Head Pressure

[Bushmiller]

Back in June I asked the lads in the welding forum for some advice on fabricating a joint (think metal ) in 150mm pipe :

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f160/w...90-deg-154291/

I needed to make a stand for our new, replacement head tank. I wanted a little more height than previously and as it is a 5000L tank it needed to be substantial particularly as there are no intermediate piers. Also I couldn't help myself. Having made this structure, there was no way I wasn't going to utilise the space beneath. As it happens I needed somewhere to put a mower and a garden mulcher.

The legs are approximately 1100mm in the ground and sitting on 100mm of concrete.There is a bearing plate (about 250mm) at the foor of the pipe. The holes were subsequently filled with concrete. If I get an energetic moment I will pour a concrete floor. The whole project became expensive although we had allowed for the three tanks, I had not really factored in the drainage and supply pipe and all the associated fittings. There was probably another $1500 there particularly when I found the brand new pump whould not pump . I think our local farm produce supplier is languishing in the Bahamas as we speak.

As the project developed it occured that I could put a couple of levels of shelves in too. They are just scraps of chipboard and MDF. Because of the height I could put the upper shelf all the way around including just above the door.The lower shelf is just on three sides of course.

The structure is just under 2.4m square (actually it's not square) and 3.3m to the platform.

I have made up some door handles now but I need to paint the top gal sheet that forms the flashing and I still have to organise some door catches.

If I was going to to do it again I would make timber doors in the ledged and braced style, but that's hindsight.

My thanks to the metal fab men in the welding section.

Regards
Paul

[RustyArc]

Very nice bit of work

While it does look as solid as a brick proverbial, and it's probably a bit late for suggestions, but I would have installed cross-bracing on 3 walls and the roof to counteract racking and twisting. Probably would have meant you could have gone with shallower post holes too.

Is the pressure you get from the raised tank useful? I'd assume you'd get about 30kPa...

[Bushmiller]

Rusty

I did consider cross bracing as I am a big fan of that. The pic below is a cubby house built earlier this year and even that uses the traiangulation principle.

However the current tend nowadays seems to be to dig deep holes. I was Ok with that at least to begin with as I think the last 300mm took as long as the firat 900mm, but I'm a bit slow nowadays.

I didn't calculate the head pressure because it is what it is. At the moment the old tank supplies just a drinking water tap in the kitchen and the bottom 500mm is unavailable to the house as it is not high enough. The new tank will be available in total (when I finish the plumbing) and there is provision to hook it up to the laundry. It will also be used for watering the garden. There are two other tanks to catch water from the roofs and we pump up to the head tank.

Regards
Paul

[RustyArc]

Fair enough on the bracing - what you've done should handle anything nature throws at it. With regard to bracing, it's best done as corner-to-corner diagonals in two axes for maximum strength, and you can use thin steel strapping for light buildings such as your cubby house, or something heavier for your tank stand - my last shed used M12 threaded rod for wall and roof bracing.

As for holes, tell me about it I've been doing some fencing around the boundary that requires 750 to 950 deep holes. I've got a cheap-arsed Chinese auger that does remarkably well when the cutting edges are working - I think I spend more time sharpening and modifying the cutting edges than digging - my latest innovation is to weld cheap, tungsten-tipped masonry bits along the cutters, but at some point I think I'll look into a hydraulic planetary auger drive to go on the tractor - nothing beats sheer horsepower for diggin' holes.

[Bushmiller]

Fair enough on the bracing - what you've done should handle anything nature throws at it. With regard to bracing, it's best done as corner-to-corner diagonals in two axes for maximum strength, and you can use thin steel strapping for light buildings such as your cubby house, or something heavier for your tank stand - my last shed used M12 threaded rod for wall and roof bracing.

As for holes, tell me about it I've been doing some fencing around the boundary that requires 750 to 950 deep holes. I've got a cheap-arsed Chinese auger that does remarkably well when the cutting edges are working - I think I spend more time sharpening and modifying the cutting edges than digging - my latest innovation is to weld cheap, tungsten-tipped masonry bits along the cutters, but at some point I think I'll look into a hydraulic planetary auger drive to go on the tractor - nothing beats sheer horsepower for diggin' holes.

Rusty

Unfortunately, for me, I learnt during the days of timber bacing let into studs. That's all well and good with 100mm studs, but with the reduced size of studs today (65mm x 35mm dressed seems normal in QLD) I don't think the studs would have much strength left.

I used a crowbar for digging and a modified shovel for removing the dirt. As the holes were about 350mm diameter I don't think I would have been able to turn a hand auger. I have a friend who very successfull attached small pieces of an old rasp to his tractor driven auger. He had two "teeth" on each wing. You have to use low hydrogen rods to weld them on because of the high carbon steel.

The trick with tractor driven augers is to ensure the cutter is still reaching the full circumference of the flights. As soon as the corner of the cutter wears the performance drops of dramatically.

I also made a digger out of 100mm pipe with cutouts at the bottom to house a blade. (A little bit like a side rebate plane). It dug to 1400mm. I was surprised how successful it was.

But I understand about digging holes. More boring than watching paint dry and a lot harder.

Regards
Paul

[rwbuild]

Rusty


But I understand about digging holes. More boring than watching paint dry and a lot harder.

Regards
Paul

Dont knock it, at least you start at the top and work your way down, all other jobs start at the bottom....

[RustyArc]

Rusty

Unfortunately, for me, I learnt during the days of timber bacing let into studs. That's all well and good with 100mm studs, but with the reduced size of studs today (65mm x 35mm dressed seems normal in QLD) I don't think the studs would have much strength left.

My old man built our coast house that way - 4x2"hardwood studs with a 2x1" hardwood diagonal brace checked into the studs. Many years later termites chewed out the pine interior lining, but the hardwood framing was still good to go. That said, trying to run in screws for Gyprock that were designed for pine studs into aged hardwood wasn't a bunch of fun

[Bushmiller]

Dont knock it, at least you start at the top and work your way down, all other jobs start at the bottom....

RW

That's a bit like proverbs where for every positive there is an antithesis. For example:

How do you make a small fortune? Start with a big one.

and

Dean Martin used to say he felt sorry for everybody who didn't drink as they got up in the morning knowing the day wouldn't get any better.

Regards
Paul

[Bushmiller]

My old man built our coast house that way - 4x2"hardwood studs with a 2x1" hardwood diagonal brace checked into the studs. Many years later termites chewed out the pine interior lining, but the hardwood framing was still good to go. That said, trying to run in screws for Gyprock that were designed for pine studs into aged hardwood wasn't a bunch of fun

Rusty

I know what you mean with hardwood. I use cypress pine where I can, although when it gets old and brittle it can be a problem necessitating pre drilling. I can source it directly from the mills. We used to have a mill in Millmerran, but it was closed down a week before last Xmas .

I go to Cecil Planes now, about 45km away.

Regards
Paul