Finished West Wall & Started East Wall

I got an early start this morning.  The first thing that I did was to go to Fillmore.  I needed some two inch grabber screws to drive through a 2x4.  While in Fillmore I also filled the car with gas.  When I got back,  ground was still frozen.  I was able to walk to and around the shed without getting mud on my feet.  But it didn't take long to change the frozen ground to cold mud.

It is difficult to see, but the 2x4 header stuck out beyond the corner post about 3/8's of an inch.  I got my hand saw and slowly cut it off.  

I measure wrong for the placement of the studs.  There was nothing to attach the next sheet of plywood.  I scabbed on several pieces of 2x2's.  It took three of them to get close to the rafter.

I was able to attach the last sheet of plywood.  This is the look from the inside of the shed.

Carol has wanted me to set up the bird feeder for several weeks.  I got out the ladder, took the empty feeder down, filled it up with chicken scratch.  I then hung it back in the tree.

The west end is finished and I started on the east end.  I took a sixteen foot 2x4  and laid it flat on the north and south header.  The tail of the  north end was about four inches longer than needed.  The south end was way to long.  I marked a cut line.  I marked the width and location of the notch at each end of the rafter.   I then to it back to the patio where the miter saw was located.  I worked there because the power to run the saws is close.

After the rafter is notched and cut to size, I brought back to the shed.  I put it in place and it fit perfectly.  I fastened the sheathing by driving screws into the rafter from the top.  The rafter was twisted a little and bowed to the west a nearly and inch.  I straightened it out and screwed it in place through the top.

I toenailed the header to the rafter from the bottom.   I used a pipe wrench to remove the twist.  I started a screw in the sheathing on top.  I screwed with my right hand and held the pipe wrench down with m left hand.

Sometime in the mid afternoon, I let out the two hens.  The went scratching through the orchard and by the shed.

With the rafter in place it was time to work on the footings for the south wall.  The weather has been a little bit warmer and the pea gravel in the blue tube had thawed a little.  I got quite I bit.  I will use it to level the 4x4 treated footings.  

Doing the footing was a challenge.  I had two eight foot 4x4's.  The length was 128 inches.  Of the two I got two pieces 64 inches.  I used the pea gravel two build a level base for the footings.  I drilled holes.  Two in each side.  Earlier a cut in half two pieces of rebar.  I drove the rebar through the holes to keep the footing from moving.  I pounded them in and took them out several times before I got it right.

The next piece in was a 128 inch sole plate.   I finally got it straight and level.

I screwed the sole plate to the footing in both end and other areas in between.  

I put the level on and it was perfect.  You can see the bubble in the right place.

The last thing was to mark the location of the four studs.  I then measured the length.  I going to use pocket screws to attach them to the sole plate.

I put all my tools away in the garage and stacked the scrap wood on the patio;


Comments and questions are welcome.