More and more, I try to make it possible to raise my frame by hand, partly because of the cost and damages of bringing a crane , and also because I am a traditionalist, and also beacause it just plain sounds fun to do.. I have reduced the size of my design and complexity of my frame and it now seems quite feasible to collect enough people on a select few days to raise this modest 20 by 30 frame. The 2 full length 30 foot plates seem to be the most difficult part of the assembly . The height at the eaves is 12 feet from the bottom of the subsill so I am not sure exactly how one would go about getting this full length plate up and fitted into the roughly 12 foot tall post tops. I recently came across a technique in an article by Jack Sobon in the green guild book called parbuckling which spoke of a way of raising the top plate up on top of these extended posts. It seemed that there was some rigging attached to the post tops and the plate was somehow pulled up to the top. I am quite confused as the there was not enough detail in the writing or the photo to understand it fully.It seems this would put a lot of stress on the tiebeam -post connections as you are lifting up the plate? I really would like to find a way to raise my frame without stressing the connections and members too much as I hear that much damage can be inflicted during the raising. Perhaps if I strap the bents well at these connections the stress would be minimal? Can anyone elaborate or explain this parbuckling technique more fully? Also does anyone have any other tips or tricks for raising by hand that might help me to develop a better script for my own barn-frame raising? Just in case it helps, the frame is a simple 20 by 30 foot english barn style frame with 12 foot eaves height, 1-2 post extension above the tie beam,12/12 pitch, 20 foot clear span on the 3rd of four bents spaced at 10 feet on each bay, collar ties only on the end bents, with principal- common rafter pairs ,no ridge beam. Thanks. Always appreciative of the wiser. tb
