Scrapheap Challenge

[Snadger]

Chasing the 20 minutes of daylight again on the plot after work.

Finished digging hole I started last night, set in post and nailed it to fence. I started digging another post hole, before I was beaten once again by the darkness!

Learned quite a few things though:-

1) My topsoil is a black silty fine loam
2)Roughly 15 inches down is a thin layer of shale type sandstone 1.5 inches thick followed by pure sand for at least 4 foot! (1 metre)
3)As I am also on the edge of a sandstone cliff with trees growing into it on the other side of the fence, water percolates very fast.
$) Definately no flooding of plot and probably best to add lots of water retentive organic matter

Bought some small flowering Christmas cactus on my way home to add to my hampers!

[Snadger]

To dark to do much after work. Tried to set up and nail a gatepost on my chicken run. First nail disapeared down the hole when i hit it, ne'r to be seen again. Hit the wrong nail with the second swipe as it was getting dark by then, so kicked the post and gave up on it.

Somehow think this is the last time i will be able to do anything on the plot until the nights get lighter again. I'll still try and sneak a couple of days graft in over the Christmas holidays though!

[Bigmallly]

Oh, I knew I had sommat to mention Snadge. When you do your pond, if you do decide to screed & paint it, paint the top shelf as it will be easier to brush clean & the muck can then settle on the bottom.

[Snadger]

Oh, I knew I had sommat to mention Snadge. When you do your pond, if you do decide to screed & paint it, paint the top shelf as it will be easier to brush clean & the muck can then settle on the bottom.

Good thinking big fella! Thats what i was planning on doing with the white paint.

The bottom I'll just leave unpainted and just clean it out now and again.

My Son wants rid of a turtle from his house because he says it stinks! Will it survive in a pond outdoors?

[Bigmallly]

My Son wants rid of a turtle from his house because he says it stinks! Will it survive in a pond outdoors?

Keeping Turtles in an Outside Pond in the UK | Pets4Homes

[Bigmallly]

Good thinking big fella! Thats what i was planning on doing with the white paint.
The bottom I'll just leave unpainted and just clean it out now and again.

Another option which crossed my out of the box mind & much cheaper is:
Find a sheet of thin metal, bend it into an "S" shape 1" or 2" higher than the 1st shelf, fit it to the side of the shelf maybe with horizontal pins, then fill the gap with pea gravel, it'll be a lot cheaper & easier than concrete & paint.

[Snadger]

Another option which crossed my out of the box mind & much cheaper is:
Find a sheet of thin metal, bend it into an "S" shape 1" or 2" higher than the 1st shelf, fit it to the side of the shelf maybe with horizontal pins, then fill the gap with pea gravel, it'll be a lot cheaper & easier than concrete & paint.

My fishing club have three trout resevoirs. In one the fish cannot breed because the feeder stream is rich in iron. I think the iron could rust and make the water innert.

The paint scenario isn't particularily expensive, but the screeeding of the pond could be very time consuming and prone to cracking?

Sounds like a summer job anyway!

[Bigmallly]

It doesn't need to be metal, maybe a shaped piece of plastic. It's only to act as a barrier so the gravel doesn't fall off.

[roitelet]

Just thought you all might like to see my 'scrap' bird table. Made from off cuts of oak floorboards, hardwood stretchers from some old dining chairs and the post from the old bird table. A few off cuts of soft wood finished it off. OMG they are even the right way up!!!!!

[Bigmallly]

I've been thinking about your pond again Snadge & while you are still at the planning stage, it may pay to include an inlet & outlet option. Personally I would run a hose from the pond to a waterbutt tap as a top-up due to evaporation in Summer & for the outlet I would use some 32mm waste with a netted cap placed 2" below the soil surface to run away from your plot. The last thing you want is a flash downpour which floods your plot.

[Snadger]

I've been thinking about your pond again Snadge & while you are still at the planning stage, it may pay to include an inlet & outlet option. Personally I would run a hose from the pond to a waterbutt tap as a top-up due to evaporation in Summer & for the outlet I would use some 32mm waste with a netted cap placed 2" below the soil surface to run away from your plot. The last thing you want is a flash downpour which floods your plot.

The pond is going to be about 6 foot away from a 100 foot cliff on the other side of the fence!
As far as filling is concerned I had planned on just topping up with hose pipe which i will have running the length of the plot! As I mentioned earlier the plot is situated on top of a pure sand subsoil , on top of a cliff so I can't see flooding being an issue. I think my main worry would be subsidence, and arriving one day to find my plot at the BOTTOM of the cliff!

[Snadger]

Had half an hour spirit levelling the fenceposts for the chicken run and planning where to put braces and how to build the external nest box. Raher than use the original vertical hatch, I think I will just take it off, build the rest of the nestbox then make a new lid!

[Snadger]

Well there I was diggin this hole................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yShvgXZQBTs

I know its been on here before, but Bernard Cribbins always makes me laugh and its reminicent of what I was doing this afternoon.

I roughed out the first spade depth of my pond. Decided I'm going to surround it with bendy plastic as a former for concrete. The 'yin' side will also be shuttered with thin plastic. It will taper from 100mm below water level to 300mm below water level. Once I get this shuttered and concreted I'll dig the rest of the hole and figure out how to line it!

I've had a bit of a scrounge round and managed to find some plastic that should be suitable. I'm off work now until 3rd January so should be able to devote a bit of time to it, along with working on the rest of the plot and the chicken run/coop!

[Bigmallly]

I bought this to cover the log store & is good value for money. A 3m x 3m works out around a tenner. Put this in first before you put your S shape.

Pond Liner with 25 Year Guarantee. Next Day Delivery | eBay

[Snadger]

I bought this to cover the log store & is good value for money. A 3m x 3m works out around a tenner. Put this in first before you put your S shape.

Pond Liner with 25 Year Guarantee. Next Day Delivery | eBay

Good thinking Batman!