Laser extract elbow instillation and ventilation

Continuing the discussion from Membership etiquette:

In the famous words of Magnus Magnusson, “I’ve started, so I’ll finish”, or more accurately, “I helped put in some ventilation a while ago, other people did massive amounts of work in the interim, I would now like to help get that finished”. Rolls of the tongue less well…

The venerable @joeatkin2 (never ask what happened to Joe “the imposter” Atkin 1…) informs me he has a ready to go anti-truck device, so we can install the elbow for the laser extract and then turn on the ventilation.

Who’s around in the next few weeks to help get that all in place?

Do we need to purchase and get delivered any parts / tools / working platforms?

I can provide enthusiasm, a pair of hands, and a van if given enough notice.

@directors … this :arrow_up:

I think we just install the elbow. The contraption (anti truck device) is an accident waiting to happen and shouldn’t be used. A bollard would be more suitable.

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I have said this exact thing over and over and over to Joe and the directors. There is no possible way to make it safer to hang 50KG+ of metal work over someones head than it is to put a bollard in to stop people driving into the front of our building.

I find it astonishing that this is still seriously being contemplated, it could literally kill one or more people if it fell on them. It is absolutely ridiculous.

What he said

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A bollard would be a good way to upset the neighbours ,

I have suggested putting one of @Dermot illuminated signs up so that gets hit first

Awaiting a decision!!!

its not like our neighbours (mechanics) care too much about us with all their cars…

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So options are

  • wall mounted thing
  • bollards

Feelings about the wall mounted thing suggest thats a no go - I’ll leave the debate about it to others, ideally in another thread :slight_smile:

The bollards seem like a goer if they have the following properties:

  • Extend out far enough to prevent truck from hitting the venting
  • Don’t block our front door (so not directly underneath the venting)
  • Leave enough space for two car widths so garage doesn’t get annoyed
  • Visible from a car, both over bonnet and in wing mirrors
  • Immovable / moveable only with a sledge hammer

Me and @Jonty_Bottomley chatted about casting some concrete, @petra added the great idea of putting in planters, if we combine the two - a planter on top of concrete - I think we satisfy all the above criteria.

Here you can see we have prototyped two bollards using breeze blocks that flank the door way. They stick out far enough to prevent the venting being hit be not so far as to prevent cars being shuttled back and forth. They will be amended to become more visible tonight / tomorrow so there’s no mishaps. The experiment is mostly to see if the garage complains, but as long as there’s 2 car widths space in front, I fail to see how they can expect us to move them. Also it’s a way of subtly getting people used to the idea of something being approximately there, and we can slowly make the structure permanent without a jarring surprise to people:

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Before any more concrete goes down outside we should try and put in those gutter drains so that we are protected from flooding.

Just a thought.

I am positive this will piss the neighbours off. Like it or not, people legitimately need to pass relatively close to the front of our site.

I am happy with the flappy pub board approach as indicated elsewhere, just waiting on one of the other directors to give it the nod.

A flappy pub board would be fine but this is a flappy steep girder

Yes. I object to the girder / wind chimes on safety grounds. One of Dermot’s signs will work fine I recon.

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well the project with planters near bicycle racks should cover to some extent also that as we could trim the space close to the bench by bordering it with planters, there would be wider way for cars and by putting anything concrete/soily by the door wall we could be back in the current width for car passing by…?

Might be worth a mention that some of the habits of the mechanics, for example the 0-too high mph along that stretch probably poses as much risk to a passer by / headphones on member rushing for a bus as the windchimes, not that I neccessarily advocate those.

I don’t think a pub sign will cut it, given they’ll happily knock off the elbow.

I’d say weighted planter / bollard and rearrange the garden to make sure of 2 cars width is the best option. Can’t make an omlette etc…

The idea of the pub sign is so vans get a warning they have hit it nothing more and hopefully they stop before they get to the elbow

Plus this has a few bonuses ,
1 we can have a nice iluminated sign for the space

  1. It can give a real time trial of the signs @dermot is making before they go out into the shops at the front. (Better to find an issue with one than thirty that have been paid for and are expected to work.

  2. If any of the traders are in doubt if they should get one, they can come and see it in action rather than buying an idea!

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Also be aware that bollards need to be very visible, either lit internally, minimum requirement reflectors otherwise if a car hits one that is not obvious we could be liable

Not enough, canopy and the garage have regular lorry deliveries canopy in particular have a mobile cannery that visits regularly, if you can get two lorry widths that might be acceptable

Are there any legal documents stating the acceptable use/occupation of land in front of the space?

The problems I’ve seen and heard are when the mechanics have parked sideways in front of our bike park/garden and then someone wants to drive through with a van/lorry.

If they didn’t park in front of our arch, I doubt there’d be a problem.

Solid planters on either side with enough space for a lorry or 2 cars should be enough.

IE. Roughly the same gap left by one large car parked in the normal orientation against the opposite wall. Because that’s what they have to pass further along anyway. Some of those vehicles rarely move. I mean how would you even find the keepers if you needed wider access?

No, it’s not part of our lease, nor is it anyone else’s on the estate. The landlord is broadly accepting of the garden, and the parking situation but it’s an informal arrangement. Technically we have no right to occupation of anywhere west of the front door for anything other than loading.

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So are @directors happy if we put up a pub sign? any one designed one / offering to make one? Sounds like a fun project and would look nice especially if illuminated etc. Sorry I missed it off the list of options in my other post hadn’t been paying attention.

I still think the bollards are also workable and could be in addition to the pub sign. I will speak to the garage and canopy about their requirements rather than trying to second guess, unless someone has already asked them what they are? But sounds like the garage can’t ask for more than a car and a vans width which should also be big enough for the big canning truck that comes once every few months? And agreed they need to be visible including at night, so reflective at minimum.

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