Building New Coop/Barn...Phase 5 Great Barn Build, OCCUPIED! 3/6/16

[speckledhen]

We made a lot of headway today. One more session and all the walls will be covered and we'll be ready to start the pens. We finished the first long wall, did one sheet on the roll-up door wall, then started on Atlas's corner today.




This is the front corner which will be Atlas's pen. I think the final dimensions will end up being 9 1/2 x 8, not the 8x8, trying to go from metal stud to metal stud, generally, so there will be good support where the pen walls hit the outside walls.

 

[1muttsfan]

Are you building a stud frame inside the metal studs, then mounting your plywood?

 

[chicklover 1998]

Are you building a stud frame inside the metal studs, then mounting your plywood?

if you mean when they attached it, I think that they pre drilled the metal and then attached the plywood directly if you read back a page or two I think that it has it in one of them

 

[speckledhen]

Are you building a stud frame inside the metal studs, then mounting your plywood?

Nope, that would take up too much room. The plywood is going directly to the steel framing members. There are a few places where plywood comes together that we backed with a board that was wedged between the metal studs, but no wood frame.

if you mean when they attached it, I think that they pre drilled the metal and then attached the plywood directly if you read back a page or two I think that it has it in one of them

Yup, you are correct. Sometimes, if the screw has a good, self-drilling point, we aren't having to even drill first. That sure makes it easier. I think it's harder because our drill is not as high-powered as the building crew had so DH is having to use more muscle behind the drill to push the screw into the steel, but we're getting it done pretty well so far. I'm proud of him. Poor guy, even with severe back and hip pain, he can still work some men into the ground by sheer force of will.

 

[aart]

Self drilling metal screws are hard to drive, helped a friend build a steel greenhouse frame, when they grabbed they were awesome but....
Their impact drill/driver worked much better than my standard drill/driver....was like buttah with that impact driver.

I assume you're not building or storing materials near the interior drip line?

Man, that looks great...what fun....lotta body bruising work and brain bruising anxiety...but fun!

 

[speckledhen]

Self drilling metal screws are hard to drive, helped a friend build a steel greenhouse frame, when they grabbed they were awesome but....
Their impact drill/driver worked much better than my standard drill/driver....was like buttah with that impact driver.

I assume you're not building or storing materials near the interior drip line?

Man, that looks great...what fun....lotta body bruising work and brain bruising anxiety...but fun!

You assume correctly, of course. Of course, I had to move my buckets so will have to find the drips again after we build something over the circles I drew on the black plastic. No drips other than where it comes down in those three spots. I can build and leave buckets there, but I cannot put animals in there on that side until that is resolved.

 

[speckledhen]

Didn't quite finish the walls, but we're close. DH ran out of steam so we came inside for lunch. And I had to dig a final resting place for my favorite of Atlas's hens, Dottie. She probably won't last the day so he'll have one less hen to go to the new place with him. Anyway, here is our progress today, all except a small portion of the front of the barn is complete-that is Atlas's corner. And the that front long wall all the way to the back one is done. We do still need screws at the bottom but DH didn't want to hurt himself more by getting down there to power in screws today. We'll get to the upper gable walls after the pens are done and there is flooring to walk on, aka, loft above the pens.

 

[MistyMountain]

Cyn, I am so sorry about Dottie.

Your progress on the new coop looks great! Having all your chickens in one place is going to be so nice come cold or bad weather!!

 

[speckledhen]

Cyn, I am so sorry about Dottie.

Your progress on the new coop looks great! Having all your chickens in one place is going to be so nice come cold or bad weather!!

Thanks, Michelle. I went to town and haven't checked on her again, but will have to before dark. Winds are howling and snow flurries are starting. In this type weather, especially, that barn will be a real blessing.

 

[speckledhen]

Yesterday on the last piece of plywood, Tom was powering it up around the slanted steel support member and the bottom of the sheet shot out of place. It hit the inside of my first knuckle as I stopped it from falling, which busted a vein, painful enough, but I didn't realize until turning over in bed this morning that I pulled a muscle in my back when that happened, under my right shoulder blade. Ouch! It's snowing today so not sure what we'll get done, but inside the building will be fine, if I can maneuver. It will be okay when the kink works itself out, I'm sure.

Have to go check on Dottie, though. She's probably gone. She had a heat lamp but she hasn't eaten for two days, only drank water. I have her grave dug already, did that yesterday so husband didn't have to strain his back further, but he'll have to truck down the hill in the snow. We have about an inch or so, just enough to make things dicey.