Pole Barn project

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There is free software out there that can help you with the layout of the trusses as well as the spacing....
Like Sawer Rob said factory trusses are from a better grade of wood, they are also designed by an engineer/assembled with the correct plates and press.
Dlabrie, it sounds like your truss layout will be fine especially with the big pitch. Snowload is never going to stick and I assume that all your material is cut to true dimensions? 24"OC is standard for around here (west coast)
Konnan1, 4' OC is a pretty big spacing, have you thought about building a few of your own trusses to throw into the mix? What is the pitch on yours going to be?
Yes, all of my wood is true size. I think Konnan1 is using 2X6 trusses.
 
I'll try and up a new photo soon, roof is 85% on! Looking like a real shed finally. Yes I am using 2X6's on trusses, and the purlins are 2x4(true) 2'OC. I staggered them so there is some overlap and I plan on keeping a minimal snow load with a snow rake anytime we get a big dumping just because I'm paranoid.

Yours is looking great dlabrie!!
 
Where can you get the free truss software? I'll have to do a search, I have a hard time even finding simple backyard shed plans for free these days. Not that I need plans to build, just can make life easier planning a materials list or not taking time to figure out certain things or forget to figure out certain things, LOL.

Your structure is looking nice dlabrie, your joists are at 24"? 40 psf, the minimum for decks just for example. Deck boards 5/4 max span 16 oc and 2x material at 24 will give 40psf. Are you doing board and batten siding? Hope the weather is nice for you this wknd, rain here.

What are your thoughts on a ridge board and rafters? 2x8 rafters maybe depending on the rake length. What I have had trouble with is finding calculators that may consider roof pitch. Too many variables as a flatter roof should almost take loads like a floor and a steeper roof not as much will stick to it. Of course worst case scenario 1' snow on a flat or on a 12/12 is still the same weight, but my thinking is considering it like a ramp and a pickup truck. 2x12 ramp boards won't take a load held flat, but if you throw some of the weight to gravity on an inclined plane than the boards will take the load. I thought of this when I was planning an addition on the house. For a cathedral ceiling, 2x8 was way to go sized to fit insulation. Had I wanted a flat ceiling, I could have gotten away with 2x6s. Hmm, when in doubt built it stout! LOL, just be nice to have better calculators as with bigger projects you can have quite a savings not throwing money away buying bigger than necessary timbers.
 
I found a truss calculator here. The floor joists are 24"oc. I am going to use 1"(true) for the deck. The mill itself will be sitting on >6x6"cross beams on top of that. I'll be using board and batten siding. I am trying to avoid ridge board and rafters and want to try my hand at making trusses. It has been raining a lot here. I hope to be able to get out today and start the deck.
 
When i built my bigger wood shed i stick framed it with dimensional southern yellow pine 2x6 rafters 16" oc with 5/4 decking as purlins. (Built the whole thing out of pressure treated). Fairly flat pitch but it takes the snow loads we get up here just fine. My poles are just on deck blocks on top of 4" of compacted stone, anchored with biggest shed anchors i could find. Havent had any issues.

(I know it should be on footings but area where i live is built on top of an old granite quarry, yard is full of giant pieces of ledge, and digging holes much more than a foot deep usually reguires an excavator or explosives)
 
Update photo. Roof over 75% on, starting to pile some wood for the beast...getting there! Still lots of finishing touches that are needed. Really under-estimated the time it take to build a structure like this.


progress.jpg
 
Well the snow is gone and 9 cords of winter wood is cut, split and stacked so it is time to get back to the shed. The mill is working out nicely on the deck. I have been cutting 2X4s for my trusses. Here are a few picts.1-IMG_2109.JPG 2-IMG_2121.JPG 3-IMG_2125.JPG 4-IMG_2135.JPG
 
A friend built a large barn to hide his tractor trailer in. He lived in a residential neighborhood with a HOA. They had five acres and a couple horses. They used all Poplar for the board and batten. That was over 30 years ago and all of the B&B looks fine still. Here's a log house, built of Poplar logs with the bark on, in the 1930's in the Wash DC area, very humid and wet. I took these pictures a couple years ago just to post here, Joe.



 
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