update on aqueduct

[SE18]

Here's some closer up photos of the work and the "mold" which is a "Prevent A Dent" product:
www.pepboys.com/product/details/9611238/
you can fill it with mortor, concrete, cement and so on. I've been using one for over a year now for some other areas of the garden, I'm still using it but it's getting brittle so I have a new one I'm using along with the old one.

Also, my South Bend Lathe, built during WWII (1942), used to turn out munitions for the war, is being put to use for train wheels

Also, been very busy with about 7 tall pine trees which fell over during the hurricane. I'm using come-a-longs to pull them back up and rescue them, anchoring thick steel in concrete in the ground as anchor. This happened to one tree about 8 years ago and I rescued it that way and it is healthy now

Craig, let us know how things go

 

[sissy]

gosh the close up made me think it was real stacked stone .What neat look ,you could build some really neat small houses that way .I did a copy of my house but just used wood for by my pond ,I call it my house on the lake :razz: Then rebuilding the bridge and then the light house which I have to finish ,I am guessing it will be a winter project now .

 

[j.w]

Wow SE that looks really time consuming but it's worth it all cuz it looks terrific and really does look like the real thing!
Sissy yours looks cool too. You both are so creative!

 

[sissy]

I am looking for a new project to keep me busy so looking at lots of pics to get an idea.If anyone seen something neat post a pic and maybe it is something i can try

 

[SE18]

Projects: hard work but fun is planning. You need a theme with a backstory. Then, you might want a scale. Mine is around 1:12 dollhouse, meaning 1 inch equals one foot. So a 6 foot tall figure would be 6 inches tall. The theme will dictate the scenery: a town, a gritty factory area etc. Locality too would be part of the backstory. If you have hills in the garden, theme could be hill country of W. Va. or even Rocky Mts.

The backstory, btw, is a fictional or maybe part fictional story. Pick your favorite. If you want weird, Alice and Wonderland.

The thing about the outdoors, is that there's less control you have. You have half control and nature has the other. A dollhouse, for example, made of particle board stuck together with Elmer's glue will fall apart. So materials are important. Considerations for frost, rain, sun, wind, must all be taken into account, which to me, is the fun of it.

Themes and backstories help you focus and make the parts more coherent. Some people are fanatical about making everything exact. I'm not one of those, as I'm just doing things for fun.

The fun part for me is making my own trains (none are purchased), my own track and my own buildings (which I'll do)==yours is very nice, btw.

You will enjoy the creative process and learn a lot as your going along. For example, cedars seem to hold up better outside than some other woods. Also, the glues you use need to be made for outside (or use fasteners).

Hope this helps. Planning is the most time consuming. I'd take some photos of the entire pond and surrounding area and start doodling

for your garden pond, I'd try making some sort of hypertufa building at the edge of the pond with plants growing on the roof (maybe a spiral fantasy building). Set it up right on the rocks at the edge of the pond. A Dr. Seuss type spiral structure. Google hypertufa. Maybe a windmill on top.

 

[sissy]

Talking dollhouses i have 2 of them and also built a garage for them .All the furniture is bought and just have to get working on them again .My poor pond has been neglected but will have to start rebuilding the one water fall for the new stock tank .I saw a whole village with trains they did out side on the diy network .

 

[SE18]

You don't necessarily need trains. Remote control vehicles are pretty neat too, or maybe an R/C helicopter that drops fish food. Here's a forklift I toy with sometimes. People doing things like cutting logs (sticks); little mini scenes and so on. Sometimes you see these at garden shows (people grow little plants at dollhouse scales). Here's an old forklift vid

 

[sissy]

think you need more practice with that ,poor guy and boom you go .Have you ever gone to the mini train museum ,i have pics here of it somewhere .

 

[j.w]

Ha ha I don't think you can blame that one on the poor forklift

 

[SE18]

"Mini train museum"? Not sure which one you're referring to. My own preference is for trains you build yourself. There are people that spend a king's ransom on toy trains. I do like anything with trains, gardens and water, all 3 preferrably.

Next summer I hope to have the facing on aqueduct complete and I'll start pulling barges using the train, that's my short-term goal.

Good luck with projects, they're so much fun!

 

[sissy]

This one is indoors and guessing they spent a fortune .

 

[SE18]

Here's some closeups. I did more work on the rock facing yesterday but probably will curtail work soon as it get below freezing more than not overnight

oops, last photo added by mistake, but it shows a steel pipe with railroad spike I'm using to hold up some leaning trees

cheers

dave V

 

[MitchM]

Wow, looks great! What a neat labour of love.
It looks like your "supervisor" in the first pic approves!

 

[sissy]

doggie looks interested and well it is a pretty rope :razz:

 

[j.w]

You are one heck of a patient man to do all that precision work! It looks so real............even the giant doggie