Building for sawmill?

[WoodChucker]

I'd like to build a building for my sawmill,  I'm thinking about a 20'x36x10 pole barn with a shed roof and no walls, just the post and a  roof. The problem is, I don't know how to do the shed roof, could someone post a pic or give me some advice  as to how I'd build it?  I've built a house and a garage before but they both had a truss roof. Any help would be appreciated!  Thanks!

R.T.

[DanG]

I'm facing the same dilemna. I'm thinking of going with trusses, but I may build them myself, since the codes don't apply to pole barns.  One thing I have thought of is to have enough vertical clearance to accomodate whatever machinery I might get in the future, such as a forklift. Ten feet may not be enough. I'm thinking more of 16 feet.

[Corley5]

If I were you Wood Chucker I'd go with trusses or rafters and go with a peaked roof of at least a 4 12 pitch and stay away from the shed type roof.  Especially on a 20' span.  In the south you could get away with it but with our snow loads up here you could get in to trouble.  Put a metal roof on it too.  That way the snow will slide off.  Saves a lot of shoveling time.

[WoodChucker]

DanG, your way may be a better idea, after thinking about it, that span may have to be done with a truss system unless I wanted to add post within the building it self, which I wouldn't want to do. The main reason I wanted a shed roof was the cost, and it would have been nice to have the rain water run off to the rear of the building, an area I wouldn't be using.  Anyway, thanks for your idea, it gives me something to think about. And if anyone else can jump in with any other ideas or pics, I sure would appreciate it! Thanks!

R.T.

[WoodChucker]

Corley5, guess you posted while I was typing an answer to DanG, sorry I'm pretty slow at this. lol

Yeah I was going with a metal roof for sure and for the reasons you stated.  Thanks for your input!

R.T.

[Paul_H]

DanG,When you bought your mill,it had a shed of some kind didn't it.I'm sure you didn't move it,just wondering how it was built/what you thought of it? I have been rooting through old threads,trying to find some pics of MD sheds.

It was 95 degrees here on fried day, we need a roof 8)

[Geoff]

I've got exactly what you're looking for.  Give me a day or so, and I'll post the pictures.  We used to have the mill in the ole' pig barn, but the last stake on a log truck hooked onto the side of it, and pulled 'er to the ground.

We moved it into the pole barn and were sawing in about four days.

Geoff

[WoodChucker]

Hey thanks, that would be great, I sure would be thankfull.

R.T.

[Jeff]

Here is something that I think is a pretty durn good idea.

http://www.socketsystems.com/

[Ron Wenrich]

We have a couple of sheds like that, but it is much higher.  We put them up around the debarker.  When we moved the mill, the old shed is where the chipper is located.  We can drive a trailer underneath it.

We used metal pipe for our posts.  We ran an I beam across two pipes and welded it fast.  For anchors, we took 55 gal oil drums, buried them and filled it with concrete.  We then bolted it to a plate welded to the bottom of pipe.

For the roof, we used trusses and a tin roof.

Other portions of the mill, we used 8x8 locust and 2x12 white oak stringers.  Maximum opening was 12'.

[DanG]

Paul, that shed was one of those "better than nuttin" kind of deals. It was just a simple 4-post pole shed to protect the end of the mill when it was idle. Right now, mine has an old beach umbrella that serves the same function. :

Jeff, that looks like a neat system. How 'bout sticking it in the likn directory fer fyoocher reference.

[Jeff]

I sent them a note that I was posting thier link. They actually sent me a note on the Timberbuyers site, thats how I knew about them. I think they would make a DanG good sponsor for the site, kind a fit right in. I think we would surely send them business.

[WoodChucker]

Thanks Jeff B, thats a pretty neat setup!

Ron Wenrich, thanks for the info, sounds like a heck of a system you got there.

R.T.

[Jim Spencer]

Woodchucker,
If you don't want water running off the front of the building you can make your own trusses and raise the front up about 7' high and taper it down to nothing in the back.
This type of truss is very easily made and you could cut your own lumber for them.
The trusses could be made from 2" X 4" x 10' and could be spliced using 10' x 2" x4" and laminating a 3' long board on each side of the splice to ensure enough strength at the splice.
I built a 16' x 24' barn and built my own trusses from 3/4" boards laminated together.  I used boards salvaged from shipping crates that came from Germany when a Grob machining line was shipped to Ford Motor where I was an engineer. (Retired now!)  
If you cut your own you could use the full 2" thick and 4" wide which is much heavier (1/2") than commercial supplied trusses.
I was born and raised in Glennie and knew the Bugs from Curran.  I also knew Peaks who lived near 65 & 72.  I'm related to Bill and Geneva O'conner,  and used to go with Micky Finney who lived just down the road from M65.
I don't know if you know any of these people but they all lived near 65 & 72.
If you need any help designing a truss send me an email.
Jim

[WoodChucker]

Hi Jim, I guess I need to get out more because I don't know any of those people and I've been here for about 3 years.  My wife knows your brother and his wife, she sells Real Estate and goes to the Alcona Reveiw to run her adds. Anyway, thanks for info on the roof and I'll toss it around, sounds like a pretty good idea and if I went that way I'd have to take you up on your offer and contact you,  because I wouldn't know where to start trying to build a truss. When you mill your own lumber like that, does it have to dry first, or is ok to use right away for this kind of project? Hope I don't sound like an air head, I just woke up from a 2 hour nap sitting up in my chair here at the computer and I'm not sure I'm really awake yet, lol.

Again, thanks for your help!

R.T.

[Bro. Noble]

WC

     I probably never do things right, but have built a few polebarns in which we store our hay.  I cut the lumber (yellow pine) and stickered it but only stored it for a couple of months so that the surface was dry.  We used plywood gussets on the trusses, glued them and used plenty of cement coated nails.  We put them on 8' centers (used plans from Extension Service).  Had a carpenter friend say they would collapse.  They have made it through high winds and heavy snows just like the book said they should.  The first one is about 15 years old.

[WoodChucker]

Noble, yep ya gota love it when you don't do something right and it works anyway! lol.  Seems to be the story of my life to. Well thanks for the help and info, I appreciate it!

R.T.  

[Bibbyman]

We now have a 20'x40'x12' walls with 15'x16' sheds on each end.  

We want to upgrade to a larger, insulated and weather tight building and were about to order the parts from Socket Systems when something came up that put the plan on hold.  I was going to go with their 8" brackets system because it would use less number of assemblies and turned out less expensive than the 6" system.    With the Socket System, you'd need to plan on your large door opening on one of the gable ends unless you can figure out some way to span more than say 12' on the sides.

Check out the Wood-Mizer home page.  This guy has a shed that I think is about what your are describing.  Note the steel floor truss used as a front beam so to span enough length to load logs onto the mill.  No snow load problem here!

Wood-Mizer

[WoodChucker]

Bibbyman, that looks like a really nice setup ya got there, it would take care of my needs just fine!

Hey anyone know if your taxes are higher if you have exterior walls or not?  It's not a big deal, I was asked that question and didn't know.

R.T.

[Haytrader]

I agree with Jim spencer and Bibbyman if you want to send the water one way. Jim will be able to help you design a truss. I know we are all wood choppers of one form or another, including me, but I will throw another option at you.I don't know much about how things are east of here but out west   we have a lot of mobile homes and the dealers always have frames for sale. Most are made with Jr. I beam and are 12" wide. They make excellent trusses for spanning say like 35 or 40 ft., depending on the degree of slope. A 75 " frame out here w/ 4 axles can be bought for $500 (axles w/tires included) and you can sell the axles for $100 a peice. Don't build a trailer with the axles as they will cause you to swear... >:(   Let's say you do a 4/12 pitch and use 2x6s on 3 ft. spacings between these I beams, you could go probably 8 ft. spacing for the metal beams.  Go for it, you can do it.

[DanG]

I was gonna suggest the same thing Hay, but I don't know where to get the frames. They'd make good shed beams, though.

[HORSELOGGER]

Hey all, DonP and I have been erecting a 30 x 40 x 10 foot eave shop on my place for the last couple weeks using the socket system set up.  Here is your warning:   WARNING the "system"is a good idea, but the quality control at the factory is less than I would expect. Plan to have a grinder, heavy duty drill and good sharp bits on hand if you use them. You will be field modifying as you go to make them work.  DonP has some good pictures of the frame raising , which only took a day and ahalf. I will see if he can find a copmuter that he hasnt broken yet to post them. ;D

[WoodChucker]

Haytrader,  what a good idea, I'll have to do some research and see what I can come up with on trailer trash! lol. Thanks for the info.

HORSELOGGER, well thats not good hey? Have you contacted the company to see if they will do anything for you? Sure looks like a good system, but I guess ya just never know. Hope you get it up ok, I'd sure like to see it if you do. Thanks for your input and keep us posted on how it's going, I'm sure other people would be interested also.... Good luck and thanks!

R.T.

[Bibbyman]

I once sawed out cedar for a guy who built a deck on the side of his house using a mobile home frame.  I thought how tacky could you get but it worked like a charm.  It was an older home with a narrow walkout basement opening (maybe 10' wide) on the side of the house he wanted the deck on.  He just pulled the frame across the retaining walls and built post to level it up on tops of the walls and on each end.  Then he removed the axles and added a deck, rails and steps.  It spanned past the front and back of the house so he had a better way of getting around the house as there was a steep bank on that side and the walkout opening.   He was good at metal work but not a good carpenter.  I think he traded a used transmission for two frames.

The resulting deck was solid as a rock and you couldn't tell the main framework was a mobile home frame.  :

[woodman]

 Jeff on that system are the 6 by 6 and 8 by 8s full finshed size or less.