Druidic exploits of a various nature!!

[v8druid]

Was looking decidedly drier today when I wound the old roller up ... been windy as hell here all day ....








I'm going to have to have a MAJOR re-juggle of some of this lot








and various other pallets of stuff, lying about the place ... gonna need to create some turning space for some 8 wheeled tippers to get some planings delivered!!


looked even better after yet another 'twice over' before we had to go into town at 17.00.





Forecast is a wet night though ..... will undo all the nice drying weather of the last two days

[v8druid]

well it's been blowing well .... and it's drying quietly .... gave it a.n.other twice over .... well most of it anyway, before tea tonight .....





gonna need a lot more blow though ..... and forecast wet again tonight .... grrrrrrr!!


got a lil' job done this morning .... been sat about a while and it's needed shortly ..










dragged Alex's big(ger) HPX out of the chaos .....





and got the spigot fitted





followed by an S type ....





needs the spacer spigot to clear the gripper on his SMP





the multi holed mount gives an opportunity to put the head plate in a multitude of positions ..... just in case !!


got it on his trailer later this afternoon ........ after I'd lifted off the next project(s) ......

[v8druid]

Soooooo, what sort of shed is ya getting ?

the "sort" with a waterproof roof, walls, big doors, solid concrete floor and good lighting

[ianoz]

Soooooo, what sort of shed is ya getting ?

[v8druid]

considering the rain these last 24 hrs .... 'tain't looking too bad ..... gonna have to take a bit more off the rock bed in one spot and form a deeper channel to me back drain ... other than that .... it'll do






now for it to dry enough to get a roller on it

[v8druid]

Was a bit 'sticky' under foot this morning , from yesterdays deluge







but lifted the old girl off the bench and got it to start ..... for about 2 minutes ..... followed by a complete fuel system strip .... drain tank, clean, refill with non water contaminated cherry, then bleed all the water out of everywhere else .... the return into the tank goes through a rubber grommet ... a better system is required .... maybe several months worth of rain infiltration in't tank





eventually got her going and performing very well .... best in a looong time in fact ..... but yon ground was a bit too wet in places ....





did manage 2 circuits though and got it sealed off a bit ...... just before Alex arrived ........... together with the rain .... forecast is diabolical for the next few days ...... after all this lovely weather, the return to 'normality' is a major pisser


MUCH bigger roller required, to smash this lot down ..... when it dries sufficiently, I'll hire that 1200mm, ride on

[v8druid]

so .... peeing down this morning !!!! 2.15 appointment ..... 75 or 90 mile round trip depending on route ..... Friday traffic is always shit so 12.15 departure - in case!! .... in the Dept. of Physical medicine by 1.30 .... amazing, considering the traffic ..... even more amazing - - I am the only one there !!!


Sat waiting for 20 min.s and got called in ... nice and early. Back in the car and en route home by 2.15 .... result !!


despite horrendous traffic and some old biddy doing 28 mph, that I just could not get past for 4 miles, I was drinking a coffee at home at 3.15.
always a 'quick run' on me own !! No funny whining noises from the passenger seat .... LOL


day knacked, so thought I'd tackle a job I've been less than enthusiastic to sort for a while ... was 'in the mood' ..... repair me roller ... again !!


been on the bench for months awaiting my attention !!


Had it in bits in about 30 minutes ... know me way around it now ....


'the lumpy bit' wasn't as heavy as I recall it being, the last time I humped it off !! Must be getting fitter again .... LOL .... older for sure !


As I thought .. one of the drive bobbins had worked loose and wrecked its hole .... and wrecked all the other bobbins as well.


a 'fix' was required ...







Bloody casting number exactly where I wanted to park the mag drill ..... so that had to go!!





BIG centre drill soon had centre re-orientated ...





14mm broach ......
....soon had a nice tapping hole for an M16 stud.





which was duly created/fitted and peened in place ..





at which point the bell tolled ....... for tea !!


back to it ..... didn't recall it looking this 'busy' when I left it ???





8.5mm for an M10 later ......





and job did ... six new bobbins and drives fitted, that I'd invested in, from the roller's makers, this time .... over 10 quid each .... they had better be ****ing good !!!





and the drive train re-assembled .......





on a roll, but running out of light .... that phenomenon that's been missing of late, I'm pleased to say!!


the mission was to get the bugger re-assembled before the light beat me, so an acute lack of pix


It's ready to be lifted down in the morning and given a test drive ..... might set the alarm for six and serenade next doors with the Petter's clatter, 'bout 6.30.


As I was told ....... a while back, by a certain knob-head ... " things change - you'll get used to it " ........ works both ways .... they'll get used to it !! ....... me - pissed off - nah - - what ever makes you think that ??

[v8druid]

Busy day Wednesday .....


decided to take the 6" off the rock bed that was left .... and came off pretty well .... would not have wanted to do it all though !!! Took a while to get it down !





all tracked in and leveled off on the 'way out' with the last pass.











ready for some serious rolling down ..... which I'd be doing today, if I didn't have to go to Cardiff for another bloody scan ... 14:15 appointment for a 10 minute DEXA ..... local boys got a 3.8t 1200 ride on sat in their yard ATM .. could've had it this morning!!!!!! Forecast is peeing down Friday night / Saturday morning ... and on / off the rest of the week too ....... BUGGER !!


this may well be the last load of stone, to contribute to me neighbour's 'road building' rock pile ......





... he's had a decent contribution from me ... and's like a pig in poo with it all !!





load count may go up a few more with a bit more soil still to shift off the last bit of bank





then get the field all squared up and leveled off again


Got to get it all rolled down hard, trim where needed, if it needs any, get 6"+ of planings on it, rolled down hard, blended in with the existing, with some 40mm round the edge and I'll be well happy with it.


I'll pull the drainage channel where necessary, once it's been rolled and have a.n.other drain to connect the other end up to, heading down to me system, by the black shed.


Will be nice to have a lot more space to spread out into and get the jumble, all crammed in, ATM, sorted properly .....


If the stone wall guy'd get his arse into gear and turn up, I've got 23 pallets of stone that'd not be in the way, once they're all 'stood up' in front of the retaining wall. THEN I'd have some space
Oh and another 8 pallets of rock that got ripped out, to do summat with too .. either used or sold off.


'tis a bit tight for space in places ......

[v8druid]

shifted those two 'lumpers'....





......and a load of pallets, out the way .... dumper has lost its parking spot to seven pallets and my 4ft bucket .... so's I can get a better 'pull' at the remaining rock bed ..... if the bugger was 6 " lower, it could've stayed!!


Ol' girl has had a hard afternoon ...





B20 adapter has stuck it very well ...


I've now dug meself into a/the corner .....





......and need somewhere else to stand ...
not really fancying shifting another dozen or more pallets, but may have to .. where to put the damned things is the question ??


that Akerman bucket is some rock ripping tool !! ...... especially if you can get under it !


need to turn the remaining bed in the corner into a bigger pile of crushed rock and get it back down





I do have a very sharp, short, 4 t set of forks .... might try swapping 'em over tomorrow and getting under the bed with 'em ... got an edge to work from ... but currently no where to stand for a pull ... see how a push and a bit of leverage performs !!!!





or bite the bullet and shift a LOT of pallets

[v8druid]

any amateur or otherwise, geologists here ??

Found a really 'interesting' lump of rock today .... climbed down out the cab and was on the deck by my foot !!

another best guess'd be petrified tree / plant perhaps ??












Anyone???

[v8druid]

OM aNeLe the TeL is eN
see how translate works on that Mr Druid .

Best guess ...... I'm nearly at the end

[ianoz]

OM aNeLe the TeL is eN
see how translate works on that Mr Druid .

[v8druid]

set to a tidy up today ... eventually ...


shifted 4 pallets of rocks out the way





then spread out and tracked in, a large pile of fill / lumps / crushed mudstone, before turning my attention to all the crud lying about





three, (amazingly), dumper loads later and all's left to shift is those two gert lumps out the way and a few slabs that Pam has her eye on ..... the rest got crushed / dropped / generally reduced and shipped out





gonna need to re-locate a few pallets, etc.s, elsewhere, to give me somewhere to stand to finish off the far end, down to level ......





then finish off the bank down at t'other end ..... very ....... nearly ..... there !!
Gonna need some planings shortly ... an' a load o' clean 40mm!!

[v8druid]

Easco toothy pegs.................not the best to be honest............bucket looks like it fell off an O&K

Cheers Stock ..... the amount of use I'd give it they'd last years ... might just put an edge to these but will hopefully be 'easy' digging where I want to use it

Know what you mean on the O&K front .... with the forked dipper end ?? 'Tis a hell of a wide cheek ... 400mm between on the fronts 2.5" pins
Nice solid bucket though ... I ain't gonna break it ..... can't buy a decent Jake bucket for 100 quid

[Stock]

Easco toothy pegs.................not the best to be honest............bucket looks like it fell off an O&K