Timber Frame Tractor Home

[patrick_g]

Pat:

If you waited for me you'd be in trouble.

What I wan't to know is if you ever got the lumber cut for your?

Kevin

We got some of it cut, hornswaggled out of some of it, and have more to cut.

It was a two barn deal, one for a friend (his first) and then mine. Mine is part of a close-in-an-open-sided-shed project where I close in a shed and then use the barn to handle the storage the shed had supposed to be used for.

I have less than a thousand board feet of oak and hickory left stickered in my barn from the earlier logging spree. As the weather cools it is more conducive to logging (I wilt easily.) My friend and logging partner is also helping one of his brothers build a house AND needs to build one for himself so as usual, life is what happens while you are making other plans.

I have a lead on getting some used utility poles so maybe that will help jumpstart a pole barn.

Pat

 

[khd]

Well, winter is upon us again. It is also officially one year since I started construction. I had the foundation done the week of Thanksgiving last year. I have been working on it bit by bit but again, travel for work doesn't leave much time to get things done. I do have it closed in for winter as the siding is all on. Will be hanging a tarp over the door for winter just to keep snow out as the tractor has been officially moved in. I hope to get the doors built in the garage over the cold months.

Attached are the latest pics. Today I got the two side windows framed and set. The first two show the exterior with windows and the last two show indise with windows.

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[bjcsc]

I really like the look and the craftsmanship of that building. Down here, though, the bugs would eat that building in 2 years...termite shield or not...

 

[Egon]

An excellent job.

 

[EddieWalker]

Looks great. Anybody can build a barn, but you've created a work of art!!! Truly one in a million.

Thanks for sharing,
Eddie

 

[Defective]

Dang!

Gotta get me a new tractor so I can have an excuse to build one of those...

 

[khd]

I really like the look and the craftsmanship of that building. Down here, though, the bugs would eat that building in 2 years...termite shield or not...

Thanks. We have 'em here to but carpenter ants are more prevalent. BIL has his own pest control business and I already have him keeping an eye out for all pests.

Kevin

 

[khd]

An excellent job.

Thanks Egon

 

[khd]

Looks great. Anybody can build a barn, but you've created a work of art!!! Truly one in a million.

Thanks for sharing,
Eddie

Thanks Eddie, what I really created is something that is taking forever to get done.

 

[bjcsc]

Thanks. We have 'em here to but carpenter ants are more prevalent. BIL has his own pest control business and I already have him keeping an eye out for all pests.

Kevin

Yeah, I'm sure you'll be fine. Our winters don't kill much and the humidity lends itself to bad wood bug troubles. Fantastic building you've got...

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Well, you ended up with a stunning building. Good to look at and inviting -- it makes you want to walk inside and run your hand over the wood and maybe pound a timber (timberframe equivalent of kicking tires).

Cliff

 

[khd]

Well, you ended up with a stunning building. Good to look at and inviting -- it makes you want to walk inside and run your hand over the wood and maybe pound a timber (timberframe equivalent of kicking tires).

Cliff

Thanks Cliff

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

Kevin,
did you ever decide on an exterior finish?

if you're looking for something dark but simple, mixing roof tar into boiled linseed oil makes a simple stain. Adding turpentine will help it penetrate, and depending on how dark you want it you just add more or less tar. (This is an old technique, and I've also seen it described as using gasoline to dissolve the asphalt/tar, but I'm not that into those fumes)

another option if you like the silver gray look of old, weathered, white oak without the damage to the wood is to make a 2% (by volume) solution of iron sulfite with water, let it dry, then brush on boiled linseed oil or other oil based sealer.

great project!

 

[khd]

Kevin,
did you ever decide on an exterior finish?

if you're looking for something dark but simple, mixing roof tar into boiled linseed oil makes a simple stain. Adding turpentine will help it penetrate, and depending on how dark you want it you just add more or less tar. (This is an old technique, and I've also seen it described as using gasoline to dissolve the asphalt/tar, but I'm not that into those fumes)

another option if you like the silver gray look of old, weathered, white oak without the damage to the wood is to make a 2% (by volume) solution of iron sulfite with water, let it dry, then brush on boiled linseed oil or other oil based sealer.

great project!

Erik:

All I've decided is to over winter it unfinished. I like the look of it now but I know it won't stay that way. I've been playing with some scraps and used motor oil and I like it, darkens only slightly. Also have done reading on some of the high end clear finishes.

I guess in other words, I'm not sure how I want it to look long term so I'll just wait till proper weather and decide then. Still might go barn red.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

Kevin, that's a good plan.
if you do decide to go with motor oil, I'd suggest mixing it with a thinning agent so it soaks in better.
Also, boiled linseed will preserve the current color with little darkening if you want to keep it as it is - but you're right in waiting for warmer weather, since nothing's going to do much soaking in when the temp is below 50.



have a good set of holidays and I'll look forward to new pictures as they happen!

 

[khd]

I've already gone through two gallons of BLO. In the spring I'm going to empty the barn, lay plastic on the floor and spray the entire inside with 50/50 BLO and Turp. If I decide to keep the natural on the outside, I'm leaning toward some high end stuff just because my time is so limited and thinking I can get a bunch of years out it before worrying about refinish. As much as I like BLO it's longevity in the elements is limited. If you look at the lifting corbel in the pics you can see how the oak is graying already, about 9 months and it had 3 coats applied before I installed it.

Anyone have any recommendations on a clear finish let me know.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

Cabots, Olympia, and Behr are all 3 reliable products.

I've heard that you don't want to buy wood sealers from Home Despot, because they have a less durable product than other stores - which is how they get the price so low on it.

Tinted sealers have more UV inhibitors, which is what causes the silvering.
occasionally in the spring Olympia will have 6 gallon "bonus pails" for the same price as their 5 gallon pails. (Sam's Club also does "spring deals" but I don't remember the brand)

buying by the gallon you'll spend $20-25 a gallon. Buying 5 gallons at a time you'll spend 10-15 a gallon. Store any leftover product in the basement so it doesn't freeze. (or buy a bucket a month between now and April to spread out the pain)