Large Scale Central

Building the CR&N Deadline:July 2017

Articles
#81

Devon Sinsley said:
Sean,

Do you want to see this project completed or not. If you keeping throwing these distractions at me I will never get done. That would be cool, wouldn’t it. But that isn’t going to happen.

Devon, like you arent throwing up your own distractions all of the time. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

I have to say I forgot how out of shape I was. Moving all this dirt is breaking me. I am so sore. But I am pushing through.

Devon, I know. I used to walk around downtown all day for work, dragging a dolly full of parts and tools with me. Now an hour with the wheelbarrow and I was in need of a short break. God made it a longer break, because after I got a glass of iced tea, he threw rain my way.

#82

OK all the dirt is moved. Whew, way more needed to come out than I anticipated. But its moved and it all the less I need to bring in for the beds. Tomorrow morning I will haul in a load of gravel and a load of sand an get my bags of cement. I will make the first pour and got get more gravel and sand. Then Sat I can form up the second pour and pour it. And repeat for the third pour on Sunday. If the weather holds and it is supposed to I will have the whole thing poured by Sunday and the wife will have a new patio and I will have the the base for the layout.

The yard pad will serve as my zero elevation for the entire layout. The idea will be that walkway will be basically level. And then all the beds go up from there. 16" at the lowest and 28" at the highest. Mountains an scenery higher but that is a ways away. I am pooped. I also had a wild cherry tree growing in an inconvient area of the yard and it got transplanted into the layout in a strategic spot where we need some shade on the house plus will offer shade while running. This is a very hot side of my house.

Once all the cement is poured I will update the article.

#83

David Maynard said:

Devon, I know. I used to walk around downtown all day for work, dragging a dolly full of parts and tools with me. Now an hour with the wheelbarrow and I was in need of a short break. God made it a longer break, because after I got a glass of iced tea, he threw rain my way.

I am getting better. When I started it was all I could do to break up the ground and shovel two wheel barrows up and then haul them around and dump them. then I would have to take a break. Our ground is rocky and hard about 3" down. I have no idea how grass grows. So I have to take a hoe and break it up before shoveling it. You can’t stick a spade in it. Anyway by today I was able to get about five loads at a time before having to take a break.

Now I have to load a bunch of stuff for the landfill. I will take that in the morning to make way for the gravel and sand. I am tired. I also need to get some homework done.

#84

Great work Devon. Just a note, when I was in College studying Construction Engineering we would comment on cement and the different forms it can take. Our Professor always corrected us. Cement is an ingredient of concrete. You would not call a cake flour. So ever since when someone calls concrete cement, I have to correct them. 40 years in the Construction industry and I still hear construction workers refer to it as cement. So mix cement, rock and sand together and you get concrete. One other quick note, concrete does not dry, it hardens (a chemical reaction with cement and water). It also continues to harden the older it gets. In the first 28 days it will achieve 85 to 90% of its ultimate strength. The last 10% will happen over the next 10 to 100 years.

Anyway good luck with your layout, it looks like it will be fun to operate.

#85

So calling the machine that mixes all the ingredients together a cement mixer is incorrect? It shoulld be called a concrete mixer? (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)

#86

Yes that is correct it is a Concrete Mixer, not a cement mixer.

#87

I do believe I used the terms consistently correct. I am making my own concrete mix using separate ingredients: sand, gravel, and cement. I do admit to calling it a cement mixer though.

#88

And while cement cures, it should not be allowed to dry out too much.

#89

Keep up the good work, I’ll try out your concrete making and pouring skills in an area of my back yard when you’re done. I’m sure there’s something train related I can trade you. BTW looking good so far!!!

Chuck

#90

After thinking about it for awhile, it really should be called a “mixer” because it can be used for various mixes, concrete, mortar, grout, plaster, etc. all using cement as an ingredient. David you are right it should not dry out. In my early years as a Project Manager and/or Superintendent on large construction project (and still learning) we flooded slabs to keep them wet for a few days so that they cured properly.

Now does anyone know why cement is bagged in 94lb bags instead of 100lbs as other building materials are bagged? 94lbs of cement equals 1 cubic foot. To equal 1 cubic yard of concrete you need to measure each ingredient in volume to get the accurate cubic yardage. Which at the Concrete batch plant they find what the weight of each ingredient is and weight it to give you the amount of concrete (by volume) you ordered.

Sorry for being long winded about what I know or have been doing for the past 40 years. I have been looking at this forum for some time but only have a few posts because I am still learning about Garden Railroads and want to learn a whole lot more.

#91

Colin,

Now I love learning new things. And I have often wondered why a sack of cement is 94#. Most all of the concrete work I have done I have mixed my own mix. I never looked it up to find out, but have thought it odd that they were 94#. I figured there was a good reason and now I know.

#92

I always thought it was because they knew I couldn’t lift a hunnert pounds. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)

#93

OK first slab is poured. I decided to do a broom finish on it so its not slippery. Never done that before. Lowes had 60# sacks of quickcrete on sale for $1.98 which is cheaper than I could have mixed my own and saved a bunch of hassle. The mixer I have will hold four at a time but I decided to make my life easier and do three. I mixed and poured wife spread it. We got it all poured in one go before it could start to flash.

Tomorrow I will strip off the forms and form pour #2. I have to get more base gravel to put in under the slab. Then I will pour #2. basically will be the same size as the first.

#94

Nice. My wife also helps when I do concrete work. I guess we are both lucky guys! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#95

Joe Zullo said:

Nice. My wife also helps when I do concrete work. I guess we are both lucky guys! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Joe,

My wife is a hard worker and a great partner. We have a “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” mentality. I help her with her projects and she helps me with mine. Although the patio is really a “her” project. . .well an “our” project. It just happens the layout motivated me to get it done. But she will dig right in and help. She doesn’t mind getting dirty and works hard til the work is done. She also makes lunch. She is a good woman and a great wife/friend/partner.

#96

That’s wonderful to hear. As a side note, tomorrow my wife and myself are married 47 years. How time (and life) flies! I guess we must be doing something right. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#97

Joe Zullo said:

That’s wonderful to hear. As a side note, tomorrow my wife and myself are married 47 years. How time (and life) flies! I guess we must be doing something right. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Congrats. My wife an I hit the first big milestone 25years this year June 30th. I am throwing her a party.

#98

That’s great! For both of Yunz. I can’t even get a second date. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)

#99

David Maynard said:

That’s great! For both of Yunz. I can’t even get a second date. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)

Did you tell them that you’re a butt modeler? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)Ya gotta use all your charms!

Yer bud,

John

#100

John, I will have to try that next time. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)