Raising Day - First and Second Bent

It's picture time...!!
 

Watching the first Bent rise into the morning light is a time of celebration. After the crane positions the first Bent, ropes are used to hold the Bent from tipping over before we remove the lift straps from the crane ball (block or hook). We prefer to raise the first bent in the early morning before the wind comes up. The ropes are secured to four different anchor points. 

Once the first Bent is up and tied off, the pace picks up. The crane is secured to the lift straps of the second Bent and raised into position. At this point, the crane will continue to hold the second Bent in place until we can connect it to the first Bent. Let me put on my teacher hat for a minute and explain some terms. All of the timbers in a timberframe have a name, however, it is important for you to understand 4 general terms: Post - Beam - Bent - Bay
 

• A Post is any timber which runs vertically

• A Beam is any timber which runs horizontally

• A Bent is the collection of posts and beams that you see in the picture

• A Bay is the area between bents