MikeSharp01 Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 (edited) I will shortly be laying the foundations of our new build and am looking in invest in a thwacker plate and a set of vibrating rolls to compact the trenches and the passive slab base. What should I be looking for? I think a thwacker about 300mm wide would be perfect but as for the roller I am not sure. I am looking at used plant but I suppose I could buy the thwacker new as they don't seem expensive (on the scale of things). PS if anybody is looking to move on such equipment happy to hear about it / message me. Edited October 28, 2016 by MikeSharp01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 I bought my Wacker plate from ebay. Keep an eye there and on gumtree. I have never heard of using one to compact foundations trenches, just ground you have infilled. I won't be selling mine, it's one of those things like the cement mixer that I will be keeping. I have already hired out the wacker a couple of times and got half my purchase price back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 Not sure what you mean by a set of vibrating rolls. do you mean the like of this https://www.hss.com/hire/p/mini-vibrating-roller-petrol the Wacker you will use loads and as Dave says you might even get a few Bob back from hiring it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted October 29, 2016 Author Share Posted October 29, 2016 Yep thats the sort of roller, can't compact type 1 syb base with a wacker it wont do deep compacting. On the wacker front I meant on the drainage trench bottoms before the pea shingle. Ok Gumtree alerts already set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 (edited) Not just hire a driving one out for a day or two. As you say it will only used for the heavy base and after that your Wacker will do what you need. Much better compaction with the sit on rollers also and more fun!!! Unless you are going to buy a caravan and take up tarmacing drives it's not something that gets used much on any site. http://www.jewson.co.uk/tool-hire/compaction/vibrating-compactors/products/2612/tandem-vibratory-roller/ £235 for a week and probably cheaper locally. Have never seen a trench getting wacked before drainage goes in. You can give it a good squeeze with the digger when you are digging it. Edited October 29, 2016 by Declan52 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 1 hour ago, Declan52 said: [...] You can give it a good squeeze with the digger when you are digging it. Just this minute come back from having done exactly that to our dog's favourite ball. I never knew that collies could give dirty looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 You may add a new ball to your site shopping list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 My trick with the digger when digging a trench, was to give it a final sweep with the bucket turned up, so the teeth don't dig anything and it is in effect the back of the bucket cleaning out the bottom of the trench and compacting anything left loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted October 29, 2016 Share Posted October 29, 2016 1 hour ago, ProDave said: My trick with the digger when digging a trench, was to give it a final sweep with the bucket turned up, so the teeth don't dig anything and it is in effect the back of the bucket cleaning out the bottom of the trench and compacting anything left loose. +1, I was thought to " iron" the bottom of a trench with the back of the bucket, it works well and saves a lot of shovel work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 Great day in the toyshop! (well Gumtree) set an alert for a wacker yesterday, braved the M25, and a corner of Essex, this afternoon and came home with a real Waker for under the £100. Runs well needs a bit of attention here and there. Maybe I will give the roller a miss... The other (better half) muttered something about this build being just an opportunity to buy toys. On another note I built a hot wire cutter this morning for cutting up the EPS foe the garden room insulation. Works like a dream 20V at 700mA across 450mm of wire, not as fast as I wanted to get to on cutting speed so will have to look at heavier gauge wire and a bit more umph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 6 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said: On another note I built a hot wire cutter this morning for cutting up the EPS foe the garden room insulation. Works like a dream 20V at 700mA across 450mm of wire, not as fast as I wanted to get to on cutting speed so will have to look at heavier gauge wire and a bit more umph. I built one using guitar strings - cheap as chips and worked really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted October 30, 2016 Author Share Posted October 30, 2016 Air on a G string! You can play the wire I am using but I will get a guitar string tomorrow - my son plays bass but they all look a bit thick to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 I once used an old speed controller from a model plane to control the temperature of a cutting bow... by remote control obviously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 7 hours ago, MikeSharp01 said: Great day in the toyshop! (well Gumtree) set an alert for a wacker yesterday, braved the M25, and a corner of Essex, this afternoon and came home with a real Waker for under the £100. Runs well needs a bit of attention here and there. Maybe I will give the roller a miss... The other (better half) muttered something about this build being just an opportunity to buy toys. On another note I built a hot wire cutter this morning for cutting up the EPS foe the garden room insulation. Works like a dream 20V at 700mA across 450mm of wire, not as fast as I wanted to get to on cutting speed so will have to look at heavier gauge wire and a bit more umph. Is that current regulated? The one I built worked but I kept snapping the wire. I used quite fine Kanthal wire from memory. I also killed a randomly selected plug in wall wart from the "that'll come in useful box". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 On 28 October 2016 at 23:18, MikeSharp01 said: I will shortly be laying the foundations of our new build and am looking in invest in a thwacker plate and a set of vibrating rolls to compact the trenches and the passive slab base. What should I be looking for? I think a thwacker about 300mm wide would be perfect but as for the roller I am not sure. I am looking at used plant but I suppose I could buy the thwacker new as they don't seem expensive (on the scale of things). PS if anybody is looking to move on such equipment happy to hear about it / message me. Don't forget we have a market place section here mike . Pop any other items in the 'wanted' section, and check there's nothing you need soon on there 'for sale' too . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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