I ended my previous blog post with “Looks like wind and/or rain (mostly “and”) till Friday now. We'll see.” We saw; it was. Though it dried up as the week went on it was windy until Friday, but things have been a bit better for the last few days - particularly today (Monday) for the transit of Mercury.
More...I've now got the first purlin up which is pleasing as it was something which was worrying me a bit. I had various schemes but wasn't sure what would actually be practical.
More...The last week or so has been quite wet and windy (usually both) and I only managed to get the three tie beams for the next frames done, each on a separate day. Yesterday (Tuesday), though, was much better and I got the joist holes drilled in the posts for the last three frames and the frames put up.
More...TIL that the backing plates for my post-top purlin joins aren't quite a symmetric as I'd assumed.
More...As expected, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were washed out. Thursday was a little better and I made up a more robust gin pole then today got that frame up.
More...As previously reported the first frame went up easily enough. So did the second. The third, not so much.
More...Having put all the available main posts up and marked laser level points on each the next job is to take them down again, drill holes for the joists to bolt on, fit the steel brackets and the tie beams between north/south pairs (across the house) and stand them back up again.
More...Following a short Twitter conversation with @littletinhouse I too got myself a new toy in early December, a Stanley Cross Line and 90° Laser Level. I like it.
More...As I was wandering around the site on 2016-03-09 Wednesday (astronomical format of the date is relevant) I noticed the shadows cast by the post brackets and also that it was just a minute or two to noon (UTC) so I took some photos.
More...I've not wanted to start on building too early this year partly because of a minor eye operation in mid-February and the ensuing recovery time from that - they said to avoid bending down to lift things and dusty environments which rather narrows down the amount of shifting and circular sawing of 3 metre long 145 mm square posts one wants to do.
Also, I didn't want to be getting the timber out of the container until the days were long enough and the weather had at least a chance of being decent for a few days at a time that I would want to leave it out. Every time I move it there's the risk of adding further minor dings on the corners, etc, which, while of no structural significance, makes things untidy and potentially more awkward later.
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