I prefer the romance of hand tools but unfortunately my shoulders don't like the work involved in most handwork, either way the tools I have are limited so I make do with what I have.
New project for work
- Thread starter Stigmorgan
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Jester129
Established Member
With the sawing, chiselling and lugging those lumps of wood around the playground, I expect you are sleeping well at night!
Good on yer!! Whereabouts are the benches going, is it in that copse you told us all about?
Good on yer!! Whereabouts are the benches going, is it in that copse you told us all about?
It's definitely doing my mental health the world of good, I absolutely love building stuff.
Not in the copse, that's at the back of the field (can just about be seen in the pic below) and needs a lot more work on the ground before we look at things like benches, they will be going under a shade sail behind the building I'm working next to the red arrow is pointing at one of the posts for the shade sail.
Pretty happy with what I've achieved over 2 days even though I've probably completed 3 days work hours in 2 days, all 5 benches are now ready for assembly, each mortice cut to fit each leg specifically, I think I've managed to combine planing/routing the edges and sanding by buying a box of 20 80grit flap discs for my grinder, hopefully they will clean everything up enough. First job tomorrow will be connecting everything together then sanding followed by a coat of black jack to 600mm of the legs that will be concreted in, I underestimated just how heavy these will be so have some help coming to lift them in place on Friday.
If this was for anything other than school I would probably take time to plug the screw holes but as I'm short on time I will probably use sawdust and glue before sanding.
If this was for anything other than school I would probably take time to plug the screw holes but as I'm short on time I will probably use sawdust and glue before sanding.
Spent this morning gluing and screwing everything together, as they were upside down I decided to screw from beneath to avoid unsightly holes in the top, especially as I plan to flap discs sand them, just the glue and screw took longer than I thought it would but they are now all as solid as they can be now, had a tidy up and put away all tools that were no longer needed and brought out the grinder and flapdiscs, gont one done and that took almost an hour 
I've left it rustic with an uneven surface and I love it, didn't bother with the part that will be in the ground, tomorrow I will sand the other 4 then as my hot air gun arrived today I will also coat the legs with bitumen and heat it up a bit to make sure it soaks in, especially the end grain. Some of the feet have pretty deep cracks, should I worry about water getting in and sitting in there? Also, would you put a finish on them or leave them bare?
I've left it rustic with an uneven surface and I love it, didn't bother with the part that will be in the ground, tomorrow I will sand the other 4 then as my hot air gun arrived today I will also coat the legs with bitumen and heat it up a bit to make sure it soaks in, especially the end grain. Some of the feet have pretty deep cracks, should I worry about water getting in and sitting in there? Also, would you put a finish on them or leave them bare?
What a miserable day, rained overnight but wasn't raining when I went out so decided to chance my luch and started sanding the 2nd bench, it was wet but not soaking but still clogged up the flap disk, toward the end of the bench I gave up and replaced with a new one, much better, finished the bench and started on the 3rd one, got the legs done and a rough pass of the underside and the heavens opened, I managed to get the bench flipped over and finished using my heat gun to dry a patch then sand, dry a patch then sand etc but it used 2 more flap discs. Didn't get any pics as I was soaked and covered head to toe in a very thick coat of wet wood dust, clothes had to be hosed off before putting them in the washing machine, took ages to get it all out of my beard 
Any suggestions for how to clean the flapdiscs? There's still loads of grit left
Any suggestions for how to clean the flapdiscs? There's still loads of grit left
okeydokey
Established Member
Would a gentle jet wash do it?
I’m sure you know already but make sure you fill the bottom of your holes with a couple/few inches of gravel (tamped down) before you drop the posts in and postcrete. Then they won’t sit in water.
I've always thought would act as a reservoir that will hold water
the ends will be getting a heavy coat of blackjack before being concreted in
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I have just been reading about Accoya from a local timber supplier. It appears to be similar to a dense MDF (?) but is claimed to be a long lasting wood, 25 years below ground or in fresh water and 50 above ground. I am waiting for a quote for 18mm thick and details of sizes of board, for use on a water feature. Has anyone any experience of this? the price could be exorbitant, I will find out next week!
So many opinions online, I can’t say I’ve any long term experience. The fence I put up in the summer like that is still standing but I’ll get back to you in 20years re. rotten posts!I've always thought would act as a reservoir that will hold water
My thoughts are that if you assume water will seep down there somehow between post and concrete, it’s better to give it somewhere to sit as it soaks away into the ground rather than a potentially watertight concrete vessel for the post to sit in.
Highly recommend TRICOYA for all external joinery projects.
Stig, re the posts. If you have time re warm the first coat of tar/bitumen give it a coat of sand whist warm
The sand is to key the second coat, it will help fill cracks and any damage when being put in the ground
Your worst source of damage is the ground keeper with a strimmer, damaging the section just above ground level
The sand is to key the second coat, it will help fill cracks and any damage when being put in the ground
Your worst source of damage is the ground keeper with a strimmer, damaging the section just above ground level
MorrisWoodman12
Established Member
I remember when working restoring an open trestle post mill (the sort with big crossed beams and diagonal 'risers' holding the main post) and all the external wood was coated with bitumen. Over time the bitumen cracked allowing water through. As the water couldn't evaporate the oak rotted.
With your legs @Stigmorgan I'd leave the bottom of them without bitumen. Yes, OK, that may allow water to soak into the legs but it should also them to dry out when the ground is dryer. If you seal the bottom then I would think water could soak in from the top and remain in the oak at the bottom. Only MHO.
Martin
With your legs @Stigmorgan I'd leave the bottom of them without bitumen. Yes, OK, that may allow water to soak into the legs but it should also them to dry out when the ground is dryer. If you seal the bottom then I would think water could soak in from the top and remain in the oak at the bottom. Only MHO.
Martin
