One step closer to concrete.

I didn't really focus on a project until this afternoon, just kind of doing whatever came at my whim this morning.  One thing I realized about my clothesline design was that I didn't have a good way to move it, so I decided to try to bend a piece into a handle.  After a handful of dismal failures trying to bend it, I brought out the big guns, or so I thought.  I decided to just put it in the receiver of my truck and stand on it.  That was tougher than I expected.  It took several minutes of pounding just to get the pin to move.


Once I finally got the pin out, I found out that the drop bar had rusted into the receiver.  Sigh.  After a couple minutes of beating on it, I said screw it.  While I couldn't help but feel that this was going to turn into a redneck fail video, I decided to pull it out with the tractor.


It started to drag the truck, but then popped free


The receiver looks pretty bad inside.


The idea worked though, kinda.  I stuck the rebar in and was able to bend it.


At that point I had the tractor out so I decided to play with it some.  I got above the leech field leveled off a bit. 


I also did a spot by the edge of the driveway since I got tired of being jostled.


I started to put some over by the sharp dropoff, but I think I need a plan for how do I do that without rolling the tractor.  I think I should build up the left side first, and then build up the middle and make it meet the slope.  I would like to make the slope a lot more gradual eventually.  I am almost out of dirt at this point though. 


I also went over and dragged the small remaining pile of gravel from last year to smooth it. 


While I was down there I decided to drag the failed plow experiment out of there.  This was the cheapo plow I tried to put on Dad's wheeler a couple years back.  I tried to sell it afterwards, didn't get any bites (the angling mechanism is broken and apparently only fits Polaris wheelers) so it just kind of sat there.  I couldn't lift it high enough to get it back in the truck, so it just kind of sat there.  The tractor can lift it though. 


With that out of the way, I have enough space down there that I could make it two cars wide if I wanted.


I dragged it up the hill and when I went to put it down, I was backing up too slow and it tore up another small patch of kinda-pavement.  Oops.


I decided to leave the rope attached to the tractor.  It will get far more use that way.  I wanted to replace it as a tow rope anyways.  This is the lighter duty "tow" rope I got from Matt with the CR-V.  I am not sure I would trust it to pull a car out of a ditch, but it should handle anything the tractor can lift.


At that point I decided to switch back to getting the clothesline finished.  I got all the end caps I bought put on.  It appears that I miscounted when I bought them since I was one short.  D'oh!


I also started to get them painted.  Despite the picture, it is closer to aqua in color, there is a little green in it. 


While that was drying I made a Home Depot run, and got some more rebar, the piece I had was intended to be used in the PVC to anchor it into the concrete.  I got another longer piece and bent it.  This time instead of jumping on it, I just stepped on it to get the bend started, and then just nudged it with the tractor.  It came out better. 


The last missing cap is now installed too.


I realized when I did the painting that I missed the most important piece: the base of the trunk.  I won't be able to paint it well after I pour the concrete, so I got that painted too.


At that point I was starting to run out of light.  With any luck, I will be able to get the concrete poured into it tomorrow.  One thing I didn't think about until I started writing this post: I may need to scrape the last inch of paint off these pieces.  When I finish the assembly the PVC cement needs to contact the PVC to do the chemical welding.  Sigh.  I also need to finish some mowing tomorrow.  The new spindles didn't arrive today like I hoped they would, but the area I need to mow I will have to use the push mower anyways.