Hi all! And thanks for welcoming me. Especially Golden Elvis.
My tool question is this. What do I need to do barn repair?

I'll provide my current list. I am a licenced journeyman carpenter, and have a full array of renovation tools, compressors, nail guns, cordless and corded drills. My timberframe tools are limited to a chainsaw, several handsaws, an new 8 1/4 circ., and a nice 1 1/2 and 2" chisel.

What I am looking to do is re-tool for barn repair/ timberframe raisings. I figure I need 2 comealongs, 4 decent size straps, and am wondering about the block and tackle, since I have not much experience with such.
Anyone have any ideas on "must haves" for my kit?

Thanks!
dave

Any advice is welcome. How about telling me what your most used 2 tools are?
Thanks!

Blocking and jacks, screw and hydraulic. Water level to set a bench mark. Bobcat? Tim

Check on the water level. And understand. Have a little pickup (sonoma 4 cyl) with the back end beefed up to carry loads. I've impressed many a cynic by the loads I can carry with that little truck. Have a bunch of old jacks,, but they are tired from their previous employ as wine and beer filter jacks. Interested in the concept of air jacks,,hmmmm,
looking seriously at comealongs,,, the good ones aren't cheap,

keep posting,,,,

Keep posting in the Tools forum where this topic belongs.

The thought of air jacks makes me nervous. I like screw jacks because of the infinite adjustability and the fact that they don't usually fail suddenly and without warning. I've had hydraulic jacks act up on me too many times to want lift more than a few hundred pounds with them.

I would say that the kit will be driven largely by the work to do. Are you replacing a post? a sill? repairing a tie beam? replacing siding/roofing? repairing a foundation?

But likely you will need a whole lot of cribbing, a whole lot of jacks, a way to lift timbers inside a barn (block and tackle, winch, comealongs, etc) and the usual repair/restoration toolkit.

Most important is a thorough understanding of how these buildings were built in the first place -- how the building is laid out, how the joinery works, etc.

Also, you need to be able to interpret the load paths in order to safely and correctly do the work. Otherwise simple load paths can be muddled and confused and hard to predict when you have by failing or missing structural members.

that's just a few thoughts.

GH

Ken,

My mistake. Learning my way around the site. You or ? have my permission to move this thread to it's proper location!

dave

I would second plenty of blocking as a needed "tool." I've visited some barns under construction (repair) and have been amazed by the amount of "cribbing" that's required.

They all seem to use 8x8s that are about 3' long. It's like one of those things you can't seem to have enough of.

And what about plenty of large capacity clamps?

Some years ago, I was given a list of timber framing tools that a framer should have or bring to a guild project.
I'm quite sure I got this list from Will Beemer of the guild.
I did however re-arrange the list into tool categories. Some of these tools are standard carpenter type tools and some are specialty tools.
I'm not saying that every one should have every tool on this list, but this is the list, we were provided with back then.

Tools for Timber Framing
Layout tools
Calculator (construction type and or scientific)
Chalk line or ink line
Combination square
Framing square
Lumber crayons or chalk
Misc. layout tools: dividers, compass, trammel points, Big Al, Protractor square,
Parallel line layout ruler, etc
Pencils carpenter and regular
Plumb bob
Stair gauges
Tape measure (16 ft, 25 ft., or 30 ft)
Utility knife

Hand tools
Awl
Block plane (sharp)
Boring machine & bits
Brace & bit (3/4" & 1" auger, and/or set)
Carving tools
Clamps (24" bar or Quik-Grip type)
Corner chisel
Crosscut & rip handsaws
Hammer (16-22 oz. smooth face)
Hand planes (rabbet, smoothing)
Levels (torpedo, 28 in. and/or 48 in.)
Outside dimension calipers
Inside dimension calipers
Sharpening files & Sharpening stone
Slick
Timber framing chisel (sharp, 1.5 in. and/or 2 in.)
Tool bag or box.
Various size smaller chisels
Wooden or leather head mallet (2-3 lb.)

Power tools
Chain or chisel mortiser
Circular saws (7 1/4 ", 8 1/2", or 16")
Electric hand plane (4", 6" or 12")
Extension cord (#12, 25' minimum)
1/2" electric drill & bits (1" - 1.5" auger and/or set)

Personal Safety Equipment
Ear plugs
Hard hat
Jobsite drinking bottle
Nail apron
Safety glasses & Sunglasses
Work gloves

Misc: Sawhorses

clamps check!
blocking,,,, maybe I'll rent????hmmmmmm good thought!