United States of GRIZZ - Just how random do you want it?

[brandersnatch]

Summer soon.

I hope.

It’s on its way

[Grizz]

Weekend is over.

Sleep sucks.

Life is good.

I will Copy and paste a single write up.

So apologies for duplicate pics, but you love pics…… Right??


Saturday I washed the van in preparation for Sundays breakfast meeting.

Cleanliness is next to godliness I hear.







Making a fire earlier in the day to burn a load of broken furniture wood (non recyclable) it became apparent that the crack in the structure was growing.
I possibly caused this a few years ago making a massive fire in the middle of winter.

I made the decision to smash this down after 13 years of service.

That will mean another job.

More money.

Buggerr.





Dinner was good.







Sunday I headed out in the van.

Made a video of the day.

Met some nice people.

Had an offer to buy the van.







All the cars at the meeting.




Afterwards I headed out to Uncle Bob’s yard to see him and Uncle Peter (86 year old retired builder) about buying some “new” recycled, cleaned bricks.

I did a rough count of the face-bricks used above the preparation area.
I plan on leaving the concrete foundation and cabinets plus cast, reinforced floor of the chimney as it all seems intact.
Approximate count is around 500 bricks to replace what is there but I am going to change the design a bit or a lot.

Smashing down the rest of it, the rubble will be processed into another job.
More about this later.

Uncle Peter was busy pointing the brickwork of one of the barns where he had rebuilt the corner that was smashed by a truck, years ago.
So I dragged him away from his mortar and we spoke bricks.
He has about 800 cement style, pressed bricks on some pallets that could be for sale.
At 50p per brick it’s not as cheap as free, but finding something where the price, look and availability cross on a sweet spot it not that easy.

So I agreed to taking the 800 and fetching and transporting them myself for £400.00 unless he changes his mind.

The excess will be used on another job which is planned for the short term future.




Lastly…….

I looked at this again, not easy to access as it is stored, if you can call it that, in the rear of a massive, disused, damaged greenhouse with loads of junk in front of it.

Uncle Bob the Hoarder owns it.

Wants very strong money for it.

But I do like it.

Think re-body.




Eventually I left them and headed home.

Moved to green 206 CC down to the workshop as I have done nothing with it and getting the roof to open since weeks ago when I walked away to get on with more important things.

Parked the van and headed to Sallys place to use her broadband to upload my YouTube videos that I can’t do at home due to Sky and Openreach’s terrible service.

Have a great week.

[Grizz]

So today the Astro, which was professionally lowered a lot, if you look at some photos from the side etc, got to work for real for the first time.

550kg is not a lot, bug when you place it over and behind the rear wheels and diff, it certainly affects things.

There is some stuff about to start happening at Grizz Towers soon, so I am getting a lot of peripheral stuff done, prepared and planned.

The fuel tank was about 40mm off the drive if you zoom in under the rear.
​Luckily I only had about 1.5 miles or 2.5km to drive.
Including a hill, two roundabouts and my crappy road outside.

I have one more load to collect tomorrow morning from Uncle Bob the Hoarders yard and Uncle Peter to pay.








This part of the story will unfold in a slightly different way depending on how many people complain, compliment or question.

So make some noise.

[nebuchenezer]

Is that a Port Elizabeth style Brai?

[christine]

2 forks and 1 knife left..... bloody lodger!

[mercrocker]

#lardylardy

I remember bringing our rockery home from Dorset in my Bedford CF. It was an ambulance with parabolic springs, they were certainly something bolic when I got back. Uphill on the A31 I was in first gear at times, downhill sections reminded me I had precious little steering.....I still haven't really done the rockery properly, either.

[Grizz]

#lardylardy

I remember bringing our rockery home from Dorset in my Bedford CF. It was an ambulance with parabolic springs, they were certainly something bolic when I got back. Uphill on the A31 I was in first gear at times, downhill sections reminded me I had precious little steering.....I still haven't really done the rockery properly, either.

Sensible does it.



Right

A quick explanation and illustration for those who want to add all sorts of suspension modifications to the van.

Some of which would double the price.

I rather do four trips and spend £10.00 on fuel than modify the van.

Part of its appeal lies in the stance and how low it was built.

It is no longer a commercial vehicle.

You cannot see it in the photo but the tank never touched the road with me driving it at up to 35mph. Limit here is 40 in parts and 30 mph.









In other news.

The photo and video clip will show you my little win for today.


Yup……..


Sesame opened without a fight.


So back up for sale, just in time for summer.


Check out the short video clip.









Right.

Headed out to fetch another load in the Astro.


Later.

[Grizz]

Is that a Port Elizabeth style Brai?

No.

But it could be built anywhere.

I had built a 5x8 meter room in a house I used to own in Cape Town years ago.

[Grizz]

So.

Those bricks.

I fetched them in 3 and 1/2 trips.

Bringing about 190 or so at a time.

Uncle Peter is 86 and long since successfully retired from building houses.

But he spends at least four hours a day working on things. Either at the yard or at home. Currently he is working at repairing parts of one of the barns that had been damaged years ago by a machine hitting the corner of a wall. Also repointing the cement between the bricks. The wall spans two eras. Part is built using lime mortar and parts were done with cement mortar.

I love watching him work. The details in those bits of cement he is replacing. Vertical and horizontal are different.





I had to figure out where to store these bricks. Ultimately I decided outside Georges door made sense.
Even sense checking the way the gate opens so I could still get cars and diggers and a crusher and possibly a few other machines through there.
I moved a pile of 450mm paving stones to the kitchen door as well.
Hoarder central.



Wood store with two cement mixers.



So off to UncleBobs yard.

First load in the van.

And first and second loads unloaded at home.
Onto a plastic pallet. Mistake. Too late.
Thankfully I bought three pallet or pump trucks for either £5.00 or £15.00 each years ago. Gave two away and kept one.

What a multi purpose tool this is to have in the garage and on site.







Last load was smaller but included 23 dark clay bricks.





And finally all of the bricks packed and sorted.

I took 2/3 and 1/2 bricks as well.

Total is about 623 bricks (23 clays weigh more)

Approximately 1.7 ton at 2.7 kg per brick.






So the question of course is WHY?

Well, the BBQ that I built 13 years ago and abused over the years, including a massive fire in it mid winter a few years ago has left it significantly damaged.

So it’s time to destroy it and start a rebuild.

Biggest problem is actually that it needs to dovetail into a bigger job that I have wanted to get done for 14 years.

What we have right now.







As always, the invitation is open to anyone interested in helping me get it done.

I could break it down and save the rubble before the next big job, but I am waiting for a price on some 3mm mild steel plate.

I want to build a steel BBQ inner to then sheath in insulation and brickwork.

Something like this.



So there you go.

Massive update.

And invitation.

Peugeot 206 CC next.

[mercrocker]

This is another thread that makes me feel feckin' lazy!

Thanks for taking the time to post these, Grizz...

One of the retirement projects I had hoped to get on with is some sort of outside kitchen. I could then burn, boil and fry things that smell without the wrath of Mrs Rocker. Will watch with interest.....