Only 3 edging in today and some back filling ...slowly but surely I'm getting there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 Well slowly but surely getting there over the past two days between other things elsewhere Thanks to Shaun Myatt on here for cutting kerbs without a "Concrete saw" and the broken piece of two kerbings split straight down the middle.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 8, 2014 Author Share Posted April 8, 2014 This afternoon another 2 kerbs in Those packing case ply are temporary to save overspill and dry out the reduced tattie plot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FB Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 recently in the garden we have been growing....bricks!!!.....finally after the storms a few months back, the guy opposite got the wall rebuilt!.....10ft high from the 1950's so you can imagine the construction.....look along it, it was about 600mm out from top to bottom!.. now 8ft high but cant see his garden, next up, replace broken fence pannel and move the shed back....that took most of the force! ok i could have posted this months ago.....but never had time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 OMG you are a blast from the past Ben....how are you doing and what have you been up to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerrabbit Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 I've been mending glass in 2 greenhouses today, some panes had split and one or 2 cracked across one corner, removed them, cleaned and used proper greenhouse 'sellotape' to hold them together, not much point in buying new panes of glass until absolutely, bit difficult to find around here now, local hardware shop stopped selling it. This afternoon I've been planting runner bean seed and shallots in pots in one greenhouse and working over the garden in preparation to till the small seeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerrabbit Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Now that spring is on the horizon and the grass is starting to grow, a few weeks ago I took a look at my lawnmower, last year the drive went wrong and I have discovered it would cost 1/2 the price of a new mower to put it right, if you can get the parts. I have been these last few weeks looking at new lawnmowers and cheap ones aren't good enough for what grass area I have to cut and expensive ones are a bit too much. So I paid a visit to a local recycling centre, formerly known as 'the Council tip', there's usually a selection of mowers in there, most of which are scrap but this time there was one that, if it ran like it looked, it would be just what I was looking for. So, I took a chance, handed a £10 note to the 'operative' and picked up the mower, complete with grass box and brought it home. Put some petrol in the tank, started it up and cut one small lawn. The engine ran ok but was 'hunting' and the drive was 'crunchy' and not really working so I took apart the carb and cleaned it, that cured the hunting and the engine is now running properly. The drive problem I discovered was that the Woodruff key on the engine shaft drive pulley had disappeared and the pulley was just loose on the shaft, I made a key, installed it, tightened up the grub screw on the opposite side in the V of the pulley against the shaft, put the belt and the blade (after sharpening it) back on and tested. Now everything works as it should and when I pull on the drive bar I've got to almost run to keep up with it. The drive problem was obviously the reason it was dumped, By the condition of it I don't think it has had very much use. A tenner well spent I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 A well spent tenner Tim. Amazing what gets thrown away when with a bit of knowledge and TLC can put it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Day xx in the Kemnay back garden but the edging is getting lessor Planners got the foundation a wee bit out..will hold back on retention money .. Hands up ...not straight but it had to deviate to tie in with the fence Decided to decant excess soil in to the area for chuckies.....free to good home or will be dumped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 Well 27 kerbs laid now...3 broken...I was a bit heavy handed with the mash today so it adds to the 2 broken from loading (which were replaced and delivered to me)......6 now left and I think I require 5 plus a couple of cut ones. Assuming no further breakages I should have enough to finish...not bad on estimates...mind you a Quantity Surveyor was my second preferred career after an Architect ...but I ended going to Aberdeen University and then becoming a Chartered Accountant for 33 years before being made redundant ...but hey ho such is life and the pay off I got to avoid going to a solicitor (to fight my job being done by cheaper labour in Dubai) will keep me going for a few years....I have woken up some days and had to ask myself...what day is this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestoys Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Well 27 kerbs laid now...3 broken...I was a bit heavy handed with the mash today so it adds to the 2 broken from loading (which were replaced and delivered to me)......6 now left and I think I require 5 plus a couple of cut ones. Assuming no further breakages I should have enough to finish...not bad on estimates...mind you a Quantity Surveyor was my second preferred career after an Architect ...but I ended going to Aberdeen University and then becoming a Chartered Accountant for 33 years before being made redundant ...but hey ho such is life and the pay off I got to avoid going to a solicitor (to fight my job being done by cheaper labour in Dubai) will keep me going for a few years....I have woken up some days and had to ask myself...what day is this Have you had a good drink of the old Whiskey there Bill as the edgings are going a little off straight?You probably have your reasons.Keep Smiling as you are getting there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 Going as best I could with the run of the fence Shaun to leave as equal a flower border I could for the sweet peas and tom thumbs to grow in. Never touch "whiskey" but have been known to have a whisky at times. Yes I getting there and in no rush really...only setting 2 kerbs a day...so I don't think this will become my new line of work but I'm enjoying the outdoor life especially with the nice spell of weather we have been having. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 Today I moved more soil from the reduced veggie patch to the area to be levelled and laid with chuckies. Whether I can use it all I don't know at this stage but if not it will just have to be carted away and dumped. Got 8 tattie drills up to dry and seed are nicely sprouted so later on today after setting another two kerbs my plan is to get the tatties in since the soil is in nice condition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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