Sawmill Shed Pole Building

[TimW]

I see, I thought maybe it was to keep fire ants and scorpions from getting to your chair. Something us northerners wouldn't understand!

No scorpions here.  They are about a 2 hour drive west.  But I was raised with fire ants around.  I remember when they first arrived, Dad would pour gasoline on the mounds and light it on fire.
Now, I leave them alone and they leave me alone.  Just look down at your feet when standing still, just in case they like your shoes.  Ant poison only makes the mound move.

But Carpenter or Army ants (the big black ants), they get the expensive Acetone treatment.  They are so destructive.  I have found them under the bark of ERC, eating on my posts.  They took out a meter pole, living in it's base.  Nasty critters.

[TimW]

I'm working on an equation that I hope can help explain the correlation between the different factors necessary to say, finish a building project, and explain why all the factors never seem to be present at once. Using Tim's example, why is it that when you have money and knowledge, that health seems to leave the conversation?

Hopefully the rest of you on the Forum can help me get this worked out, maybe we could put it in the Forum Toolbox😊

Not sure I am following what you are saying.  The TC only flares up at in bed.  Working the project, my hands are happy.

[barbender]

I was just trying to be funny, and made it too complicated. 

Maybe a better way is to just ask, why is it once we get to a point in life where we have the money and knowledge to accomplish things, that our bodies give out?

[doc henderson]

health is a given, time and money are needed for many things in life like trips, equipment homes.  If you work all the time, you have more money but no time.  if you work little you may not have money to do the things you want to do.  I get it.  I was 39 when my daughter was born, now 26. something to be said for the Foks married and kids right out of high school.  but then it is hard to get an education and or a really good job.

[TimW]

Too much time, not enough money.
Too much money, not enough time.
That's life.

[TimW]

Started on the back wall girts today.  Will run out of 20 footers before done.  Remembered Sunday evening I have a 24 foot log 24 inches at the butt that is screaming to become girts.  Later today, they will become 2x6s.

[TimW]

Sawed more 20 foot girts yesterday.  They were going up today.  Almost finished with the girts.

[TimW]

Started Girting the Squirt Boom Parking.

[caveman]

Your shed build looks good.  If you sawed them yesterday and are putting them up the next day, why go through the trouble to sticker stack them?  

[TimW]

Thanks!
Habit and not sure if I can finish before rain comes tomorrow and storms the next day.

[TimW]

My son came out Monday, and helped me measure for the 6x16 door header beam.  I cut it to length yesterday, before quitting early for Bible study.  I was gonna give it a final width trim today and hang it, but was talked into cutting for a new customer.  Tomorrow I hang and secure the beam.

[TimW]

Big day here, installing the 6x16 door header beam.  It was a tight fit, but the Lull with frame tilt and carriage tilt inched the beam into place.  Followed by a 6 pound sledge hammer putting it exactly where I wanted it.  It was has a nice, tight fit.
I scabbed on some 2x6s to help hold the beam.  Each end post has 4 each 8 inch headlok screws in the beam.  I will change the 2x6s to 2x12s once the top sills are up.

The whole time, it was misting rain and humid.  Miserable weather, but it will be a stormy weekend and if not today.....Monday and I couldn't wait any longer.

[TimW]

I like working with the beams, over 2x4s and 2x6s.  When the sawmill extension gets installed, I hope to have more beam work.

[Magicman]

Oh yes Tim, that is getting it done.  Very nice indeed !! 

[TimW]

Yeah Lynn, we're to the exciting part.  Thanks. 
The beam has a touch of crown on the left end.  I will probably chisel and belt sand down the bottom side of the top sill that will sit on top of the it.  I tried trimming it down on the mill, but with no bunks at 18-19 feet, it would just hang off the ends.  I didn't wanna try trimming upside down, as I was afraid of cutting both ends too low.

[TimW]

Got out in the cold, after Church, and started shortening the tower.  Gonna make it 2 foot shorter so the top sills will be right above the top of the handrails.

[TimW]

Haven't done much on the shed.  Been busy converting a barn stall from a rabbitry to a fish house.
But I did get the first top sill up before all the rain, after replacing the battery in the Lull.

[TimW]

Finished installing top sill plates on one side over the concrete.
Gonna do more later today, if the hose that is leaking on the Lull doesn't blow.

[TimW]

Top sill plates are installed.  Now take a breath and catch up other stuff, then start assembling trusses.  Right on schedule to be installing tin in the heat of the summer!

[Magicman]

Lookin' good.     Yup, da   is gonna catch you.  

[TimW]

It was amazing to find some of the 2x12s had shrunk down to 11.5 inches.  Some shrunk down to 11.75".  Some stayed within an 1/8" to 12.  I cut them to 12 & 1/8".

I had some thin oak that I was gonna make a blade box out of, but it cupped to bad.  I had it in 1/4" and 1/2", so I cut them to fit the notches and used them as shims.

A few of them had crowned about an inch.  One about 1.5 inches.  I had a 1 inch wide ratchet strap that pulled most of them down.  On two of them, I had to get the 2 inch ratchet strap and put all I had into it to pull the crown down into the notch. 

I had 8 boards left over, cause I knew there would be culls.  So those were culled from being 11.25 inches or having a 2 inch crown.  Or just didn't look right to me.  They will be cut down to 2x10x18 for the front side lean on shed rafters. 

The one oak top sill plate I cut cupped too much and shrank so much in thickness, I didn't even measure it,  just took it to the burn pile.

[jpassardi]

I hear ya. I milled 8 1/8" (mixed oak) joists & rafters for my barn and many are 7 3/4, a few are down to 7 1/2 after drying. Some will just move from stress while drying despite balancing the grain from the cant. The good thing is you get to handle them a few more times to select where they can be used...

[TimW]

The good thing is you get to handle them a few more times to select where they can be used...

Thanks for reminding me.

[barbender]

Iirc, from green to dry typical shrinkage is 6%. Obviously it depends on the starting MC and final MC when dry, but it's a good rule of thumb. 3/4" per foot. This is what is figured for on log homes when planning how much the wall height will shrink. 

[Magicman]

It would be interesting to look at the ends of those boards and compare the shrinkage differences between flat/grade, rift, and QS.  When building there could be a decision to make regarding laying out from the top or bottom of the boards.  When I built the Cabin I laid out from the tops on rafters & floor joists, and bottom on ceiling joist.

You could also look at those cupped boards to determine what to do and not do in the future.