Concrete

Old left, new right

All new

Once again, the urge to do some concreting is upon me, something which seems to happen from time to time. With the last serious concrete having been noticed, six years ago now, at reference 1. With a rather curious, intermediate concrete being noticed at reference 2.

The usual form being that the concrete is shovel mixed in a wooden tray, a tray which stands in for a concrete mixer. Never been tempted by one of those little electrical jobs, usually bright orange, that jobbing builders go in for.

The wooden tray in question has been around for many years and I can no longer remember where the frame first came from. Certainly not made by me, although I have installed at least two floor panels - with gloss painted hardboard lasting for longer than one might think.

But all good things come to an end and it was time for a new one. I even went to the length of buying some six by one (nominal, planed all round, which means actual more like five and a half by three quarters) and a box of screws from our local Travis Perkins.

While the floor panel was the top of the brown wood desk once used by Sprog No.1 for his homework. Desk itself long gone. The desk top, despite its age, was not solid timber at all, rather a thin oak veneer on top of chipboard, with three of the four edges sealed with light batten.

Hopefully the oak veneer will stand a reasonable amount of concrete mixing, while the underside has been given a couple of coats of Sadolin (of reference 3), an old fashioned wood treatment of which I happened to have half a tin. Must have been sitting in the garage for many years now. Hopefully that will keep the water arising from concrete mixing at bay for a while. But maybe I will come to think that buying some proper marine-grade birch ply would have been the better option.

Further report in due course.

Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.com/2014/08/yard-retaining-wall-phases-4a-4b.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/02/concrete-2017-second-pour.html.

Reference 3: https://www.sadolin.co.uk/. They still exist!