I really ain't no carpenter

[Russell F]

Well. for some reason my wife didn't appeciate what i was using her barn for, (see pic below). And she decided it was time for Russell to build her a new barn since he hadn't ever expanded the old one. She is giving me the old barn for a shed/junk house, but i must complete new barn and keep my junk out of it.

Old barn, built approx 3 years ago, yeah it's poorly constructed, but it cost me less than 700 to construct included new tin for roof and a 12x12 concrete slab. Only thing i know how to build are pole buildings.


Now here is the new one, It's much further along now, rain kept me from takin new pics. Not going to be a CADILAC BARN like Donny M's, but it'll be good enough for me to convert into a shop when wife outgrows it......gotta think ahead.


Hopefully if weather warms up, i can fisnish tin and pour the tack room slab and frame it up. The walls are lathed now, and i got a load of logs ready to go to the sawmill for the siding.

[Ron L]

Russ. Don't forget to keep those pictures coming .............

[Donny M]

Looks Cadlliac to me Nice, Russell

While building my barn I've learned that I'm not as young as used to be or, thought I was.
The biggest problem is that my ears have kept growing so I have no reliable place to keep my pencil. I've braided my nose hair so it blends into my mustache but my eyebrows are still hindering my eye sight. My knees are killing me, my elbows are stiff, shoot even my hair hurts, one day the barn will be finished and I can sit in a rocking chair (not Mr. GW's) and enjoy it, hopefully soon

[Cub-Bud]

Looks good Russell.

Topic of discussion last Saturday morning at coffee was how to square up a pole shed when the poles are different diameters.

I have three used telephone poles that were given to me. When cut to length, they will be a little different in diameter. I am planning on constructing a pole shed for the tractors and a chicken coop at one end.

What is the trick

[beaconlight]

Just line up the outsides. You aren't finishing the inside.

bill

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

how do you square it up bud, I'm thinking of building one. Power company is rebuilding lines across our place and I am gonna get several free poles.

[Russell F]

John, the way I've done it, which may or may not be correct, Is set up the outside perimiter of the building with string, as in the string marks the edge of the post. And then if you have any internal posts run a string for them, after figuring the ofset you need to hit the edge of the post. I used 4x4s, or 3.5 x3.5 so where i wanted them to hit a centerline i just did the divided post size by 2 and offset the string from the centerline i wanted. Then when you set posts, level them till they are just grazing the string, i seem to have better luck keeping things right when i allow for daylight between post and string. However, the string trick does not work too well on windy days.... Thats why my old barn is 12 on the outside stals and 12'4" on the inside room...that and i wasn't paying attention.

[ljw]

Russel, It's going to be a very nice building, although you may have to build another one yourself. I doubt it if your wife will ever give it up.

John,
The way I square a building is to lay out all 4 sides equally, and use a string level or builders level to find the point where all 4 posts are level. Then measure it again. If you don't measure every point on the same plane, the lengths will be different. I then measure diagonally, and when the 2 diagonal distances are equal. the building will be square and level. I always stuck the poles in the ground, making sure I had a little more than I needed above ground for the walls. I would then cut them to the proper height after the walls were plumb and square, before putting the tin on the roof.

Donny,
I know what you mean about the joints aching, the back and feet hurting, etc. At one time in my life I could work all day long and only darkness would stop me. It hasn't been like that for a while. Years ago I wore my beard a little longer than I do now and I could use my beard as a pencil holder. It was fine until I would forget about the pencil and go to a restaurant and eat. I got some strange looks! When I sometimes went a little unkept, I could place 2-3 pencils and use them as spares. Ah, those were my wild and wooley days.
Larry