I also made something

[Johnmed]

Nice work Ray.

[moltuae]

Ray, you have set a new benchmark

[Johnmed]

Originally Posted by moltuae

ray, you have set a new benchmark

bravo

[27litres]

You'll need hotplates for that BBQ too!

Would never have guessed seat, I was leaning towards bracing or formwork as well!

[tc4332]

It's my foible, I always overengineer everything. That wall behind it is the rear of the communal garage block and the pebble dash is rather painful when you lean on it. Hence the overtall backrest.
Gwen sat down to try it and ordered a coffee table, so today I knocked one together from bits and pieces I had left over from other firewood making projects.



Only three legs 'cos that's all the suitable timber I had left, but with a stabilizer it works.
Well what do you expect without planning.
She calls it a coffee table but she drinks Earl Grey with a vengeance.
Suffice it to say that peace reigned for two cuppas, then she declared that the gazebo she made me pull down a couple of years back needs rebuilding complete with honeysuckle and jasmin all over it.
I'll have to start saving for 3x3 legs, unless someone knows where I can permanantly borrow four from.

The barbie has worked well for some 40 years, charcoal and a wire mesh. We've fed the estate a few times on that beast.
I did mute the possibility of purloining a gas fired do everything monstrosity but SWMBO shot me down. Don't think it was the possibility of being caught (though a few months at Her Majesty's would be a welcome rest) just that she likes her barbie grub incinerated and dirty. Remember jacket spuds on bonfire night.

[tc4332]

SWMBO decided whilst having an Earl Grey at the three legged coffee table that it was time to build an arbour to replace the one that three years back she made me demolish.
So lots of sawing, screwing and ladder climbing we have a gazebo. This hopefully will keep the rain off the bench and three legged coffee table.
To help with the construction I made a special tool that worked so well I made another two.


I know it looks like a piece of string, but it is more than that, it is a piece of scrapped plastic clothes line.
I used these three "tools" to hold each of the five roof panels in a semi rolled state whilst screwing the first two fasteners on each stringer. The need for this was 'cos my arms are too short to reach across the full width of a panel.
The sad bit is that Gwen wants me to throw them away now, as well as what is left of the clothes line. Fair enough really I guess because I have been hording the bloody thing for over thirty years knowing that someday it would come in useful.
Well here is the arbour decreed by SWMBO, big enough for three A8s.

[Delboy]

wow thats quite the construction, clever assistance tool too

[tc4332]

The gazebo/arbour is finished. Yippee.
Now she want a box to keep the soil in for the honeysuckle and jasmin to grow in. Sort of a big wooden plant pot.
So while I think about that I thought I'd show you the "tool" in use (not me).
Unfortunately none of these are up to the very high standard set by MickiJayne. As for time lapse photography; forget it.

Here are two photos of the tool in position around the partly rolled roof panel, notice the boy scout reef knots.




Here is the last panel being lifted into place.


And finally the small opening that I had to squeeze through to reach the fixings. Next time I will borrow some scaffolding.Mind with a little bit of luck this lot will last longer than me, so hopefully no next time.

[tc4332]

I thought that it was about time to show you the end result.
With Gwen's ongoing chest problems and her hospital sojourns I've had my mind on other things, but whilst having breakfast in the sun I realised a couple of photos would finish my sorry tale.

Here is the finished Gazebo/arbour.


Here is the wooden plant pot(a box of soil) with honeysuckle planted and starting to grow up one of the legs.


OK, I'll admit it, I've had a lazy breakfast, what do you expect with Gwen in Hospital?