Took the first step towards building my shop

[Frank S]

We woke up to frozen water at the hose bib on the pump house but the water to the house was still flowing although slowly. I didn't think it had gotten all that cold last night just in the low to mid 20s but it must have been there for most of the night. However that still didn't explain the tap being frozen I have an automatic thermostat controlled system to keep the inside a toasty 46° I opened the door and the light was on meaning the system was functioning then I noticed that I had somehow moved the heater the last time I was in the pump house and the tip over switch was not making contact so the only heat in there was coming from the 150 watt heat lamp. which should have been enough anyway I repositioned the heater so it would come on and about an hour later everything was thawed the temps had risen to around 30 as well.

Then we went to a town about 40 miles away by the time we got back around 2 PM it was in the low 40s.
Even though the pump house is mostly insulated I think I am going to wrap in in plastic for good measure. then latter on in the spring I plan on cladding it with some of the insulation sheets that I have to make sure it is sealed and if I can strike a deal with the lady who owns the 2 large brick buildings nearby that are falling down I might brick it. There are probably 20,000 3x3.5 by 12 red bricks that have already fallen in on those buildings. If she is willing to part with them I might even think about pouring a footer around the foundation to the house and brick it eventually.
But anyway what I actually managed to get done today was to turn the master column over and finished welding up the areas that I just couldn't get to in the overhead position
Now it is just all but ready to drop in the hole

[metric_taper]

Most of the snow was gone in 3 days and on the 4th all of it was gone in the 76° temp. we had that day.


Attachment 33531

I was thinking this hole would have filled with melt water. Must be high ground.
So what is the layering/mixing method you have with portland and existing soil?

[Frank S]

I was thinking this hole would have filled with melt water. Must be high ground.
So what is the layering/mixing method you have with portland and existing soil?

We could have NOAH's flood and hardly have puddles around here.
I have a limited amount of Portland so I mix in a fair amount of stove ash as well the stove ash I have found will act much the same as fly ash when making lightweight concrete extending the volume. Basically I'm not too concerned with actually creating a concrete mass in the hole I ma more inclined to just use the Portland and the stove ash to help stabilize the soil as I return it into the hole the plate compactor gives me about a 125% over compaction and doing this 6" layers at a time I might even be getting a little more than that. I have made such a large base that any likelihood of further settling of the column would be almost less than zero

[Crusty]

Yup. Ya gotta live in the Lone Star a while to understand what a scarce and precious commodity water is over much of the state. Don't have to worry much about getting below the frost line either. That ought to provide a robust anchor for an equally robust hoist.

[Frank S]

Yup. Ya gotta live in the Lone Star a while to understand what a scarce and precious commodity water is over much of the state. Don't have to worry much about getting below the frost line either. That ought to provide a robust anchor for an equally robust hoist.

A lot of us out where I am at use a Lone Star beer bottle cap as our rain gauge sometimes takes 2 or 3 rains to fill it
other times I've seen it fill a 3 lb coffee can in an hour or at least before it stops raining.
Other times it will be raining sideways so hard a few miles away that you get drenched with clear sky overhead

[Frank S]

Had jut a tad bit more welding to do near the very top that I missed yesterday then did this.
I swear I think I could lift the limit of the hoist with the gin pole laying flat out.
That gin pole crane, mounted on my backhoe has proved to be one of my most valuable builds in a long time

[suther51]

Frank S, I have been thinking to look at this thread to see what model your ford backhoe is. I just noticed that it is a 755. A freind of mine just bought a 1970's 555 (e?). He is planning on using it for a business he is planning to start delivering amish built sheds. When he explained his intent (using front bucket mounted forks) I advised him that it most likely was not the machine for the task as all the weight would be at the tip of the forks, what ever length he may get. That puts the weight a long way from the front wheels, not to mention the visibility issues of setting a shed on a trailer. I would be interested in any input you may have. The only way that i can imagine this machine working would be for him to use the dolly wheels that are used with the Mule shed moving machines and used the backhoe like a overgrown Mule. https://cardinalmanufacturing.com/
Thanks, with your experience I hope you have some advice.
Eric

[Frank S]

Frank S, I have been thinking to look at this thread to see what model your ford backhoe is. I just noticed that it is a 755. A freind of mine just bought a 1970's 555 (e?). He is planning on using it for a business he is planning to start delivering amish built sheds. When he explained his intent (using front bucket mounted forks) I advised him that it most likely was not the machine for the task as all the weight would be at the tip of the forks, what ever length he may get. That puts the weight a long way from the front wheels, not to mention the visibility issues of setting a shed on a trailer. I would be interested in any input you may have. The only way that i can imagine this machine working would be for him to use the dolly wheels that are used with the Mule shed moving machines and used the backhoe like a overgrown Mule. https://cardinalmanufacturing.com/
Thanks, with your experience I hope you have some advice.
Eric

That was my whole reason for doing away with the bucket and fabricating a fork carriage enabling me to use standard forklift forks.
Also without the bucket I have a better visual perspective of what I am carrying or lifting.
Even at that the loaders on back hoes do not make the best forklifts.
Mine is the 755B with some C model up grades with an operating weight of around 18,000 lbs. Even with that much operating weight and most of it on the rear tires I find that if I am not careful I can lift enough to bring 1 rear tire off the ground so I extend the hoe and swing it if need be to counteract the weight on the front.
I have 1100-16 12 ply tires on the steer and carry 80PSI in them and I have seen them mashed nearly flat with the loads I lift even with the 36" hoe bucket full and extended all the way to the rear as far as it will go the tires will look half flat very dodgy to do any maneuvering in that condition.
Your friend's 555 is a lot smaller than the 755 as well. I don't know what it should be able to lift and carry nor do I know much about the Amish sheds you are referring to but if it were me and I had no use for the HOE I would remove the boom assembly and mount an 8000lb class 3 forklift mast in its stead. or look around for a tractor style forklift such as a Wiggins International Case or even Ford
then he would have something like this but the dolly's under one end would be best no matter what

[Frank S]

The column is welded in place and back filled halfway. once I get a few more layers of fill compacted I have a few more braces to be welded in place then I can fill and cover
OK what to put in the hole for a base under the back pipes .
How about a completely useless RV Bumper

ep Just a fit packed into the floor for an hour then welded to the pipes and the column

first layer covering

inside mounting boss for jib crane

outside mounting boss for jib crane

[suther51]

Thanks Frank S,
Your reply seems to reinforce my gut feeling about the situation. I have not spent much time on machines like backhoes with forks. Most if my time is on 8000 lb class forklifts with a smidge of time with a hyster hs200 in the 12,000 lb class range with 7' forks. My friend is new to this kind of endeavor. I try to guide as best as I can but that is only worth so much. I am afraid he will have to gain his own experience, I just hope it is not too much the hard way. I agree on your suggestion of a forklift but he is intent on a more versatile piece of equipment. My experience with bucket forks is on a much smaller scale but disappointing non the less. A fork carriage certainly would be best but i am afraid that will be a tough sell. Time will tell i suppose. Thanks again, too bad those Mules are so expensive.
Eric
Ps, am enjoying your post on your shop build. Thanks for posting