Big Multi Year Project About to Begin...help!

[DAY]

Talk to some timber framers- and you're in luck- New England has several nationally known ones. Check Fine Homebuilding magazine for source info.
Down here in PA Dutch Country the Amish community still takes down and moves these old structures.

I live in a 1781 House Mill, one of the best preserved in the state, and it is a joy to lie in bed, looking up at the hand hewn chestnut beams and the 20" walnut floorboards of the attic.

Given your date, it is probably is held together with wooden trunnels ("tree nails") and taking the structure apart is like building a kit house- in reverse! All you really need is a few hand tools, ropes and pulleys,- and time:thumbsup: Start at the top, and work your way down. And leave the chain saw at home!

If the underside of the roof panels don't show rust then they are probably good for another 100 years. The nails are probably rusted out, so after you prime and paint the roof use stainless steel screws to re-install.

Again, talk to modern timber framers (they build the bents in their shop, mark the parts, then truck it to the site, and put it back together).

And take LOTS of pictures- not so much for our entertainment, as for when you wonder "Where the heck does THIS go?:laughing:

 

[dave1949]

You are a glutton for punishment

Have plan for how to label and identify the location of all parts. Maybe an indelible-type marker to label the parts? Something that won't blow off or be washed away by rain. Have cataloging method to record all that info. Take a bazillion photos.

I assume the best way to reassemble is exactly as it was.
Dave.

 

[Village Idiot]

I like your project! I've been working on a 1/2 - 3/4 mile access myself. I had to cut a hole through the woods, cross a small stream by building a bridge, put in 5-6 culverts and haul some rock. When I say some rock I mean I'm closing in on 2 million pounds. I consider myself lucky in that I got the local dirt guy to fetch me 20 ton triaxle loads of 3" roadbase (blasted ledge rock that contains everything from 3" down to fines) to his pit that is about 2 miles from my lot. I started trucking with a 1 ton dump (huge mistake) and have now moved to a C7500 which when loaded (18 tons gross, 10 tons rock) is about as much as I want to put over the hemlock bridge I built. I roll out fabric, dump some rock, spread smooth with FEL (I shoot for 4-6") and repeat. The wheel tracks will get mashed down in the spring time, but after that I fill in with 3/4" minus (Shooting for about 2") and do a final smooth with a boxblade. The second spring mash down was barely noticible.

I also live in Mid-NH but over near the CT river. If you were to ask me (which I realize you haven't) I would work on getting heavy duty, year round access to your site completed while you figure out your next move. Take your time on this, and have fun building a road. If you try to rush or cut corners it will be a big sloppy mess (I've left out some parts) and you'll just have to fix it later. I wouldn't get a motor grader or a bulldozer. I'm sure there are great reasons to have ones, and great operators to run them, but I can't figure them out.

3 years is a pretty aggressive timeframe. I have a day job, 2 kids, and a wife who doesn't even know how to turn the tractor on so maybe you can spend more time on your project than I can. Most of our "discussions" in the last 2 years have involved some form of "blah blah blah you spend too much time/money/effort/thought on The Land..." YMMV

I love cutting down trees, but if you also want the stumps out it is WAY easier to push them over with the tractor, then cut the root ball off. This method is frowned upon here, and it's not as fun as cutting them, but it is a lot faster. I would also encourage you to get into maple sugaring. It's a nice way to spend the crappy end of winter/ early spring time.

Did I share too much there?

 

[dodge man]

Wow, I just read this thread, quite a project. First off, unless you have time to burn, pass on the old barn. Focus on your road first.

One thing that jumped out at me, is you need some kind of construction grade equimpment. That might be a TLB, and larger excavator, a bull dozer etc. I see you are looking at that stuff, and I think you need it.

We have a part time worker that has quite a bit of land and he maintains his roads from gravel he digs out of a creek bed. It just comes back after a few months after he digs it out. He uses an old grain truck to haul it with. The rock isn't that great, but its free. I'm guessing he maintains as much or more road than you are talking about with a 45 hp John Deere tractor. Its a lot of work and he has owned the ground for 20 years. I'm a land surveyor and I've helped him survey it all, and I love going there and working and driving around.

I'd say you are biting off a big chunk of change with this project, but if you make it fly, it will be rewarding. Someone on this board had a real long thread on how the built a house in northern California. They also had quite a bit of road to maintain, and they live off the grid. Here is a link http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/104037-3r-home-barn-project.html

 

[forgeblast]

I was going to second the camera, and different color paint markers, so you can label where everything goes. You may want to see if there is a timberframing school nearby they may have a class in session that can help you take things apart, or make things that are rotted.
Also watch how you store it, you dont want it rotting out, I would almost have the pad/place for it ready so you can take it apart and put it right back up.

 

[Sulla]

Decided to pass on the old barn. I ordered up a Pole Barn instead. The materials start arriving in four weeks. We start on the road next week. Hope to have lots of pictures. Right now I'm trying to nail down a good excavator for a good price. I'm looking for a full machine like a Cat 312 or equivalent. So far the best deal I've found is a 95 with 4000 hours for $35k. The machine is pretty clean and the engine sounds great.

Excavator, welder/ generator and my tractor repaired and I am good to go.

Soil samples and farm plan shortly there after.

Hope to have more soon.

 

[Obed]

Decided to pass on the old barn. I ordered up a Pole Barn instead. The materials start arriving in four weeks. We start on the road next week. Hope to have lots of pictures. Right now I'm trying to nail down a good excavator for a good price. I'm looking for a full machine like a Cat 312 or equivalent. So far the best deal I've found is a 95 with 4000 hours for $35k. The machine is pretty clean and the engine sounds great.

Excavator, welder/ generator and my tractor repaired and I am good to go.

Soil samples and farm plan shortly there after.

Hope to have more soon.

I think you made the right choice in passing up the old barn. It sounds like you have plenty just on the essentials (road, place to live, etc.). The old barn project didn't sound like a necessity.

Are you planning to buy an escavator?

Obed

 

[scoutcub]

Decided to pass on the old barn. I ordered up a Pole Barn instead. The materials start arriving in four weeks. We start on the road next week. Hope to have lots of pictures. Right now I'm trying to nail down a good excavator for a good price. I'm looking for a full machine like a Cat 312 or equivalent. So far the best deal I've found is a 95 with 4000 hours for $35k. The machine is pretty clean and the engine sounds great.

Excavator, welder/ generator and my tractor repaired and I am good to go.

Soil samples and farm plan shortly there after.

Hope to have more soon.

Sulla -

just read thru your thread, great project! Sounds like you have you're work cut out for you.....I look forward to following your progress.
Couple of observations/comments -
if you start cutting trees for firewood, that will definitely get you in shape

And onto the equipment.....man I love equipment....:licking: I have a 62 acre parcel in Ohio that I plan on building our retirement home in 4-5 years.....but in the meantime I'm working on clearing the homesite, building the road in (maybe 1/4 mile) and clearing the land/trails. (sound familiar?) I started off with a dozer, but kept running into stumps....they seller had just logged the property off, so I have a nice stump farm, and all the tops are tossed all over the place. I have a chipper, chain saws, equipment and a plan, just need the time....
Anyways I would also recommend pushing the trees over with the equipment, much easier/faster to get the stumps out of the way.
I have a CAT 312, love it. Great sized machine. For your application, I would look for a 312 with a dozer blade and a hydraulic thumb. This will up the cost, but you can do so much more with that combo. Keep shopping, I got great deals on both of my machines....my 312 is a 2001 with 2 buckets, manual thumb, quick coupler, and I spent a bit less than the one you found. I should be able to use them for a few years and sell them for close to what I bought them for.

have fun shopping!

Frank

 

[Sulla]

I am planning on buying an excavator, next week if I am to stay on schedule. Fortunately we won't be living there for three to four years so the house can wait for a bit. My goal for this year is the road, the barn and clear and prep as many acres as I can for planting next year.

The man who is working as my foreman on the farm used to own a tree clearing business so he is pretty handy around heavy equipment. The plan after we attend to the road is to brush hog what I can. Cut the rest with chainsaws and haul them to the side for latter cutting. I'm going to chip and burn the tops in a gasification boiler along with the wood, next year.

As the saying goes man plans God laughs. We'll see. Anyone selling a good sized excavator in New England let me know. I'm buying soon.

 

[Obed]

The plan after we attend to the road is to brush hog what I can. Cut the rest with chainsaws and haul them to the side for latter cutting. I'm going to chip and burn the tops in a gasification boiler along with the wood, next year.

What are you going to cut with chainsaws? Standing trees or trees you've pushed over with the excavator?

Obed