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Post by Charlie S on Oct 28, 2017 17:18:17 GMT -7
We moved "down the street" to a larger lot. It had a barn. After spending 2 weeks with the major house projects, it was time to start working on the barn. This was about 11 days' worth of work, mostly after work plus a couple weekends. Day 0: Day 1: flooring goes in, no power. Day 2: flooring complete. Day 3: Moonboard frame goes in Day 5: 30 degree wall frame goes in. And power (on an extension cord for now...) Day 8: starting to look like a climbing wall. The Moonboard: Day 11: And a killer deal I scored on two mats! Dude was selling them for $100/piece. Preparing for nighttime farming: The wife said I needed to extend the flooring out one more bay so I have room for a campus board. (I have chosen wisely!)
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Post by MarkAnderson on Oct 28, 2017 19:16:32 GMT -7
Awesome!!! How wide are the walls? 16'?
One suggestion--insulation. If you aren't going to build out the rest of the barn I'd recommend enclosing the climbing portion and insulating that so you don't have to insulate/heat the entire barn.
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Post by Charlie S on Oct 28, 2017 20:00:30 GMT -7
Yup, 16' wide!
Insulation is on the docket. As well as real, permanent power (not just an extension cord). It will continue to be a work in progress, but at least the fun stuff is up an available.
I also have about 3 more birds nests and a ton of wasps nests to kick out while it's chilly.
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Post by Chris W on Oct 28, 2017 20:05:32 GMT -7
You could always just do what I do when it gets cold and suffer...
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Post by aikibujin on Oct 28, 2017 20:18:30 GMT -7
Damn... nicely done!
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Post by MarkAnderson on Oct 29, 2017 8:19:17 GMT -7
I ran power out to my barn, buried in conduit, but I only ran a single line/circuit out there, which I regret. If you're going to all the trouble of digging a trench, which is BY FAR the hardest part, drop several lines in there (or a big enough line for a sub-panel at the barn) even if you don't think you need them now. The wire is dirt cheap compared to the cost/effort of digging the trench. That way if you ever wanted to install A/C, or use half the barn for a workshop (or a future buyer wants any of those things) you would have multiple circuits to work with. I'm really limited with my single circuit, to the point that I can only run one space heater (and when I turn it on, the lights dim).
The other wiring mistake I made was not installing a flood light on the exterior of the barn that could be controlled at the house (and if you use a 3-wire you can control it at the house AND barn). In the winter I walk out and back in the dark often.
Another thought, since you mentioned birds nests: rats. If you've seen any signs of rats or mice, you might want to think about how you want to mitigate them. My barn had mountains of rat poop when I moved in. After I cleaned it out it seemed to scare them off for a few years, but they've been more problematic over the last few years. Your space is so open it may not be a problem (it may not be private enough for them). Or, if you have other larger animals (I see some chickens) that might keep them in check. The first priority is keeping them out of the interior climbing spaces (where you will be), but you also want to keep them from crawling around behind the walls. If I were starting over from scratch I would make sure the exterior walls of the barn were sealed off, or I would seal the backs of the climbing walls so the rats can't get into the insulation (which they love, and then fill with poop/urine, which eventually spills out the T-nut holes--gross). The good news is that clap traps work really well on the bastards, but they require regular maintenance (carcass removal).
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Post by Charlie S on Oct 29, 2017 8:39:48 GMT -7
Thanks for all the pointers. The plan is to run 220V/60A out there, as I have this crazy idea of getting a small welder at some point. It will be a nearly 150' run to avoid the septic. I have a coworker who just bought a Mog ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Backhoe_loader_during_Operation_Desert_Storm.JPEG ) and is DYING to use it on some project. I've offered my backyard but that bucket is a little big. Regarding mice, have you seen this? Another coworker told me about it: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JJCW0M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1I saw one barn mouse so far. There was a pleasant lack of poop in the building as a whole. The previous house owner's crap, however...(junk, that is). I've got full rear access to the walls. I think birds will be a bigger problem for those. I've got so many gaps that it will be a chip away project for a while. I still have to purchase and install a normal door!
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Post by erick on Oct 29, 2017 8:50:05 GMT -7
I am really not a fan of them but this seems like a good application for barn cats! I would also look into extending your platform since I regularly fly off the side of my wall and its nice to have some pad coverage out on the sides. Your setup is awesome, once I do some other work to my barn/garage I am excited to add some lower angle walls in addition to my tension board like your setup. Keep posting pics up as you get more work done in there.
Eric
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Post by aikibujin on Oct 29, 2017 18:06:12 GMT -7
I don't want to be a killjoy, but aren't you a trad climber? So what's with all this moonboard, 30-degree stuff... none of that will help your crack climbing skillz. You should be building something like this in a dingy little basement. And since you've put this much effort in the barn, we probably shouldn't let it go to waste. I will volunteer my backyard as a place to store it for free. It might fit.
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Post by Charlie S on Oct 29, 2017 19:03:40 GMT -7
erick: I just extended it this evening...the wife said I should! aikibujin: I am thinking about a crack simulator. I've found most in gyms to be kinda hokey and not very helpful. For crack climbing, my experience is that the endurance and power gleaned from hard training transfers very nicely to trad. For jamming technique, it's a matter of learning it. Conveniently, Indian Creek is only 5 hours away.
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Post by climbnkev on Oct 29, 2017 20:53:23 GMT -7
For starters consider just building a plastic bubble and using tarp zippers for access. If you do clear plastic it will let the light through. Just remember to keep some ventilation if you use a propane heater. This will help with the heating and keeping the critters out until you can seal off and insulate the barn which looks like a big project. . Also you should dig a trench and run some hardware cloth around the perimeter of your floor ASAP before you get some permenant nests in that nice pad insulated space. Congrats on the new training space!
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Post by Chris W on Oct 30, 2017 3:46:14 GMT -7
I ran power out to my barn, buried in conduit, but I only ran a single line/circuit out there, which I regret. If you're going to all the trouble of digging a trench, which is BY FAR the hardest part, drop several lines in there (or a big enough line for a sub-panel at the barn) even if you don't think you need them now. The wire is dirt cheap compared to the cost/effort of digging the trench. That way if you ever wanted to install A/C, or use half the barn for a workshop (or a future buyer wants any of those things) you would have multiple circuits to work with. I'm really limited with my single circuit, to the point that I can only run one space heater (and when I turn it on, the lights dim). The other wiring mistake I made was not installing a flood light on the exterior of the barn that could be controlled at the house (and if you use a 3-wire you can control it at the house AND barn). In the winter I walk out and back in the dark often. Another thought, since you mentioned birds nests: rats. If you've seen any signs of rats or mice, you might want to think about how you want to mitigate them. My barn had mountains of rat poop when I moved in. After I cleaned it out it seemed to scare them off for a few years, but they've been more problematic over the last few years. Your space is so open it may not be a problem (it may not be private enough for them). Or, if you have other larger animals (I see some chickens) that might keep them in check. The first priority is keeping them out of the interior climbing spaces (where you will be), but you also want to keep them from crawling around behind the walls. If I were starting over from scratch I would make sure the exterior walls of the barn were sealed off, or I would seal the backs of the climbing walls so the rats can't get into the insulation (which they love, and then fill with poop/urine, which eventually spills out the T-nut holes--gross). The good news is that clap traps work really well on the bastards, but they require regular maintenance (carcass removal). I don't know what a MOG is, but I know you can rent a trencher from Home Depot. I've used one before, and it can be a big time saver. Also, a consult and/or regular treatments from a professional exterminator can be helpful for critters. When we moved into our house, I spent two years trying to mitigate critters (mice, rats and all type of pesky insects) by myself, but finally decided to call an exterminator once I discovered carpenter ants. It's made a huge difference.
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richb
Junior Member
Posts: 55
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Post by richb on Oct 30, 2017 8:37:10 GMT -7
Love it. Looking forward to more pics as the work progresses!
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Post by MarkAnderson on Oct 30, 2017 9:35:25 GMT -7
I don't know what a MOG is, but I know you can rent a trencher from Home Depot. I've used one before, and it can be a big time saver. I used one in Oregon's fertile Willamette Valley as a kid. Unfortunately here in the Rocky Mountains they're pretty much useless since you hit a big ass rock every 2 inches (aside: which brings to mind your comments about how much rock we have in CO--if you want to see a lot of rock, try digging a hole around here!). Same with motorized augers in my experience. When I dug the trench to the barn, the highlight was hitting a rock literally the size of a bathtub, right in the middle of the run. It turned out there was basically a pile of boulders a few inches below the surface, so I ended up weaving the trench through the boulders and shaping the conduit accordingly. Anyway, it looks like Charlie has nice soil with no obvious obstacles, so it should be a piece of cake.
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Post by Chris W on Oct 30, 2017 16:20:31 GMT -7
Hahaha! That would be my luck; finding a fantastic boulder field underground right smack in the middle of my big dig. I'll take my cold barn over rat poop t-nuts! Looks cool Charlie! Enjoy!!
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