Shoota's R33 GT-R RB30/26

[Shoota_77]

Right, second last pool build post I promise!  The last post will be the final result and then you'll never hear of it EVER again.  Except everytime anyone asks why I haven't bought a sequential for the GT-R yet...

So I FINALLY got to a point where I was able to hand over to someone else being the concreter.  I did all of the inner boxing for the pour which is actually Styrofoam believe it or not.  In my mind it doesn't seem strong enough to hold back a few hundred kgs of concrete pressing against it but I'm sure they know what they're doing!  The reason for the inner boxing is it's a cantilever/seamless pool edging, so no tiles, just one pour of concrete for bond beam and the pool surrounds.  To me it's the best looking option.

Will hopefully look something like this-

I'm going with a white concrete so hopefully it looks VERY much like that!

 

It was a massive job to fit all the inner boxing system as there are 3 components to it, particularly around the steps and corners.

 

I've gone with a bit of a funky drainage system which is basically just a pipe buried under the concrete that I'll cut an expansion joint over the top of the pipes I've laid and then plunge into them every couple of metres to allow the water to drain through the expansion joints and into the pipes that all drain back into my storm water system I've plumbed it back to-

 

She's all boxed up and ready for concrete pour on Tuesday which is pretty exciting!

Once the concrete is hardened enough I've then got to grind it to expose the aggregate.  That will be MASSIVE job that I'm a moron for taking on...  It was going to be another $10K on top of the concrete to do it so I thought "I can do that!".  Should hopefully be able to smash it out myself for less than $5K and that includes buying the concrete grinder and the various diamond grinding shoes.  Will cost me $15000 if I still have to pay someone $10K to fix it after I realise I can't!!!

 

In other somewhat car related news I ended up buying the Unimig welder I was eyeballing.  Same as this-

I sold both my other welders (TIG and MIG) and bought the new Unimig 4 in 1 welder that is MIG and TIG in one (DC and AC TIG).  I've done a bit of MIG with it and wow, it puts down a bloody nice bead!  It's all automated too so you just punch in the metal type, thickness, joint type, etc and start welding.  Soooo easy!  Haven't had a chance to TIG with it yet but once I've built a welding cart for it (big banger that carries both gas bottles so I don't have to swap them around when I swap between MIG and TIG welding) then I'll have a chance to do some TIG'ing and see how that goes.  I've got plenty of titanium test pieces and 4" pipe so I'll do a heap of practicing before I even think about starting on my exhaust.

Now that the pool is nearing completion I'm hoping to get back into the Skyline soon.  Until my ADHD makes me bite into another project that sidetracks me for another 12 months.....

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Pool parties at yours soon!

"Friends" you haven't seen in years/decades will start to appear again lol

 

[Robzilla32]

4 hours ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

Pool parties at yours soon!

"Friends" you haven't seen in years/decades will start to appear again lol

 

[admS15]

Did someone say pool party.

I have one of these

 

Awaiting invite 😂

 

[Shoota_77]

2 hours ago, admS15 said:

Did someone say pool party.

I have one of these

 

Awaiting invite 😂

 

I’m not sure if I’m being harsh but I just don’t feel the Skyline family are rocking the bods that are welcome in my pool! 😂

Maybe we could organise a Skyline cruise and swim meet!  Would certainly be different to your standard cruise that’s for sure!

[admS15]

Sounds like a plan, not sure if I'll still be able to walk or drive by the time you get your skyline finished but I'll try 🤣

[Robzilla32]

3 hours ago, admS15 said:

Did someone say pool party.

I have one of these

 

Awaiting invite 😂

 

You have "one of these"

Mankini or bishes?

Your response will determine our future pool party experience so please respond wisely

[Shoota_77]

7 hours ago, admS15 said:

Sounds like a plan, not sure if I'll still be able to walk or drive by the time you get your skyline finished but I'll try 🤣

Ha ha, I'd love to get angry but you're 100% right! 😂

[Shoota_77]

7 hours ago, Robzilla32 said:

You have "one of these"

Mankini or bishes?

Your response will determine our future pool party experience so please respond wisely

I have to agree. If its the bishes then I'll personally arrange transportation to get you/them to the pool cruise!

[admS15]

On 23/09/2023 at 11:06 PM, Robzilla32 said:

You have "one of these"

Mankini or bishes?

Your response will determine our future pool party experience so please respond wisely

 

 

[Shoota_77]

6 hours ago, admS15 said:

 

 

Invite list to pool cruise-

1.  @admS15

2. Aforementioned’s bishes 

 

[PranK]

Pool looks great! Nice work!

Ours was finished earlier this year and now I find myself more interested in pools than ever before.

[Shoota_77]

4 hours ago, PranK said:

Pool looks great! Nice work!

Ours was finished earlier this year and now I find myself more interested in pools than ever before.

I can't wait to get home from work on hot summer days and just jump straight in the pool!  Quick dip, beer from the bar fridge and life is good!  I can sit there looking at the shed realising there is a car in there that should have had a sequential in it!

[Shoota_77]

Ok, final pool build photos (unless there's something worth bragging about! 🤣

Pool is fully functional but like a project car will never be finished. 

Christmas was the first test for it and was great to see my kids and cousins having a ball. Weather was horrid but we got a narrow window of sunshine where we all piled in!

So, since last post I have done a massive amount of work. It's been the toughest 8 months of my life.  Every non working hour I'm out there doing something. 

So concrete poured (only thing I didn't do!)

Removing the Styrofoam inner boxing was a nightmare! Shit everywhere as it all broke up into little pieces...

After that was getting a lifting platform to put the roof on. It's too bloody high to be crawling around up there on a ladder!

Next step was the concrete grinding.  The concrete grinding was MASSIVE. I'd say it took me at least 5 x 10 hour days.  It was a huge undertaking with my little grinder!  It came up amazing in the end so well worth it but fark me, what a mission!!

I then made up a jig to hold my 8" hand grinder 90° to the pool deck to get a nice flat, parallel inner edge. It worked amazing! Made it super easy to buzz the edge off.

I then modified the cradle to hold the ggrinder at 180° degrees to the deck to buzz a chamfer on the edge. I then rounded of that edge with the grinder by hand to make it nice and rounded and smooth. 

That made the water like milk having so much concrete dust in the water. Took many days of the robot going flat out (and emptying it multiple times per day), plus putting flocculant in the water to drag the solids to the bottom before vacuuming the sludge straight to waste. Very time consuming. 

Next step was cutting the expansion grooves in the concrete. Didn't really have a plan, just cut 45° from every corner and then over the top of my pipes for the hidden drainage. Actually worked out almost decorative!

Next up was sealing the concrete. I used a penetrating sealer that basically soaks into the concrete to make it waterproof. It was 2 coats, one thinned down and then a full thickness coat with a grip additive in it. Still a bit slippery when it's wet so I may need to do another coat with the grip media in it. No running ya little bastards...

I also ground the existing path around the pool area to match the finish of the new concrete. Actually came up quite good for standard concrete!

Next up was the back wall on the pool house. That really gave it a more finished feel. 

After that I put the glass fencing back up plus added the new section to make the laundry door outside the pool area (can't have a door from the house opening into the pool area).

I spent waaaay to long building the gate post to make it look good and be solid. Lots of welding and grinding. It doesn't look like much but a lot of work went into it!

The piece de resistance was my bar!  Prior to pouring the concrete I made a mould to pour the table top so it was the same concrete as the pool area. I gave it all the same grinding treatment as the concrete. 

To hold it I used left over steel from the pool house and made up a massively over engineered monstrosity to hold it. The top weights at least 150-200kgs so I wanted it to be strong. 

It's on heavy duty locking casters and has wind down legs for adjusting the height/angle if it's on an uneven area. 

Absolutely stoked with how it came out and to have a beer around it with family and friends on Christmas night was pretty special. This part of the puzzle meant a lot as it was for ME.  Everything else was for EVERYONE ELSE where this was for my enjoyment and appreciation. I spent DAYS working on it.  I had to modify the cross beams each side which meant cutting them out, welding in capping plates to cover the holes and then rewelding them back in closer to the middle post.  A huge waste of time but had to happen.

Every piece of RHS is either welded blind to it's next piece or it has been capped off.  The amount of hours spent making end caps, welding and then grinding back smooth was massive.  All worth it in the end I think though!

So, still a huge amount left to but time for a bit of a break to enjoy it for a while. After that I'll finish off little bits and pieces as I go (lining roof and walls of pool house, rock border around the outside, etc, etc, etc).

Here's a few more pics of the semi completed area-

It's been a massive project and the longest my ADHD has ever let me stick to one project. Hopefully it gives me another burst once I hit the GT-R next.....

 

 

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Nice looking ZF8HP 4WD conversion, I mean pool 🙂

[Shoota_77]

18 minutes ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

Nice looking ZF8HP 4WD conversion, I mean pool 🙂

It's about 3 or 4 ZF conversions....

[r32-25t]

You’re a braver man then me playing with 240v that close to a body of water that big 

[Shoota_77]

8 minutes ago, r32-25t said:

You’re a braver man then me playing with 240v that close to a body of water that big 

Gave myself a few little tingles through the angle grinder from all the water splashing around!!  Ended up wearing a few sets of gloves for more insulation..... 😐

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

 

Just now, Shoota_77 said:

Gave myself a few little tingles through the angle grinder from all the water splashing around!!  Ended up wearing a few sets of gloves for more insulation..... 😐

Lol, fuark how's your life insurance policy? Did you check the PDS before doing any of this? Lololol

[Shoota_77]

2 minutes ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

 

Lol, fuark how's your life insurance policy? Did you check the PDS before doing any of this? Lololol

Better off not knowing....