Augers Make Great Machine Shed

1986 - Volume #10, Issue #4, Page #29

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Steve Strauss, Leonardville, Kan., wanted a new machine shed but couldn't justify the cost of a new commercial structure. Instead he built a 40 by 80 building with 20 ft. of headroom using salvaged 5-in. dia. auger tubing.
"A friend had suggested using old oil field tubing but I couldn't find any reasonably priced. I finally came across a pile of salvaged auger tubing that had been slightly flood damaged. I bought 140 at $6.00 apiece, which is cheaper than 20-ft. 2 by 6 boards. The only thing wrong with the tubing was that there was a little silt inside them.
"The first thing we did was work out a design for the structure. Our plan was designed to use the full 20-ft. length of the tubing to reduce waste. The first step was to build the trusses. A jig was built out of railroad ties leveled on the ground and fitted with pegs to hold the tubes in place during welding. The resulting trusses were 38¢ ft. wide. We used a cutting jig that fit tightly over each tube so all cuts with the torch would be the same. Because the tubing was galvanized and fairly thin - approximately 1/8-in. - it was a little difficult to weld. We used 50 lbs. of 3/32-in. 6011 welding rod altogether.
"After we built the trusses we tipped them up into place with a tractor loader to hold them in place temporarily by welding two or three purlins between them. Once all five trusses were in place the remaining purlins were cut and welded into place.
"We covered the framework with tin using self-drilling screws. They were expensive but the time saved was worth it. After a few months work I now have a building that's as strong as any I've seen besides being unique. While the cost of materials - about $4,000 - was fairly inexpensive, the cutting, fitting and welding was more time-consuming than a wood-frame building would have been. However, I've got a building that should last a lot longer."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steve Strauss, Rt. 1, Box 45, Leonardville, Kan. 66449.

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Augers Make Great Machine Shed AUGERS Augers (29B) 10-4-29 Steve Strauss, Leonardville, Kan., wanted a new machine shed but couldn't justify the cost of a new commercial structure. Instead he built a 40 by 80 building with 20 ft. of headroom using salvaged 5-in. dia. auger tubing. "A friend had suggested using old oil field tubing but I couldn't find any reasonably priced. I finally came across a pile of salvaged auger tubing that had been slightly flood damaged. I bought 140 at $6.00 apiece, which is cheaper than 20-ft. 2 by 6 boards. The only thing wrong with the tubing was that there was a little silt inside them. "The first thing we did was work out a design for the structure. Our plan was designed to use the full 20-ft. length of the tubing to reduce waste. The first step was to build the trusses. A jig was built out of railroad ties leveled on the ground and fitted with pegs to hold the tubes in place during welding. The resulting trusses were 38¢ ft. wide. We used a cutting jig that fit tightly over each tube so all cuts with the torch would be the same. Because the tubing was galvanized and fairly thin ù approximately 1/8-in. ù it was a little difficult to weld. We used 50 lbs. of 3/32-in. 6011 welding rod altogether. "After we built the trusses we tipped them up into place with a tractor loader to hold them in place temporarily by welding two or three purlins between them. Once all five trusses were in place the remaining purlins were cut and welded into place. "We covered the framework with tin using self-drilling screws. They were expensive but the time saved was worth it. After a few months work I now have a building that's as strong as any I've seen besides being unique. While the cost of materials ù about $4,000 ù was fairly inexpensive, the cutting, fitting and welding was more time-consuming than a wood-frame building would have been. However, I've got a building that should last a lot longer." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steve Strauss, Rt. 1, Box 45, Leonardville, Kan. 66449.

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