Shop Walls:
insulation & metal sheeting

The weather was hard to predict. We had to work very hard when the wind was not blowing, and then go in the house when the wind blew. It was hard to hold the insulation and sheeting up in the wind. The wind and cold weather was the most difficult thing to deal with.

Daniel and Hayden, and sometime Dalton and Me, would hold the insulation from the double sided sticky that was on the bottom metal piece. Then when it was time, they would pull tight and adhere it to the tape at the bottom. Thank goodness Daniels weighs a lot so he could pull it down. He had to use all his strength to pull it down, now if you could just see his face!

Hayden is holding the panel while Russell is up screwing the top into place.

Don't forget the spacer, it all must look uniform. (It's not rust you see on the bottom of the panel, it's dirt, or should we say wet sand.)

Hayden is here pushing the panel into place, while Russell puts the screws in.

The top is screwed in, so no need to push real hard at this point. Just steady it, so the wind doesn't blow it away.

Russell is screwing in a screw at the top.

Here he comes on the snorkel we rented from Cat. This made the project much easier. One screw in the top and then to the bottom to work his way up.

Time for another roll of insulation. Russell would put it on the snorkel, ride to the top, and let go while someone would catch the bottom before it got stuck to the double sided sticky tape that was attached to the bottom and top metal piece.

This is what the insulation looks like from the inside of the building.

The garage doors got put on and now on too the electrical.

Metal Frame

The beams needed to placed just right to make sure that the bolts would fit the pre-drilled holes.
Then the washer and nut go on to hold the beam in place. The wind has been the biggest challenge during this stage.

We needed the help from the John Deere to lift the beams, and from friends. We were grateful to them that they were so willing.

Four by four wood needed to be placed between the braces to help it not to sag. These will be taken out when the exterior sheeting is secured in place.

Russell made this arm for the loader to help place the beams.

A few long 2 by 4 needed to be used to help until the other metal pieces were placed.

Russell is making sure everything is plum before moving on.

We were putting up the cross bars in order for the insulation to have something to rest on. The scissor lift was a lifesaver.

The next step will be the insulation and exterior metal sheeting. So far, so good.

Corn Cutting

Can you see me in the passengers seat. I actually got to ride without 3 boys in the cab with me. The corn looks pretty good from this view.

Fill the combine, empty into the grain truck, drive to corn dump yard, drive home and start over. We filled the grain truck 8 times. Totaling 7 bushels of 4,000. Not too bad on 19.7 acres.

Look, I'm still in the combine. Probably because the boys are on top of the house roof taking pictures.

Shop Floor

Shop Floor
Poured Monday 24, 2011

We knew it probably wasn't smart for us to think we could do it ourselves. So, we hire the crew of Rick Reber. He sent four of his employees from Utah. They began at 8:30 am and had the entire floor poured by 2:00pm that afternoon. Well worth the money. We actually paid for their fuel, 3 hotel rooms and their food and we still saved $1000. The project turned out great.

They knew exactly what they were doing, nothing was said and they all just went to work. We could tell they have worked together for a long time.

They went over the floor twice. It is very smooth. Hope there is no low spots.

Doesn't it look great?

Russell rented a concrete cutter the next morning from Home Depot. The grooves were very straight.

Now just waiting for the rain that afternoon to see if there would be any low spots. After the rain, to our surprise not one puddle except for the corner where the drain is located, we wanted that spot a little lower.

Shop Walls

Shop Walls

After the footings were poured and dried, we began setting the forms for the walls out of plywood, 2 by 4's, snap ties and their brackets. The walls will be 4 foot high.

We had to put lots of re-bar in the walls before we placed the plywood, because it was hard for Daniel to slither down between the plywood to tie the re-bar in.

Hayden and Russell used their muscles to hammer and sandwich the 2 by 4's into place while the bracket got hammered into place.

The walls looked pretty unique with all the brackets and wood.

Hayden worked hard not too hit his thumb in the process of getting the brackets on.

The walls were not as straight as Russell wanted, so he went and purchased lots of angle iron to give the strength to the plywood to keep it straight. Good thinking, look how straight the wall is and how the plywood matches up.

We had to order a pumper truck because of the height of the walls. Boy, did it help in getting the concrete right where it was needed.

The guys are having a discussion to see how the work was going to be divided up, another words, who is really in charge?

As you can see, Russell is the man with the power, or should we say the King of the Concrete.

Daniel is using the re-bar to get out any unnecessary air pockets. Boy did he work up a sweat. I am just glad he did not fall off the forms.

The tops look smooth and know time to let it dry, the real truth will be when the forms come off and how we did.

Russell did put these boards to brace the walls with the weight of the concrete.

Time to start tearing off the forms to see how we did. As you can see with Dalton, you must look up so the bracket doesn't jump up and get you. He hurt his head pretty badly, at least there was not much blood. We did hire two boys from the ward to help tear off the forms. They were great help.

All the forms needed to be moved from the center of the shop so we did not have any accidents with someone falling. Daniel and JJ were great carriers.

Hayden stacked the boards in the trailer so we would not have to pick them up again. This was genius thinking!

Dalton and Braxton liked posing for all the pictures they could. At least in this picture they both had hammers in their hands so they looked busy.

The walls look better than expected. There is only one corner, the one where we started and ended, that doesn't look the best. Russell has got something that comes in a bucket that will make it look better.

How does it look? We thought not bad. The next project is to haul in fill to raise up the ground level about two feet. Then, the floor will get poured. Part of the shop package will get delivered tomorrow morning. Our goal is to have it enclosed by winter.

Husker Harvest Days

Husker Harvest Days
Trip to Grand Island, Nebraska

You would have thought that the boys had died and gone to heaven when we decided to pull them out of school and go to Husker Harvest Days at the beginning of September.. Russell and I picked them up early on Tuesday from school and we took the 6 hour drive toward Grand Island. All the way there they fought like cats and dogs. We finally got to the hotel, and was expecting to go for a swim, just to find out the AmericInn did not have a swimming pool. What nice hotel these days does not have a swimming pool, the AmericInn in Kearney, Nebraska. The next morning we got up early, and headed to the farm show. We had no idea there would be 80 acres of exhibitors. Not to mention the field demonstrations beyond that. It was interesting to me to see how interested all 3 boys were in the newest and greatest of combines, grain carts, swathers, rakes, and rippers. They could have watched them all day long. We had a great time. The one thing we were hoping for was to beat Newel and Blake Norman to a farm show, I guess this was not the one to beat them too. It was good to see them there. When we left on Wednesday late afternoon, the decision was made that we are going to stay 2 days next year. We began our way home hoping it would be more pleasant than the trip there. On the way home they were silent for the first hour and then, holy smokes, they could not stop talking about all the equipment and great farming things they saw. I would have to say it was a success for all that attended (that includes me!)

The New Spectacles

Dalton's Spectacles

Dalton has been having a little problem with reading lately. We decided to take him to the eye doctor in Scottsbluff. He sees 20/20 but needs just a little added help in closeup vision. He picked out a pair of black framed glasses with race car checkered flags inprinted on the side. In silver none the less. Boy is he cool, not that he wasn't before!

There's not even a fight to get him to do his homework now!!!!!!!

I know I'm his mom, but I think he DOES look smarter!