[Lynn]

OK, so here is your weekend laugh. I get in the biggest messes sometimes. I posted a while back about an old (built in 1919) warehouse I bought to convert to shop space. I had initially planned to just convert the lower 1/3, about 1400 ft, to shop space. Then I got greedy. The middle third was still the original wood floor. Huge 16 foot 2 x 12 trusses with 2x6 Douglas Fir flooring. I decided to remove all the wood flooring and concrete the floor to add another 1200 ft to my shop space. I go the flooring removed for free, as I had some friends that wanted that 100 year old Doug Fir (zero knots!) so they paid a couple of guys to pull it. What could go wrong? Well, turns out the wood floor was built over an existing artesian well. That's right, a well, right in the middle of what will be my floor. Rather than fight the well (it is about 7 feet deep, three feet in diameter, and fills up completely after just 1/2 inch of rain... obviously spring fed), I plan to leave it there and install a 30 inch manhole cover over the well, so I can maintain the sump pump. On top of that the water table is about 6 inches deep. So, Sherri and I are installing a huge drain system under where the slab will be. Luckily, I have plenty of room on the South side of the building to run the drainage for both the weeping pipe and the sump pump.

So, here is where I need help. Composit manhole covers and frames are really expensive (cheap if you want a 20 inch, but I really need a 30 inch cover and a 34 or greater frame). I have a brick mason buddy who can help me brick and mortar a base for either a composite or cast iron manhole cover.

Found a 30 inch cover and frame (seller has more than 10) on ebay (who would have thought?). Problem is, I am in Guthrie America (just North of OKC) and the manhole covers are in Milton, NY, which I gather is about 30 min. South of Maybrook, NY, where there happens to be a YRC terminal.

Anyone in that area that would be willing to go by and pick up a manhole cover and frame? It will be really heavy, but I believe if you have a pallet in the back of a pick up, the seller will load it on the pallet. Then all you have to do is make a trip to the YRC terminal in Maybrook. I will have already prepaid the shipping, and will of course, be glad to pay you for your time and gas.

Let me know via PM.

Yeah, I know, I need to post pics. What a mess this place is right now. Can't even get it graded until we get the drainage system installed. Will take about 380 feet of 4 inch perforated pipe. We keep saying: "What a mess.... but it will be cool when done."
God I hope so. Every time I see Charley make a reference to one of his "idiot friends", I feel like part of the fraterrnity.

Here's a shot of just a 1/3 of the flooring pulled up, and another looking down the well after pumping it out. Have not cleaned all the debris out yet, and probably won't until I get the manhole cover and concrete in place.