Cheer of the Day!

[Penners]

Spring is sprung,
The grass is riz,
I wonder where the birdies is.
The little birds is on the wing,
But that's absurd.
The little wings is on the bird.

[TheRoost]

I know we've had a mild winter but I can't believe how fast our plants and climbers have been growing in the last few weeks (up north too). The honeysuckle has been growing like crazy, a mock raspberry is in flower, and a couple of spindly clematis (clematii?) That have really struggled since planting two years ago in a shady spot have now put up thick shoots to the top of the 5ft fence already. Everything has buds appearing or leaves growing despite the lack of sun.

On another note, our front door leaded lights have been removed and are finally getting repaired and re-leaded, the lead work looked very old/original and had started to crack and fall apart. They had been 'temporarily' protected in bubble wrap and plastic sheet for over two years!

[Zebra]

My flowers came out after all! They were just a bit slow getting their act together.....

[Penners]

Hurrah, Zebra! Give it a few weeks and it will look lush and beautiful!

[a twig]

Sort of a cheer - the recent cold rain followed warmth has caused a lot of the cement pointing on one of the external walls to give up the ghost and just drop off the walls.

So hurrah for me not having to get the chisels out, but then also boo, because now that repointing job has become more urgent...

[malcolm]

I see you are growing drain covers too Zebra. Good luck with those - I can never get them to flower.

[88v8]

A while ago was looking for a manhole cover. Knew it had to be here somewhere.
'What's under that tub' says the builder.
Moved a hundredweight of oak tub, and sure enough it was.
'People always put tubs on them', says the builder.

Ivor

[Penners]

I see you are growing drain covers too Zebra. Good luck with those - I can never get them to flower.

You're probably putting too much manure down into their roots.

[DJH]

The first three of thirteen rainwaterheads and downpipes fitted ready to allow the scaffold to be struck!

I hadn't realised that there was quite as much to do when I was asked to give some advice about the new leadwork to be fitted on this major restoration of a partially ruined castle. I do however like making heads and pipes....

A right hand corner model which has the right hand mouldings and ear left off..

2017-04-06 14.58.55.jpg (250.7 KiB) Viewed 1239 times

A smaller head with both upper side mouldings not used so that the head fits into the string course and the downpipe is offset to miss the lower string courses...

2017-04-06 14.51.09.jpg (243.28 KiB) Viewed 1239 times

A left hand corner head with an offset from the downpipe from above discharging into it. A stainless steel mesh is fitted over the head and covering the outlet chute to discourage the local crows from nesting !

2017-04-06 14.50.55.jpg (244.83 KiB) Viewed 1239 times

[steveb]

I hadn't realised that there was quite as much to do when I was asked to give some advice about the new leadwork to be fitted on this major restoration of a partially ruined castle. I do however like making heads and pipes....

The clue tends to be in the word "castle" *- but elegant lead work by the way



*other alarm bells would be ringing with the proximity to "major restoration" and "partially ruined"

[Penners]

Real craftsmanship, Doug - beautiful work.

When you have leave off an ear, how do you secure that side of the hopper?

[a twig]

The first three of thirteen rainwaterheads and downpipes fitted ready to allow the scaffold to be struck...

Beautiful work, I'm in awe...

[Flyfisher]

Hear hear!

[DJH]

Thanks chaps...

The ears on these heads are just for decoration Penners. The heads are supported by 20mm stainless steel dowels let into holes drilled into the wall which then extend through sleeves leadwelded inside the head. The idea is that the whole of the head is supported and hopefully the front will not slump over the years. Stinless steel coach bolts and washers hold the head against the wall...

2017-04-06 14.30.19.jpg (218.19 KiB) Viewed 1204 times

Off to make another head and 12 pipes ready for the next lift of scaffold to be stuck...happy days!

Doug

[Penners]

The ears on these heads are just for decoration Penners. The heads are supported by 20mm stainless steel dowels let into holes drilled into the wall which then extend through sleeves leadwelded inside the head. The idea is that the whole of the head is supported and hopefully the front will not slump over the years. Stainless steel coach bolts and washers hold the head against the wall.

Thanks for the explanation, Doug.

Having the front slump over the years is a problem with which I am very familiar.