17.12.20 Igloo home transporter.

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The other day's concrete block, delivery fiasco was a real wake-up call on heavy deliveries. The igloo/dome is very likely to end up on the kerb or verge. So I am resorting to a flexible form of self-built transport for the igloo segments. Just in case. I don't want them to be sitting on the side of the road for hours while I frantically build a means of transport to get the "dome kit" home.

I probably want a long, open frame trolley with trailer jockey wheels at each corner. The inbuilt jacks will allow me to lift a heavy pallet, or nested segments, from the kerb/verge. A boat winch will aid loading on short ramps. It needs a wide track to cater for the considerable curve of the segments. The segments rest on a narrow flange, 2+ meters wide x 4 meters long. A semicircular arc with "fresh air" in the middle.

A few, bolted together lengths of 2x4 should provide enough strength and stability. Fine for safe transport along the 200 yards of the gravel drive. Moving them around the "parking area" where I usually work, will be far easier with such a trolley. I can even move and rotate the completed dome as required. 

The three segments weigh 220kg or about 73kg each. Which equals 480lbs or 160lbs each. So are beyond the comfortable lifting capacity for most septuagenarians without winches or levers. 

Even better, I could use two widely spaced, builder's ladders with jockey wheels attached. Ladders are low, light and very strong. The jockey wheel mounting brackets can be simply hooked onto/under the sides/stringers/rails/stiles without modifying the ladders. Then the whole lot can be jacked up for ground clearance.

The full dome footprint at 4.4m Ø can be easily catered for. Simply by widening the spacing between the ladders. Ladders are thinner than 2x4s at about 75m or 3" thick. Making loading onto the ladder "trolley" even easier. I have a handy pair of ladders at 3.3m long which would do the job nicely. 

The image [Left] was "borrowed" from Emma Robert's Twitter account for illustration and education. The sheer scale of the nested segments is obvious.

Emma Roberts, the UK dealers for Holm & Laue Igloos was very helpful in replying to an email asking for information. Emma kindly informed me that igloos can be ordered without the usual roof vents. Which would be very useful. Because I'd only want to block them off anyway.

Anyone in the UK who is interested in buying an Holm & Laue Igloo for building a large dome [or any other reason] should contact Emma. She has a useful, well illustrated presence on Twitter:

Emma Roberts (@Emmacalfigloo) / Twitter

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