Carport Clean-Up, Dan's Workshop, and the Milking Room

It's been years since we kept a car in the carport. Instead it has been a storage area for tools, equipment, lawn mower, wheelbarrows, welding equipment, and everything else that needed a home. And as if that wasn't bad enough, there were several piles of building scraps and other paraphernalia that really gave the yard a cluttered, unkempt look.

Carport as it used to be

Funny how you know something is an eyesore, but as time passes you get used to it. We lamented that from time to time, but it wasn't until we got the goatie girls moved into their not-quite-finished new barn that we could do anything about it. Then it was time for a change.

It started with me moving the old milking room out of the former goat barn (aka "The Little Barn") and into the new. More space and a different room shape kept me busy for quite awhile, trying to figure the best place for everything and getting organized.

It hasn't worked out like I planned on paper, mostly because I hadn't planned on such a large drying rack for herbs (the shelves you see on the left in the photo above). I planned on a standard 18" x 36" shelving unit, until I found those shelves on craigslist for just $50.

They measure 24" x 48" so they take up quite a bit of room, but I'm not complaining!

While I worked on that, Dan tackled the carport. Everything got pulled out and either moved to the Little Barn or discarded. It's amazing how much junk can be accumulated over time; stuff that potentially might be useful someday and broken things that theoretically could be fixed.

His next step was setting up a proper workshop in the old milking room. His make-do space in the carport was finally at an end.

Dan's new workshop, still in the organizational phase.

And the carport?

Almost cleared out.

Well, the girders and ceiling joists are in pretty bad shape (photos here). They need repair, but it's still standing. I was pretty sure the only thing holding it up was the tarps we'd attached to serve as walls! The plan is to use it to store firewood on the pallets you see on the ground on the left.

All of these changes seem huge: the piles are gone, the junkiness is gone. It's a big visual change and a psychological one as well. All very welcome. 

Carport Clean-Up, Dan's Workshop, and the Milking Room  

© Aug 2018 by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Dan's Workshop: Second Thoughts

Or maybe it's third, fourth, sixth, or tenth thoughts; I've lost track.

It started when the hay mow in the goat barn started to get full.

We designed it to hold about six round bales of hay. But our own hay harvest has been abundant this year (plus wheat) and since we stack it unbaled, it's beginning to look like the mow may not be able to hold all we can harvest. (Which we would rather do than buy hay.) What to do?

You may recall that what I've been calling "Dan's Workshop" was originally supposed to be my new goat barn. The current goat barn (then the "Little Barn") was to become the workshop and storage building. We changed those plans after a lament that we seemed to be stuck permanently in the building/establishment stage of our homesteading. Getting established (fencing, housing, gardens, storage, etc.) does take some time (especially when homesteading can't be a full-time endeavor - I know many of you can relate!), but that wasn't the main goal in becoming homesteaders. The main goal is to live closer to the land and develop a lifestyle of seasonal living.

I figured we it would be easier and faster to streamline the building process by skipping the hay loft and making the structure Dan's workshop. Then we could move on to other things.

In discussing where to store the rest of the summer's hay harvest, Dan convinced me that this building is going to be a job of work either way. He felt that with a hay loft this structure would be better for the goats, and that the "Little Barn" would be better suited for a workshop, plus equipment and lumber storage.

I admit the Little Barn is not the most convenient set-up for goats, but I was willing to live with it so that we could finally reach the end of this tunnel of trying to get established and move on. We spent no little time discussing it, with the result that Dan got started on a hay loft. He had already cut most of the lumber for it anyway.

So, the original goat barn, then Dan's workshop, is now the goat barn once again. Confused? Well, I can't say "me too," but I can say that deep down I'm kinda glad.

Next - a little progress. 

Dan's Workshop: Second Thoughts © July 2017 

by Leigh  at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Dan's Workshop: Carport

It's been awhile since I gave you an update on Dan's workshop. In the last one, I showed you how Dan added the girders to the main structure.

So here's the workshop with our home-milled lumber
in front of that, and the carport slab under the lumber.

His next step was to frame out the attached carport.

For the piers, Dan used pre-fabbed ones leftover
from another project, rather than making his own.

Three posts and a beam were needed to support the roof. The beam was 17.5 feet, about the length of the carport. Even though the timbers had been curing for about a year, it was still very heavy. Here's how he moved it one-man fashion.

Using a strap and two short logs. You can see two
of the carport posts on the ground at the right.

Close-up. As the beam is moved the logs must be repositioned.

He attached the posts to the beam on the ground.

But the kneebraces pushed the posts farther apart than the piers were set. So Dan used the ratchet and strap pull them together and added some weight in hopes of correcting that problem.

The following weekend we were ready to raise the bent. First a final inspection.

He used the tractor the same way he raised the other bents.

To make sure it didn't move around too much on us when we got it on the piers, he first paced a slice of a 4x4 in the center of each of the piers.

In the center of those blocks he sank a piece of rebar (missed photos for that one), and then measured and drilled a hole in the bottom of each of the posts. Happily the posts slipped easily into place.

With flashing, because the posts are untreated

And here it is.

The last step was to remove the straps and brace the bent. Next - second thoughts.

Dan's Workshop: Carport © June 2017 by

Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Dan's Workshop: Girders

So here's were we left off last time.

Bents are in place and temporarily braced with boards.

The next step was to put up the girders. Definitions for girders vary, but in our case the girders are support beams that go the length of the structure. There will be one on each side to hold the bents in place.

Here it is full-length on the ground next to the posts.

It is actually three pieces connected with half-lap scarf joints.

The joints are held together with pegs (trunnels). Dan used the small level
as a gauge for the drill bit, to make sure it was perpendicular to the wood.

1-inch drill bit

Both pieces drilled.

Now to get them into the notches on the top ends of the beams.

We did this one end at a time! The knee brace and ladder were handy here.

Then the other end.

First one in place and ready for the second.

After the second one is in place the two are pegged to the beam.

After everything was in place it was time for inspection.

And here's my after shot. Girders with knee braces  

Next I believe Dan wants to frame out the carport (concrete slab under the lumber pile). We are basically just replacing the original outbuilding (which we tore down before it fell down, pictures here) but with only one room instead of two and a simpler roofline. Progress has been good so far, and I hope we're able to continue making it. Next, "Carport."

Dan's Workshop: Girders © June 2017 by

Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Dan's Workshop: Raising the Bents

Last time I showed you how Dan is making the bents for the workshop. (If you don't know what a "bent" is, check out that link.) Here's where we left off.

First bent for Dan's workshop

Ordinarily, large timber construction requires many hands to manipulate and position these heavy sections, but many hands was something we didn't have - we only had our four. So to raise the bent and set it in place, Dan used the boom on his tractor, a strap around the beam, and a chain.

The tractor is noisy, so Snoopervision kept their distance.

He started with a test lift and then adjusted the length of the chain accordingly.

First lift

This is as high is it will go.

Need to adjust the length of the chain.

If this doesn't do it, we'll have to think of something else.

A little maneuvering of the tractor helped get it in place.

Upright! (Whew!)

At this point I had to set down the camera and go help. The boom was able to lift the bent about half-an-inch off the ground, so we were able to get it on the piers. Then Dan braced it temporarily.

In place on the piers, and braced for the time being.

The second one went up a little more quickly.

Besides the boards as temporary cross-bracing, Dan employed straps and ratchets.

The pecan tree next to the goat barn came in handy for that.

No tree available on the other side, so the strap was anchored to the ground.

Of course making sure everything is square and level is important and determined the placement of the bracing.

Third one also went well.

The last one proved a bit tricky, but by dinnertime we finally wrestled it into place and Dan secured it.

All four bents in place.

The next step will be the girders. These will connect the bents along the top outside edges and hold them all in place. Hopefully that step will go as well as this one did. (Next ⇉ "Girders")

Dan's Workshop: Raising the Bents © June 2017 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/