Start of something big.....

[wroughtn_harv]

We had a pretty good week all things considering. Adopted son Scott, aka Too Tall, came up Wednesday evening and helped me out Thursday and Friday. We got all the trusses up.

I was on the second truss that we realized some dumb son of gun (me) who set the forms had set them an inch short, 39 feet 11 inches instead of forty feet wide. The same dumb son of a gun didn't allow for the width of the tip edges. This meant the uprights couldn't be plumbed up because the bottoms were four and a half inches shorter than at the truss. Every arch had to be shortened four and a half inches.

Scott had some fun at my expense.

One of the tools I use is a metal cutting blade from Original to cut the steel. It works very good. When we figured out the cuts for the end trusses Scott used a speed square and did his hip cuts with the worm drive DeWalt just like he would have done with wood.

I used the longest of my extensions at the lowest of the weld plates on the slab. Then I cut the rest to fit for height based upon the Hilti laser. The ten extensions were within an eighth of an inch when I was done.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The trusses went up fairly easy once we got the width thing straightened out. They're pretty well in line now and the height at the peaks are within a half of an inch. The side walls are now close to fourteen feet after I put up the top plate and Z purlins. I'll start that in the morning.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

You can now see my problem with having two different types of materials for the trusses. The ones where I needed to set them eight inches inside because the horizontal purlins ran outside the uprights I put on the ends. The ones where the purlins run between the uprights I used in the center.

Tomorrow I'll start by installing the west end (cow side) top plate. I'll then install the Z purlins on top of the trusses working west to east. This is because I'm working by myself again and I have to always be aware of not working myself into a corner. This is especially true when I'll dealing with purlins twenty five feet long and fifteen feet off the ground. I have to be able to use the forklift to put them in place. Then I'll use the manlift to do the fastening. Some places I'll use bolts but most of the attachments will done with welding.

I'll try to remember to take the camera cord so I can upload pictures during the week. We're expecting weather Tuesday and I need to have the trusses supported to each other by tomorrow evening.

If you think I'm having fun I think you're right.

 

[EddieWalker]

Hey Harvey,

Seeing your pictures and imagining the planning involved to make this work, I really gotta hand it to you for taking on this job. At first, I thought it was gonna be one of those jobs where the metal looks different, but it's all the same size, so it might not be pretty, but it will all fit together. Now it's obvious that none of it will fit together and every piece will have to be custom fit to the other.

I hope this is a very good friend that you are doing this for. I can't imagine how it would be cost effective to do something like this compared to buying brand new.

When I get a client who wants me to fix something, I first figure out what it will cost to replace with new, then how many hours I will work on it to make it work. Usually my time will cost allot more to make it like new then just buying a new one and installing it.

I admire your skill and talent. This is going to be allot more fun before it gets easy.

Eddie

 

[wroughtn_harv]

This client has been a great friend for twenty five years now. He understands how I work and appreciates what I do.

One of the frequent visitors to the worksite is a state licensed inspector you've described in an earlier reply. He's also a friend. I just didn't realize he was one of the inspectors.

It looks like the weather will be a factor this week.

 

[BayouMan]

Friend or not, I don't think you would ever run into a situation that an inspector could call you on. If you stayed in one area long enough, the head inspector would probably be sending all of his crew out to watch you too see how it is really done.

 

[JimW1950]

Harvey
We are eager for an update on your progress since March 22nd.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I came in last night and remembered to bring the camera. A lot has happened but I haven't been diligent about taking pictures and updating.

I can't say enough about the metal cutting blade. It goes through steel like the proverbial hot knife through butter. This is half inch plate and it's faster and cleaner than a plasma or torch.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Yesterday we poured the porch. They were projecting rain Thursday night in the area so I turned over the laying out and tying the rebar to the concrete contractor. I formed it up first. I learned a lot about tying rebar. First and foremost is the pros are much faster. I've also been doing things wrong. I used too many ties and I worried about the lines being straight when I shouldn't have. I won't use that concrete constractor again.

The work turned out fine. I just like the stuff under the concrete to match what's on top.

The way I formed it up my stakes ended up in the beam and in concrete after the pour. Yesterday afternoon I pulled all the nails while the concrete was still green. Then I discovered that I could tap the stakes and they would break loose and could be removed.

Who says you can't teach an old dawg new tricks?

 

[wroughtn_harv]

The posts on the ground are the pieces of drill stem that will screw into the posts for the porch.

The two wheeler is a friend from a long time ago. I've used that puppy for doing a ton of things. A true friend.

All of the posts needed extensions welded on to them.