Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Looking good.

Reminds me of a time decades ago, I had a dozen friends over to help me move a 1000 plus pound vega (log or timber) up and in place for a roof support much like what you've got there. I couldn't quite get everyone orchestrated and moving in tune. My original plan and technique was feeling less than safe and with the amount of beer already consumed by the crew, made me decide to switch gears. After moving everyone back from the fall zone we attached two chains on either end of the massive log winding the chain so an upward tug with a comealong puller rolled the log up like a tire. Fifteen minutes later or so it seemed the log was in place, no one got hurt, except for some egos, maybe, hehe

Your timber was a lot heavier than my beam. (but it sound like more fun)

I know this will look a little crazy but there four ½ bolts through the 4 x 6.
I am only lifting one side at a time. It is about 5’ high and I ran out of light.
It is raining so far today hopefully it will quit so I can get back out there.

oh man, it is so neat to see someone else with a boom on their tractor. Inspiring. Now I'll need to get mine out of storage (the field) and put it back on my tractor.

Today we did not have very nice weather. It drizzled rain all day. But I worked in it all day. I did not have my boys help me today because it was ridge beam day. I thought it was too dangerous to have them help.

I did is old school way by jacking it up 6” put braces under both sides and do it again. I built a rail setup on the ends so the beam could not fall forward toward the bard. This worked really well but it was very slow.
Well it is up and I am so glad to have that done.

I only had enough daylight to get one rafter up. I am still happy to have the ridge beam up.

Raining again today. I got up @7 and went out for a little while and marked the ridge beam on both sides 2’ centers. Now I can start putting up rafters. My wife came home and saw me out there in the rain. She thought I was crazy I said we stand in line at Disney in the rain I could mark the ridge beam in the rain.
My son is in cross country now so I am not working on the greenhouse for ½ day on Saturday so I need to make up some of the time during the week.


We had two more tilapia die today they sure don’t like the cold.

Do you have your boom extended?
I need to make the bottom stronger I am going so weld some more steel there. I went and picked 2,000 pound supper sack and this bend the bottom bar some.

I created a truss system along the lines of a traction bar for a muscle car. It works so well now it'll lift the front of the tractor right off the ground if I fail to pay attention for a second, super scary.

Ok you have me curious. I would love my mane to work that way. I just made mine the other day and need to perfect the design.
Can you post a picture of it?

Tomorrow I can

A couple more rafters up. If the weather holds out maybe I can finish the back rafters tonight.

sorry I forgot, I'll go out and shoot a picture when the sun comes up

okay here are a few pics of my DIY tractor boom. It is currently off as I was retrofitting a front end loader to my tractor, but never finished. The tractor is a 1950's International Utility 450 (I think) It has an updraft carburetor and some other odd mechanical issues which kept me from getting it to run consistently


Like I said, it would lift a truck so I could move it from the junk yard to the shop, and all I had to do was pay attention to the front of the tractor, making sure it was on the ground. It is about five feet long and powered by one hydraulic cylinder

Nice I like it. Thanks for posting pictures.



I now have the back rafters done and hurricane ties on all but two of them I ran out of structural screws.

I am watching this one with great interest.
Looks rather good.