Building a Tractor Shed

Disclaimer:  I am writing this for the benefit of inexperienced folk who might want to build a simple building. If I seem a bit pedantic it's only because I am.

During the winter our garage is quite crowded with our car and tractor, leaving very little room for my woodworking tools.  A friend happened to give me some twelve foot roof trusses from a building which he had taken down, so I decided a twelve by sixteen shed would do very nicely to house my tractor and snogo during the winter.  First I needed to haul some sandy fill to the site.

I hauled more than twenty bucketfuls of dirt and leveled it out a bit.  Since it would have a dirt floor I wasn't too particular.

Next I build a 12x16 foot frame from 2x8 treated lumber, squared it and added temporary corner braces.  The trusses are stacked in the backround.

I used the frame to determine the location of my post holes and marked these with thin stakes.  Then I moved the frame to give me room...  

to dig holes with a  hand posthole digger.  This tool is a joy to use, especially when you hit rocks and roots.  I dug the holes down into the subsoil, about a foot deep.

Then I moved the frame back into place and leveled it using blocks of wood to support it.  I believe I wound up using this concrete block at one corner.

I measured the distance from the frame to the bottom of each hole and cut 4x4 treated  posts to those approximate lengths with my tablesaw.  I also rabbeted the end of each post the to accomodate the 2x8 frame.

I then inserted the posts into the holes and screwed them to the frame.

Bear in  mind that most of the posts are actually suspended a bit off the ground.  I have built a number of small buildings this way and it has worked well.  

Ready mix concrete is something of an oxymoron.  It's not really ready mixed, you still have to mix it a lot as you add water, and if you do it by hand you will get plenty of exercise.  Here I am mixing two 80 pound bagfuls in my wheelbarrow, adding water slowly.  I make it quite loose.

Next I shovel it into the holes around the posts.

I also have a hand trowel which I use in some of the tighter spots.

It is important to work the concrete with a stick to ensure that it fills all the gaps and does not leave and hollow spaces under the posts.

Next I framed the walls using an old fashioned framing hammer.  Nowadays builders use compressors and nail guns, but I appreciate getting a sore back, shoulders and elbows doing it the hard way.  I had forgotten how much fun this is.  I even had to start wearing a glove when my hand started to develop a blister.

Here's the fun part.

Sam helped me raise the walls.

You always get a sense of accomplishment when the walls go up.  It's actually only a very small part of the construction but it always looks impressive.

Nailing the wall to the frame.

I squared and braced the walls with spare 2x4's

Time to put up the roof trusses.  For some reason I didn't get any pictures of me nailing the 1/2 inch plywood sheathing to the walls.  I guess I didn't want to document the misery.  On the other hand pounding nails all day is much better than a sharp stick in the eye. To make the job a little easier I screwed a long 2x4 to the foundation frame to serve as a shelf to support the plywood for nailing.  It's much easier to get your plywood even when it sits on a board.  I could have nailed it onto the walls while they were lying flat, but I'd rather nail standing than kneeling.

Here's where a front end loader comes in handy.

It served as an excellent stand to hold the trusses at a comfortable height while I removed the old toe nails.....

....and it made lifting the trusses onto the walls effortless.  I could have manhandled them up there if I had to,  but after a certain age you realize that gravity is not your friend.

Once on the walls, it was a simple matter to give them a bit of a push...

...and slide them forward.  They hang on the walls nicely upside down.

All that remains it to slide them into place, flip them rightside up...

...and toenail them to the top plate

I added some temporary studs and blocks on the ends to secure the outside trusses and also tacked on a couple of  2x4's along top of the trusses to keep them erect.  To be continued...