And now what did you do TODAY?

[Augsburger]

I note no mention of how you are going to run the audio speaker cables down into the dungeon  shop. Have you forgotten our HC DNA?

[purk]

28 minutes ago, swt61 said:

The rebar standing vertically is under the new double door. It will get bent down, before pouring the new slab, to further tie the new slab into the new footings.

#5 @ 12” spacing?

[swt61]

#5, and as close to 12" spacing as possible. 

33 minutes ago, Augsburger said:

I note no mention of how you are going to run the audio speaker cables down into the dungeon  shop. Have you forgotten our HC DNA?

Wires? We don't need no stinkin' wires!

I see some Edifiers in the shop's future. 

[Voltron]

47 minutes ago, purk said:

#5 @ 12” spacing?

Correct! The contractor thought the extra steel was worth the small difference even where he could have used 3 or 4.

The lally column on the left that is hidden behind the wood brace was wrapped with rebar to really tie it in. Both columns were undermined part way so that they key into the footings under the foundation wall. The temp posts and beams will come out when they remove the forms from the shop side of the foundation wall. The new slab will be tied in as Steve described and will top out five inches below the top of the foundation wall. A big improvement over the prior garage slab that ranged from 2.3-3" with no rebar and the lally column pads were just on dirt.

[swt61]

So it'll be safe even for a fat bastard like me to walk on!

Seriously though, the goal is a strong and smooth slab, because all of the big tools will be rolled into and out of place as necessary. 

Al hired a great crew. I'm impressed with their work ethic and attention to detail.

That and the fact that I haven't had to pick up a shovel.

[Craig Sawyers]

The main thing for a workshop in an ex-garage is to make sure the floor slopes slightly downhill to the door to prevent rain ingress. Doesn't take much rake to be effective.

[purk]

Extra reinforcement will really come in handy in many ways.  It will minimize slab cracking also allowing greater flexural and shear strength.  Concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension.

[swt61]

4 hours ago, Craig Sawyers said:

The main thing for a workshop in an ex-garage is to make sure the floor slopes slightly downhill to the door to prevent rain ingress. Doesn't take much rake to be effective.

No slope. We will have a curb on the front wall, and around the sides of the extension, except under the double doors, which will have a sheetmetal pan installed under it, to further ward off any water. Not to mention the slope of the ground in front of the garage carries the water away from the shop. All things we've considered. This will not have a garage door anymore, so no need for a flat, curbless entry. 

Edited September 26, 2021 by swt61

[Augsburger]

On 9/26/2021 at 5:24 AM, Craig Sawyers said:

The main thing for a workshop in an ex-garage is to make sure the floor slopes slightly downhill to the door to prevent rain ingress. Doesn't take much rake to be effective.

Ahh, Al lives in California, we no have rain heah in Cali.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Augsburger

[Voltron]

Moar steel and a vapor barrier.

[Craig Sawyers]

Just heard a long segment on the Today current affairs radio 4 programme (in the UK), about the ESA BepiColumbo mission to Mercury. It has just done its first flyby of Mercury - the first of 6 before it gets captured into orbit in 2025.

My interest in this, is that I was overall project manager for one of the 12 instruments on board - the Mercury Imaging X-Ray Spectrometer. That uses X-Rays from the sun, the reflected X-Ray light from Mercury having the spectrum of the elements on the surface of the planet - so how much iron, silicon etc, with a 10km resolution.

It was launched in October 2018 

After shakedown to make sure everything worked after launch, it then did a maneuver past the earth to send it on its way to the inner planets. Since then it has done two Venus flybys and yesterday the first Mercury one.

So why go to Mercury? First because it is a rocky planet that has never had an atmosphere, so to learn about how the earth might have formed, Mercury is a good place to learn. Also it is the second densest planet in the solar system - very close to the Earth's density. In addition it has a magnetic field (no-one knows why), and ice at the poles (which is weird given how close it is to the sun).

US interest in Ariane 5, is that the James Webb Space Telescope will be launched on one of those, imminently.

[Aimless1]

Retirement is like a permanent vacation.  Albeit mostly a staycation.   “Up North” for a week of leaf peeping, hiking and discovery.  Nicest cabin I have ever stayed in. 
 

 

[Voltron]

And...it's done. We'll, the concrete part. Steve and I need to build a wall, put in doors and a window, get a little electrical done, and then start making sawdust again. This time with a serious dust collection system and air filter in place. 

 

Edited October 2, 2021 by Voltron

[Augsburger]

Well they're baaaak!

Almost stepped on this little buddy while cleaning up the back yard for tomorrow's guests. Baby rattlesnakes are far more dangerous than adults. 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Augsburger

[swt61]

Very true. They haven't learned to control the dosage of venom.

[Craig Sawyers]

You know, that makes me really glad to live in the UK - there are no animals that can kill you (unless you have an allergy to a sting).

We have one poisonous snake - the adder - which is rare (I've only ever seen two), and the bite is no worse than a bee sting. And it is totally non aggressive.

We have three stinging insects. The wasp, the hornet (wasp on steroids), and the bee.

And one stinging plant - the nettle. And you can even eat that. Blanching kills the stings, and you can eat it as a salad leaf, or make it into soup.

But the US pales into insignificance with poisonous things as compared with Australia, where our daughter lives. The working assumption is that any insect or snake is out to kill you, and many things in the sea too. The worst thing seems to be the Sydney Funnelweb spider. Not only is it venomous in the extreme, huge and ugly, it is also aggressive. If it takes a dislike to you the darned thing can jump 18 inches with fangs bared. Google it.  

Of course some things just try to eat you outright. Like saltwater crocs or great white sharks.

[dsavitsk]

24 minutes ago, Craig Sawyers said:

But the US pales into insignificance ... as compared with Australia,

At least they don't have more guns than people.

[Beefy]

5 hours ago, Craig Sawyers said:

But the US pales into insignificance with poisonous things as compared with Australia, where our daughter lives. The working assumption is that any insect or snake is out to kill you, and many things in the sea too. The worst thing seems to be the Sydney Funnelweb spider. Not only is it venomous in the extreme, huge and ugly, it is also aggressive. If it takes a dislike to you the darned thing can jump 18 inches with fangs bared. Google it.  

The fun part about Australia is that the poisonous critters aren't even the most scary. The huntsman spider is a huge but generally chill dude/dame that will normally just eat other crawling bugs. But if you surprise or deliberately annoy that thing, the fucker will chase you across the room and out of the house. It won't kill you with venom, but that bite hurts.

And the way they hide..... You don't want to know the places I've found huntsman spiders. The classic example is 'clock spider'.....

[Craig Sawyers]

My daughter surprised one in her armpit while she slept. So she got a nasty bite when she grabbed it in surprise. Her husband is an arborist (it is his company) https://www.gibbontrees.com/ . He was surprisingly unfazed by this, and reckoned he probably brought it home somewhere in his work clothes.

So she ended up with the classic two-fang puncture in her armpit. She felt a bit sick was all, and a few ibuprofen was all that was needed.

They live in Newcastle NSW.

Mind you he found one in his UTE cab one morning, and even he did not want one along for the ride. So he ejected it with a leafblower.

[Beefy]

4 minutes ago, Craig Sawyers said:

Mind you he found one in his UTE cab one morning, and even he did not want one along for the ride. So he ejected it with a leafblower.

Ha! My car experience is a little different; one dropped into my lap at highway speeds, when I dropped my sun visor.

[Craig Sawyers]

10 minutes ago, Beefy said:

Ha! My car experience is a little different; one dropped into my lap at highway speeds, when I dropped my sun visor.

Bloody hell. I'd have ended in the ditch.

[Beefy]

Just now, Craig Sawyers said:

Bloody hell. I'd have ended in the ditch.

Some people are panic dancers, but thankfully I'm a panic freezer.

[swt61]

2 hours ago, Beefy said:

The fun part about Australia is that the poisonous critters aren't even the most scary. The huntsman spider is a huge but generally chill dude/dame that will normally just eat other crawling bugs. But if you surprise or deliberately annoy that thing, the fucker will chase you across the room and out of the house. It won't kill you with venom, but that bite hurts.

And the way they hide..... You don't want to know the places I've found huntsman spiders. The classic example is 'clock spider'.....

I really have no fear of bugs, rodents, snakes or the other creepy crawlies that many fear.

However, that clock tells me that it's time to get the fuck out!

[Augsburger]

We have mountain lions too now since it seems the drought has brought them down looking for the buffet.

[swt61]

I'm terrified of mountain lions, but pumas and cougars don't bother me.