Working on 1800's barn

[Handy Don 13,226]

3 hours ago, 953 nut said:

In my opinion I am better off for having had those experiences.

I do understand the sentiment and, like you, I’m both pleased with what I was able to do and glad I survived it with no permanent injuries. 

That said, many of my classmates in those years were from farming families. I remember more than a few significant injuries and a couple of deaths to both the adults and the kids--mostly falls but also tractor rollovers and machinery ingestion of body parts.

IMHO, most of the same tasks can be accomplished, perhaps a bit more slowly, even while taking some safety into consideration.

[SylvanLakeWH 27,071]

1 minute ago, Handy Don said:

I do understand the sentiment and, like you, I’m both pleased with what I was able to do and glad I survived it with no permanent injuries. 

That said, many of my classmates in those years were from farming families. I remember more than a few significant injuries and a couple of deaths to both the adults and the kids--mostly falls but also tractor rollovers and machinery ingestion of body parts.

IMHO, most of the same tasks can be accomplished, perhaps a bit more slowly, even while taking some safety into consideration.

 

Agree...

 

Perhaps there's a happy medium between logical and needed safety practices / devices and printing "don't put over your head or anyone else's head " on plastic bags... 

[953 nut 57,401]

28 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

machinery ingestion of body parts

When my wife met some of my relatives on my mother's side of the family she noticed one common theme, missing appendages. They were all lifelong farmers and with old equipment and a casual attitude those things happen. Shortly after that visit I cut a finger half off using a port-a- band in an unapproved manner and had it stitched back together. My wife called my mother and told her about my right-of-passage, Mom just chuckled and said it happens to the best of us.

[Pullstart 64,297]

On 12/10/2024 at 8:28 AM, 953 nut said:

You can save a small fortune by doing it yourself as well as having the satisfaction of a job well done. A dozen years ago we designed and built our final home, we were both 66 at the time. We subcontracted the foundation, framing, roofing, siding, and drywall but did our own plumbing, electrical, painting, flooring, trim, and cabinets. We came in a little more than $ 80,000 under the turn-key bids and have some great memories as a result. The tongue and groove ceiling in our great room is one thing my wife continues to marvel at. She will sit in a chair looking up and comment about the number of trips up and down the scaffold were made installing it.

You can't buy memories like that, you have to make them. Thanks for sharing your progress and keep up the good work.

 

Mr.Richard, 

I hope you find this meaningful.  I relate most life experiences with a song.  This was on the radio about the time I quit my “working for the man” job and began homeschooling my girls and working out of the shop.  The song is great, but the old man’s commentary part of this video really makes it.  It’s kind of like your story of climbing the scaffolding.  Lots of love there.  Bravo to you, Mrs. 953 Nut, and your generation!

 

 

[AlexR 1,146]

Got to work on the barn for another 3-4 hours today. 

 

Got the hay chute that went from the loft down to the bottom of the barn removed and all the deck boards removed. It was pretty dangerous to walk around up there only a couple nails in the boards and ends not ending on a joist which is part of the reason for taking it down. But it was nice only having a couple nails in the boards made taking them off much quicker. 

 

Next I will probably spend a day, hopefully tomorrow. Just removing nails and sorting and stacking boards to get it cleaned up, then I can take the rest of the loft structure down. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2024 by AlexR

[ebinmaine 70,265]

2 minutes ago, AlexR said:

then I can take the rest of the loft structure down

 

No part of what you're removing affects the total structure? 

 

 

[AlexR 1,146]

Just now, ebinmaine said:

No part of what you're removing affects the total structure? 

No it was all definitely added on after the barn was built. The main beams up higher are what is holding it together, in fact the loft was causing more stress to the beams below the floor as well. 

[953 nut 57,401]

           Is that ladder OSHA approved?             

[AlexR 1,146]

9 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

           Is that ladder OSHA approved?             

 Suppose I should fix that at some point since that is where I gotta pull on the rope to move the overhead pulley system from one side of the barn to the other.

On the other hand.... It'll do. 

It's probably one of those things I'll think about doing, say I'll do it, and I just never will. 

[953 nut 57,401]

[AlexR 1,146]

Not much of a update but I got the nails all pulled out of the boards and got the boards stacked 

 

There was a bunch of hay, dirt, and crap behind those boards for the chute but it looks like it stayed dry so it doesn't appear to have rotted anything out. 

[Beap52 1,110]

On 12/16/2024 at 6:49 PM, 953 nut said:

Unbolting unused garage door hangers a couple of months ago.  It's all in foot placement!

[oliver2-44 10,216]

2 hours ago, Beap52 said:

Unbolting unused garage door hangers a couple of months ago.  It's all in foot placement!

It passes the OSHA 3 point contact rule. 

[ebinmaine 70,265]

2 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

It passes the OSHA 3 point contact rule. 

 

Technically correct 

[953 nut 57,401]

7 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

It passes the OSHA 3 point contact rule. 

Would a big gut count as a point of contact?

                            

[SylvanLakeWH 27,071]

 

That's the same concept we use on our tractors - counter weights for front or back... smart dude!!! 

[rjg854 11,838]

3 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Would a big gut count as a point of contact?

                            

Depends on what the ladder is rated for   

[oliver2-44 10,216]

Back to working on the barn

[953 nut 57,401]

4 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

Back to working on the barn

[AlexR 1,146]

Got another afternoon of work done on the barn, got the rest of the loft down.

 

 

And got all the nails removed from the joist boards and stacked them

 

Before I even took the loft down, I had to remove wiring, boxes, and such. I will have to strip the wires later to get the copper. 

 

Last week my brother visited and we took down a walnut tree that was being crowded by a vary large elm tree that is in good health and it was between that elm and the barn. While the walnut was in good health, it was not in a good spot and was dropping walnuts on the barn roof as well. But the good news is I will be able to get some nice slabs once I find someone to mill them into boards.

In this picture you can see the elm to the right in the forefront and the stump of the walnut in the middle.

 

[tunahead72 2,507]

43 minutes ago, AlexR said:

... the good news is I will be able to get some nice slabs once I find someone to mill them into boards...

 

I'm really happy to hear that!  Are you going to use that walnut in the barn, or do you have some other purpose in mind?

 

[AlexR 1,146]

2 minutes ago, tunahead72 said:

 

I'm really happy to hear that!  Are you going to use that walnut in the barn, or do you have some other purpose in mind?

 

No particular purpose yet no, but I do woodworking sometimes so I will definitely use some of it.

I might potentially sell some as well, to help fund the barn. But I am probably a couple years out from even being able to use or sell it. 

[953 nut 57,401]

1 hour ago, AlexR said:

elm tree that is in good health

In the early 1950s Dutch Elm Disease killed most elms in the north eastern states. Probably yours is one of the disease resistant varieties developed afterword.

2 hours ago, AlexR said:

joist boards and stacked them

Lots of good material for your renovation.            

[AlexR 1,146]

11 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

In the early 1950s Dutch Elm Disease killed most elms in the north eastern states. Probably yours is one of the disease resistant varieties developed afterword.

Actually I believe it might be one of the few that survived. I would have to measure to be sure, but I think the trunk is around 12ft circumference, 4ft diameter. (I have a maple I measured at 15ft and it's not much smaller then that one) It is possible it might have grown shortly after the disease, but with the size it is, I would assume it's older then that. 

 

The guy that used to own the place told me that a state arborist came out one time and thinks it might be largest elm in the state. That said I have no proof of that. 

Edited January 2 by AlexR

[AlexR 1,146]

Did another couple hours of work done today got scrap wood back to the burn pile and cleaned up more inside the barn. 

 

 

 

 

This is my pile of barn wood out behind the barn.

 

And I need to block up a couple beams under the barn to get these 2x12's off. It looks like they needed clearance to get a skidsteer or something under the barn so cut out a support beam and added these 2x12's and bolted the beams to it.

 

 

 

Edited January 4 by AlexR