I am Andy. I am new to this site as of 10 minutes ago. I teach chemistry, work in the native flower industry, turn vases on a somewhat professional level, work as a fishing guide (cane rod aficionado), and lastly, am a timber frame junkie. Bed time stories are told by Jack Sobon in his 6 part PDFseries. I was due to be born in late October, 1875. I was 98 years late. I am 39 with no kids, 5 dogs (two english setters and three afghan hounds), and I like anything as long as it's hard. I also tend to ramble, which why most of you will get bored reading this and two of you might respond.
I am building my second timber frame. I inherited a pair of framing chisels, a 4" slick, a 1" corner chisel, and the most useless mallet every created from my fishing mentor when he went up to the big woods in the sky. In his honor, I build the nicest wood shed (10 x 20 three bent, two bay) this side of the Mississippi. I loved it. It was made of 4x4 red oak (small, but free), and has done its job VERY well. It had a half lapped and bladed scarf with a key. I notched the frame in my basement. I have since made nicer mallets.
As a prairie seed nut and lathe geek, I need some more space to clean seed and turn. I am am planning to build frame Mark II to get Alice, my lathe out of the house, so I can continue being married...happily that is. It will be an 18 x 24, three bent, two bay, with the same plan as before with a few changes. First and foremost, 8x8 white oak. I want to carry the 18' span, which I will do with 8x10s with 1" housing into the posts. I will brace everything with 4x6s also housed. The posts will be 14', so I can have a loft with a stub wall capable of holding my roughed out vessels from my lathe. The roof will be 3x7 white oak rafters, birdsmouthed in with enough overhang to make me happy. I have not yet decided on which scarf to use (suggestions). I will probably add on, and give Alice a platform with a wood floor and concrete pad underneath in her own room eventually...with lots of light.
So...to why I am here and my question:
I need a foundation. I am in Southern MN and we see frost. Plenty of it. The bid on an ICF form foundation (like my house) was $6500. It would have been 4' deep on a 24" footing, and that included a 4" concrete floor. It would have had a 6" stub wall I could have fastened the posts to a green treated plate. I can spend that, but I would like to be cheaper. Another option would be 6 large concrete pillars, with an 8" x 8" sill and a floating concrete floor. Of course I would love a wooden floor (bowl gouges take a beating on concrete). I plan to heat it all, and if I go with concrete I will run PEX underneath. I guess I am looking for a simple idea that is reasonably priced, will not cause my building to shift, and will get the job done with a nice solid floor I can have my lathe, band saw, table saw, hammer mill, and fanning mill on. Any ideas?
Secondly...the loft floor. I am planning on a dovetailed 4x6 centered to keep things in line and using 3x7s that will be butt cogged and pinned for the remainder of support. I may also thrown in dormer, but then I'd use bigger rafters.
The local Amish mill will let me build it on their ground on a pair of log skids set waist height, so I can notch a beam and roll it down the line and then continue. I will assemble the bents there and haul them here with horse (3 miles) to save time. I am hoping I can cut the frame on nights and weekends by the end of May. I will do most of this solo because my friends either A) like toys with engine and just don't get it, or B) have their own eclecticisms to tend to.
Any and all help is appreciated.
Warmest Regards;
Andrew James
