Years ago, I helped my father and brothers-in-law build his weekend get away cabin. They had already dug all the post holes and spiked the 4x4 posts for the platform/floor. We dried set the posts the first day and did the rim boards for the first floor. The second day we did all of the exterior and interior walls, windows, doors and sheeting and got the deck down for the second floor. We built all of the gable trusses on the second floor deck by building the first truss, then blocking it as a pattern for the rest. We pre cut all of the 2x material so all we had to do to build the rest of the trusses was lay them in the blocks on the floor and plating them together. It is a 24x24 cabin. We had it up and dried in in 2 days. This included the tar paper on the roof. To be fair, there were 8 of us if memory serves. My mother in law still enjoys this little cabin in the woods to this day. God bless and stay well.
Back in the 70's I built a garage with a Gambrel roof. This was in the days before todays modern miter saws. But I did have a radial arm saw. We set up a jig on the deck of the second level and put blocking at the birds mouths and peak as well as the mid joint. We cut all the pieces on the Saw. We'd make a cut, stack it on the opposite side of where it started until all of those cuts were made. Then we'd set up for the second cut and feed them back in reverse. Once all the pieces were cut we started assembly on the deck. All the joints were reinforced with 1/2" CDX ripped six inches wide We'd lay a full length on the joint with a stop block. Then we'd cut the plywood to match the pitch. The off cuts would then go to the mid joint. The bottom cord was the 2x10 floor joists. Everything was hand nailed. Todays modern nail guns weren't very common then, especially for a handyman. Fifty years later I still drive by when I'm back in Minnesota and it's still looking good
I used to work at a truss plant and the table we used would press the mending plates top and bottom at the same time. We used to have competitions between the two shifts to see who could produce the most finished trusses in a shift and bonuses would be awarded to the fastest team with the least errors.
Depends on how many you need. Trusses are an advantage when they save time. Time is money. Trusses have a disadvantage and that is reduced room, rafters and collar ties make a better attic and are easier to insulate, but take more time and labor to put up. The advantage is that trusses can be delivered and a roof framed in one day with the help of a boom truck. Ken buys his lumber in bulk so he can whack together a truss or two and not lose money. Smart Vermonter.
@@earlyburg depends on where you live and who your lumber supplier and truss manufacturer is locally. Where I'm at, one of the big national lumber yards got it's start here. They have their saw mills and kilns here and in neighboring states. Since they already turn logs into finished construction lumber that they sell at their retail locations, they started a truss plant across the state line a number of years ago. The truss plant receives lumber from a different division of the same company at wholesale prices, and gives it to the lumber yard division at wholesale prices. If I try to buy the lumber to either hand frame a roof or build a homemade truss, I have to buy it at retail prices. Even with the markup for the trusses at the yard, it's still cheaper than purchasing the 2x4's and 2x6's to build my own. They even keep two or three 24' wide truss sets (11 common and a pair of ends) with 2' overhangs bundled up in the yard. Talk to them in the morning, and they can have the truck drop it off that afternoon (as long as a 4/12 pitch works for you). If you already have the walls stood up, they'll unload them on top. Now, that only applies to standard trusses, custom trusses . ...... That gets ugly and expensive quick, no matter where you go to get them.
Thanks Ken. When figuring the total cost of making your own trusses or going through a truss manufacturer, what's the financial difference? I love the channel. Thanks for the awesome content.
Ken l enjoy watching the way to building the trust is like watching the teacher ei school pays attention,thank you for the explanation how to build trust
My grandfather and us grandboys built all kinds of stuff when I was young. A boat storage lot was the biggest - it was probably a hundred sheds in a row. These are seen all over the south. Pre-built trusses was an unknown back then, at least to us. This brought back a great memory- thanks.
Nice, I understand why you don't do them yourself, and I guess the cost won't be much different when you look at the labour involved. Customer is lucky tho, all handmade, 👍
Thanks for your videos. When I get back to the states I want to order pizza for you guys. I'm in Guatemala right now. I just completed two MA and was invited to apply to Habitat for Humanity. I have some building experience. I'd love to do that
What is the price difference between you making the truss and the truss plant making the truss (excluding labor)? This is a great video Ken. We really considered building trusses for these 16 tiny houses we are volunteering to build for a non-profit, but (thank you Lord!) a truss maker donated them all.
That's great that you are building the salt box trusses for one of your jobs. That can't be for the 28' x 28' garage you're building since it's a 24' span for the joist. Wow, you still have 5 weeks out for those trusses. Thanks for this video Ken and krew. It was very interesting to watch.
When I build trusses. I put walls up. And build the trusses on the inside wall. This before sheathing 100% No bending over. Just take a chalk line and snap lines on the studs. Add wood blocks to support at knee level and get to work. I did it this way first on my green house
ken it takes a long time to acquire the skills you have every video impresses me more and more thanks for sharing and I think you guys should do a chad basketball behind the back challenge between you all would be fun lol
I'd be curious to know if you have ballparked the price difference between buying these and building them yourself. Obviously, you are doing this to keep on schedule (well, closer) but there must be a cost difference. The one thing that comes to mind on material costs is a factory can use up damaged bunks of 2x4 (bought cheap) and just toss the bad parts, while you are using good 2x4s and trying to waste as little as possible.
I'm sure he knows what type of strength he needs. I'm sure they'll hold up. it has to be faster to build a garage when you don't have to build the trusses yourself. I bet he didn't factor in the labor cost of building the trusses for this garage job. That might hurt a bit on the profit side. Maybe he'll tell us how it worked out.
WITH THE COST OF TRUST AND YOUR GUYS SEEM TO GET EVERYTHING RIGHT I WOULD BUILD THEM MYSELF IF I WOULD MAKE TRUST MY SELF I WOULD ADD ONE MORE WALL FRAMING STAND DO LAY OUTS AND MARK MY STANDS TO FRAME THE TRUST YOU USE ONLY A COUPLE DIFFERENT TRUST THE HARDEST ROOF YOU MANUFACTURE IS THE 2X8 12 ON 12 PITCH AND YOU DO A TREMENDOUS WORK ON BUILDING THEM ON SITE
Ken, on Texas you can let a load hang off the back of your truck or trailer an infinite length with a red flag attached to the end of the load. Second, my grandfather was a carpenter. Built his own pole barn shop in the 70’s with 2x6 trusses, 1/2” plywood for the laps, 4:12 pitch, entire building covered in metal. It has withstood many hurricanes here along the gulf coast. I enjoy your work.
TH-cam Lumnah Acres just purchased a like new 14'x48' HD Vinyl TARP....CHEAP!!! One side is black and the other side is a BillBoard AD. I guess billboards now are on vinyl tarps....which are easier to put up. His tarp said STATE FAIR dates.... so it was obsolete. Has a pocket for a rod for hanging. Guess a few hours putting in Tarp Strap holes rings would make it a nice $ saving for a trucker.
Doing truss construction on the floor is a tough job, lots of kneeling. Did you not have space to build a waist height platform on which to construct ?
Do you have to adjust the truss locations on top of the gable walls to account for the extra thickness of the gussets? Or maybe just cut a hole in the sheathing to allow the gusset to be flush with the outside of the walls?
Any reason you wouldn’t just use hand cut rafters on site until you can get trusses. Just built a garage here and hand cut was actually a few thousand cheaper than trusses
I'm sure he's doing this for the span to avoid any center supports. The alternative is to load the raw material and build these on site, which adds to travel time. Doing this in his driveway will save many hours.
I have built some trusses the key is a "Jig" make's it so much easier and consistent. Also, what the heck is it with these trusses, I see project's all over (home's mostly) all framed wall's, and then sit for a week or two, then finally trusses.
Hi Ken, hope you and your family are getting better with the covid. My son and I want to build a 32 x 50 building with homemade trusses. From what I've read and watching your video it seems like you could do that as long as you follow certain procedures like you explained. Is there a problem making me homemade trust that big? Thanks!
what are your thoughts on gluing the gussets? That's the way i've done it and seen it done, on "home made" trusses. probably unnecessary structurally and adds time and material.
Ken, how much more is it to build them yourselves? 20% more, 50% more, or some ratio? Plus you’re eating into the building season (9 months or so?) by taking a day to make these. I’m sure you’d rather be framing.
Hi Ken, enjoying your videos, keep up the good work, I was just wondering, I noticed on your cement floor in your garage, it was cut out, what was the reason for that, if you don't mind me asking?
Hi Ken. I had a quick question. When you join the cords and the webbing pieces do you nail them to each other or do the gussets and straps do the joining? Thanks!
I built some trusses for two porches I attached to a house I had built for me. I chose to use one of the new glue formulas on the market at that time and I compared the shear strength between nails and the glue. The glue shear strength was much, much higher, more than a factor of 10. The inspector didn't like it. I still like the glue option. Let me know what you think. Thanks, Glen
Glen, I agree with you. The glue joint, if clamped properly, is way stronger than nails. On my own house, I tend to use glue with screws (to provide clamping force). My own feeling is that codes and inspectors have not entirely kept up with progress in glues. In fairness, there may be issues with determining the quality of a glued joint.
Ken I'm curious as to why you are using wood blocks. For bracing instead of the metal mending plates? Like the truss companies use. I bought them at my local lumber yard when I built my trusses for my home.
Unless you have a press it would be very arduous to get them all installed properly with that many connections in an entire set of trusses! Plywood gussets go much quicker - especially with today’s pneumatic fasteners…..🔨
I was told (40 years ago) that wooden plates are stronger and hold up better in a fire situation, although I suspect it's a more expensive way to do things. Basically, metal will transfer the heat and make a rafter burn / fail sooner, causing early building collapse, sometimes without warning.
Years ago, I helped my father and brothers-in-law build his weekend get away cabin. They had already dug all the post holes and spiked the 4x4 posts for the platform/floor. We dried set the posts the first day and did the rim boards for the first floor. The second day we did all of the exterior and interior walls, windows, doors and sheeting and got the deck down for the second floor. We built all of the gable trusses on the second floor deck by building the first truss, then blocking it as a pattern for the rest. We pre cut all of the 2x material so all we had to do to build the rest of the trusses was lay them in the blocks on the floor and plating them together. It is a 24x24 cabin. We had it up and dried in in 2 days. This included the tar paper on the roof. To be fair, there were 8 of us if memory serves. My mother in law still enjoys this little cabin in the woods to this day. God bless and stay well.
Back in the 70's I built a garage with a Gambrel roof. This was in the days before todays modern miter saws. But I did have a radial arm saw. We set up a jig on the deck of the second level and put blocking at the birds mouths and peak as well as the mid joint. We cut all the pieces on the Saw. We'd make a cut, stack it on the opposite side of where it started until all of those cuts were made. Then we'd set up for the second cut and feed them back in reverse. Once all the pieces were cut we started assembly on the deck. All the joints were reinforced with 1/2" CDX ripped six inches wide We'd lay a full length on the joint with a stop block. Then we'd cut the plywood to match the pitch. The off cuts would then go to the mid joint. The bottom cord was the 2x10 floor joists. Everything was hand nailed. Todays modern nail guns weren't very common then, especially for a handyman. Fifty years later I still drive by when I'm back in Minnesota and it's still looking good
I'd be really proud of that garage too! That sounds like a lot of hard cuts to make as well as all the hand nailing that you had to do. Kudos.
I used to work at a truss plant and the table we used would press the mending plates top and bottom at the same time. We used to have competitions between the two shifts to see who could produce the most finished trusses in a shift and bonuses would be awarded to the fastest team with the least errors.
A lot of work but I guess it’s better than waiting weeks for factory made ones. Good video. Thank you.
I'm just glad to know you're allowed to build your own trusses! We can't do that in my county here in Tn. As always, I enjoy the videos! Thanks!
Yes thanks
Hope there ain't a truss company in that county yet house are builted with it as well
A lotta work! But we know they'll be PURRRFECT!!!😄
God Bless Mr. Ken and Krew🕊 🙂
I see why you prefer to have trusses made and delivered. The price to have that done these days. Sheesh!!!!! Have a great day Ken and crew
Thanks you too
As the saying goes Ken. "where there's a will there is a way"!!! Good JOB GUYS!!! Great explanation for sure. God's blessings to you all.
Would be interesting to know the cost difference, of making your own vs buying the prebuilt
Yes I was thinking the same thing !
Depends on how many you need. Trusses are an advantage when they save time. Time is money. Trusses have a disadvantage and that is reduced room, rafters and collar ties make a better attic and are easier to insulate, but take more time and labor to put up. The advantage is that trusses can be delivered and a roof framed in one day with the help of a boom truck. Ken buys his lumber in bulk so he can whack together a truss or two and not lose money. Smart Vermonter.
@@earlyburg depends on where you live and who your lumber supplier and truss manufacturer is locally. Where I'm at, one of the big national lumber yards got it's start here. They have their saw mills and kilns here and in neighboring states. Since they already turn logs into finished construction lumber that they sell at their retail locations, they started a truss plant across the state line a number of years ago. The truss plant receives lumber from a different division of the same company at wholesale prices, and gives it to the lumber yard division at wholesale prices. If I try to buy the lumber to either hand frame a roof or build a homemade truss, I have to buy it at retail prices. Even with the markup for the trusses at the yard, it's still cheaper than purchasing the 2x4's and 2x6's to build my own. They even keep two or three 24' wide truss sets (11 common and a pair of ends) with 2' overhangs bundled up in the yard. Talk to them in the morning, and they can have the truck drop it off that afternoon (as long as a 4/12 pitch works for you). If you already have the walls stood up, they'll unload them on top. Now, that only applies to standard trusses, custom trusses . ...... That gets ugly and expensive quick, no matter where you go to get them.
It only makes sense instead of waiting on somebody else.. it’s bad enough these days waiting on things we can’t control
Have a bless day 🙏
God morning my friend kens suces
Ken I love what I would call an instructional video. Learned something from somebody we love and trust.
We love and truss
Thank you Ken, I'm just thinking of making my own 17ft 5/12 rather than waiting.
Thanks Ken. When figuring the total cost of making your own trusses or going through a truss manufacturer, what's the financial difference?
I love the channel. Thanks for the awesome content.
Could you take all the pieces to the job site and complete on the slab of the garage you’re building
Ken l enjoy watching the way to building the trust is like watching the teacher ei school pays attention,thank you for the explanation how to build trust
My grandfather and us grandboys built all kinds of stuff when I was young. A boat storage lot was the biggest - it was probably a hundred sheds in a row. These are seen all over the south. Pre-built trusses was an unknown back then, at least to us. This brought back a great memory- thanks.
Nice, I understand why you don't do them yourself, and I guess the cost won't be much different when you look at the labour involved. Customer is lucky tho, all handmade, 👍
Hi Ken excellent demonstration well done.
Thanks for your videos. When I get back to the states I want to order pizza for you guys. I'm in Guatemala right now. I just completed two MA and was invited to apply to Habitat for Humanity. I have some building experience. I'd love to do that
Yet another great and informative video Unkle Ken 🙏🏼
Not only running, but fast foot work!
Beautiful to see your passion, Ken. Blessings
Thanks for watching
Very interesting. God bless
My grandpa would build trusses during winter snow months for spring work,,, shell out in summer. Finish inside in fall early winter
What is the price difference between you making the truss and the truss plant making the truss (excluding labor)? This is a great video Ken. We really considered building trusses for these 16 tiny houses we are volunteering to build for a non-profit, but (thank you Lord!) a truss maker donated them all.
Carpenter/ Cad Construction instructor
Kudos! Always putting your best foot forward in good stewardship. 😌
That's great that you are building the salt box trusses for one of your jobs. That can't be for the 28' x 28' garage you're building since it's a 24' span for the joist. Wow, you still have 5 weeks out for those trusses. Thanks for this video Ken and krew. It was very interesting to watch.
Love your videos Ken. Glad you are keeping busy.
Nice you can keep your team working when in this predicament. Always look forward to the video. Thanks
O just grab I fishing pole and wait for the trusses 🦈😎
When I build trusses. I put walls up. And build the trusses on the inside wall. This before sheathing 100%
No bending over. Just take a chalk line and snap lines on the studs. Add wood blocks to support at knee level and get to work. I did it this way first on my green house
ken it takes a long time to acquire the skills you have every video impresses me more and more thanks for sharing and I think you guys should do a chad basketball behind the back challenge between you all would be fun lol
You know this is how truss companies get started! Lol, don't blame ya Sir! -GOOD DAY
wear i come from we call them wood dealey nice job guys
For me I'll do a ridge board than rafters just to get it done with what a time lapse on the trusses
You got very informative videos. Say hello to your Corgi
I'd be curious to know if you have ballparked the price difference between buying these and building them yourself. Obviously, you are doing this to keep on schedule (well, closer) but there must be a cost difference. The one thing that comes to mind on material costs is a factory can use up damaged bunks of 2x4 (bought cheap) and just toss the bad parts, while you are using good 2x4s and trying to waste as little as possible.
Ken, not only runs, but does bunny hops, too.
❤
I caught that and was wonder if he was doing a game of hop-scotch.
Nice. Building trusses is kind of stressful, I imagine.🤔
I'm sure he knows what type of strength he needs. I'm sure they'll hold up. it has to be faster to build a garage when you don't have to build the trusses yourself. I bet he didn't factor in the labor cost of building the trusses for this garage job. That might hurt a bit on the profit side. Maybe he'll tell us how it worked out.
Looks cool to me
WITH THE COST OF TRUST AND YOUR GUYS SEEM TO GET EVERYTHING RIGHT I WOULD BUILD THEM MYSELF IF I WOULD MAKE TRUST MY SELF I WOULD ADD ONE MORE WALL FRAMING STAND DO LAY OUTS AND MARK MY STANDS TO FRAME THE TRUST YOU USE ONLY A COUPLE DIFFERENT TRUST THE HARDEST ROOF YOU MANUFACTURE IS THE 2X8 12 ON 12 PITCH AND YOU DO A TREMENDOUS WORK ON BUILDING THEM ON SITE
Ken, on Texas you can let a load hang off the back of your truck or trailer an infinite length with a red flag attached to the end of the load.
Second, my grandfather was a carpenter. Built his own pole barn shop in the 70’s with 2x6 trusses, 1/2” plywood for the laps, 4:12 pitch, entire building covered in metal. It has withstood many hurricanes here along the gulf coast.
I enjoy your work.
Nice job 👍
Enjoy your videos Ken
I was wondering cost vs putting in header for rafters.
TH-cam Lumnah Acres just purchased a like new 14'x48' HD Vinyl TARP....CHEAP!!! One side is black and the other side is a BillBoard AD. I guess billboards now are on vinyl tarps....which are easier to put up. His tarp said STATE FAIR dates.... so it was obsolete. Has a pocket for a rod for hanging. Guess a few hours putting in Tarp Strap holes rings would make it a nice $ saving for a trucker.
Ken you need a storage shed for your materials, sheets and timber.
room in your workshop then.
Doing truss construction on the floor is a tough job, lots of kneeling. Did you not have space to build a waist height platform on which to construct ?
Playing hopscotch over the trusses! Lol
Haha
64° F. This morning in Maryland USA 🇺🇸
Nice. 53 F here
Do you have to adjust the truss locations on top of the gable walls to account for the extra thickness of the gussets? Or maybe just cut a hole in the sheathing to allow the gusset to be flush with the outside of the walls?
are those nails expensive? you use tons of them.
What's the cost savings? It has to be cheaper to build vs buying trusses.
Not everyone is allowed to make their own trusses, even of they could. Here in Florida it's not allowed. 😞
Any reason you wouldn’t just use hand cut rafters on site until you can get trusses. Just built a garage here and hand cut was actually a few thousand cheaper than trusses
I'm sure he's doing this for the span to avoid any center supports. The alternative is to load the raw material and build these on site, which adds to travel time. Doing this in his driveway will save many hours.
It’s not just as easy as cutting out rafters. A truss is a whole structural component, not just a rafter that holds up the roof.
I have built some trusses the key is a "Jig" make's it so much easier and consistent. Also, what the heck is it with these trusses, I see project's all over (home's mostly) all framed wall's, and then sit for a week or two, then finally trusses.
Either delays or different crews. Here its common you have crews do walls and floors and truss plywood crew
Imagine if you poured your own concrete😂😂.
pretty cool
Hi Ken, hope you and your family are getting better with the covid. My son and I want to build a 32 x 50 building with homemade trusses. From what I've read and watching your video it seems like you could do that as long as you follow certain procedures like you explained. Is there a problem making me homemade trust that big? Thanks!
That’s a pretty good size truss to homebuild. 24’ is the biggest I’ve built
what are your thoughts on gluing the gussets? That's the way i've done it and seen it done, on "home made" trusses. probably unnecessary structurally and adds time and material.
Ken, how much more is it to build them yourselves? 20% more, 50% more, or some ratio? Plus you’re eating into the building season (9 months or so?) by taking a day to make these. I’m sure you’d rather be framing.
It seems like you guys could frame the roof conventionally fast enough. Why not? Not cost effective?
Hi Ken, enjoying your videos, keep up the good work, I was just wondering, I noticed on your cement floor in your garage, it was cut out, what was the reason for that, if you don't mind me asking?
Hi Ken. I had a quick question. When you join the cords and the webbing pieces do you nail them to each other or do the gussets and straps do the joining? Thanks!
When are you going to build a bigger workshop?
I built some trusses for two porches I attached to a house I had built for me. I chose to use one of the new glue formulas on the market at that time and I compared the shear strength between nails and the glue. The glue shear strength was much, much higher, more than a factor of 10. The inspector didn't like it. I still like the glue option. Let me know what you think. Thanks, Glen
Glen, I agree with you. The glue joint, if clamped properly, is way stronger than nails. On my own house, I tend to use glue with screws (to provide clamping force). My own feeling is that codes and inspectors have not entirely kept up with progress in glues. In fairness, there may be issues with determining the quality of a glued joint.
😊
Ken I'm curious as to why you are using wood blocks. For bracing instead of the metal mending plates? Like the truss companies use. I bought them at my local lumber yard when I built my trusses for my home.
Unless you have a press it would be very arduous to get them all installed properly with that many connections in an entire set of trusses! Plywood gussets go much quicker - especially with today’s pneumatic fasteners…..🔨
I have done it the way Ken has. Just as strong and much cheaper.
I was told (40 years ago) that wooden plates are stronger and hold up better in a fire situation, although I suspect it's a more expensive way to do things. Basically, metal will transfer the heat and make a rafter burn / fail sooner, causing early building collapse, sometimes without warning.
@@rupe53 Interesting
As many garages I have seen you build, I have never seen a set of drawings or blueprints - do you use them?
He draws up the design when he meets with the customer. He figures it all out in the shop as he builds the walls.
Why don't you just use ridge board and rafters...I used this system for 40 years...very seldom used trusses....
Is it cheaper to build the trusses yourself? If so, how much do you save over purchasing them?
Nice
Cool.
Is there or could you make an adjustable jig to be able to do your own trusses or would that take up too much room?
👏🏻👌👍😁😊
Cost comparison?... 🙂
Do you use 5/8 gussets all the time ?
What size do you use for the rafters on a 12/12 cape ?
He's Red Greens Nephew
Do you get stoped by DOT? Over size loads. Thanks again for your work.
They would stop us but we’re ok by making the trusses in 2 sections
Ken,don’t you sometimes build your own trusses?
Yes, I typed that prior to you turning the camera to show how you build your own! 😅
👍🎅🏻
Building trusses is not real enjoyable but everyone should do it atleast once.
.
God morning my friend kens suces
Good morning