Druidic exploits of a various nature!!

[245dlc]

Having a duck, a tilty, forks, LED's, and buckets you've got it all Graeme. I got to use a tilty one summer and really enjoyed it but it did take a while 'to get the hang of'.

[v8druid]

Having a duck, a tilty, forks, LED's, and buckets you've got it all Graeme. I got to use a tilty one summer and really enjoyed it but it did take a while 'to get the hang of'.

Bert, butty bach, yer forgot the block/brick grab, rock/timber grapple, clamshell bucket and the blade forks ........ I've been consoling them all, all day, that you forgot to mention them oh and the man basket and grading beam wanted me to say Hi too !!!!!

And fancy forgetting this .........





the VA-r sure is a handful Bert and will take a long time to master with my infrequent/limited usage - get a hitch under it and that'll change for sure!

You know it's on there though, even though it's not much heavier than the competition's offerings on 70 mm pins, if at all, but it's still all there at 500kgs, plus 430kgs for the forks. Stable enough though, until you start to stretch a bit !!
A pallet of blocks on it, at a bit of a reach, had the front end off the deck yesterday!
Could've done with the blade forks and that concrete block sat on the blade !! (or the legs down)



bloody handy being able to just turn 'em into a corner though



I'm going to enjoy the facility, once I get my head around it, with a bit more use and it becomes a bit more 'second nature', rather than having to think carefully, each time I press a button!!

[v8druid]

Well I ain’t stopped all day, but don’t seem to have achieved a lot, or at least don’t have a lot to show for it.

All the fiddly bits are done and all the pine end slash cuts are done too, painted and ready to go up tomorrow along with 24 back wall boards.

The battery drill’s gonna be steaming by the end of the day tomorrow – may have to get a couple more out!!

‘Fraid there ain’t a lot of pix tonight as (a) I ain’t taken many today and (b) there weren’t a lot to take pix of !!

Did hang the doors today, to make sure that everything’s gonna clear – been a while since I last saw these in the frame, so thought I’d better have a look-see!



They’re bloody heavy so slung ‘em ..






They just happen to be dark (bitter choccy) brown, as that's what they got painted when they were made - 'bout 8 years ago - the boss has plans for them - Massey Fergy Red isn't apparently a suitable colour - pity; got a gallon o' that sat !! The current plan, so I'm told, is some sort of orange or yellow !!! Hydrema yellow doesn't count !!
Black sounded OK to me !




Looks a good size with the towers out of here ........ shame about the tank !!

Gonna be a.n.other busy day tomorrow !

[245dlc]

Lol, oops didn't mean to hurt any feelings, maybe that yellow paint is actually IHC yellow? Or maybe JD yellow? Or heck dare I say it Cat yellow?

[v8druid]

Lol, oops didn't mean to hurt any feelings, maybe that yellow paint is actually IHC yellow? Or maybe JD yellow? Or heck dare I say it Cat yellow?

LOL Bert - apparently CAT yeller is deffo not what she has in mind!! ........ Bloody attachments have been sulking all day mate

[v8druid]

“Home alone” today ...... Mrs D had to mind her daughter’s shop for the day, so missing a pair of hands!

Made a start on the cladding on then pine ends ...



Did what I could off the tower on the back end and turned my attentions to the smaller bits on the front....



Before struggling with shifting the tower I thought I’d get the barge cut for what I could get at, before shifting it over ....



To do the other side’s cladding and barge .....



I’m now faced with the prospect of either trying to shift the damned tower, as is, or strip it to get it to a lighter state to transfer it to the front ....... not keen, so thought – “sod it, pallet on’t forks and use the ‘Drema !!



Damned sight more stable than the tower, I can tell yer’s !!!

Got the cladding done and cracked on with the barges on the front ...



Good view from up there too .....





Knew I was going to have a bit of a fiddle about around the door ......



and managed to mock it up/set it out on an o/cut,



so’s I could get it in the right place on’t last barge ......



Slight ‘snag’ ........



and further trimming required .....



But got it sorted to my satisfaction ......... and a full door swing ....



Left all the barges in place on a couple of screws each, awaiting the arrival of yet more bituminous, having finished off the 25 ltr I had, yesterday (not all on this, I might say) – gotten through about 15 ltr.s so far and about 4 ltrs of thinners, for the ‘Druids formula’ for coating all the cladding.

There was some discussion, on Pam’s return, as to whether to paint the barges, whatever colour she eventually decides on for the doors – They’re gonna be black !!

Usual story – lots more here, for those of a masochistic persuasion !!
http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/v8...lideshow/sheds
http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/v8...lideshow/scans

[v8druid]

“Home alone” again today ...... Mrs D had to do a ‘wedding fair’ for her daughter today, so missing a pair of hands ........ again!
Pam’s about to become a granny in the next week or two and Vicki – her daughter, is starting to ‘feel the strain’ of running her own biz ........ whilst damned near 9 months pregnant !! Pam’s knackered – been two busy days !!

Anyways ....... another 'didn’t stop, but not a lot to show for it day' ... stripped the lock off the doors, free-ed it off, lubed, reassembled and refitted it, so now the door’ll stay closed!

Sussed, measured up and cut the eaves boards, which was a seriously time consuming exercise, to get right .....







Temporarily fitted to the front to check for fit and cut the rear wall’s boards too .....



...... but couldn’t fit ‘em due to the fact that the cladding still isn’t on the back wall, aside from the corner / end boards.

Started to rectify that, late afternoon, but really a double handed job, to be comfortable --- in other words bloody hard graft on yer own and not the easiest of spots!!



Was going well, considering .......



Then this happened .....



Ran out of light !!
Just as well really, ‘cos I was running out of steam and the driver was running out of batteries !!

Picked up the last but one board and damn me only one side of it was painted ..... she’s sacked!!

So, with all conspiring against a finish tonight, I conceded defeat and came in for tea!!!!!

Very pleased really with the way it’s all gone and as I’ve said many times before, with all things, it’s the fiddly bits that take a massive amount of time ....... to get right ... and if you don’t, you might as well not bother!!!!

[245dlc]

Yeah I can understand the frustrations with the fiddy bits Graeme I've gotten to that point with my sluice box kinda I have to figure out how to make up some adjustable legs, thankfully it's just a hobby and I can take my time.

[ianoz]

I hope you didn't seal them doors to perfection .
Bit of Rain through that open roof ,and I can see you gettinga BIG sirprise when you open the door

[v8druid]

I hope you didn't seal them doors to perfection .
Bit of Rain through that open roof ,and I can see you getting a BIG sirprise when you open the door

PMSL Ian - very good ...... the bad news is it's supposed to piss down tonight! ....... fortunately I haven't put the threshold on the cill strip yet ...... or sealed / grouted under the sole plates ...... so should be OK !

[v8druid]

Not a lot of progress on the shed front yesterday !

Pam’s daughter and hubby have just had a new bathroom installed and no one else, but yours truly, was trusted to fit the bath panel !!!

What a bitch of a job ! 4 components, no fixing kit, no instructions and no hope of getting it done, in a hurry !

Six hours and some serious druid head-scratching later, it was in and done, but I do not want to see another one o’ these ba****ds this decade !!

OK I was being very fussy about it, understandably, but ....... what a piece of crap - supposedly a bespoke kit - too long, too wide and total shit! God knows what they ripped the kids off for it, but if it had been mine it'd have gone back!! Could've done as good a job with some WBP and some Fablon! The screws you can see will have to be replaced with some dome/cap headed mirror type screws ....... but it's in !!



Anyway ...... new day today and this is what you couldn’t see in the last pic of the previous post .....



...... due to the lack of lumens !!

I’ve spent the day chopping all the trim covers for the joints ....





...... and‘ve ended up with a. n. other pile of bits requiring an application of some of the Druid’s ‘formula’ .......



...........when the new 25 ltr drum of bit. arrives !!
Email from the carriers this morning, stating it would be with us this afternoon – please ensure someone is there to take delivery.......
Shitty email from me tonight asking WTF it wasn’t delivered and why had they wasted my time waiting in for them?

All the bits, that are natural wood colour, are all temp. fixed, for sizing, so’s I can get on and will all eventually be blacked too. Only another 24 pieces to do in the morning !!

Pam’s Bro., who’s a builder, turned up this afters and after casting a critical eye over yon structure for ten minutes, says “what yer doin’ next week Gra, my chippy’s off - wanna job? ”
I take that as a real compliment, coming from Phil – he’s quite a ‘legend’ in his field around here and a seriously good stone mason !

[ianoz]

Great work Graham .
Must be a world wide thing with transport companies .
We are 550 Ks north of Brisbane ,the capital of Queensland ..A long way in your scheme of things , but bugger all here .
Transport companies have decided , we can not longer get an over night service from brisbane

[v8druid]

I've had stuff from Scotland, on a pallet overnight, before now Ian and tha's a bit more than 550ks

The most annoying bit is the email saying ..... we will be there - make sure you are!!
OK I was, but could well have had other things to do ........ like fitting the shower head, etc., at Pam's daughter's

Just another typical, don't give a shit, **** up!! TOSSERS!!!!

[v8druid]

No reply today from the paint carriers, so sent ‘em another shitty mail, followed up by a call to their help line, which was very unhelpful ....... as it went straight to an ansafone.
Infuriated to find their tracking site said the delivery had been “carded” – driver had left a card to say ‘failed delivery – I waited all day for the bar steward yesterday!!
So rang the suppliers and got a lovely lady on’t phone who said “leave it with me for 10 minutes”.
Within five I had the manager of the carriers on the phone with a grovelling apology and a promise of delivery without fail by three today – no show ring him on his mobile to chase it.
It was here at 15.00 on the dot !!
Rang the suppliers back this morning to thank her for her efforts – such a pleasant change to find somebody prepared to provide customer service – pay for next day, you want next day ....... not the day after !!!!

Now the antipathy of this story ..... booked a pallet collection in north Yorks Tuesday morning about ten o’clock – collection stated as Wednesday – fine!!
Eventually got the shipping label emailed to me, to forward to the sender, which I did late last night.
Text this morning to say they’d collected the pallet Tuesday afternoon !!!!!!! WOW!!

My phone goes at nine this morning ... carrier asking directions and I assume it’s me paint ........ this is before the above saga unfolded .....
Anyway talk the guy in, turn him around and he says he’s gonna have to drop a pallet off on the floor first, to get at my delivery – strange???
It’s only a 25ltr drum of paint!
When I peer around the pallet he wants to drop off, there’s my pallet, that’d been collected yesterday!!!! Impressed was not the word.

So asked him to relocate off the drive and up onto the patch as;
(a) his tail lift wasn’t big enough for the pallet that was in the way!
and
(b) I was gonna need the ‘Drema to get that off his van and to get my pallet off too, ‘cos that wasn’t gonna fit on his tail lift either !!!!!

We eventually juggled it all about and he was the second guy this month who’d never been off loaded by a fork wielding duck before !!
Pretty good start to the day really. This is what arrived.......







The numbers stamped into it say it’s 1972 – doubt it’s done a weeks work !!



You all know where this is going, eh?
The makings have arrived, so now I need to get this shed finished so I can get on with the ‘other projects’ that’re starting to mount up!!!!
( did have half an hour or so ‘fiddling’, lubing it up and checking it’d go round, as it should ....... it did – one happy Druid)!!
A really nice 3mm drum, bolt in paddles, nice drive system, that’ll adapt, sweet as .... what more could I want for 65 quid (and another 35 for the pallet)
Anyone need summat shifting – pallet2ship ..... everytime !!
POP to book a collection from anywhere!!

[v8druid]

Got the other 24 pieces cut later on, this morning ........



..... and stood ‘em up in the sun to dry ...... they weren’t wrong about the rain here last night !! Pee-ed down all night!

Whilst they were drying .... and me paint was wending its way to Chez Druid, I got some ‘access’ sorted for the back o’t shed, in readiness for some sheeting action, shortly.



Not the easiest of spots to deal with, but managed it ......

Them boards are either getting heavier, or I’m getting weaker, but getting ‘em up over my head was a non starter – so slung ‘em on the forks, scootched ‘em into spot a POP, with the VA-r’s help and just slid ‘em along to where I needed ‘em.



It’ll certainly make life a whole lot easier this side and can get at everything else either off a tower or the ‘Drema’s pallet platform !!

The paint eventually arrived and I spent the rest of what was left of the day blacking up what I need next ........



........ ready to get stuck up tomorrow, which’ll hopefully let me get on with some sheeting.

So Ian .......... watch this space !!