HOW TO BUILD A 2.6M STONE ARCH - DIY BARN BUILD #19 

I don't watch TV, scroll on social media, or watch many movies. I almost exclusively watch building, carpentry, woodworking, machining, and welding/fabricating videos on RU-vid. This video is one of the best I've seen in a while. Cheers!

Hi, it’s Rich from Toronto. Recently discovered your channel, and have just watched to here from the beginning. Looking forward to the remaining episodes, but so far this was my favourite. Excellent work on the arch. Well done.

I only recently started watching this channel, but I'm already addicted. Alex cracks me up! I watch several "builder" channels, but he's one of my favorites. His humor and perseverance are second to none. I was seriously laughing out loud in this episode when he used his "finger guns" to shoot the noisy plane out of the air that was interrupting his explanation. Keep up the good work, Alex! (Enjoying your channel from Madison, Wisconsin USA.)

This is the best example of "nothing to it but to do it" I've seen on the internet. Good shit mate!

It is a mental relief to listen to the English pronunciation. One can feel both the general education and the respect from the messenger in comparison with the American RU-vid channels, which are constantly at grueling "macho-OCR-speed".

Great video, im always very excited when I see these pop up under my subscriptions! Looking forward to the next!

Nice work! The stones in the arch are not quoins, though. Quoins are the rustified corner stones on a building. The stones that form the arch are called voussoirs, with the keystone being the stone at the apex of the arch.

For some reason the RU-vid algorithm thought I'd like this - it was right! Great stuff! I'm building a small cabin on my property at the moment and seeing you do this inspires me to try a stone project next!

Great work. It's better to be to strong than not strong enough. I'm looking forward to more videos.

That keystone was rather understated, as far as keystones go-- but it worked! Your meticulous calculations for all of this is quite impressive. I know I'm watching this 2 months later, but I look forward to the next few videos as they pop up. I sub'd and set the bell. (I know I can go to your YT site and find them, but I watch lots of other stuff, too).

Great job! Genuinely really look forward to these videos - I was worried there hadn't been an update for a while - looking forward to the next one. Keep up the sterling work! By the way, I reckon you mistook that 9 numbered stone for an upside down 6!

Beautiful work! What an incredible accomplishment to be able to do stonework of this caliber without experience!

Cheers to your tenacity and a job well done!

Lovely work !

As a "non experienced builder", you really did impress me in the first 2 minutes of the video.

I like that the Keystone is just a bit over the arch as appropriate, Good job. Washington DC, USA

EXCELLENT JOB !!! I have always wanted to build one like this.....except with out any concrete.

It's looking good! Well done.

You can also measure that distance down from the edge of the sheet of plywood so your arch starts at the edge of the plywood instead of 253.6mm into the middle. Saves some plywood for other projects. Should also use 6mm or 12mm plywood, two sheets with 2x4 between them along the arch, and a few to block in the bottom then push it up into place and brace it from the bottom. When done you just remove the supports and you can. Drop it out the bottom.

You are an inspiration! I'd love to have you as a guest on @MessyTimes to talk about your DIY journey. Really cool. Thanks.

Superb! Inspirational!

Quite a professional stone mason of the cold weather region of US east, demonstrated the "storyboard" wooden riser *corners to allow for build as measure to mortar and the natural on going rise of laid product. That same concept, to your arch layout was very well thought out. I also really like the size of stone you managed (large) and the largest component as to truly long life of the finished work. I was a bit surprised you did not fully wet the stones as for mortar to adhere, but I understand some variable product type. And of course the natural shape as supporting by transfer of vertical down to the doorway *casement. Here the mass and large stone size an advantage to withstand that force over time. The end use of dry fit to inspect preliminary was I think, an excellent practice. As at once predicted best mortar joint. That color of product I think as local to region source (sand). Naturally, I am curious as to where upward build will meet roof structure and the achievement of where stone to wood is practical and as I have laid various wall and structure, some to my workshop entry, I think your critical design before layment is a factor to what I predict as an excellent and natural finish. Here in the NW US, much of my shop as winter demands electric power and light which I install with protection to layment as to provide facial sourced outlet. Modern eve lighting a benefit to human movement and access as darkness. Protected as above from rainfall I suspect this work will outlast several generations. And that secures your work as well done.

Well done! Beautiful.

Nice work. I just made my first arch last week also. Lets hope it stays up.

I enjoyed this a lot. For never having done this before, I think you did a fine job. In the event you have occasion to build another arch, here’s an idea for you. In place of that spoke system you used for your centering, would it be simpler to cut three, or even four semicircles of 1/2” plywood with blocks to separate them and then bend a sheet of 1/4” ply around the outside edge? It would be plenty strong enough and probably lighter weight, too.

Always look forward to another of your videos turning up. I’d love to do something like this, but don’t have the space at home. However, I’d love to come over and help with the timber frame if you need a hand sometime. That’s assuming you haven’t already finished it!

really brilliant

HAHAHA My 2007 Mini Cooper has been used like this countless times, sometimes with lumber up through the sky hatch 🤣😂🤣 Very Awesome video thank you!

Just watch the first one guys…. We’ll done can’t wait to see more😁👍👍

BRILLIANT

Haha! You look like you're having fun. Cheers!

Looks great!

Don’t forget to add these new videos to the playlist please.

Bravo!!!!

Very impressve Sir. I thought you would use a center keystone . I alway assumed people did that in case they didn't get the math right and the last stone would be out of porportion with the rest of them, but you did an amazing job

Looks amazing! A lot of work! I think it would have been easier to use a catenary to trace out the shape of the arch instead of part of a circle and likely hold up under stress better.

Love your vids.

Good job. seems like a lot of work though to make the wood form. I would have made to semi circles and put some thinner ply on the top curve to make a resting point for the stones..

Love it !

Use a chain between the opening and this will give you an arch that can be supported by its own weight. The chain test then copy it and reverse it upwards

The '6' was upside down (to look like a '9'). That's all. 6,7,8..

excellent

I'm a woodworker and regularly run into the problem of how to draw, or lay out an arc. I find it easier to just use the following formula to find the Radius of the Arc. From there you just draw a line perendicular to the distance between the widest part of your arc where the length of the line starting from the edge of your arc extends to the distance to the center of the circle (the radius that you calculated). R=(h/2) + (w^2/8h) R = Radius h = hight of the arc w = the width of the arc at its widest point

Ya natural cut stone is going to be a problem when making anything precise as a arch. Very good job. Your building will last dam long time. That’s a timeless stone to build with. Cheers.

Nice thanks

Beautiful work, thank you for sharing, I wonder if an arch might have been medieval journeyman builders' final exam? Will you try a vaulted ceiling next? The key 20:20

very nice

just a comment.. when attaching the two by to the plywood, don't screw thru the two by to the ply, do the reverse, screw the ply to the two by. MUCH stronger. For better yet, use a screw with a head that isn't going to just pull thru the ply. Like a "Modified truss" head. MUCH stronger attachment. But congrats on your effort and determination. Experience is great, but if you don't try things you never will learn. Passion is just as important.

hit the left arrow a few times at the verry beginning of the video. congrats youre a dj now.

Mij back doesn t allow this build, so I enjoy your build video's m any thnxs

That looks wonderful, good job. You should have the nick name, Archie

Nice.

Alex, if ever you do this again. Just cut two arcs out of plywood and join them with a thin plywood plate on the upper side. Way easier and yields the same result.

Did Kenny Everett base his inept accident prone DIY er "Reg" on you ? Great vid by the way 😛😛😛🤣🤣

Amazing footage, why did this get all my attention? Dont know but i went full on zombie mode and absorbed the whole thing in one bite

To cut the angles, if not goof enough freehand, inexpensive table saw with a big diamond blade. For big blocks it wouldn't go all the way through, but great guide and probably snap with a clout

There's a much easier way. Use interlocking blocks. Create the blocks in a former using quick dry concrete with tongue and groove in every block then stack the arch

must be why you see keystones used ? Just start from both sides and measure the center remaining and cut a stone to fit?

Overbuilt is underrated.

25mm ply is the thickest you can get, however it requires remortgaging in order to afford more than 1 sheet.

No Words

I like the wood arch can you leave it in?

Did you use bonding agent In the Cement?

You should of watched U-TUBE under the heading "Boveda" . Regardless job well done

The spoke idea made the arch form way more complicated then it had to be

You know you can draw a perfect parabola with a piece of string, two nails and a pencil?

Better to screw through the ply into the 2x

Is that the most complicated way ever to build an arch?

You made it so dificuld for your self. You could have used two boards with spacers in between.

That 9 then 7 issue - maybe you thought the 9 was a 6... 🤔

Was it perhaps, 6, 7, 8 and not 9, 7, 8

how much does all this cost please ?

Comment to Alex Builds. Hello 👋

I've built arches. Concerns,, you likely have done all the research already,, so this may be just blowing smoke. The ratios of arch height and span,, as opposed to the wall thickness. It looks a bit thin vs the total of the arch. The wing walls left and right, seem to equal or total less than the span, You do not have a huge load above,, not as if there were three stories above. But arches love to out thrust. Could you have done better with a pointed arch , Gothic ? The Gothic arch was invented to reduce the out thrust. The bricks of your arch seem a bit small on the radian dimension. Just thoughts and you have likely worked all the details already.

Needs a key stone.

instead of cutting every stone you could've just had tapering mortar joints,

Oh gawd, trying to do any building work with a mini as transport? bro that's really doing life on hard mode 😸 I make do with an estate, but the number of times I wish I had a mate with a van... 😑

You really only need to know one thing to solve the side length at 4:15; just the mnemonic SOHCAHTOA

That's a beautful arch. Now build one without mortar, like the Romans did...

£ 2.6 million seams to be a bit steep…I know materials have gone up but that’s crazy

What did the delivery cost 10,000 lol

Not only can alaskans build it quicker they do not have to draw up such a design as you have and theirs is more better than what you are building

nice accept you need a keystone!

that was a 6 not a 9. it was upside down.

Yer knickers are to high

Funny how people still try to emulate casey neistat style, without the videography style..

Forse è ora che cambi mestiere

Actually that is a half decent job.

Seems like hardest way of making stone arch i have come across. All that timber support could have done 100 times faster and easier.

Native Alaskans can build an arch for their igloos faster every day than you can build for one building in months.