Yet another pole barn build

Woody65 · Apr 29, 2016

Finally got started on the 32x40 pole barn. Before you ask, yes I used an excavator to dig the holes. The boulders you see in the pics are just a small sampling of what came out of the ground. An auger would have been useless. Unfortunately, I have prior experience with digging in this area and didn't even attempt to use my 3pt auger. Luckily I own a mini ex and it did the job. My 70 yr old uncle along with my wife and me got it to this point the last 2 days. I have 50 yds of item-4 fill coming and will get it to grade when I get back to the property next week. The plan is to get the barn built, run electric underground (1200 ft) from the pole to the barn, get my travel trailer up on the mountain and eventually build the second (vacation) home. Well, enjoy the pics. I now have another assignment from the wife to put together one of those large swing sets for the grandkids in our backyard.......

Tompet · Apr 29, 2016

Nice job...pretty setting! I'll be following your progress. What are dimensions?

EddieWalker · Apr 29, 2016

Nothing quite as pretty as seeing a line of posts in the ground!!!

lennyzx11 · Apr 29, 2016

This is on my list also. May I ask how you dug the holes with the mini ex? I thought it would be too large a hole per pole. I live on a rock pile too and am afraid a PHD will get laughed at when I do mine.

Woody65 · Apr 29, 2016

Tompet said:
Nice job...pretty setting! I'll be following your progress. What are dimensions?

Thanks, the dimensions are 40' deep x 32' wide. After the town does their inspections I am going to add 8' lean too's to either side.

Woody65 · Apr 29, 2016

lennyzx11 said:
This is on my list also. May I ask how you dug the holes with the mini ex? I thought it would be too large a hole per pole. I live on a rock pile too and am afraid a PHD will get laughed at when I do mine.

The holes got pretty big. Especially when I had a few 2' round boulders to get out of the way. But once you get the poles set the mini just pushes the spoils back into the holes in no time.

I put in 700' of locust fence a couple of years back with the PHD and it went fairly well. Busted a bunch of sheer pins in the process. But that was down in the valley where my fields are. Up on the mountain, no way a PHD will do it.

Woody65 · May 2, 2016

Knowing how much we all like pics, I'll post these. The wifey took them without me knowing and just showed them to me

Breaking ground

Setting up the transit

Setting poles

Grandkids swing set. 7 hrs and 750 screws later.... I feel good about the 7hrs after hearing from a few buddies that it took the three of them 2 days to erect the same set.

More to come as I get the time to work on the barn.

mgraham112 · May 3, 2016

Keep up the pics with the progress! Looking good so far

Woody65 · May 6, 2016

Well, I got some more work done on the barn. I had 75 yds of gravel delivered and got the inside of the barn rough leveled. The little JD 4300 worked its *** off moving those piles inside. I need about 40 yds more to slope the outside but will do that when I am done.

Framed up the rest of the girts and got one of the headers up. I notched the 6x6 out to accept the 2- 2x12's flush. I will bolt it all together at a later date.

Next up is delivery of the rest of the lumber, trusses and metal roofing. Looks like the first week in June is my only time that I can tackle the rest.

Enjoy the pics.....