Excavating the Site for the Tank
So the real work starts with shovel and wheelbarrows — with the occasional break to pet a cat.
When this spot is flat and level I then dig a trench for a drain.
Water that accumulates inside the curb walls needs to drain away. This trench will move water from under the tank and to a dry well where it will absorb into the ground — more on that later.
Build the Forms
I’ll build the forms from 1×8’s. With the inside form walls made in two pieces.
They have a 45 degree cut to make stripping the inside forms easier.
A mending board across this cut will hold the form together during the pour.
Building the Outer Form Walls
Cleats added to these 1×8’s will make attaching stakes easier as well as clamping the forms together on the ends.
And then I can screw the outside form walls together.
And I’ll line up this wooden box to the pavilion piers.
Secure Form Walls with Stakes
Then pound in stakes and screw them to the form cleats.
Checking and adjusting for level and square as I go along.
Then the inside walls are clamped then screwed together.
Inner Walls added, Squared, and Levelled
They are levelled and squared and temporary spacers added.
Some of the stakes were too tall so I trimmed them with a hand saw.
With the forms in place I then add the pipes to the dry well.