Mainline pipe laid

Tonight I finished laying the mainline irrigation pipe.  What a chore!   Having mostly steel pipe doesn't make it easier.

My mainline pipes consist of:

1. 20 ft steel pipes
2. 21 ft steel pipes with a riser for a valve
3. 40 ft aluminum pipes 

I have about 9 aluminum pipes and over 50 steel pipes.  The 20 ft steel sections definitely weigh more than the 40 ft aluminum sections.

I ended putting together, taking apart, and putting back together several sections of steel pipe.  First I forgot about the slightly bent (in the middle) steel pipe that went where the south/middle pasture gate was located.  Once I put the bent pipe in place a number of other steel pipes wouldn't completely fit inside.  One would think the steel pipes are all the same but apparently not.  I had to take more steel pipes apart before I found one that would fit the pipe at the gate.

Then a pipe with a riser would not fit at the hayfield gate so I had to redo pipes again.

Then there are two types of 20 ft steel pipes: ones with a half circle clamp and ones where the half circle clamps were replaced with hooks to latch two pipes together.  All the aluminum and 21 ft steel pipes have an opening for pipes with a hook.  The half circle clamps could work, but not as well.  Last year to provide extra support to keep the clamp/opening combos together I added wire to the pipes.

So I was trying to put the pipes together in such a way that I would have enough steel pipes with hooks for pipes with openings, mainly when out in the hayfield (as I don't have enough pipes with hooks for all pipes with openings).  Also pipes with hooks would not attach to pipes without risers as the 20 ft steel pipes had nothing to hook to, only a lip that a half circle would hold against.

Confused?   Well, tell that to a guy who is tired from carrying all these pipes and laying them out in a line.

In the end, when transitioning to using aluminum pipes in the mix, I had an extra pipe with a hook.  I ended up taking 14 steel pipes apart to get a pipe with a clamp I could use.  I was tired and missed a pipe I could have used and would have only had to take 3 pipes apart.  Arrggh! 

Then in the end, due to a late decision on placement of a riser pipe, I could have used either a clamp or hook pipe and didn't need to have taken 14 pipes apart.

Also when redoing the 14 pipes - which ran along the barb wire fence - I struggled with one pipe and ended up moving my head against the barb wire.  I wasn't wearing a hat and now have a red "scratch" across the top of my head.

The day grew more frustrating as it went on.

I also decided to space the risers 60 ft apart and not 80 ft.  The sprinkler heads should toss the water 40 ft, but that is at the outside of where two circles meet.  Last year I discovered 60 ft seemed to ensure no dry areas between rows.

In the end I found - I believe - I am 20 ft short.  I'll have to call Karl, my irrigation guy, tomorrow and see about getting a few more pipes.  I have a couple damaged aluminum pipes that has a couple of minor leaks and I may as well replace them when getting another pipe.

Tomorrow I can work on wiring together some of the pipes with iffy connections and then lay the sprinkler lines.

Eventually I'll get to irrigating this year.  Future years of irrigating shouldn't be such a hassle laying the mainline as the line across the pasture will stay in place now that I replaced all the gaskets and the two funky connecting pipes.