Basic cement/ ballast Q

[Declan52]

3 hours ago, zoothorn said:

 

Ah ok.. so is it a library of sorts, with a photo basis to it: is that the sort of site design principle of it?

Sort of. People put everything from curry recipes to how to build a deck to fashion to cocktail mixes. It's picture based so will give you more than enough light bulb moments where you go yeah look at that and that and by God I would really eat and drink that.

[Russell griffiths]

I spend a lot of time on it getting distracted by girls with not a lot on. 

[Jeremy Harris]

19 hours ago, Onoff said:

You get the odd ad thrown in. Tried "diy guitar amplifier":

 

 

The bottom one looks like the back of my old 1960's Vox AC30...

[Onoff]

8 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

I spend a lot of time on it getting distracted by girls with not a lot on. 

 

Must admit I've searched "bikini" and "lingerie".....etc

[ProDave]

I must admit I have briefly looked at pinterest, and found it every bit as confusing and disorganised as facebook.

[Declan52]

2 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

I spend a lot of time on it getting distracted by girls with not a lot on. 

Are we still discussing Pinterest or in general.

[zoothorn]

14 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

I spend a lot of time on it getting distracted by girls with not a lot on. 

 

christ I'll get nothing done then. Onoff that's very honest!!

 

Now look back on track: I've got my plan & will see what "tannalised" timber Jewsons have/ what lengths. Spoke to my chap & mentioned 6x2 advised (on here) for outer beams: he said 'mmm maybe double them up, gotta account for +snow load etc'.

 

Because I've gone for only 4x support pillars (not 8x as would be if 3x pillars along each wall/ orig idea), I need to make sure the four load-bearing perimeter beams are perhaps OTT engineered a bit, like my plinfs are.

 

So with this in mind is the way to go doubling-up of 6x2's, or am I better going a bigger guage for my four perimeter beams?

 

 

Edited September 11, 2019 by zoothorn

[zoothorn]

18 hours ago, ProDave said:

I must admit I have briefly looked at pinterest, and found it every bit as confusing and disorganised as facebook.

 

I actually don't think I need pininterest's help on this one. I did before (esp my balcony design- it would've been perfect for that no doubt) maybe.

 

I have my design, just orientation of joists opposite to sketch my chap kindly whipped up. My Jewsons: have 6x2 tannalised, & also 6x3.. I'm wondering on 6x3's for the outer 4 beams to form my perimeter square (with two extenting out 1m over stream, usefully they're 3.6m long so little waste).. & then the 6x2's as joists?

 

Is this plan adequate support for a "2.5 x 2.5m log cabin" is the Q. Going 'doubling-up' on 6x2's seems quite a faff you see, & if 4" width possibly a bit overkill.. maybe 6x3's would fit the bill.

[zoothorn]

On 10/09/2019 at 19:09, JSHarris said:

 

The bottom one looks like the back of my old 1960's Vox AC30...

 

JSH I want to buy your old ac30! can you/ anyone suggest what plinth brackets to use for the 'full sleeper' upright columns to fix into? my pro chap said something about 'resin bolts'. Sleepers in Jewsons I looked at today are 8ft x 10"x5", nice square ends. look like creosoted softwood.

 

 

[zoothorn]

On 10/09/2019 at 19:13, Onoff said:

 

Must admit I've searched "bikini" and "lingerie".....etc

 

Onoff- can you suggest how I'm best attatching the sleeper pillars (H 85cm) > to the plinths? I've got a period of dry weather coming up so best try & get this base done if I can. 1st thing is these 2x pillars.

 

Ive looked at these 10x5 type in Jewsons/ pic 1, & trawled google info/ pics for "sleeper brackets" but can't find anything. I was hoping to find a bigger version of these pergola pillar 5" brackets/ pic 2.

 

Am I on the right track with this type of sleeper (there are loads of types) & bracket.. or are these completely -not- the right choice?

[ProDave]

Could you not use two of those brackets for each sleeper?

[Onoff]

36 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

 

Onoff- can you suggest how I'm best attatching the sleeper pillars (H 85cm) > to the plinths? I've got a period of dry weather coming up so best try & get this base done if I can. 1st thing is these 2x pillars.

 

Ive looked at these 10x5 type in Jewsons/ pic 1, & trawled google info/ pics for "sleeper brackets" but can't find anything. I was hoping to find a bigger version of these pergola pillar 5" brackets/ pic 2.

 

Am I on the right track with this type of sleeper (there are loads of types) & bracket.. or are these completely -not- the right choice?

 

If a couple of this fit nice around the sleeper then go for it. Can't really see where the fixing holes are so guessing with this drawing. MUST be galvanised, anything else and you're wasting your time. Alternative is chunky angle brackets. 

 

How big are these upright sleepers, 9x5? For a start I'd have the 9" dimn aligned with the slope.

 

Sods Law you'll hit those cut of rebars when you drill for your resin anchors! ?

 

 

Quite a few different brackets here:

 

https://www.indooroutdoors.co.uk/collections/railway-sleeper-accessories

 

Must admit when I did the kids treehouse I just had some brackets knocked up and galvanised to keep the whole thing off the deck then concreted them in. Not the best pic:

 

 

So are you planning sleeper uprights, then two sleepers across and your deck sits on that?

[Onoff]

I had visons of you doing something like this.

 

 7 green ones btw. Not shown, a line of staggered noggins/dwangs down the middle of the 2.5m span in the same direction as the pink beams.

 

Tbh for the cost difference I'd be going 8'x2". If it doesn't feel sturdy enough then you can always double up the outside green ones later. And I'd be using bfo screws not nails, like this: 

 

https://www.toolstation.com/forgefast-timber-fixing-screw/p88268

 

[zoothorn]

 

On 10/09/2019 at 09:49, PeterW said:

 

 

@Onoff I'm not sure what type of sleeper 1st off.. I see 4 types at jewsons. Reclaimed, these ones I show brown 10x5, greener ones 9x5, french oak a bit smaller but hardwood. I only need 1x cut in half to get me up to 15cm above my top plinths. Then how to attatch a beam to these two uprights/ & what guage beam to use (6x3 or two 6x2's doubled-up) I'm not sure on.

 

No I can't see any holes in the base of these bracket things- odd. I guess the lip I can accomodate by cutting a notch in sleeper end.

 

I was hoping there'd be a 'shoe' galvanised bracket thing I fix to plinth.. then plonk sleeper in.

 

 

 

 

[zoothorn]

@Onoff I like the sketch- thanks. Actually for the top two plinths I don't need upright pillars. The frame will sit on the plinths instead here. This means less wood to use (+ I'm saving going so high too: already the cabin will be perched 'up' a good 1ft).

 

My sketch pg before shows this basic idea, but its suggested just changing the joists 90*/ not doing the 'cantilever' then RHS (bc chaps here said it'll save wood/ preferable, & I can sure up the walky sticky outy bit).

[zoothorn]

@Onoff its tricky to visualise as your orientation is opposite to my sketch which is in my head & I can only go by or my head explodes trying to work this out. Your high plinths are on the RHS (mine on the LHS).

 

If we swizzle your sketch round, the joists are as I originally had too.. its suggested by Declan & PeterW to put the joists perpendicular running (front to back as we look at the image, not across left to right). Your thoughts on this appreciated.

 

 

[Onoff]

24 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

its tricky to visualise as your orientation is opposite to my sketch

 

HTF is it difficult? Meant as an idiot's guide. I even coloured it in! Slope in same direction as green ones.

 

Short of coming up and doing it for you...

 

OK, dispense with short vertical legs at rear. Sleeper sits straight on plinths.

 

Joists front to back, in line with slope imo, all day long. Much better support for cantilevered deck. The irregular number of joists, 7, will allow noggins to be staggered nicely.

 

Once the base frame is made and screwed together, then spike it with screws driven in at 45deg into the sleepers. 

 

Use the bfo green, timber screws (with an impact driver ideally) to connect horizontal sleeper at front to vertical legs.  Some guidance here for example:

 

 

Come on now, you struggled but followed my kitchen scribblings and that worked out well!

[Onoff]

Just to clarify on my "why" on the 8x2 instead of 6x2.....

 

6x2 at nom. 400mm ctrs is good all day long for the main span between plinths but I'd be going out a good 4' on the cantilever like half the cabin depth or more (you can always trim back). Could likely avoid the diagonal brace from deck to leg maybe? Would look better?  You want to be able to sit there with a bit of space for a deck chair, table etc otherwise what's the point. 

 

Just my humble opinion.

 

(Tbh that American Wood Council link I posted earlier in the thread suggests even deeper than 8x2 for a 4 foot 'ish cantilever!)

Edited September 12, 2019 by Onoff

[zoothorn]

@Onoff ok many thanks. I was just wondering if you could rotate the sketch round that's all. Then you see I can ID which beam 1,2,3,4 from my sketch. Its a p'easy project for you- but its far from simple for me having never fixed a joist or a sleeper you see.

 

I need to go back a step: is my sleeper the right one for the job? the brown 10x5 type I put a photo of, softwood afaict.

[zoothorn]

32 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

HTF is it difficult? Meant as an idiot's guide. I even coloured it in! Slope in same direction as green ones.

 

Short of coming up and doing it for you...

 

OK, dispense with short vertical legs at rear. Sleeper sits straight on plinths.

 

Joists front to back, in line with slope imo, all day long. Much better support for cantilevered deck. The irregular number of joists, 7, will allow noggins to be staggered nicely.

 

Once the base frame is made and screwed together, then spike it with screws driven in at 45deg into the sleepers. 

 

Use the bfo green, timber screws (with an impact driver ideally) to connect horizontal sleeper at front to vertical legs.  Some guidance here for example:

 

 

Come on now, you struggled but followed my kitchen scribblings and that worked out well!

 

Ok my plan wasn't to put horizontal sleepers. In my sketch (my pro chap's rough idea) the perimeter beams rest on/ attatch to the upper plinths. I'm not saying this is correct & you're not, but just want your thoughts on it.

 

You see if I put a sleeper in between, the whole structure is an extra 5" high for one thing (Im already high as it is) & is it needed I wonder?

[Declan52]

Is it not easier to use a 6*6 fence post for the up rights. All you building is a basic deck and what's normally used is 3*3 or 4*4 fence posts. But as yours is carrying weight on just two areas I would use 6*6 posts. They are strong, cheap and readily available and are treated already. Then bolt them to you pad stones using brackets like @Onoff has above. It's just a simple deck.

 

[joe90]

10 minutes ago, Declan52 said:

Is it not easier to use a 6*6 fence post for the up rights. All you building is a basic deck and what's normally used is 3*3 or 4*4 fence posts. But as yours is carrying weight on just two areas I would use 6*6 posts. They are strong, cheap and readily available and are treated already. Then bolt them to you pad stones using brackets like @Onoff has above. It's just a simple deck.

 

 

+1, 6x6 posts will carry tons!

[Onoff]

If going 6x6 then these or similar:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOLT-DOWN-HEAVY-DUTY-GALVANISED-Fence-Post-Holder-3-4-6-75-100-150-mm/264431928442?

 

[Onoff]

Shed loads more procrastination before this is over.....

[zoothorn]

1 hour ago, Onoff said:

Shed loads more procrastination before this is over.....

 

Yes I'm still procrastinating. Alot more to do too.

 

Are 6x6 going to give enough front to back rigidity tho? IE wind wallops the front, so the tendency will be to twist (rack?) the pillars backwards. I see they're easier to fit via metal brackets tho- that's good.