Dutch Barn Model

[Dave Shepard]

There is nothing missing in this model, and anything that is not plumb, wasn't plumb in the original building. The only entry doors are between the door posts on each gable. There might also have been a man door in at least one of the corners of the barn.

[Thehardway]

Dave, I have placed red lines at the areas I was asking about.  Why do the gable ends not continue in the same patterns as the central structure?  How is the span structurally supported?  Is it actually a cantilever design or is it structurally suspended from the anchorbeam by the two posts above?  I am sure your model is accurrate, just not sure what the implications were here.  Was the midspan post perhaps omitted so machinery could be accommodated?   Why the design change in just the gable ends?  Perhaps there is no reason its just how they did it?



Sorry for so many questions, I'm a bit OCD about symmetry and stuff like this makes me ask too many questions.

[Dave Shepard]

There is no post in the basement as I wanted it to be left open so you can see into the massive floor framing. The barn should be a bank barn to properly enjoy the basement. The gray painted wood is to represent a masonry foundation. It will be veneered with stone. I'm not sure exactly what the framing detail will be there. There are no post to anchorbeam braces in the gables, but you will see there are braces above the anchor that go from the purlin post to the high anchorbeam.

Originally, there would not have been any framing in the side aisles. The barn would have been on a shallow stone foundation, and the purlin sills would have been supported on staddle stones. In this version of the floor, we are taking the original sill system, and adding aisle joists with planking, and the Samson beam assemblies in the basement to support the 45' span. The idea is to present it as if the barn had been moved or raised up some time in the 19th century to accommodate a full basement.

[Thehardway]

Got it.  It all makes sense now and I'll sleep much better tonight!

[Mooney]

I'm going to send you an LT40 model. It's 1:25th scale, but if you take the photos right, it can be made to look to scale. I'm thinking that it will be ready for the next WM Personal Best contest?

[Dave Shepard]

Wow, just reading this now. I logged in to the Forum to see if I could figure out who the culprit might be. Didn't have to look to far.

Thank you very much. I will try to get some pics of the mill and the model together and see if I can get the perspective right.

[Mooney]

Good! You got it!  Glad it was a pleasant surprise! Looking forward to seeing some photos.

[balsabones]

Why did they build the original with the right side, top sill? (I dont know the correct term), higher than the left? It makes the square on front, top, off center. Do you see what Im asking. What was the original purpose of that?

[Dave Shepard]

That is the purlin plate that the rafters land on about mid-span. The offset makes each of the side aisles a different width. On the left side, or North, the loft joists are lower, and the aisle is narrower, 10'- 1/4" from outside to the face of the purlin post. On the right, or South side the aisle is 12'-1/4" from outside to the face of the purlin post. The loft joists are also 6" higher on this side. The reason is that the oxen would be on the smaller side, and the horses on the longer, taller side. These aisle would have originally been in the dirt. This barn would not have had that basement originally. On the first Dutch barn that I restored, the outside aisle widths were the same, but the loft was higher on one side. This is the more typical arrangement.

[Reddog]

Nice job Dave! 
Those models are time consuming.

[balsabones]

Thank you Mr Shepard, I understand why now. and thank you for the correct terminology.