Page 281 of 315
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 5:09 pm
by sy76uk
Sounds like you've been lucky Mick. Your strength is in the quality of your workmanship and how well thought out your jobs are.
I'm trying to go down the same route now. I wish I had of done it 10-15 years ago. Believe it or not it was down to laziness more than anything else. The money was good back then, all price work and no running around quoting jobs up or the hassle of running a business.
The down side was how much we'd have to lay in a day to earn the good money.
A 1000m2 road in 80's was a postage stamp to us.
30,000m2 was the biggest job I ever did and 90ish% of all the paving I have ever laid has been 80mm thick.
As we all know it's 80's on roads, car parks ect and 60's on driveways and footpaths.
All we did during the 80's right up to the early 00's was massive industrial estates, retail parks, schools hospitals ect.
I was a slave to the blocks for years, very monotonous but at least now it only takes a day once the jobs prepped to lay a driveway 
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 9:23 am
by seanandruby
Not so sure of your loading next to that trench and no batter, or stepped dig :;):
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 10:34 am
by lemoncurd1702
Appreciate your comments Sean, but why a stepped dig?
That micro digger ain't got much of a reach 
loading from the bottom area and then dragging from the top.
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 10:43 am
by seanandruby
stepped meaning battered so it won't collapse. being lose it could go quite easy. your spoil is to close to the dig putting a hefty lateral force on the side of trench, potential for serious harm, or death to someone working there.
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 10:51 am
by lutonlagerlout
maybe I am seeing it wrong but that *trench* only looks about 900mm at the high point
risk assessment very low risk of collapse and difficult for a man to be trapped if that happened
AFAIK trenchs over 1200 deeps need shoring or battering
of course as always, I am ready to be corrected
looks a decent job to get your teeth into LC and show off your skills
btw did you do the drawing?
if so Bravo!
LLL
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 11:00 am
by sy76uk
Looks like a fair size job Mark.
I'm looking forward to seeing that one once it's completed.
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 12:12 pm
by lemoncurd1702
I get it Sean and will keep it in mind for future works.
As LLL says it isn't that high from the ground level, finished height of the wall will be around a metre, appreciate its a bit deeper than that to bott of trench.
Yeah nice size project tony, Simon gunna be there sometime. Lost my brickie to a higher payer so may have to do much of it myself or see if my ex brickie will do a couple of weekends.
Yes did drawing and still trying to improve my cad skills. Helps a lot with setting out and measuring areas etc.
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 12:25 pm
by sy76uk
I prefer doing the bigger projects Mark. I've spent the last 3 weeks doing little jobs for people and the time and money spent running around to get the stuff hardly makes it worth your while.
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 1:33 pm
by cookiewales
Lovely part of Wales and looks a cracking job if I was closer I would lay the bricks
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 4:59 pm
by lemoncurd1702
Come on down Cookie, I'll put you up and buy the beer.
Yeah I know what you mean Simon, I think a mix is best though. A couple of small ones in between. After a while you get sick of going to the same place. It's a 50 to 60 minute drive for a 30 mile journey and traffic lights 100m apart, you know the ones that change to red as yours go green 
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 5:15 pm
by seanandruby
You would be wrong Luton. 1200 is only a guide. A one sided dig is just as bad as a double sided one. My main concern was the added height and lateral forces with the spoil.
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 5:17 pm
by mickg
what are you recommending sean steel sheet piling ?
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 5:40 pm
by sy76uk
3 of the little jobs should have been nice.
1 was for my next door neighbour, the second for a bloke over the road and the third for a mate that lives less than 5 minutes away.
The first job was an aco channel.
It took me half a day to find a sodding p trap. I ended up getting one from b&q of all places.
One of the TP's I went in didn't even know what one was so it took 2 days to do 2 aco channels.
Second one was a footpath down the side of a house.
We got the same textured slabs for the footpath as we used on his patio but the new ones were a different shade.
Spent the next morning trying to explain that on paper they were the same colour and had to get a slab that was the colour he thought his patio was to prove it wasn't.
Job 3 went from a simple re pointing job to ripping up the front and back garden and starting again.
I'm busy and couldn't really fit it. They clients only had a weekend to pick all there materials and needed a lot of help.
Job 4 is one we squeezed in while we were waiting for job 3's materials.
You saw it on Facebook. We did a footpath in some Sahara sandstone and some turf. The job was in the middle of nowhere and took 2 days with all the running around.
The problems I'm having with the Marshalls sandstone is for job 3.
Is also for job 5 which is now at least a week late and job 6 which I was hoping to have done by now.
I've heard some firms won't take on jobs unless they have a minimum value of 5k.
I'm starting to understand why, lol.
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 6:23 pm
by DempseyLiverpool
I used to be all the place doing little jobs sy only the last few years I've started letting them go and waiting for the better work.
Its easier when you've got a few months booked in. I prefer 2 weeks plus other wise you spend more time loading and unloading the van.
If my LB hasn't got any drainage bits Usually pick them up from screwfix.
