der shed,

[biff]

 the shed awaits me,
                            slowly but surely it is coming to life. i tried to post some pics but got bogged in the paste before i got a chance to copy,so i still have that to get over. the blocks are getting a bit lighter and there is a definate rythem in my madness.i spent the morning drilling ties in the steel for the blockwork. the belief is that it is the steel that holds the blockwork,not the other way round.
     the scaffold awaits,the blocks are stacked.a nice batch of fatty muck ,the line up and the game is on. as an old friend of mine used to say to the labours,,right lads,,get ready,(he held an imaginary clipboard in his hand),clapped his hands and shouted ACTION!!! action!!
                                                                     biff

[martin]

Shall I do the honours with the pics?

[clivejo]

what are you making?!?!?

[biff]

yes martin,
            if you would,we will probely get the knack eventually,(10yrs time),,im building a shed clivejo,,a shed in the making.
                  biff


image uploading


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post image wordpress


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hosting images

[martin]

quick technical note re photos - each one above has a link to a very good image hosting operation - http://www.postimage.org/, which is the "price" of using it. Normally we discourage spam in all it's forms, but in this case am happy to give them a plug - it's easy to use for people who aren't that proficient with imaging software, and they host the pictures on their server (saving the strain on ours). If I had access to do so I'd add a plugin that offers it as a "built-in" alternative way of posting images - I'm using it on another forum with success..........

[Tigger]

Biff,

You said you were building a shed, since when did something big enough to be called a house qualify as a shed.....

[biff]

thanks martin,
            she will be looking into that link shortly and posting updates,
   hi tigger, the measurements of this shed are ones which i felt gave the best room and access for working inside. the pitch is 45 degrees and there is a loft at the far end for my electrical workbench,i will be able to fit the ex60 inside for repair during winter,it can cross the floor on wooden planks.
     the blockwork is nothing fancy,just thrown up plumb and straight and left ready for rendering, i will post pics of the dpc apron and verticle dpcs,again nothing fancy but proven tecneques down through the years.i have made no allowence for insulation but the loft will be insulated seperatly.
   i originally planned to fit my solar array on the roof but have been since bitten with the tracker bug which i plan to put together once i get the blockwork out of the way.
   it was a genuine heartbreak when i had to leave this last summer,all i could do was look out the window at it and hope the wind did not blow it away,the last big wind(force 11) was so powerfull i could not stand at the mouth of the shed.i believe the stabaliser which i built into the back of the shed,two lengths of scaffold pole.clamped to the peak, connected to 6ton of blocks on the floor,in the shape of a triangle,saved it from getting flattened.,,,,,,,,,, dins and tea and back out to play,,
                                                                     biff

[martin]

for anyone wanting to follow suit using Postimage, I used the "resize to 800x600" facility which gives images as above...........

[StBarnabas]

Biff
I am currently also building a "shed", but it is about 1% the size of yours! I dream of large sheds where I can have room to put my tools and work!  I suggest barn or workshop might be a better title. You could use KenB's description of "Renewable Workshop" I'm sure he won't mind.

[mespilus]

This is far too planned,
and,
dare I say it,
too 'carbon embedded' to be a mere shed.

Too my uninformed thinking
shed implies (mainly) wooden.

Yours, Biff, is a wondrous barn.

[clivejo]

That looks like its going to be one fine shed!   

[biff]

the sky is peasoup,rain blows in from the south west,everything is saturated and oozing damp,
           my shed sits sullen and dejected,i have just a couple of hundred blocks to lay and then im ready for the ring beam to close the cavity,then the cills and windows,i have a plastering team lined up to step in and a guy ready to fit the roller door.it is the motorised version and will work off a 24volt  forklift battery and a 600watt mustique ups.
    nothing much can happen in this weather,i just have to wait it out,however i get the chance to recover my strength and the blocks have become lighter and i dont feel like falling asleep quite so often during the day.it has been quite a journey and i have had time to reflect on how vulnerable we humans are.i never would have believed that i could have been laid low for so long,unable to walk properly and worse,,unable to sleep.they tell me i am lucky that the virus did not spread to the upper half of my body,i am also lucky that my better half is a nurse of 40 yrs experience and chased up every lead on my behalf,i have no idea what brough it on but one thing is certain,it will take a good few more months before i can get back to normal,sometimes i still walk like a drunk,unable to balance on my knees but now my muscles are beginning to comeback and it dont happen so often,i get surface electricity across my shins and in places where there is nothing but bone but nowaday it is tolerable and does not stop me from what i am doing.come back sunny days,,
                                                                                   biff
                                                   
    my diy tracker array kit is lying there ready to be errected but the shed is the big thing,once i get that finishd everything else will fall into place.

[billi]

Biff is this  a PV Tracker  and moves with the sun ?

[biff]

well billi,
     that is my diesel powered static tranny tracker.it works a treat however.my array kit is made up of scaffolding(would,nt you know) in the shap of a big letter A.it will be anchored to the ground but resting on two wheels.i will be moving it round manually and eventually get some kind of lecky motor with counterweights to move it.
     i know if i start into building it i will get sidetracked,, ,,first things first.
                                                         biff

[camillitech]

Chin up Biff,

that's a fine shed and will be well worth the pain when finished.

Good luck, Paul