Building the Quilting Studio

[WVBill]

So as I mentioned in my other thread on Basic Backhoe Operation http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/97247-basic-backhoe-operation.html , I'm building a Quilting Studio for my wife. It will be a one-story 24' x 24' stick-framed building on a foundation over a crawl space. The Attic space under the 12/12 pitch roof will be used for storage and office. I want the first floor to be post-free so I'm using 14" wood I-Joists for the attic floor joists. First floor will be 2 x 10 joists with a 12' span.

Ground breaking for the footers was last Saturday. I rented a Bobcat excavator and followed the advice I got from tlbuser, Eddie and MossRoad in my other thread for the layout.

I used marking paint to lay out the digging path and grade stakes alongside. The tops of the grade stakes were level. After I carefully dug down to my planned depth and put the bucket flat on the bottom of the hole, I noted a point on the excavator boom that was level with the grade stake. Then I just eyeballed this point to the tops of the grade stakes as I moved along.

Although I never got to the point where that last bucket at the bottom was second nature, I did learn how to combine small movements of the boom, stick and bucket so it worked out pretty good. I ended up with a bottom that's within a few inches of level around the whole perimeter.

Here's links to the pictures:

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/wvbills/Quilting%20Studio/SiteView.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/wvbills/Quilting%20Studio/Thelayout1.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/wvbills/Quilting%20Studio/ExcavatorDelivered.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/wvbills/Quilting%20Studio/Digging.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/wvbills/Quilting%20Studio/Lovinthatpower.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/wvbills/Quilting%20Studio/Viewfromtheoperatorseat.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/wvbills/Quilting%20Studio/firstsidefinished.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/wvbills/Quilting%20Studio/done.jpg

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o181/wvbills/Quilting%20Studio/IntheDitch.jpg

I did discover that my batter boards were WAY too close to the digging path. As a result, I couldn't straddle the digging line with the excavator for more than the first half of each side. That's where the articulating boom on this excavator saved the day. I was able to nose up and hang out over the trench, put the blade down on the other side for stability, swing the boom over and dig.

This weekend I planned to clean up the bottom of the trench and put down my footer forms but it's raining buckets and the whole site is a mud bog. Oh well - next weekend.

WVBill

 

[bones1]

Looks like you were having too much fun out there.Have to find another reason to rent it again.

 

[sandman2234]

Looks like the price of quilts is fixing to go up!
David from jax

 

[WayneB]

It's taking shape Bill! Look forward to seeing the building go up..........might be better as a new wood working shop (?) or just build it for wood turning!

Wayne

 

[EddieWalker]

Bill,

Thanks for the update and some great pictures!!! It looks like you took your time and di a very nice job with your digging. Nice and straight with some really nice looking walls to your trench!!!

From the smile you your face, I'd say you had about as much fun as a guy can have playing in the dirt!!! Well done.

Is the quilting shed going to mirror the look of your barn? I really like the look of it allot. Very nice!!!!

Eddie