Hi all,

I just wanted to pass on a heart-felt thanks to those in this forum that gave me the inspiration and support over the past year as I built my first timber frame - a 3-bay equipment shed with a loft above for storage. I can honestly say that it wouldn't have come out nearly as well without my access to the collective experience of those on this forum. With the project complete, except for a few trim details, I wanted to share a few photos along with my thanks.

Best,
Kevin
Tunbridge, VT

Nice! You forgot to send out raising invites...

Well done!

Mike,

I was too nervous about having really effed something up, so, for the raising I brought in muscle that didn't have any experience with a timber frame. (Insecurities, who needs 'em, right?) In the end, I was amazed at how tight, level, and square it all turned out.

I'll be breaking ground on the next barn in the coming year (a 26 x 40 Monitor barn). It'll require a full foundation (including a root cellar), but, given the nature of this class-four road, there'll be no concrete trucks comin' this way. That barn probably won't be raised until spring of '13, given that I'm a one-man crew. If you're still around I'd love to have you over when it goes up.

Kevin

Not planning on going any where soon. Maybe you can map out a gnarly dirt road route from BTV and I can ride out this summer and check it out.

Really looks great. Nice work!

Looks great! Is there a lot of cherry in your frame? Timbers look well manufactured. Thanks for the pics, and I'd like to hear more about the monitor barn. I've always wanted to build a small one for a sugar shack.

Nicely done.

I have been staring at hemlock on and off for the past few months, it looks familiar. I don't get the chance to work cherry much at all, but I am betting on hemlock.

What did you use for a layout system?

Dave,

The frame is exclusively hemlock. I do have quite a few cherry trees on my land, but I'm saving them something more refined than the barns.

For the next building, I chose the Monitor barn style because I want to include a bunkhouse in a portion of the second floor. With the Monitor, I'll get plenty of light and ventilation. On the first floor, I'll have a 10 x 26 woodworking shop on one end, with a sliding door that'll open it up to the rest of the barn for projects that spill over. The rest of the first floor will be used for misc ag stuff. There's a six-foot grade difference between the ends, so it'll be bank barn style with drive-in entry on one end, and an entry to the underground root cellar on the other.

The part that I haven't completely sorted out is the foundation. Given that the access to the land is an 8-foot wide unmaintained road, I won't be bringing any concrete trucks in. I've been leaning toward a hand-poured footing with laid block wall as it lends itself to my style of doing things - a one-man crew. (i.e. unable to afford paying contractors)

Best,
Kevin

Tim,

Yep, the frame's all local hemlock - some have noted it as gnarly stuff to work with, but it's one of the more common species in barns (and forests) around here and has held up well over the years. And, at 58-cents a board foot, it fits my budget. The mill I used is a multi-generational family business that's been around since just after WWII. The sawyer knows his stuff and I ended up with good wood with very little evidence of shake.

Layout system? Square rule. To draw it up I did everything from initial design to shop drawings in SketchUp (including the TF Rubies), placing my entire faith in that piece of software. After seeing it come together at such tight tolerances, I can say that the time learning SketchUp was an investment that paid off extremely well.

Best,
Kevin

Mike,

Hmmm. Will Google Maps let me pick just dirt roads?

Or, Maybe I should set Todd Taylor (Local Motion) to work adding that section of the state to our TrailFinder application. Someday, perhaps, there'll be the cross-state Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, if they can get beyond the current controversies . . .

Thanks again for all your input on the equipment shed project. I'd love having you over this summer to check it out.

Best,
Kevin

haha..smart man..
that's the thing with us newbies...most of us think we're building fine furniture...not that there's anything wrong with perfection of course..
great looking shed, can't wait to see the barn....