So a late start.

Also I had a lot of equipment to load up - my computer because I was on call for a SQL upgrade side effects and also my petrol blower and welder.

There was the usual delay at the beginning setting up the tarpaulin and pulling back the builder plastic covering the exposed back wall edge.

I continued installing the last two floor boards.

This involved sanding off underneath about 3 mm right at the ends to fit correctly over the floor level stubs of the new column.

Plus it was a fight to install anything - I had to loosen off the screws on the adjacent floorboard. Also the veranda floor joists were interfering with the process.

So it took me about two hours to finish this step.

I had a break and just as I was getting back to work, Jim and Sandy visited.

Instead of offering them a coffee I set them to work helping me to mark up, grind and weld the top stubs on to the older steel columns.

I blew out the leaves on the street level, had Jim run round with a gauge stick I had made up to mark the position of the stubs, and had Sandy down below with the hose in case of sparks.

We had just had a continuous week of rain so this was the first time that it was safe to grind or weld.

Jim stayed to watch over me as I welded in the first stub but had to go eventually.

I did another one and a half on my own but somehow it was now 5.00 pm and time to pack away a lot of tools and button everything up.

I will see if I can get Linda to come along and watch over me as I weld in the last three stubs.

For one of the columns I will be working close to a paper wasp nest and I need to be warned if I am about to be attacked. I don't really want to destroy the wasps if I can avoid - live and let live, and all that :-)

Monday

A public holiday but I programmed for half a day to make up for skiving off last Friday.

In the afternoon Linda very kindly accompanied me to site to watch over me as I welded in the last three stubs.

First she was watching out for rampant paper wasps attacking me and then she was down at ground level with a hose looking out for flying sparks.

I now have all the stubs welded in. I will need to give them a good scrub with some turps and then apply some cold galvanising.