On the level

I got all the old shed down and the space cleared.  That was days and days of clean up.

Today I had a guy show up with a small tractor that has a tiller on the back and a bucket on the front.  In a couple of hours he had what would have taken me a week to do.  A bunch of levelling and spreading the gravel around a bit.  There is still a lot of it to do, but it is good enough to get some progress.  I guess I have turned the corner from taking things down, to building them up.

The 6 x 6 timbers are put in place, levelling and squaring as we go.  This is not by any means the final levelling,  just enough to get everything oriented correctly.

Once I was satisfied that everything was square and level I "locked in" the long timbers with gravel so they wouldn't move.

I still have a low spot, but the timbers are square and level and that is all I need for now.  It is then a matter of pre boring holes.  Two in each corner.  I already had the holes in the upper pieces.  Now I went the rest of the way through.

After the holes were drilled, I gently removed the short timbers with the upper part of the lap joint, applied a healthy amount of PL Premium adhesive, and put the short timbers back on.  Then I put one 1/2" x 5" galvanised lag screw in each corner tight, and another one left proud of the surface.  This gave me somewhere to attach some light ratchet straps and pull diagonally until both diagonals are equal.

I had to go back and forth between one diagonal and the other about 3 or 4 times before I got it to within less than 1/8", and I think that is close enough.  I then tightened up the rest of the lag bolts.  Now to let the glue dry.  Once it is, it will be pretty much locked into square and I can do the final levelling.  I have a bit of gravel to move to do that.  I hope to get that done tomorrow and a bunch of the floor framing done too.  I have a load of wood coming Monday or Tuesday that will be enough to get the shop built and closed in.  Busy days ahead.  I am going to have to be aware of pacing myself.  I over worked my knee already once on this project.  Pain and insomnia (because I worry) are counter productive, but still, I am enjoying the process.  More so now that things are going up instead of coming down.  

Thanks for dropping in