Welcome to my web site!
Welcome to my web site!
Hello and thanks for visiting my web site. To all my friends and family I thank you for your love, kindness, and patience this past couple of years. To all my visitors I thank you for visiting my web site. I have not been able to keep up with the frequent updates I would like to make to the site, but it was time for one.
It is now the late fall of 2011. It is getting cold in Grand Junction and winter is just around the corner. I have been working on rebuilding an old barn into a shop to house my spinning wheel business.
The barn was built in 1945 and was originally 12 foot X 24 foot. It had two by four walls and was built on bare ground with nothing but a dirt floor. Not even a foundation. Over the 50 years since it had been built the last 6" of the two by four walls had rotted off and the barn was in fear of collapsing. Many would have torn the old beast down. But with the help of my life long friend James, we came up with a plan to save the old barn. We were going to do an old fashion "Barn Raising" literally.
Over the last two years I had collected building material from many sources including the dump, the annual spring cleanup in the city of Grand Junction, the local Habitat for Humanity Store "Restore" and from Craig's List. I was trying to recycle as much of the building material as I could find. I knew I would be unable to afford the cost of a new structure using new material. So I decided that with a little luck and help from the "Big Guy" upstairs and a whole bunch of time I would renovate what I had. Last year I started the job by using a 26 foot steel "I" beam. I started by jacking up one side of the old barn. I removed the old rotted wall and started digging. I poured a concrete footer and stem wall. I then built a new two by six wall and lowered the one side of the building back down on it. I then jacked up the other side of the building and poured more concrete. I then built a wood deck/floor using 2X8's and 3/4" tongue and groove plywood. Then another temporary wall was built and I lowered the other side of the barn back down. In all I raised the entire building up 21 inches from its original height. I used three custom post jacks I built from metal from the scrap yard. The building was literally "all jacked up" 1/2 turn at a time with a 1" open end wrench. It was a lot of "screwing around". But I wasn't finished. I then poured more concrete and added another 16' onto the barn. The final structure is now a whopping total 24 foot X 28 foot with 2X6 walls and R19 insulation. I then added a small bathroom with shower and toilet, a slop sink for the shop and the wiring for the building was completed. After doors and windows I was ready for some heat. In November I accepted the first "Official" spinning wheel restoration in the new shop and delivered it on time and within budget to the owner. It was a milestone for me. After a full year of work and considerable doubt and heartache I finally am close to being done. The building is not yet totally completed but it is functional. Over the next year I will be working to complete the project and hope to have everything done by next fall.
Here are a few pictures of the Barn.
And here it is. boB's Shop!
Anyway there will be many more pictures and stories to come. I am so thankful for all I have in the world. All of this would not have been possible with out the help of my companion, my friend, and my lover Debra! Thank you Deb.
And here is a picture of me and my FAVORITE weapon. God Bless America!
I can be contacted at;
Bob Ralph
PO Box 321
Clifton, CO. 81520
Sorry my phone number is unpublished.
Please email me for phone contact information.
Web Page Design and Publishing by Bob Ralph Revised 11-11-11