[AT] Non-Tractor Tractor Weekend

[toma at risingnet.net]

On our ranch which is on the west coast about a mile from the ocean had 
a barn my great grandfather built in the 1890's. In the early '20's a 
tree fell on it and my grandfather replaced the original redwood "barn 
shake" roof with USED corrugated tin. When I returned in the mid '50's 
it had fallen into disrepair. Quite a few sheets had blown off and the 
rest was severely rusted. I bought a stack of used tin at an auction for 
$15 and was able to replace the missing sheets and fix some holes. The 
barn was completely serviceable and kept my hay crops dry for many 
years.

Since then I learned that 2 1/2" roofing was rolled from copper bearing 
steel and dipped in a hot zinc bath for galvanizing. I always have kept 
an eye out for a stack of tin for sale thinking to re-roof the barn or 
build some new buildings. I was never able to find enough for my liking. 
Some years ago I was talking to a contractor who had been involved in 
demo-ing a lot of these old buildings and he said the reason you don't 
see any is it is highly desired for scrap due to the copper and zinc 
content. It is such a shame that all the roofing from all those old 
buildings has gone for scrap.

In the year 2000 we put a a 24'x24' steel shop building. It is roofed 
and sided with this ribbed painted "galvalume" they sell nowadays. I 
don't get down there much anymore but the last time I was there I 
noticed something nasty going on around the screws holding the roof on, 
on one corner where gravel had washed against the siding there was some 
nasty corrosion ie. holes.

I don't think that galvalume is going to hold up anywhere near as long 
as that old tin. If you ever see any of the old stuff, buy it. The nail 
holes are not really a problem and can be dealt with. If they are on top 
of the corrugations they don't even leak much.

Tom Armstrong




On 2020-06-09 12:08, STEVE ALLEN wrote:
> A short story followed by a question, Gents.
> 
> We did absolutely nothing on or to any of the three tractors this
> weekend or yesterday (although we did a lot of mowing and chainsawing
> on Saturday).  The rest of the time was spent shopping for materials
> and building the lean-to addition to the tractor shed for the '51 A.
> 
> When Dad bought this place back in '84, there was a steel-sheathed,
> wood-framed building on it that came form Morgan buildings (and we
> have always called it the Morgan Building). It's about 12' x 20' or
> 24', and has double front doors.  The previous owner used it for
> storage and a lawn-mower shed; we have always used it as a shop while
> trying to store too #@&% much stuff in it, too.  Using landscaping
> timbers and fence pickets, we built a lean-to lumber shed behind it.
> I "paved" the lumber shed floor with 3' x 3' steel shelving pieces
> salvaged from a place my brother used to work.
> 
> After Dad died and I took over the place, I used more salvaged
> materials to build the main tractor shed.  It is just big enough to
> house two JD 2-cylinder tractors right-side to right-side and a steel
> workbench, and it is attached to the lumber shed, which forms a sort
> of north wall/before-the-fact lean-to for it.
> 
> Now, with three tractors, I needed another stall, so we have lifted
> the lower edge of the west roof, added 2" x 6" rafters (16') and a new
> west wall12' out from the existing wall.  The plan is to move the
> siding on the existing wall onto the new wall, which is about the same
> length.  This lean-to addition will hold the '51 A.
> 
> Anyway, we had to buy more new material for this addition because my
> stocks of salvaged material is mostly depleted.  One of the things we
> need to buy is 12' lengths of plain, old-fashioned, galvanized,
> corrugated roofing sheets.  I need six to slide their ends up under
> the ends of the existing sheets to complete the roof on this addition.
>  Trouble is, I can't find six!  I managed to find 2 at the local
> Lowe's, but they don't match the old profile.  None of the other
> outfits locally have *any*.  Lowe's tells me thy have 50 more sheets
> coming in June 5th, but my calendar says that was 4 days ago, and they
> cannot even tell me where they are on when they might arrive.
> 
> So my question is this:  is corrugated sheet iron the next toilet
> paper?  Is there a national shortage?   Is galvanized steel
> susceptible to CoViD-19?  I *can* use a different profile, if I have
> to, but I have trouble imagining the problem.  (as an aside, the guys
> and Meeks tell me that treated lumber is also in short supply, at
> least hereabouts.)
> 
> You'd think there'd be stacks chest high of this stuff all over, or I
> did, anyway.  Used to be.
> 
> The "original" Steve Allen
> Who is constantly, painfully reminded that today ain't yesterday.
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