Raising the Frame: day one, September 2, 2007

I have hundreds of pictures from our two days of frame raising on Labor Day weekend. I won't post all of them here, though. But, there are a few that I would like to share. The set in this post are from Sunday, September 2, 2007.

This is the gin pole that we used. Most of the lifting was done from the 15' height, at the top of the oak 6"x8". It was originally anchored with two 3/4" nylon ropes, but when we started the first lift, they stretched so much that we added a chain to the back of the pole. The upper section on the pole adds about 8-1/2 feet of height using two 2x8s. This section was intended for lighter and higher lifting. It ended up not being completely necessary, but it helped with lifting two of the rafter sets on the second day.

This is the first bent that we lifted. The power for the lift was provided by my neighbor on his Massey Ferguson 235 tractor. The pull rope was a 3/4" nylon rope using a 1:4 block and tackle. It lifted each of these bents without problem.

Once the bent was vertical, we tied it from both sides and braced it with 2xs so that it would stay up.

To raise the second bent of the day, we leaned the gin pole over toward it a bit. Our chain on the back of the pole kept it about a foot from the edge of the first standing bent.

Several of us helped start the second bent as Jerry pulled with his tractor.

Once this bent was vertical, we kept it that way with ropes pulled and secured in opposite directions. We were able to lean the bent outward a little, allowing us to connect the girts between these two bents. We hefted them into place after lifting the second bent.

Before lifting the third bent of the day, we attached the girts and braces to the first bent. Although the braces were sufficient for holding them in their positions, we also used some 2xs to provide additional support, keeping them in place until the next bent was up.

Again, the lifting power was provided by the tractor. We kept watch on all of the lifts to make sure that the bottoms of the posts didn't slip off of the concrete piers. As the bent neared vertical, we guided the tenons on the girts and brace into their respective mortises.

Before lifting the final bent of the day, we decided to try it with the girts and braces already inserted and pegged. Although it added a little more weight and changed the balance as it lifted, it worked quite well.

As the bent came up, the girts and their braces came down and were guided into their mortises.

At the end of the day, the main part of the frame was raised, ready for the rafters. It was a great day, and I am extremely thankful to all the friends and family who helped throughout the day.

Update and thoughts on raising the frame

On Thursday of last week (7/12/07), I was able to fit up the back wall of the frame. Mark the Intern helped. This involved fitting together 4 posts, 6 girts, and 6 braces and drilling the holes for the pegs. It went together quite well. However, I forgot to take the camera, so no pictures. It looked a lot like the pictures from earlier, though. It's really neat to see what I've been working on for over two years actually begin to take shape.

I'm contemplating raising the frame. Basically, I'm trying to get it straight in my head how it'll be done. I'm not planning on renting a crane to do the job. Yeah, a crane would probably make things easier, but it would also create its own challenges. I think that with enough help and a gin pole, we can get the job done safely and relatively easily. I've never done this before, so I might be wrong.

One of my intentions at this point is to raise each bent completely finished, including the rafters. Because of the design of the bent, the weakest point will be where the rafter and two posts attach to the tie beam. The only thing holding them will be 2"x4" mortise/tenon joints. My idea is to securely clamp three 6"x6"s or 6"x8"s on the back of the bent. These will be long enough to be attached to the lower beams, the tie beam, and the rafters. Then, when raising the bent, I will pull on these braces, not the bent itself. They will hold the bent rigid while they take the stress of the raising.

The gin pole I have in mind is what is called a pair of 'shear legs.' It's basically an A-frame of two poles. I 'borrowed' the picture at the right from The Mountain School. I'll probably use a couple of cedar trees since I have a lot of those here, and they'll be relatively straight and long enough. Long enough for my uses will be 25-30 feet. I won't have to lift more than 22 feet. The shear legs feet are securely anchored so they won't move. I'll probably set them in a couple of holes and chain them to a couple of my foundation piers. It'll also be secured by lines to anchors or trees toward the back. In barn raising from this photo, they used a block and tackle rigging and raised their bents with human power. I'm planning on using a tractor to supply the power to raise the bents.

I'll continue pondering on the raising. I want it to go well, smoothly, and relatively quickly. It'll be an exciting day, I'm sure. I don't know when it'll be yet, but I'll be sure to announce it and invite lots of help!