My timber frame build

[Magicman]

Sounds like you are working out the neglected gremlins.   

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 7/25/2024:

A few posts back I said I cut 5 rafters plus 2. The two were to come out of some 4x slabs, only there were too many ant galleries.🫤

The remaining 5 I put up top to cut and place. Upon further examination in full sunlight, three more were culled due to some dry rot and ant galleries.

That being said, notching fresh cut stock goes a lot faster that my aged stock. I had the two up in very short order. Now on the hunt to complete the last three on the west side.

In the meantime, making use of my Genie lift. Notching the beams

So much faster being on the correct side, the correct height and having some shade. Can't tell from this picture but I'm 30 feet off the ground. Did twelve notches in a couple hours without having to go up and down ladders.

[TreefarmerNN]

Wow, what a great project!  If I was closer, I'd be asking if I could help.  I've done a little repair on old timber framed sheds and it's just amazing how strong they are.

[Magicman]

In the meantime, making use of my Genie lift. Notching the beams

It's good to see that your new "toy" is earning it's keep. 

[Ljohnsaw]

Yesterday I finished up the notches.

I clocked about 10 hours on the lift. What looks like floor joists at the edge of the floor boards are actually the first floor joists. So there is some gaps where I needed to work. The lift bypassed that issue and I did 44 notches comfortably.

This is the view from 45' up!

When I go out on the lake near my house with my fishing buddy, we troll along gently rocking in the swells. Afterwards, when I take my shower, I have to stand with my feet slightly apart to maintain my balance. When I close my eyes, I feel the rocking motion. On a particularly bad day with lots of boat traffic, I feel the motion sitting at the dinner table!

Well, spending 10 hours on the lift, you not only get some swaying, you get some bouncing! During my shower when I closed my eyes to rinse off, it felt like I was in a wild elevator ride! 😬

[Stephen1]

I guess 45' up and 10' are similar in the landing except you have more time to think on your way down
Looks really good John. 

[Old Greenhorn]

I have a 70' antenna tower I put up with the help of a friend for the two man work (lifting sections and raising the 70 pound 24' antenna). I can assure you there is a huge difference between 10' and 45'. At 70' you start to think about different options that would not normally enter a rational person's mind.
 I did once bail off at about 15' when a hornets nest showed up just 5 days after my previous trip up the tower. I didn't take a lot of time to think about that one. I was fine, but I was about 30 years younger then and quite motivated in that moment.

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 8/2/2024

Got a replacement for the high idle solenoid and installed it. I used the Genie to take my table saw and miter saw up top and custom cut blocking to fit between the rafters on top of the wall beams. Beats just using a skilsaw.

Then I de-stickered my piles of 2x8s on to pallets to get ready for T&G.

Used to be:

Cleaned out the left side. There's some 2x6s against the wall and the 2x8s in the front are cull board that I'll use to make more pallets.

And filled two pallets plus part of a third.

Started the right side to finish off the third pallet. Was up to the bottom of the joists.

Supposed to rain this weekend up there so covered it up.

Each pallet has 50 to 55 boards and the 545D can lift but pretty light on the rear end! I need 120-140 boards to cover one side. There are 76 boards remaining in the basement.

I'll run the 2x6s through the MP200 first to figure it out. Thinking of using whatever that width turns out over the eaves and the wider inside the cabin.

[Magicman]

Wow that is lotsa lumber handling, but it's also progress. 

[Andries]

John, the loader might benefit from some junk in the trunk.
I'm aware you don't have enough room to swing a cat by the tail, but something compact like this might work:

That's about 2000 lbs  of concrete and the machine handles it nicely.

[Andries]

How many pairs of gloves have you worn out this season - or do you wear Nature's own replaceables ? 

[Ljohnsaw]

I have a big Gannon box that weighs north of 1,200#, IIRC.

I'm 50/50 on store-bought and nature-made. 

[Ljohnsaw]

Probably best directed to @Don P 

Wondering if it would be a good idea, bad or just a waste of material. My rafters are 4x7 pine. Planning on attaching a 2x cedar facia board. I have a few rolls of Fortiflash and another similar product that I was thinking of covering the end of the rafters before attaching the facia.

Related, when I attach the 2x pine T&G roof deck, should I leave a slight gap between the lower edge and the fascia? The fascia extends about 8" above the roof deck to house the 6" of rigid foam and the vertical & horizontal 1x strapping for the metal roof. Thinking about an escape route for any moisture that gets under the metal.

[Ljohnsaw]

Made an unplanned dust mitigation run 🫤

Oil streaming out of the oil cooler on the 545D. Thought I punctured it somehow. There is a big dent running diagonally in the middle and couldn't figure out how I could have done that.

Pulled the grill and rotated the cooler down. Whew, just a return line split. The dent was old. Looked like they used some heater hose and it rotted. Half hour drive to NAPA for a foot long hose ($18.95!!!) and 5 gallons of oil ($89.95). Put in about 4 gallons. Back in business.

[Stephen1]

Whoops! 
Good save. And of course you report the spill to the epa

[Ljohnsaw]

Got bad news this morning from my logger. The job that was supposed to start on Monday that would provide me with logs has been postponed indefinitely. All his cutters are on the fire lines with no end in sight.

I did put up the last two rafters I cut this past week. Still one to go.

So next week is T&G week. I pulled the remaining 80 2x8s and 29 2x6s out and filled two more pallets. I'll practice on the 2x6s before I do the 2x8s.

[Old Greenhorn]

Funny thing John, I looked at that photo and thought I was looking at the Notre Dam rebuild operation. That's gonna be quite a place!

[TimW]

It is an inspiring build.

[Ljohnsaw]

Side tracked with a couple technical issues.

Trouble starting the 545D has morphed into hydrostatic transmission won't engage. An electrical issue. Trying to track down a wiring schematic.

The other is setting up my MP200 to start cutting the T&G roof deck.
MP setup/issues

To resume next week...

[Magicman]

Hopefully the "issues" will not resume next week. 

[GRANITEstateMP]

John, my brother in law usually keeps a forward reverser handle in stock...if that helps with a place to start looking

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 8/28/2024:

Did a bit of T&G milling last week.MP200 making shavings

Spent too much time chasing electrical issues on the 545D. Gonna pull the starter. I think the solenoid is shot. It makes a faint arcing sound now.

Did take down a ponderosa yesterday afternoon, fished it out of the woods with a couple lengths of chain and made some 2x8s and a couple rafters. Put the last rafter on the west side up this morning.


Put the last 4 pieces of blocking in and ready to put up some T&G!

While eating lunch, I was catching up on Forum posts but fell asleep waiting for pages to render. The cell service up here is pretty poor. Wish someone would add a tower nearby.😉

Used my plywood rafter template to get exact measurements for the east side. Getting dark too early now! Had to quit before 8:00 with 4 more left to measure.

[TimW]

..........as we watch with bated breath.

[Ljohnsaw]

Finished the measurements this morning and decided to put up the second rafter I cut yesterday. It's in the wet noodle phase being so fresh. No fighting to make it comply.

[Ljohnsaw]

My niece and her husband have come up a few weekend to help over the years. He's come a few times on his own. He came up Friday through Sunday evening to help. We put up some T&G, finished milling the second pallet and started a third.

Getting there!