What tool should I use to do this

[stevenf]

Kossetx, Aah I see says the blind man that does sound like it would work, and better then my two 1" x 6"s since it would be positively lined up and square to start with. I thought you'd missed the part about having finished putting them in the ground.
Thanks for clarifying
Steve

 

[RobJ]

Heck a chain saw will really do as good as you need. Very fast to.

6x6 pier is interesting, what are you spanning the 15' and 8' with. 4x6 on the 15? Lam? I'm guessing here that the beams are sitting on top and strapped to the piers instead of notching and bolting. Also you might get some settling over the years and just have to level with some type of filler.

I toyed with a pier and beam for the weekend place. We ended up pouring concrete, cheaper, faster much easier for us. I miss the height up though.

Nice area you are in there.

 

[EddieWalker]

Steve,

I think everyone is over complicating this. You got the lazer level, so you can mark each post at the exact place you want it. That's the hard part.

Cutting it is easy.

Use a level and mark all around the post. Don't use a square because one or more of your posts might be off a degree or more.

Either just cut on the line real slow and easy with your circular saw. That's what I'd do.

If you really, really want it perfectly flat on top, then get a piece of plywood. Not too big, maybe a square foot. Screw it into your post where you can ride your saw along the edge of it and cut on your line.

If your gonna go to that trouble, you might as well do a practice run first. Mark one post an extra inch up, and cut it there. If it works to your satisfaction, than cut the others. If not, keep practicing.

Keep It Simple,
Eddie

 

[kossetx]

Steve, Glad you understand now. The jig should take maybe 15 minutes to build and would always give you an "around the post" square to cut off of. Good luck whatever you do.

 

[neilly2]

When you say water level, are you talking about the old bucket of water and clear plastic tubes?

If yes, why bother with the laser in the first place if you don't trust it?

I didn't trust my laser the first few times, until it proved my 'eye' wrong every time. Now I check it for calibration occassionally and don't think twice.

 

[Henro]

Hi,

I would use the circular saw and a guide that you can make cheaply.

I think I did something similar when I made my shed a while back. I posted a lot of pictures in the following thread...you may want to take a look...some of what I did may apply to what you want to do.

I feel like Spencer Junior...

Hope this is of some use/interest! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[stevenf]

neilly, you sorta nailed it The laser is new technology for me and they have some sorta calibration technique but I figure since its the lasers maiden voyage and my first time using it that I'd check the rotating laser by using a clear tube bucket of water approach before I get to cocky with it and start relying on its abilities.
Steve

 

[neilly2]

I'm with you brother, I did the same thing except i'd use a line and line level to check, when something didn't seem right. Once you get good with it you don't know how you would have done some things without it. Especially if you ever work alone.

What kind of rotating laser do you have?

 

[wushaw]

Steve,
Where in Kendall county do you need pier and beam foundation. I would have thought the natural rock would be adequate.
I graduated high school in Boerne in 84 and lived off of Johns rd. west of 10 out toward Tapito Springs.

 

[CurlyDave]

Steve, I'm NOT an expert, but I have to ask. Are 6X6 posts going to be enough support for a house?

Steve:

I not an expert either, but I am an engineer, and I think your 6"x6" posts might disappoint you.

A 6" x 6" post is really 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" = 30.25 square inches.

27 of them work out to 816.75 sq in, or 5.67 square feet.

Essentially you are putting 1920 sq ft of house on 5.67 sq ft of ground bearing surface.

Depending on your soil, that might or might not work, but I woud expect some serious settling.

For instance, at 30' x 64', a perimeter foundation 1 foot wide (narrower than code in my part of the country) would have ~188 sq ft of soil bearing surface.

Building a house is a lot of work (I've done it) and you ought to at least spend a few minutes with a soil engineer to get an opinion before you build on top of these piers.