Creating a Lake

[Iowachild]

Saturday was beautiful here. Temps hit 80 and we where very productive.

Wow, 80 degrees,:drool: right now I would be happy if we hit normal, today that is 39, actual high temperature today 14.. Much of this winter the actual high temperature each day has been lower than the normal low temperature.

Beautiful piece of land you have there!:thumbsup:

 

[GolfAddict]

Who is he dumping out of the bucket in that middle picture?

 

[EddieWalker]

Weather has slowed things down a bit. Dad continued to add dirt to the peninsula when he could, but it was slow going. It's not really dry enough to work like I want, but the forecast is for thunderstorms on Saturday. I got off early today and spent a few hours on the dozer trying to get the shape where I want it. I'm going to take the day off tomorrow and get the footings poured before the storm hits, otherwise there is no telling how long it will be. I can frame in the mud, but I can't move dirt when it's all sloppy.



Eddie

 

[Green Power]

Always enjoy the updates Eddie. Nice pictures, it looks like your dozer is a worker.

 

[Western]

Looking great Eddie:thumbsup: Sure changing since I was able to visit you , the lake looks much better since then. That dozer has proven to be a handy tool.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks Dennis. I sure hope its always changing around here. If I didn't have projects and things to do, I'd lose my mind!!!

I went to Lowes last night and picked up a pallet of 60 pound sacks of concrete for the footings. I drilled the holes and set the C channel in them with four sacks of concrete, then set the forms and got four of them poured before the rains hit. I also used up every sack of concrete, so I need to get some more tomorrow to finish off the footings for the logs to rest on.

Each hole is 12 inches wide and 3ft deep. The C channel is 3 inches wide and five feet long. The forms are made from some plastic paneling type stuff that they use in mobile home showers and tub areas. Supposed to be water proof, but all I care is it bends real easy. I ripped it to 6 inches so I could get 8 forms out of one sheet. I then used some half inch wood screws to hold it together. Each footing gets 2 pieces of rebar that are five feet long and bent into a kind of circle. One goes in after a layer of concrete is poured, then the other goes in a few inches from the top.



Eddie

 

[Western]

If you got any of the rains like we did yesterday evening, it is probably a muddy mess there today! Is that an electric mixer? back saver for sure.

 

[EddieWalker]

We received half an inch during the night, which is just enough to make a mess of everything. I used up a full pallet of 60 pounds sacks of concrete Saturday, and bought another 20 for today. I used 17 of them for a total of 74 sixty pounds sacks, or 4,440 pounds of concrete!!

The mud made it miserable. Temps where about 60 degrees with a cold wind blowing, but it was all about slipping and sliding in the mud. Probably one of the most painful days I've had in awhile. At least it's done and now I can start working on the logs. I'll deal with the dirt once it dries out.



Eddie

 

[PAGUY]

Eddie - You are a better man then me. I couldn't work in mud like that no matter how important it was to do the deed.:thumbdown:

 

[Western]

Thank goodness for the hot tub!:laughing: A couple of days and it will be dry with the winds we've had.

How do you like that mixer? My brother bought a gas one and told me he would sell it to me when after he built his house, well he didn't:laughing: I have never used an electric one, but several gas ones, but electric is cheaper to purchase for as little as I'd use it.