Small Washhouse and Bunker
The above Photo shows our Swangkee WASHHOUSE under the Snow. Notice that the Rebar is sticking up from the Side Walls of the Entrance to this Underground Swangkee Bunker with the HARDENED Concrete Roof, which is 18 inches thick. You can see a Closer View of the Swangkee Flag by looking for my List of Swangkee Literature, which contains a Book, called: The New RIGHTEOUS One-World Government. Notice the THICKNESS of the Side Wall to the left of the Building.
This Photo shows Vern down in the Hole for the Washhouse. I mixed up the Concrete by myself, and shoveled it into Rubber Buckets, and Packed it down into the Hole far enough for Vern to reach it and dump it Out of the Buckets. We made this Foundation for the Wall, by making one small Piece at a Time on Top of Conglomerate Rock. No Rebar was used, and nothing Settled nor Cracked.
This Photo shows a Section of one Wall with a Short Form.
Notice the Pile of Rocks on the Table, waiting to be used in the Form.
This Photo shows a Closer View of the Short Form with Swangkee Clamps.
It Required all Day for us to get set up and pour just one Form.
These Clamps
are Adjustable, which means that they can be used for
various Thicknesses of Concrete Walls.
This Photo shows 2 Forms that are ready for taking down: because the Concrete
is poured and set up hard.
Notice that we could have Used 2 more Red Clamps: because the 3/4-inch-thick Exterior Plywood is slightly Bowed Outward at the Top. Also, notice that these Walls STEP IN slightly: because they are
poured only 2 feet high at a Time in 4 Connected Steps. Therefore, the Forms sit on Top of the
Concrete Wall below them. We used these Simple Forms in order to Conserve on Plywood
and Forming Materials. Notice the Heavy 1/4-inch-thick by 2-inch Square Tubing that is used with the
Clamps in order to Hold the Plywood Forms in Place. Indeed, beCause of that Heavy-duty Clamp and the Tubing at the Bottom of it, there is no Need for more than one Clamp at the Bottom of the Form that is Nearest in the Photo: because of the Smallness of the Concrete Block that was Formed. In other Words, this Poor Man's Method of Construction makes it Possible for 2 or 3 People to Pour Concrete Walls with a Minimum of an Investment in Tools, and just do a Little Work at any one Time, even though such Tools Cost about $1,000, in the Year 2006, which can be Used a Million Times, if anyone is Interested, as Opposed to Buying Aluminum Forms for an Entire House, which might Cost anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000, Depending on the Size and Shape of the House; and then you would have the Problem of Attempting to Resell such Forms, which would never Repay you for your Investment, unless you Use the Forms over and OVER, and then Sell them for a Reasonable Price as Used Forms. However, such Clamps and Square Tubes are Heavier than most People would Care to Use: because they Require more Work to get them Set up for Pouring Concrete, than the Work of Actually Mixing and Pouring it, unless the Walls are 2 feet or more THICK! In Fact, it might Require all Day, just to get a Form or 2 Prepared for Pouring with this Method. In other Words, if you have nothing Better to Do, and have a Minimum Amount of Money, this is the Correct Game to Play in Order to Obtain a GOOD Solid House, provided that you Follow the RULES. And, Rule Number 1 is to Use those 9-feet-long 2-inch Square Steel Tubes in Order to make Concrete Blocks that are 2 feet High, 2 feet Thick, and 8 feet Long, with a Minimum of Space between that Block and the next Block of similar Size, which do not Require the Use of those Heavy Red Clamps: because the Long Tubing can be simply Bolted Together with other Tubing on the other Side of each Form by Using ALL-THREAD Bolts that are 30 inches Long. (NOTE: You just have to be Careful that you do not Skin your Shins on the All-thread Bolts that are Sticking Out from the Forms.) Indeed, such Neat Blocks of Concrete can Lap the Cracks of the Blocks that are Below them, and thus make very Strong Walls, which can then be Tiled with Marble after all of the Walls are Standing Tall. Just be Sure to Keep the Walls and Steps CLEAN, so that the Tiles will Set on them without having to Clean Off Hardened Concrete. Moreover, you can Protect those Walls from getting Splattered with Concrete by Temporarily Covering them with Plastic Sheeting while you are Pouring the Concrete, or at least Cover the little "Shelves" or "Ledges" with Sand, which will easily Wash Away. However, no matter what the Case may be, be SURE to Wash everything Thoroughly after each Time you Finish Pouring Concrete, in Order to Minimize the Clean-up Job later on, which could Require DAYS of Hard Work for the Lazy Person who does not Carefully Inspect his Work, making Sure that every Step on the Wall is CLEAN.
This Photo shows most of the PVC Electrical Conduit that was used for Switches and Outlets. Most of those Outlets and Switches are located in just ONE Concrete Block, which was very Complicated, which took me 3 Days just to Figure it out. None of these Pipes are Visible at this Time, now that it is all Finished. Notice that the Pear Tree in the upper right Corner of the Photo is Blooming, which means that it is Early Springtime.
This Photo shows a Closer Top View of the Complicated Electrical Box. Notice that I had to Cheat a little on several of the Joints: because there was not Enough Space for Proper Conduit Joints, which would not be the Case if the Walls were 2 to 3 Feet Thick, instead of 10 Inches. Indeed, I used Waterline Joints in 3 Places. There are 9 one-inch-thick Pipes going into this one Box, which was later filled with Concrete and Vibrated. (See Swangkee TOOLS for a Photo of a Vibrator.) All Wires are ABOVE Ground Level, so that even if the Rain Floods the House, the Water will not reach the Electrical Outlets. This Box Controls other Outlets, and also contains a “Secret” Telephone.
This Photo shows a Poor Man’s Method for Holding Forms Together. Notice how many Braces and Clamps there are for this small Form on the Right, in the Center of the Photo, of which 2 Braces are not even Visible in the Photo. Notice that the Plywood is Covered on the Inside of the Forms with Plastic Sheeting. Also, please Notice the Small Space that is between the 2 larger Blocks on the Wall in the Background at the Top Left Side of the Photo. Such a Small Space can easily be Formed and Filled with Concrete, as Opposed to a Larger Space, IF the Large Blocks of Concrete are PARALEL, PLUMB, and SQUARE. Therefore, before you Pour any Concrete into such Forms, you must make Sure that everything is Lined up Correctly, just the Way that you Want it: beCause it nearly Impossible to Change anything, once the Concrete has Set Up. Remember that most of the PRESSURE in any Fresh Concrete Wall is at the BOTTOM of it. Therefore, the Clamps that Hold the Forms must be Extra Strong at the Bottom, which is WHY that you may Want to Use 3 Sets of Horizontal Tubing on each 2-feet-tall Concrete Form, with 2 of those Pieces of Tubing near the Bottom, about 6 inches apart on each Side of the Form, and the other one at the Top, if you Want a more Perfect Concrete Wall.
This Photo shows how we put the Concrete Roof on this Washhouse. Indeed, we simply filled the entire Building with Masonry SAND, and then we poured the Concrete Roof on Top of Brazilian Geodes, which made a Unique Ceiling. (You can check out Geodes in Rock Shops, in order to Understand what I am referring to.) We Shoveled all of the Dumptruckloads of Sand into the Building by Hand, and also Shoveled it out by Hand, which Required about a Week for 6 of us –– that is, to Shovel it Out: because we did not have Gravity to Help us. However, by using that Method, it makes it Possible for the Concrete Ceiling to fit Perfectly with the Concrete Walls, even if they are not Perfect; and our Walls were Certainly NOT Perfect by anyone's Standards; but, neither is an Oak Tree Perfectly Straight, Perfectly Round, or whatever, and yet God was Pleased to make it that Way. Therefore, why should we be Mentally Twisted Out of Shape, just beCause some Wall is not "Perfect"? No Cracks have Appeared anywhere within this Washhouse, yet (even 7 Years Later).
Please Click Here to go to Washhouse Part 2
Please Click here for Photos and Explanations of our 98% ROCK HOUSES!
Please Click here for Photos and Explanations of our Large CISTERN for Water Storage!
Please Click here for Photos and Explanations of our TOOL HOUSE!
Please Click here for Photos of our Wash House!
Please Click here for Photos of our Woodshed!
Please Click here for Photos of our Special Swangkee Garden!
Please Click here for Photos of our Spring Water House!