2009
When the wooden floor and sides of our
utility trailer started getting big holes in them, we figured we had better do
something about it. Since we use this handy trailer for everything from moving
belongings, transporting motorcycles and moving wood and debris on the farm, to
hauling garbage to the transfer station, we decided it was worth putting some
effort into doing a good job on the refurbishment.
First, we had to strip off all of the rotting
wood panels - sides, decking and ramp.
Next came the rusted hardware (which required
drilling out bolts in some cases). After that, the wheels and axle were
detached, and the frame was flipped over.
Then came hours of rust removal and a couple of
coats of rust inhibiting paint.
After days of a section at a time, the frame
and refurbished axle were rejoined and returned to its upright
position.
Next came the woodwork, although nothing
intricate was involved. The panels were cut to size, minor holes and blemishes
were filled, primed, painted and fastened to the frame.
All of the wiring for the lights was replaced
and weather proofed.
A pair of ramp handles were also fabricated (a
convenience that was not on the original ramp deck).
And finally, all of the finishing touches and
tiedown hooks were installed.
One of the 'new' trailer's first uses was to
drive to LA to help Michael move.
2005
After dealing with a chain and lock on
the gate to the farm (in all types of weather), we finally decided to go
'high-tech' and replace the old cattle gate and add a remote gate opener. This
also involved the installation of keypads and a mast for solar panels to keep
the batteries charged.
In order to figure out where to place the
keypads and solar panel mast, we had to trim back the overgrowth on the
roadsides.
Jym fabricated the poles to mount the keypads
on.
Digging the holes for keypad poles is tedious
in the stuff we call dirt. Think six foot breaker bar and lots of
sweat.
Once we got two foot holes, we trued up the
poles and dumped in concrete mix and water, and stirred.
The first round of trenching (for the buried
wires) was done by hand - or more correctly - by pickax.
Being not as young as I once was, we brought
out the backhoe for the next set of trenches.
After the mast for the solar panels was
erected, we had to set the guy wires so the wind load wouldn't bend the
pole.
After replacing the old worn gate with a new
one, Ann spruced up the old side panels with a bit of elbow grease and
paint.
To make it official, we also transferred our
farm's sign to the new gate.
With everything else done, we mounted the last
mechanical component, the gate actuator.
Then it was time to wire it all up and program
the controller and keypads.
Finally, we can open the gate at the touch of a
button (if you know the secret password).
2004
Since our shallow well has developed the
annoying habit of running dry (or pumping mud), we embarked on the installation
of a 2,500 gallon storage tank. It took a while, and involved several stages,
but at the end of the project, we now have a more reliable source of
water.
Once we selected a place for the tank to live,
we broke ground for the pad that it will rest on.
Once the 'turf' was removed, we tried to make
the bottom of the area relatively flat and level.
So that the critter screen and landscape fabric
had something flat to rest on, the dirt was compacted.
Next came the pad's frame.
Next is to fill the frame with sand. This is so
the flexible bottom of the tank will have an even, relatively compliant base to
sit on.
Almost filled and leveled.
The tank is delivered now that we have a place
to put it..
Although it's cumbersome, it is fairly light
and easily rolled over to the pad.
One final round of compacting, leveling, and
smoothing before tipping up the tank and setting it in place.
And finally, the tank is in it's final resting
place.
Next, we started digging the trench to get the
pipes below the frost line.
After a few hours of layout and work on the
backhoe, the trench continues to grow.
Continuing the trench, it gets closer to its
destination.
Ann gets plenty of practice digging
trenches.
The pipe trench is finally done enough to start
actually assembling the pipe and laying it the bottom.
One of the pipes is for wiring, so we add pull
strings through it.
With pipes laid in, we added some dirt and
soaked it down.
Now it's time to lay out a junction of
pipes.
Cutting the pipes to fit into a junction
book.
Finally, enough of the pipes are laid in that
we can begin filling in the trench.
With the narrow road, we used the backhoe to
push the dirt back in to the open trench.
Straddling the open trench, we extended it to
the side of the pumphouse.
Next we extended the last of the pipes toward
the pumphouse.
Cutting the last of the pipes to proper
length.
Finally, the last of the piping is
done!
The final stage was to connect the boost pump
to the pipes from the tank and the existing plumbing in the
pumphouse.
Making the final connection.
The last step is to add some insulation to the
exposed pipes on the side of the pumphouse.
It's finally done, insulated, and delivering
supplemental water to the house.
Although water from the tank feeds the house,
we still have to fill it with a hose. Eventually, we'll feed it through one of
the pipes when we extend it to the deep well.