The Last Big Beam
The last big beam was dropped into place around noon today. We put up the short little posts in the morning and Jim Herlihey showed up with his crane and we got the sucker up. The beam has to be dropped into the shoes, and then the bolt holes are marked. When that’s done the beam is lifted back out and laid on the roof where we can drill it. It has to be drilled on the roof for two reasons, the first is that the bit is slightly larger than the holes in the saddles - in order to accommodate the bolts. And the second is that leaning out and around the posts you’d never be able to drill straight enough to make the hole go from one side to the other and match the holes. We did that for both beams. Then we had Jim lift up all of our trusses and remaining plywood to the roof for easy access when we do the cupola.
After lunch Dad and Mike worked on the end portions of the cupola roof, while Rena put up fascia boards and I tightened bolts and put out our tarps to cover the rest of the roof.
It was a beautiful day in the morning, the sun was out, the sky was blue, but the clouds rolled in right before lunch and it was cold and windy for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we’ll get the top side beams measured out and the trusses marked for the cupola. I think maybe, maybe, I can see a speck of light at the end of the tunnel. But I probably just jinxed myself.
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- November, 23, 2002