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Gate Pillars


Onoff

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25 minutes ago, Gus Potter said:

My view is that cement is not an option. All cements shrink.. flints have a very smooth impermeable surface and you won't get a flexible bond if you use a mix with any cement content.

 

Anything lime heavy is far too white for our liking. Worst case it fails and I have to take them all out and redo. This is the mix I'm going with.

 

- 3 soft
- 1 sharp (figured it'd add strength and maybe some interest with the fines in it)
- 1 opc
- 1 lime (for plasticity/self healing)

 

Happy with the test piece, its colour and edges around the flint:

 

IMG_20210904_181256145.thumb.jpg.429941e115609ffe2b6fc4de190559dd.jpg

 

Plan is to, once dry, treat with maybe one of the waterproofing creams and repeat as required. Goes against the grain of traditional flint walling I appreciate. Let's face it, they wouldn't have had such waterproofing coatings back in the day.

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  • 2 months later...

Decision made! It'll either work or fail miserably but it will have kept me out of the house for a good bit and is deliciously complicated.

 

I've an off cut of stainless mesh been kicking around for years. 304 I think. Bought some similar recently for work and it was nigh on £100 a sheet! It's about 16SWG/1". (Saying that I do want to make an oil flue mesh guard so I'd get my monies worth out of a sheet doing another 3 panels for the pillars and that). 

 

The plan is then to add another 4, M5 studs, resin anchored in. These won't need to be as long as the existing two as they're to anchor the coach lantern. The mesh is held in place with st/st M5 penny washers and full nuts.

 

That'll give me a rot proof, mesh "base". I'm then going to glue the individual flints on with Sticks Like Sh!t or something similar. I'll cut the mesh as required if the flint needs to sit a bit deeper past the mesh. Some flints are not so deep though, guess I set my mesh depth near to the shallowest one. Duct tape if necessary to stop the flint slipping.

 

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Once all positioned and the adhesive  set, I'll use a mortar gun to pump lots of the mix below in through the gaps, let it go off a bit and brush in around each flint.

 

The biggest problem is whether my mix will pump through my mortar gun! Really I should be out trying that rather than charging up the batteries getting ready to drill...

 

This is the test mix I did back in October 'ish this year after a lot of experimenting

 

- 3 soft

- 1 sharp (figured it'd add strength and maybe some interest with the fines in it)

- 1 opc

- 1 lime (for plasticity/self healing)

 

The sample has sat face up for the last 3 months through multiple frost's, freezing days and nights, torrential rain etc. I'm quite pleased how it's weathering. In it's final position it will get some added protection from the pillar capstone overhanging this flint face.

 

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I'm hoping that the lime will aid it going through the gun along with the liquid waterproofer. Only one way to find out!

 

 

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It peed down! So...instead of waiting for it to stop and do my test mix/pump, I thought I'd try and stick a flint to the mesh with clear Sticks Like Sh!t.

It didn't go well.

I think it's too "runny" and not "grabby" enough. I wonder if I'd be better with a dedicated grab adhesive. The flint here in the picture slowly twisted and slipped out of position. I've had to use a ratchet strap with a strategically placed twig!

 

IMG_20220102_154315294.thumb.jpg.0f036f1dd623297a98e4730c0c860ab7.jpg

 

IMG_20220102_154402841.thumb.jpg.81a8bf8fb6596bf5ed0e66969d30ee68.jpg

 

IMG_20220102_154329680.thumb.jpg.29870590b9f735d087ea909558df47bc.jpg

 

IMG_20220102_154353865.thumb.jpg.23354fbc4ab648652b6f93644a4e4401.jpg

 

Happy with the mesh as a base. Surprisingly taut and stable.

Wait for this one to dry then!

 

Probably many good reasons why it's not done like this! ?

Edited by Onoff
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The Everbuild grab adhesive was marginally better than Sticks Like Sh!t but it still slipped a bit. Very like Sikaflex EBT:

 

download.jpeg.39ff04d55405c2430146935bb75fcd28.jpeg

 

The lower ones were a pain.

Then I had a brainwave, use cable ties to tie the flints to the mesh then blob in some adhesive. As I've said some flints are quite thin and have no tail.

I like to think of myself as the Hengist Pod of flintwork!

Craftsman and those easily offended, look away now!

 

IMG_20220103_130005683_HDR.thumb.jpg.b0c2581420f88c81200e3c42408433b2.jpg

 

Going to let it set as is then finish off that top bit. The coach lantern going on the two projecting studs should hold everything in place if it all fails! ?

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1 hour ago, Roundtuit said:

Can't help thinking you could have made up a re-inforced flint panel flat, on the bench, then fixed it in to place and pointed in afterwards...

 

Erm...yeah, just come to a similar conclusion before I read this! ?

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2 hours ago, Onoff said:

The Everbuild grab adhesive was marginally better than Sticks Like Sh!t but it still slipped a bit. Very like Sikaflex EBT:

 

download.jpeg.39ff04d55405c2430146935bb75fcd28.jpeg

 

The lower ones were a pain.

Then I had a brainwave, use cable ties to tie the flints to the mesh then blob in some adhesive. As I've said some flints are quite thin and have no tail.

I like to think of myself as the Hengist Pod of flintwork!

Craftsman and those easily offended, look away now!

 

IMG_20220103_130005683_HDR.thumb.jpg.b0c2581420f88c81200e3c42408433b2.jpg

 

Going to let it set as is then finish off that top bit. The coach lantern going on the two projecting studs should hold everything in place if it all fails! ?

Expectations are high so don't (expletive deleted)ing disappoint!

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Hmmm...

Impetuous me decided to cut the cable ties off...one flint slipped straight away the other just fell off. Where the blobs are at say 3 or 4 points around the periphery of the flint it seems to be holding. Where they're at the top, in effect suspending the flint, not so good.

 

IMG_20220103_205537535.thumb.jpg.1bd4c7067391e84a6e09d291f9d8a7e6.jpg

 

IMG_20220103_205550697.thumb.jpg.20b303f8a2a057336d9c307db10766c0.jpg

 

Some like the 4 at the bottom seem to have held. The two at the very bottom were just Sticks Like Sh!t.

So WTF sticks to flint? I'm now wondering if in fact Sticks Like Sh!t is in fact better adhesion wise than the white Ever Build stuff.

Thus, with the intent of doing a basic "peel" test to see how the adhesion of each is:

 

IMG_20220103_212804468.thumb.jpg.2902579c33907621bb74d9fc02ac8e46.jpg

 

Lines of white Ever Build Multi Stick and clear Evo Sticks Like Sh!t on both the rough and smooth side of a flint. Left to dry atop the oil boiler.

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Now I know this stuff really does stick like the proverbial. It's what I used to stick the M5 studs in that hold the mesh on. I wonder if big blobs of this would better hold the actual flints? Would have be very organised and have a plan so it's not going off in the nozzle.

 

ae235.jpeg.4356acd6ba703916c351f00d0498758b.jpeg

 

 

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Hmm...on the test flint the Sticks Like Sh!t seemed to have fully dried after 24hrs. The (white) Ever Build Multi Stick was still a bit sticky underneath. On balance I'd say the Sticks Like Sh!t was adhered better. Still managed to pull it off.

 

IMG_20220104_162409046.thumb.jpg.e9f41a8f2424a2f9a09f3abc6fbb4027.jpg

 

Try again!

 

Second panel flints in their sand box for reference.

 

IMG_20220104_160551610.thumb.jpg.747c9d71b644fe27b2988eebf779c37c.jpg

 

I figured the flints being spotlessly clean might help. To think SWMBO moans I never load the dishwasher!

 

IMG_20220104_190817990.thumb.jpg.21a46b0328874546884da0b8ea9b9ef0.jpg

 

 You know that calm before the storm feeling...

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Looks like I got away with the dishwasher trick. Had it done, unloaded and restacked with dishes without her twigging.

 

They came out rather impressively hot and in fact held their heat for a long time...(heat store project? ?)

 

The next, new, rough plan goes like this then:

 

I cut a board the size of the recess. Found another bit of mesh. I organised the flints how you'll see them face on like the reference photo. I then mirrored the photo. I've laid the flints face down on the board then tried to rearrange with reasonable gaps. The mesh gets laid on top and the mesh cut out where the high points are. Shouldn't matter if it doesn't sit quite flat. I'll clamp the mesh down onto the flints then blob Fischer or similar resin in each flint to hold it to the mesh... hopefully!

 

IMG_20220105_052222981.thumb.jpg.24b9f388266c9a34de9896cd3858e92c.jpg

 

IMG_20220105_052232564.thumb.jpg.072804762081f29566df347b85eb7429.jpg

 

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, Onoff said:

Looks like I got away with the dishwasher trick. Had it done, unloaded and restacked with dishes without her twigging.

 

They came out rather impressively hot and in fact held their heat for a long time...(heat store project? ?)

 

The next, new, rough plan goes like this then:

 

I cut a board the size of the recess. Found another bit of mesh. I organised the flints how you'll see them face on like the reference photo. I then mirrored the photo. I've laid the flints face down on the board then tried to rearrange with reasonable gaps. The mesh gets laid on top and the mesh cut out where the high points are. Shouldn't matter if it doesn't sit quite flat. I'll clamp the mesh down onto the flints then blob Fischer or similar resin in each flint to hold it to the mesh... hopefully!

 

IMG_20220105_052222981.thumb.jpg.24b9f388266c9a34de9896cd3858e92c.jpg

 

IMG_20220105_052232564.thumb.jpg.072804762081f29566df347b85eb7429.jpg

 

 

 

 

Looks like you shat in those shoes 

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4 minutes ago, pocster said:

Looks like you shat in those shoes 

 

Always guaranteed to bring something to the party. 

 

There's me thinking you'd have gone with something to do with the words "face down" in the above text. 

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23 minutes ago, markc said:

One day I hope to have enough free time to #£&@ about like this. Not jealous much …. Honest .

 

I like to think I've turned procrastination into an art form.

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5 hours ago, markc said:

One day I hope to have enough free time to #£&@ about like this. Not jealous much …. Honest .

You already have the time.

You just need to let the important things that you must do fade to the side.

 

TIME created!. Now (expletive deleted) about to your hearts content!

Edited by pocster
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Something like this:

 

IMG_20220105_192957107.thumb.jpg.c2461c10cd20b08049dc4e3d36eb05be.jpg

 

IMG_20220105_192949777.thumb.jpg.96539ec5a96d60002255ea9099a2799c.jpg

 

Then rope in No.2 daughter and let loose with the resin gun:

 

IMG_20220105_193339485.thumb.jpg.362f4993c0ca674e31be6837be50ed28.jpg

 

...whilst I watch Hidden Figures with a glass of Wainwright The Golden Beer!

 

Hopefully the resin will stick like the proverbial to the flints and mesh. I'll then be able to lift the whole thing into place like a mosaic tile mat and hang from some resin studs.

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