Concrete, laser level and post caps

Now that the posts were braced upright and level it was time to fill the holes in with concrete. The mixer came and we thought we could get him squeezed in to use the chute but we could only do a few that way.

It was just too tight with all the bracing and hitting a post or bracing would have really slowed the process. Even with all the chute extenders on we couldn't make it happen.

Wheelbarrows were used and it was two hours of fast and furious hard labor but we got them all filled and the next day we took down the bracing.

Since the posts were not all level due to various hole and footer depths we had to cut them all to the correct size. We rented a laser level to help. This nifty tool sits on a tripod and spins out a level laser beam 360 degrees.

You hold the receiver at the post and when it sees the laser it lets you know. Then you can mark all your posts at the same level.

Since the ground is not level, this gives you a level starting point from which to measure your height. I went up and down a ladder measuring while Mike stood on the scaffold and used a circular saw to cut off the tops of the post.

Then he nailed the post caps on.

Every day it looks more and more like a building!

Next up...girts!

Going Postal

Being the DIYer's that we are, and having an aversion to spending money on labor we can do ourselves, it was decided we would rent a Bobcat and drill the holes for the posts as opposed to hiring someone. My husband was the designated driver and having never been in one before he practiced driving this incredibly useful machine for an half hour before tackling the auger.

I do not have a picture of the holes being drilled because I was too busy helping hoe the dirt away from the hole and making sure he was drilling straight over the mark! He did a great job and after two days of drilling and moving the dirt out we had 34 holes with concrete footers.

My husband dropped the posts in the holes as carefully as he could- a 14 foot 

6x 6 weighs an awful lot!  

A day and a half to level them and brace them; he did the leveling while I nailed the braces in place. It's starting to look like a structure 

(or a lot of tipi's without covers) !

A beautiful lenticular wave cloud setting over Posthenge...