2001 Monolith build

[alan molstad]

I am hammering into the clay a few T-posts to help hold the 4x4s in position.

 

[alan molstad]

The first few sacks of concrete went in dry because there was about 8"inches of water in the bottom of the trench already.

 

[alan molstad]

 

[alan molstad]

mix, mix, mix....lots to do today.
The trench is right around 5 foot deep and a foot and a half wide....

 

[alan molstad]

 

[alan molstad]

the upper 2 feet of the 4x4 legs i covered in roofing tar.
Im glad this part of the job is done.
Now if we dont get any rain or wind for the next 24 hours I should have the Monolith solidly cemented into the ground.

 

[alan molstad]

Today was a good day for a change.
Everything went perfect with the concrete.

For the first time the Monolith finally felt "Permanent" to me.
The ton of concrete seems to have changed how I feel about it.
Before I must have always had in the back of my mind that I could change my mind about it.

But today as i was cleaning up I looked at the Monolith and it seemed just now finally "Real".
Its not going anywhere .

It's too late to chicken out now!

I now have about the only Monolith people that visit me would have ever seen in someone's back yard.
That will be a nice thing to have on the tour.

Now I still have the landscaping to start on, and then the final painting.

But we are getting close to the end now of this project....
and it feels good.

I took one last photo of the sun peaking over the monolith before I called it a night.

enjoy....

 

[greenmachines]

Today was a good day for a change.
Everything went perfect with the concrete.

For the first time the Monolith finally felt "Permanent" to me.
The ton of concrete seems to have changed how I feel about it.
Before I must have always had in the back of my mind that I could change my mind about it.

But today as i was cleaning up I looked at the Monolith and it seemed just now finally "Real".
Its not going anywhere .

It's too late to chicken out now!

I now have about the only Monolith people that visit me would have ever seen in someone's back yard.
That will be a nice thing to have on the tour.

Now I still have the landscaping to start on, and then the final painting.

But we are getting close to the end now of this project....
and it feels good.

I took one last photo of the sun peaking over the monolith before I called it a night.

enjoy....
View attachment 1818533

True goosebumps, you nailed the photo.

I was thinking on the suggestions the other day about leaving some gap at the bottom so the plywood doesn't pull up water from the soil (not my suggestion but I totally agree) and that gives you the perfect excuse to surround the bottom with a nice pile of larger broken rock like seen in the movie, like 4 inch and bigger. Gives it drainage and would look sharp. What are your plans for your landscaping step? Each day this thread makes me want to do yard projects again and anyone that can inspire me to WANT to work in the yard is a true magician.

 

[alan molstad]

True goosebumps, you nailed the photo.

I was thinking on the suggestions the other day about leaving some gap at the bottom so the plywood doesn't pull up water from the soil (not my suggestion but I totally agree) and that gives you the perfect excuse to surround the bottom with a nice pile of larger broken rock like seen in the movie, like 4 inch and bigger. Gives it drainage and would look sharp. What are your plans for your landscaping step? Each day this thread makes me want to do yard projects again and anyone that can inspire me to WANT to work in the yard is a true magician.

all day as i was working at the base of the monolith dumping in the concrete I was also thinking about what I want that same area to look like when Im done?

and......I still have not come to a final decision yet.

The one thing I want to do is have a way for water to "splash" or "drip" and not have the water splatter dirt back onto the bottom of the monolith.

i kinda want the water that might hit the ground at the base of the monolith to disappear into pea gravel.

But we shall see how this goes.
I dont have a plan yet...I just dont want to end up with weeds growing at the bottom of the thing, or for there be a discoloration due to splashing.

 

[alan molstad]

I dont know what to do with the landscaping, but I had this idea of putting a darker area around the monolith as if it had been burned...

Thats the plan I have,,,
But first I have to get the ground ready under the monolith

 

[alan molstad]

to stop weeds from growing next to the monolith I will put down a layer of plastic on top of the clay I brought in to make a hill so that rain will not pool under it.

 

[alan molstad]

the idea was to have darker ground near the bottom of the monolith as if it had been scorched.

But I am not happy with the results, so i may change this later.

 

[alan molstad]

I will let the ground dry and fade a bit, but I may change this to a different idea.

 

[alan molstad]

anyway, its time to do the final sanding, priming, and then the painting with flat black house paint....

 

[alan molstad]

FINISHED !

 

[alan molstad]

 

[alan molstad]

 

[alan molstad]

 

[alan molstad]

 

[alan molstad]