I did my best to cut all the rafters the same which was difficult because they are made of 9 1/2 inch I joists, which are actually boards shaped like an I. When you cut across them, the middle of the board is at a different height than the edges so it's really hard to lay out and cut correctly. Anyway, one of the rafters didn't fit quite right and Tony thought probably my walls were uneven or maybe the height was off one end to the other. So we measured it and everything was spot on! Yay! He said I did a really good job building it which was a great compliment since he's a very experienced carpenter. When he first arrived I told him I really needed to hire a professional to help me. He looked up at my house and all the work I've done and said, "No you don't, you need to hire a laborer."
Once the first four rafters were in place, two near each end of the house, I spent a lot of time cutting rafters and cutting boards to stiffen the thin middle part (called the web) of the I-joist rafters where I had cut them. Tony let me come use his Table saw which made the job about a million times easier than trying to cut all the web stiffeners with a skill saw.
Yesterday, Paul and I got up before dawn and headed to my cabin to work on rafters. We saw the most beautiful pink sunrise sky along the way. I've also been seeing lots of bald eagles lately. We put up four rafters in the morning and then went home so I could take a break and he could work at the DNA lab. Then I went back and cut a bunch more rafters and he returned in the afternoon and helped me set six more. We had a lot of fun joking around and laughed a lot about whether two rafters are two rafters or just one pair of rafters. I worked almost till dark, and then went into town and had dinner with Paul and some of his kids. By the end of yesterday, I had up 14 rafters (or seven pairs, ahem)!
Today I put up rafters on one gable end. I was thinking it would be easy to do alone as the rafters on the ends are made of 2x6s as opposed to 9 1/2 in I-joists. Well, I was wrong, it was really hard to do alone. I had to stand up on the window right on the edge of the big drop and somehow pick up the 18 foot long rafter and hold it with one hand while I picked up the nail gun with the other hand, leaving zero hands to hold on with. By the time I had fastened one pair, my leg muscles were all achy and shaky so I didn't end up doing the other gable end on the same day; too dangerous. I think I'll try to hoist the others using a rope (or maybe I can find a partner...).
Anyway, I was really pleased to get started on a gable end wall and I got a few studs in before I pooped out for the day around 6. Now all my rafters are cut, I just have to get them set. It was incredible how long all the layout and cutting took!
Paul and I being silly
Eight rafters up
Look Ma, no brains!
Fourteen rafters and counting...
If you look closely, you can see the gable end rafters here made of 2x6s which are different than all the rest of the rafters.
This shows my latest progress with the first gable end wall studs in place. I hope to get the rest of this wall framed tomorrow. Looks like the weather will be sunny like today. Yesterday I got a lot done, but it rained lightly most of the day.
Close up on the gable wall studs
My new friend Norman, who is having the pioneer burial sign installed in my yard, came by today and we had a nice chat. He told me he likes Bemidji because it has good shopping and good food. I was like, "Good food! Where?!?" I have had some great Mexican at one place and good ribs at another, but he told me there is a nice Italian place too and he invited me to try it out on his dime sometime soon. He was impressed with my cabin and said it looks a lot bigger up close than when you're driving by. He built a cabin in the area too so he has appreciation for the work that goes into it. Also, I had a really valuable experience during our conversation which I won't soon forget. If someone you're conversing with ever begins a sentence with, "This may be too much information, but...." that is a really great time to cut them off! I hesitated one moment too long, but learned my lesson well.
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