TB –

Ladders, vertical siding, its application and removal, does lend itself to leapfrogging ladders. I would have a 16’, and a 20’ for the low stuff and the eave walls, but that’s about it.

Labor is the most expensive component of any job, minimizing it with mechanization just makes sense. Besides frame dismantling is hard, dirty, and dangerous work, and anything that removes some of the risk and some of the drudgery is worth the doing.

Snorkel / Man Lift - http://www.ur.com/index.php/equipment/rental/browse/view/?category=Aerial+Lifts&id=203

Telehandler / Shooting Boom Forklift – http://www.ur.com/index.php/equipment/rental/browse/view/?category=Forklifts+%26+Material+Handling&id=1846&page=3

I tend to rent for all my sitework, and my own lift stays home in the timberyard, an insurance and convenience driven decision.

But now when the cyclical economy is at low ebb, is the time to buy, the used market is glutted like it hasn’t been since the early 90’s. Look what the things are trading for nowabouts.

http://cgi.ebay.com/TEREX-SS636-TELEHANDLER-REACH-FORKLIFT-TELESCOPIC-LULL_W0QQitemZ140289762282QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Lifts?hash=item140289762282&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1308|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

And hewing while uncommon is not extinct, not even here in the first world (still common in the third) I felled and hewed a few 32 ‘s here in my woodlot for a restoration this past summer.

But I know what you mean, that sentiment is part of why I split my time between cutting new frames and restoring old ones, learning from them, and through them, from those that we follow. Completing the circle, literally seeing and feeling myself as part of a continuum, and all that ho-hum.

Watching a joint come apart that some nameless predecessor watched go together two centuries before, is a cheap thrill I’ll heartily recommend.

Will, I couldn't agree more with your comments. Cheap thrill, free for the taking, it's the work up to that point that makes you grunt. As I mentioned earlier, the reversal of new buildings, everything is backward.

The Shooting Boom Forklift is an up grade I must wait for. This is what I am looking at. It would replace two pieces of equipment, the L-35 tractor and its attachments, and my old 6,000 pound fork lift. Someday, if the world holds together.
http://www.bobcat.com/versahandler/compare_models/v417 Anyone ever used one of these? I am intrigued by the attachments. Does any other manufactures have the attachment options?

Tim

Tim –

Didn’t even know Bobcat made a line of compact Telehandlers, and I own one of their skidsteers, and pass by the dealership with some regularity, it’s between here and Concord.

I see these more often - http://promo.jlg.com//jlg/files/JLG_Compact_Tele_Bro.pdf

Even older Telehandlers have attachment options, at least a minimum of buckets and truss booms / jibs, newer ones have something more of a smorgasbord –

www.jlg.com/en-US/Component.Display.html?RefId=6501e56b-d8e3-4918-a810-a3cebbeed853

Though the much more readily available rental options (rented everywhere) with Bobcats “universal quick attach” system would make that coupling system a handy feature. I’ve even got a quick attach plate set up with hydraulic snow plow which I’m pretty happy about right now with the suddenly waist high snowbanks.

Only an educated guess, but I suspect that the smaller market share these compact models have will see them hold their value a little better than the more common size machines. I’d think, in the coming year, you’ll be able to buy a full size version for pretty much the same money.

One thing I would add for you to consider is to find a company who takes down barns and restores them a see if you can go over there one day and either help out or watch how it's done so you can learn what it's all about.....

Thanks Will,Tim,and Jim. Really helpful information for someone considering this type of project. It sounds like a perfect idea to join in on another that is doing a barn save, but perhaps due to the economy being in a recession, I have tried to contact every local t.framer,restorer that I know of in the area and nobody seems to be doing much work. Hopefully the economy picks up and re-employs. This is one reason that I have reconsidered saving a barn. Because barns have been offered to me and I have not been able to find new builds. I thought,if it were financially smart, then it might be a perfect way to use the time of unemployment. As far as the labor, I would try to do as much of it myself, as time would be plentiful. and rent the machinery for the parts that are the most difficult and dangerous, and try to plan ahead so that the machinery would be used efficiently and timely. I thought, a helper and myself,using ladders and staging, could handle most, if not all, of the internal cleanup,roofing,roof boarding, rafters,siding and hardware-doors-windows,etc..., and then bring in the heavy equipment for the plates, to lower the bents and disassemble them on the ground,and have the equipment stack them on a trailer. Probably good to have at least 4 or 5 guys on the day or two of equipment rental. Then go back to two or solo for the finish of loading siding, boarding,hardware, accessories, smaller members on trailer, and then subsequent cleanup. Probably good to get a dumpster as well. Also consider what to do with likely stone foudation and the bit empty site leftover. Possibly ,if good quality,load the stone to transport to new site. Might have to bring in machinery to restore the site a bit with soil or fill. Anyway, this is how I would go about it, but that is why I am trying to get input, because I have literally no experience, just methodical planning. Does it sound like it could work, if time allowed, or am I missing some crucial details? thanks again for all of the input. sincerely, tb

You might have to consider if the barn is painted, is it lead paint......

I believe it was perhaps creosoted and red(probably lead) painted, as it has a dark blackish stain look under a flaking red paint. It is an old barn, probably early to mid 1800s . Is this going to be a concern? I thought lead paint would be pretty harmless unless ingested, is this incorrect? Or is the concern that the paint chips need to be disposed of properly. tb

The first concern is you breathing in dust of lead paint while disassembling the building. This could be bad for you and your worker/helpers. I'm not sure you may have to do some research on this.
The next concern is if the boards are painted with lead paint can you just throw them into a dumpster and dispose of them? Will the dumpster company take away wood that has lead paint on them? You may need to research this as well.
If the dumpster company can't take boards that are painted with lead paint what are you going to do with them? You probably shouldn't just burn them as this releases the lead paint into the environment. And it probably isn't allowed.


And if you're restoring this barn to be used as something other than a barn, will lead painted boards/timbers be ok in that application?

If this barn is to be converted into a house then I'm sure you can't use lead painted boards/timbers that are exposed to the interior. Research again maybe needed....

And if it is going to be used as a barn, and should this barn house animals will lead painted boards and/or timbers be ok for them?

The reasons I bring this all up is that you don't want to get thousands of dollars invested in equipment and time and then find out you can't do what you want to do because there is lumber/boards/timbers with lead paint on them that can't be used......

If you are not disturbing the questionable lead paint, by sanding or some other disturbing method, why would you be breathing it in. When a board is pried off the building there is no lead paint dust to inhale, maybe large chips which could be spit back out.

Sounds like a conundrum. To reuse the barn or not to reuse the barn. TB, if you don't salvage these structures what is going to happen to them? Would they be bashed down then hauled to a land fill or burned in place? Just a couple of possibilities that would still fall under Jim's quandaries. Neither would satisfy the problem.

Jim, do you have any real life timber frame salvage examples of these issues being dealt with in the past? Or is the lead issue coming from home restoration world where a crew is salvaging and reusing crown molding and fancy trim work inside and outside of a house? Lots of dust involved there. How real is the concern?

Tim

Definitely a lot to be concerned with there. I do think that the health risk is minimal (just chips, but dont eat them for lunch!)if you are just prying off the boards and stacking them, as opposed to sanding them down or burning them, which would definitely release a lot of toxins and probably have code restrictions. I have heard from other barn restorers that the siding and roof planking is often not in good enough condition from weather damage, and that very little of it is reused. Have others found this to be true as well? My hope was to reuse it as clapboarding which would place it on the outside of my building envelope:planking,housewrap,insulation,furring, then the old clapboarding. In the case where the boarding is not useable that would definitely be a concern of how to properly dispose of it, or if one were to try to remove the lead paint and sand it down, say if you wanted to make it into flooring. Anyway, I have appreciated the input on this topic as it seems to be one that most timber framers would consider at one point or another, as there are only two options cutting new frames, or restoring old frames. tb