I used this video and made mine off of this. I made a few minor changes, one being I couldn't tell for sure what size plywood was used, looks like 3/4" which seems a bit overkill and adds weight. I used 3/8" and made them a little larger. These are usually made with flimsy patch plates, so I didn't see an issue using 3/8". I based all the gusset measurements off of a 9" height as you end up with very little scrap. But this was a very good video, I watched it about 10 times so when I made mine it was already familiar. I made mine to cover a 23' span and I'm very happy with how they came out. I'm adding an addition to my garage too, and I've never made trusses before so this helped a lot.
Hi Larry,Really nice feedback and I appreciate it. Glad you found the video helpful. Not everyone does, so you probably have some construction capability. I did use 3/4" plywood, and yes it is perhaps a little overkill. But the weak points in any truss are the joints. The one under the most stress is the bottom chord splice. That is why my bottom chord splice is 4 feet long. That gets two feet on each side of the joint. So take a look at your splice at the bottom chord, and if it looks good you should be fine.
I do have a fair amount of carpentry experience so this wasn't overly complicated. Time consuming for sure, but not too complex especially with the video. I thought it was pretty thorough and straight forward. It was my first time doing a roof though, and I have absolutely no help, so this was a great video to follow. I didn't see much to complain about. I thought about the center joint when I built these, and I planned ahead for it. What I did is since I have an 8' ceiling, there was room to run a couple parallel joists. I ran a 2x8 on each side of the joint. I used a hanger on one side, and then used 1/2" carriage bolts to connect them to existing roof joists. Then used rafter ties to stiffen it all up. The existing garage is a hip joint, so the only way to build the addition without removing the entire roof was to build these trusses and continue the pitch over the top of one side of the existing roof. I had to make the trusses a little shallower than I would have liked to, it's 3-12, but I wanted to match the existing roof height for aesthetics. I don't think the extra support was necessary, but it was $15 worth of insurance. They seem plenty solid on their own. If I had to do it again, I would do it the same way off the same video. You'll never make everyone happy, but thanks. This helped me out a lot.
I usually use whatever exterior grade plywood I have laying around, including scraps and offcuts. I've used as thin as 3/8 and as heavy as 3/4 and couldn't tell much difference in stiffness or strength.
Great primer video. I'm down in Australia and just got a quote for trusses for a single carport about 15ft wide. They came back at $300 AUD per truss ! And I need 10. You've inspired me to build my own.
Wow! At that price it does indeed make sense to build your own. A 15 foot wide carport could also be framed with rafters. Nice to hear from you Andrew. A trip to Australia is on my wish list. steve
I luckily live in the country and basically can build anything that I desire as long as it is built with property line setbacks and under a certain height. What is ironic is just because a truss is built in a shop and has an engineering stamp it's automatically considered "better" than a truss built like you did. A truss like the one you built with 3/4" ply truss plates on both sides and glued and the proper # of nails is far superior and stronger than a POS thrown together plant truss. We built many trusses just like yours in my shop class in HS years ago. Very good quality stuff!
Really nice build on the trusses. Plywood for gussets nailed and glued are the way to go. The press in plates are the first to fall out in the event of fire. Good for you to take a little time to oversee something as critical as trusses. The strength of anything is the cummulation of all parts and joints together in a unit.
Excellent video. That's a great idea to staple the truss pieces together prior to putting on the gussets. Also, your layout technique on the floor was very clever. Thanks very much.
I've built zillions of trusses for my builds. Don't need to custom cut the plywood. Rectangles and triangles work fine. Don'r really need the glue either. Truss plants (I worked in a truss plant) use steel plates with bent over spears, no glue or other fasterners. And they are approved vie building codes both national and international. I flip the inside ones and do the plywood both sides. On the outer one's you want clean flat for sheathing which then replaces the need for the connectors on that side. I used to build storage structures on the side and always built my trusses on the deck after I laid the decking down, drawing lines with pencil on the floor. I'd trace the members and transfer the angles onto the wood to be cut. All turned out the same without the need to use hold down pieces. I generally screwed the plywood to the 2x's for strength. When doing the plywood on the underside (when flipped over) I'd use longer screws to penetrate into the plywood opposite. You can design and build dutch shed designs too with the side wall and the "4" shaped members to form the mansard roof. and the peak roof on those. I never had one fail, ever. You can cut all members at a time, each individually once you set up the saw angle, then assemble each and be done in a few hours.
i recomend using 2" staples, less likely to split gusset plate and has more shear strength. 100 psi barely below surface. Also want to single side gusset plate on Gable ends, so as not to enterfear with siding!
Thanks Joshua. I understand the table saw comment. Those fall-offs dancing on the table are troublesome. As long as the rip fence is not on the table, they rarely get caught and tossed by the blade. Saw a man not educated on table saws use a mitre gauge to cut a block of wood with it up against the rip fence. I think the whole room cleared out when we saw this happen, but somehow he avoided disaster.
Very good tutorial. I have searched a long time to find this information. You have a very good knowledge of getting things done yourself. Now you have more money to spend on the swoopy cars.
Thank you so much for sharing n must really tell u how magnanimous u r to teach step by step, n how very clear, smart n easy it is to build these trusess. I m an asian lady living far away from the place which ur video was taken. THANK YOU AGAIN, ur teaching will surely benefit thousands n million of viewers who someday may build their house.
Sandra Wong Thank you Sandra. very kind comments. And home built trusses work very well in areas that are not accessable, since it is easier to transport short pieces of lumber in place of long trusses. And truss manufacturing facilities are not always close to where you need the truss. Best wishes. steve
taurinenrgy Thanks! I have set in place thousands of trusses in my 45 year construction career, and the design was based upon what i saw used in particular situations. So i actually never ran the numbers for loading. And they worked fine. The roof held a 10 inch heavy wet snow with no deflection at all.
@@flyboyslc1 I think you would do well with a chain saw or better type of on site lumber mill. Get your lumber drying for projects months ahead, and possibly bartering in other materials of importance, but not local, or more technical than you can easily accomplish.
@@MarkH10 I have considered doing just what you described. But I am old now, and my chance to do a lumber business is gone. Although the potential reward is great, so is the expense and just sheer work of it. Back in my younger days, Bellsaw sold a pretty good sawmill that I would have done well with. But then you need a building or shed to protect it, and a forklift to move the logs. And on and on it goes😊
Thanks for this. Next year il be building a two storey house with timber framing and truss of course. I am excited! Its just that i dont have the hardwares yet.
Thanks DocMac. My home is post and beam framed internally, and stick framed perimeter walls. I recommend an engineers involvement in your truss design if you have any doubts or concerns on how to build them. Best to you!
@@flyboyslc1 il take your advise on the structural engineer...i am located in eastern pacific and we are battered by typhoons yearly..it has to have the strength.
The only reason to order trusses is if you are a contractor working on a deadline for a bid price. Paying union help to build trusses can eat way into your profit margin. Factory trusses are fine as long as they are certified safe according to local building codes. However glued and nailed trusses built to order are stronger, stiffer and if you carefully build a fixture, just as uniform. I've rolled my own for 50 years and never had one fail yet. BTW, I've always found it convenient to cut the eave overhang a couple of inches longer than required, then use a chalk line to trim them to uniform length after installation. I always get one or two that don't quite fit and it's a bear to get the fascia to look right.
Hello Lawrence, I usually leave the tails on rafters or trusses long and field cut them also. In this particular case, it was not beneficial to do so. the sub-facia was a 2 by 10 and there was no way that a short truss would make a difference with a piece of lumber like that.
Of course, at 3:15 you already knew the approximate angle for a 3/12 roof even before asking Siri because you no doubt looked at your Swanson speed square and saw it was about 14 degrees Precision is better, but unless you're using something like the Incra super-duper precision miter gauge, it's really hard to know when you're cutting 14.04 degrees rather than14 degrees on most table saws. By the way, your trusses look much better than those I ordered from my local builders supply. Well done.
Thank you for the comment Mr Welsh. I never bought or used a speed square. Some of my fellow carpenters do use them, so I am familiar. They fit kind of OK in a carpenters pouch, but I went the way of a combination square hanging from its own loop on the belt. Perhaps a little less functional, but not clogging up a pouch. Lots of ways of determining that angle, but I am getting old and lazy, and google and Siri work amazingly well sometimes. Best wishes. steve
The WONDERFUL thing about building identical multiple items is except for the first article? Everything else is reduced to mass production tactics where each part run is set up and then bang out x number of part A x number of part B and so on and THEN when all the parts are staged it is just banging them together one after another identical clones....repetition lends itself to consistent quality! It might take more than 4 hours to build the first one but if you build ten identical "widgets" But then Maybe as little as a half hour each or less ...which is why tract homes (and modular homes) can be built SO SO much cheaper than custom one off homes...Henry Ford NAILED IT!
Building codes in USA are local and not national in nature. They are more prevalent in densely populated areas, and sometimes non existent in rural areas. Where I live, any farm structure is exempt from building codes. And remember, many buildings built centuries before still stand proud without any engineering. And others fully engineered did not make it past their first year. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XggxeuFDaDU.html
I've been in the truss business for 21 years and I think this is a cool video. The gusset sizes on some of the joints are a little small but they're not going to fail. Maybe just vertically deflect slightly over the years, if anything. Even though I work for a truss company and get a discount I site built some small trusses for a pole barn just to do it. It was very labor intensive but fun. Keep doing your thing! Cheers
I agree, it’s ok for smaller jobs; sheds, additions & smaller garages due to labour costs and time constraints as you must be experienced at building trusses or your employees are gonna have an easy day doing a lot of standing around. Done properly by an experienced carpenter who’s able to delegate the workload will have an assembly line going
I like you Steve you are well organised and straight to the point. Don't go into politics !!! . I learned a lot and will carry on my plans to defeat the high costs of paying someone else what I would actually prefer to do myself.
Henry, You do a pretty good psychoanalysis from a distance! I am most definitely not a politically correct person. Happy to know you found the video useful. Never did I imagine that it would get 200000 plus views. It has been fun! Labor on. steve
My dad flew a B26 in the WW2. Ive seen one up close in a small town airfield. I would be so thrilled to take a ride in one. My father passed on and over the years kept in touch with his flight crew. He was 19 and made Pilot. he said he hasd a navigator and a bombidier as well as a co pilot. he was in routeon a bombing run over Iwa Jima and got the word to turn around and return because the Japanese surrendered. he said nobody exactly knew what would happen . Those mushroom clouds where not heard of. Well, I hope we don't have to try that again - but if we do - there is going to be a shortage of virgins in Allah's kingdom in the sky .
Thanks for your story about a P.O.W. I have one quite similar. My aunt was a young girl who recalled from a fellow church goer that after receiving a letter from the Army that their husband was lost at sea from a shoot down. and presumed dead. This lady insisted from her dreams that he was alive and recovering in Japanese custody. She insisted over and over he would return and bear testimony in this very church some day. Well as fate would have it -He DID. You can guess why we still cling to our guns and bibles now dont you ??!!!
I don't want to criticize anything about this because I find this pretty awesome. But I tend to like some storage space above the ceiling area. Something gets lost or changed when using this style. Nice job by the way!
Hi Susan. Trusses can be designed to accommodate storage space. The designer just needs to know how big an area you wish to have, and the estimated weight. The trusses will cost a little more to reflect the bigger lumber sizes needed, and perhaps bigger connection plates at the web member points. Thanks for posting! steve
I started building my trusses on the garage floor but it was too uneven to get them straight and flat. So I built a platform with 2x4s and plywood so I could nail down jig pieces to hold the chords in place. Worked great plus they stayed in place when I was nailing. They just moved around to much when I was nailing the gussets on the concrete, but great job!
Paul Wilton Thanks Paul, what you did is a good solution if the floor is uneven. You can also tapcon or otherwise screw blocks to the concrete floor to lock down component position. That is what i did, but it did leave multiple small holes in the floor.
Hi Chris, I have built two Van's RV airplanes. Mostly aluminum. But our EAA chapter did get involved at a Fly Iowa event showing kids how to build wood wing ribs. A lot of fun! Also, obviously, I made my living as a carpenter. No regrets!
I used Titebond II to glue mine together and used 1 1/2" staples to put mine together. You can just roll the glue on with a paint roller. In ten minutes you couldn't tear them apart without destroying the truss. I've made hundreds of them that way and after 25-30 years they are still in good shape. Way better than the press metal plate gussets.
Kris, Good tips that you have. Thanks for chiming in. I would be a little leery of the titebond, as it is not waterproof. If you keep them dry it would work. Obviously has worked for you. steve
@@gary24752 I think your comment was directed to Kris. The PL3 that I did use complies to astm D3498 which applies to gluing osb, plywood, to wood floor systems. A lot like gussets to lumber truss components. Here is the tech data sheet. dm.henkel-dam.com/is/content/henkel/tds-us-loctite-loc-pl-premium-3x-2019-12-12 Your point is valid. Make sure the glue you use is the right application.
The pattern of the bracing isn't just ornamental. The depth of the board, species, and loading rates for your region will give you the span between the braces. This is what you are paying for with engineered trusses. If you are planning on sheetrock then a 5 foot span is closer to what it should be on the bottom. But do the figures for your needs.
Always appreciate comments Michael. Just checked the Southern Yellow Pine ceiling joist tables. I know a joist is different than a truss, but the table showed a 9-10 foot span, 10 psf live load, for a 2 x 4- 24" OC. That is a little longer than I like to see. Most trusses I have set here in Iowa are in the 7-8 foot range for bottom chord panel points, designed for 5/8" wallboard on bottom chord.
The builder showed my father the local council's Roof Frame Plans in a booklet and it showed what angle the roof has to be and the amount of Truss Tie's because of the local wind speeds and the Galvanised Steel Nailplates sizes. Its best to use Galvanised Steel Nailplates there cheaper and stronger just hammer them into place with a wooden mullet.
@@2dawgsmiked684 it’s not a spaz… it’s a realistic holy f*** look at the cost of lumber now, that $25 truss would cost several hundred to make! Oh, to be back in the good old days, when I could pick up a 2x4 for less than $5… not to mention the $80 per sheet of 1/2” plywood. Still good info, even if the cost of building supplies have gone through the roof.
Nice trusses. But as a carpenter of 35 years myself, I was wondering why you would not prestress or preload the trusses by adjusting your template blocks to incorporate about a 3/8" to 1/2" crown in your truss? That way, when your plywood, roofing materials, and possible snow loads start weighing it down it reduces any adverse deflections. Otherwise, you built them the same way we used to build them.
Brent, great comment. I didnt really think about it at the time. And as it worked out, glad that i didnt. Sometimes I over-think things, and trying to figure out how much a truss will actually deflect isnt an exact science, unless you know all the data affiliated with wood species and such. I didnt have that data anyway, but did over-build the trusses. Where i matched new construction to old construction, the trusses fit well, and there is no discernable deflection yet (about five years?) that shows on these trusses.
Seems like the worst side of the gussets would have more surface are to bond.. I like how you angle the nails in the gusset for better holding strength.
Pat. You are probably correct, at least when using a construction adhesive. Angling the nails accomplished two things. Better pull out resistance, and also since my nails were just a tad too long it prevented them coming out the back side. Thanks for the comment!
Thanks Lee, Not very many people understand and believe that the plywood gussets work very well. Even a lot of carpenters think the metal is better. You and I know better!
You are correct about building permits. Lots of places even here where I live in Iowa will require an engineers stamp on the plan. Not many engineers will do that. Little financial reward for a lot of risk.
There was a great deal of satisfaction watching a guy who has already framed 100's of projects. Too many videos are of guys who have no experience with anything but they become RU-vid "instructors." It's fine for drama, but not wisdom.
Steevo, You are an excellent observer. I see what you too notice on RU-vid. Too many people trying to make money before learning what they say they already know. This video was done only for fun. No money made by me on it at all. I had no idea it would even become popular. The one I thought would be popular was moving a wall on the end of my shop. It relates to the trusses that I built. ru-vid.com?o=U&video_id=tgUPkz3cpu4 hope I got the link right! steve
Over the years I have seen quite a few trusses broken at the metal gussets. Never, broken at a wooden gusset. Structurally, the larger the wooden gusset, the stronger, but again, I've yet to see even small and somewhat undersized gussets be the site of a break. When a patch is needed for a broken metal gusset plate, guess what, it's an oversized plywood gusset.
Norman, I can tell we think a lot alike. Everything you said is true. I can remember calling the truss manufacturer and asking for a field repair procedure and it always involved using lumber or plywood, glue and nails. Ply gussets also make the truss more rigid and that helps when setting them too.
Yes Slick Always a good idea to check with local building dept to make sure you can use a home built truss before you fab them up. Where I live since I am zoned agricultural I am exempt from building dept.
Hi Alexey, Greetings to Russia! One of the fun things about this video is that I have heard from people all over the world. I live In Iowa, which is central part of USA. steve
Thank you for this video. I'm a ME student studying statics and particularly zero force members. I came upon this video randomly. Awesome video, thanks again.
mason miller Thanks Mason! Glad you enjoyed it. We have had a heavy wet 10 inch snowfall here in Iowa about a month ago, and the trusses never deflected a bit, so i think i got them right.
Plywood has a grain. The strong direction is "with the grain". more than half of your truss plates are cut and will be installed "against the grain" so they will be less than half as strong as they could be if you paid attention to the grain of the plywood.
Holly, you are correct, at least in part of what you say. Plywood is really complicated. Tensile strength can vary a lot between various plywoods, depending upon veneer thickness, number of plys, and species of wood. Couple that with the fact that almost all of the truss connections are not simple vector forces. Many connections connect three members, and some of them are in tension and some in compression. Generally speaking, if the face grain of the plywood matches the grain of the lumber you will have the best situation, which is what i did with my trusses.
An update to all on the strength of these trusses. We have had to this point in time, 45 inches of snow here in Iowa. No issues with the strength of these trusses.
@@borkostojic9398 hi Borko, the trusses are spaced 2 feet apart (English measurement system). That way an 8 foot long piece of plywood (measuring 4 feet wide by 8 feet long) will cover five trusses with the ends of the plywood covering to the middle of the truss. 2 feet is about .61 meter. Hope this makes sense for you. Steve
I was a few seconds into the video and do you are an awesome guy the first thing I spied was the yellow vet and then you went directly to the red one awesome and totally American I’m looking forward to building my own somewhat tiny house one day soon
Nice Job.....i did the same when i built my workshop in Philippines, difference is i laid out the design on 3/4 play and as i cut and placed the part i tacked it so it didn't move
I've been working for a component manufacturer for the last 20 years of my life. Started in the shop and now in the office in design/estimating/inside sales. I know my trusses. Like you said you did save some money ($300?) but if you're a busy/important man your time is worth more than 3 bills. Plus most townships do not allow site built truss systems because they aren't certified by a licensed engineer. Kind of ironic that stick framed buildings don't require such certifications. Anyway with the company I'm with we could have supplied this small order in a matter of days and for not much more than you spent. Plus you get a warranty, sealed truss drawings and trusses made from grade stamped kiln dried lumber with options in SPF, SYP, fire treated and even pressure treated. With galvanized plates there's no chance of corrosion and should you need to modify a truss you'll have free access to our professional engineers who will provide your repair drawings to submit to your building department. I know it sounds like a sales pitch and I applaud your DIY approach. I myself hate paying anyone to do what I can for myself. You also say it cost you about $25/truss? Did you add in the cost of the plywood gussets, adhesive, nails, ect? To me it looks like you used at least 2-3 sheets of what appears to be 3/4" plywood and where I live it's about $35+/sheet. Hey don't mind me, I'm just babbling lol. Do your thing!
Wingman, I found your comment in a spam folder, and moved it to the Comment section of the video. I agree with most of what you have said. Around here in Iowa there is not anywhere that could have turned these trusses around in a few days, and I am a very busy man. Just found a little niche of time to do them, and did enjoy doing them too. The video has been outrageously popular, and never expected that. I did include the cost of the plywood and other parts in my estimated costs. sure did not do it to save money anyway. Best wishes.
Well said and good approach to your questioning. I found this vid pretty cool and informative. But i definitely hear what your saying....Time is money....and blueprints are useless without a warranty or legit license to back them.
This is very helpful, thank you. Could you comment on your choice of a splice location for the bottom chord? Why not in the middle or more towards the ends? This is the one piece of information I can’t find anywhere.
Great question DH! The bottom chord is under the most tensional stress of any member of the truss. It is trying to pull apart. Ideally I would try to buy lumber that would go the entire length so no splices would be needed. Since I am over 24 feet that isn't possible. Knowing the torsional forces, I wanted to use a little longer splice member, so I cut a 3.5" wide by 4 foot long piece of plywood for each side of the splice. That gave me a good long, probably over engineered splice. If I had located this splice in the middle, where I was also trying to join the center vertical web member, I would have needed to make the splice plate probably 10 inches wide to grab the vertical member also. So that would have meant 10 inches by 4 feet. To cut down on the amount of plywood needed, (and weight) I just offset the bottom splice to an area where I only had to deal with a bottom chord splice and not integrate in a web member splice too. If I was doing a W truss design, then directly mid span of the bottom chord would have worked perfectly, since there is no web member mid span of a W truss. The W truss is broken into 3 segments of the bottom chord, rather than 4 segments in my design. Does this make sense?
@@flyboyslc1 Yes. Your choice seems to be determined entirely by trying to minimize the use of plywood rather than structural considerations. My concern, however, is this. If you locate the splice in the middle and pull on both ends of the truss with tremendous force, your splice will be the only thing resisting it. The top gusset won’t do much. However, if you locate the splice, for example, in the right panel and try to pull on both ends of the truss, ripping the splice apart will also have to bend the top chord. In other words, the top chord will be helping the splice keep the bottom chord together. Does it make sense?
@@differenthandyman938 ah…….. I enjoy seat of the pants engineering and philosophical questions! But I am suspicious of your conclusion. Are not the other web members connected to the bottom chord whether or not it happens at mid span or another location on bottom chord? Just because the top chord is connected in a place without the bottom chord splice doesn’t mean that it won’t impart the same help you are referencing, does it? Either way, for me it was just cleaner and less complicated to deal with it the way I did. This past winter we had a total of 60” of snow with no thaw, so a lot of that snow stayed on the roof. The trusses continue to perform well, even with the snow, drywall on bottom chord, and lots of insulation.
@@flyboyslc1 I am coming to the conclusion that you are right and the splice location doesn’t matter for structural integrity. Perhaps that is why I couldn’t find any information on that. It appears it is usually determined by what 2x4 stock is available. It still makes me nervous though to trust that gusset. I am going to do what you did and overengineer it. 3/4” plywood 4’ long. Perhaps even bolt it in addition to the glue and nails. Once again, thank you for your video and for going out of your way to respond to everyone. What goes around comes around. Best of luck.
@@differenthandyman938 thanks for the fun feedback. This video was created just for my friends to see. I never suspected that it would be viewed very much. If I had known, I would have cut out the first two minutes of fluff. It has been great fun conversing with people all over the world. I have even had comments in Chinese or Japanese. Can’t tell the difference! You are correct in your bottom chord splice methods. It has the most stress, so overbuilt at that point is OK to do.
Hi Willie, glad you enjoyed it. I know what you mean on the BS videos. Lots of self proclaimed experts more focused on making money off of videos than really knowing what they speak of. I never expected this video to take off and do as well as it has. RU-vid is just a hobby for me anyway. best to you. steve
Willie, thanks so much for the comment. I know what you mean regarding the BS. So many people on youtube just trying to make money off of it. For me it is just a hobby and nice way to meet other people. Best to you. steve
I'm a professional engineer trying to learn how to build site built trusses. How did you size the gussets and what was the required nailing/glue pattern? I'm sure there is some ICC code compliant ASTM standard for those calculations, but I can't find. Also calculating the load capacity of the truss is either a ton of trial-and-error circular calculations or some software to do the infinite analysis calculations for you. Did you find a reasonably priced piece of software that you can recommend?
Building trusses sounds like a lucrative business. I can actually do the calculations and sketches on my computer. But I’m skeptical of wood trusses. Wish there were other options that isn’t susceptible to termite invasion.
See a post below regarding light gauge steel trusses, that are built in much the same way. Totally termite proof. Or google steel residential roof trusses and see what you find. On the business side of things, you would have risk that would need to be insured to protect yourself if something went wrong. best to you. steve
Nice trusses! I hadn't thought about using glue to have the gussets hold better. I'm going to build an 18 x 24 off grid simple cabin probably just one big room and maybe a closet and little to no plumbing, and little to no electrical since it's literally in the middle of the woods with no power, well, or septic, and No driveway up to it, and no permit haha. It'll be a deck based platform on beams resting on concrete blocks so it'll be at least 20 inches off the ground so I can batt an R 30 under the floor. I need to build trusses with an 18 foot bottom chord, the pitch can be whatever I want. There's no way I'm going to buy 13 trusses and carry them all the way through the woods lol. Maybe 4/12 would be good so it will be easier to blow and won't use as much roof sheathing as houses that could almost fit 2 more stories in the attic. How about using OSB for the gussets? I'm not planning on using any plywood for this project but OSB for sheathing, thin crap for the walls and thicker stuff for the subfloor and roof deck. Or I guess I could possibly do rafters too but then would have to batt the ceiling but it would be vaulted.
Brock. Here are my thoughts on the trusses. If using an 18 foot bottom chord, I would buy 18 foot 2x4 so a mid span splice is eliminated that way. I am not a big fan of OSB. It just seems to degrade over the years. I would use 5/8” plywood minimum. Exterior rated for waterproof glue. I would go 4:12 or 5:12 on the slope. Always liked a 5:12 myself. If you need engineering help for the design make sure you get it. Another way is to go to a place like Menards.com. They have truss design online I believe? On the deck, maybe consider a rigid foam insulation. Mice really like fiberglass.best your way!
Hello Steven. If you watched the video? i cautioned anyone subject to code enforcement at the 1:10 point of the video. If you live under that thumbprint, by all means abide by their rules. After 48 years of carpentry, i do not need or want an inspector or engineer involved to build a simple truss. I am blessed by not being subject to this level of bureaucratic BS. These trusses held 45 inches of snowfall here in Iowa this year. Engineers are important people for sure, but some food for thought for you. The Pyramids were built without an engineered drawing. They are still here. While the Tacoma Narrows bridge, the Hyatt Regency Kansas City mezzanine collapse, and the recent Miami walkway bridge collapse all had inspectors and engineered drawings. They all ended up on the ground in a pile, with deaths too.
Tim. The nails were generic left over from another construction project. I don’t think they were a perfect fit for the nailer. So the sparks were just an added attraction.
Yes!! I have had a few comments on old sparky. I was using some generic nails that the Paslode nailer did not like perfectly. Made for a good pyro show!
The added weight is but an inconvenience. You have greater rigidity and strength. I always go for site built for customization you can afford. Dude got a better add-on doin it his way.
Chaz, I know you were joking, but not by much! 2x4 lumber is crazy high, as is plywood. I suspect that trusses from a truss shop would be cheaper right now due to their buying power to acquire lumber at a better price.
Hi Kenneth, after posting the video, I did find an app for Iphone that would flip a video. Unfortunately I have long since deleted the clips that I strung into an IMovie. I didn't think that this video would be as popular, and I am not much of a movie maker anyway. Just doing what I do for some fun!
Joe, I used 2 3/8” by .113 ring shank steel nails. Clipped head. Generics and that is why you see the occasional sparks. Not a perfect fit for the Paslode gun. I angled the first layer otherwise they would protrude through the 1 1/2” thick lumber. Second layer didn’t matter since the combined thickness is 3”. Bottom piece of narrow plywood 4 feet long is used to splice two pieces of 2 by 4 since the bottom chord was slightly longer than 24 feet. Not easy to find 26 foot 2 by 4 and not easy to transport it either.
Hi there John, Sorry I am slow to reply. I did build two complete RV series kit planes, and test flew both of them. Still flying the 2nd one. They are a lot of fun to fly. Best your way. steve
Nice video. You must be living in an area with little or no snow. I’m in the Adirondacks . You have something with a 3-12 pitch ...it better be like on 10 “ centers and 2x6 upper cord and a metal roof. I’m just saying........!
Hello Robert, I am not familiar with snowfall averages in Adirondacks. I spent time in Rochester, and know that it snows in upper NY! Trusses need to be engineered to fit their location and usage for sure. In Eastern Iowa our annual average is 29 inches. January of this year saw 24 inches, with another 12 in February. So my 24 inches on center are working just fine.
Thanks for the video! I am planning to start on a pole barn this spring and am contemplating building the trusses myself. I'm a little worried about the amount of time it would take me to do them all myself though. I'll just have to compare the prices and see if it's worth the extra time.
Matthew Ohrenberg Thanks Matthew. Nice comment! If it is strictly a time consideration, then buying them from a truss factory is the way to go. I do not know the span of your proposed pole building, but the trusses if they get to be very long are hard to handle during fabrication (turning them over to work on the other side). On site fabrication can cut down on total cost, as you eliminate transportation charges if you are instead able to haul short lumber on trailers or pickup trucks yourself. One caution, if you are fabbing trusses for a pole barn, your spacing is likely going to be 6 feet or so? It would be good to do a little engineering on the trusses. Find live snow loading and such and run the numbers. There is info on the net that can help you with this. Just do a little work with Google to find it. Best wishes! steve
Corvettes are made here in Kentucky and if you ever get the chance you go to bowling Green and take it to work of the Corvette museum just watch out for the giant sinkhole
Thanks Steven, Getting to the Corvette factory is on my bucket list. Will definitely do it some day. I hear they have a track there that I can run on too, for a price I imagine?
Royce hagerman Thanks Royce. Nice comment. The thickness of the gussets should be half inch 5 ply or 3/4" 5 ply. Either one will work ok. As far as overall size, they need to be big enough to put 5-7 nails in each of the members to be connected. Bottom chord gusset should be a little longer, because it is under tension stress. Maybe a good idea to use 3/4 plywood there and make them 4 feet long. That way the plywood in cross section is equal to the 2 by 4 in cross section. Hope this helps you.
Jack, I think I used a 10 and a 16. That moved the splice away from the center, making it easier to join using a piece of 3/4” by 4’ long plywood on each side. I didn’t want the bottom chord splice and center vertical member joint to all happen at the same place.
Hi there LK. Codes themselves will not specify how a truss gets built. That is the role of a Structural Engineer. The engineer can calculate what means and materials are needed to connect joints within the truss. It is interesting though that using plywood will make the truss more rigid laterally, that is perpendicular the truss chord. The metal plates you typically see on trusses are adequate to make the connection, but do not stiffen the truss very much. That happens with the plywood roof sheeting or other lumber bracing added to the entire roof framing. For homebuilt trusses, plywood is a good option. If you are not familiar with trusses, get an engineer to specify the size and shape of the plywood. Hope this helps. stevd
Yes Jim, I'm well aware of the Code Enforcement requirements and noted that in the video, in case you missed it. I purposely moved to a place without those requirements. I enjoy freedom a lot, and do not need someone looking over me. Hate to say it, but many building inspectors i met over the years were no where near as competent as i was. I have set thousands of trusses over my 48 years in construction, so doing a simple design for these was no issue. best to you, steve
@@flyboyslc1 OK I MISSED THAT PArt. I framed for 35 years, I'm retired now. I have a few videos on my channel: omru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B5iPfSUK1kI.html on my channel: demonstrating some tricks I use. See how I roll trusses and I don't have to cut tails...no need to snap a line or run a dry line ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Xf6JFiienqg.html Tell me what you think.
