Thursday and Friday

Yesterdag was hell it was just paperwork all day long. the only practical that we did was doing a bit more formwork untill smoko. we spent the morning doing up the construction sequence and all the safety requirments for the formwork. then after luch we started on the timber wall frame test. it was a pretty big test and took up pretty much the rest of the day. i'm pretty sure that i did well.

Today we finished off our formwork took some photos and then disambeled the formwork and packed everything up. after smoko we started on the wall cladding test which took up to lunch and i'm sure i did well again. after lunch we sat for the second part of the test which was all calculations about quantifing both weather boards and sheet cladding. i'll find out how i went next time we come to tafe but i'm not to confident about it though. i can do it but i just needed to study up about.

Formwork for monday and tuesday

Yesterday we started on form work. we started off by talking about it and what we were going to be doing for the rest of the week which includes doing three tests. after smoko we started to do research on concrete and formply. after lunch we then started to look for a plan that we wanted to do and then we started to mark out the boundary of the block and then pegged out the area for the house. we could not use the existing fence as a guide because it was not square so dan and rob decided to use Pythagoras to get the side square and it worked like a charm.

Today we we levelled up one of the pegs 170mm or two brick courses high which is the standard step up for a concrete slab. while that was happening the guys were setting up the hurdles as we went around to transferring the reference point around all the hurdles. we set up the rest of the string lines and we had all that do by lunchtime. after lunch we went around the site and paul was asking us where the wall was going and we had to answer to make sure taht we could visulise what was going on. then paul went through and explianied about shutters and bracing units. afterthatwe split up into three groups and started to prepare all that will be required for tomorrow.

Thursday and Friday

Yesterday we spent half the day finishing off our wall cladding. Me and Rob finished off the wall sheeting and got everything ready to start on timber cladding. But by the time we had got everything organsied we had to pack everything up because we had run out of time. Berie came to see us as well basically seeing how we were all going and then he got us to sign a couple of pages so that we will get $1000 from the government for completing our 6 month and 12 month increments. After lunch we then had to sit for our exam about levelling and using the dumpy and it went on for 2 hours. I'm quite sure that i did do well. After smoko we did some more stuff which included finishing off our profolios, Paul telling us about the sub floor exma for Friday and the explosive tools that we are going to use.

Today we spent half the day researching and learning about explosive tools and then we actually got to use one. I found it quite disappointing that we couldn't use a more powerful explosive tool because the one that we used i thought was pretty weak. Then straight after lunch we started on our exam and if we finished early we could blog and then go but i took a little longer then the rest of the boys but i think that i may have done a little better then most. i hope i'm right.

Tuesday and Wednesday

On Tuesday we spent a whole fours hours researching different types of cladding. The types that we researched were timber, concrete and a hardiflex product. Then if we had enough time we could research a fourth type of cladding and I decided to research this special concrete product produced by The Concrete Company, this stuff is awesome. You can ask for any type of colour and style you want. I saw some examples and it looks really good. The things that I had to research on the different types of cladding was the make up of the product, how to install it, what materials we had to use to install it and we had to find the MSDA sheet for the product. After lunch Paul taught us how to figure out how to work out the gross and net wall area and then from there how to work out how much materials and the cost of the job is going to be. He taught us how to work out both timber and sheet cladding. Sheet cladding is a little bit more involved because you have to work out the most efficent way to apply the sheet so you are cost effective.

Wednesday we went over the research from the day before so that we knew exactlly how we were going to use it properly. Then we went outside and started to clad our timber wall frames. We were devided up into three groups. Dan and rhys, Me and Rob and Greg and Mike. The other two groups did the timber cladding and me and Rob Did the hardiflex sheeting. I believe that me and Rob worked well with each other and we got alot done. Our work was quite neat but the only thing that Paul could pike on was that we didn't know what the correct spacings between the nails were. With sheeting I learnt that you need to put alfoil between the sheets to help water proofing and then you put a cover batton on top of that to help make it more presentable. With the timber cladding you need to first cover the whole wall with a aluminium sheet to help water proof and insulate thw wall. I did not know that until yesterday so there you go.

Blog for today tricks of the trade

Today we finished our stud wall frames and it looks hell good. Paul reacons that if we built the same wall on site we would not have any probblems getting paid. I'm not gonna get into too much about the construction of the walls because i already have in the last blog. Some of the tricks of the trade are: when you are measuring a long surface you should use a straight edge with a level so that it takes out all the uneveness of that surface so that you can get a more accurate reading. Before you put the walls up make sure that you put in two incisions on the bottom on either side of the doors so when they are in place you can use a saw and be confident that you will not damage it. Leave a space between the head trimmer of the window and the window itself so that the window so that it dose not take any weight at all. When you are using the string line make sure that it is an equal distance away from the wall so that you can clearly see if the walls around the perimetre are nice and straight. Metal bracers must be inserted sharp end down and must be fixed into the top and bottom plates. Use a masonary bit when you are using concrete board because you won't be able to nail straight through.

Finishing stud wall frames

On Thursday we started to build the stud walls for our house. It was pretty easy to do because everything was marked out all we had to do was to measure the timber to length and then cut. We made the studs 2330mm because we wanted the over all height to be 2400mm. We shot the studs in between the top and bottom plates and if there were any windows or doors we delt withg them accordingly. I'm not getting into heavy detail because we hacve already written up and talked about the whole process. Once all the walls were built one by one we carried them over to the sub floor that we built the week before. The first wall that we erected we plumbed out and then held it into possission with braces. Then we got the adjoining wall and and clamped it to the first wall. We made sure that the both walls were flush with one another and were plumb, then we shot them together with the nail gun. We repeated the whole process until all walls were erected.

We set up a string line around the top and bottom of the outside preimetre of the walls to help sight the straightness of the walls. Then we plumbed the corners of the walls and if they did have to be moved we remover the braces got the walls in the correct possission, reinsert the braces and then nail them off. To finish off we put in dog legs in between certain studs, inserted more trimmers where needed such as in the bathroom where the shover door and tiles will go. Once that was done that is about it for the stud wall frames. If you would like a more detailed version you can get a copy of my construction sheet if you really want to.

Drawings and Stud framed walls

Yesterday we spent all day drawing up different ways to fix stud framed walls to one another. It turned out alright because we were ment to start on our wall frames but the timber didn't arrive until the end of the day. So it was good because we all finished our drawings yesterday without any fuss.

Today we spent all day constructing our stud wall frames and I found it good that we did so much drawing the day before because it allowed me to visulise what I had to do before I did anythink, so it made my job easier. Me, Dan and Greg worked together today and we worked really well. At one stage we decided that each of us would do spicific jobs and the productive rate went through the roof, we kicked ass. Tomorrow I think that we will be spending all day on the wall frames and I can't wait.

I think one of the good things that Paul made us do was that on every window he made us do something different so we could try and see what different methods are and what they do. I found that I like to us alot of jamb studs to reinforce the windows to me that seems to be the way to go.

Calculations

Yesterday we spent a lot of time learning all about the spesifications of stud framed walls from AS1684. We then spent a lot of time learning about all the calculations of where all the common studs, must studs, plates, jacks, noggings, lintels and jambers went. We had to figure out how many of one particular thing went and then how much timber we had to order.

Today we spent time going over the homework that we were surposed to do the night before. After that we did a bit of planning of what we were going to do today. We decided tat first we would spend time marking out where all the studs were going and were all the doors and windows were going to go as well. It's going to be pretty cool because another class is going to put in all the doors and windows in our stud frame walls which is good because before we were just going to have holes where they were going to go. Tomorrow should be good because we are going to build the stud frame walls. The last thing that we did today was to put in concrete compact flooring. We had to measure, cut them and then screw them into place.

Finishing the floor

Today we spent most of the time cutting the joists for the floor and nailing them into the bearers. Again it was so bloody hot. Once we finished the the joists we moved right on to the sheet florring. First we had to measure the floor to workout how many sheets we needed. Then we had to cut the sheets up the way we had to and then we screwed them into the joists. I thought it was great because it looks hell good. After lunch we finished off our drawings and write down a few of the main rules because we need to know and remember what we have learnt in the last two weeks. Also we have to remember the rules of AS1684 because it will be in our test the next time we come to TAFE which is in two weeks time.

One dead, two dying and three remaining

Today was a little different from the past three days. We had a bad start because I believe that we didn't really have a meeting at the start of the day to discuss what each of us were going to do. Not only that but Rhys decided that the bearers were out by 20mm and that we should make it right or try and work around it but I think that a couple of the guys might of had a big one last night and with the hot sun wanted to just smash in the joists and get out of there. Me and Rhys went of and started to cut the joists and by smoko were a little pissed because only two joists were nailed in and they had to be pulled out because the joists were not in line with the outside of the walls. That pissed Rhys right of because he was telling everyone that in the first place but no one listerned. After smoko Greg died in the ass because he was struggling with a stomich bug and I've got to say he was not looking good. Then fiftheen minutes later Mick decides that he is aqlso sick and goes home also. This only left me, Rhys and Rob. All we did was to finally get the end joists inline with one another and then we went back into the classroom to start our drawings. We sped through our drawings and got alot done but when it came to dwaring up the steel stump we had to go to B block to do some research. That also went well and I feel that even though we got of to a pretty bad start it ended being quite a productive day.
The thing that we had to remember today was the AS1864 which is what the rules are for building the floor.

Building the floor

We started yesterday on consturting the floor. Firstly we all helpped each other to get the dimentions so that we could get the stringline happening. That involved cutting pegs, making herdles and smashing them all into the ground to prepare the stringling. We then got out the dumpy and got the high point and transferred that hight to the rest of the herdles. Then we got out the stringline so that we had the perimetre of the house. It was a every proud moment between the boys because we managed to get the stringline right the first time and it was bang on, we were perfect to the millimetre. Then we went back into the classroom to workout together how many stumps, bearers and joists we needed. Then we went back out and me and Rob started to dig the holes and Rhys and Greg cut the stumps and nailed the sole plates to the bottom of them. Before we left me and Rob put in one stump perfectly so it would become the reference point for the rest of the stumps. The next day again me and Rob worked together to dig the holes and put in the stumps, made them level but this time, Greg suggested that we make the stumps a little high so that we could come back and cut them down to the right size. This ened up to be a good idea because it waas easier and in the end saved alot of time. Rhys and Greg worked together doing the same thing me and Rob were doing and we finnished that job pretty quickly. Me and Rob then went around with the electrical dumpy and got the right hight for every stump and then we got out the circular saws and cut all the stumpys to the right lenght. Me and Rhys started to cut the bearers and passed them to the boys and they started to nail the bearers to the stumps. That's where we stopped because the other class came in and started to destroy what they had built. We will commence tomorrow.

Friday and Monday

On Friday we started off with doing up our site plan, safety plan and a construction plan for levelling and set out. That took up half the day. Then after lunch we sat our second assessment and that went on until afternoon tea. I think that I may of done ok in that. Then for the last hour and a half we learnt all about stumps, bearers and floor joists. This is all part of the constuction of a sub floor.

Today we spent most of the day by doing a more full on version on the sub floor. We used the Australind plan the same one that we used the other day. I enjoyed today because I feel that I remembered what I learnt the other day and I found it pretty easy. The only thing that pissed me off was at the end when we were doing the cutting list and the quote sheet. The reason why is when we got on to the quote sheet and were doing the floor joists most of the boys had different things written down so none of us had the same answer. But I guess I still learnt something so it wasn't all bad.

Friday and Monday

Flooring in the heat

Today we started on flooring. At first we got a start with our work books about levelling and set out until 10:00. When we got back we then started talking about building codes and then went on to flooring. I found that part of the day hell interesting because I can see that thinks are all coming together. When we were talking about the building codes and weight distrubtion you can see why things are done in certain ways. When we got on to the flooring we talked about the different ways in which we could construct a deck. I like that section because it seems so easy to do if you plan it right and it should all clme together. After lunch we were doing excersises to learn how to order the right amount of timber and martials for the job that you would be doing. I like that part because there is a bit of maths involed not too hard and you can see how big a job will be after you calculate how much martial you need. The rest of the day was a bit of a lose for me because it was so bloody hot. The temperture must of been 39c it was that hot. I feel stuffed.

Flooring

Setting and levelling the building perimetre

Today we started out by getting all the gear nessary to set out the the boundery and perimetre of the building. When we got there we started by setting out the boundery. We decided to make one side of the boundery 30m. Once we got that done we set up the dumpy at the start of the string line. Then we used the dumpy to measure 61"54' to the left and then we put out another string line 9.8m. Then looking at the map we had to make a parallel string line 7m from the boundery. The next step is important to figure out the corner for the front of the house. From the back boundery we measure out four metres which is the side of the back of the house. Then we Added on another 8.390m for the lenght of the actual side of the house. Then we put those two measurments together to get 12.390m which passed over the parallel line which we made earlier. We then got the carpenters' square on the 30m and square up the line that that passes over the parallel line and that is the exact make which the corner for the front of the house gose. Once that line is secured we came off 4m from the boundery line and put in another peg which is for the back corner of the house. Then we measured from the peg 12.470m and then placed another peg for the far end corner of the house. While all the time making sure that the string line was parallel for the boundery line. The fourth and final peg was worked out by exactly the same as the front line. We measured from the boundery line, came in 4m and then added 8.390m. We got the carpenters' square and the boundery line with the new string line and at the end of that line was final coner of that house. We then constructed herddles to place around each peg about 300mm off the pegs. Then with the dumpy we agreed on a random hight for the cross members and we levelled out all the cross members until they were all the same. After that we put screws into the cross members in line of the pegs and then put string lines on two sides of the house and they became the true lines. But we made sure that the string lines were parallel from the boundery lins because they were fixed and could not be moved. We did the same thing on the otherside of the house with lining up the screws with the pegs. Then we measured from one string line to the other that was parallel to it. We measured one side and then the other and if it was wright we measured from corner to corner and if that was wright that means that all our measuring was spot on. But it didn't quite work like that we did have to adjust a little but we did get there in the end.

Survying and distances

Today kick ass. We started off by survying the whole perimetre of Tafe to find all the rises and falls. Then we got back and put it all into a graph and a table. In my group was Rob and Mick and we were hell better then Greg and Rhys. The thing I loved about that excersise was that as we were graphing we could clearly see how the ground was rising and falling.

In the afternoon Paul taught us how to use the Dumpies to find the distances between two points. That was really good because it gives you a close estermation of the distance. Our Dumpy was only 300cm off over 63m which isn't all that bad.

Tomorrow we are going to learn how to mark out the floor of a house and I can't wait.

First day back at Tafe

Today was the first day back at Tafe for the year. We did a fair bit today which had a lot to do with leveling. We spent some time researching different types of levels and I chose to do the spirit level. Then once we had researched it we wrote about it and then we went back to class and did a presentation. It went pretty well and then we all wentto lunch.

After lunch we went outside and with the Dumpys, starffs and tripods and learnt how to use them. I liked it because it was easy to learn and we did a couple of exercises which was great because I find when you use something for the first time and you now what you are doing it's a good feeling to know that you have achieved something.

After that we went back into the classroom and as a team we wrote about what we did. How to set up the Dumpys and how to level. Tonight I will type up what we did and will hand it in tomorrow morning.