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Today I planned to set the ridge beam for the shop. 2x8, 24' long and set approx 40" above the 8' walls. Before I put the center poles up I screwed plywood gussets to the faces so that when I did get the beam up, it would slot in between the gussets. Anyhoo, my plan was to crib up each end using my ladders then slot it into place. I had to overcome when it was on an angle being shorter and one end wanting to fall back into the shop. I also had to overcome it wanting to tip sideways. After trying various things to lift it for a while and it falling and grazing my shoulder, I decided pride wenteth after the fall and called my dad. He came over, looked at it and suggested something that would have enabled me to do it myself. The something overcame both problems and the beam is set. So the kernoodler is, what was his suggestion? It was amazingly simple and I should have thought of it.
Oh, for full disclosure the last thing I tried was to make two lift sticks - 2x4s with short blocks nailed to each face to make cradles for the beam to sit in. However, once those got off the floor they were too unsteady and the whole thing wanted to (and did) fall over.
Oh, for full disclosure the last thing I tried was to make two lift sticks - 2x4s with short blocks nailed to each face to make cradles for the beam to sit in. However, once those got off the floor they were too unsteady and the whole thing wanted to (and did) fall over.
Yeah - basically an a-frame. It solved two problems - one being when lifting one end up to get it set, the other would want to fall off the top of the wall. The other problem it solved was the beam wanted to tip over and the legs of the frame acted as a counter balance. 
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