iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

My timber frame build

Started by Ljohnsaw, April 22, 2013, 01:25:11 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Ljohnsaw

Update 8/9/2022:

Last week I reset the west wall beam.  I had messed up the brace pockets (cut post angles instead of beam angles) so I had some uncomfortable work to do on the beams up top!  But, its done now.

I also finished the north half of the "mid beam" (perlin) but then I was rained out on Friday before I could put it up top.

Today, I put that half beam up top and winched it over to the west side to be ready to hoist up when I finish the 15 posts and 10 mini tie beams necessary to complete the next phase.  With that beam positioned, I was able to remove my lift rigging and put it on the east side.  Took a while to move these 18' 2x8s.  Use the winches to lift them up so I could teeter-totter them over the west beam, carry over to the east side, rotate 180° and reverse the teeter-totter and winching them down into position.

Ready to go first thing in the morning (after I triple check the brace pockets!):


 
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Ljohnsaw

Update 8/10-11/2022:

Well, good thing I checked the brace pockets.  I cut both north half beams at the same time and at least I'm consistent! ::)  The four pockets on the north half were too shallow of an angle.  I used the winches to flip both beams over and recut the four pockets.  I touched up the other four on the south half that had shrunk a little since it had been sitting so long.

Flipped them back over and test fit the north beam without braces - fit great.  Added braces and it was lifted a little in the middle due to two tight (too long) braces so I trimmed just a bit.  Test fit again and a minor trim again.

Then on to the south beam - fit without the braces with a little gap on the middle post.  Added braces and again one was too long so trimmed and good.

Bear in mind that for each movement of the beams it's down and up the ladder a few times to adjust.  At 12 rung per direction, I think I got 10,000 steps in Wednesday! :-\  I had to get the scarf joint to sip together but it wasn't happening.  Ran out of daylight.  So wait til the morning.

I pondered on it all night.  I raised one winch on each beam at the scarf ends and no go.  It was so close.  As I thought about it, I hear a thump - it dropped into place.  Lowered it all and good to go.  Next was to remove the winch boards - heavy, long and awkward.  I managed a controlled drop off the side - no damage done.  By 9:48 am - good!



 
Yes, the sky is that blue up here!

Started on making posts for the loft area.  I finished up one 12' (NW corner) and tried to layout the center post from a 19' 8x8.  But the knots were aligned just so that no matter how I shifted it up or down or reversed, it just wasn't happening.  So it will become another 12' (NE corner) today.  I've got a wack of 8x8x7' beams for the cross beams sitting up on the deck so I'll probably work on those (10 required)  I have an 8x8 heart centered timber I could use for that 19'er but debating on waiting for my next log delivery (next week) and use FOH so I don't get checking.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

firefighter ontheside

Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

Ljohnsaw

Update 8/25/2022:

I've been up working 4 or 5 days at a time the last couple weeks.  I need to put down a floor on the main floor and put up temporary joists so I have a complete second story make a safe work environment to erect the top half of the bents.

So, I made up five 10' long x 42" wide pallets from reject 4x6 & 4x4 and 2x6's.  Pretty heavy duty!  On four of the pallets, I sorted my 2x10 white and red fir boards trimming of the checked ends.  I'm going to run them over to a guy that will run them through is 4-sided planner and make me T&G flooring.  I'm going to borrow the truck and trailer I use to haul my tractor last year.  On the left, bottom is 13' (trimmed 14s&16s), a double stack of 12' on top.  On the right is a double stack of 10' and a pile of 8's on top (and an empty pallet on top).  I figure I need an empty to take the output of the planner as we process a pallet load.  Total of 2,235 linear feet.  Here's the load:


 
And the cutoffs:


 
I had a bunch of reject boards (too thin/too narrow) and I SkyTrak'd them up to the loft:


 
I'll do the same with these 2x6's:


 
I got two loads of Ponderosa Pine delivered last week:


 

 
I've also been knocking out posts and little tie beams.  So far, 5 of 15 posts and 8 of 10 beams.  Whittling down the big pile of timbers I milled up last month.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Magicman

I have been waiting for your update John.  Many small steps add up.  thumbs-up
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Iwawoodwork

Yes, thanks for the update.  I really look for your next posts to see your progress, have enjoyed the whole build along with the good buys you find. 

Ljohnsaw

Final update to this week's work.  The last load of pine I got from this guy was apparently Unicorn logs.  They were big and straight with very little knots.  These a just "good" logs but I should get some fair wood out of them.

I made up two more of the mini-tie beams this morning before I left at noon.  Nine down, one to go.


 
On the left will be number 10.  On the right is 5 posts.  Three are 8x10 for the middle 3 bents east purin supports.  You can see the housings that the above mini-tie beams will fit into.  Also on the very right, two 8x8 posts for the corners of the north (1st) bent.  Sitting on top is my pair of test braces to check my brace pockets.

 
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Ljohnsaw

Update 8/30-31/2022:

I'm still up here til the weekend so there should be more progress...

Yesterday was hot.  I got up here around 8:30 as usual.  I knocked out the 10th mini-tie beam.  Thought I'd show my short cuts/cheats to make the process go faster.  The tie beams are cut from a 6½' 8x8.  They sit 9' above the loft floor.  They have one brace pocket that braces the top of the middle post (19'), a 2x6 tenon that plugs into the mid-purlin post and a 2x4 tenon the plugs into the middle post (one from each side, stacked).

So there is a LOT of wood to remove on the ends.  Normally I would cut a series of kerf cuts and pop off the excess wood.  That takes a lot of cutting (and fuel for the generator) and makes a big mess.  Since these are small and fairly light, I decided to try something different.

I mark out all the cuts and when I cut the beam to length, I also mark the ends.  Here is the 2x6 tenon end.

I make all the shallow cuts (2") with my DeWalt 20v saw.  I then break out the beam saw for the next deeper cuts and finally do all the full cuts from the ends at full depth (6-6/16") to make the smallest uncut areas possible.  Lots of rolling of the beam.  When it all goes well, it ends up like this.


 

If the grain is good and straight, I can pop off the waste with some wedges.  Sometimes I need to use a hand saw to complete the cut on stubborn wood.  Then it is just a matter of using a slick to clean it up.


 

 
I spent the rest of the day using come-alongs to snug up all the joints getting ready to do the oak pins and drill for where I have to install very long bolts in the braces.

Today, I re-installed the 5x9x12' loft joists in the 3rd bay that I took down last month.  When I put them in initially, the 4th bent that defined that bay was not plumb and the joists were too long.  They prevented me from adjusting the bent.  So, with those back up, I also installed some temporary joist hanger so I could install some 2x10x12' across the open 4th bay and the east half of the 3rd bay.  This will make installing the top half of the bents a little more safe, not to mention, doable. ;)


 
The near bay I will shift the boards to the right and fill the current gap and over to the right with 2x8 short pieces.  The next bay I trimmed the left end of the boards where they land on a 5x9.  Again, I will use 2x8 short pieces to to from that joist to the left two joists that you can't see in this pic.

The hangers are for store-bought 2x10s so they are 9.5" x 1.75".  I didn't care about the height but I had to plane down the thickness at the ends of the 2x10s so they would fit.  You can see that in this pic.


 
I used up all my junk 2x10s.  I need to toss the 2x8's up there and finish the temporary floor.

All of this will allow me to set up some scaffolding on wheels to do all the upper work, including setting the rafters.  The top of the ridge beam will sit 20+' above this floor.  I will be installing some 2x4 "curbs" at all the edges of the flooring to keep the scaffolding contained. ;)
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

firefighter ontheside

Good idea on the curbs.  We don't want to see you in the Did Something Dumb thread with a picture of your scaffold in ruins on the ground.  The build is coming along nicely.  
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

Ljohnsaw

Update 9/1/2022:

SkyTrak'd my pile of 2x8s up top and filled in the gaps.  Only a few left over boards.  I had some Ponderosa pine in there.  The pine is easily 50 to 70% heavier than the red/white fir boards!  I put one screw in each board/joist crossing.  The dance floor is now open ;) Just have to trim up the near ends and install the curbing.


 
Down at the far end is a couple 4x6 for blocking.  Now I have a place to put the posts and beams that are cluttering up my work area.  The floor over the 5x9x12' 30" O.C. loft joists is rock solid.  So I'm stacking the posts and beams on the real loft area.  The floor over the temporary 2x10x12' 18" O.C. joists is a little bouncy when I jump on it.


I was running low on screws and used up nearly four 5 ahr batteries.  The little impact hammer got really hot!


 
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Ljohnsaw

Update 9/2/2022:

Installed the curb and moved all the completed posts and mini-tie beams up to the top.  The mini-ties I just carried but the 12' 8x10s were heavy and needed my timber cart.


 
That freed up the work area so I lifted up some timbers and laid out the first 19' 8x10 center post and did my quick cut on the tenons.  Till next week...
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

beenthere

ljohnsaw
Do enjoy you keeping us up to date on your timber frame build. You are a work horse when it comes to getting things done, and hope it all continues to keep coming together.
Always anxious to see your progress.

As to your timber cart, I copied your design and built a cart for bringing deer out of the woods. Found two matching bikes within minutes after seeing your build, and was soon re-building them into a cart quickly for $10 (spent more than that for the pipe handle). thanks
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Magicman

Hopefully we can get an update.  I suppose that you will soon be buttoning things down and readying everything for the snow loads?
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Ljohnsaw

Well, not much of an update from my last work/post on 9/3.  The Mosquito fire broke out on 9/6, about the same time we had the heat wave come through.  So I stayed home for almost a week due to excessive heat and then almost another week due to very poor air quality up there from the fire.  I went up last Friday, 9/16, with better AQI numbers due to wind patterns changing.  Saturday there was a strong smell of smoke but it was clear air and breezy.  I wore a N95 mask all day as smoke would blow through.  I'd pull it off and sniff the air and put it back on.  A storm was due to start Sunday night and the plan was to work until rain or dark.

Sunday morning, 3 am I woke to the sound of very short downpours (like 15 seconds) with 2 or 3 minute breaks between.  At 4 am it switched to a continuous heavy rain until 6 am.  So I slept in.  Around 8 it stopped sprinkling but dark clouds.  So I packed my tools back in the shed.  I used my Roust-a-bout to de-stack two of the 8x10x19' timbers down onto my mare & colt saw horses.  The timbers are probably 300 pounds?  I laid out the end tenons and brace pockets on it.  Then the sun came out ::)

So I got my tools out again, hauling them back up on to the deck, and did my saw cuts on the pockets (4) and use the Sawsquatch on the tenons.  It got progressively colder and windier as I worked cleaning up the two tenons.  By 3:30, the big, dark clouds were rolling and starting to spit.  So I packed up again and headed home as the rain started.

So, progress was limited.  I finished a 8x10x12' and a 8x10x19' post and halfway through this 8x10x19' post.  Total of 7½ posts completed of the necessary 15 to set up the second floor bents (50% :)).  I do need 20 braces to set them all up but I can do them pretty quick, like a days work as I have the stock all ready.

It's raining now and expected to continue through tomorrow (Wednesday) in the high country.  Really helping out with the fires.  The low is still stalled sitting off the north coast spinning moisture inland.  Each day they seem to add another rain day to the forecast as it just isn't moving.  Yesterday a main squall line went due north just west of Sacramento.  It dumped 4" of rain on Woodland.  A second band of rain continues just east of me dumping on the Mosquito fire.

So, I'm still shooting to get the bents up (before any wood moves...) before I winterize.  I have one of the three main beams ready to go up to lock them in place - though I noticed the north half has bowed a bit :-\  Winterizing (full) usually must happen between Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Before that, I'll have to drain the water systems as soon as the temps drop to freezing overnight.  The forecast for the end of the week is low 80's :)

The ironic twist is when I came home, back on 9/3.  I don't remember doing anything out of the ordinary or excessive straining.  About two days later, I got bad tendonitis (Tennis Elbow) in both arms.  It was to the point I couldn't push down on anything, and its still there.  I use a hand crank boring machine for my brace pockets and mortises so pushing is a necessity.  I work hard all summer and when I take a break, things start hurting?  I powered through the pain this past weekend and they feel better but not 100%.  Go figure.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Ljohnsaw

Update 9/22-25/2022:

The rain ended sometime early Thursday morning.   Went up and got to work replacing my little, cheap solar controller on the bath house.  It decided to boil my battery dry :-\  I got a 80A/2000 watt controller off the auction site.  When I made the final connection to a new battery, it sizzled and let out some magic smoke :(   Fortunately, I had another cheapy controller that is working fine for now.  I disconnect it when I'm away.

A view from the hill looking north late after noon.  Zoomed in so a little blurry on my flip phone.


 

I finished up the 8x10x19' post I started on Sunday and completed the last 8x10x19' and two 8x10x12' posts (parts to the middle three bents).  The remaining two 8x8x12' turned out to be 7.5x7.5 so I rejected them - they would look too out of place connected to the other 8x8 members.

I need two 8x8x12' (south bent corners) and two 8x8x19' (center posts for north and south bents).  So I'll pull out a 33' log that I can get two 8x8 FOH timbers.  There is one with a crook at about 12'.  I'll buck it into a 13' and 20' to make the milling go faster on my manual mill and to maximize the use of the wood.

The near pile are the 19' 8x10s and the far pile the 8x8 mini-ties on the bottom and 8x8 & 8x10 12' posts.



 

I collect the chips from boring the mortises and spread them on my trails to keep the moon dust under control.  A view from the stair landing on the deck looking NNW down to the trailer and bath house.  



 That's a lot of chips...
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

asaw11

looking good. get a little lost when you are describing the beams and location where each one is going. not knowing what direction the picture is facing.

Ljohnsaw

Go back and read the first 639 posts :D  (that's one of my brothers so I can be mean) The first picture in the previous update is looking north.  The cabin is running exactly north-south.  The northern most bent is #1 with the southern most being #5.

Here is what it is supposed to look like when nearly done:


 
And this is the parts I'm working on right now:


 
I need to mill out the front three 8x8 posts and the matching center post for the north end.  The mini-tie beams can be seen at the top of the window frames.  The beam on the left set of posts is sitting up on the deck in the picture on the west (left) side behind the stack of timbers - waiting to go up once the framework is up.  The ridge beam and the beam on the right set of post still need to be milled out of some logs.  I will mill and set those once the top sections are up to reduce the likelihood of them warping and twisting.  All the short braces under the beams are ready.  I have stock cut for the long 7'6" braces (four on each bent - 20 total) and just need a day to cut the tenons on each end.  Two to three weeks of prep still to go.  Pretty much what I lost due to the heat, fire, smoke and rain at the beginning of the month.  It's gonna be close! :-\

Fun leg-pulling from 1/29/2017
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

firefighter ontheside

Are you hoping to get it under roof this season?
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

Ljohnsaw

Not gonna happen.  Early on I couldn't get any logs to make it happen this year, so I will pull the temporary loft flooring up before I close up for the winter.  Hopefully that will be sometime after Halloween.

Heading up in the morning through Friday.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

thecfarm

asaw11, I am following too.
Not a timber build guy, so I get lost easy.
But I am enjoying the posts.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

firefighter ontheside

Understood.  Thats what I was wondering about was the flooring.
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

LindaJSaw

Quote from: ljohnsaw on September 26, 2022, 08:10:18 PM
Go back and read the first 639 posts :D  (that's one of my brothers so I can be mean) The first picture in the previous update is looking north.  The cabin is running exactly north-south.  The northern most bent is #1 with the southern most being #5.

Here is what it is supposed to look like when nearly done:


 
And this is the parts I'm working on right now:


 
I need to mill out the front three 8x8 posts and the matching center post for the north end.  The mini-tie beams can be seen at the top of the window frames.  The beam on the left set of posts is sitting up on the deck in the picture on the west (left) side behind the stack of timbers - waiting to go up once the framework is up.  The ridge beam and the beam on the right set of post still need to be milled out of some logs.  I will mill and set those once the top sections are up to reduce the likelihood of them warping and twisting.  All the short braces under the beams are ready.  I have stock cut for the long 7'6" braces (four on each bent - 20 total) and just need a day to cut the tenons on each end.  Two to three weeks of prep still to go.  Pretty much what I lost due to the heat, fire, smoke and rain at the beginning of the month.  It's gonna be close! :-\

Fun leg-pulling from 1/29/2017
:)

Ljohnsaw

Update 10/7/2022:

Lets see, Monday got up there around 8:30.  Set up camp (have to pull the food out from storage in the bath house because there is a bear around) and then finished up the last two 12' posts for the south bent.  I'm sure there is something else I did that day but I don't remember.  

Tuesday I made up 5 of the 7'6" long 4x6 braces for the very top of the bents.  Probably did something else...  Oh, yeah.  I made up a little furniture dolly from some large caster and some 1½"x8" pine boards.

I called a friend from my old job and had him help on Wednesday.  I told him I had a job that he was well qualified for.  ;) Had him sit all day on the brace stock while I cut and cleaned up with the slick.  He's 75 this year and in good shape but didn't think he wanted to operate the manual boring machine!  We knocked out another 6 or 7 braces between stories from the past.  After he left I cut a few more 7' braces.  I spread out the posts and mini-tie beams using the furniture dolly.

Thursday, early morning I dropped the mini-ties in the 12' perlin posts to check the fit.  Two fit, the remaining 8 needed a little shaving here and there.  You can see the gaps on the closest two that didn't sit down into the housings.


  
The rest of the day was assembling the north bent (#1).  Turns out my calipers were not calibrated when I was making brace stock. :-\  Normally, I check them several times a day, but for some reason I didn't.  All the braces were about 1/16" too thick so lots of shaving needed.  At least they weren't too thin!  Took the rest of the day to assemble.  The days are getting too short!  The far braces are just placed to show the full bent.  The area below the mini-ties is 9' and will have a vertical sash window in each looking north.


 
This morning, on to the south bent (#5).  First, I shaved all the brace stock tenons to the right thickness.  ;) This one went together in half the time of the north bent! 8) But, still took about 3 hours :-\  That includes dropping the 12' post on the left down to the first floor. ::)  No damage done.  Just a slow motion teeter that I couldn't get to fast enough.  There's the furniture dolly next to my bike frame timber hauler.


 
This weekend I'll fabricate some slip-ons for the SkyTrak forks to accept some 18' sections of heavy pipe.  One on each fork and one from the top of the headache rack so I'll have a really long boom to raise these bents. It will be held in place with some chain and my new, fancy, heavy-duty ratchet come-alongs.  Next week should get the bents upright!
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Ljohnsaw

I took these picture back on 9/27 that I forgot to post.  First, some cathedral grain for MM.  In person it was really jagged edged from one tooth being out of wack.  Turns out the band was cracked 3/4 of the way through.


 
I think this log was a little surprised that I was cutting it up! ;D


 
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Ljohnsaw

Update 10/12/2022:

My SkyTrak had a rough life before I got it.  Something big fell on the fork backstop.  Ignore the yellow brackets on the forks for now.  Hopefully I'll have another update for what they are for.


 

 
I tried once to straighten it but the expanded metal was in the way.  So Tuesday, I took my cordless angle grinder to it.


 
I think this is a 4 or 6 ton jack.  With the help of some chain to focus where I wanted it to bend, I got it pretty straight, vertically.


 
The jack did a final push and blew the top off the cylinder so it's toast.  The center support had popped it's weld long ago.  I'll have to bring up my stick welder and see how well my generator does providing power for it.

I forgot to take some pictures but I drilled and pounded in the three 1" oak pegs into each post where the main cross beams connect (30 pegs).  I still need to peg the three middle posts in the center of the cabin.

Today was bolt day.  On the middle three bents, the engineer specified adding bolts to all the internal braces.  A ¾" x 12" bolt horizontally through the brace into the post just below were the top of the brace enters the post.  Also, a 1" x 18" bolt vertically up into the beams (10"x15").  The braces need a 2" counter-bore to seat a flat washer.  A little difficult to start a horizontal hole on this angle with a Forsner bit. :-X


 
So I made a jig.


 

 
First drill the counter-bore and then run the ¾" bit through.


 
On the beam side, just a piece of 2x6 with a pre-drilled 2" hole.  Line it up and clamp.



And drill. (Sorry, this is a different "after" shot)

 
All that's left is to pound the bolt through and tighten it up with the impact.  I did 11 of these horizontal (¾") ones today and will do the 11 vertical (1") ones tomorrow.

I also spent a lot of time today removing the nails from the external brace plates and using the right fasteners ::) (SDS ¼"x 1.5" screws).  Got about half done today, hope to get the rest tomorrow.  Then, I can work on setting up the top half of the bents.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Thank You Sponsors!