Making a Bar joists or bar beam

[LarryG]

Has anyone made a bar joist or a bar beam for a clear span for a saw mill shed. I priced LVL'S way to much and I'm thinking an I beam would be about the same. I would like to span 20' and LVL'S would be $650.00

[Bruno of NH]

I haven't done it yet but have the stuff sawn out to make a Warren type truss 30' long.
It will be for the loader opening.

[moodnacreek]

I scored a pile of 26 footers 16" deep. Used up most of the fixing up my original saw mill building.  If you have stout posts, put up a 20' wood beam with a cable or steel rod under it with a fulcrum mid way. It needs to be held by eye bolts touching the underside at each end and stretched tight.

[farmfromkansas]

Built a calf shed a while back with a 20' front opening.  Used oil well pipe to make the frame of the shed, for the opening used a pipe top and bottom and a piece of sheet metal between to build a header that looks kindof like a I beam with pipe for the flanges. Whole frame is welded together to make a 1 piece frame.  Laid concrete blocks down in a dug out footing to keep the steel off the ground. Hedge posts on the corners wired to the frame to keep it down in a wind storm.  When I quit cattle, it would make a nice air drying shed.

[Iwawoodwork]

I haven't built my shed yet but have bee gathering and sawing the material , rafters 1 1
/2"x9"x12' ad two sections mfg home frame H beam 8"tall with 2  1/2" flangex30' long.
I plan to stack the two mfg home beams and weld. my opening will be 20'.
I mention this because I have found old frames for free or very cheap and recycled for different projects, such as welding table frames, 20 ton hydraulic jack press, several 2-3 axle fb trailers.
  
I think they could be a cheap source of beam for an ag/saw building.