I've still got it......kind of

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I had a 15 x 40, 3 sided horse barn to build and the hired hand couldn't make it. I decided that even though I'll be sixty in a month or so that I could still knock this out fast enough to make money. I had a hole driller drill the six holes and help me shoot it with a sight level. The next day I got started at 8:30 in the morning.!0:00 and the walls are framed up. I mark the one in twelve pitch free hand, about a 1/4" high on the 2 7/8" pipe. Attached Images
Reply:12:00 I broke for lunch with half the roof done. Attached Images
Reply:3:30 and the rest of the roof was on and the base angle was in place. I even had enough time to put my stringline up for the tin alignment. Time to go deer hunting. Yeah, I've still got it. Attached Images
Reply:Right on Bob. In school we just build something similar. and it took us 4 days to do. Well 4 hrs a day for 4 days but we got er. Anywhoo. Looks awesome. I like your rig also.
Reply:If you got all that done and still felt like goin huntin, you must be a pretty good shape!
Reply:I sat on the stand that evening watching all the deer around me, looking down at Ol' Booger Red, my long bow I built, laying across my lap. I was thinking, oh yeah, I've still got it. I can still knock it out when I need to. I'm still one bad man. Those young guys ain't got nothing on me. The next day I show up to put the tin on. I'm not too sore from the following day. I'll just put the walls up and fill in all the lap screws and put on the corner trim and go hunting again. Then I'll put the roof on tomorrow.I put the first wall sheet up and screwed the three screws in the wall girt. I picked up the second sheet and as I stood it up I looked up.I like to of shat myself. The first sheet was too short, I mean way too short. I stepped back and could see that it was exactly 8" too short. What the h&ll happened.After looking for a bit, the realization hit me. I forgot to allow for the height of my purlane when I cut my posts off. How stupid can you be. It's not like I haven't built a couple hundred of these through the years. After trying to kick myself in my own a$$ for a few minutes I got down to the business of lowering the building down 8". I won't go into details but it required my A-frame, four pieces of angl and eight Vice Grips. It only took 2 hours and I still got the walls on and the next day I put the roof on.So, one man, one building, one major mistake but still an excellent paycheck for three days labor. Maybe I could be slipping a little mentally but physically I'm holding my own, I've still got it. Kind of. Attached Images
Reply:It sucks when you make a mistake on something that should be easy.  Glad you still got it done in three days by yourself.  Looks like that A frame really comes in handy.
Reply:That's okay Bob. Brain farts start at birth. They can happen to anyone at anytime. You hardly stumbled there at all. Took it right in stride. Now that's what experience does for ya.
Reply:Ain't no "kind of" about it Bob.  You've still got it in my book. MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Three days and hunting to boot....without the helper...Yeah!..I'd say you earned that paycheck alright and the structure looks like it should...
Reply:I'm impressed!MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:nice work.  I'll be happy if I make it to 60 and I'll consider myself very lucky if I'm still givin' er like you are.  Good work.Lincoln AC225 & MigPak 140, Lincoln Magnum SpoolGun, Miller Spectrum 375-X Plasma, Syncrowave 200 TIG, Millermatic 252 MIG, Miller Digital Elite, General 7x12" horiz/vert bandsaw, 3' box/pan brake, 20 ton press, milling machine, 12x28 lathe, etc.
Reply:Easy mistake to make.  Better too long than too short.Still amazed that only one guy around here, that I've seen anyways, has a set of gin poles on his truck.  Don't see how you could get along without them if you do any kind of lifiting at all.P.S.  I'm only 7yrs behind you.  Had a senior moment last week.  Lost my reading glasses out in the yard where I was working (needed them to thread new roll of wire in feeder) AND STEPPED ON THEM WHILE I WAS LOOKING FOR THEM Attached ImagesLast edited by farmersamm; 12-21-2009 at 08:43 AM.Reason: age"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Hey look at it this way, everything us youngins learn is from you older boys, and I have learned a lot!
Reply:I wouldn't get too excited about the mistake. Remember the old saying "the only people who never make mistakes are those who never do anything". Congratulations on still being able to "get it". I could too at 60 but I've really gone to hell physically the last couple of years. It isn't fun at all.At least you didn't make it too short. Lot easier to take out material than put it in.  I built a camp trailer cover for a guy one time. About three months later he came back and said we had to raise it a foot. I asked him why we needed to raise it since it he was using it just fine. He had traded for a taller trailer. Since he was a good customer I just said a mental "dammit" and went and raised the thing so he could park his new trailer under it.
Reply:Job Well Done --no step for the stepperside note: (to the young pups)as you are we once wasas i am you will be So Bob, where's the deer ???????????idealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:That's what I would call an Old School - little bull**** lots of labour and great results! It is so uncommon these days....Bravo Bob.
Reply:good on Yer Bob,                       Great job.there's still a good tune to be played on an old fiddle,I'm 65 next week and just been to an end of year Christmas meal with my old employer (german M.A.N.) I retired several years ago, but they are always begging, come back we have lots of work just up your street! (steam turbines) and single stream critical rotating machinery, the young guys have no interest or pride in their work, they do what they are told (somewhat) and stand around with their finger up their ar** waiting to be told what comes next,An old chap I worked with long ago always used to say: "the man that knows how will always have a job, the man that knows why will always be his BOSS"Merry Christmas everyone  Gordon.Last edited by gordon stephenson; 12-21-2009 at 06:07 PM.Lincoln SP-170 MigHypertherm powermax 45Lorch T220 AC/DC TigButters FM 215 synergic MigKemppi 180 adaptive mig RULES ARE FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FOOLS AND THE  GUIDANCE OF WISE MEN.
Reply:Samm, it's hard for me to believe that more people don't have gin poles on their trucks. They are not as good as a crane but a whole lot cheaper. This is the third one that I've built and it is by far the best. It stands itself up and puts itself back with no strain on my part. Only one adjustment to change pole angle and takes about a minute to do. It extends to 19' allowing me to lift to over twenty. I just couldn't do with out it.
Reply:That's a nice building.I could learn a thing or two from you.I wanna put up a metal 30x30x8 shop/garage at my house.Oh don't worry about those mixed up moments.I'm 32 and recently did an axle upgrade on my lawn tractor.I had everything back together,getting ready for a test run,and saw the belt for the mowing deck laying on the other side of the car port.So I had to pull the deck,motor pulleys,and drive belts.Then put it all back together.I felt like such an @$$.Glad it wasn't a customers.
Reply:Bob, I am trying to figure out how a ginpole can be setup. Is yours a single pole? It looks like an A-frame. I have seen lots of pics with A-frames, but that would limit all lifting to a straight line in the center of the truck. Will a single pole swing to either side, and if so, how about with a load? I am really curious!  Attached ImagesLast edited by tanglediver; 12-21-2009 at 10:56 PM.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:That boat looks a little down in the bow there....MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:It's the "COHO II", and I believe it was a bait-boat that was lost. Attached ImagesCity of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Marine gin pole that I have seen run down inside the boat and have bearings and supports to allow it to turn and lift without breaking over.The ones I have seen are rate for less weight than you would think.My friend's is rated to 500lbs but looks like it could lift a small car.The boom is adjustable through a hand cranked winch, and the lift winch is electric with a hand crank back up.
Reply:There are two poles on my rig and of course it does not rotate. It can still be used to load stuff onto the bed...if you know how. I got real lucky when I built my first one and met a heavy equipment mechanic that had gin poles on his truck. They were crap poles as he couldn't weld worth a dam but he knew more about working an "A" frame than any one I've ever met. He showed me a whole lot that has helped me so much through the years. I'm not the smartest guy around but I'm smart enough to listen when some one knows more than me and I'm smart enough to copy and improve on good things I see. From listening and copying I think my "A" frame is the best around and it has been copied several times that I know of.I'll take pictures of all the best parts and do a write up on it.Originally Posted by BobThere are two poles on my rig and of course it does not rotate. It can still be used to load stuff onto the bed...if you know how. I got real lucky when I built my first one and met a heavy equipment mechanic that had gin poles on his truck. They were crap poles as he couldn't weld worth a dam but he knew more about working an "A" frame than any one I've ever met. He showed me a whole lot that has helped me so much through the years. I'm not the smartest guy around but I'm smart enough to listen when some one knows more than me and I'm smart enough to copy and improve on good things I see. From listening and copying I think my "A" frame is the best around and it has been copied several times that I know of.I'll take pictures of all the best parts and do a write up on it.
Reply:Originally Posted by Bob.I'll take pictures of all the best parts and do a write up on it.
Reply:I too would appreciate that write up.I had given thoughts to an A frame,gin pole,or extending boom.If you can teach us the fine art of operating an A frame,I'd much rather go for the simpler solution on my truck.
Reply:Reading about your little mistake on the building reminded me of an old carpenter I worked with once.  I passed him walking across a house we were framing holding a short piece of 2X4 in his hand mumbling to himself.  I asked what was wrong.  He replied, holding up the piece of 2X4, "I've cut this da** thing off twice and it's still too short!!"TonyMiller Maxtron 300Miller Spoolmatic 3Victor Journeyman II"Twern't my ignorance done me in, but what I knowed that wasn't so."  Uncle Tom's Cabin
Reply:Gin poles are almost as common as dirt in this part of the world. It's amazing what a skillful operator can do with them.I used a set on my rig for years and then up graded to an Auto Crane. Opened up a whole new world of lifting and positioning.
Reply:Good looking building, good job.I'm almost 60 and I've got a couple of young kids, cos "I've still got it......kind of" too.Regards to all.Working on cars and bikes is my hobby, learning to weld the pieces together is my quest.
Reply:Bob you've definitely got it!That is an  building!I'm proud of you for going through all the trouble to fix a measly 8" goof; now that's workmanship.  If it was me, at the bottom it probably would have ended up with 8 more inches of clearance for the dog to chase the coon. I'm curious, what are the girts and purlins made of?And what about the pipe posts? Are these some materials that are readily available used near you, or something?Good Luck