After the footings were poured and dried, we began setting the forms for the walls out of plywood, 2 by 4's, snap ties and their brackets. The walls will be 4 foot high.
We had to put lots of re-bar in the walls before we placed the plywood, because it was hard for Daniel to slither down between the plywood to tie the re-bar in.
Hayden and Russell used their muscles to hammer and sandwich the 2 by 4's into place while the bracket got hammered into place.
The walls looked pretty unique with all the brackets and wood.
Hayden worked hard not too hit his thumb in the process of getting the brackets on.
The walls were not as straight as Russell wanted, so he went and purchased lots of angle iron to give the strength to the plywood to keep it straight. Good thinking, look how straight the wall is and how the plywood matches up.
We had to order a pumper truck because of the height of the walls. Boy, did it help in getting the concrete right where it was needed.
The guys are having a discussion to see how the work was going to be divided up, another words, who is really in charge?
As you can see, Russell is the man with the power, or should we say the King of the Concrete.
Daniel is using the re-bar to get out any unnecessary air pockets. Boy did he work up a sweat. I am just glad he did not fall off the forms.
The tops look smooth and know time to let it dry, the real truth will be when the forms come off and how we did.
Russell did put these boards to brace the walls with the weight of the concrete.
Time to start tearing off the forms to see how we did. As you can see with Dalton, you must look up so the bracket doesn't jump up and get you. He hurt his head pretty badly, at least there was not much blood. We did hire two boys from the ward to help tear off the forms. They were great help.
All the forms needed to be moved from the center of the shop so we did not have any accidents with someone falling. Daniel and JJ were great carriers.
Hayden stacked the boards in the trailer so we would not have to pick them up again. This was genius thinking!
Dalton and Braxton liked posing for all the pictures they could. At least in this picture they both had hammers in their hands so they looked busy.
The walls look better than expected. There is only one corner, the one where we started and ended, that doesn't look the best. Russell has got something that comes in a bucket that will make it look better.
How does it look? We thought not bad. The next project is to haul in fill to raise up the ground level about two feet. Then, the floor will get poured. Part of the shop package will get delivered tomorrow morning. Our goal is to have it enclosed by winter.
Husker Harvest Days
Trip to Grand Island, Nebraska
You would have thought that the boys had died and gone to heaven when we decided to pull them out of school and go to Husker Harvest Days at the beginning of September.. Russell and I picked them up early on Tuesday from school and we took the 6 hour drive toward Grand Island. All the way there they fought like cats and dogs. We finally got to the hotel, and was expecting to go for a swim, just to find out the AmericInn did not have a swimming pool. What nice hotel these days does not have a swimming pool, the AmericInn in Kearney, Nebraska. The next morning we got up early, and headed to the farm show. We had no idea there would be 80 acres of exhibitors. Not to mention the field demonstrations beyond that. It was interesting to me to see how interested all 3 boys were in the newest and greatest of combines, grain carts, swathers, rakes, and rippers. They could have watched them all day long. We had a great time. The one thing we were hoping for was to beat Newel and Blake Norman to a farm show, I guess this was not the one to beat them too. It was good to see them there. When we left on Wednesday late afternoon, the decision was made that we are going to stay 2 days next year. We began our way home hoping it would be more pleasant than the trip there. On the way home they were silent for the first hour and then, holy smokes, they could not stop talking about all the equipment and great farming things they saw. I would have to say it was a success for all that attended (that includes me!)
Dalton has been having a little problem with reading lately. We decided to take him to the eye doctor in Scottsbluff. He sees 20/20 but needs just a little added help in closeup vision. He picked out a pair of black framed glasses with race car checkered flags inprinted on the side. In silver none the less. Boy is he cool, not that he wasn't before!
There's not even a fight to get him to do his homework now!!!!!!!
I know I'm his mom, but I think he DOES look smarter!
Pouring the Footings of Our New Shop
2 September 2011
The main decision: Who is actually in charge?
Dalton is really mad, because nobody will let him do the important job, whatever that is. But, he did have a shovel that he didn't want to use.
Hayden worked real hard getting the concrete filled into the forms we all made, that only took a week once we began. Thank goodness for the other truck that showed up, it gave us an extra body to direct the mud into the forms.
There was Russell, Hayden, Daniel, Dalton and our neighbor Brother Chisholm working the cement. Many hands makes the work light.
Russell is smoothing out the excess concrete so Daniel can trowel the top as smooth as glass.
Forms off the next morning, and now time to prepare the stem wall. That will take a little longer, hopefully an update on this in a couple of weeks.
We had to put lots of re-bar in the walls before we placed the plywood, because it was hard for Daniel to slither down between the plywood to tie the re-bar in.
Hayden and Russell used their muscles to hammer and sandwich the 2 by 4's into place while the bracket got hammered into place.
The walls looked pretty unique with all the brackets and wood.
Hayden worked hard not too hit his thumb in the process of getting the brackets on.
The walls were not as straight as Russell wanted, so he went and purchased lots of angle iron to give the strength to the plywood to keep it straight. Good thinking, look how straight the wall is and how the plywood matches up.
We had to order a pumper truck because of the height of the walls. Boy, did it help in getting the concrete right where it was needed.
The guys are having a discussion to see how the work was going to be divided up, another words, who is really in charge?
As you can see, Russell is the man with the power, or should we say the King of the Concrete.
Daniel is using the re-bar to get out any unnecessary air pockets. Boy did he work up a sweat. I am just glad he did not fall off the forms.
The tops look smooth and know time to let it dry, the real truth will be when the forms come off and how we did.
Russell did put these boards to brace the walls with the weight of the concrete.
Time to start tearing off the forms to see how we did. As you can see with Dalton, you must look up so the bracket doesn't jump up and get you. He hurt his head pretty badly, at least there was not much blood. We did hire two boys from the ward to help tear off the forms. They were great help.
All the forms needed to be moved from the center of the shop so we did not have any accidents with someone falling. Daniel and JJ were great carriers.
Hayden stacked the boards in the trailer so we would not have to pick them up again. This was genius thinking!
Dalton and Braxton liked posing for all the pictures they could. At least in this picture they both had hammers in their hands so they looked busy.
The walls look better than expected. There is only one corner, the one where we started and ended, that doesn't look the best. Russell has got something that comes in a bucket that will make it look better.
How does it look? We thought not bad. The next project is to haul in fill to raise up the ground level about two feet. Then, the floor will get poured. Part of the shop package will get delivered tomorrow morning. Our goal is to have it enclosed by winter.
