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.