[AT] new duties

Fri Jul 14 08:23:36 PDT 2017

I have used "all of the above" methods you mentioned Grant. The timber
frame barn I'm trying to save currently has 2 diagonal cables with
come-a-longs in place. Now and then I "test" the tension and if I can I
tighten them up a click or two. I just sprayed them down with lube last
week. I don't have turn buckles yet because I'm not ready. I did price
turnbuckles and about had a Fred Sanford attack... I got to looking around
and decided that I will buy category one 3 pt top-links instead for a much
lower price. I have managed to get one post back up on its rock base over
the last year just checking it when I am there.
Much of its problem is that we have had horrible winds over the last
several years. A few years ago the east end of the entire barn was blown
over a foot to the north by what I must assume was a "micro-burst" in a
storm. It was not sustained wind nor nay kind of twister but was strong
enough to move that end of the barn. It also rolled 2 flat bed wagons
parked a few feet apart about 80' each backward across the lot. Only stuff
in that lot showed wind hit.
My farm shop barn has three diagonal cables holding it against the
prevailing wind (from the west) that my father installed about 1952. The
cables were from the old abandoned interurban trolley line that had crossed
a corner of the farm many years ago.
The bigger barn that I am trying to save I'm not trying to restore, I am
just trying to keep it upright and under roof until a later time. Maybe son
Scott will someday want to fix it up... He has a lot of interest in such
things and I want to leave him that option.

On Thu, Jul 13, 2017 at 1:19 PM, Grant Brians <sales at heirloom-organic.com>
wrote:

> Having saved several barns and also torn several down, I have a thought
> to share with the list. We experience "only" wind, rain and earthquake
> damage here because our barns are on high ground so the other causes
> (floods, snow/blizzards and vehicles crashing into them have not been
> issues here in coastal California.
>       My preferred activity to do to any old barn or shed is to brace
> using one or more of four methods. Where a part of the building is
> slumping due to either a drainage or other water issue, I lift the
> affected posts and put them on piers.
>       Where the building is just getting rickety, X braces with strong
> wood on the inside is my preferred course of action - this is useful for
> wind damage, earthquake damage or risk and also limited levels of
> spreading forces to larger areas.
>       Where there are larger areas on a side and or when a building has
> started to list in a direction, I like using come-alongs and cables
> attached to metal or wood plates that have lots of nails or bolts
> holding them on. The cable method can also pull a building literally
> back together and then have the cables attached permanently with
> turnbuckles to allow later adjustments as needed. I did this with our
> ranch house when the 1989 earthquake literally opened up an 18" gap
> where one 1934 addition was connected. It worked like a charm and then I
> was able to reinforce and "seamlessly" complete attachments and a new
> foundation. I left the cable in place as insurance....
>       The last easy method is to use plywood or metal plates near
> corners to deflect stresses and strains and to vigorously strengthen
> those areas. This is a technique that developed in earthquake areas like
> ours, but it is also useful for all sorts of stress deflection uses.
>       In the case of your shed that the tree fell on, I would seriously
> look at using the cable method to bring it back together and back
> upright. I cannot know if your building can have this done, but you
> might like to look at it. It is amazing what some nails, wood, metal,
> cable can do amazing things. Good luck!
>                   Grant Brians - Hollister,California farmer
>       On 7/12/2017 4:08 AM, Indiana Robinson wrote:
> > I am desperately trying to save an about 38' x 60' timber frame barn down
> > the road that sits on ground we used to rent in the 1950's but own that
> > part of it now. I have been unable to do much with it until now mostly
> due
> > to health issues etc. I think I can have it in "safe and holding
> condition"
> > in a couple of weeks if it will stop the damn storming... Son Scott is
> > going to help on it.
> > Yesterday, July 11, 2017, we went to town (we sit just outside of the
> line
> > and it is getting closer) for lunch and the sky fell open and leaked a
> lot
> > of water, wind and uncontrollable electricity... When we got home the
> first
> > thing I wanted to check was if that barn was still intact and remarkably
> it
> > was.
> > We did lose another building (and a pair of tractor fenders ) though. We
> > had a huge old maple tree about 20' east of the house that blew down.
> > Luckily it blew to the south- east away from the house. It is going to
> make
> > a lot of firewood. It did however fall on a building that we had used as
> a
> > farm shop when we moved here in 1951. It was a fairly new chicken house
> > then about 18' x 18'. The tools were inside and the big bench but most
> work
> > was done outside and it only had a walk door. It was the only decent
> > building other then the 3 barns and they were in full use for livestock.
> It
> > was also the only building with a good concrete floor. My father had
> moved
> > a small chicken house building with us along with a 10' x 20' cottage
> from
> > a pay lake / private park at the old farm. That cottage became known as
> the
> > seed house. It has since been built onto on both sides and is now about
> 20'
> > x 34'. I do sometimes refer to it as "the little barn". My father never
> > really finished the little chicken house much so the chickens were mostly
> > "free range" but we didn't know they were back then, we thought that they
> > "just ran around loose"...  :-)  We didn't know what free  range was.
> > That old shop building is toast... We had taken over the timber frame
> > former dairy barn / 1,500 bu. corn crib / 300 bu. oats bin / 12' wide
> > driveway area as the farm shop many years ago. The old shop had become
> odd
> > stuff storage.
> > The tree also fell across the back of my little Ferguson TO-20 and mashed
> > both rear fenders down hard against the rear tires. I will have to remove
> > the fenders to move the tractor. So far I don't see any other damage to
> it.
> > The fenders will go to a loft to await later repair, maybe this winter.
> In
> > the meantime I have a pair of Ford 8N fenders I won't be needing before
> > maybe next spring and I will stick those on the Ferguson. I just hope it
> > doesn't give it a rash or something.
> > At the barn lot (has anyone ever used the term "shed lot"?) down the road
> > to the west I have an open faced 28' x 64' "tool shed" or "implement
> shed".
> > If I close it in with walls and doors can I call it a "barn".  :-)
> > If I call the tool shed and the seed house "barns" I can claim 5 barns
> > here. All 5 of them were built smaller but tall and they all have been
> > built onto to make them bigger. The open faced tool shed had an 18' x 18'
> > "shop room" added to the back. The "at risk" barn down there was maybe
> > originally (1800's) 30' x 30' but added to at least 3 times. The one that
> > is now shop was added to at least twice and the east barn where our 6
> > horses live was added to at least once. It is really interesting to me to
> > study them all closely and try to figure out the stories they contain if
> > you just look for them.
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > AT mailing list
> > http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>
>
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-- 
-- 

Francis Robinson
aka "farmer"
Central Indiana USA
robinson46176 at gmail.com

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