The Clock is Now Ticking

[Troble]

@Basher I love that sandstone. And I gotta say I agree with Mac your wife was right on that bowl.

its really starting to come together beautifully 

[Basher]

Smart wife, lucky you.

Correct Mac.
Thanks Troble. Each day brings a new adventure.
Check out the fossils in the new steps laid today.



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[Basher]

I built this rock wall on Saturday.

I’m calling it “the dogs hind leg” that’s why Billie is very pleased with it.
Cabinetry is nearly completed under the kitchen.

And I have been getting very absorbed in concocting the perfect soil for the garden beds.
I know there are a few keen gardeners here so I’ll explain my soil discoveries.
Shale base where we live and if the clay/ shale is soft enough the clay content can be ok, however, it’s mostly hard rocky shale.
Therefore, I’ve dug 15m3(530ft3) out of the garden beds( it’s a small back yard with minimal beds). My beds are averaging depths of about 2- 3 feet. I’ve barrowed and bucketed 12m3 of topsoil sourced from a local flower farm who are expanding their shade houses and were told the topsoil was rubbish for building foundations.
Tested this, and found the soil had all the trace elements required, a ph level close to 6, and a structure of 32% sand, 57% silt, 11% clay. It’s perfect, apart from lacking organics.
This is where the fun begins.
We do some work with a local sugar mill and found they supply cane tops and molasses to a commercial recycling plant who supply 7000 tonnes of composted cow dung(80%) cane tops(15%) and chook dung with a sprinkling of molasses to nut growers and orchards across the east coast of Aus.
10m3 will be ordered to allow for shrinkage and a few spare m3 to share amongst the neighbours. Delivery charge is the same cost as the product and no difference up to 10m3.
Who would have thought having dung delivered to your front door could be so exciting?.
Also eagerly anticipating 2 exotic trees- exotic for our location, maybe weeds to others. Tabebuia Rosea and 2 Vera Cruz Rose Palmeri.


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[Jon B.]

2 minutes ago, Basher said:

Who would have thought having dung delivered to your front door could be so exciting?.

 

Project looking great!!!  This gave me a good laugh 😂

[Tyrus]

1 hour ago, Basher said:

Who would have thought having dung delivered to your front door could be so exciting?

Nice pics Basher. I feel your pain.. each and every time a new piece is added to the backyard my dog christens it as his own. St Joseph is a favorite stop on his tour.  Like the re:purposed front with the distressed wood, a mix of the old with the new. Cow manure, as a kid my dad had a truck load delivered to the house from a country farm just about every year and dumped in the driveway in front of the garage. Six feet high 12 feet wide and the neighbors loved it.lol  From there it was all wheel barreled to the backyard and turned in,... over the course of decade or so the top soil grew to 2 ft. I swear if you dropped a seed the next day it would sprout. Jack in beanstalk woulda been proud. 

[Troble]

3 hours ago, Basher said:

Who would have thought having dung delivered to your front door could be so exciting?


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I think this be the best mine I’ve ever seen on this site. 😀

@Basher project looks fantastic. That rock wall turned out great and that cabinetry is looking fabulous. You must be excited. Great work 

[Basher]

Nice pics Basher. I feel your pain.. each and every time a new piece is added to the backyard my dog christens it as his own. St Joseph is a favorite stop on his tour.  Like the re:purposed front with the distressed wood, a mix of the old with the new. Cow manure, as a kid my dad had a truck load delivered to the house from a country farm just about every year and dumped in the driveway in front of the garage. Six feet high 12 feet wide and the neighbors loved it.lol  From there it was all wheel barreled to the backyard and turned in,... over the course of decade or so the top soil grew to 2 ft. I swear if you dropped a seed the next day it would sprout. Jack in beanstalk woulda been proud. 

Thanks Troble.
Tyrus my mum used to send me down the paddock with a wheelbarrow and pay me 50 cents for every load of cow dung I could bring back for her garden.
I’m still the only bloke I know who winds the windows down when I pass a cattle truck!
Unfortunately, after composting for 16 weeks, this dung won’t smell.


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[Basher]

All this stone work gets sealed today


This means that tomorrow,
I can roll the KK out to her final resting place.
Centred under the roof.


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[Paul]

Coming together nicely @Basher.

[tekobo]

Looking lovely!  

[Steve M]

Gorgeous

[MacKenzie]

Looking fantastic, where's the beef, I mean the dog? 

[Basher]

Looking fantastic, where's the beef, I mean the dog? 

She was closed inside after everything was cleaned down before sealing the stone.
She has a habit of wading belly deep into the pool, then trots into the empty garden beds, then follows me inside. I turn around to a trail of mud and her legs are muddy to the knee.
If you look closely you will see her nose glued to the back door watching me while I was outside!


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[Troble]

23 hours ago, Basher said:

All this stone work gets sealed today


This means that tomorrow,
I can roll the KK out to her final resting place.
Centred under the roof.


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That’s looking real good basher. I cooked bacon on my griddle before it was sealed and  got a few “color enhancements” on my concrete. Hopefully yours stays pristine. That stone looks real purty....

[Basher]

That’s looking real good basher. I cooked bacon on my griddle before it was sealed and  got a few “color enhancements” on my concrete. Hopefully yours stays pristine. That stone looks real purty....

Now that it’s sealed it maybe too late. My 65yo Croatian stone mason has all the tips for removing stains. Bleach is a big favourite for timber stains, bleach and shampoo worked for berry stains, bleach and detergent for oil stains. Glue requires steel wool or brush.
He leaves the bleach on, re applies in 2 hours and doesn’t wash it off. It worked with our limestone.


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[Tyrus]

Your going to enjoy sitting out there and kicking back. Glad your nearing the end and buttoning up the smalls now...can you remember the dirt pile

[Basher]

Your going to enjoy sitting out there and kicking back. Glad your nearing the end and buttoning up the smalls now...can you remember the dirt pile

Looking forward to the end Tyrus.
You prompted me to look back through the post at the early photos. The yard was terrible.
Spent time in my mates forge today making knobs and handles for the cabinet doors.

That’s 2 inch thick bars melting to get beaten into door knobs.
That forge is running at 2000c( 3650F)- hot enough to put some crackle on your pork belly.
I was looking for Bruce Pearson from the KK home page to help out but couldn’t get him on the plane with COVID hanging around.
https://komodokamado.com/?utm_campaign=1601409787&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=318122920271&utm_term=komodo%20kamado&adgroupid=66121904292&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjaWZsN2y6QIVmh0rCh0VMw6IEAAYASAAEgL6I_D_BwE
And this photo will be pretty close to the final resting place.



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[Tyrus]

Forged in fire..a great show. "It will kill."  That's alot of stock sitting there Basher, great idea...keep it rustic.  A fine spot for your KK, front and center, sir, yes sir. Hope you find Bruce I'm sure he isn't hiding.

[Basher]

Here are the crystals in the rusty chandelier.

And these are the drawer handles in the forge for a twist later this week.

And these are a couple of tiles my mum made for around the fire pit. She is very creative, and for a hobby creates clay busts amongst other things.



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[MacKenzie]

I see those crystals glistening in the sunlight and the tiles are very creative.