Steve's workshop - Painting the outside walls

[Steve Maskery]

Today I have had both Ray and Akram here and we have done a lot. All of it ceiling work, so there isn't a huge amount to write about, but we have made a lot of progress. My ceiling is largely pink.

The plasterboard is very heavy. It's 3m long and 15mm thick, so it's a lot more than a standard board. Plus it's not strong enough to support its own weight, when held by the ends. So we started by using a couple of lengths of 4x1 to add rigidity whilst we were handling it. It was good but too much sliding around, so we decided to screw the 4x1s to the plasterboard itself

It was a disaster, because as soon as we lifted it up by the wood, it just pulled out. So instead we made a bit of a wood frame, which I'm afraid I haven't photographed, because for all the important moments, we had Ray and Akram on the scaffolding and me up the ladder, or me operating the hoist. At one point all three of us were on the scaffolding. This stuff is heavy and unwieldy. I don't think it would be possible to do the job without the hoist, to be honest.

Good work, today, good work.

So now I am typing this whilst Akram keeps an eye on the spag bol and tonight I'm going to introduce him to the delights of an English folk club.....

 

[Jamesc]

A couple of lengths, widely spaced, so you can have movable cross-beams of whatever sort you choose. That gives the best flexibility for lights etc.

You could also use the arrangement for a backing roll for photography (giant-scale roller blind, basically). For anything as big as furniture, you ideally need the backing at least 2/3 as far from the subject as the camera is - this allows the b/g to be out of focus for reasonable camera apertures (f5.6 and a bit wider). Simple geometry means you then need a quite big background!

+1 for this suggestion. We use this extensively for hanging pipework and cable tray. I would add a third down the centre.

James

 

[gwr]

Hi Steve great looking space you have there do you have any costings to date if that's not being too nosey.

 

[StevieB]

One solution to the plasterboard problem is to cut the boards in half and then put them up - cut line hardly shows and if plastering not an issue at all. Just costs you a few more screws per board. I have done this when handling boards on my own for ceilings.

Steve

 

[Eric The Viking]

One solution to the plasterboard problem is to cut the boards in half and then put them up - cut line hardly shows and if plastering not an issue at all. Just costs you a few more screws per board. I have done this when handling boards on my own for ceilings.

Steve

Thank you.

I'm notorious (in the family) for sometimes missing the wood because of the trees. Simplest solution: often the best.

Regards, Homer (homer)

 

[whiskywill]

Is this the stuff Steve?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/41mm-Slotted- ... 4adda67226

I am looking to get some of that to fabricate a castored-trolley for my planer.
It might not work, of course!



Cheers
John

There used to be a range of fittings for it as well making it really useful stuff. Brackets, hinges, plates even wheels and castors IIRC.

There still is ...

http://www.unistrut.co.uk/index.php?M1= ... Assemblies

Very versatile kit.

Cheers

Dave

This is an alternative from BSS. http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... Eu_kzoOSfw
Last time I used Unistrut they insisted that I ordered larger quantities than I needed like a pack of ten brackets when I only wanted two of a kind.
Sitebox sells individual bits of Unistrut. http://www.sitebox.ltd.uk/search?q=unistrut

 

[cutting42]

So now I am typing this whilst Akram keeps an eye on the spag bol and tonight I'm going to introduce him to the delights of an English folk club.....

Cool, which folk club?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Today we have almost finished OSBing the ceiling. As we did the last run it got very tight for Ray to work. Indeed, he had to remove a couple of sections of the temporary bracing we put in when we first installed the trusses. Even so, it was a squeeze for Ray to be able to reach the loft insulation.

Unfortunately we are one board short

We nearly didn't have any more photos at all, as I managed to knock over my camera and tripod and didn't manage to catch it before it went crashing to the concrete floor. Fortunately it appears to have survived, but I'm afraid I did utter a naughty word.

We haven't done any plasterboard, they are just too heavy to lift with just the two of us. Indeed, it was quite hard enough just shifting them around. We had three piles, one of 11mm OSB for the ceiling, one of 18mm OSB that we had been using for the outside, but I have bought far too much, and a pile of plasterboard, all of which were in the way for doing the back half of the ceiling. So we have moved everything to one pile. It's created loads of space and as the ceiling starts to look more complete, I'm getting excited again about this project. For quite a while I've been wondering what on earth was I thinking starting this project in the first place, but today I found myself imagining working in there.

I've also spent a bit of time squirting PU foam into all the nooks and crannies left from the patchwork of the cadged foam. But one can has done the lot and I bought 3 cans and was given another three, so whilst it may not be the National Collection of foam canisters, it certainly is a surfeit.

The next time we can both make it is next Wednesday, when I hope Akram can come again. We certainly need as many hands as possible for the plasterboard.

Still we have made good progress and it now looks like this

 

[Eric The Viking]

Jolly good, on many levels!

I'm like you with foam - I never know how to gauge how much I'll need. Earlier in the autumn I took an old can up a ladder to fill a small hole and the wretched stuff came out sideways from the valve, not the nozzle at all. I wasn't best pleased, but didn't quite fall off.

It does look rather posh in there!

 

[Steve Maskery]

Sorry, C42, I didn't answer your question.
Mansfield Folk Club
S

 

[cutting42]

Sorry, C42, I didn't answer your question.
Mansfield Folk Club
S

Cool. I was brought up going to folk clubs and festivals by my morris dancing parents and my dad was big sea shanty singer as well. My brother has earned his living playing folk music for the past 20+ years.


Love a bit of folk!

 

[gregmcateer]

Steve, if the plasterboard is too big and heavy, just cut it in half and do it in sections.
I know your workshop is more impressive than many houses, but a few extra plasterboard lines surely ain't gonna hurt, (and if you're plastering it, it's just a bit more scrim tape)

Love the WIP, by the way - it looks great

 

[billybuntus]

I hope my keyboard recovers, this is a right pain in the nethers. No space bar, comma, backspace or return key, amongst others. I did put it in the oven as low as it would go for a couple of hours. I think it might need a bit longer.

May I be so bold as to suggest you order a new one.

http://www.ebuyer.com/495408-cherry-bla ... 000lungb-2

Less than the cost of a sheet of plasterboard.

PS, If I was nearby I would happily lend a hand to get the plasterboard up there.

 

[dexter]

Hi Steve, I expect you`ll "want to be in by Christmas" to coin that well used phrase.
Forgive me if I missed it in the previous posts but are you or have you considered putting in an access point to get into the space above the ceiling? It could prove useful if you ever decided to make changes to lighting etc.

Dex

 

[Steve Maskery]

Sorry for not replying, chaps, I've been away.
Keyboard sorted, thank you. It's not the same, but it works.

I did think of an access hatch, but I'm not sure there is any point. There is such a tiny space up there, even skinny Ray struggles. I'd just be jammed. So I don't think I'll bother. It wouldn't be so difficult to fit one retrospectively if I absolutely had to

I hope we can get the PB finished this week, the lifter owner wants it back.

 

[Steve Maskery]

It's time to start fitting the wiring for the alarm system. I plan to have the control panel on the LH side of the door (as viewed from the inside) and have two boxes, one on the front of the building and one inside the house.

Does anyone have a rec for a good DIY system? Unfortunately I don't think I can get a landline phone cable down there very easily, so I can't use the dial alert facility, so it doesn't need to be fancy, just reliable.
S

 

[Setch]

Steve, a few systems support a GSM sim card and can dial out that way. The one I'm familiar with is the Scantronic Ion-16, which may be overkill for the 'shop, especially as it supports wireless components. Maybe something similar is available in a wired system?

 

[Brentingby]

Maybe wireless would work well in this application.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Can anyone help this Thursday?

I'd like to get this plasterboard up because the guy who owns the lifter wants it back, and the guy who I thought could help this week now has some paid work to do and can't come

I've got replacement help on Wednesday, but if you can help on Thursday, you will be very welcome!
S

 

[Steve Maskery]

Today we have finished plasterboarding the ceiling! Hooray!
That's it, really. My mate Bob, of Workshop Essentials Theme Tune fame (composer and performer), came to help, but he can't come tomorrow.
Here are some pictures:

We used a batten tacked to the wall to support the end of the board . This made lifting the board up at an angle much easier.

If you are at loose end, we can still use you tomorrow. We hope to finish the gable ends.

S