Day - 32 Mon/Tue 23 - Westminster - "Tracing CAPS w/Sharpie"!

If your wondering why I have day 32 with 2 days... I got rained out halfway thru Monday. I started my day out Monday bring in 2 pallets of the large "Steppers" for my cap stones. Along with a half pallet of thin blue stone. Great for shimming up the back of the caps.  Next I unloaded them all from the dump trailer with the Ditch Witch. Next it was off to setting caps. Then rain : (  So Tuesday jumped right back into it with only half to go. This week with be another short week since I have a Flat Work Workshop this Saturday at Rockin Walls Training Center. 

In this image you can see in the forefront the 3 large steppers right below the Ditch Witch. So nice to have the left wall done. Caps next on the right. I started building the caps at the steps using this as my target height. Then started building/setting caps towards the house. 

Tuesday being a full tool day I gathered just about everything I needed to get started. The vacuum is for collecting the dust. The generator helps run the 7" grinder (on top), the Zip Level keeps me in check, the green bucket has all my walling tools, white bucket is all the electrical piping tools, the milk crate is the water system for the gas saw on the other side, 1 1/2 pvc pipe for electrical low voltage a metal square, 14" gas saw and of course the handy PAW Battery Assisted Wheelbarrow. Great for helping bring everything back up the hill to the job trailer at the end of the day. 

Monday this was where I had left off. 

I started the day finding my first cap stone. The splitter looked like the best cutting option for this stone. Much quicker with less mess and noise then the 14' cut off saw with water. So far I've had about 75% success with snapping the caps. When they have a bedding plane down the middle I choose to cut them with the gas saw. This avoids breaking into several unexpected pieces.  You never can predict the true outcome of shaping a stone. This stone looked very solid so I felt I was safe. It snapped in the splitter just as I had hoped. SUCCESS to start the day. 

Once I placed it I realized I needed to get good side to side contact. I ran the gas saw between the last to caps on the joint in order to get a tighter fit. 

Now time for my TRACING CAPS WITH A SHARPIE... I like to use plastic drop cloth to make templates. I started with was a large sheet which I cut down. Then I place it on the stone and trace the with a sharpie. Next I cut the plastic to product my template. My plan was to make this stone the corner cap at the end by house. Having the template will allow me to place it on the wall and see just how it will fit. With out every moving the stone to the wall before hand. 

I set the template on the wall at corner. I then marked on the plastic where I would need to cut the stone in order to make it fit in the corner of the house. Seen above

All cut - placed on the wall with plastic pvc rollers to slide it around for inspection for proper fit. 

I then placed a few of my wooden wedges under to help level up the cap stone. Then checked everything with a 6ft level to the existing set cap to left. Once again building lever from the steps to the house.  I choose to set this corner wall cap next because I find it easier to fill the gap between the caps. Then save it for last. If I didn't have a house in the way I would have built in one direction. Setting the last cap as as seen in the corner. 

Next it was time for 2 low voltage pipes one which runs under cap by the wall next to the brick. The other will be set in the corner incase I choose to do a uplight in the corner. Lighting up the brick wall. 

Next I cut another piece of plastic for a template of this stone. The main reason was to see if this would overhang on each existing cap. The reason for this is so I can saw cut it on the wall.  With the plan to drop it straight down once cut. Little easier said than done ofcourse. 

I then set boards on the inside of the existing caps. This helped me to keep the middle to be cap above the existing caps set. 

I was thinking the mini would be the best way to place it on top of the boards. It worked just fine. 

After clearing a bath I found it was easier to come in with the Ditch Witch. Lift it up and out to make any changes as needed.

The only thing remaining is building up underneath front and back of last set cap. Along with dropping one more pvc pipe in the middle of the joint. The wall will have the ability for three under cap lighting if necessary. This will be Wednesday's first task. All the little stuff takes time. Just like all the low voltage pipes for sleeve when it comes to running the wire it will be a breeze to fish everything right into place. Hard to add it later once your done the project. Even if you never plan to put lighting in. Someone might later so why not just add them?!

Next up the right side. This will make a total of over 20 ft of wall. I'll have to check total coverage of caps. What I did fail to mention is this wall is a seating wall around the lower 500 sq ft bluestone patio. The overall height is 28"h off the patio. Little by little Rockin' It Out - One stone at a time.