Family Handyman magazine has a new cover-story shed in the current issue. It has some interesting features like a roll-up door, and big beams made of stacked 2x12s rather than trying to muscle a big glue-lam beam into place.
Another weekend another progress update.
Framing lumber.
Evidence of said framing lumber cut to length.
Some rigging required for the next step.
Dado joints to accommodate diagonal braces.
Dry fit looks good.
I have used the low profile right-angle drill far more than I ever expected to.
Complete save for the OCD factor of a bracket at every joint.
Hope to be done with the framing tomorrow now that it’s just an assembly task.
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I have a framing nailer and a bunch of nails. Mostly 12P.
You are welcome to borrow it. I live in Denton.
I used to frame about 35 years ago. It’s a good nailer.
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Thanks for the offer, but I have committed to drilling and screwing. As it stands framing is ~90% complete save for the standup part.
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Sorry I was late. Screwing is much better.
I used to frame multi family. A million feet a year from 80-84.
Was much younger and a lot more energy.
Jeff Whitcomb
“The only good sense is one of humor, without it all the others are worthless.” JCW
[email protected]
Progress, but the gentle Texas sun prevented me from making the major milestone I’d hoped to reach: framing complete and raised
So much scribing. Aids assembly on the backend but consumes time on the frontend.
Dry layout. The otherwise almost omnipresent overhead sun vacated pretty much just long enough ough to snap the pic.
Standard joint. Primarily held together by two #10x3½ screws through the rail into the stud, reinforced by a bracket with four #8x1¼ split 50/50 between stud and rail.
So many screws…
5 / 6 panels.
Ran out of time on the 6th and final panel. Will probably rearrange the right side to put the narrow gap closer to the corner - seems it will make the framing a little bit stronger. No inlay bracing this end - will simply assume that the sheathing is going to do its part once installed.
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Inlaid diagonal bracing seems out of style around here since exterior sheathing went from ship lap to plywood. About 10 years ago I took part in stripping a 14x65 mobile home out in the middle of the country down to bare steel frame, decking fresh. 8 foot wall down one side and 10 down the other. Then 16 foot rafters plus purlins for steel roof and nearly a foot of overhang on both sides. We put in no diagonal bracing beyond the sheathing. Though we did put sheathing between the studs and Sheetrock on a couple interior cross walls for bracing part way down the length, not trusting the sheet steel roof to be quite as stiff as if there was sheathing on the roof.
Having done that job, I will say at least with an air nailer, put all your sheathing on before standing walls if possible. Screwing it, unless you have the long screw gun that can make it a standing job while you walk on the sheathing over the 2x4, all your options are less than comfortable. I would personally still do sheathing laying down, but swap between knee pads and sitting, as I wouldn’t be able to do either long enough any more. With the air nailer, I would walk about 4 studs, then stand up and stretch my back for at least 30 seconds before I did the next group.
Let-in bracing has indeed been quite obsolete since external OSB/plywood sheathing become the norm decades ago; I certainly did not see it in the early 90s when Plano was rapidly building out. To the extent that it sees use anymore it seems to be in the form of steel T braces inserted into slots.
It’s a one man show putting this thing together, so I needed my framing sections to be small enough to be maneuvered solo. I also needed them to remain rigid without sheathing (which was going to come later and span between sections on the long side). Thus, my let-in bracing.
Erik,
A pneumatic nail gun with ring shank nails (preferably galvanized) would make sheathing go quickly.
Much to my chagrin elation, the rain threatened today never happened, so back to the saltmines fantastic shed project it was.
Final framing section. K-brace Because Reasons™. Mostly because the structural sheathing likely isn’t happening this weekend and that end might like to parallelogram without it.
Think I’m going to just build around those clamps now…
Decided to counterbore the outer studs on the short side so my 3½" construction screws can join to the end stud on the long wall section.
Not terribly apparent, but I bought some fancy lag bolt substitute screws to anchor the sections to the 4x4 ends below. 5/16"x4" with pleasantly large heads. Might shoot a few more into key spots since I bought 45, used less than a dozen and they have no other real use. Also did #10x3½" construction screws into the perimeter frame on every gap between studs.
It’s a kluge, but it beat messing around with ratchet straps to achieve the same end…
It’s pleasing to see this sudden progress after futzing with structure <1’ above ground for so long. The sun was less intense today but hardly kind.
The door end…
The window end…
And the long side.
Tomorrow brings the fun challenge of sorting out the roof. I think I have it mostly designed:
The angle cuts on the rafters aren’t a big deal. The angle cut on the 2x4 interfacing with the roof material is going to be a little more aggravating but I think I can manage with my circular saw. Unknowns remain the spread of the ridge cap, the actual offset on the roof panel interfacing material, and just how much ‘interfacing’ I’m going to do at the peak.
Also contemplating a bit of a dodge at the very bottom of the exterior. A 1x trim board would nicely allow me to rest sheathing against it for assembly purposes - both the structural layer and the planned siding layer.
I need to find a source for building wrap as well.
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Re: building wrap. Have you checked Whitecap or HD Supply?
HD supply has a distribution center practically just down the road from me. Gonna guess there’s no will call desk.
The sun takes no prisoners.
Setting up to make 15° rips was challenging. The offset increases with the angle due to the realities of geometry - can’t pivot about the plane of the plate- so I had to make progressively steeper shaves until it was Good Enough™.
The roof long ends with mating surface. The astute will note that 15° is slightly more than a 12:3 pitch. I don’t care - easier to fabricate and won’t make it much taller.
Roof truss layout. Yes the gap at the top is deliberate. It’s also ill-advised since this was attempt #2 to get the thing on top of the framing. Turns out that U-brackets with two points of contact will torque and flex on a plane perpendicular to the line between the fasteners…
All the progress I made today. The ridge beam has the wrong offset - guess I knackered something along the way. Could probably rework it in-situ if I don’t mind bending the tabs on those U-brackets a little bit in the process.
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Tear down, start over.
I opted for rework after all.
Handy thing my sister gifted me - has saved a few trips up and down the ladder gathering more screws or chasing down screws that dropped from the pathetic little tray at the top.
The offset problem is eminently fixable thanks to the miraculous powers of clamps. Culprit was bent U-brackets thanks to my questionable hoisting methods last weekend. Ah well - progress!
So many brackets holding this thing together (in addition to that go-to construction fastener - the #10x3½). I feel like I should get some promotional shwag from Simpson Strong-Tie.
A view I had hoped to see last weekend.
The now-traditional milestone photograph as I enjoy this fine late-June weather.
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Interesting idea. Though for me, usually the phone that often lives in my shirt pocket gets displaced because I have sweated so much that I shirt pocket dial people, and the shirt pocket gets filled with screws instead.
Of course it seems like I often take multiple trips up/down several ladders of different heights on many projects. I think my Fitbit once said 50 flights iof stairs in one day, just up and down ladders.
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At this point I wish I had procured an actual tool belt at the start of the project - always have the drill, impact driver, drill bits, half a box of screws, tape measure, hammer, awl, etc on one’s person…
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My willingness to tolerate the heat came to an abrupt end early today: already mowed the lawn in the morning, then ran out of materials - busting up my rhythm.
I have some more angle-cut pieces but they’re surplus from the inner parts and thus ~½" too short. I’ve got a few 2x4s buried in the garage that I could fabricate more from but … heck, I haven’t taken a proper day off in months now. Maybe I’ll get motivated and hit up the 'Despot in a bit, maybe not.
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Found a brief second wind and cut most of the upper purlins from scrap I had around.
Notch for rafter brackets. Didn’t want to go this route, but the ridge cap is a mere 7" wide rather than the 12" I wishedly-remembered so I have to snug them up to the ridge beam.
Clearance testing. They all clear. Ladder is however put up so actual installation is Going To Have To Wait™.
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