Pergola and more!

[Gazza]

That will look very nice when done and once its weathered a bit will be a cracking finish.

Come on i can't wait to see it all finished

[B.Scott]

I in such a hurry to start actually building it up but so many little details keep getting in the way. Ithe one that is bothering me at this point is "The Bicycles". This is Holland, bicycle-land. Between the four of us we have 6 bikes. Four of those sit under a little roof next to the back gate and indeed exactly where one of the post need to go. The other post will be planted in the middle of the path to the gate. So the bikes and the roof must go. The bikes themselves are to be bannished to the storage unit I have about 75 yards from the house. So what is the trouble? I have trouble just getting the door to the unit clsed much less parking 4 more bikes in it. So It's time to "CLEAN THE GARAGE" Word that have turned the blood of many a male to ice water but sadly it is a job that cannot be trudted to feamles who have a habit of tossing all the good "Stuff" I will be getting up early tomorrow and start by carting all the "Junk" to the city collection point as well as re-arranging all the stuff that remains. The I can knock down the roof and transport that to the dump as well.

Give me strength! Cleaning in NOT my forte'.

B.Scott

[B.Scott]

At last the Mrs. has gone to her youngest sister for a visit off and I can make some progress on the gate.

I drilled a hole in the path that I had already measured out and went as deep as the drill would allow which about 120cm (4'). I picked up the post which now weighs about 50kg and dropped it down the hole. Unfortunately the square post was wider then round hole and the corners of the post planed the hole square and packed the sand underneath the post. End result is that the hole s no longer deep enough and the 50kg post must come pack out of the snuggly fit, hole. Thanks to the keyed holes for the lower supports I was able to run a bit of wood through the hole and with the help of the neighbor we (just barely) managed to pull it out. After enlarging the hole slightly and a couple of extra tries the post at last stood in place!

[img]http://www.koi.excalibur-nw.com/images/gate38.jpg[/img]

If the first one was hard, the second one was a nightmare. This one not only needed to stand vertical but it had to be the same height, a set distance and I must key the vertical support running horizintially into both posts.

This came down to inserting the post and then removing it again about 9 times. Once I was in place and secure I got out the other bits and layed them on top. Therefore what you see in the picture in to the finished product, only the loose pieces put roughly in place to treat this boy to a sence of what it was eventually going to resemble.


[img]http://www.koi.excalibur-nw.com/images/gate36.jpg[/img]


[img]http://www.koi.excalibur-nw.com/images/gate39.jpg[/img]

[Bob Hart]

That looks great Scott, jusat the finishing of to do now then?

[B.Scott]

I'm afraid it's a bit more than that Bob. Quite a bit more. I installed the buttress supports today. Took me all day long to do it. Pictures tomorrow when it gets light.

[B.Scott]

The last two days I got the butresses made and fitted. This should give the gate a greater amount of stability when the wind blows hard, as it often does here on the coast. I then fitted the three horzontal beams. The top beam is attached with two 16cm stainless bolts but the two beams on the end of the support arms are attached with stainless steel screws. Despite predrilling all the holes and lubricating the screws, the screws kept snaping off. I guess that is why they call it hardwood.

Yesterday I put in the roof trusses so the next step is to put up the planking. In the mean time I have covered the top to keep the softer wood from soaking up water. Needless to say it has been peeing down rain all day so little work is getting done today.

B.Scott


[img]http://www.koi.excalibur-nw.com/images/gate41.jpg[/img]



[img]http://www.koi.excalibur-nw.com/images/gate40.jpg[/img]

[B.Scott]

WE HAVE DOORS!!!


[img]http://www.koi.excalibur-nw.com/images/gate42.jpg[/img]

[eds]

Been watching this project carefully and that is quality work. It's certainly not going to be rocking when the gate moves!!!

[B.Scott]

Now that the butresses are installed it has made a huge differene in the amount of movement. From left to right it's like a rock and just a little bit of movement front to back.

B.Scott

[B.Scott]

Well the planking is now complete on one side and the first layers of scales are being applied!


[img]http://www.koi.excalibur-nw.com/images/gate43.jpg[/img]


B.Scott

[vippymini]

youve got too much time on your hands Scotty.

very nice look. do you facy building a dragon in our garden for the kids?

[B.Scott]

Sounds like a challege to me!

B.Scott

[B.Scott]

Got the first 50 nailed into place...

[img]http://www.koi.excalibur-nw.com/images/gate44.jpg[/img]

[Gazza]

I thought you may of had that done by now Scotty Its coming along very nicely mate

[B.Scott]

Tomorrow I get up at the crack of dawn and head for the shop where I hope to have the rest of the bits finished buy about 2pm. Each little square costs about 2 minutes of labour to make. Only 200 to go so about 6 hours worth of work. Then all I have to do is put em on the roof!

B.Scott