Building a Car Port

Streetcar · Apr 18, 2016

jlgurr said:
Good point! When I add one of these to my stable (rather than borrowing) I'll be sure to remember that. Was thinking of drilling right next to the current hole, break out the wall between them and using a 12" concrete tube form and backfilling with dirt around the form.

If you still a second hole. Fill the bigger hole completely with concrete. That is easier than forming small hole and backfill the gap

EddieWalker · Apr 19, 2016

It's pretty common for a post hole digger to wonder off target once it gets going. Roots, rocks or just soft and hard dirt will make it go where it wants to go, and now where you want it to go. I couldn't imagine digging more then two holes and not needing to adjust one of them with a post hole digger. Mine is all metal. The extra weight of the metal handles makes widening a hole where I want it fast work. Of course, lifting it is more work, but I think the trade off of the heavier weight of the all metal post hold digger is more then worth it. I also have one with wood handles and a smaller set of clam shells at the end that my wife uses for cleaning out the holes. It's worthless for digging.

LAFarm · Apr 19, 2016

Have some pipe handle post hole diggers also. Amen to the go in easy! When setting cornerposts, slip some 1" poly pipe over them and clamp to make handles longer. Will definately give you a workout coming out of the hole.

jlgurr · Apr 26, 2016

Finally got some posts stuck in the ground last night. My goal is to have all six posts ready for concrete Saturday and rent a mixer and set them all at one time.

The "slider" board in the hole was a great idea! Used the bucket of my tractor to walk the posts up to vertical position.

EddieWalker · Apr 26, 2016

Mixing concrete will give it more PSI then not mixing it, but for holding a post in the ground, there is not measurable advantage to mixing it before pouring it into the hole. The only time I pre mix concrete for a hole is when it's a really big hole, when I'm anchoring something critical, like the anchor for my zip line, or my street lights that hang over the road 4 feet at the top of a 16 foot pole. Otherwise I dump the sack of concrete into the hole, pour a coffee can of water over it, smooth out the top so it's sloped away from the post and move on to the next.

jlgurr · Apr 26, 2016

Really! That's sweet as it would save me a lot of time and trouble.

Sent from my iPhone 2.0 using TractorByNet

Ricks284 · Apr 27, 2016

EddieWalker said:
Mixing concrete will give it more PSI then not mixing it, but for holding a post in the ground, there is not measurable advantage to mixing it before pouring it into the hole. The only time I pre mix concrete for a hole is when it's a really big hole, when I'm anchoring something critical, like the anchor for my zip line, or my street lights that hang over the road 4 feet at the top of a 16 foot pole. Otherwise I dump the sack of concrete into the hole, pour a coffee can of water over it, smooth out the top so it's sloped away from the post and move on to the next.

^^^ I agree with that. Also, if you do need to mix any concrete, make sure to buy quikcrete instead of sakcrete (unless you need higher strength). I made that mistake once and had to wait two weeks before setting expansion bolts into it.

joefromga · Apr 29, 2016

Buy the red bags and you can start building on the first post by the time you're done setting the last one. About 15-20 minutes time to set.

jlgurr · May 10, 2016

Our trusses arrived yesterday! Woo-Hoo!

jlgurr · May 11, 2016

All y'all came through with flying colors for me on suggestions for raising the posts without a crane or boom. How about ideas on getting the trusses on top of the beams, they will be approximately 10 feet off the ground. I saw a photo in another thread some time ago where a man used a long post on the loader of his tractor with a pulley at the top which looked like a neat make-shift boom of sorts. That might be a good option but anything cheap, simple to construct, and easy to use. I have 11 regular trusses and two gable trusses to get up.

I hope to have the beam installation completed within a week and start on the trusses shortly thereafter.

Thanks,
Jeff

Ricks284 · May 12, 2016

I'd use the FEL like a big forklift, with a couple wood posts secured to your loader vertically -- 4x4s or maybe 2x4s. Attach a cross piece at 11 feet when the FEL is in the raised position. Lift one truss onto the cross piece from the ground by hand, secure it, lift and drive into position. I'd probably remove the loader bucket and bolt the wood posts directly to the FEL frame. But you might be able to figure out a way to rest them in the bucket and tie them securely to the frame.

EddieWalker · May 12, 2016

Are you installing the trusses by yourself? If you have a helper, it's pretty easy to just put one end up on the beam where it belongs, up side down. Then put the other one up, and flip it upright. It takes two people to do this because one of you has to climb up the ladder to flip the truss right side up and the other has to anchor it in place and brace it there with either some temporary boards, or your purlins. Just start at the far end wall, get that one up, braced, and work you way down.

If you are doing it by yourself, I would look into building an attachment to the front of your tractor to pick them up and lower them into position, then hold it there while you get them braced.

jlgurr · May 12, 2016

I'll have some extra help on truss day. Haven't un-banded them yet so didn't realize they'd be light enough to push them up. Sounds like it will be easier than I thought.

Sent from my iPhone 2.0 using TractorByNet

doxford jim · May 13, 2016

When I installed my trusses I used two vertical pieces of wood bolted to the back of the bucket. This allowed the trusses to sit in the upright position across the top of the bucket, when tied to the wood. The trusses are easy manageable this way and allows you to lift them into position on the beams. It worked well for me.

jlgurr · May 13, 2016

doxford jim said:
When I installed my trusses I used two vertical pieces of wood bolted to the back of the bucket. This allowed the trusses to sit in the upright position across the top of the bucket, when tied to the wood. The trusses are easy manageable this way and allows you to lift them into position on the beams. It worked well for me.

Now you're talking, sounds like a good idea.

Sent from my iPhone 2.0 using TractorByNet