# Barn Raising!



## redoak (Nov 18, 2008)

Gents,

We put the frame up on Sunday. What a day! Went together like a song. Couple little adjustments on the face of some brace tenons and one dovetail was a bit fat. Even impressed my engineer dad who kept us all plumb and square with the level and tape. 

The block and tackle was a serious piece of help. Best $15 I've ever spent at a yard sale.

Raising the top plate was a #####... until we got smart and brought it up through the middle one end at a time. There's a nice picture of me stuck with that thing in my hands waiting for a 2x8 to take the load. All the books say drag it up over the posts from the side. Not a good way to do it.

I'll add some detail pics when I get a chance to take them. After a full day of this there was no time for pictures for you boys... just time for: 

-redoak

raising the north bent
View attachment 82203


"persuading" the beam's through tenon
View attachment 82204


raising the south bent
View attachment 82205


plate braces secured, trying to put the plate up the hard way, 20' 8x8 she's got some heft! (no posts to help carry the load)
View attachment 82206


finished! (well for now... time to mill 3 sets of principal rafters!)
View attachment 82207


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## deeker (Nov 18, 2008)

Fantastic pics and great post, keep 'em coming.

Kevin


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## woodguy105 (Nov 18, 2008)

Looks great red oak. 

We just finished ours last week. I didn't mill the wood myself, the guy we bought the house from had three stacks of rough sawn pine in misc. widths and sizes. He never got a round to finishing it...


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## Mad Professor (Nov 18, 2008)

Nice frame, looks to be white pine?

For your next raising, put the B + T on a gin pole, use it to raise bents and plates.


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## Husky137 (Nov 18, 2008)

Nice pics. Cool to see old style joinery still alive.


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## redoak (Nov 18, 2008)

regarding the block and tackle, I left a big oak over the building site to hang it from. Gin poles make me nervous, too many things can go wrong with them. 18" red oaks are much more secure.

-redoak


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## AndyR (Nov 18, 2008)

Looks great.
I've been looking forward to seeing these pics. I see there is no sill (i don't know if that's the right term) on the left hand side of your last pic. Is that so you can drive into the barn? There'll be a loft?

Curious if you have pics of you plans (or your intention)?

Thanks for sharing, it's very interesting.

Andy.


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## woodshop (Nov 18, 2008)

Very interesting... thanks. Where did you get all that help? Can't all be family can they. Hunting club? I too am glad to see old style joinery like this.


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## Mad Professor (Nov 18, 2008)

redoak said:


> regarding the block and tackle, I left a big oak over the building site to hang it from. Gin poles make me nervous, too many things can go wrong with them. 18" red oaks are much more secure.
> 
> -redoak




I've seen pics of gin poles raising beams much bigger than the 18" oak. > 30 ft free spans with a hay load on top!!!


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## irishcountry (Nov 18, 2008)

Once again great work what a beauty!! That will be something to put in the photo album for years to come! thanks for sharing the process so far good luck with the rest and work safe you guys are gonna have to christen (spelling??) that with a beer bottle or something!! Thanks again irishcountry


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## Backwoods (Nov 19, 2008)

It looks like the LNG pipe line will be bypassing the spotted Marlet that are in the second growth up on the ridge and the only other rout that they want to take is right thru our 50 year old barn. It looks like I will get the task of moving the barn or building a new one in the next pasture over. Keep the pictures coming along with the tips of what to and not to do as I will be needing all the help I can get with this project come springtime.


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## MikeInParadise (Nov 19, 2008)

I am very much enjoying these pictures.

I love the joinery. GREAT JOB!

Please keep posting this!


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## MikeInParadise (Nov 19, 2008)

I was looking around at various frame structures and came across this "Irish Shed" that a young couple built.

Not anywhere near as nice joints as your barn but it intrigued me with the cordwood walls and timber frame combination. 

http://s528.photobucket.com/albums/dd323/camaria_photos/Our%20Irish%20Shed/

If you look through the pictures you can see the rough cuts on the timber.


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## slabmaster (Nov 19, 2008)

Nice pictures! Going up fast.Keep up the great work. Mark


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## dancan (Nov 20, 2008)

Great pics , keep them coming .


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## Texas Traveler (Nov 23, 2008)

MikeInParadise said:


> I was looking around at various frame structures and came across this "Irish Shed" that a young couple built.
> 
> Not anywhere near as nice joints as your barn but it intrigued me with the cordwood walls and timber frame combination.
> 
> ...


Years back, I got a book on cordwood home construction that explained most of the methods used.
It seems that the Canadian Government incouraged their Indians to use this method.
Here in Texas I have gone into finding a wood preservative that we could live with and still do a good job.
Well let me tell you I have found it, It is pure Swedish pine tar. They used it on the old sailing ships to keep them afloat. It has a pine odor, some thing you can live with indoors & still keep the home in tiptop shape.
You can buy it on ebay anywhere from a quart size to drum container size


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## irishcountry (Nov 23, 2008)

Cordwood and timberframe construction is cool!! Like it would make a nice shed or sauna if you do it right. Thanks for that pic


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## irishcountry (Nov 23, 2008)

tell us more about the pine tar What have you used it on how long til recoat ect. Thanks


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## Texas Traveler (Nov 23, 2008)

irishcountry said:


> tell us more about the pine tar What have you used it on how long til recoat ect. Thanks


 Here is link for ebay, if it don't work i will post a item #number.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290276120295


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## Texas Traveler (Nov 23, 2008)

Texas Traveler said:


> Here is link for ebay, if it don't work i will post a item #number.
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290276120295


The link works for me, but get a sample of it. The stuff is amazing, it will bring back wood like a fountain of youth. Do some internet research on the pine tar.
To me it was like rediscovering a lost art in wood preservative. I am not known for making wild claims, but I cannot say enough good things about pine tar.

The seller knows me from a few years back, he helped me on a project & they are great people to deal with. Send him some pictures of what you are doing with pine tar.
On a large amount he will deal with you on pricing.


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## irishcountry (Nov 24, 2008)

thanks for the link!!


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## Texas Traveler (Nov 25, 2008)

irishcountry said:


> thanks for the link!!


Here is a borrowed picture showing the end results of pine tar on rifle stocks made out of birch wood.
The seller on ebay of pine tar has pictures of some 75 stocks retreated with pine tar from me a few years back.
It will act as a stain, giving a nice brown stain & bring out highlites on figered wood.
Some collectors of Finish firearms I know, were in the dark for years on what to use to help restore the rifles.. The Finns used pine tar on their skis as well to perserve them.


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## irishcountry (Nov 25, 2008)

Wow the finish with the grain looks like its reflecting a inferno pretty sweet!! Thanks


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## Texas Traveler (Nov 25, 2008)

Some more pictures of fresh pine tar on Finn rifle stocks & a small treated pine lumber deck.


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## dingo (Nov 25, 2008)

irishcountry said:


> tell us more about the pine tar What have you used it on how long til recoat ect. Thanks




I didn't know pine tar was still available. As a young man we used it as an antiseptic for fresh wounds on animals and thinned with kerosene as a stain.
Good stuff


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## Texas Traveler (Nov 26, 2008)

dingo said:


> I didn't know pine tar was still available. As a young man we used it as an antiseptic for fresh wounds on animals and thinned with kerosene as a stain.
> Good stuff


 You don't mix kerosene with a preservative like pine tar for wood use.
Around homes & indoor use that would not be smart.
THe whole idea is to use it for the safety of the fumes which would only be the pine odor.
For clean up just use a paint thinner soaked rag.
The poor picture of the pine deck was taken about 2 years ago when I was about to replace over 1/2 of the deck boards when I thought about using the pine tar instead. The boards straighten up that was warped & the splits closed up most of the way. And it still looks great.


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## dingo (Nov 26, 2008)

Texas Traveler said:


> You don't mix kerosene with a preservative like pine tar for wood use.
> Around homes & indoor use that would not be smart.
> THe whole idea is to use it for the safety of the fumes which would only be the pine odor.
> For clean up just use a paint thinner soaked rag.
> The poor picture of the pine deck was taken about 2 years ago when I was about to replace over 1/2 of the deck boards when I thought about using the pine tar instead. The boards straighten up that was warped & the splits closed up most of the way. And it still looks great.



Nope, I am not very smart, I guess I had better not use any more paint thinner either, what am I thinking?
Kerosene like used to be available was not the K1 that is called kerosene these days. It thinned the tar and evaporated down like paint and varnish thinner.
Yep we took some chances in the old days, but the old gun stocks looked good , but of course they were old flintlocks. I am sure surprised the stocks didn't just evaporate when the powder was ignited in the flash pan. 
I know you guys remember the original kerosene.


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## Texas Traveler (Nov 26, 2008)

dingo said:


> Nope, I am not very smart, I guess I had better not use any more paint thinner either, what am I thinking?
> Kerosene like used to be available was not the K1 that is called kerosene these days. It thinned the tar and evaporated down like paint and varnish thinner.
> Yep we took some chances in the old days, but the old gun stocks looked good , but of course they were old flintlocks. I am sure surprised the stocks didn't just evaporate when the powder was ignited in the flash pan.
> I know you guys remember the original kerosene.


 Well I remember what they called coal oil, But I am more concerned about odors inside a closed building.
The logs keeping a offensive odor & how long.
Not trying to be rude but they have odor free thinners out there now.
But myself I never used thinner on pine tar, straight out of the bucket did the job for me.


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## dingo (Nov 26, 2008)

Texas Traveler said:


> Well I remember what they called coal oil, But I am more concerned about odors inside a closed building.
> The logs keeping a offensive odor & how long.
> Not trying to be rude but they have odor free thinners out there now.
> But myself I never used thinner on pine tar, straight out of the bucket did the job for me.




I can't say about using pine tar in an enclosed building. I have used it for historically correct stain on reproduction rifles such as flintlocks and percussion . It has been a few years. I was surprised pine tar still was available, just never had the occasion to use it. No offense about the odorless thinners and such.


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