JM

"John Moorhead"

27/07/2004 11:37 PM

Foundation notes.... Darn Backhoe!`

Folks -

Hardly made it off of the launching pad today. Wife and I checked the
layout cord for square, and determined that it was out about 3/4 of an
inch.... Don't know if this really is critical for the trenching. The form
boards will need to be accurate and square, of course.... But should I
foodle with the layout for the trenching?

The bad news... Backhoe was to show up between 9 and 10 this morning....
The fellow shows up at 10:30, saying he had to go to the hospital, had an
appt, etc.... and that he would be out on Wednesday.... rrrrrr..... gave
me blueballs the rest of the darn day....

Anyway, that's what passes for today's progress... I hope he's here early
on tomorrow and gets crackin'!

John Moorhead


This topic has 9 replies

JJ

in reply to "John Moorhead" on 27/07/2004 11:37 PM

27/07/2004 10:40 PM

Tue, Jul 27, 2004, 11:37pm (EDT+4) [email protected]
(John=A0Moorhead) questions:
<snip> Wife and I checked the layout cord for square, and determined
that it was out about 3/4 of an inch.... Don't know if this really is
critical for the trenching. <snip>

Yep. Extremely critical, better fix that immediately. That 3/4"
could well be the difference between success and disaster. Remember, a
backhoe is an even more precise a tool then a chainsaw, which is precise
indeed.

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KC

Kevin Craig

in reply to "John Moorhead" on 27/07/2004 11:37 PM

29/07/2004 7:00 AM

In article <[email protected]>, Elwood Dowd
<[email protected]> wrote:

> If your backhoe contractor can dig to within 3/4 of an inch, you'd
> better call the Guiness Book of World Records so they can be there if
> the guy ever shows up.

He said it was his layout cord that was out of square by about 3/4, not
the backhoe operator's work.


> > Hardly made it off of the launching pad today. Wife and I checked the
> > layout cord for square, and determined that it was out about 3/4 of an
> > inch.... Don't know if this really is critical for the trenching. The form
> > boards will need to be accurate and square, of course.... But should I
> > foodle with the layout for the trenching?

It's a hole. The slab is determined by the forms, not the backhoe work.

If you think woodworking is imprecise compared to metal working, then
you ain't seen nothin' when it comes to allowable tolerances in dirt
work!

Kevin

DH

Dave Hinz

in reply to "John Moorhead" on 27/07/2004 11:37 PM

28/07/2004 1:58 AM

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 23:37:24 GMT, John Moorhead <[email protected]> wrote:
> Folks -
>
> Hardly made it off of the launching pad today. Wife and I checked the
> layout cord for square, and determined that it was out about 3/4 of an
> inch.... Don't know if this really is critical for the trenching. The form
> boards will need to be accurate and square, of course.... But should I
> foodle with the layout for the trenching?

The backhoe operator won't be able to hold 3/4" accuracy, unless he's a
WHOLE lot better with a hoe than I am. Then again, that might not be
saying much. Depth is more important so the bottom of the trench is
in the right place.

> The bad news... Backhoe was to show up between 9 and 10 this morning....
> The fellow shows up at 10:30, saying he had to go to the hospital, had an
> appt, etc.... and that he would be out on Wednesday.... rrrrrr..... gave
> me blueballs the rest of the darn day....

That'll happen. That's also the reason that (A) I did nearly all the work
building my house (foundation, forms, every board, every nail, etc), and
(B) why I now have my own backhoe as well.

> Anyway, that's what passes for today's progress... I hope he's here early
> on tomorrow and gets crackin'!

Hang in there, self-contracting any big project is an exercise in
frustration. Easier to do the work yourself wherever possible, IMHO.

Good luck & keep us posted,
Dave Hinz

DH

Dave Hinz

in reply to "John Moorhead" on 27/07/2004 11:37 PM

29/07/2004 8:14 PM

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 07:00:27 GMT, Kevin Craig <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, Elwood Dowd
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> If your backhoe contractor can dig to within 3/4 of an inch, you'd
>> better call the Guiness Book of World Records so they can be there if
>> the guy ever shows up.
>
> He said it was his layout cord that was out of square by about 3/4, not
> the backhoe operator's work.

Right, but I think Elwood's point was that there's no point worrying
about a 3/4" layout error when a backhoe's accuracy will be far worse.

MM

"Mike Marlow"

in reply to "John Moorhead" on 27/07/2004 11:37 PM

28/07/2004 11:42 AM


"Dave Hinz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 23:37:24 GMT, John Moorhead
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
> The backhoe operator won't be able to hold 3/4" accuracy, unless he's a
> WHOLE lot better with a hoe than I am. Then again, that might not be
> saying much. Depth is more important so the bottom of the trench is
> in the right place.
>

Plenty of backhoe operators can do that. I've shot grade for both hoe and
bulldozer operators and it's common on the construction site for the hoe
operator to stay within 3/4". But... then again, that's all they do all
day.
--

-Mike-
[email protected]

TD

Tim Douglass

in reply to "John Moorhead" on 27/07/2004 11:37 PM

27/07/2004 6:08 PM

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 16:50:37 -0500, Elwood Dowd <[email protected]> wrote:

>If your backhoe contractor can dig to within 3/4 of an inch, you'd
>better call the Guiness Book of World Records so they can be there if
>the guy ever shows up.
>
If the soil will take it I can introduce you to two guys who can do
it.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

ED

Elwood Dowd

in reply to "John Moorhead" on 27/07/2004 11:37 PM

27/07/2004 4:50 PM

If your backhoe contractor can dig to within 3/4 of an inch, you'd
better call the Guiness Book of World Records so they can be there if
the guy ever shows up.


> Hardly made it off of the launching pad today. Wife and I checked the
> layout cord for square, and determined that it was out about 3/4 of an
> inch.... Don't know if this really is critical for the trenching. The form
> boards will need to be accurate and square, of course.... But should I
> foodle with the layout for the trenching?

DW

Doug Winterburn

in reply to "John Moorhead" on 27/07/2004 11:37 PM

29/07/2004 8:50 AM

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 07:00:27 +0000, Kevin Craig wrote:


> It's a hole. The slab is determined by the forms, not the backhoe work.
>
> If you think woodworking is imprecise compared to metal working, then you
> ain't seen nothin' when it comes to allowable tolerances in dirt work!

Ain't that the truth! Here in AZ, I've seen the top footing grade marked
in the trench with nails and spray paint and the footing poured and graded
with no forms at all! Requires a nice stiff dirt like the kaliche(sp?)
found here in the desert.

-Doug

--
"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange apples
then you and I will still each have one apple.
But if you have an idea and I have one idea and we exchange these
ideas,then each of us will have two ideas" George B. Shaw

b

in reply to "John Moorhead" on 27/07/2004 11:37 PM

27/07/2004 10:28 PM

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 23:37:24 GMT, "John Moorhead"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Folks -
>
>Hardly made it off of the launching pad today. Wife and I checked the
>layout cord for square, and determined that it was out about 3/4 of an
>inch.... Don't know if this really is critical for the trenching. The form
>boards will need to be accurate and square, of course.... But should I
>foodle with the layout for the trenching?

no.




>
>The bad news... Backhoe was to show up between 9 and 10 this morning....
>The fellow shows up at 10:30, saying he had to go to the hospital, had an
>appt, etc.... and that he would be out on Wednesday.... rrrrrr..... gave
>me blueballs the rest of the darn day....
>
>Anyway, that's what passes for today's progress... I hope he's here early
>on tomorrow and gets crackin'!
>
>John Moorhead
>


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