New workshop build, with a difference!

[kirkpoore1]

I'm glad to see The Inspector is still around. It's good to have local color.

The reason the tankless units don't last long is that they fill with scale (calcium deposits) in areas with hard water. Since they're essentially a radiator working in reverse, small pipes give more surface area and thus more efficient heat transfer--until they clog up, that is. In many areas the manufacturer's recommend a water softening system, at much more expense, of course.

Kirk

 

[Cegidfa]

Hi folks,

The end is nigh. :shock:
We managed to get round the leaking problem (that we had with the doors) by laying the round window on the underfloor heating and turning it up high; then the sun came out and raised the conservatory temp to just under 40℃. After the wood and glass had warmed through, we Zorba’d it.
The extra heat rendered the butyl very squidgy, so we were able to get a really good contact all the way round. When the room had cooled down, the squeeze out was knifed off and smoothed with white spirit.
After applying caulk round the stop, the window was dropped into the tube and four screws were used to fix it in place. The expanding gasket was then applied round the edge of the flange, see below.

The assembly was hauled into place, and whilst I pressed the window back, Diane drove in the prefixed screws to hold the assembly in it’s final resting place. :wink:

Just two more door to go, and the small matter of covering the join in the middle of the back wall, where the boards meet. We have a cunning plan for that.

We will use the ‘super heat’ method for the doors this time; and we will take off the first doors and use the same treatment to get a good seal, this time.
We will probably use Dib’s method, and run silicone round the interface as belt and braces.....but. the original round window has never let by, and that isn’t siliconed.
It was all down to not being able to squeeze a good enough seal on the doors in the first place that caused them to leak. Don’t ask why we didn’t use the same technique on the doors, as the window......... :duno: ](*,)

Hi Kirk,
Having worked for Coke, I am fully aware of the calcium problem. (not to mention what Coke does to non s/steel parts of a filler :shock: ) I used to work on water softeners as big as my workshop, when they conked out.
The reason that stainless steel is used is twofold. Firstly, the high acidic content of the 'condensing' action doesn't eat away the s/steel like it does steel and aluminium.
And secondly, the calcium doesn't stick to s/steel like it does to ordinary steel and copper. Thus the units last longer as they don't scale up so much.

Regards...Dick.

 

[MickCheese]

Dick

That is looking fantastic, you should both be very proud of yourselves.

I am so impressed, both with the design and the actual build.

Regards

Mick

 

[Cegidfa]

Hello Mick

Thanks for the kind words. Whilst pride comes before a fall, we are quite chuffed with the way it sits in the surroundings.
We did wonder if it would be a bit too showy for the Welsh countryside. But it just seems to fit in, and everyone who calls at the house comments on it.
I've even given the Tesco delivery man a tour because he was interested. :wink:

Diane is taking me to Antiquera for a while - to see the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens, but I'm not sure if she is bringing me back :shock:
So updates will be delayed. Then it's the last two doors, the back join cover (watch this space) and more insulation and lining.
And what are we doing now....designing more buildings for storage. :shock: One day we will be found face down in a trench, pickaxe in hand.

Regards...Dick.

 

[kirkpoore1]

Dick, I'm going to refresh everyone's memory:

From this:

to this:

is what I call good execution. Have fun in Spain!

Kirk

 

[Cegidfa]

Thanks Kirk, we will do our best. It's our first holiday for about six years, so it will be a welcome break.

Apart from the overhang supports, the extra roof window, and the double glass doors, it's pretty close to the sketchup drawing.

Best wishes.......Dick.

 

[Red]

OK, holiday must be over by now! I want to know how you're getting on. Fascinating project

 

[Halo Jones]

OK, holiday must be over by now!

I've been thinking the same thing. I hope all is okay with you both and you are either busy relaxing or just getting things done!

H.

 

[kirkpoore1]

I bet Dick's knees are healing up from crawling to Compostela. Which is not to say he didn't stop for beer along the way.

Kirk

 

[Cegidfa]

Morning all,

Rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated....

Hello Red...you slave driver you but I’m glad that you find it interesting.

Hello Halo...Thanks for the concern. We don’t do relaxing; the most that we could take of sitting by the pool and reading, would be three days, by which time we would be itching to get on with something. As I often say, we will be found face down in a trench at the age of ninety. :shock: :roll:

Hello Kirk....Keep up the good work......

Had I been crawling to Compostela, that would have been the reason for the long time since last posting. Compostela is a **** of a long way from Antiquera. It's a good job that I don't have a religious bone in my body - but the Grand Mosque in Cordoba was something else. =D>

We have been rather busy in the garden. When we came back, the grass was about nine inches tall (honest) we hadn’t been able to cut it before, due to the excess of liquid sunshine. :evil:
The mountain of clay that was the left over from the new leaching field run, has now been barrowed into the ex pond, and there is now a foot to go. The plan is to plant some more trees and create a ‘woody walk’. To that end we have removed the bridge over the (non working) waterfall and created a brick walkway so that we can get from the wood to the grass circle on the other side. This area was bordered by a large shrub bed that has now been pick axed clear. The circle will be enclosed by yet more trees, and is about twenty foot in diameter.

We just need to soften the edges with some planting.

Whilst in sunny Espania, we went to the Picasso museum in Malaga. Whilst interesting, what struck us was the terrace for the cafe. It was an oasis of peace in the middle of the city. We now intend to recreate this feel on what passes for a lawn, by the house. We have already changed the detail. The right hand end hedge will not happen. This will give use a 'drift' into the wooded area, and allow us better to see the blossom that will be there.

The bit down the centre of the left hand part is a very shallow ripple water feature.

Just a small job then......‘Woodwork’ you remind me....well, there is the pergola.

I thought that you might be interested in seeing the workshop in its setting. We weren’t sure if it would work, but we feel very happy with the outcome. What do you think?.....Err, please don't think of this as a gloat; we still feel that we have won the lottery - in spite of the hard work.

There is still so more ‘garden management’ to carry out, but then it’s back to finishing the doors, before repointing the end of the house. The inside of the workshop will be finished in the colder months, as it was 34℃ yesterday. It will be interesting to see what ameliorating effect the insulation and roof ventilation will have?
Right, so it's off to the tip with the car stuffed to the gunnels (ok. gunwales for you pedants ) with bags of grass clippings, with two more trips after that - we can't compostela that lot.....sorry Kirk. :roll: :wink:

Regards...Dick.

 

[Halo Jones]

Rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated....

Glad to hear it =D>

I must say I am rather envious of all the space you have and your ideas look great. Your workshop also looks great in it's setting. You should build a summer house just so you can take in the view from where you took that picture (hammer) - and do a WIP!

H.

 

[Triggaaar]

Wonderful build. Love the skill in making those round windows, brilliant.

Dick, I'm going to refresh everyone's memory:

From this:

to this:

Let's just hope he doesn't notice the extra window.

 

[MickCheese]

Gloat away, if I had built that myself I would feel I had a right to gloat.

Looking fantastic, you should be rightly proud of yourself.

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching you construct it too.

I think nearly 45000 hits says it all.

Mick

 

[Mcluma]

You did yourself proud =D> =D>

 

[Grahamshed]

You said it was going to be a workshop build with a difference. You were not joking. You could rent that place out as a holiday home Looks wonderful.

 

[Cegidfa]

Hi folks,

Hello Triggaaar and Graham, welcome to the madness.

Thanks for all the kind comments; we still can’t believe that two old farts like us could achieve that which we have. So, if we can do it, all the young ditherers out there - just go for it....... The only thing that you have to lose is your sanity....and a bank balance(d). :shock:

Don’t forget that we had never used any of these ‘skills’ before. We just did some research and then ‘winged it’....learning as we went......But, we are both of a practical bent, so that helps.

We have had the grandchildren for the last two weeks, so we diverted from shed building to ‘rude hut building’ using wood that came down the river and withies cut from the riverside.

It has occurred to us that if we cut some more a bit later, we can make a living yurt by plunging the the wythies into the ground in a circle and bending the tops and lash them together until they become one. Then just water and stand back...Watch this space.

Regards....Dick.

 

[kirkpoore1]

Hi folks,

... It has occurred to us that if we cut some more a bit later, we can make a living yurt by plunging the the wythies into the ground in a circle and bending the tops and lash them together until they become one. Then just water and stand back...Watch this space.

Regards....Dick.

Be sure to frame in openings for the skylights & round windows, Dick.

Kirk

 

[Cegidfa]

Hi Kirk,

Just for you.......one willow yurt with round windows - but no skylights, I will rely on dappled light through the gaps

The sketchup drawing took longer to do than the the hut will in growing :shock:
But, I have learned an amount about using rubies (plugins); boy, do they help with the 'tube' tasks...I hope that this means something to you - I don't know if you use sketchup?
My current fascination is with Sketchy Physics, this applies the rules of gravity to 'working' models, which the grandchildren found highly entertaining.

Regards....Dick.

 

[kirkpoore1]

It's the little touches that make a house a home, Dick.

Sketchup and I are not on speaking terms. There is something about the way it works and the way I want to do things that are fundamentally at odds. I have tried using it several times and walk away more frustrated than the other drawing programs I've used, dating back to MacDraw and Corel. Maybe it's the 3D thing, maybe it's the push-pull thing, but I refuse to bow down to it's demands. I find myself usually going to paper, and then making plywood or hardboard patterns if it's production piece.

Kirk

 

[Cegidfa]

I started with Turbocad, which works well for 2D isometric type drawings, but in 3D it was hard work.
Sketchup is a bit of a learning curve, but I have found it invaluable over the years.
In the last ten years, everything that I have made has been visualised in Sketchup first. For me, it helps to hone the design until we are happy, and then in the building of the model,
snags that would occur in the real thing emerge, and can be delt with; thus saving time and material. This was particularly useful with the workshop build.
I can totally agree about wanting to work in a certain way, that the programme won't play ball with. But it is so useful, that I accomodate it's ideosyncracies.

In comparison, Sketchyphysics is a nightmare ( that makes Sketchup feel a doddle) :shock: , but when I get it right, it is a real sense of achievement.

Best wishes....Dick.