Built-Rite Models Wm Archer Co

[Oldguy]

To go with my grain elevator, I needed an ancillary business, most likely a grain/seed/feed dealer.  The guy behind Built-Rite was at our local Springfield (MO) show and had a two-fer deal going on.  This looked interesting, a local company, so what the hey.

The box touted Full Color East to follow instruction.  Pretty much sums up what's ahead.  So below are the box, a preview of the instructions (he does have a dry sense of humor), some samples of the Full Color instruction, and the kit contents.  It is sad that he couldn't get the margins correct.  Each left hand page is cut off.

Kit contents.  I'll give some credit for the little slips showing what should be loose in the box and in each plastic zip bag.  For the loose sticks, it made it easy to separate each size out , place them their own bags, along with a sticky note what they will go to.  Thankfully, he uses scale dimensional sizing, except for the 1/8" bracing material.  He even includes some Holgate & Reynolds brick strips for making brick piers.  He must of had a stash somewhere.

[Oldguy]

More on contents.  He included some corrugated roofing and pre-cut rolled roofing material protected in a cardboard sleeve.  Impressive.  Then there are two of the same pages of templates and siding identification.  What threw me a bit was the Etch and Etching notations.  Apparently, it is for whomever does the laser cutting, as those locations are not to be cut completely through.

I guess if one wants to build it with open doors, one will have to cut through at the marks.  Below is the front wall.  Notice the cut out for a partially open sliding door.

One other novel thing was the side walls being sheets of plywood.

[deemery]

"Holgate & Reynolds" - that stuff hasn't been available for more than 20 years!!    Nice stuff, though, I have a couple of sheets stashed away.

dave

[Oldguy]

So, I have separated the wood and went ahead and numbered the wall sections. 


First up - staining.  The instructions mentioned which sticks that needed to be stained.  It would have been quicker to say which ones needn't be stained,  Especially since below was the actual instruction.

I should have mentioned that I did add the bracing according to the instruction.  Yeah, I had to look through the manual to decipher what and where the pieces went as the photos are junk.  The camera actually cleans them up and makes them sharper than they actually are.


So I got everything braced, AI stained, and then sponge painted.  I made masks to do the side wall 4x8 sheets.

[Oldguy]

"Holgate & Reynolds" - that stuff hasn't been available for more than 20 years!!    Nice stuff, though, I have a couple of sheets stashed away.

dave

Yeah, I know.  Me too.  Both brick and HCB sheets.

[jerryrbeach]

Bob,


You find some really interesting structures for us to watch you build.  Count me in on this one, too.

[Janbouli]

Interesting , I'll be following along.

[GPdemayo]

Nice structure to compliment the grain elevator Bob.....I'll be looking in. 

How are things doing in Springfield.....probably a lot busier than when Pegi and I were there (pre Branson) for a couple of years at SMS after we transferred down from Mizzou at Columbia.

[Oldguy]

Nice structure to compliment the grain elevator Bob.....I'll be looking in. 

How are things doing in Springfield.....probably a lot busier than when Pegi and I were there (pre Branson) for a couple of years at SMS after we transferred down from Mizzou at Columbia.

Springfield is staying busy.  It helps with Bass Pro and multiple colleges keeping the tourist dollars flowing. They have a RR swap meet twice a year, which is where I continue to unload my excess stuff.  I clear a grand or so each time, so it makes the over nite trip worthwhile.
Pre-Branson?  I didn't think that you were that old.  But the town had grown quite a bit since Branson has done the same.  And SMSU is now Missouri State University.  It's grown tremendously, thanks primarily to John Q Hammons, of the Hammons hotel fame.

[ACL1504]

Bob,

I'm in the gallery as well.  Great start to this one also.

Tom

[GPdemayo]

Nice structure to compliment the grain elevator Bob.....I'll be looking in. 

How are things doing in Springfield.....probably a lot busier than when Pegi and I were there (pre Branson) for a couple of years at SMS after we transferred down from Mizzou at Columbia.

.....Pre-Branson?  I didn't think that you were that old.  But the town had grown quite a bit since Branson has done the same.  And SMSU is now Missouri State University.  It's grown tremendously, thanks primarily to John Q Hammons, of the Hammons hotel fame.

Tom keeps telling me that old is just a state of mind (since he's a couple of months older than me).....Pegi and I were in Branson 2 or 3 times back then and there were a few stores on main street, one blinking yellow/red light and a Holiday Inn. A bit of growth I'd say. 

[postalkarl]

Hey Bob:

Looks good so far. I'll be following along.

Karl

[Oldguy]

Okay, where was I?  Oh yeah, finished adding the corner trim from 6x6 material.  Now on to the funky dock door wall.  The cutout is for a sliding (?) door and a window.  But first one must trim out the door.  Glue on the left hand side, add, but not glue, the right had bit of trim, then make two pieces for the top and bottom pieces.  Once done, it also provides support of the window.  Easy peasy.

There is a weird little wall that forms the left portion of the dock enclosure.  It gets a piece of trim where it will connect with the left wall.  Okay.  I guess like it was added later in life.  And they want it framed on the inside with 2x4s.  The directions wanted it to be kept in stain, but nope.  I'll paint it white.  The directions also was to frame the top plate on an angle.  Actually, they wanted two plates.  Completely prototypical for two upper plates, but I'll frame that walls as I would have.

Remember when I mentioned this guys sense of humor?  The instruction manual doesn't have steps, it has chapters.  Such as The Real ApPeel! (how to use rubber cement for peeling paint), A white for Sore Eyes (painting the walls and other bits), In the Sill of the Night (painting the windows), and Batman and Rubbin' (the removal of the now dry rubber cement treated painted walls).  Some do get a chuckle or two.

So, while the glue is drying I'll skip a bit and do the loading dock.  The instruction manual shows 4x10 pieces, the template shows 6x10 pieces, and the parts list didn't have it.  It's not the foundation piece.  I did find the pre cut parts in a zip bag.  Well, they are 4x but not x10 or x12.  And when put on the template, the three horizontal pieces are short.  I'll press on.  I won't know if it being off is going to be a problem yet,  Included are all the 2x8 deck boards.  All pre cut.  Interesting.

Okay, on to the loading dock window.  All gazing is in a zip bag.  He must of had a stash of these.  The glazing material is a bit thicker than most and not even close to being laser cut to size.  Perhaps it was meant to applied after the window was glued in and cover it all.  I went ahead and trimmed it for each sash.  I went to glue the window in place and noticed it didn't sit flat.  Um, the door frame was installed as directed.  Huh.  Okay I'm an idiot and used the trim material.  I was supposed to use the 4x4 material.  Considering that this assembly will be inset a couple of inches, I'm leaving well enough alone,  Jeez, not quite so easy peasy ya dummy.

[Oldguy]

I finally was able to start actually putting this together.  The magnets hep hold one side firm and keep the adjacent side truly vertical.


Then slowly add more walls.  I can't imagine building anything anymore without this jig.  Unless it was a longer one.

So, while all that is drying, it was time to work on the dock.  As previously mentioned, I was concerned about it being short.  But the instruction stated that it would help in keeping the dock area square (it did), so I needed to get it done.  A bag held the precut stair material.  Upon checking it, the long pieces were short and the short pieces were long.  I found a decent photo about 20 pages forward which showed no overhang.  Okay, then the long boards are actually cut correctly.  But the short pieces are seven inches too long.    I'll go ahead and install them and trim to size later.  The steps appear to be too wide, but I'll wait until the dock is installed to verify.

Now, I was able to get the last two walls added.  And yes, the shortened dock fit perfectly.  If it was built to the template, it would have been too long.  Go figure. 

[postalkarl]

Hey Bob:

She's looking good keep the pics flowing.

Karl