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Druidic exploits of a various nature!!

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  • #1

    Druidic exploits of a various nature!!

    Right then, having looked at few in this category I thought I'd chuck a couple of bits an' bobs in here for folk's amusement.

    My main sort of project is the removal of a large bank, here at home, to give me a flat area of ground to put up the Druid's New Toy shed, but SWMBO also manages to keep yours truly occupied fairly regularly too.

    It's going to jump about a bit, I'm afraid, time-wise, for a while at least, as there're a few things that might 'deserve' an airing in here.

    I'm retired, (from what I used to do at least), as you'll probably have gathered by now, so everything gets done to [a] suit myself and my body's enthusiasm & [b] as the weather allows!!

    First up is something a little different from last Friday .........

    Typical B/hol weekend weather here in Druid Central - pissing down Saturday, with worse forecast for Sunday........... and Monday!!!
    Friday was perfect spoil shifting weather, but marred by a Mrs. D's "Can you just ........" !!

    "Meet me up at Uncle Ken's about 12 for a trailer load of well rotted manure ... " was the first hint of trouble!! ".... he'll load it with the tractor; won't take long".

    Yeh right - Ken's 76, his bro's a few years younger!! I've seen 'em on the tractor before!!!!

    Anyway get there and ask where they want me and the shed's so low I gorra take the ladder rack off the back of the trailer to try to reverse in there, 90 right off a tiny roadway!!!

    Got as far as I could and then spent the next two hours wrestling a trailer load of shit off the floor and into said trailer ..... by hand!! Was well rotted OK; under the 4" crust!! Could've done with a chain saw to get through the top layer.

    Eventually get home, on my knees, just about!!



    Phone rings as I get out the car - It's Ollie Kitchin, for a yap - well timed that man; needed a sit in the sun for half an hour's recovery!!

    There is no way Jose that I am gonna shovel this lot back out to where 'the boss' wanted it!!

    So ........









    Twenty minutes later - after a few interesting attempts in the past with this beast, I've now got the drop on hanging this lil' bu**er on't boom now and I'm ready to tackle the job. Overkill I know, but I was totally knackered!



    Only took lil' bites, as there was a finite amount of space in which to drop the contents of the clam


    __________________
    Last edited by v8druid; 03-05-2015, 08:46 PM.
    If it's got tracks, wheels, t*ts, or an engine, at some point it's gonna give you trouble!!
    Tags: None
  • #2




    I worked me way along 'the boss's' veggie boxes, 'til all were well full and found a good 40% of the load still in't trailer after the last one was replete !! Told her we'd got more than she needed!!

    So, after a quick re-juggle of vehicle & kit, I unloaded the rest of it onto the floor, beside the roadway (nice and close for Pam to be able to barrow what she wants, elsewhere).

    The clam-shell grab, that I've not used a lot since having it, worked a treat, for getting it out and damned near cleaned it out, completely, corner to corner, with some careful maneouvering/skillful operating !



    After a bit of a drag together of the remanants, with the shovel to a central spot, for a last mouthful, this is all that was left to hand ball out - could not fault it !!



    Grabbed (pardon the pun) a bucketful of planings on the way past, heading for my usual duck parking spot and dropped 'em in a convenient spot for 'Ron, dropped the grab back off and generally tidied up, just in time for tea!!
    __________________
    If it's got tracks, wheels, t*ts, or an engine, at some point it's gonna give you trouble!!

    Comment

    • #3
      Tidy work fella thems 'partners' dont know the skills we have Its a moments inatention to disaster .. but like a trauma surgeon we go 'in and out' every day without making a big deal out of it .. but few recognise the skill (or pay enough for it)
      Please don't PM me for plant advice.. thanks .. Post in the forum where I will gladly help, as will many of our contributors.. as the info and responses will help everyone else, which is why we exist

      Comment

      • #4
        Originally posted by Muz View Post
        Tidy work fella thems 'partners' dont know the skills we have Its a moments inatention to disaster .. but like a trauma surgeon we go 'in and out' every day without making a big deal out of it .. but few recognise the skill (or pay enough for it)

        LOL !! - So true though
        If it's got tracks, wheels, t*ts, or an engine, at some point it's gonna give you trouble!!

        Comment

        • #5
          Bit more of my kind of gardening Boyos.

          New approach from 'the boss' this morning as in " do you think you’d be able to ..... ? "

          Well I can give it a go, said I.........















          Smaller bucket'd have made life a tad easier and a few less blue pipes, but Pam was 'well happy', not having to turn it all over by hand.

          I still ended up in trouble though.....

          .........when I'd moved off the drive and there wasn't a 'Drema sat.



          Have to admit, I didn't think about the marks the blade might (did) make!!

          Rain'll wash 'em off! (I hope !!)
          If it's got tracks, wheels, t*ts, or an engine, at some point it's gonna give you trouble!!

          Comment

          • #6
            Get some old tyres on the pads and corners .. must say she looks a tidy machine .. kinda had a dream I would retire to an old croft I have, with a Mecalac or similar and just keep my hand in doing odd jobs.

            Started a thread about it here http://www.plantandconstruction.co.u...hlight=mecalac

            Those 2/3 piece booms must add a lot of weight to the duck chassis though making it even bouncier .. dont you find that ?
            Please don't PM me for plant advice.. thanks .. Post in the forum where I will gladly help, as will many of our contributors.. as the info and responses will help everyone else, which is why we exist

            Comment

            • #7
              Druid's tool/toy boxes come home

              Here’s one for you, from exactly a year ago – 3rd May ‘14.

              I'd been planning it for some time, as my access here has 'certain restrictions’!!

              I've a good driveway which is 3/4 of a mile long, pretty steep in places and has a couple of quite tight bends.
              The worst problem is the turn off the 'main' drag into my lane.
              It's tight, but then you're immediately into my driveway turn, which is essentially straight ahead, once you've managed to get into the lane.
              A 28-30 foot artic & trailer flys in.
              Much bigger and it's 'iffy'.
              A forty footer hasn't a snowball's chance in hell of making the turn.

              Problem was that my toy/tool boxes are all 40 foot shipping containers.
              They were some of the last things I had to move from my biz site of any significance and I really needed to have them at home, with my tools, bike collection and all my other bits’n bobs that were sat in ‘em.

              So Saturday a.m. was 'D' day - suitable 4 wheeled artic unit and 28' trailer booked and a 35 ton PPM AT mobile crane laid on, for the challenge.
              Both drivers (self employed O/O,s) were guys I’ve know for years and have worked with many times in the past, so knew they were up to the job.
              They’d both been to suss the job and had had a full briefing of ‘the Druid’s cunning plans’ to get it done an’ dusted, with out issues/incident.
              Ground works here had been prepped and set for months, so all that remained was to actually get 'em home!!!!!!!!

              IMG_5446.jpg


              The day started at 08.00 at my old workshop in town – well 07.15 actually – Russ the crane guy is always early an’ thought I’d beat the bugger to it for once – did ...... just.

              By the time Chris arrived with his 28 footer Russ and I’d got the first one slung, spun and ready for Chris to back under, to load.

              2014-05-03 08.17.19.jpg

              These were all fairly full/stuffed and going 9-10+ tonnes each.

              Chris as usual was bang on time and we were soon away home with #1 aboard.

              Russ an’ I were first back at the top of my drive, so’s I could watch Chris’s backend in – I needn’t have bothered – he got it in sweet as a nut!! Tight, but a perfect choice of trailer !!

              IMG_5512.jpg

              The drive’s ‘interesting’, narrow in places and steep – Russ was 9’ 6” wide !!
              As expected – no problems for him.

              IMG_5448.jpg

              Forever the consummate pro (and a great laugh to spend the day with)!!

              IMG_5486.jpg

              I’d been up early and parked the ‘Drema part way up the drive with a bucket load of 10 ton chains, slings and lifting tackle, upside of the only real ‘possible problem’ for Chris and his trailer – a real tight bend with a bit of a drop off and I wanted to be the right side of him if I needed to lift him back out of the drop.
              Had to have the crane in first in order to get him in, so it’d be down to the ‘Drema to do the ‘thunderbirds’ bit if there was a problem.
              There weren’t any!!
              Better prepared than not though!

              IMG_5546.jpg

              First one went in sweet as!

              IMG_5474.jpg IMG_5478.jpg IMG_5480.jpg IMG_5484.jpg IMG_5505.jpg

              I’d anticipated having to lift the arse of the trailer round with the crane, for Chris to turn to get back out, but damn me if he didn’t manage to ‘jack’ it round and was away. (the other two were a different story – crane time for both!!)

              Russ an’ I wrapped the PPM and we were hot on Chris’s heels, heading back to town for #2 ........... and so the day went on.

              IMG_5570.jpg IMG_5582.jpg IMG_5596.jpg IMG_5606.jpg IMG_5611.jpg

              By 12.45 we’d got all three in spot, everyone was wrapped up, turned round and ready to depart .......

              2014-05-03 13.46.11.jpg


              .......... after some well earned bacon sarnies, coffee/tea and some of Pam’s home made cakes.

              Suitably stuffed – er I mean refreshed – I paid the guys and they were away – Russ had another one to go to in Leominster, for the afternoon.

              IMG_5503.jpg IMG_5625.jpg



              Brought the ‘Drema back down, tidied up what was necessary and thought I’d open the boxes up to see what sort of carnage was in there.
              Although I’d tied, secured, strapped, etc., everything I could in ‘em and they looked like spiders webs in places, I expected to see some sort/level of chaos in there.

              Could not believe my eyes when I found not a thing out of place in each of ‘em as I opened ‘em up!!
              I’d asked Chris to give ‘em a gentle ride but ........

              I actually rang him to thank him and tell him how good a ride they’d all had and that there wasn’t a single thing out of place – bloody remarkable!!!

              His missus, who answered the phone and said he was in’t shower said “ I’d better not tell him, or he’ll be worse than he already is!!”


              Hopefully the link below will get you all the pic.s (that I've loaded, at least -t'other half took about 200 on the day). I know you/we all love pic.s so .....

              Click on the link and just scroll forward.
              https://www.flickr.com/photos/100091...7/14099533901/
              If it's got tracks, wheels, t*ts, or an engine, at some point it's gonna give you trouble!!

              Comment

              • #8
                Originally posted by Muz View Post
                Get some old tyres on the pads and corners .. must say she looks a tidy machine .. kinda had a dream I would retire to an old croft I have, with a Mecalac or similar and just keep my hand in doing odd jobs.

                Started a thread about it here http://www.plantandconstruction.co.u...hlight=mecalac

                Those 2/3 piece booms must add a lot of weight to the duck chassis though making it even bouncier .. dont you find that ?
                TBH Muz I don't know why I didn't think to put a board down under the blade - she's got an extra wide bottom that's been added to it ('bout 12"), as she used to work on real soft apparently (more on that in the 'Duck Hunt' thread)
                Just 'under pressure' to get on with it !! Yer know what they're like

                Peeing down ATM so hopefully'll look better in the a.m.


                Mecalecs are some tool - there's been a cheap one on Finn for a while, but think it'd gone last time I looked
                Will have a look at your thread link in a mo.


                I can't really comment on the weight differences in ducks as this is my first and only duck, but I couldn't even imagine having a duck without a VA boom
                It is just an awesome addition to a great machine, again, more on that in the 'Duck Hunt' thread.
                Gonna have to move that along a bit now I've broken cover with the ol' girl, eh!!

                The beauty of the VA is you can wrap yerself up pretty damned tight for getting about and so she doesn't nod like most.





                .........but at the same time, you've got a hell of a reach too ...

                reach for the sky.jpg 2014-06-02 16.22.38.jpg

                Spent a long time finding her and sooooo glad I stuck out for the VA boomed machine

                GB+specs++M1500_1.jpg GB+specs++M1500_2.jpg hydrema lift chart 001.jpg

                As for the make - could not have picked better if I'd tried - built like a tank, from the best of everything
                I understand it's the only one in the UK (least it is ATM, but that's about to change, so I'm told by a little birdy mate of mine)

                Laters Boyo
                Gra
                If it's got tracks, wheels, t*ts, or an engine, at some point it's gonna give you trouble!!

                Comment

                • #9
                  Enjoyed the Photos and the story of the box placing .. Great when a plan comes together

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Originally posted by ianoz View Post
                    Enjoyed the Photos and the story of the box placing .. Great when a plan comes together
                    Cheers Ian Boyo.
                    Yeh it was a leisurely frantic day, if you follow me - everything went like clockwork; good blokes, who were the dog's gonads with their kit.
                    Plenty of careful planning and thought; everything to hand and plenty of tea an' coffee from Pam, as we arrived each time
                    Oh and a great day, weather-wise too - could not have gone better.
                    Can't believe it was a year ago
                    Jeez the time has flown - lot happened too though!!
                    If it's got tracks, wheels, t*ts, or an engine, at some point it's gonna give you trouble!!

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      You mean you haven't fabricated a bulb planting bucket yet ? ... couldn't be too hard .. air fed delivery conveyor system from a modified carrot planter ... 8 bulb sets in one go ? .... I bet some dutch dudes have done it
                      Please don't PM me for plant advice.. thanks .. Post in the forum where I will gladly help, as will many of our contributors.. as the info and responses will help everyone else, which is why we exist

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Muz View Post
                        You mean you haven't fabricated a bulb planting bucket yet ? ... couldn't be too hard .. air fed delivery conveyor system from a modified carrot planter ... 8 bulb sets in one go ? .... I bet some dutch dudes have done it
                        Now it's funny you should mention fabricating some form of gardening attachment Muz - was only discussing with 'the boss' just now an idea that'd come to me earlier today.
                        Read an article a while back (and can't find the damned thing again tonight) 'bout power tillers, built and used late war time on-wards for hedge grubbing and generally grubbing up waste land.
                        IIRC 4 heads of 4 vertical blades behind a crawler and powered to rotate, buried in the deck and hauled along. Can not recall the name of 'em but thought it may have been Ransome!

                        Anyway - was thinking about a Druid version, 'praps, for tilling her veggie boxes.
                        Could mount it under my VA-r (tilt rotater) that I've built, (that's another thread again) as there's plenty of power in my rotater, on it (worm driven full slew ring).
                        One 20mm disc to weld four or five tines on to - 'praps some bits of lorry leaf springs'd do a fair job and mount that under a pick up to go under her. Would only need to be 15-ish inch tines - hell of a rotovator !
                        That ought to stir the ol' dirt and manure up a bit an' give it a good mixing, specially stirred/waved about, with the dipper

                        Whadya think??
                        If it's got tracks, wheels, t*ts, or an engine, at some point it's gonna give you trouble!!

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          What your looking to find is Fowler Gyro tiller Graham .
                          I think i shared a story on Facebook to a group .Guy spent most of his working life working on them .

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Originally posted by ianoz View Post
                            What your looking to find is Fowler Gyro tiller Graham .
                            I think i shared a story on Facebook to a group .Guy spent most of his working life working on them .
                            You're a star Ian - could not for the life of me remember what it was called, or where Id seen / read the article It was a real great read and they looked seriously business like tools!

                            What do you think of my idea for Mrs D's box sorting ??
                            Pretty sure the VA-r's ring gear'd handle it - it's a lump.
                            Only need to make the disc and tines - could borrow the pick up off the block grab and bolt it on
                            If it's got tracks, wheels, t*ts, or an engine, at some point it's gonna give you trouble!!

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              was gonna edit the last one but too late

                              Here's some pix for everyone of what Ian an' I are on about ....

                              gyrotiller.jpg gyrotiller.2.jpg gyrotiller.3.jpg gyrotiller.4.jpg

                              What a beast of a tool!!!!!

                              Here's a smaller one

                              fowler gyro.jpg LOL

                              Remember the hours of fun with good ol' Meccano !!!

                              Just had to put this up too, having tripped over it in the search for the Fowler Gyro

                              crawler.jpg crawler.2.jpg crawler.3.jpg crawler.4.jpg
                              What sort of mind dreams that up ???? and successfully sells it Bloody clever though
                              If it's got tracks, wheels, t*ts, or an engine, at some point it's gonna give you trouble!!

                              Comment

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