Interesting! This will be a unique build to follow.
Wooden structures die an agonizing death here, what the sun, rain and epic downbursts don’t destroy, the critters eat.
My junction tower is as fresh as the days it was cast as a single piece. When the wood parts retreat, the remains make nice ruins…
Doing it right…
Made lumber, made matching forms.
One side gets a large loading door and The Door, both raised to deck level.
Hardware cloth will act as window frames … Rough scale… Took a 3 pm lunch break.
Next after the window blocks are secured, I’ll add rock then the pour…
John
I’ve decided not to fight the bleed through and will stain it for mud stucco… Maybe if there is time an employee reapplying some… reddish brown mud stucco.
Door will be fitted better… Got hot had to come in for a break…
John
If you do that process in reverse you can wipe clean the stones
Build the shape in a mould, pour in concrete, then add the screen and rocks, push them down then wipe the wet mortar off with a sponge
Well as you see I had a senoir moment and clipped the cloth when using screws to hold the window halves together… guess where we catch the crooks breaking in?
I’m using Cement-all because it has a low shrink property, I barely get it mixed and poured before it begins to set. Mark’s suggestion is an entirely different way. I’m too old to change and don’t really care… it will be fun to make this work. I noticed the timbers thingies over the windows moved, make note to pin components together. Back wall little seen, ok for this.
Today I’m cleaning the indoor waterfall and rain water cistern in the Conservatory at my sister’s place, her husband raises orchids.
Tomorrow I will aderess the dream-notice I had the other night… All the other roofing timbers have to stick through the wall as it’s cast and the other ends must be where they will be when the last wall is cast. The two cast ends will be cast to the new walls. I’ve got to build inside scaffolding to hold the timbers and there will be holes through the coropolast for timber too. I had a vision. just had another, a thin board over the wall ends with drilled holes for timbers will do.
See ya next time,
John
Odd color, 2nd hand camera movie/pic/this… Anyway Thursday formed and poured, Cracked open Friday morn…
Reset camera… The crack at the junction will be easy to repair using the alternative suggested above. But I am very happy the whole wall as one.
Just letting you know I’m still awake…
John
Just a note for those liking the process. Seen in the last pic in the background is my engine house. At the corners are dowels. I poured the walls formed with dowel ends, made joining the at 90 degrees very easy…
John
It goes on the elevated end, I’ve got some re-inforcing to do.
Thanks,
John
A really interesting build with different materials. Looking good.
Doc Tom
I like it! Looks good so far.
Fascinating build using natural, almost recycled, materials.
Looks great JJ. I’ve always enjoyed your building style.
John really like what you are doing, how heavy would you say it will be when you are done, my track is elevated so weight is an issue.
Tom H
Jake Smith said:
Looks great JJ. I’ve always enjoyed your building style.
I be JC, JJ is the old guy up north near The Valley of the Singed, I’m down SE of Tucson…in Vail.
Thanks anyway…
John
Tom,
I’m starting my 2nd 25# box of Cement All, plus rocks. I figure, hopefully, it will be under 50#.
The foot print is 30" x 15" in G24 = 60 x 30’
Today’s thought is to form beams to pour, to support a wood floor inside… cut down some weight…
The hardware cloth makes the walls strong enough to do this, when ever I’ve omitted it, the wall cracks.
John
Location is at the end of a spur with a bend, I need to widen the bench for this featherweight rock…
The plan is to pour a 1" floor for deck area and a wood floor inside. I want to secure the structure as a unit before casting the larges wall for the back.
I repaired the cracked corner and have rolled it 90 degrees without harm…
Next report due Tuesday…
John
Build is looking good John, but what is this piece ?
Funny I only included that shot to show the ‘curve’ in the edge of the deck. That’s the white wall next to the track. A concrete wall made more sense there than a pebble wall.
John