Raising the clubhouse rafters

Our order of truss rafters was delivered by Truss Fab Inc. of Elie in mid-September. I and a few volunteers immediately raised two of the rafters to get a feel for how we should proceed the next day when many more volunteers would be available to help. Despite a brief rain shower early the next morning, our rafter raising went exceptionally well! A crew of several volunteers carried the 28 foot long rafters into the clubhouse one by one (see the plans PDF). They would prop one rafter tail on top of a wall and then lift and prop the other tail on the opposing wall. It was then a simple matter of swinging the rafter upright with a long board used as a "pusher." I was in the rafters to "catch" each truss as others pushed it from below. I nailed spacing strips at the peak and down about six feet on each side while other members nailed the ends of the rafters to the pre-marked top plates of the walls. By the end of the day, all 46 rafters — all 6,000 lbs. of them — were sitting on top of the walls. I loved how the building looked inside with the new rafters all in place. It had an almost cathedral-like feel to it! But there was more work to be done. A skilled member helped me build the "ladders" needed to create roof overhangs on each end of the clubhouse. After carefully trimming the rafter tails as required, other members helped me as I screwed 2x6 fascia boards into place. We were now ready for roof sheathing.

These photographs from my personal collection were taken in September 2013. Click or tap to enlarge.