Mechanics Pit (my effort at)

[Demon69]

Hello fellow garage dwelling peoples, just a quick run through of what I did to make a big *** 6 x 1.1 x 1.75m hole in the floor


So it begins, found a gas pipe that turned out to be just a pipe thrown in the ********, previous builders attempt at humour no doubt.


In the second hole I found an actual gas pipe, my old gas line that was dead, but the gasman couldn't confirm it was dead so suggested I cut/drill a hole in it and if its live call em back, he left me some putty to plug it up, top man.




I bought the saw that didn't have the water connection as it was all they had in stock, yeah, soon added a hose to that!


Started breaking out the concrete which went slow af till I worked out that nicking a bit out the side helps, greatly!




Then I started diggin.


annnd diggin (took 5 1/2 of those, 45yards ish).


annnnnnnnnnd diggin.


Then it happened, ground water.

 

[Demon69]

So I phoned a friend. He suggested I do some more diggin .... So I did some more diggin, and I will admit that the fun was starting to wear a bit thin at this point



A bin that always got in the way will never get in the way again.




Then some weaved membrane and gravel for drainage.




A bit of ventilation in the form of 4" soil pipe, it will connect to a fan that vents outside and a liner for the sump outlet pipe to run in.


Time for the DPM, which was a fkn pita to wrestle in, but in it went.

 

[AJHD]

In the second hole I found an actual gas pipe, my old gas line that was dead, but the gasman couldn't confirm it was dead so suggested I cut/drill a hole in it and if its live call em back, he left me some putty to plug it up, top man.

I'm by no means an expert, but that seems stupid and dangerous, at least to me.
Do you know what type of gas it could have possibly contained if it were live?

Anyway, cool project.

 

[Demon69]

Turns out No3 steel doesn't fix itself, not sure about the other sizes.


So I pretended to know what I was doing.


Then I started throwing 6" of the best in, literally.


Was never so happy to look up and see my mate Stu who said he might be able to pop round and give me a hand, "Was wondering when you was gonna look up, I been standing here 10 minutes watching you down there!" Scumbag!!!

 

[dougf]

Crazy stuff, I love it. You'll get scalded here for lack of shoring, but it's for your safety. Looking forward to updates, be safe!

 

[Demon69]

I'm by no means an expert, but that seems stupid and dangerous, at least to me.
Do you know what type of gas it could have possibly contained if it were live?

Anyway, cool project.

Lpg at 1psi ish, seemed crazy to me too but he said he was 99.9% certain it was dead when I told him another line had been run round the front of the garage (gas contractors fk up that actually helped me out in the end). Its how he would go about it, it made sense to me so I went with it. I told mi mate about it and apparently I faired much better than he did, he was ordered by his boss to cut a 3" line with a torch back in the day, turned out the gasman confirmed dead line wasn't dead, with a 3' roaring flame to prove it

Cheers

 

[Demon69]

Crazy stuff, I love it. You'll get scalded here for lack of shoring, but it's for your safety. Looking forward to updates, be safe!

Ah the clay was wet and stable as, It didn't move a mm, I checked.

Cheers D

 

[manwithtools]

A lot of hard work, I hope it finds you happiness. Just be careful of fumes and falls. Great job OP!

 

[Demon69]

With the help of my wee steel man.


It was in in no time.



Then started prepping for the formwork.


This board carrier changes the game throwing 8x4s around!


Moulding for the lights etc.




Wee man helped here too wazzin in screws and drawing secret smiley faces




Ready for another round of backache!

 

[Demon69]

A lot of hard work, I hope it finds you happiness. Just be careful of fumes and falls. Great job OP!

Cheers mate, should be good

 

[mike93lx]

Love it!

 

[jack stand]

Looks like a professional job!!

 

[Demon69]

In goes the first lot, mixed on site with a super plasticiser (flowaid) in a belle 150, only 4 more like that to go.


Some days later.


The angle for the top arrived a bit Julian Clary, so they sent me some more foc.



Bent up some ties, mixed and placed another round of muck, found out cement burns are actually a thing all in one day.

 

[Demon69]

Love it!

Looks like a professional job!!

Cheers guys, I don't know much about anything, but I did harness the power of stubbornness and youtube

 

[AJHD]

Are you going to build a stairway, or are you planning to climb up and down a ladder? Just curious.
Pits I've seen or been inside of either have a metal staircase or the stairs are formed into the concrete.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I’m sure someone will mention it, ventilation, ventilation ventilation.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Is it long enough that you could get out if someone pulled a car all the way in?

 

[Demon69]

I thought long and hard about how best to position the angle before coming to the conclusion that should pull my finger out mi ****, stop thinking and just get it done!
Started by screwing blocks to the form, getting the angle where I wanted it, welded it out and removed the blocks.




Youd think that someone with a former life in car bodywork might remember to cover up burning all that angle and rebar together, but alas, no.


The last bit of concrete goes in, well, If I forget ive still got to cap the floor etc its the last bit, small battles an all that.

A sponge helped get a semi rough finish, nice and grippy.

 

[Demon69]

Are you going to build a stairway, or are you planning to climb up and down a ladder? Just curious.
Pits I've seen or been inside of either have a metal staircase or the stairs are formed into the concrete.

Stairs are in, pics to come

I’m sure someone will mention it, ventilation, ventilation ventilation.

That they have

Is it long enough that you could get out if someone pulled a car all the way in?

Yes, providing the car isnt longer than 6m

 

[Snakecharmer383]

That is a crazy amount of work. Congrats to you!

 

[scooby074]

Very nice work!

Im surprised that in the land of H&S the UK has become, that youd be allowed to put in a pit? Regardless, that was a lot of manual work, well done.

 

[Demon69]

And here she is, in all her concretey goodness.


Used screws to jack out the mouldings, worked well.


One little bit of honeycombing, easy enough to put right.




A lick o paint.


Some removable steps (9" tread x 9 3/4" risers). They sit on a 'french cleat' so easy to move out the way if you need the floor space. A dream to use after running up and down a ladder, super solid.


Lights and sockets.


And finally, some covers that double as 'step ups' and the in pit side of things are done.

 

[Demon69]

That is a crazy amount of work. Congrats to you!

Very nice work!

Im surprised that in the land of H&S the UK has become, that youd be allowed to put in a pit? Regardless, that was a lot of manual work, well done.

Cheers fellas, its been quite the trip but im proper happy with how it turned out, cant wait to get a car over it and turn those walls less white

 

[Mr.zippy]

If the bureaucrats give you any grief, that's a fine looking tornado shelter! Nuff said. Thanks for the updates. Need a picture with a car over it next!

 

[Byrdnyrd]

Demon,
That is the 2nd most Amazing thing I’ve ever seen!! Good on you for all that work!! I have a late Series IIA Lightweight that would piss 90wt all over those walls! It made one trip across the Big Pond, don’t think it’s up for a return trip! Any Series Land Rover will do the trick!

thanks for an awesome write up!

Cheers,
BN

PS please add your location to your Profile so people know from where this Madness emanates!

 

[PCustoms]

That is a crazy amount of work. Congrats to you!

Came out great looking, but man, I've got to think a lift would have been easier and cheaper!

 

[Jagmandave]

Wow, that turned out terrific! I also would like to see a car over it.....what do you usually work on?

 

[Demon69]

If the bureaucrats give you any grief, that's a fine looking tornado shelter! Nuff said. Thanks for the updates. Need a picture with a car over it next!

haha, not so many tornados here in the UK, but a wine cellar, bomb shelter or Air BnB for folk sub 4' 8" should do it

Demon,
That is the 2nd most Amazing thing I’ve ever seen!! Good on you for all that work!! I have a late Series IIA Lightweight that would piss 90wt all over those walls! It made one trip across the Big Pond, don’t think it’s up for a return trip! Any Series Land Rover will do the trick!

thanks for an awesome write up!

Cheers,
BN

PS please add your location to your Profile so people know from where this Madness emanates!

Cheers mate, if its not leaking oil theres no oil in it

CMe out great looking, but man, I've got to think a lift would have been easier and cheaper!

Easier and cheaper, not really viable in my situation tho. Much consideration was given.

Wow, that turned out terrific! I also would like to see a car over it.....what do you usually work on?

Cheers man. Used to be a body man in another lifetime but I work (as little as possible) at a computer these days. Haven't been active in the car game for a good while, but would like to get going on some of my own stuff.

 

[Byrdnyrd]

Demon,
waddya got? Us Yanks love to see some Brit stock! Morgan? Jag? TVR?

 

[Demon69]

Demon,
waddya got? Us Yanks love to see some Brit stock! Morgan? Jag? TVR?

77 C10 stepside swb atm, I kid you not .
Ive had minis in the past and was into bikes for a good while, will post some picks if I can find them.

 

[mreisner]

Man that tired me out just looking at those pictures! Fine job.

 

[LXCam]

Very nice job bud!

 

[Farmall450]

Wow, that's some nice work! Are you a concrete guy by trade?

 

[DennisK59]

Glad you don't have any those those "Traveling Very Rapidly" vehicles. (TVR's)

 

[Byrdnyrd]

Of all the cool British rides, you got a C10? We use those as ballast for Ships!!

 

[PlanB]

Awesome work!

 

[Byrdnyrd]

In perfect condition they can fetch almost 1000 Pounds Sterling here!

 

[qdvuu]

Great job, and I particularly like the lighting!

 

[rancherbill]

Great Job !!!!

As many have mentioned you need ventilation. Tie the ventilation to the overhead life so that whenever you are in the garage it is clearing stuff out. There was a guy several miles from here that died from CO

 

[Theronswanson]

Noice!