4 Barrel barn build.

[Woodboxkiwi]

Hey, don't know if you are planning to paint the floors but both me and a friend have done epoxy floors using Epotread from Regis coatings in Christchurch. They are super easy to deal with and will sell you everything (paint, rollers, acid, paint trays etc) you need to get the job done for a pretty reasonable prices. It all comes palleted up and their shipping up to Taupo wasn't too expensive.

We are using resene aquapoxy. I have used it in the past and had great success with it. The product stands up to a beating and makes cleaning up a lot easier. The weather looks good tomorrow so we hope to coat the rest with a first cover then.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

Today was our coldest start for the year, frost on the ground but no water on the floor. So we just had to wait for the ground temp to get to 15°C before we could get more epoxy down.

While we waited, I got the lumberlok brackets all screwed on and Paula nailed off the bottom plate brackets.

Pretty much rinse and repeat all the way around.

As soon as the temperature hit 15°C we mixed another batch of epoxy and finished the first coat all over. The next coat will have a light gray tint rather than the blinding white!
I better get the lawns finished before it gets dark.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

I braced the poles to get the 2 outside walls plumb before starting to frame out the 6x2 walls.
It was certainly nice to get the chopsaw out and start cutting framing timber.

Very satisfying to get the brackets on finally!

 

[Stuart in MN]

One of the little things I find interesting is how you guys call it a 6x2, while in the US it's a 2x6.

 

[larry4406]

One of the little things I find interesting is how you guys call it a 6x2, while in the US it's a 2x6.

Upside down land….

 

[txvwnut]

One of the little things I find interesting is how you guys call it a 6x2, while in the US it's a 2x6.

Upside down land….

They do it across the pond too when using imperial measurements.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

One of the little things I find interesting is how you guys call it a 6x2, while in the US it's a 2x6.

When you are building everything is 2" thick, the width varies.
You fellas go "horseback riding", we just ride horses......after all, where else do you ride a horse?

 

[Stuart in MN]

When you are building everything is 2" thick, the width varies.
You fellas go "horseback riding", we just ride horses......after all, where else do you ride a horse?

Good point. . The English language is strange.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

A couple of really productive days on the end wall framing. We got the 300mm x 50mm end beams up on the poles and bolted today. Lots of brackets and screws.

I realized a little while back that the beam scarf joint was not going to land on a pole, so I have redesigned the joint and will use the recommended nail plates and will bolt a doubling board on the back side.
Tomorrow we are going on a rod run with our club and coming back here for a feed and inspection.

 

[larry4406]

Interesting scarf joint.

I have not seen that used in framing. Then again, I have no experience with pole barn constructions.

 

[jollygreengiant]

Very cool build, I'll be following this one.

What's your plan for the exterior finish? Metal, wood?

It's interesting that you are using round poles. I've never seen that in modern builds.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

Very cool build, I'll be following this one.

What's your plan for the exterior finish? Metal, wood?

It's interesting that you are using round poles. I've never seen that in modern builds.

We are cladding in corrugated steel to match the existing house.
The round poles are machined to be parallel. They are more expensive but you don't have to deal with twist like a square timber.
Thanks for following.

 

[Stuart in MN]

We are cladding in corrugated steel to match the existing house.
The round poles are machined to be parallel. They are more expensive but you don't have to deal with twist like a square timber.
Thanks for following.

I never thought about that - a square pole can often have a twist so the faces aren't flat, but if there's a twist in a round pole it won't matter, it's still round.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

Another day, another wall framed up. Also added the required strap steel bracing elements to the centre section of both walls.

Tomorrow I will remove the temporary timber braces, trim the poles down to their final height, then make a start on the 8x2 top plate on both end walls......

.....or I might do something completely different, who knows. We will see what the weather presents us. There is a front moving up the country.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

As predicted, today started out a bit chilly with a coating of frost on everything. This is very unusual around here. We think we are hard done by if we get 3 or 4 frosts in a year!

So, as promised, I trimmed the tops off the poles and fitted the top plate on the North wall.
While I was there and nailing off a few nail plates I figured it was a good time to finish the scarf joint with a backing board and a handful of bolts to tie it all together.

With the top plate on and nail plates on.


8x2 doubler bolted on the back side.


The front (inside) side with doubler hidden and only bolts visible.

Happy with todays progress, a lovely warm day in the sun. More of the same tomorrow, only on the South wall, where I have just trimmed the poles ready for the top plate in the morning.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

South wall top plate on and nail plates etc all done today.
Another frosty start to the day, but a trip into town first thing meant that I missed the worst of it.

Tomorrow I will start on the West wall, the longest and highest with 2 sections that are bracing elements.

So getting the poles in a nice plumb position is probably the best start.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

First vehicle in the shed today. Gives a good sense of scale.
Working on the West wall I figured it was a lot less walking to take the timber to the wall.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Seeing the UTV parked there does help with the sense of scale - without something as a reference it was a little difficult to figure out the spaces inside the building.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

The West wall work has ceased for the day. Those of you with the sharp eye for detail will notice the girt spacing is 600mm on one section from the corner. This anomaly is due to the span of these girts being greater than all the others. I must remember this fact when it comes time to fasten the cladding steel!

More of the same, maybe tomorrow, maybe Monday.

I asked on the local community FB page if anyone had a mobile scaffold platform that I could borrow for a month or so to make it a bit safer to do the above ground beams and framing.....turns out the neighbors two doors up have one! Ask and ye shall be loaned! Seek and ye will probably spend the day wondering what it was you were seeking!

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

More work on the Western front today.
Today was a mini milestone, the first box of 500 screws is empty.

Last thing today I went to the neighbors to pick up the scaffolding he is loaning us.
It will certainly be a lot safer than standing atop a ladder.

 

[Ak Jim]

Maybe I’m mistaken but don’t you have to wait before coating the concrete spot can cure?

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

Maybe I’m mistaken but don’t you have to wait before coating the concrete spot can cure?

We poured the concrete on the 13th then first coat of epoxy on the 28th, that's 2 full weeks to cure before we sealed it.

 

[Danno1]

We poured the concrete on the 13th then first coat of epoxy on the 28th, that's 2 full weeks to cure before we sealed it.

All recomendations I've seen say 30 days min.

.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

Another couple of small wall sections sorted today.
These sections are finished with double diagonal strap bracing.

Plenty of temporary bracing to get the poles plumb before I filled in the gaps with 6x2s.
This afternoon I marked up on the poles the spots where I will cut rebates for the next horizontal beams to seat and fasten for the rafters to land on.

 

[Mike65]

IIRC I waited at least 30 days after it was poured before sealing the concrete floor in our garage.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I have to say I'm impressed by you doing all the work by yourself.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

I have to say I'm impressed by you doing all the work by yourself.

Thanks man. I'm not sure if I am courageous or a control freak!

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

Yesterday was abandoned due to the weather. Today made up for it though. I started out cutting a rebate in each pole (8 in all) ready to receive the beams.

One at a time I marked and cut each beam before lifting into position 3 metres up the pole. One end at at a time, walking them up the pole in small steps.
Utilizing a 'dog' screwed to the pole to hold one end while I position the other and bang in a screw to hold it until the bolts are in.
Each beam has a scarf joint in the middle, on which I marked a center line to get the length spot on.

In all I managed to get 4 beams bolted onto poles today.
So that gives me the outer and inner end of the lower sections of the roof.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

Miserable rainy days recently, but it is the middle of winter here! This morning I attached the strap bracing on a few more poles where the engineer requires it.

These 2 bays have strapping in between poles in the shop floor area, but this won't be a problem as I will be putting full height pallet racking along both of these areas.

Straps attached both ends with a bunch of 65mm 12g screws.

Any additional loading can be added with these tensioners.

I am over using the cut off saw sitting on a couple of boards on the ground, so I whipped up a quick and dirty bench and supports. This will be nice while I cut the ends of all of the rafters with the angles etc.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

Back on the job again today. The theme for the day was "working at heights".
First off was marking and cutting the rebates for the top beam. Once the four rebates were cut I marked out and cut the first of the top beams on the new bench I showed you all in the last post.

Working on my own can be very rewarding, but at times challenging also.
To get a 6 metre long 300 x 50mm beam 4 metres up the side of a couple of posts is fun. Step one, screw a couple of dogs onto the posts and place end up.

Step 2, lift other end onto the ladder....

Step 3, climb ladder and lift end to top dog....

Step 4, move work platform into position and lift end higher......
Step 5, locate, drill holes and insert bolts.....done.
3 more to go!
Don't panic, I strapped the top ladder to the platform and it was quite steady.

 

[Mr onetwo]

Good work

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

Another day of working at heights. I got the 150 x 50mm top plate on and the nogging down to the girt.

Happy with progress and great weather.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

A day off the tools today. Lawns to mow, groceries to buy, timber and hardware to buy too. See ya tomorrow.

 

[Mr onetwo]

Enjoy the day...you are doing great!

 

[Yankee Wrencher]

Sound the alarm GJ-style and you might just get yourself a version of a classic old-fashioned barn raising, though with Sawzalls, forklifts, and Bobcats.

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

A productive day on the tools today. 2 top beams in place and the top plates with nogging down to the girts.

So that is both of the high walls done.

I will do the scarf joint doublers next on them all, then onto the West wall between the high walls.

One stick at a time!

 

[Woodboxkiwi]

My horoscope today should have said

"Just stay home!"

I needed to go to town for groceries, took a cooler to keep the frozen goods frozen.
I picked-up a load of heavy dense firewood on the back of the ute (pickup ) on the way to town.
Stopped for groceries after the firewood, then headed to town to drop off some mail for the previous owner of our home (doing my civic duty, very generous of me) on the way. That done, hit the road again to head to the hardware store......the road hit back! Literally! Something flicked up off the front tire, promptly embedded itself in the rear tire! 10 revolutions later, exited, taking all the air with it!
I immediately pulled to the curb, knowing things were not going to end well with the heavy load of firewood above the rapidly deflating tire. Once safely parked at the curb on a very busy arterial road with many 50 ton trucks flying past, I assessed my situation and decided to call for assistance. I had a spare tire on board but did not trust the ability of the factory pressed steel jack to lift the loaded vehicle at the traffic side of the road
Assistance arrived after an hour and a half and we quickly changed the flat for a barely inflated spare, amid flashing yellow lights and speeding heavy vehicles. Unfortunately the assistance offered did not extend to the ability to inflate my barely inflated spare.....so I called on my partner to bring the hand held battery powered compressor. This arrived soon after and managed to get 40 psi in the tire before it's battery went flat! Enough to get me on the road, 2 hours after stopping!
I dropped the damaged tire off to my tire guy, he assured me that 45 min to an hour and it would be fixed......still waiting for a call.....6 hours later.....
Off to the hardware store and then heading home, decided to top up the spare a bit. 1st gas station air facility, damaged! 2nd one all good .
I pull into the driveway at home......wtf! One of our 4 legged grass eating beef factories is sitting on the driveway, on the wrong side of the fence! I gently coax the escaped bovine back into its accomodations and continue to the house.
The frozen food in the cooler, is no longer!
Maybe tomorrow I will get back to the job at hand......after I unload the firewood!

 

[zanyad]

Murphy strikes again!

 

[Mr onetwo]

Murphy is my next door neighbor, but I hear that he is on vacation in your neck of the woods

 

[Farmerjonathan]

Woodboxkiwi@ that is going to be a wonderful building and a joy to work in. Good thing the cow didn't get out when concrete was soft. On the roof of your house, do you have a rolling cover for the skylights?​