Wednesday, June 9, 2010

barn raising



For all my moroseness the other day, the shop is actually, finally, getting built. On Memorial Day we had a bit of a barn raising. Marc had been busy the previous 4 – 6 weeks building the walls in sections and on that day our son and a friend came out to help get it all erected. And, oh, was it hot on Memorial Day.



walls going up


getting it all connected







enough rafters and joists to hold up the ridge beam











the work crew at the end of the day


the last week Marc has been finishing the roof







nearly done

Soon it will be ready for the metal cladding and roofing and the barn doors at each end. 

It's not a big building...12' x 40' with a 10' apron in the front and in the back. This is where our kilns will go and probably the cold working equipment and the mold making for the cast glass which is very messy. I'd rather not have either of those processes in the other parts of the studio. This new studio/shop is going to be a series of separate rooms/buildings. The two rooms in the back part of the house are set up for the drawing studio (and other crafty endeavors) and the model making for the cast glass, the connected garage will be for the etched glass fabrication. We will still have to bring the small building here on a trailer that is the sandblasting room in Houston and find a place to put it.

When we first bought this place, put the bid in on it, we planned on building a bigger shop on the back third of the property. Turned out that's where the drain field is for the septic system and we couldn't build there. We could have built on the middle third which is the shady part of the yard with the pecan trees but we didn't want to do that (though we may build off the side of the garage later). That left just a narrow strip along one edge of the property which is why the building is the size and shape it is. We could have cut down the two maples and made it wider but we didn't want to do that either (and a bigger slab and building would have been more expensive and we wouldn't even be this far along).

The next big hurdle will be getting the electrical in.



12 comments:

  1. Wow! This is really exciting, Ellen! The guys look pretty tuckered out at the end of the day. Can't wait to see the finished shop!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am never happeier than when I'm making things. I got excited just looking at the pictures.

    ...oh, and HAWKS WIN! HAWKS WIN! HAWKS WIN!

    ReplyDelete
  3. As I've only started to follow your works in progress recently I lack the ability to judge how far you've got.
    But having a self-built barn of this size ready to be raised is quite an achievement in my book.

    Well done the chaps and good luck with the shop.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So cool to see the process of the barn and it's rising! That is cool!
    What a nice space it will be too!
    Congrats!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's amazing to see it come together this way. I'll bet you can't wait to get in there and create!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bravo!!! How exciting! Sometimes just getting going in a big way creates momentum that pulls you through. What a beautiful setting for your shop.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I just love the nearly done photo. It would so lend itself to being a frame for another lovely. I imagine you are very excited to see it get closer and closer to fruition. Yay for you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It looks like a chapel for glass - I'm VERY excited that you guys are this far along!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! It looks really cool. And those guys look SO tired after working all day. Makes me want to offer them some lemonade or something.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ah, progress! I am always happy when I see some progress. 'He who' obtained a piece of a 12 X 70 trailer. Open at both ends. It is about 30' long and he excitedly told me that he was going to install a garage door in one end and build a ramp so that he could house the mower in it. This was last summer and it sits today with the same tarps covering both ends. Sticks out like a sore thumb. I have been nagging and nagging. Told him yesterday to do something or I would make it the site of a huge bonfire .........

    So, can your barn raising crew make it up here? I will feed them and they can camp free...... we have a pool..... a pond ....... awww, come on.....

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congrats on getting the shop nearly done! Won't be long, now. Looks great! Have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow.. that's a lot of hard work and it looks great. Thanks for taking the effort to work your barn plans so that the trees could survive.

    ReplyDelete

I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.