Chicago Duplex Down Rehab

 This project is taking almost a month.  I dug out the top layer of dirt, down about 6 inches.  I wanted to dig only 3 inches, but it became obvious while digging I needed to go deeper to get to some solid ground.   Once I had all the dirt out, I figured out I needed about 2.5 (cubic) yards of aggregate to fill back in 3 inches.   I had Chicagoland Materials deliver the aggregate and torpedo sand by dump truck to the alley.  I poured the first layer of aggregate into the patio area and used a Wagner compactor rented from Sunbelt Rentals to firm up the base.   The weekly rental price for the compactor was half the price of what Home Depot wanted.  I used gas pipes to lay down and flatten the 2nd layer of aggregate and the top level of sand above that.   Once the sand layer was down, I put down the Gator Base panels.  Much more about laying the pavers in  I'm going to go on a diatribe here about the Gator Base panels..  Alliance, the company that makes the panels, claims you don&#

  After years of neglect, dogs, and a 10 foot trampoline, our weed farm in the back of the house will finally get some love.  The plan is to put in paver patio, new grass sod, and a surrounding garden with some small trees (Japanese maple and birch).   We already had a new fence put in on the north side of the yard, that will hopefully reduce the spread of weeds from neighbors to the north.

  I finally signed up for the Woodcraft class at Horner Park.  I'm planning on making two identical standing planters.   Most planters have a fabric lining that you put the dirt in.  Mine will have a space for a removable 30 in x 7 in plastic planter liner.   I'm going to use cedar boards from Menards.   I could have built this at home, but I want to make this with as few screws as possible, using woodworking joinery techniques.