Homestead Texas Tractor Barn

9/11/16
As we continue to accumulate equipment, we needed storage out of the weather to protect that equipment.
AKA, Tractor Barn.

Built in 3 phases:
Phase I - Get a roof up
Phase II - Put a floor down
Phase III - Enclose the thing

Phase I is well underway and one more good weekend will see it complete.

Step 1 was create a design (pole barn with extended lean-to on one side), develop detailed plans (scratch paper and crayon) and build a materials list. Then purchase materials and deliver to the building site.

Step 2 is to locate the barn. And then move it. And then move it again.
Once everyone is in agreement as to where it should be, rough in the post positions, build batter boards and fine tune the post positions in a square, evenly dimensioned shape.
 

 
Step 3 is dig post holes and set posts. We took the money we had budgeted to rent a post-hole digger and offered it to a neighbor to come dig the holes with his tractor attachment.
Win-Win!
 
 
Then check level. Right on the money!
 
Before setting those posts we had to cut shoulders at the top to accept the top band. The band is doubled 2x10's which will support the roof trusses.
The posts are plumbed and carefully wiggled around so that they are not only plumb, but touching the strings attached to the batter boards.
 
 
 
 
 

Step 4
Then fill the holes with concrete and wait for the next morning.
 
 
 

 
 
Step 5 Now we "band" the top of the building. This involves wrapping the posts with beams on which the roof trusses will sit.
The beams at the ends of the barn carry no weight, but tie the two sides together, so they get a similar, but smaller band.
 
Banding complete.
 

Step 6 Companies that build trusses have very elaborate jigs for each truss type. Their jigs are polished, leveled and squared and meticulously prepared prior to laying out truss parts for assembly.
Not to be outdone, we made a truss jig by laying out our parts on relatively flat ground to approximate position and using stakes in the ground to mark it.
 
Then we proceeded to bang together truss after truss until, Done!
 

As you can (maybe) tell from the shadows, we finished the trusses late in the day and called it quits.
Kit and I stayed on the farm in mom's RV and so after dinner I got curious about fit and such and asked Kit to help me throw up a truss.
 
These trusses are 2x4 whereas she and I raised trusses built from 2x8 in the addition we did, so no problem!

 
Step 7 Raise trusses until, Done!
 
 
Remaining work:
Hang joists over lean-to
Install purlins
Install tin
Install ridgecap
 
Then to Phase II, to be continued...
 
 
9/16/16
 
 
Sunrise over the tractor barn - time to get back on it.
This is pretty much where we left it last weekend.
 
 

 
This weekend we layed the purlins down - all those 2x4's going across the joists in preparation for tin.
 
 
 
Covering the lean-to. Some of the tin up.
 
 
 
More of the tin up.
 
 
 

ALL of the tin up on the lean-to!
We ran out of 2x4's so not all purlins got up, but enough so the lean-to is completely covered and partly screwed down. Both drill batteries ran out, so we didn't get as far as we would have liked.
Always something!

 
9/23/16
Tin up on the lean-to side.
 
 
9/24/16
Travis finished out the purlins, and we got tin up on the opposite side.
 
 
9/25/16
Finally, ridge cap "capped" it off.
 
 
Phase I is complete!
 
 
During all the activity, Travis took the RV to be dumped and inspected ahead of a trip they will take at the end of October.
When he brought it back we re-positioned based on experience with the afternoon sun - now the front of the RV is in shade most of the afternoon and it's not until late in the day that sun comes onto the front door.
 
 
10/01/16
And now we turn our attention to the north wall of the barn.
The north wall because this is where the cold north winds and rain will come from, and where we want the protection.
The other walls will be closed in, but later.

 
 
Starting the wall girts (same thing as a roof purlin, only on a wall).
Hey - I didn't make this stuff up!
 
 
 
Girts are up, time to start skinning this cat.
 
 
 
Some tin up - we got a few more panels up before knocking off for the day.
As always, To Be Continued...
 
11/14/16
 
Continue work on the gable ends.
 
 
12/23/16
 
Closing off the northeast side with a sliding door.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4/19/17
South side finally getting attention.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Back To Homestead Texas Home
Ground Breaking
Clearing For The Cabin
Labor Day
Labor Day II
The Tractor
The Cabin
The Truck Patch
The Bee Yard
The Hay Field
The Project Trailer (mobile shop)
The Pasture
The Barndo