Took the first step towards building my shop

[Frank S]

Darn, the photos are not viewable Frank.

Try them now I deleted them and re loaded them

[metric_taper]

I didn't think of a rotisserie to rotate a huge trailer. But that makes too much sense to get to places without straining yourself.

[Frank S]

I didn't think of a rotisserie to rotate a huge trailer. But that makes too much sense to get to places without straining yourself.

I have a thread here somewhere with a trailer turned up on its side. there really isn't much need to lay a conventional flatbed semi trailer on its side or turn it upside down but it can be handy
For specialty trailer like low bed or those that have axles which slide far enough forward to lower the tail end of the trailer to the ground it is most helpful to get them up on their side or completely turtle .
The problem is it takes a massively strong assembly to accomplish this safely. being able to handle big and heavy stuff has never been a problem for me until now. Before I used to have a 25 ton forklift and a 35 ton crane with the 2 machines I could pick up and carry a fully loaded semi trailer.
So now I am going to construct a device in 1 end of my shop to be able to lift one end of a trailer and will use my big A frame gantry to handle the other end.
But first this all boils down to constructing the column to handle 10 to 15 tons of weight without bringing down the building in the process.

[Frank S]

We woke up to frozen water at the hose bib on the pump house but the water to the house was still flowing although slowly. I didn't think it had gotten all that cold last night just in the low to mid 20s but it must have been there for most of the night. However that still didn't explain the tap being frozen I have an automatic thermostat controlled system to keep the inside a toasty 46° I opened the door and the light was on meaning the system was functioning then I noticed that I had somehow moved the heater the last time I was in the pump house and the tip over switch was not making contact so the only heat in there was coming from the 150 watt heat lamp. which should have been enough anyway I repositioned the heater so it would come on and about an hour later everything was thawed the temps had risen to around 30 as well.

Then we went to a town about 40 miles away by the time we got back around 2 PM it was in the low 40s.
Even though the pump house is mostly insulated I think I am going to wrap in in plastic for good measure. then latter on in the spring I plan on cladding it with some of the insulation sheets that I have to make sure it is sealed and if I can strike a deal with the lady who owns the 2 large brick buildings nearby that are falling down I might brick it. There are probably 20,000 3x3.5 by 12 red bricks that have already fallen in on those buildings. If she is willing to part with them I might even think about pouring a footer around the foundation to the house and brick it eventually.
But anyway what I actually managed to get done today was to turn the master column over and finished welding up the areas that I just couldn't get to in the overhead position
Now it is just all but ready to drop in the hole

[Frank S]

Most of the snow was gone in 3 days and on the 4th all of it was gone in the 76° temp. we had that day.
had 2 clear days to get some work done then on Monday back down in the low 30s and rain most of the day rained off and on all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning then dropped to the low 20s before warming to the low 40s in the afternoon although a little windy.
This is what I am trying to get finished fabricating to go in the large hole I have dug
In the construction industry it could be called a HERO or HERCULES or Master column which is usually the strongest column in an building and may or may not have more than a single specific purpose.
Which this one will be and will have.
More that just being a column to support the near center of the end truss and to help prevent racking or twisting of the building in high winds. this column when calculated in conjunction of the to corner columns on the opposite end of the building form a triangle of support but this one will be employed to serve as the basis of a rotisserie or power end of a spit for turning trailer or other large items on their side or upside down this will also serve as a rotary positioner for fabrication of large weldments as well.
Given the nature of the future intended use and strength I wanted to build into the column I figured it would also be prudent to include a hard mount for future jib cranes to be swung from the column. Once the column is in place and later the corresponding tabernacle bracing which will run the length of the building connecting the trusses together and radiative bracing leading from the attachment point of the master column to the next truss I will be more than able to secure a pair of 20' long jib cranes from the hard mount I have fabricated, which will allow me to hang 2 ton hoists or larger from them. If I were to limit the length of the jib cranes to 12 feet or less I could safely install 4 ton hoists from them once every thing is tied together as I anticipate eventually doing.
Part of the reason for the elaborate pipe work on this column was due to the 12" beam I had planned to use turned out to be about 8 feet too short so I had to use my 10" beam which was only 19 lbs to the foot and only has a 4 inch flange making unsuitable as a standalone beam for the column without a lot of build up. Of course the face which will have the elevating power head would eventually have more structure added to it anyway but that would not ad sufficient section to the column to resist twisting forces and bending moments of jib cranes so other that the power head it would be little more than a glorified door stop
Now as it is with over 80 feet of 3 inch pipe welded to it I think all will agree I have accomplished 80% of what I was seeking with a safety factor of 2.5 or better

[metric_taper]

Most of the snow was gone in 3 days and on the 4th all of it was gone in the 76° temp. we had that day.

I was thinking this hole would have filled with melt water. Must be high ground.
So what is the layering/mixing method you have with portland and existing soil?

[metric_taper]

So is there any end of the depth of clay? Looks like your well below any frost depth. But I'm guessing you want to get below where rain/surface water can enable the clay to cold flow with the intended load your planning on this 'foundation'. I assume you've mix Portland in to solidify the plastic nature of the clay, as you did with your columns.
I don't understand what this rotisserie is. I think of a rail road engine rotisserie at a maintenance facility, but I can't think of a semi-trailer repair analog. I'm sure you'll post photos when you get to this.
Looks like more roofing to install when the winds are right.

[Crusty]

I've been watching Matt Cremona on Youtube build a heavy retrieval trailer for his urban logging and sawmill operations (he's come home with some huge hardwood tree trunks before) and he used a similar spit to easily spin the trailer as he tacked and then welded it all together. It looked handy and like a good idea idea to me.

[Frank S]

I've been watching Matt Cremona on Youtube build a heavy retrieval trailer for his urban logging and sawmill operations (he's come home with some huge hardwood tree trunks before) and he used a similar spit to easily spin the trailer as he tacked and then welded it all together. It looked handy and like a good idea idea to me.

That's what I am hoping for, if nothing else I am thinking of installing a service pit in line with it and when not in use both could serve a duel purpose as a BBQ for cooking a Brontosaurus should I ever get a chance to kill one

[Crusty]

I'll make the drive up there for some Fred Flintstone brontosaurus ribs.