The same also applies to the north, the east and as well the south. So what have we been doing since last weeks eye full and pond base concreting?
Well .... for a start we've been amending our build plans yet again! We're quite excited about this new "development" but for now we're going to keep it under wraps. It'll be a bit of a surprise .... so watch this space!
We've also been looking at all the equipment and peripherals we'll be needing for plumbing the vortex, Nexus, Bead Filter, UV and pump etc for the filter system and have just purchased a mountain of pipework, connectors, bends etc form A19 Koi - thanks for helping us out Paul.
We've also made an attempt to get rid of some of the soil which is currently piled up in the middle garden. My arms currently feel like the way Popeye's look - i'm sure you know what i mean. It's going to take some doing but we certainly needed to make a start in getting the middle garden back to some form of normality so that work can once again commence in landscaping this area.
Back with the new pond build and work on the block work is scheduled to start on this next weekend, so although it's all quiet on the western front at the moment, in the background plans are being finalised, equipment procured and surprises schemed.
21 May 2011
18 May 2011
We've Reached Base Camp
No we haven't suddenly found ourselves on a mountaineering expedition to climb the north face of Everest, however at the start of a new pond build it does seem that you put in an immense amount of work and effort with nothing significant to show for it - just plans, revamped plans and more plans. Plus a multitude of bits and pieces of equipment you've assembled together but packed away until the moment comes when you'll finally need them. I'm sure those people that venture out to conquer Everest and other monumental peaks must feel the same way, until that is they finally reach Base Camp when suddenly the overwhelming sense of "now we're getting somewhere" finally hits home and the reality of all the planning and getting ready is actually coming to fruition. If that's the case, then last Saturday morning we finally reached Base Camp with our new pond build!
The ready mix concrete from Sandsfield's at Elvington was due to arrive some time around 10.00am. The team of volunteers (or were they coerced) gathered for 09.30am just in case the came a little earlier than expected. Wifey had already been busy and had lined the wheel barrows up ready for the off and had also placed a large piece of old pond liner on the drive, just in case we ran out of waiting time and the remaining mix would have to be dumped.
Bang on 10.00am and the mix arrived. After re-positioning the truck we were ready and under starters orders. Yours truly jumped into the whole, well i say jumped .... it was more of a fall but with a little style, then eagerly awaited the first barrow full. After a few loads it was a quick change with Richard adopting spreading duties as barrow after barrow full of concrete found its way into the hole (and the eye) whist on occasions the barrow nearly followed ..... yes into the eye as well as the hole!
To say it was fast & furious (there's a film there somewhere - with pimped up wheel barrows) .... anyway it would be an understatement. In fact i've no idea at all how long it actually took to fill the hole or how many barrows it involved .... quite a few looking at the red faces that kept appearing from behind a tipped up wheel barrow as another load of concrete entered the hole & eyes. The whole thing was a bit of a blur until the sense of not being pebble dashed finally got through to the brain and we realised that everyone was stood watching and waiting for the master class of levelling to begin. After being given some excellent advice from the driver whilst he was eating his second bacon butty, we set about the task at hand under the watchful eye of everyone!
After some good solid tamping down we finally made our way out the end of the pond exiting via what's going to eventually be the filter house. The Concreting Crew then got stuck into some well deserved bacon & sausage butties along with a well earned cuppa. By 12.00 midday the pond base was complete & levelled, the bacon & sausage butties annihilated and the Concreting Crew all heading home .... to collapse probably.
A massive thank you to the members of the East Yorkshire Koi Society that gave up their own time to come and help us complete this part of our new pond build project. Their help was invaluable and resulted in a daunting task made easy through their efforts.
Now for the role of honour:-
 |
| Start of the day |
Bang on 10.00am and the mix arrived. After re-positioning the truck we were ready and under starters orders. Yours truly jumped into the whole, well i say jumped .... it was more of a fall but with a little style, then eagerly awaited the first barrow full. After a few loads it was a quick change with Richard adopting spreading duties as barrow after barrow full of concrete found its way into the hole (and the eye) whist on occasions the barrow nearly followed ..... yes into the eye as well as the hole!
To say it was fast & furious (there's a film there somewhere - with pimped up wheel barrows) .... anyway it would be an understatement. In fact i've no idea at all how long it actually took to fill the hole or how many barrows it involved .... quite a few looking at the red faces that kept appearing from behind a tipped up wheel barrow as another load of concrete entered the hole & eyes. The whole thing was a bit of a blur until the sense of not being pebble dashed finally got through to the brain and we realised that everyone was stood watching and waiting for the master class of levelling to begin. After being given some excellent advice from the driver whilst he was eating his second bacon butty, we set about the task at hand under the watchful eye of everyone!
After some good solid tamping down we finally made our way out the end of the pond exiting via what's going to eventually be the filter house. The Concreting Crew then got stuck into some well deserved bacon & sausage butties along with a well earned cuppa. By 12.00 midday the pond base was complete & levelled, the bacon & sausage butties annihilated and the Concreting Crew all heading home .... to collapse probably.
 |
| Base Camp Reached |
Now for the role of honour:-
- Chrissie - For sweet talking the driver and bribing him with coffee and bacon butties, plus feeding and watering all the other hungry & thirsty faces after all their hard work!
- EYKS Members - Mike, Roger, Richard and Roy (the Concreting Crew) for their sheer hard work in getting the concrete from truck to in hole (and eyes don't forget) in such a small time frame and with very little spillage - simply awesome!
- Grandad - The senior member of the Concreting Crew!
- Keiran (our son) - For helping Chrissie bribe the driver - with his sweets.
- Wifey - For helping out with absolutely everything!
 |
| The Concreting Crew |
11 May 2011
One Step Closer
After the escapades of suicidal cement mixers, unforgiving glues, JCB GSD's and not forgetting uncooperative bottom drains, it was good to take a little breather for a day or so before embarking on the next episode of the new pond build.
Back to it again last night and after checking the bottom drain to ensure it was level still (it was) and that it was securely encased in concrete (check!) it was time to install the steel mesh which was supported 4" off the base of the pond with a number of bricks. We then added a number of stakes around the area set 20cm above the ground which we can then use to level the 4.2 cubic metres of cement when it's delivered on Saturday.
After the hassle of last Saturday it's good to feel optimistic about the project again and to know that we're one step closer to achieving our goal. We're now just hoping and keeping fingers crossed etc that our luck with the weather that we've experienced so far will hold out for us.
Back to it again last night and after checking the bottom drain to ensure it was level still (it was) and that it was securely encased in concrete (check!) it was time to install the steel mesh which was supported 4" off the base of the pond with a number of bricks. We then added a number of stakes around the area set 20cm above the ground which we can then use to level the 4.2 cubic metres of cement when it's delivered on Saturday.
After the hassle of last Saturday it's good to feel optimistic about the project again and to know that we're one step closer to achieving our goal. We're now just hoping and keeping fingers crossed etc that our luck with the weather that we've experienced so far will hold out for us.
7 May 2011
Testing Times
Today really has been a testing time in the Crazy World of Koi.
I started digging out one of the pond corners to square it off at about 09.30. I'd not been digging long before i needed to take a bit of a breather, not just because i'm so unfit but because it was so "muggy". As the morning wore on it became more and more humid and the going was getting tougher. I really don't like this sort of weather and under normal circumstances would be wishing for a thunder storm to clear the air. Today however was different as we'd planned to install the bottom drain, therefore a downpour was the last thing we needed.
Lunchtime arrived ..... and so did the rain! Fortunately it was only a shower and by the time we'd finished our sandwiches & crisps the rain had almost stopped. We'd already glued the majority of pipework in place for the bottom drain along with the air feed pipework which had been given time to go off while we had lunch. Not that it needed this length of time in these conditions. In fact we'd actually struggled to push things in place the glue or cement was going off that fast.
Up to this point things had gone reasonably well for us, apart from the manic assembling due to the glue going off so fast in the "muggy" conditions. However it's quite amazing how a couple of little things can soon turn you into an ogre!
A base for the bottom drain was duly prepared by digging a hole and filled with around 6 inch of concrete. We then positioned the bottom drain in place ready for the next mix to concrete it in place. The mix was looking good and we were just about to transfer it to the barrow when the cement mixer fell over. Concrete spewed everywhere and the mixer convulsed on the floor until i managed to pull the plug form the extension lead. Concrete was quickly picked up and transferred to the barrow whilst the rest that miraculously remained in the mixer was also transferred.
To add insult to injury (although no person was actually injured, the cement mixer was diagnosed terminally ill after a severe fracture and is currently awaiting transport to its final resting place ..... the skip!), the bottom drain then decided that it didn't want to sit level for us and insisted on leaning over towards the side where the air pipe sat. Even after trying to prop the air feed pipe with some bricks, the bottom drain still decided it preferred to lean over. Now we've done a fair bit of concreting in our time, in fact my cement mixes have become the stuff of legends (or nightmares when you're trying to get them back out or broken up) so levelling a bottom drain shouldn't have been too much of a problem.
However it was being as stubborn as a teenager (or a 3 year old if ours is anything to go by) and refused to do as it was told. Reasoning, persuasion, bribery and threats were all tried to no avail, until after numerous attempts to get it to see things our way we finally had a break through. A further mix of cement was called for which was duly mixed by hand (thanks to the suicidal mixer) and placed around the bottom drain to secure it, as well as further down the pipework. A further mix would also be required to secure the pipework at the elbow, however it was decided to complete this another time after the cement around the drain had gone off, so as not to cause upheaval again!
What with the heat & humidity, the suicidal mixer, an un-cooperative bottom drain plus the additional holes that our German Shepherd Dog had decided to add to the build, today really has been one of those days! For the first time at the end of a days work, i saw a mess of a garden instead of a potential Koi pond. However i know that after a nice shower and a bottle (or two) of cider, i'll have a different perspective on things again!
I started digging out one of the pond corners to square it off at about 09.30. I'd not been digging long before i needed to take a bit of a breather, not just because i'm so unfit but because it was so "muggy". As the morning wore on it became more and more humid and the going was getting tougher. I really don't like this sort of weather and under normal circumstances would be wishing for a thunder storm to clear the air. Today however was different as we'd planned to install the bottom drain, therefore a downpour was the last thing we needed.
Lunchtime arrived ..... and so did the rain! Fortunately it was only a shower and by the time we'd finished our sandwiches & crisps the rain had almost stopped. We'd already glued the majority of pipework in place for the bottom drain along with the air feed pipework which had been given time to go off while we had lunch. Not that it needed this length of time in these conditions. In fact we'd actually struggled to push things in place the glue or cement was going off that fast.
Up to this point things had gone reasonably well for us, apart from the manic assembling due to the glue going off so fast in the "muggy" conditions. However it's quite amazing how a couple of little things can soon turn you into an ogre!
A base for the bottom drain was duly prepared by digging a hole and filled with around 6 inch of concrete. We then positioned the bottom drain in place ready for the next mix to concrete it in place. The mix was looking good and we were just about to transfer it to the barrow when the cement mixer fell over. Concrete spewed everywhere and the mixer convulsed on the floor until i managed to pull the plug form the extension lead. Concrete was quickly picked up and transferred to the barrow whilst the rest that miraculously remained in the mixer was also transferred.
To add insult to injury (although no person was actually injured, the cement mixer was diagnosed terminally ill after a severe fracture and is currently awaiting transport to its final resting place ..... the skip!), the bottom drain then decided that it didn't want to sit level for us and insisted on leaning over towards the side where the air pipe sat. Even after trying to prop the air feed pipe with some bricks, the bottom drain still decided it preferred to lean over. Now we've done a fair bit of concreting in our time, in fact my cement mixes have become the stuff of legends (or nightmares when you're trying to get them back out or broken up) so levelling a bottom drain shouldn't have been too much of a problem.
However it was being as stubborn as a teenager (or a 3 year old if ours is anything to go by) and refused to do as it was told. Reasoning, persuasion, bribery and threats were all tried to no avail, until after numerous attempts to get it to see things our way we finally had a break through. A further mix of cement was called for which was duly mixed by hand (thanks to the suicidal mixer) and placed around the bottom drain to secure it, as well as further down the pipework. A further mix would also be required to secure the pipework at the elbow, however it was decided to complete this another time after the cement around the drain had gone off, so as not to cause upheaval again!
What with the heat & humidity, the suicidal mixer, an un-cooperative bottom drain plus the additional holes that our German Shepherd Dog had decided to add to the build, today really has been one of those days! For the first time at the end of a days work, i saw a mess of a garden instead of a potential Koi pond. However i know that after a nice shower and a bottle (or two) of cider, i'll have a different perspective on things again!
27 April 2011
New Levels
We'd been rather busy with one thing and another over the past few days so we decided to partake in a little R&R on Monday ... and what better way to relax than a trip to a Koi dealers.
We arrived at Dock Koi a little past 10.00 and were welcomed with a happy "hello" as usual from Neil & Harry. A quick look round the Koi for sale and it wasn't long before one or two (or three or four) fish started to grab our eye. However timing just isn't right and we had to use all our will power to refrain from purchasing, which was extremely difficult! We here to purchase a specific piece of equipment - an Econobead EB40 along with a by-pass, which was duly bought along with a couple of other items. But did we walk out without buying any fish .... nope! I'd tested the parameters of the quarantine system a number of times previously as i'd anticipated our visit and the distinct possibility that we'd want to purchase a couple of fish. In fact we came home with four little beauties - one for Keiran's pond and the other three to keep in the QT system not only to keep the filter system going but also to see what they turn out like when they get bigger. You never know!
Tuesday morning soon arrived and yet again we were up with the larks (actually i'll correct that as round here there not larks but pigeons) and once again raring to go but too early to do any real work. As a more reasonable time approached we managed to get in touch with Fairfax Plant Hire who we'd hired the digger etc from and they were happy to pick the equipment up later. Uniskip from Hull were also very helpful and would get another skip to us as soon as possible. Until another skip arrived there wasn't much we could with the excavated soil, therefore time to turn our attention to ensuring the base of the hole was level.
We positioned a number of stakes around the area and used a long piece of wood and spirit level to check the levels. We'd done a better job in the first place than we'd anticipated and we only had to do a little titivating to complete the task. Things really were going well for us. No sign of the new skip yet so on with the next task - checking the positioning of the filter equipment.
Into the hole came the vortex, Nexus 200 lid and Econobead EB40 body so that we could gauge where to position each piece of equipment within the filter house. It was during this process that the stark reality hit us that we'd excavated far too much out of this area. The tape measure, calculator, pen & paper came out and after some careful measurement and more careful contemplation it appears that our impromptu decision to take the filter house area to the same level as the pond base had backfired on us. We were 50cm too deep!
After weighing up the pro's & cons of different suggestions to rectify the problem we agreed that the best solution would be deal with area on a separate basis again, instead of trying to do it all in one go. Therefore to resolve the situation we'd have to install some shuttering to retain the concrete for the pond base. Remove the shuttering once the concrete has set and then build the walls of the pond up. Once we'd reached the correct wall depth between pond and filter house area, we'll then back fill the hole until we attain the right level to then add the concrete base for the filter house.
In the meantime of course we need to install the bottom drain and pipework and it also means the installation of the sump for the filter waste can be carried much easier as there's virtually no soil at the moment to dig it in to. Forever the optimist!
And what of the new arrivals ..... they're feeding and seem to be doing fine!
We arrived at Dock Koi a little past 10.00 and were welcomed with a happy "hello" as usual from Neil & Harry. A quick look round the Koi for sale and it wasn't long before one or two (or three or four) fish started to grab our eye. However timing just isn't right and we had to use all our will power to refrain from purchasing, which was extremely difficult! We here to purchase a specific piece of equipment - an Econobead EB40 along with a by-pass, which was duly bought along with a couple of other items. But did we walk out without buying any fish .... nope! I'd tested the parameters of the quarantine system a number of times previously as i'd anticipated our visit and the distinct possibility that we'd want to purchase a couple of fish. In fact we came home with four little beauties - one for Keiran's pond and the other three to keep in the QT system not only to keep the filter system going but also to see what they turn out like when they get bigger. You never know!
Tuesday morning soon arrived and yet again we were up with the larks (actually i'll correct that as round here there not larks but pigeons) and once again raring to go but too early to do any real work. As a more reasonable time approached we managed to get in touch with Fairfax Plant Hire who we'd hired the digger etc from and they were happy to pick the equipment up later. Uniskip from Hull were also very helpful and would get another skip to us as soon as possible. Until another skip arrived there wasn't much we could with the excavated soil, therefore time to turn our attention to ensuring the base of the hole was level.
We positioned a number of stakes around the area and used a long piece of wood and spirit level to check the levels. We'd done a better job in the first place than we'd anticipated and we only had to do a little titivating to complete the task. Things really were going well for us. No sign of the new skip yet so on with the next task - checking the positioning of the filter equipment.
Into the hole came the vortex, Nexus 200 lid and Econobead EB40 body so that we could gauge where to position each piece of equipment within the filter house. It was during this process that the stark reality hit us that we'd excavated far too much out of this area. The tape measure, calculator, pen & paper came out and after some careful measurement and more careful contemplation it appears that our impromptu decision to take the filter house area to the same level as the pond base had backfired on us. We were 50cm too deep!
After weighing up the pro's & cons of different suggestions to rectify the problem we agreed that the best solution would be deal with area on a separate basis again, instead of trying to do it all in one go. Therefore to resolve the situation we'd have to install some shuttering to retain the concrete for the pond base. Remove the shuttering once the concrete has set and then build the walls of the pond up. Once we'd reached the correct wall depth between pond and filter house area, we'll then back fill the hole until we attain the right level to then add the concrete base for the filter house.
In the meantime of course we need to install the bottom drain and pipework and it also means the installation of the sump for the filter waste can be carried much easier as there's virtually no soil at the moment to dig it in to. Forever the optimist!
And what of the new arrivals ..... they're feeding and seem to be doing fine!
26 April 2011
More Skips Please!
Day 3 of the big big and again it's early morning and we're eager to get started. We'd made fantastic progress the day before with the help of reinforcements resulting in the filter area being completely clear as well as half of the pond. Time for a big push today to see if we can get the pond fully dug ... however we're to put the soil?
With having the micro digger & MDTT for a short period we wanted top concentrate getting the actual excavating finished and worry about getting rid of the soil later. The other contributing factor being that it was Easter weekend and there was no one available to sort another skip out for us at short notice anyway. The excavated soil therefore had to piled up somewhere before we'd be able to move it on. The answer to this quandary being our middle garden.
Digging was postponed a little longer while the Easter Egg hunt for our three year old son (and Grandparents) was conducted and all the chocolate eggs etc had been secured (he was like a mini Indiana Jones) work on excavating the last of the pond could begin.
We made excellent progress and slowly but surely whittled away the remaining soil that was to be excavated for the pond. The digger had to be relocated a number of times so that we could follow the sides of the pond and as we neared the final corner it almost became like a dance - move to the left and jig to the right. The last clump of earth had to be hand dug from the corner as it was impossible to see exactly what was going on when trying to use the digger bucket, but it was simply a case of digging it out and then placing into the digger bucket for removal from the hole. 18.30 hrs on day 3 and the pond excavation was complete!
There's still quite a bit of work today here before moving on to the next stage of the build process as we still need to level the base as best we can. We also need to work out how to get rid of the mountain of earth that we've dumped in to the middle garden - either that or we have extremely large moles in this area?
I think we'll be having to make a couple of calls first thing Tuesday morning - one to Uniskip to see if we can have another skip urgently and another to Fairfax Plant Hire to see if they can pick the digger and MDTT as late on as possible! In the meantime, after all the hectic work we've completed over the past few days i think a well earned rest is called for on Monday. Perhaps even a trip out to .... yes you've guessed it, a Koi dealer.
With having the micro digger & MDTT for a short period we wanted top concentrate getting the actual excavating finished and worry about getting rid of the soil later. The other contributing factor being that it was Easter weekend and there was no one available to sort another skip out for us at short notice anyway. The excavated soil therefore had to piled up somewhere before we'd be able to move it on. The answer to this quandary being our middle garden.
Digging was postponed a little longer while the Easter Egg hunt for our three year old son (and Grandparents) was conducted and all the chocolate eggs etc had been secured (he was like a mini Indiana Jones) work on excavating the last of the pond could begin.
We made excellent progress and slowly but surely whittled away the remaining soil that was to be excavated for the pond. The digger had to be relocated a number of times so that we could follow the sides of the pond and as we neared the final corner it almost became like a dance - move to the left and jig to the right. The last clump of earth had to be hand dug from the corner as it was impossible to see exactly what was going on when trying to use the digger bucket, but it was simply a case of digging it out and then placing into the digger bucket for removal from the hole. 18.30 hrs on day 3 and the pond excavation was complete!
There's still quite a bit of work today here before moving on to the next stage of the build process as we still need to level the base as best we can. We also need to work out how to get rid of the mountain of earth that we've dumped in to the middle garden - either that or we have extremely large moles in this area?
I think we'll be having to make a couple of calls first thing Tuesday morning - one to Uniskip to see if we can have another skip urgently and another to Fairfax Plant Hire to see if they can pick the digger and MDTT as late on as possible! In the meantime, after all the hectic work we've completed over the past few days i think a well earned rest is called for on Monday. Perhaps even a trip out to .... yes you've guessed it, a Koi dealer.
25 April 2011
Reinforcements
Saturday morning and once again we were up bright and early ... too early really to start any excavation work or attempted fixing of the micro digger's limp. It was therefore time for a coffee and a search for an operators handbook for the micro digger via Google. We soon found a number of forum posts on the subject as well as an online copy of the handbook. The two sources confirmed what we thought. We had to release a grease nipple, remove the grease, push the idler back, put the track back on, replace the grease nipple and then pump grease back in forcing the idler back out thus taking up the slack in the track. Sounded very simple and we could follow the instructions .... but could we undo the grease nipple .... nope!
At this point reinforcements arrived in the shape of some very good friends and members of the East Yorkshire Koi Society. Time for a quick coffee and an explanation of our predicament. As the technical solution was proving to be as non productive as our first attempt, we decided to give the brute force and ignorance with a bit of technical ability a go. After some more groaning like a cave man - bingo! The tread popped back on and we were in business again.
Having excavated an arch in the soil that Dorothy & Toto would have been proud of, time now had to spent filling in parts of the earth rainbow so that other areas of the site could once again be excavated by digger instead of by hand. This proved to be a very wise move which probably saved us time in the long run however there was one particular area which simply couldn't be reached unless we put back in a considerable amount of earth. This wasn't going to halt progress though and with spade tightly gripped between his teeth, part of our reinforcement duo jumped into the hole and quickly set about it like Manic Minor - the old Spectrum game! OK a bit of an exaggeration there then, he fell more than jumped, but the rest of it is true!
In all honesty it was very, very hard going with the spade especially in the sweltering heat we're experiencing and Roy was an absolute saviour down in the hole, clearing the area that could no longer be reached with the digger as well as straightening the sides and levelling the floor. We really can't thank him enough for all is help.
At this point reinforcements arrived in the shape of some very good friends and members of the East Yorkshire Koi Society. Time for a quick coffee and an explanation of our predicament. As the technical solution was proving to be as non productive as our first attempt, we decided to give the brute force and ignorance with a bit of technical ability a go. After some more groaning like a cave man - bingo! The tread popped back on and we were in business again.
Having excavated an arch in the soil that Dorothy & Toto would have been proud of, time now had to spent filling in parts of the earth rainbow so that other areas of the site could once again be excavated by digger instead of by hand. This proved to be a very wise move which probably saved us time in the long run however there was one particular area which simply couldn't be reached unless we put back in a considerable amount of earth. This wasn't going to halt progress though and with spade tightly gripped between his teeth, part of our reinforcement duo jumped into the hole and quickly set about it like Manic Minor - the old Spectrum game! OK a bit of an exaggeration there then, he fell more than jumped, but the rest of it is true!
In all honesty it was very, very hard going with the spade especially in the sweltering heat we're experiencing and Roy was an absolute saviour down in the hole, clearing the area that could no longer be reached with the digger as well as straightening the sides and levelling the floor. We really can't thank him enough for all is help.
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