The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Wed Sep 23, 2015 8:06 pm**

digerjones wrote:
lutonlagerlout wrote:oops got a stinker of a cold and missed the wink :;):
42 yds of muck dug out by hand in 8 days by 4 men
it would make dave L cry
LOL

LLL

Not a good advert for stripping off if your full of cold.
I've been on the banjo today, and I'm fooked.

Haha, that would be true if being cold was the reason for getting a cold. Which of course, it's not!

Posted: **Wed Sep 23, 2015 10:46 pm**

the cold has been getting everyone round here lately,I avoided it like the plague but then went and watched Luton with 7000 snivelling sods on saturday

42 yards is 7 skips FB

all barrowed from ramps up through the victorian house and finally up a ramp into the skip

so 1 man on the barrows flat out
2 in the trench 1 on fork 1 on shovel
1 more man (me) on the jackhammer breaking out the old footings

we found a well monday
not the best find
engineer wants to mass fill it with concrete and reinforce around 12 metres of footings with rebar cages

got a pump and 20M3 laid on for 7.30 friday

if all goes to plan in the pub by 12

thing is its not like a normal job,I cant take a day off or 2 blokes cannot get to work

the joys of being your own boss

LLL

Posted: **Thu Sep 24, 2015 7:35 am**

Out of interest. What was the guy doing with the fork?

I don't even own a fork! Never specifically needed one believe it or not.

Posted: **Thu Sep 24, 2015 6:54 pm**

lutonlagerlout wrote:watched Luton with 7000 snivelling sods on saturday.

I know they're not having a great season so far but no need to cry.
Yet

Posted: **Thu Sep 24, 2015 7:47 pm**

the fork is a priceless digging tool that takes years to master

you dig with a fork then remove the spoil with a shovel

I bought a new fork the other day and my old one(ten years old) the tines have worn down by around 5 inches through use

obviously we use picks, mattocks,and pins where needed

digging 1200 deep trenchs by hand is an artform

I may not be the best at it, but it never puts me off a job

LLL

Posted: **Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:00 pm**

The man on the fork should throw out his share of the spoil to not just loosen it. Fork is handy in certain situations but frowned upon around services and banned on some sites. We aren't allowed to bang pins in on our firm, not even for slabbing, kerbing or setting out ???

Posted: **Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:27 pm**

I still can't see how a fork can out perform a mattock. I've only ever hurt my wrist using a fork unless for turning loose soil.

On another note... I bought a mini pick a while back. Such a great tool. Probably my favourite I think. Up there with "sticks like shit" for general usefulness.

Posted: **Thu Sep 24, 2015 9:34 pm**

Tony, do you ever use a mini digger for your excavations?

Posted: **Thu Sep 24, 2015 10:33 pm**

mate we have used 5 tonners when access is these

this particular house is a victorian 3 storey semi (but with no rear access)

first thing the client told me was that 2 other builders came out to quote and both said it couldnt be done without a machine

and due to the location one couldnt be craned over

so I took that as a challenge

we have a pump and 2 volumetrics coming early doors so I am no masochist

we have plyed and used correx throughout the house, but with twists and turns there is no way even a micro would get through

its been a week and a half of hard graft which a digger would have done in a day,but it was all factored in to the price

We have a reputation of *making it happen* and its worked so far

LLL

Posted: **Thu Sep 24, 2015 11:09 pm**

Did it take you as long as you thought or less

Posted: **Fri Sep 25, 2015 6:36 am**

Fair play Tony. The bonus is it keeps you fit

Posted: **Fri Sep 25, 2015 6:39 am**

seanandruby wrote:The man on the fork should throw out his share of the spoil to not just loosen it. Fork is handy in certain situations but frowned upon around services and banned on some sites. We aren't allowed to bang pins in on our firm, not even for slabbing, kerbing or setting out ???

How do you set out a run of kerbs that follow a curve without pins.
Must be a nightmare for the surveyor.

Posted: **Fri Sep 25, 2015 7:01 am**

Bend lengths of rebar so that you have a foot to put concrete blocks on to weigh it down, awkward but doable.i'll try upload a photo later.

Posted: **Fri Sep 25, 2015 1:23 pm**

the dig took as long as I thought
I work on the assumption that 4 men will fill a 6 yd skip every day
historically myself and my brother in law have filled 2 6 yders in a day but with good access and easy digging

clay and flints on this job
LLL

Posted: **Fri Sep 25, 2015 7:08 pm**

I would guess I've dug and loaded 5 or 6 yards in a day before. The same again the next day. I recall the job, it was summer, it was hell. I will never do that again, it's not good for you IMO. Also, my work capacity for a day or 2 after drastically dropped.

The Brew Cabin

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