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One Idiot polebarn


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Well I wanted a polebarn for boat and miscellaneous storage to free up space in my shop. The one contractor who actually gave me a bid quoted me 24k for a 16x32 polebarn and footers and roof were extra. Being cheap and stubborn I said screw it I will build it myself. Well I am a handy redneck but never dealt with a post and beam project. I did find a local Sawyer that has a mill at his house so I bought some plans then ordered some wood. Well I realized this was a whole new ballgame when the beams arrived. 6x10x16 green hemlock beams are not light! The rusty trailer I bought for mobile wood storages axle snapped before we finished loading it so it became immobile wood storage. Anyways I am stubborn and with home gin booms made with boat winches and come alongs things progressed at a snail's pace. Today I got the last beam in place. A 6x8x16 15ft in the air. Glad that part is over and hope these pics work of current progress.

https://imgur.com/a/vZDWdia

https://imgur.com/a/zSoz7Ah

https://imgur.com/a/mpVff9M

https://imgur.com/a/amg7Jth

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4 minutes ago, bottomwatcher said:

Well I wanted a polebarn for boat and miscellaneous storage to free up space in my shop. The one contractor who actually gave me a bid quoted me 24k for a 16x32 polebarn and footers and roof were extra. Being cheap and stubborn I said screw it I will build it myself. Well I am a handy redneck but never dealt with a post and beam project. I did find a local Sawyer that has a mill at his house so I bought some plans then ordered some wood. Well I realized this was a whole new ballgame when the beams arrived. 6x10x16 green hemlock beams are not light! The rusty trailer I bought for mobile wood storages axle snapped before we finished loading it so it became immobile wood storage. Anyways I am stubborn and with home gin booms made with boat winches and come alongs things progressed at a snail's pace. Today I got the last beam in place. A 6x8x16 15ft in the air. Glad that part is over and hope these pics work of current progress.

https://imgur.com/a/vZDWdia

https://imgur.com/a/zSoz7Ah

https://imgur.com/a/mpVff9M

https://imgur.com/a/amg7Jth

I give up on posting pics here!

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21 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

You're just doing it wrong. Keep experimenting. The picture information IS there

 

wNtBZaF.jpeg

Hey there DatzenMike, bottomwatcher posted the IMGUR links and when I click on them, a picture flashes and disappears, IMGUR stays open, with a blank screen where the picture should be. I disabled my website protections and still no love. Using IMGUR self help the suggested answer was the website was blocked by IMGUR. How did you uncover the picture? 

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18 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

Left click on link, right click on picture that comes up and a drop down shows. Select COPY IMAGE go back to post on Ratsun and hit CONTROL + V and picture shows in post.

 

HNzDaOw.jpeg

No joy. When I left click the link no picture presents. My options are "Save link" "Copy link" etc. I should clarify, I am not the originator of this post. It might be the uploader might have better permissions.

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2 hours ago, bottomwatcher said:

I give up on posting pics here!

I love that homebuilt crane. The term pole barn drew up different pictures, in my mind. I have built elevated porches of similar construction, when PART OF A CREW, and dug many a sonatube (it was the brand name of the cardboard tubes  we used). Your solo attempt is HARDCORE, but my admiration is problematic, as I have talent for finding the hardest way to accomplish most everything. It might be too late, but as the concrete sets up, shaping a slight angle in the tube, from the bracket to the edge of the tube is helpful to keep water from pooling around the bracket.

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50 minutes ago, frankendat said:

No joy. When I left click the link no picture presents. My options are "Save link" "Copy link" etc. I should clarify, I am not the originator of this post. It might be the uploader might have better permissions.

 

I have the same experience with Imgur images, for me it doesn't work the way dmike explained it either.

 

bottomwatcher did you dry age those beams or are they still green?

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They are still green. This is one giant experiment. I have no idea what I am doing and it shows in my gaps in my notches. Cutting 6x10s with a 7 1/4 skill saw and sawzall isn't an exact science and my experiment with the chainsaw was worse. These beams come unfinished and a little over length you are on your own for clean cuts. Although the wood is much cheaper than finished I am finding things like rafter ties are 3 times more expensive because they are a "special" size. Thanks for the tip to look for pooling. If I see any I might grind in a drain groove or something. I am trying to post from my android phone any tips there would be helpful.

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Looks great to me. If they were 'seasoned' they would just be stacked in such a manner that they dry and can't warp. If you have enough gussets and support from the wall cladding and roof they can just dry in place. I guess it is an experiment.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you you erected that solo, hat's off too you. While the ingenuity is impressive, I hope you come back with a bit of coin, to either sub out some of the steps/hire help, buy a tractor with a front loader or buy enough beer to lure friends. Viewing your posts is enough to make my back hurt.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Ok back at this. Fitted my last rafter today. Cutting and notching 32 identical rafters is absolute torture for someone with severe ADD. Figuring out the angles on the first was fun using my navigational plotting triangles and tracing things out. After that the mindnumbing process of cutting identical parts with a power saw was painfull. Anyways rafters up and time to get the zip board for sheathing. The pitch of the roof has me a little scared. The cheap online plans I think are way overkill for what is this is.20221002_220850.thumb.jpg.d774a4d9ec25ac29f3d484bd6740361f.jpg probably could have been built with much smaller beams.

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Shear is lacking in the plans. These were cheap online plans. Beams are way overkill and I doubled up on the straps on the rafters. I am not an expert and although I staggered the first and second row of sheathing the third is back on the same rafter. I am working by myself and this is the best I can do. The third Layer is a little narrower and next to the ridge beam so I said F it. It is getting standing seam metal roofing in the end. If I was doing asphalt shingles I would be more worried. I will also be adding long lag bolts, girts and siding since I think the original fasteners are inadequate. I am a also an idiot as the title implies so any professional inputs are appreciated.

20221005_233221.jpg

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No clips on the sheathing. I am not sure what that would do. Rafters are notched and pretty stout. I will add girts and that may steady things up. I know up here in Maine they dont bury anything because of rot an frost heave. That's why I had to dig the footers to 4 feet It took 28 80lbs sacks of cement. Renting the cement mixer was a great investment. My body was kind of toast after that. Well the rented hydraulic augers was another bad experience. It did the job but a couple of rounds with Tyson would have felt better 

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Rafter spacing is 24 inches centers I am actually not too concerned on the roof. Like you said the non buried posts seem to be a little sketchy. I bought the standard steel footing  brackets and set them in the cement. This stuff doesn't seem super solid but meets code. I think the girts will stiffen things up. I will report back. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well life kicked me in the nuts but I am back on this project. Roof sheathing is done, kind of. After a near miss on the scaffold I had to call myself a pussy for an hour before I would get back on it. All sheets are on the roof but I am getting a professional roofer to finish fastening and putting on the standing seam roof. The pitch is just too much for me to fasten with a screwgun. Anyways girts are mostly in and I felt the need to put up some siding. Now the siding will not be to everyone's taste but I am going for the rustic homestead look and I LOVE live edge wood! I would live edge the whole house if the wife would let me. This is deep woods Maine rustic and a new or worse metal building would screw that up.

20221019_164331.jpg

20221019_164438.jpg

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  • 9 months later...

Well it's been a while but I am finished with " The Barn". Still needs landscaping and a little misc but it is serving it purpose. As usual I suck at time and materials estimation and this fucker kicked my ass but it is done and I am tickled pink! Got my shop cleared out and my resto projects protected from the weather. No Mas major construction for me.

https://imgur.com/a/Exr66i

https://imgur.com/a/gA4ghrq

https://imgur.com/a/JyCwcTx

 

Edited by bottomwatcher
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