Something has started sprouting in the backyard (besides weeds) ..........
The pic shows the first 2m of track support that was installed this week as a test piece. The design was easy enough to assemble and is strong enough for the job, so the test has been signed off and work is now proceeding on extending the track support around the raised area of the backyard.
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The material needed to build the supports for the first stage was delivered Friday and this pic shows them stacked on the garage workshop floor. The car that normally occupies that area will be parked in the drive for some time I think.
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The actual support posts are star pickets hammered into the ground at 1m intervals, with just enough sticking up for the T-support to slide over the star picket and sit at the right height. The T-support is a piece of 50mm x 50mm galv angle bolted to a piece of 40mm square galv RHS tube. The longitudinal supports are 30mm x 30mm galv angle glued to the cross piece of the T-support. The star pickets have a black bituminous coating to provide some rust protection and the above ground steelwork is galvanised for the same reason. The deck will be made from Weathertex cladding boards, which are stacked on the left of the above pic. This is basically a heavy weatherproof version of Masonite, designed for external cladding of buildings and to resist the Aust. climate.
When I started designing a track support structure, it turned out that using galvanised steel for the support frame was the same price locally as building it in timber, so the choice was a no-brainer. The steel has to be bought through a steel distributor though, as the same stuff from hardware stores is twice the price. The corrosion life of the galvanised steel will outlast me as it isn't buried in the ground, plus it doesn't warp and the termites can't eat it. Same goes for the star pickets. Although it is made from Aust hardwoods, Weathertex is termite resistant and is also well above the ground, so harder for them to reach.
Building the test length suggested I can erect about 3m in an afternoon without killing myself. The first production length was successfully laid today, so the installed length is now 6m. I may make the completion target yet if the weather co-operates, but I'm still not saying 'which' Easter it will be finished.........
The next pic shows progress at close of play today. There won't be any progress next week as the forecast is for rain for the first three days and then I'll be packing the car ready for the Great Southern Steamup at Gembrook next weekend.
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Regards,
Graeme