***UPDATE***

When I wrote last, Wednesday December 17, 2008, our shop appeared to be going up just fine. However, there have been some complications. In the building industry there are only three things that can go wrong:

1. Materials
2. Weather
3. Workers

On our job, we have been blessed with some of the best workers in the area. We have a highly skilled, hard working crew. I have no complaints about their effort, skills, or any other matter as it relates to the crew. They are the best. However, as you will see in the next couple of pics, everything else went bad.
The weather turned our usual bit of Fall rain into a persistent downpour, keeping everything soaked including the road. Also, the company that supplied our steel did not cut part of the building right; holes where missing, slots uncut, etc. They also provided us with extra parts. Their engineer verified that they shipped us pieces that do not go on our building.
All of this amounted to a very lengthy, and in construction as the time frame expands so must the budget, build time. Now on to the pictures.

Wednesday December 17, 2008

Here is Richard up on the Sky Trak trying to figure out what goes where. The steel is going up quickly. These pictures were taken Wednesday December 17, 2008.

Here is a better picture of the other elements going up. You can see the 10x10 door on the right of the structure. Things are taking shape.

Another view of the construction and the ruts.

Going Up

Monday evening the uprights were installed. These picture were taken Tuesday. The structure is going up quickly. Look at the ruts the Sky Trak made. This off-road forklift can raise about 5,000 pounds and extend it outward some distance. It is heavy. These ruts are between two and a half and three feet deep. They could not get it up on the slab. I had to build a gravel ramp to finally get it up there. You can see the rocks in the final picture.

Steel Delivery Complete

I don't know who was happier; me because we are one step closer or Mike because he could hit the road and pick up another load. I am sure it was me. In any case, the unloading is complete and the real construction can begin...well almost. The recent rains have delayed the pouring of the foundation. A few more days. The excitement is starting to build.

Mike headed down highway 67.

Steel Unloading

There is something very satisfying about seeing your name on something like this. Maybe it is the fact that we are one step closer to moving out onto our land. I don't know...but I like it.
What follows are some pictures of the truck being unloaded. What took a few seconds for your computer to load and you to scroll down to see took the better part of two hours to complete.

Steel Arrived

This is Mike. He delivered the steel from Rhino Steel. He is holding our check for the steel in is hands. I told him Karin wanted a picture so act like that check was for him. He was a great guy, very helpful. Incidentally, Rhino is a great company. The support they offer cannot be beat.

Here is the truck fully loaded and parked beside highway 67. Our road was too narrow and too wet for him to get his truck down. This piece of old highway 67 shows some of the heavy rains we had recently. This was a good solution. Jessie, the guy in the brown coveralls, has a 2.5 ton truck with a huge trailer. The plan was to load the trailer and drive that over to the shop site. Here Jessie and Richard, our lead contractor, are planning the unload.