28'x50' Barn, broke ground this weekend

[jimdad07]

Last big log of the barn project and a stack of 10x10's for wall posts:

[jimdad07]

Here's some more barn work.  There's a shot of my bent lifting contraption being used and a few shots of one of my wall posts.

[fishfighter]

That some heavy timbers. Please be careful.

[jimdad07]

Appreciate the concern.  I let the equipment do the heavy lifting, that's why I made that frame for the tractor.  The arms on it won't let the load slide off the front or back of the loader.  When I go to stand the bents the posts will keep it stable end to end on the loader.  I'm going to stand half a bent at a time and put the scarf joints together in the air, after test fitting them on the ground.  I don't really have any help so I have to be creative and careful on this project.  Not to mention this is my first frame and the learning curve is nuts on this.

[jimdad07]

Here's some more progress.  Finally put up a part of the frame last night, worked out well for doing it solo.  Putting it together I've figured out some rookie mistakes that thankfully weren't a big deal, just time consuming to rectify but valuable lessons for the future.  The pictures just don't do it justice.

[fishfighter]

That's impressive. What kind of logs you getting to build with?

[jimdad07]

White pine, very nice to work with and I've been lucky to get predominately good logs.

[Brian_Weekley]

Exciting to see it finally starting to go up!   8)

[jimdad07]

Exciting to see it finally starting to go up!   8)

Thanks Brian, it's been a slow go but it's coming along.  I have another bent half put together that will go up this weekend.  Like I said, I'm solo on this project so it's been slow.  The real test for me will be lining up the wall plates when I raise the next bent.

[jimdad07]

Another half bent went up today, found an easy way to line my wall plates up for assembly.  I'll get some pics up tomorrow for you guys.

[jimdad07]

Here's some more progress.  It's going together very well, it's a little tricky lining up the scarf joints and the wall plates at the same time but it's happening.  I'm holding the scarfs together with 12" timberlocs right now until I can make my wedges.  This storm will slow me down for a few days but as soon as the wind dies out I'll clear the slab and keep going.

[jimdad07]

I am putting another set of wall plates in flush with the top of the tie beams.  I cut housings into the posts and will fasten them into the frame with timberlocs.  I didn't mortice them in due to the tie beam tannins.

[fishfighter]

Looks great.

[Rougespear]

I see you're using a router and jig?  How is that working out?  Are you using it to cut mortises?  I had a similar idea as well... curious as to your experience?

[jimdad07]

I see you're using a router and jig?  How is that working out?  Are you using it to cut mortises?  I had a similar idea as well... curious as to your experience?

Cutting mortises with a chain mortiser and cutting housings with the router.  For the tie beam housings it's the quickest and most accurate way I can cut those housings.  They are coming out nice and square.

[Rougespear]

Great idea!  I'll have to give that a shot.  I figure my 3 1/4hp Milwaukee router can handle a 1.5" + straight bit for mortising.

[jimdad07]

Great idea!  I'll have to give that a shot.  I figure my 3 1/4hp Milwaukee router can handle a 1.5" + straight bit for mortising.

I have a Milwaukee the same size, it should handle it just fine.  I'm using a little Porter Cable router for what I'm doing with a 2" long, 1/2" cut, 1/2" shank Freud straight bit.  It's working just fine without over taxing the router.

[jimdad07]

I cheated and ordered my floor joists from an Amish mill nearby.  I've been waiting on logs for going on to three months, something about our local loggers that makes them not in a hurry.  Anyhow, I have half the first floor frame up and I figured I'm going to get the joists in before I go any further to tie everything together because I'm running out of room to move the tractor around lifting the bents up and figured I can start using the frame to help in the hoisting of the bents.

[jimdad07]

I'm halfway there standing the first floor.  I've also started putting floor joists in, those are 5x8's and lots of fun carrying up a ladder alone but they are going in snug without much beating.  Here's how it stands tonight:

[jimdad07]

Are these pictures coming sideways?

[Ljohnsaw]

Are these pictures coming sideways?

They look correct on my laptop, Windows 10, Firefox 50.0.01

Looking great, by the way! 8)  Working alone is tough :-\

[jimdad07]

They come up right on my phone and sideways on the iPad.  I just rotated them on the iPad and now they show up right, probably just screwed them all up.

[Ljohnsaw]

They come up right on my phone and sideways on the iPad.  I just rotated them on the iPad and now they show up right, probably just screwed them all up.

Yep, now they are all rotated and skewed/stretched.

[jimdad07]

They come up right on my phone and sideways on the iPad.  I just rotated them on the iPad and now they show up right, probably just screwed them all up.

Yep, now they are all rotated and skewed/stretched.

I went and fixed them again.

[Jim_Rogers]

Are these pictures coming sideways?

Looks ok to me now.

Jim Rogers