LOL! That it Steve... less the Mater stuff, and add some rolling stock that is more rodder than stocker. ____ John
03-31-2015: Electric Trench Excavated 04-05-2016: Electric Connection and Devices 04-07-2016: Filling the Excavated Electric Trench Made some progress.. Trenched and Wired For 100 Amp Service: Maybe prep for slab this week... once this weekends gift goes away: ______ John
05-02-2016: Slab Sub Grade Prep Begins 05-03-2016: Sub Grade Compaction Testing Sub grade compaction and back fill: Mini-Excavator with compactor Jumping Jack Roller Leveling layer is screened native soil Sub-Grade Fill is Modified Class 6 The existing soil was 1st compacted with the Excavator, The leveling layer and the fill were each individually compacted by the Excavator / Jumping Jack and Roller. Looks so much better with the back fill and grading around the exterior. Had the local testing facility come out and perform density testing on the slab sub grade using a Troxler 3450 calibrated nuclear moisture - density gauge. 6 readings were taken, average was 97.45%, variance of readings were within 3.0%. For 160 dollars that's money well spent to know the sub-grade compaction is good, and that it is consistent. ________________________________________ Prepping for density test. This fixture allows the technician to drive a solid round bar into the compacted base to a fixed depth. The pin is then removed which leaves a hole for the test instrument probe. __________________________________________________ The device is calibrated by the technician. Calibration is done based on a "Proctor" test that is performed on the material used as the fill. ________________________________________ The device measures the moisture content with one fixed probe, and the main probe is lowered into the sub base and reads the density of the compacted sub-base. The two readings are needed to determine the compaction.
05-11-2016: Slab Isolation Enclosures At Columns 05-12/13-2016: Installation of Wire Mesh and Dobies 05-20-216: Construction Key The design of the slab is as follows: 5" min. thickness, using 4,000 PSI Min. compressive strength concrete, angel hair fiber and 6 x 6-W2.9 x W2.9 wire mesh. Photo below shows the maintenance bay. The wife and I installed the concrete wire mesh support dobies View attachment 23871 I built some "Column To Slab Isolation Enclosures" to go around each column. This is to ensure that the concrete slab won't locking onto the building columns / Simpson Joist hangers / fasteners.
05-24-2016: Concrete Slab Placement, Bays 1 & 3 05-25-2016: Stripping Construction Key Forms 05-26-2016: Concrete Slab Placement, Bay 2 Concrete QA guy testing air entrainment and pouring test cylinders We poured Bays 1 & 3 on a Tuesday. Used BoMetal keyways to separate the slabs. They worked out great, the forms didn't stick to them, attachment wires removed easily and what little concrete did stick to the face was easily removed with a putty knife. How the key looked when forms were pulled: ------------------------------------------- After clean-up --------------------------------------------- Keeping the concrete surface wet.... so far so good. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pouring Bay #2 Column Isolators turned out pretty sweet too.
First week of June 2016 The 7 day concrete test sample result reflected a compressive strength of 3,640 PSI. 3.640 psi = 91% of the specified 4,000 psi minimum requirement for the slab. "Concrete", by Mindness and Young, gives a general rule: The ratio of 28-day to 7-day strength lies between 1.3 and 1.7 and generally is less than 1.5, or the seven-day strength is normally between 60% to 75% of the 28-day strength and usually above 65%. Looking good thus far. I'll post the 28 day results once we get to that milestone. Just as a heads up for folks that care (I don't) there is a down side, be it minor, to cutting control joints 6-12 hours after finishing concrete. The saw scars the surface of the slab. This didn't really show up much when the slab was wet, but now that I'm past the 7 day wet curing period, and the slab is dry, it's more noticeable. Not sure how this would be avoided unless the saw had rollers or a vacuum for the dust? You're cutting concrete, the concrete dust is highly abrasive, and gets trapped between the shoe of the saw and the fresh concrete. Probably the best bet would be a wet saw. In their defense, the guys said they wanted to wait to cut the concrete for another day... I said to cut it the next morning, which was about 15 hours after finishing. But a little surface scarring is much better than cracks... in uncontrolled locations. I'm merely letting others know... as a Public Service Announcement Here's a photo: I also wanted to show how I had the guy cut the control joint to avoid a joint under the overhead door. More FWIW stuff. And finally, a couple more gratuitous photos, just cause I'm totally stoked. Nothing much to do now but wait for the curing period to be over, then apply sealer, then fill the barn up!
Wow, I bet you are "stoked"! I'm glad you FINALLY, got the floor in. Outstanding work. I bet yours is the most thought-out, quality built, pole barn in Colorado. Just makes it "feel" like a shop with the floor in, doesn't it? Glad you up-dated us here, John. Now I don't have to go peer in the windows, at that "other" jumbo forum... Steve. P.S. Am I gonna have to start looking at Craigslist, Colorado, to find you that next hotrod project, so you can park it in that new shop? I think there will be plenty of room for a Task Force, truck.
Well.... thanks for the offer. Our focus now will be renovating (ourselves!) the attached garage, the barn interior done, some vents in the roof and a list of other items that are awaiting the barn completion. I did see an awesome '58 at the dirt drags yesterday though ;-).. Our lives have been on hold now for a year, waiting for others to follow through with their contractual commitments: The 3 week barn project has taken more than 10 months, and our GC actually bailed on the project. This entire process has left us saying "What The Hell Happened?" Once the slab is cured (6-23-16) I can seal it and we can move on (06-27-2016) with life without the mind numbing long term procrastination and excuses of so called "construction professionals". Lester Buildings... they really need to vet their contractors better. It turned what we thought would be an exciting and rewarding experience into a tedious nerve racking circus of mayhem.
The circus of mayhem officially ended today... The county signed off on the electric - roofing and final. Can I get an 'Amen"?
AMEN... Whatever happened with the original GC, It is my opinion, you came out better for it. Now, we need glamor shots of hot rod Fords, and a VERY COOL, Camaro, sitting inside... Steve. P.S. The Jeep is cool, also. But, I'd like to see a picture of it...well,...you know where. HA HA.
Thanks Steve. The original GC checked out before fulfilling the contract which cost us an additional $6 grand over budget. The GC basically low balled the concrete and driveway to get the job, then backed out when those tasks were at hand. Whatever, we were/are glad to be done with him. 06-17-2016 Sealing Siding Gaps In typical Pole Barn fashion there are gaps in the siding. I used some 3/4" backer rod and some Great STuff Pest Block foam to seal up gaps at the bottom of the steel and at the wainscot trim. 06-24-2016 Driveway Complete We had the crew use 4" of crushed concrete, topped with 4" of crushed asphalt for the driveway. Everything was compacted and it turned out really nice. 06-24-2016 Sealing The Concrete I used Eagle Natural Seal on the concrete slab in my barn. It's available from Home Depot, $78.92 for a 5 gallon pail. Shipped to your door for free. It doesn't change the look of the concrete, just seals it. Water beads up nicely.
Excellent idea... I like that you made a garage overhead door size opening, and the two windows. I would want to install the overhead door, and apply a lifesize photo mural to it of the front end of a model A or something. Very nice. Steve.
Nice. Very nice set of cabinets. One of my farmer neighbors, a good guy, lined his shop with metal same as what you have temporary, in the picture. He would advise you to not do it with horizontal ribs. The ribs, over the years have caught all the dust and paint overspray, etc. Don't look very good, now... Oh, and he used white. I still have a stingray, AMC, bike like the one in the pic. It's still hanging in Dads garage. It's the very one I always chased my sister around the yard with. Wait a minute...It's the one I was ACCUSED of chasing my sister with... Steve.
The cabinets... we bought those at Lowes back in 2005 They are made by Do+Able Products Inc. Chino CA: Base Cabinet P/N 12333, Wall Cabinet P/N 12332 Thanks for the research on the practicality of steel siding installed with the horizontal rib orientation Steve. Just in the short time It has been in my shop I have indeed noticed dust on the ribs. Looks like I need to invest in some good quality hand shears.... I was accused too Steve (justifiably so) ...... The Huffy 3-speed in the picture above is similar to the blue Huffy I had as a kid. The orange one I got at a local bike shop when we lived in Ohio, circa late 1990's. I was buying a part for my mountain bike, and saw the Huffy, I asked about it and they gave it to me. Pretty much OEM, even has the original Cheater slick tires. The chain guard is missing.. other than that, it's decent for a 50 year old.
I guess I'm not the only one who damages himself in the shop. I have dents in my head, scars on my hands... Some of the other forum members are probably thinking that explains a few things. The lift is very nice. Just showed the pic to my wife, and told her, I want one too. She said she thinks there is no tool, I don't want. I think she finally "gets it". Here is my dumb question of the day; On the back of the old Ford, up by the back glass, what is the aluminum looking, circular thing? Steve.
Looks as tidy as a doctor's, office. Looks like a antique, glass, handy-oiler, you have there...cool. "Positively No Smoking or Open Lights, Permitted", That rule probably will be broken, quickly. The first "pop", of the, Oxy/Acetylene... What about the doors on the house? Steve.
Very nice. Very organized. Looking good! I'm curious. You have that excellently maintained John Deere, mowing tractor, but, it appears, no grass to mow. Do you have a snow-blower for it? If it was me, I'd probably drive it to the mailbox and back, every day. But, I know how you like to hike. Steve.
Thanks Steve. I gave the mower deck to my neighbor when we moved up into the mountains. I have a snow blade.. but don't need it. I have a snowblower, but haven't used it for over a year. What I do now is engage the 4 wheel drive... and drive. If the snow is too deep, I stay home, by the fireplace. It's an awesome life
