New restoration project - what have I done!

[Pferdestarke]

True enough.

What a great project.

[PeterNem]

Just found this for the first time and read every post - love these threads. Looks a fantastic although daunting and eye waveringly expensive project.

Will definitely keep checking back to see how it's progressing!

[Griff Boy]

Cheers guys, still makes me uncomfortable sometimes when I consider the scale and amount of work still to do, but it's definately turned the corner and is starting to come out the other side. Just a case of breaking it down to a room by room basis!

[Chocolate Teapot]

If you have an old crate lying around drag that around with some rope to level the ground, far easier than using a rake!

[Griff Boy]

Chocolate Teapot said:

If you have an old crate lying around drag that around with some rope to level the ground, far easier than using a rake!

Does that really work? I've got a few 8ft pallets sitting around? Never thought of that.... Just need a couple of huskies!

[league67]

Griff Boy said:

Does that really work? I've got a few 8ft pallets sitting around? Never thought of that.... Just need a couple of huskies!

If you scale them to size of your project, you might want to go over to Ice Age movie set and borrow couple of mammoths.

[Chocolate Teapot]

league67 said:

Griff Boy said:

Does that really work? I've got a few 8ft pallets sitting around? Never thought of that.... Just need a couple of huskies!

If you scale them to size of your project, you might want to go over to Ice Age movie set and borrow couple of mammoths.

Mammoths would be useful!

I did about 100sqm and it took me a couple of hours, it helps if you weigh the pallets down with some rocks but it will give a perfect spread and flat finish.

Similar to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va5Z6INoqnI

[Griff Boy]

Chocolate Teapot said:

Mammoths would be useful!

I did about 100sqm and it took me a couple of hours, it helps if you weigh the pallets down with some rocks but it will give a perfect spread and flat finish.

Similar to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va5Z6INoqnI

Thanks guys, I now have an image of my wife, an 8ft pallet, rope and me with a whip walking behind..... video to follow :-)

[league67]

Chocolate Teapot said:

Mammoths would be useful!

I did about 100sqm and it took me a couple of hours, it helps if you weigh the pallets down with some rocks but it will give a perfect spread and flat finish.

Similar to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va5Z6INoqnI

I need to do 100sqm. Just need to find mammoths. As to weight the pallets down, I'm like a slightly wider version of MichelinMan, so don't think that's gonna be an issue.

[rolando]

Griff Boy said:

Thanks guys, I now have an image of my wife, an 8ft pallet, rope and me with a whip walking behind..... video to follow :-)

Why walk when you can strap a chair to the pallet and crack your whip in comfort?

[Griff Boy]

rolando said:

Why walk when you can strap a chair to the pallet and crack your whip in comfort?

And the beer fridge for ballast! It's hot out there you know!

[renmure]

Dragging a ladder is a great way to level topsoil on a large(ish) scale. I towed one behind a ride-on mower with really good results.

ps.. enjoying the updates

[Griff Boy]

renmure said:

Dragging a ladder is a great way to level topsoil on a large(ish) scale. I towed one behind a ride-on mower with really good results.

ps.. enjoying the updates

Well I've got a ride on mower, so could give that a try, think I might need the land rover discovery of ride on mowers just now though!

[Andrew[MG]]

Ian, did I read that you are installing a pellet fuelled boiler? Where are you planning to buy the pellets from?

[Griff Boy]

Andrew[MG] said:

Ian, did I read that you are installing a pellet fuelled boiler? Where are you planning to buy the pellets from?

Hi Andrew, I was looking into it, but didn't go for it in the end, just went with two normal boilers linked together. Budget constraints in the short term I'm afraid.

[Griff Boy]

Had some good news today, spoke to the SSE team leader about the cable I managed to digger my way through, and he said they have decided not to charge me for the repair, as the plans didn't show that section of cable on it! Result!

[Griff Boy]

Ok, so had a go at levelling the earth today, tried the pallet trick, got bored with it, the wife tried to pull it but even substantial whipping didn't help!

So, I decided mechanical assistance was required! And a couple of concrete bases we dug out of the ground!

I may have "borrowed" my wife's car for doing the gardening... Not a phrase I thought I'd ever have to use!



[url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/AMEk94ZB[/url]



Got some strange looks doing laps of the garden towing an 8ft trailer loaded with 150kg of rocks! But had some great fun doing it!

[Slashmb]

Griff Boy said:

Ok, so had a go at levelling the earth today, tried the pallet trick, got bored with it, the wife tried to pull it but even substantial whipping didn't help!

So, I decided mechanical assistance was required! And a couple of concrete bases we dug out of the ground!

I may have "borrowed" my wife's car for doing the gardening... Not a phrase I thought I'd ever have to use!



[url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/AMEk94ZB[/url]



Got some strange looks doing laps of the garden towing an 8ft trailer loaded with 150kg of rocks! But had some great fun doing it!

This thread just gets better and better!

I've been following it from the beginning and always look forward to updates.

Huge admiration for you Griff Boy for taking on this project.

[Chocolate Teapot]

Griff Boy said:

Got some strange looks doing laps of the garden towing an 8ft trailer loaded with 150kg of rocks! But had some great fun doing it!

Excellent! just tell them pistonheads said it was a good idea, i'm sure they will understand

[felixgogo]

Gardening. By Pistonheads.