7.14.2015

Jim started working on getting ready for the trusses today by making the holes where the bolt will go through the truss, bearing plate and the top plate of the framing.  This was quite the process.

First, he took the bearing plate and used it to trace the pattern onto the top plate.  He then marked the center point and punched that.

Then he used his step drill to make two holes at the top and bottom of the oval  slots.

The grinder enabled him to grind down the sides between the holes to make the oval slots.

He had to do this over every double stud where the trusses will sit - so there were 38 total slots!

And just when we thought it was all done, the concrete issue repair work continues.  Some of the double studs had to be shimmed so Jim can't have the slots go through the shims.  He had to take apart those studs and move the shims to the bottom track.  As it would happen, some of those double studs that needed to be fixed were under strapping so all that work needed to be taken apart.  But he got them all done!

Working with steel is tough in a few ways - Jim has gone through a lot of drill bits.  He started working on the installing a gusset plate for the strapping on the side wall and broke his last good one.  So I headed off to Lowe's to pick up a couple multi-packs!  Hopefully that will last us for awhile!

Then we were finally able to work on the last main strapping.  Here Jim is attaching the gusset plate.

Sitting up on top of the wall screwing the strapping down!

Jim keeps coming up with better ways for us to tighten the strapping down - this is definitely a two-person job!  Here we have it all tight and Jim is fastening it down.

On to the other side....

The side wall strapping is now done.  Jim wants to add double strapping but that can happen later and isn't structurally necessary to keep the building stable.  We were able to get all of the temporary support beams taken down today too except for the long ones at the front and back of the building.

 

High 81/Low 66