# still diggin'...



## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Spent the weekend down in the "mine" jackhammering... 









What's still left to hammer out is the hardest part... but the end is in sight. 
It'll sure be nice to finally start building a layout.

Greg


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## Smokestack Lightning (Oct 31, 2010)

That looks like a nightmare


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

If it's any consolation, that's how John Allen built his layout...:thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Greg ... two words:

"Directional Explosives"

Got it? 

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Oh ... and by the way ... are you SURE you haven't dug up anything interesting? You might want to look a little closer, I think ...


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> Oh ... and by the way ... are you SURE you haven't dug up anything interesting? You might want to look a little closer, I think ...


 
That's me by the time I get done with this job... :retard:


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> Greg ... two words:
> 
> "Directional Explosives"
> 
> ...


...except there's two and a half stories of house directly above the detonation site.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

shaygetz said:


> If it's any consolation, that's how John Allen built his layout...:thumbsup:


Yeah, I read about that not long ago. 
It's an interesting coincidence.

Greg


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Smokestack Lightning said:


> That looks like a nightmare


Yeah, I'll be glad when I can wake up... 

24 cubic yards have been jackhammered out so far... 

...only* 3* cubic yards to go! 

Greg


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## nsr_civic (Jun 21, 2010)

i still think you should build the mountain side layout directly into what you have left there... perfect mining layout!!!!


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## Smokestack Lightning (Oct 31, 2010)

choo choo said:


> Yeah, I'll be glad when I can wake up...
> 
> 24 cubic yards have been jackhammered out so far...
> 
> ...


How are you hauling the debris outside? That's the worst part.


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## Smokestack Lightning (Oct 31, 2010)

nsr_civic said:


> i still think you should build the mountain side layout directly into what you have left there... perfect mining layout!!!!


+1:laugh:


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

Wow Choo Choo it looks kinda like Devils Tower Wyoming, call Richard Dreyfuss and I'm sure he'll give you some tips....Hope you've seen "Close Encounters":laugh::laugh: Keep Diggin!:thumbsup:


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

MacDaddy55 said:


> Wow Choo Choo it looks kinda like Devils Tower Wyoming, call Richard Dreyfuss and I'm sure he'll give you some tips....Hope you've seen "Close Encounters":laugh::laugh: Keep Diggin!:thumbsup:


 
-------dooo
dooo
-------------dooo


---------------------------dooo



------------------dooo



(...where's the mashed potatos? )


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

nsr_civic said:


> i still think you should build the mountain side layout directly into what you have left there... perfect mining layout!!!!


It would look neat... but it's *way* too dirty to run trains. 
Plus you'd have the threat of *REAL* landslides and cave ins. 

I did build a small diorama just to get a feel for the look I want to create using the natural stone...










Greg


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## nsr_civic (Jun 21, 2010)

haha sweet!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

choo choo said:


> -------dooo
> dooo
> -------------dooo
> 
> ...


I was thinking the same thing!!!

Too funny!

TJ


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

wow choo choo i thought you were kiding when you said you were jackhammering away in another thread. you could always just use some detcord or c4 or my personal favorite water and potassium no not the pill the element. now that is quite a bang when you mix the two. looks like it's coming along rather well, so can you stand up down there or will you have to kneel:laugh: and is this were the intended new layout will be? Best of luck with your mining.:thumbsup:


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Smokestack Lightning said:


> How are you hauling the debris outside? That's the worst part.


This is my system:

1. Jackhammer out an area.

2. Shovel everything out the doorway into a wheelbarrow.

3. Dump the wheelbarrow. 

4. Rake out the rocks.

5. Put them in a pile. 

6. Scatter the dirt.

7. Repeat. 

It's overwhelming if you think of the whole job. But I'm like a little ant, and just keep going. Sooner or later it'll be all dug out. The finished room size will be 12'x24'.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

gc53dfgc said:


> wow choo choo i thought you were kiding when you said you were jackhammering away in another thread. you could always just use some detcord or c4 or my personal favorite water and potassium no not the pill the element. now that is quite a bang when you mix the two. looks like it's coming along rather well, so can you stand up down there or will you have to kneel:laugh:


When I first started digging by hand I could only crawl around on my knees. But once I got down far enough that I could actually stand up in one spot, the digging was easier because I could use the jackhammer and swing a shovel. It's an interesting experience to be doing essentially what an old time miner would be doing. My layout will *definitely* have a *mine* in it. 

The ceiling height is only about 6', but my wife and I are both shorter than that so we can easily stand up in there.



> and is this were the intended new layout will be? Best of luck with your mining.:thumbsup:


Thanks.  Yes, I'll have enough room for a small layout and a workshop.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Greg,

What's gonna go on the "finished" floor ... are you planning on pouring a slab, or just bare rock/soil? Any drainage issues to worry about? Just curious.

TJ


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Greg, you definitely get the award for "Worked the Hardest to Build a Layout." You must be built like a bear, by now!


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

tjcruiser said:


> Greg,
> 
> What's gonna go on the "finished" floor ... are you planning on pouring a slab, or just bare rock/soil? Any drainage issues to worry about? Just curious.
> 
> TJ


It's gonna be a "Flintstones" bedrock floor because I want to *finally* start building a layout. 

Happily there's no drainage issues... 
After the backhoe dug the footings, I spent 4 days hand digging them all down to China. It took 27 cubic yards of concrete to fill them up (which coincidently is the same amount of rocks and dirt being removed from the basement), so the whole house sets way up high on one continuously poured monolith. Then I graded all the ground around the foundation with a negative slope, and french drained the high side. There's a real advantage in building a house completely from scratch in that you are free to negate inherent problems by simple passive inert design.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Reckers said:


> Greg, you definitely get the award for "Worked the Hardest to Build a Layout." You must be built like a bear, by now!


Not really... I'm just a little old guy in my sixties and physical labor keeps me healthy.  This is what's top of the basement...







The concrete on the the left side is where the house sets up the highest (5' at the corner, and there's a door on the side to get into the basement.

1:1 scale building is one of my "other" hobbies. 

Greg


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## Smokestack Lightning (Oct 31, 2010)

choo choo said:


> Not really... I'm just a little old guy in my sixties and physical labor keeps me healthy.  This is what's top of the basement...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Greg. Love your house. My dad lives in Vegas and also has a southwest style house which I love. Digging out the basement will be so worth it. How big is it down there?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

When Greg first started digging.:laugh:
Going down for another bucket full.


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## Smokestack Lightning (Oct 31, 2010)

You never know what he might find down there.


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

revisited your thread. wow.

the funny thing we were digging water drainage in my dads crawl space some time ago (and the pics look very similar) , and while we sin on the deep part realxing a bit untill the next push he suddenly proclaims "a very nice layout can be built here on this mond of earth"


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