DEPOT

[bobhenry-TNT]

WELL IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT ON THE 1ST I STARTED THE DEPOT BUILD. Damn cap lock

Well the next 8x20 has been pulled close to in place. I have left enough room for ladders an work area but up close enough to get power. Was fortunate enough to get a great deal of the lumber at a huge discount. I had my 5x10 flatbed trailer stacked full and level with the top of the side racks. Was a bit concerned with the tires but all was well on the hour long drive back to the caboose. Sunday my 15 year old helper and I stacked the lumber high and tight in the implement shed that was just built. Thanks to the land lady for letting me borrow the space. We have all but eliminated the rats nest of fallen tees and debris behind the Depot's parking site. We cut about 2 ricks of fire wood and a 5x10 trailer rounded full of small brush and limbs. I will cut up some of the little stuff for kindling and the rest will provide a few nice fall campfires. This morning after removing the trash, my water tank and other debris we ripped off the first distorted layer of old decking and we went to work. I jigged up and built the first roof truss. I still have Monday as a play day so perhaps now that I have the first truss figured out I can complete the rest Tomorrow (MON) . A hot bath and a cold beer is in order right now and I think I will watch the setting sun and the fire and wait for the chickens to go to bed. Have some pics Tuesday..

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Monday was a run here and run there day. Was out of this and that and had to make the 1 1/2 hour round trip to the house in a house for plywood cut offs to make the gussets. While out I went further south and made an appointment to get my Suzuki fixed and took the land ladies truck to my buddies muffler shop for some exhaust repair. Didn't even get back to the caboose until 5 PM. Went up the hill and took time to get the little 8N running. ( had to clean each and every battery and solenoid contact to finally find the offending connection) Finally got to play with the trusses and did get all the gusset plates (40 of them) cut and ready to install. This head start will make short work of getting the trusses completed this coming weekend. I should be setting walls by Saturday on a newly installed deck. Shocker 3/4 4x8 treated plywood $30.00 + a sheet ! OUCH!

Damn hurricanes anyway

Got dark and before I knew it, it was too late to take some good pics so they are still to follow another day

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

RAINY AND CRAPPY ALL DAY

So I took advantage and drove 112 miles round trip but got 120 free sheets of 14" x 8' 1/2" plywood. I priced the 5 sheets of 3/4 plywood I needed for the floor $156.00 and change

Work was about to toss out 300 or more sheets of this stuff so I intercepted what my single axle flat bed dare to carry. Our driver Charlie told me he had 2 sheets of 4' x 8' cement board he had no use for so I took the long way home and collected these as well on the way back to the Caboose from work.

I intend to herringbone one layer and reverse the pattern for the second layer. As the 4x4 supports run front to back on 24" centers. Tis leaves the 2 layers bridging only about 19" and will have the voids fully filled to add support this will be more than sturdy. The voids will be filled with the 4" polyisocyanurat foil faced 4x8 sheets I got from one of the neighbors (40 sheets for $25.00)

I haven't gotten the bill on the salvage framing lumber but I am expecting the trailer load to be about $50.00

To date 6 days into the build have all the framing, floor, and probably enough to sheath the roof and the build cost is just about $100.00 in material and probably $30.00 in gasoline to collect these items. Who says tinys are expensive.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Well the trusses are all built and at the ready....

parts in the jig

the gussets

right and left end trusses

remaining framing lumber after the trusses were all built

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

The trusses were built on Sunday and Monday I completed the tear off of the old weathered deck. Had to replace the outboard 4x4's as they did not appear to be very trustworthy. As I tossed one aside it snapped right in half. I guess the replacement was a good call. I set back with a cold one and studied the floor design and was a bit concerned that the entire weight of the building was resting on 4 heavy gage metal wings on each side. I decided that blocking was needed to give some assist to the outboard rails. So I am off to investigate what hangers or reinforcement plates would be best to utilize to offer a bit firmer connection than relying on just a few nails.

I'll snap some more pics as the blocking is installed.

arrows show the little wings that would be supporting the walls.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Some new pics in the morning The frame overbuild is done and weatherproofed with the black nasty fence post treatment.

The lumber looks like it is coated with black glass. I love this cheap stuff. Had to replace all the outboard 4x4's and one inboard that will be under the water tank. It's ready for the 4" foil faced polyisocyanurate sheets. These will be cut to fit in the voids between the 4x4's blanks and then the plywood sub floor will be installed. All this done I can start setting walls

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Well here are some pics as promised....

I know you are going to tell me the joist hanger support is on upside down but when the weight of the walls outboard bears on the frame rail the inboard end will lift and the hanger is there to transfer the lift to the second member.

Here are some of the reinforcing plates to join the out board hips for the pooch out.

The outboard plates to join the 4x4's to the pooch out

partially coated with the asphaultic fence post treatment

all done !

As I said in the post above.....It's ready for the 4" foil faced polyisocyanurate sheets. These will be cut to fit in the voids between the 4x4's blanks and then the plywood sub floor will be installed. All this done I can start setting walls.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

I am going to place a 15 lite entry door in the hip push out !

Here is the look I am going for but with the door in the bump out.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

This picture makes me wish the entry door wasn't going in the platform side bump out. A neat look at an old depot communication center. I have a very similar desk and chair that is on the left side of the pic.

 

[working on it]

Well here are some pics as promised....

I know you are going to tell me the joist hanger support is on upside down but when the weight of the walls outboard bears on the frame rail the inboard end will lift and the hanger is there to transfer the lift to the second member.

Here are some of the reinforcing plates to join the out board hips for the pooch out.

The outboard plates to join the 4x4's to the pooch out

partially coated with the asphaultic fence post treatment

all done !

As I said in the post above.....It's ready for the 4" foil faced polyisocyanurate sheets. These will be cut to fit in the voids between the 4x4's blanks and then the plywood sub floor will be installed. All this done I can start setting walls.

• I like your use of the steel joist hangers and other brackets to hold the wood in place. I used similar Simpson Strongties bracketry to construct my 4x8 squareback TTT, because I just prefer simple/strong/screwed together components (in my trailer, bolts replaced screws) in lieu of pocket screws, biscuits, rabbets, and other construction methods used to join wood together.
• Until just recently, I had been re-building my house, one room at a time, from roofline to sub-floor, using many of the Simpson Strongties pieces. Though I used bolts on my trailer, their brand of construction screws were ideal for joining rafters, risers, and joists to existing framing (I had to cut rafters in half, then splice them together in place, after using jacks to lift and straighten-out the sagging roof). I did it that way, because the original 44 year old rafters (1x2's not 2x4's) were cracking and sagging, allowing the roof to sag, where pooling water could collect and seep into the house. The original joists were sagging, too, and new joists were sistered to them, to form a new ceiling support, after jacking it up to nominal height. We (my wife and I), had been doing this for a couple of years, (three rooms completely done over, another two under reconstruction), with good results, but finally gave up after the plumbing problems forced us to throw in the towel, and demolish the house, and start over. When you have just finished re-doing a room, then walk into it, and find that another untraceable leak underfloor has ruined a new laminate floor, for the second time, you just give up.
• Bob, you never seem to give up, despite your set-backs, and always find ways to innovate and use non-standard materials to make what you want. Keep up the good work!

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Thank you for the kind words ! I am just trying to make my tiny world on wheels comfortable enough to cruise on out of this life. Saw doc yesterday and all is good and I am healthy as a horse so maybe God will give me another decade of two. Great Grandpa Henry cut hair till he was 102 in his, in his home, barbershop. Could I be that lucky ?

I am wanting the Extra square footage for mechanicals and a wood stove as an annex to the caboose. Maybe I will finally get those 9 solar panels up I have had for 3 + years that are still in their boxes. When I get this project done I will convert the step van to my " Minibago" and THEN I will set back and just piddle making wood crafts and other flea market sales items. I am getting too damn old for ladders and home construction.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Totaled the costs to date.....

Updated info has me homed in on $300.00 11/6/2017


3 gal of fence post sealer $30.00
5# box of 2” construction screws $24.00
Hangers and plates $20.00
Insulation $25.00
4x4’s and more hangers $30.00
Trailer load of free plywood $ 0
Two 4x10 sheets of cement board $ 0
Discounted lumber guess $50.00
to be determined
Carriage bolts $ 7.00
found steel roofing (update) $30.00 Gave our driver $20.00 and the company $10.00 for the "scrap" steel.
UPDATED 11/6
Borax for insect barrier $7.00
aerosol foam and a large paint brush $14.00
more fasteners and simpson hangers
and a gallon of Polar seal roof coat $63.00

ST $300.00

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Well it's Monday and the 4" 4x8 billets of foil faced polyisocyanurate have been cut and fitted in the voids between the 4x4's and other framing members. I will purchase 3-4 cans of foam and seal them a bit more solidly in place then we are ready for the 2 layers of plywood sub floor. Temps are in the 50's and 60's next weekend so it ought to be better than this weekend. Rainy and cold and I had 2 guys to help me run 400 feet of farm fence in the drizzle. Three days this weekend were shot in the butt. Friday was for shopping, Saturday was for cutting trees and brush out of the way and getting started on the fence install, and Sunday was to finish up and cleaning up. I am too damn old for this foolishness. Thank God for 4 day weekends to get things done , and yes I am looking forward to 3 days of rest at work !

 

[rebapuck]

Always interesting.

 

[working on it]

... Thank God for 4 day weekends to get things done , and yes I am looking forward to 3 days of rest at work !

• It's a good life, Bob, when you can work/play hard for yourself, then use the less frenetic job to allow you to refresh.
• When I was younger, without a lot of responsibility at work, I played too hard on weekends, and slowly recovered over the 5 day workweek. Then came increased workloads, and a variable schedule of 3, 2, or only one day off, so if I played too hard, I might not be ready for the next days off activities. Different recreational activities followed, not as hard on the body, but requiring more prep time (drag racing, motorsports), meant that I'd often not get much rest in between work and play, but I was still young-ish, at heart at least, so it was OK.
• Penultimately, my job was such a stressful, time-consuming bear, that my recreation had to change, from active participation in a high-stress sport, to the less stressful camping scene (when, if, I could find the time). Finally, retirement, and no recreation at all...life always has surprises for me; maybe soon, I can find some time to enjoy it, in my "golden years". Hang in there, Bob.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

" Finally, retirement, and no recreation at all "

I think I understand ! I now have 4 days to do my own projects and I still run out of time before returning to work.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

I posted this in the bargain area but just had to brag here as well............

Well I have been combing all the sale sites and even Craig's list let me down! I finally made a call Wednesday morning and found a metal roof installer who also has a sales operation. I inquired about 14 foot and 4 foot scrap and he felt he could get me what I needed "very inexpensively" I was to drive over ( about 30 miles) and meet with him Friday.

Here is the good part.....

About 4 hours later our delivery semi returned and the driver mentioned to me the words "steel roofing". My antenna went up and I immediately started firing questions about "What steel roofing". It seems our sister operation who had just moved to a new building had to install a huge door in the new metal building. This was the removed steel. Heavy gage high ridge industrial stuff. I grabbed a tape and the six 30 foot scraps of 3 foot wide steel will make the roof of the Depot with a tiny bit of scrap to spare. It just can't get any better !

Thank you Lord

I cleared it with the boss with a $10.00 donation as compensation for about what we would have gotten from the scrap steel dealer as junk metal.

So one of the 4 days off I will be at work cutting the long lengths into more user friendly (and easier to transport) lengths that will be ready to install on the depot trusses....

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Last Monday I filled in all the voids between the 4x4's with the 4" polyisocyanurate. When I purchased the 20+ sheets of 4x8 4" thick insulation I noticed that tiny red ants seem to love nesting between the damp sheets. I have been looking for a good and green friendly answer to the possibility of re-invitating them back when my floor is placed over the insulation blocks. I will be foaming the smaller gaps between the 4x4's and the insulation and then sprinkling some borax over the face just before placing the 2 layers of plywood sub flooring down. This is the reasoning for my choice.......


Borax Basics

Borax is another name for sodium tetraborate decahydrate, a naturally occurring compound that is mined in the California desert as well as other places around the world. It has many uses, and is commonly sold as a cleaning and laundry aid for household as well as industrial use. Borax is also highly recommended as a relatively safe method of insect control. It can be used indoors or outside, but must be reapplied if it gets wet.

Uses

Borax is very effective in killing and controlling various types of insects, including fleas, silverfish and beetles. It is one of the most effective methods of controlling cockroaches in and around the home as long as it is applied properly, according to the University of Kentucky. Borax will also control ants and grain weevils. It has the added benefit that its residual action is more effective against newly hatched insects than most chemical sprays.

Application

Apply a thin dusting of powder in areas where insects such as roaches are a problem. When they walk through the dust, it clings to their legs and is eventually ingested, poisoning the insect. It also has a dessicating effect and can cause pests to die of dehydration. If ants encounter borax, they will typically be repelled rather than crawl over it. Some commercial insect poisons use borax as their main ingredient. You can make your own bait by mixing borax with honey or corn syrup to form a paste and leaving it where insects can find it.

 

[bobhenry-TNT]

Did a little light math and approximated the framing weights to the depot. It looks to be coming in about the same as the caboose , 5k

4x4 per ft 2.7 100 270
2x4 per ft 1.3 144 187.2
2x6 per ft 2.1 438 919.8
2x10 per ft 3.5 60 210
1/2 ply sq ft 320 1.5 480
1x6 per ft 160 1.1 176
steel sq ft 2.5 400 1000
zip sq ft 3 500 1500
windows & doors each 40 5 200

very approx weight 4943