That would mean a major redesign and just ain't gonna happen.
Well... you speak a lot of sense Baldrick... but I'm at the 'just get the fukkin thing finished' stage now.
You can really see how big projects often fall apart at the end. I'm way over budget timewise, and buying a circular saw AND now a new cordless screwdriver has blown the financial budget through the roof. It's a shame I haven't got another project on the go to offset some of the costs to.
But the biggest problem... I've just had enough now.
So... I welded on a couple of noggins this afternoon and they've already had two coats of primer. A Wednesday finish is a definite possibility.
Weston-Super-Mare Grand Pier would always be my 'go to' standard to compare against.
But you've nailed the biggest problem... it is just 'too fucking hot' to stand anywhere outside. I burnt the bottoms of my feet today standing on those wooden planks. I'm starting to wonder what I was thinking about.
Anyway, tonight I spent a little practice time on the jetty.
The dogs love it.
I must admit though, that after around 10 minutes standing at the end of the jetty I got a bit bored. The 'bar top' at the end isn't wide enough to stick my laptop on and I'm a bit nervous messing on my phone out there above the water.
I'm thinking of borrowing some of Joe 90's ideas for his 'man shed'. I reckon a couple of sofas, a pool table and a gym would transform the thing!
It would still be too hot in the daytime though.
Looking good.
Can't you just switch to a wider plank for the top if you want a bigger shelf.
^ You make it sound so easy Mike!
Anyway... a new day and plenty of jetty work to do.
My first task was to set in place the first plank and the last plank... or did I do that yesterday??!
It's hard to keep track of things, and to be honest I'm half cut tonight due to some major celebrations.
But I'm not gonna give out any jetty spoilers!
So... all set out with the tools of the trade in the baking 36 degree sun at 9am. Setting out the spacing wasn't so easy as many plans were laterally warped... I had some shit wood, that's for sure. This meant you couldn't just measure a standard gap... you had set it out and 'eyeball' in what looked OK. I measured the distance to the leading edge of every third plank or so to make sure of no gross errors.
With me fancy new Bosch this was a quick operation. It even has an automatic torch to free me up for future night work projects.
I gave some thought to buying an all round machine, but to be honest a drill powerful enough to do some of my stuff is very heavy for light work. This little Bosch was absolutely perfect, and when my old drill gives out I'll get something heavy duty.
And after an hour with my new Bosch, all planks were secured apart from the one that required cutting where the diagonal uprights attached and the two either side that were affected by new paint work. I then put on the first coat of black paint.
My initial plan had been to only attach the wooden planks to the metal at each end. But... due to some warping of the wood there was some 'bounce' when walking across, so I decided to add an extra screw along the middle frame beam. Very quick to do with my mew Bosch. I first marked up the holes, then drilled them, then countersunk them, then wellied the screws in!
And that was the status at lunch time. The second coat of black paint went on at 1pm... but would it be dry enough to finish the job in the afternoon?
The daughter is on her last week of school... exam week. I have to pick her up at lunch time so not much time for jetty work... Things were getting tight...
^ No, the Tuesday today!
Once the second coat of black was on the newly welded parts of the metal frame, all I had to do was wait for it to dry and then I could finish the jetty!
But how to spend the time?
One ob that needed doing was to dismantle the construction platform. I'd been hoping the gardener would tackle this but it wasn't happening.
Probably one of my more pleasant jobs to be honest... it was 36 degrees today with 80% humidity by 2pm...
The pond water is a cooling 33 degrees...
However... not that pleasant.
It proved to be quite a difficult task to untie the piece of scaffolding tower and release all the wood.
The gardener had done a good job.
It's surprising how buoyant your feet become when wearing these rubber slipper things. It was a constant battle to keep my head above water.
And then Dan came along to help. She may be nearly 15, but when there's stuff going on she always wants to be in the thick of it.
Always have the time to give your old dog a kiss... that's my motto. She won't be around forever.
... but never take your eye off the ball... the sides of that pond are as slippy as fukk with algae.
Anyway, once the wood was out... all I had to do was drag out the piece of scaffold tower...
Not so easy... rubber slippers and algae-coverered concrete... like skates on ice...
... but please don't worry guys!
And if you don't succeed the first time...
Just try and try...
Again...
... job done!
Last edited by Mendip; 22-06-2021 at 10:24 PM.
^ Not slippy, but they get damn hot.
Anyway, once the construction platform had been dismantled and I'd had a general clear up, the final coat of black paint was dry. I'd been intermittently coating the ends of the cut plank at the diagonal member location with Chaindrite and wood stain... so why not bring this project in three days ahead of (Lom's) schedule??!
And so I did...
Four weeks of my life, that took me!
It would freak me out being in that pond when I couldn't see what was in the water.
Such a momentous landmark as finishing a jetty cannot go uncelebrated in a family... or are kids used as an excuse for the dad to act like a twat?
Who cares... at 5pm sharp the jetty grand opening ceremony commenced.
Hurry up...
And time for a well-earned drink!
Cheers daughter... a good job done!
A quick Ya Dong chaser...
Yeah well...
The bar top is narrow... but wide enough. And 118cm is the perfect height, whether standing of propped up on a bar stool.
Once in that bar leaning position I realised that this is an area where my parenting has been sadly lacking. I've already stressed on my daughter that when she's older, on entering a bar, under no circumstances does she sit down at a table unless with a particularly awkward partner. Always head to a prominent part of the bar where you can be easily seen by bar staff, and get yerself a bar stool. This strategy has held me in good stead for many, many years.
Then lean with your left, drink with your right...
Dan loves it... the first time ever I've been able to lean on a bar with a dog at my feet.
Lovely!
The biggest worries as I see it are dropping either your glasses of phone in the water. I lost a pair of specs a couple of years ago in that pond... although I guess they're not really lost if I know where they are.
And if you get too worried you can always go back ashore!
All parties have to end I guess.
I told the wife about the traditional English way of Christening a jetty, but I could tell by the look she gave me that that ain't gonna happen...
You gotta try!
Mate, that 'Bar' at the end of the pier is an accident waiting to happen.
Why not remove the narrow timber plank you placed there, go buy one twice the width and attach the current one at the long edge (as a vertical) of your new Bar?
Put a lip on your Bar to stop any accidental elbow pumps knocking a phone into the pond?
You should be trying to achieve (at a rustic/practical level) this 'lip' effect (below)
IMHO
One shouldn’t have a phone at the bar anyway. But I do agree, the bar needs to be wider.
Another enjoyable thread. Thanks.
Time well spent that. A pier, a jetty, a fishing station, a diving board and a bar all rolled into one.
I'm with David, I'd repurpose the current bar as a backstop to a wider bar. You just know that after a few sherbets something important and probably electronic is going to slide off the current arrangement.
That sala is crying out for a fridge too.
That said, respect for seeing the project through. Well done, nice piece of work.
Mendip
I have just been watching a YouTube video and the guy on there said something that made me laugh and think of you when you complain about how hot it is all the time.
He was working on an old car and was also complaining about the heat, here's what he said.
"I have a back crack waterfall happening".
So next time the sweat is running down your arse crack and creating a heat rash just think of it as a "waterfall".
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