Options to avoid sharp corner, & steep grade ( Hind sight is wonderful)

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

And through to the other side, down to soil level.

Gained about 3 ins in here

so that should work out at an incline of 1 in 55

instead of the 1 in 19 that it was

big improvement

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

<p> </p><p>QUOTE(stockers @ Feb 1 2009, ) Looking like a lot of work Don. Sure it will be excellant as usual. Watch out hitting those two hammers together. Hammmer steel is very hard but brittle and can shatter. Eye protection would be a good idea. < QUOTE</p><p> </p><p>Very good point Alan

yes, cold chisels just burr over as you use them

& yes I have seen hammers chip corners off when using two sledge hammers in a similar way.

And I have seen worse.

My mate & I were working in the yard years ago, he was breaking an old casting with a sledge, a fragment broke off, flew 50 feet, went clean through a car door panel & embedded itself in the passenger seat. It was the bosses car!! <!--IBF.ATTACHMENT_86917-->
</p>

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Well, the last 3 weeks the weather has been favourable,

so much basic work has been acomplished, paths , fences etc.

The path has gone from this

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

to this (looking the other way)

you may notice my faithful & useful servant standing there!

The pergola over the path is also useful for attatching a plastic sheet to, when it rains , so work can go on

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

After the track base was removed

the sidewall (on right) was dropped 2 courses at far end to ease angle of incline

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Shuttering was then clamped to remaining wall

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


concrete was then poured

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


And paving slabs laid, to acheive an overhang, to gain room for 2 track width opposite bend

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Next the ramp was built up for track to tunnel

as the concrete goes on top of the edge of the slabs,

this provides for the eventuallity of anyone perching on edge of overhanging slabs

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Ramp side was faced with a hypertuffa mix

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

After a few hours the stonework was scribed in with a straight edge,

taking great care that the verticals stayed within the horizontals

This is just the primary scribing, to be followed by a deeper "V" shape after overnight drying out

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


To add a bit more detail the coping stones were elevated by adding a roof batten on track bed for support

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Where Len is standing, we might get some track laid today

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


To facilitate which, you might just notice battens set in the concrete every so often on the ramp here.

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

When joints are done just by scribing, I dont like the effect of the edges being raised, bit like a ploughed field,

So this morning been out

& now its dried out a bit, I used the point of a trowel to widen out the joints & soften the edges

by then using a nylon brush to round off the corners,

giving an older weathered look to the stones

still a bit soft.

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


Len at work? That pile at the left is what scraped out of the joints

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

The track extension will go along the bottom of the retaining wall & out on to a new 2ft high planter.

Seen here taking shape, for this part I utilised the slabs I took up

they are set on edge & planted in 2ins of concrete inside & out to stabilise them

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


The structural strength comes not from the slabs, but the cross walls every 3ft or so

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


getting the levels right for the track, using a new bit of 2x2, as you can see I am using whatever is to hand to build it up, including bits of broken slabs

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


using bits of old bed iron for reinforcing the concrete base beams for the walls