Lisa and I are plotting to install a life preserver at the unsupervised beach nearest to where we’re spending time this summer. We’ve got the container and the device, and now turn our attention to mounting the container on a pole on the beach, a job that’s required us to level up to my first concrete job.

I purchased an 8 foot length of treated 4x4 at Home Depot, along with a bucket and a bag of Quikrete Fence n’ Post. Finding the fastener selection at both Home Depot and Kent disorganized and lacking in variety, I purchased the stainless steel nuts and bolts at Fastenal, which is my new go-to place for nuts and bolts.

Yesterday morning I set to see about drilling the required holes in the 4x4, and finding our borrowed drill bit collection without a ⅜ inch bit, I called up nearby Joe Dunphy Custom Woodworking, where they generously agreed to drill a couple of holes on short notice (nicest bunch of people you’ll ever meet).

Returning to base, I channelled my inner This Old House memories, and got the post plumbed up inside the bucket, using odds and sods to secure it:

Next, I suited up in eye and hand protection, and an N95 mask, heeding the dire “you cannot rely on pain to alert you to cement burns” advice on the Quikrete bag. Following the instructions, I poured half the bag into the bucket, added 3 litres of water, then poured the rest of the bag in, tamped things down, and stepped back to let the magic work.

Initially the mix looked suspicious, like I’d added too much water, and was doomed to failure:

I paid attention to the guidance on the bag not to fuss, and by 8:00 p.m. we had something closely resembling dry concrete:

Rather than moving on right away, we decided, as the concrete wasn’t fully cured, to give things another 24 hours.

It’s kind of a miracle to realize we mortals have the capability to do things like this.

While I was fussing about with hold drilling and concrete mixing, Lisa and L. were down at the beach digging a hole into which the post will sit, an impressively-deep execution:

Later tonight, or perhaps tomorrow morning, we’ll move the post-and-bucket down to the beach, bury it in the sand plumb, affix the housing, and install the life preserver.

Total cost of the post job:

• 8 foot 4x4 post: $17.79
• Bucket: $4.97
• 3 pack of N95 masks: $12.82
• Eye protectionL $7.99
• 60 pounds of Quikcrete Fence n’ Post: $12.45
• 2 stainless steel bolts, plus (too many) nylock nuts and washers: $21.28
• Level: $9.99

For a total cost of $87.47.