# Permanent winter home for the cows



## slvr98svt (Jan 18, 2011)

Well it started out slow, but finally got a 24'x48' up for the cows. They will have access to 12x48 of it for the winter, while the rest is to keep atleast a few items out of the snow for the winter. Waiting on my board n batten to get cut and then that will be going on from 32" up and steel along the bottom 32". Still have to run a couple more angle braces and finish up through bolts, but the labor intensive stuff is finally finished. Based off a couple combined university plans, and put up by myself and my 5 month pregnant significant other along with the help of my mother and father for the heavy lifting on a couple days.


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## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

Those are some massive looking roofing beams didn't you mill them your self? Nice looking barn.


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## slvr98svt (Jan 18, 2011)

Tamarack poles, 2x12 headers with 2x10 rafters set on 4' centers with 2x4 purlins. All rough cut hemlock lumber. Might be overbuilt but I don't want to walk outside after a 3' snowfall one night and have it laying in the ground.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

I see the manual post hole digger set out in pic #3 for all to see ...but I spy with my little eye a more-user-friendly one on the back of the loader tractor . Nice looking building and a fair amount of personal satisfaction, I'm sure!

73, Mark


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Never heard of Tamarack poles, an interesting wood:

Tamarack

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/softwoods/tamarack/


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Yes, I heard PaMike reference Larch before and I was not familiar with it living in the SE so I looked into it. We use black locust here for ground poles if using cut timber. The last 20 years I have been getting good used wooden utility poles from our area electric system....hard to beat that old creosote and tar bottoms. Supposedly the creosote causes cancer in rats and liberals, but I do not plan on eating it. 

Regards, Mike


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Tamarack is very common here. Did you peel them?


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## slvr98svt (Jan 18, 2011)

I used black locust for all my fence posts, however all hops poles and anything over 10' is hard to come by so that is why I chose these for the uprights. I peeled the bottoms completely that are buried. Above ground I basically stripped off where I attached purlins to.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

Nice looking barn. I'm sure you will be really happy when it's all done with the sides on.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Tamarack is common here too, great for burning, denser than some hardwoods.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

slowzuki said:


> Tamarack is common here too, great for burning, denser than some hardwoods.


Must be different than here. I burned some Tamarack one year. Never again. Just like burning pine.


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