Zoot wood balcony job.

[joe90]

@zoot, is it a sliding mitre saw? If so the easiest way to cut that out is to cut loads of cuts a few millimetres apart then knock them out and tidy up with a chisel, slots like this.

 

 

[zoothorn]

3 hours ago, joe90 said:

@zoot, is it a sliding mitre saw? If so the easiest way to cut that out is to cut loads of cuts a few millimetres apart then knock them out and tidy up with a chisel, slots like this.

 

 

Aha gotcha. Good idea.. yes mine slides fwd/ back on 2 rails, thanks J90.

 

 

[zoothorn]

On 21/08/2022 at 19:54, joe90 said:

@zoot, is it a sliding mitre saw? If so the easiest way to cut that out is to cut loads of cuts a few millimetres apart then knock them out and tidy up with a chisel, slots like this.

 

 

Hi chaps. notches cut y'day, couldn't use chopsaw/ mechanism got in the way.. dammit. So took most of the day using a circ saw handsaw & chisel.
 

Painted notches, shoe spikes on. So sort of ready to fix posts in place. Would the idea be:

 

1) offer up post, rest it on something, temporarily screw front beam into it.

 

Use batons fixed to lower area of post & fettle into place to get frame above it level.. & post plumb.
 

Then add hardcore ( into bucket, bottom jigsawed out).

 

Ready for postcrete.

 

? I can't quite do Onoff idea of resting spike onto a slate or so, lying on hardcore.. as I'd need to fill each bucket 2/3rds full of hardcore, in order to get the slate high enough. Unless I'm not thinking right.

 

Thanks, zoot.

 

 

 

 

 

[Onoff]

Yes, horizontal battens attached to the post low down maybe sat on bricks outside the hole. Then bottom of spike I assume will be hanging in mid air, in the hole? Fill up with concrete.

[zoothorn]

2 hours ago, Onoff said:

Yes, horizontal battens attached to the post low down maybe sat on bricks outside the hole. Then bottom of spike I assume will be hanging in mid air, in the hole? Fill up with concrete.

Aha that's an idea, maybe easiest for me alone.

 

What is the usual space between concrete & galv shoe bottom? Presumably the idea -isn't- to have the concrete right up to the shoe, a bit of spike is meant to be visible. But sort of how much is the norm?

 

Thanks, zoot.

[joe90]

1 hour ago, zoothorn said:

What is the usual space between concrete & galv shoe bottom?

25 - 50mm should be fine, other than that 1 - 2 inches will do 🤣

[Pocster]

7 minutes ago, joe90 said:

25 - 50mm should be fine, other than that 1 - 2 inches will do 🤣

6 inches always best 😉

[Onoff]

53 minutes ago, pocster said:

6 inches always best 😉

 

For once I'd agree.

 

From top of concrete to underside of timber post I'd aim if you can for 150mm. 

 

I don't know how long the spike is btw.

 

The reason for this is raindrops hit the ground and bounce up about 6". It's an old rule of thumb that serves well. If not then I'd paint the bottom say 1' of post in black bitumen paint. An alternative is a "wrap" of some sort.  Tbh I'd be sitting the post ends in a bucket of preserver anyway so it's sucks up as much as possible. 

[PeterW]

4 hours ago, Onoff said:

The reason for this is raindrops hit the ground and bounce up about 6". It's an old rule of thumb that serves well.

 Not when you cover the ground with gravel …

[Onoff]

32 minutes ago, PeterW said:

 Not when you cover the ground with gravel …

 

His isn't though...

[zoothorn]

15 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

His isn't though...

Hi Onoff. 
 

Back on board with job today. Ok got this far (all morning to get post set.. but it's not yet rock steady, even with my 3 tethers, because of the weight pulling down: your idea of the spike sitting on a slate is best.. but not easy for me alone to do). Post is temp screwed into frame: the only thing holding the post up. I might have to redo all this.. urgh.

 

Ok. The concern I have as it is, is my spike only hits halfway down bucket. If I fill concrete to very rim, I'll only be 5" spike in concrete. Spike is 8" long. I whacked the clay base firm, which in turn caused the bucket to go down an inch.. not helping.

 

Now I do have a bucket of hardcore. So, could I maybe: lift bucket up, pour in hardcore for an inch " bed", then rest bucket onto it? It now won't be wedged in though. Sloped bucket sides etc.. so this problem to solve.

 

Job you guys would do in 2 hours... taken me 1/2 a week!!

 

Thanks, zoot

 

 

Bucket has base cutout. Now I have a bucket of hardcore

 

 

[zoothorn]

[zoothorn]

[zoothorn]

@Onoff need your help here/ anybody..

 

As you can see this bucket just ok if I fill it to brim (= spike set 6" into concrete).. but far bucket is a good inch lower. Means I need to raise it an inch, to get my (8" long) spike in 6" into concrete. 
 

So do I put a 1" bed of hardcore in hole, rest bucket on, then fill in gap around bucket ( formed because of lifting it up a bit) with soil? Does this need to be really well compacted? After al, it's what the concrete block within the bucket, will rest against is my point. Thx zh

 

 

[zoothorn]

Another Q chaps.

 

Postcrete. I didn't find this so easy with my gate posts ( 1st time I've ever used it). I prepped as mine is now, poured water in... & it fkd off! Just drained out of hole. Anyway finally sorted with a big bed of postcrete powder, then added water ontop, sort of bunged up the plughole or whatever was causing water to fk off.

 

Nothing tells me how much water, for one bag. Its too vague for a newbie= I have no confidence. Can anyone help?

 

I've2 buckets to fill, 2 bags postcrete. And most of a bucket of hardcore.. but not quite sure if it's best to bung bucket 1/3 rd full of hardcore first maybe.

 

Ideal if I can use 1 bag/ return the other. Only if safe to.

 

Thanks, zoot

Edited August 25, 2022 by zoothorn

[Onoff]

9 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

So do I put a 1" bed of hardcore in hole, rest bucket on

 

This drawing of mine from way back whenever. Can't remember if I specifically said but the idea was o take the bottom out if the bucket and use as a former...as I've drawn. I said then to tamp down hardcore in the base of the hole...you didn't but are talking about it now.

 

Get in with it, you'll do whatever you want. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zoothorn]

Chaps, really need help with this postcrete. I just don't really understand it.

33 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

This drawing of mine from way back whenever. Can't remember if I specifically said but the idea was o take the bottom out if the bucket and use as a former...as I've drawn. I said then to tamp down hardcore in the base of the hole...you didn't but are talking about it now.

 

Get in with it, you'll do whatever you want. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes. Which is exactly what I've done Onoff. 

 

I'm onto postcrete, but on the bag it says 2 litres water, then postcrete. 2 litres?! I was thinking surely 25 litres.

 

How can I judge then how to get the concrete, to the rim of the bucket, using postcrete-?

 

Ok I could just pour in more & more water until its up to the rim. But surely this will just mean more & more weakness to the concrete. 2 litres seems conpletely absurd.

 

 

[zoothorn]

@Onoff The only thing done different, is my post is suspended, not resting on a slate. But I don't think the difference matters. I've added stones ontop the hardcore 1" base, so about 1/3rd bucket is full as it is.

 

Different postcrete vids shows totally different water ammounts. So are all these bags essentially the same, & I can use 2/3 rds bucket of water, to get my mixture up to the rim-?

 

Or do I go with the bag instructions, 2 litres water, meaning I'll need about 2 maybe 3 bags, just to fill 3/4 of a bucket, with concrete. This seems excessive.

 

@joe90 I wonder if you can help. Thanks, zoot

 

 

 

[zoothorn]

Chaps, is this correct for my job? I've been told now there are 3 different types of this stuff. I'm out of my depth here.

 

Thing is, " fill a bucket with concrete" will be easy for you chaps. You have a mixer, or, you know what consistency & materials you need, to create a concrete mixture, for a particular job.

 

I don't have these things. So, I can only use a ready-made bag of "concrete". This limits me (afaict) to one product. Postcrete. I ask for it, & loaded into my car is this stuff. Told it's the same. But it's not called postcrete, & when I look it up there are 3 types. Urgh. It says on it in bold "aggregate mix, for innitial post set". Is this what I'm doing-? Is this stuff totally wrong? I have no idea.

 

Thanks, zoot

 

 

 

 

[markc]

That will do nicely

[Onoff]

Wtf are you on / on about? Earlier you were on about whacking down clay and should you add hardcore as in you hadn't? Plus you've used Postcrete before. Go and look on YouTube like everyone else does. 

[zoothorn]

26 minutes ago, markc said:

That will do nicely

Hi markc,

 

apologies for the newbie questions. This stuff is though perhaps different to postcrete (IE is it different msybe to the standard usual powder stuff, I used once before, but panicked as the water I put in dissapeared, & I did not find easy to know what to do). Is this stuff maybe already wetted I wonder/ hence the tiny ( weird) ammount of water it says to put in, 2 litres? If so, maybe its meant as a pre-postcrete mixture, & a bag will maybe create -I guess- 1/3rd the volume of mixture, as a normal postcrete bag might?
 

The 3m setting thing scares me, as how can I know if Ive got enough stuff.. to get to my bucket rim. I don't. (Who on earth needs 3m setting time?!)

 

---

 

Another idea. I have 2/3rds bucket of hardcore, cement. If I could -make- concrete, I could be done with these damn bags. Is this feasable? Am I thinking right? Can concrete be hand mixed/ made on a board, with a shovel etc?

 

If so, I need sand I believe. Is this type needed called " builders sand"? Or "sharp sand"? Or some other type to ask for?

 

Sorry, few q's. And I've asked before but cannot recall where or what answers given. I think maybe it was " use postcrete".

 

Zoot

 

 

 

[zoothorn]

23 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Wtf are you on / on about? Earlier you were on about whacking down clay and should you add hardcore as in you hadn't? Plus you've used Postcrete before. Go and look on YouTube like everyone else does. 

Not much difference to whacking down the clay base, to adding a bit of hardcore (to raise my bucket up) & whacking this into the clay.. is there?

 

I've used postcrete, & it was a disaster, not easy.. & besides is this stuff actually postcrete? ( pic added) 2 litres of water seems bizarre: maybe therefore its wet, not powder (feels like wet gravel) & makes only 1/4 ammount of mixture. If so it's wrong for my job surely. My mistake. Or jewson's who told me it's postcrete.

[markc]

It’s postcrete, it’s dry. If you want to use it like wet pour concrete then put it in a tub or on a board, as some water and mix up till it’s like thick rice pudding, stuff in hole and wait a bit. Note as it’s postcrete so sets very quick …. Mix quick and get it in, or put in dry, add water and poke and prod a bit to mix up.

[zoothorn]

4 minutes ago, markc said:

It’s postcrete, it’s dry. If you want to use it like wet pour concrete then put it in a tub or on a board, as some water and mix up till it’s like thick rice pudding, stuff in hole and wait a bit. Note as it’s postcrete so sets very quick …. Mix quick and get it in, or put in dry, add water and poke and prod a bit to mix up.

Thanks markc. Understood. Ok but it's this 3m set time, & mainly it's this 2 litres water thing.. it's stumped me totally. Before, using whatever "postcrete" bag it was, I bunged in at least half a bucket water, then the powder. After a panic/ stress, it seemed to work. This... doesn't feel like powder, it feels like wet maleable pea-sized aggregate something or other. It just doesn't seem the same.

 

If I put in 2 litres water, then this bag, Im 3/4 way up my bucket. Then I have to put in 2 more lites, & open next bag, by which time the first lot has set. So I've bodged up my job... afaict.