irishfield Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 (edited) Not exactly what I had planned for this weekend of beautiful weather, but what can you do other than enjoy the moments that come with it...and be thankful for what you have around you, exhausted or not! Yesterday we pulled a 1000 foot length of 25KVA primary from the closest concession rd with a power line to the cement transformer vault on my son's new house build and backfilled the trench a foot or more with sand. Previously we had buried two sections of BIG O about 100 feet long each at the road end (as town wouldn't allow an open trench to be left on the road allowance) and two lengths about 250 feet long from the laneway crossing over to the house, with one going in/out of the transformer vault (as the contractors/cement trucks and such needed to get in the yard and safety regs needed the footings backfilled before framing started). Primary in and sand on top This morning started out with us spooling off 2 x 350 foot lengths of Direct Bural 14-2 low voltage wire I have on a 7000' spool in the hangar. Then we thought we'd get creative to respool it onto a smaller spool. Redneck's are us... <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z3xTy2e3QpA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Today we put down over 7000 feet of "misc" wire. 3 x 1000 foot runs of phone line, 2 x 1000 foot runs of RG-11 cable all the way to the concession road. 3 x 4pair-24awg, 2 x 14-2, 2 x RG6 cable about 350 feet long to the laneway with 100 feet extra for security cameras and power for same or laneway lights. All of these needing to be pulled thru that 250 feet of Big O from laneway to house. So in all 12 cables/wires thru the duct. That one took Son and youngest daughter pulling while I feed all of the wires smoothly thru from the trench end. Leah showed up with lunch for everyone (after getting the turkey in the oven), just in time to be put to work pulling 180 feet of secondary 3 x 4/0 from the vault to the house. That took Leah, daughter and I all pulling with everything we had to the point of exhaustion, while son fed the spool in at the vault. With that all done, then they stuck me on the bulldozer with what was left of daylight, backfilling the trench. Figure that I have about 6 hours more to get it done tomorrow. Like I said, nowhere near what I had planned for myself this weekend... but selfishness aside, it was a great family day today with a lot of laughs. Jennifer happily back in her Toronto apartment, thankful to be back there and trying to get back to as normal a life as she can. Me happy I have our son one step closer to getting his house done (and out of mine ). Youngest daughter enjoying her day in between working on a major architecture project that's due on Tuesday am. And thankful for Leah that ties us all together and makes life just that much more enjoyable. Now be careful whom you give the white hat to and don't leave the keys in the tractor. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h7gKqK7aNR8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Hopefully he'll be in by winter and learn what a heating bill is first hand!! Edited October 10, 2011 by Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 Tight family working together. I pitched in and fixed some filtered try again please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted October 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 (edited) I should add.. and Kristal also happy to see that the house, that #1 son suckered her into designing and drawing for him, is actually being framed successfully. Edited October 10, 2011 by irishfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joey Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 Great family working together there Wayne. It will all be worth it when it is finished Happy Thanksgiving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 no wonder you have no time for fishing.... Happy Thanksgiving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenboater Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 Sounds like a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving weekend, the whole family pitching in and working together. but wow, I can't imagine pulling all that copper Wayne ! great macguvyering on the respool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercman Posted October 10, 2011 Report Share Posted October 10, 2011 So i guess what you're saying, is, you got WIRED up pretty good on the weekend Happy Thanksgiving to you all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted October 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) Well today wasn't quite as fun, although we did add a generation to the Thanksgiving "festivities" with Leah's father lending a hand. My plan was to be up early and get the trench filled with enough time to get in a quick flight and then get the boat/gear ready for Leah and I to head North in the am to close up camp. Well that all went out the window about 11:15 as I slide into the soup in the low area of the trench that was water filled. Amazed my little 350 kept running on this angle.. but I couldn't get anywhere with the left track bound into the side of the trench. Luckily the $8000 length of 25KVA primary cable was on the right side of the trench so the track never got to it. I did bugger the 3 runs of phone and 2 runs of cable coax though, as the track gaps caught it. The following operation only took us about 3 hours Just wish we had of thought to grab the contractors yard lift first before trying anything else or there wouldn't be the need for 40 cable splices to be made as we had to dig up behind the machine and find good line.. cut.. cut ahead and add pieces in. 36 phone wires and 4 cable coax splices (all pulled above ground in Big O so the splices aren't buries). BTW a Kubota key fits a John Deer yard lift for anyone finding them self in a similar situation.. Not the nicest thing to do to my skidder winch...but what can ya do! That little dozer weights 6800 lbs! Shortly after this shot... one of those sling cables broke, but the other held enough to toss some logs under the track. And then we lifted again, and more logs. And then we pulled and nobody told #1 son my dozer stalled and he kept going and broke that 5/8 cable ! Notice I'm ready for something of that sort and my head is DOWN! Uni - Uni or Square ?? 3 generations knot tying ! Only one smart guy with gloves... At 70 Leah's father doesn't really seem to care.. This time we're out. Then got the pleasure of a 1/2 hour of digging the mud out of the track mechanism with a crow bar and 4 hours of riding the thing to finish. Guess we'll be a day later getting North, but the son has no more excuses left that Hydro can't hook him up yet! Edited October 11, 2011 by irishfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leecher Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Job well done Wayne and family Hope you're having a cold one for all your hard work you put into this project to celebrate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 well trouble and I was not there causing it who'da thunk it looks like you have it under control Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted October 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 I was pretty certain we were gonna need a big excavator to extract her... ...and you're right Terry, you weren't there. Did you happen to drive by or something ! All that work to have continuous wire runs, but what can ya do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbouck Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Still looks like fun to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handlebarz Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Dang now that is some way to spend thanksgiving kudos to your family Wayne for working together so close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Just think of the glorious memories, Wayne. Remember, some folks buy a ready built house, and the only memories they have is of moving day and the 3 dozen people who showed up to help them dust off the counters and cupboards. You guys did good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spincast Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) Thats quite the way to spend the holdiay . But in a year or so I bet you'll celebrate Thanksgiving in your son's house and all have a good laugh about the day Wayne got the dozer stuck in the trench! You raised a great family there Wayne & Leah - congrats. Edited October 11, 2011 by spincast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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