This morning a quick trip to town. GM is leaving on his annual summer sailing trip to the north, so after dropping him off outside the hardware store, I drove up to the rental shop on Rainbow and reserved the following for Saturday: a floor jack, an engine hoist and a heavy duty appliance dolly. These should allow me (and as many young men as I can lay hands on) to accomplish this well considered plan, viz.:
1. The table frame and bench frames go up to the house tomorrow morning at nine via Five Star Moving and Randy Severn. Under S.'s direction we place them on the patio and move them around until she's happy, bearing in mind that once the concrete panels are in place the table will weigh some 1200 lbs or more, and the benches will not be light either. Everything must then be perfectly leveled.
2. On Saturday morning my neighbour John will bring his flat-deck (equipped with a crane), and with help from Jesse (of the concrete) & friends load the ten panels for the table and benches, still attached to their moulds and frames.
3. Then up the mountain again. We don't have vehicular access to the patio, only a footpath, Hopefully a combination of a piano-movers' dolly and the appliance trolly will serve. The heaviest panel weighs in at about 400 lbs., so this might be a challenge.
4. Using the engine hoist, each panel in turn, removed from its mould, can be lifted and positioned above the appropriate recess in the table frame. Then it will be lowered to rest on two 2x4 bearers; this will allow the slings to be removed, and its position adjusted so that it lies directly above its recess.
5. The floor jack, underneath the table and centered on the panel, can then raise the panel a short distance, allowing the 2x4's to be removed. The jack can then be used to lower the panel very carefully into the recess.
6. Repeat as needed for remaining panels.