Well, I can honestly say we have been working hard. The weather has been kind to us – well apart from yesterday and today! Yesterday the weather was ideal for the job we were doing (overcast and cool) so that was good but then the heavens opened on us on the way back to the boat and today it has been raining on and off, which has prevented us leaving the marina – we don’t want to arrive soaking wet but getting back in the rain is fine!! At least the enforced day off has meant I have managed to catch up on my washing and given me a chance to update you!
We managed to bring up another of Steve’s beams (2.5m) from the paddock on our trusty tractor but decided, due to the weight, that there was no way that we could use the bike trailer for the 4 metre long one. This took a bit of thinking about – he decided that if we went to Super U and bought another tipper truck he could use the wheel sections and fashion a ‘contraption’ suitable for the job. This was, of course, on the understanding that they were still selling them there! Unfortunately they weren’t, so a slight change of plans was called for. Steve decided that if he bought me a shiny new wheelbarrow (which would always come in handy) he could purloin my truck! It was a good job I didn’t go with him to Point Vert (the local garden centre) as he had to carry the wheelbarrow upside down on top of his trailer and I would have found it difficult to ride behind him without giggling uncontrollably!
While Steve was off ‘shopping’ I was busy sifting dirt. We had looked for a sieve in the DIY store but could only find sand ones and they were far too fine a mesh – so once again Steve’s ingenuity came to the fore. He had acquired (from a skip at Beaucette I believe) a large crab net – the holes looked to be a good size so that is what I used. It took a good few days (especially as I was called upon to help Steve with his wood) but at the end of it I had a pile of largish stones/rocks and two garden bags and an old drawer full of small stones/dirt which now needed washing! This meant yet another present for me – a plastic colander – Curver brand – only the best for me!! The table out of the caravan came in handy too!
Anyway that’s enough about my menial tasks and over to the far more important (i.e. Stevie’s) jobs. He spent a few minutes dismantling my truck and adding a small platform to one end and we set off down to the paddock for the large beam. We thought we had enough securing straps but once the beam was successfully mounted on the trailer and we set off we discovered that we really needed the ratchet straps which Steve had managed to leave in the shed (caravan). I waited patiently in the paddock, admiring the wild flowers and babbling stream and he trudged back for them – well it was his fault he didn’t bring them in the first place! With the ratchet straps attached the next obstacle was manoeuvring the 185kg (29 stone in real money) load. (He calculated the weight later as he was curious!!) The flattish paddock wasn’t too difficult other than the 3ft high grass Steve had to pull it through (I was pushing again and available for load support during turning operations). The troll bridge was next – it only took two attempts to line the back wheels up so they wouldn’t fall through the gaps and then that lovely little slope with an inconveniently positioned small tree which just happened to be exactly where the rear wheels needed to be. This did halt progress for a few minutes whilst we swapped positions – I got to pull as Steve pushed it over the tree! Once we were past that and at the top of the incline we took a breather, then without further ado Steve strode off at a much better pace, I could keep up and was even able to push! With just a couple of rest stops, it wasn’t long until we emerged from the trees triumphantly! Mark 3 trailer was proved a success!!
Building was starting to feel a bit real now as all the timber needed for the first frame was in touching distance of its final resting place!
The construction of the frame is going to be a ‘simple’ two uprights with mortise and tenon joints to the supporting beam which spans from the garage into the wall on the gable end of the two storey part. This was Steve’s first attempt at mortise and tenon joints since woodwork class in 1979!! He didn’t like wood then and still says “I don’t like wood”. After discovering that his circular saw was too power-hungry for the acquired generator, his only option was to use the chainsaw, therefore doing all the joints by eye. Other than a few slight overruns the chainsaw worked well, even being operated as a plunge saw (thanks Mac, he didn’t even know what one was!) For once Steve was the one suffering with the heat – I have never seen sweat pouring from him like it did that day!!
Time came for the first trial fit. A sledge hammer and much timber adjustment were required. Lessons were learned for the second joint – more clearance necessary, wood doesn’t operate the same way as metal! Whilst undertaking the trial fit the beam decided to start its creation of shakes – although I believe the real cause of the crack was the very tight joint and use of sledgehammer – however the beam, although cracked was still serviceable! It took a couple of days to complete the first joint but after learning his lessons he completed the second one in a morning with the sledgehammer remaining in the shed – see you can teach an old dog new tricks sometimes! Steve then announced that he was off to get some wood and returned with some branches which he started whittling to make his pegs. He was really chuffed that he could use his knife without me complaining!
The following day’s work was planned. We needed to assemble the frame as close to its final position as possible. This meant I had to move my stone pile and remaining drawer and bag of, now to be called, aggregate, whilst Steve cut the beams to their finished lengths. I had forgotten to mention that, as part of his pre-work, Steve had to undertake one of the jobs he was fearing (in case the wall fell down) which was to create the hole in the gable end wall for the beam to be inserted into, which in turn will support the lintel to be fitted later. The cob is incredibly soft and dusty on the outside, however, the structure needed a bolster chisel to create the opening – all hail the cob! On completion of the hole-making, a huge sigh of relief as the gable end was still where it should be – he had not had a detrimental effect on the structure.
So, to the assembly – we carried the two smaller beams (one at a time, of course!) to the garage (these probably weigh about 15 stone each!) and trusty-trailered the large one across. It was time for Steve’s erection to commence! This was something that he had been thinking constantly about for the past few weeks/months – how would just the two of us manhandle it without the aid of a crane? Due to the height restriction and poor placement of lifting blocks in the garage the main supporting beam would not go high enough to allow both vertical supports to be fitted simultaneously. So the first upright was fitted with the main beam at an angle and lots of bits of rope, the step ladders we’d stolen from Steve’s dad and the occasional use of our favourite sledgehammer! With the pegs fitted it was now time to attempt fitting the second upright. This was slightly more difficult as the load was a bit unstable on lifting, but we managed to overcome it with yet more ropes strategically positioned and the final lift required the use of a lever – remind Steve not to pick a worm-ridden piece of wood! I did ask him “Do you think that’s going to be strong enough?”, to which he answered, “Yeah, of course it will” just before it snapped! I was right again and yet another opportunity for a laugh! The next piece he selected was far more robust and suitable for the task. With the frame all complete, it was time for a pat on the back, a cycle home and a glass or two of wine (or whisky, bourbon or vodka!)
That brings us to yesterday morning. I had spent many hours the previous night going through all the possible permutations of how we would manoeuvre the frame – even by the morning I didn’t really have a clue! I should have known better anyway – Steve had been planning this for ages! We did think that perhaps we should talk to Tristan, one of the marina boys. He is a fireman and perhaps he and five of his burly firefighter mates might be able to lift it straight in!! However, we are very keen to do it ourselves! So with the pre-job brief explaining that we would attach the wheels to one leg, use some HDPE board (high density polyurethane – bought for the boat, but unsuitable for purpose there!) as a slide for the other leg and with strategically placed ropes and rope pulleys we would succeed moving the whole assembly three and a half metres and down into my trench. I felt happy with my duties, mainly watching and stabilising as necessary with Stevie doing gentle pushing and we started. We inched slowly across the open expanse until we got the beam into position where it needed to go into the trench. Steve thought he should increase the clearance on the hole so out came the bolster for a minor adjustment. We repositioned the wheels on the front leg and in a very controlled manner the beam entered the hole in the gable end! Big grins all round!! At this point, as we had no wheels attached friction was slightly higher, so I got to use the sledgehammer to do a bit of tapping. It was now time to get the other leg into the trench – this also went in with no dramas – time to remove all ropes and stand back and smile!! Steve had bought me a spirit level to help with my next task – building the stone plinth so decided he would, for a laugh, check the level of the main beam. Amazingly the first place he tried the level it was absolutely dead straight! Any movement left or right of where he first tried showed just how unstraight it is – how incredible that the spot he picked was perfect – perhaps his eye is good!! Two day’s work, no swearing and not a single cross word – all that planning was worth it!
Fate Or Folly 