finding those rafters... [RE-wrenches]

[ASAP POWER!]

Here's what we've been doing lately.  Go into the attic and snuggle up next
to the closest rafter within your rooftop layout where you want the footing
in.  Always choose the correct one.  Someone on the roof is helpful too.
With an 18V Milwaukee, drill a small 1/8 in. hole up at a 45 or so where the
plywood or chipboard (God save us) and the rafter meet, such that you
penetrate just over the middle of the rafter.  Repeat at bottom of truss or
some distance below first so that you can snap a line between the holes when
you're back on top.  You can often use the eave out end of the roof truss
off the edge of the roof and save yourself sliding down inside the attic for
the second hole.  This isn't failsafe because as pointed out trusses don't
have to be straight and can have a good warp to them even before they have
the substrate nailed down, which locks in the warp.  Generally though, the
only mistakes you make at this point is by not trusting the holes and the
snapped line.  You DO have to gauge the thickness of the roof/substrate and
"aim" accordingly for coming out over the center of your chosen rafter.
After doing your thing with the lags on the top just make sure to take some
more evil black goo and fill in the two holes on each end of the rafter.
The 1/8 in holes seem to plug up well and you can find them easily and get
the tip of the tube in it.  Squeeze it right in there, making sure you
filled the entire angled hole and mound it a little on top.  Most times the
holes can be made close to where the feet are going to be lagged in so rail
or array usually is over your sealed holes eventually anyway.  Still, one
might check all the pilot holes for the lags with wire feel method.  That's
a good quick little tool.  And I was just about to return that brazing rod.
Can't remember what I bought it for!

PD

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Gardiner [mailto:brucegar at igc.org]
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 7:55 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: finding those rafters... [RE-wrenches]


On composition shingle roofs, where the shingles are still pliable enough to
lift up slightly, I have used the following method with great success:
Select a shingle near where you think the rafter is, (by measurement or
tapping), slide a 3 or 4" spatula under the shingle and ease it up 1 1/2" or
2". Then with a 1/16" x 12" pilot bit, drill a few holes at an angle, under
the raised shingle, through the plywood until you locate both sides of the
rafter.  To seal the shingle again, I shoot in some Sikaflex and stand on
it. Usually I do this with the first rafter and take extremely accurate
measurements from inside the attic for the subsequent ones. If there's no
attic and no other reference point, I do it with all of them.
Good Luck
Bruce
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mo Rousso" <mrousso at heliopower.com>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 7:14 PM
Subject: Re: finding those rafters... [RE-wrenches]


Even a meticulous measurement doesn¹t always guarantee a hit,
rafters/trusses are not always straight for a variety of reasons.  I agree
that the current crop of electronic stud finders are useless.  My most
trusted tool is my hammer in knocking about to locate a rafter.  I, too,
would love to hear of any special tricks for locating those hidden, yet so
necessary, treasures!

Mo
--
Mo Rousso
President
HelioPower
Renewable Energy Systems
Remote Power Solutions
mrousso at heliopower.com
www.heliopower.com
760.451.9374


--
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

List rules & etiquette: http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquete.htm

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com

==^^===============================================================
This email was sent to: michael_welch at sbcglobal.net

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8Qcs.bz9JC9.bWljaGFl
Or send an email to: RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html
==^^===============================================================