WEEK 10 - Day 39 Dismantling Brickwork

The east gable brick work is being taken down today. This supported the east gable timber framing which was removed earlier in the programme. This wall is three bricks thick, unlike the other three walls which are only two bricks thick. Also the mortar comprises a hard concrete mix, so it is taking longer to remove.
Another sunny day, after a cloudy start. Excellent for getting on with the work in hand.

The removal of the wall provides easier and safer access to work around the salt pan and to have easier access inside the remains of the stove house. The interior is really poor condition, mostly the depredation has been caused by vandalism by intruders over the years in which the site was abandoned.
Four scaffold towers are being constructed at the east end of the salt pan. These will hold the pan temporarily whilst it is shot blasted and painted.
During next week steel girders, delivered yesterday will be inserted under the pan and the whole structure will be lifted and turned through 90 degrees.
The remains of the furnace will be dismantled and recorded before the pan can be returned to its original location, but replaced at ground level.

WEEK 10 - Day 38 Removing Floorboards and Steel Delivery

The whole of the warehouse floor of Stove House 5 was removed today, allowing us to prepare to take away the floor joists and the the side walls.

The dismantling of the walls will begin with the east gable so that the scaffold team from H&E Scaffolding, Telford can insert lifting girders beneath the salt pan.

The floorboards rest on a timber beam laid over the joists, which are in fact second hand railway lines.

The floor boards have been affected by the process of drying the salt. The upper surface is very smooth, but the lower surface has had fibres drawn from the cell walls of the wood by the damp heat trapped between the floors as the salt dried over the flues.

The steel beams weigh almost 4 tons and were delivered from the Corus steel works at Scunthorpe.

They have been laid out alongside the salt pan ready to be inserted underneath for lifting the pan.
Following the lift next week the iron pan will be cleaned and prepared for a protective coat of paint.

Asbestos roof sheets were removed from above Warehouse and Stove areas 1 and 3. Stove 1 is the oldest part of the Lion Salt Works and has some difficult structural areas because it has been adapted and altered gretaly over its life. A scaffold walkway is being inserted and additional props to support the floor and roof areas.

Video for work completed on Day 21 to dismantle roof trusses has now been posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nizNmZ6RWA

WEEK 10 - Day 37 Dismantling Floorboards of Stove House 5

Work started today to dismantle the floorboards of Stove House 5. The boards are being lifted for replacement whn the building is rebuilt on new foundations in Phase 2. Following the removal of the boards the floor joists will be taken out and the outer walls will then be taken down brick by brick. There are over 400 boards to lift before lunchtime tomorrow.

Also posted today a movie prepared by APR Services to show the coverage obtained during their laserscan survey of the Stove House areas of SH 2,3, 4 and 5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmRBwrhPs30m/watch?v=bmRBwrhPs30

The NW Industrial Archaeology Panel held their meeting at the Lion Salt Works today. Left to right: Ian Miller, Oxford Archaeology North; Julian Baum, Take 27; Mike Nevell, Salford University; PaulineWeb, Museum of Science & Industry Manchester; David George

WEEK 10 - Day 36 Walls of SH5 Removed to Warehouse Floor Level

With the roof trusses removed work on Stove House 5 continues to dismantle and remove the brick works. First this is being taken down to the warehouse floor level so that the floor boards can be removed.

A timelapse sequence was posted today of the removal of the asbestos roof sheets and timber boarding of Stove House 5.

Visit it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIMyJrvP4EM . A sequence showing the dismantling of the roof trusses will follow.