Cleaning up an Abandon Barn! (Rotting for 10+ years)
Summary
TLDRIn this engaging video, Matt from Diesel Creek takes on a long overdue project that has become a personal sore point. He recounts the story of a barn he disassembled by hand ten years ago with the intention of reassembling it on his property. However, life intervened and the barn wood has since deteriorated, becoming an eyesore he's eager to remove. Using a Case backhoe and a newly acquired JCB 3CX backhoe loader from an auction, Matt tackles the cleanup. Despite the wood being unsalvageable for its original purpose, he expresses hope that some pieces might be repurposed for a mantel in his home. The video documents the cleanup process, including the removal and disposal of the debris, the collection of nails with a magnet sweeper, and the spreading of hay to promote new grass growth. Matt also shares his appreciation for the old timber framing techniques and the craftsmanship of the barn. The video concludes with him looking forward to future projects, including ongoing work on the auto car and clearing land for his house.
Takeaways
- 🏡 Matt has been planning to tackle a long-neglected project involving an old barn that he had dismantled and brought to his property years ago.
- 🕰️ The project has been pending for about a decade, and the dismantled barn has turned into an eyesore that Matt is eager to clean up.
- 🔨 Matt used to love old barns and had a dream of reassembling a hand-hewn timber frame barn on his property, but life and career changes intervened.
- 🌳 Most of the wood from the barn has succumbed to the elements and bugs, making it unsalvageable, but Matt hopes to save a few timbers.
- 🚜 Matt plans to use a Case backhoe and a recently acquired JCB telehandler to clean up the mess and make use of the cleared space for his cows.
- 🔧 The JCB telehandler was bought at an auction and Matt is testing it out for the first time during this cleanup project.
- 🛠️ Despite the disappointment of the ruined wood, Matt finds some beams that are still robust and considers them impressive, even after being exposed to the elements for years.
- 🌿 Matt is concerned about the invasive multiflora rose bushes spreading on his property and the impact on the land.
- ♻️ Matt considers repurposing the non-structural wood into something artistic or finding a use for it among his friends.
- 🧲 He uses a magnet sweeper to collect nails from the debris, aiming to prevent any damage to tires or injury to people or animals.
- 🌱 After clearing the area, Matt spreads hay to help with erosion control and to encourage grass growth, planning to let nature take its course without additional seeding.
Q & A
What project has Matt been meaning to tackle for years?
-Matt has been meaning to clean up a mess he made by dismantling an old barn and attempting to reassemble it on his property, which has since become an eyesore and a reminder of wasted time and effort.
Why did Matt decide to take down the old barn by hand?
-Matt took down the old barn by hand because he was attracted to the beauty of old hand-hewn timber frame barns and had dreams of reassembling it on his property.
What happened to disrupt Matt's plan to reassemble the barn?
-Matt's plan to reassemble the barn was disrupted when he started a new career, which consumed his time and left him without the opportunity to work on the barn.
What tools is Matt using to clean up the mess from the old barn?
-Matt is using a Case backhoe and a JCB telehandler truck to clean up the mess and remove the old barn materials from the field.
What is the condition of the wood from the old barn after being exposed to the elements for about 10 years?
-Most of the wood from the old barn has succumbed to the elements, bugs, and rot, making it unsuitable for structural use. However, some timbers might still be salvageable for non-structural purposes.
What is Matt's plan for the salvageable wood from the old barn?
-Matt hopes to find pieces that could be repurposed for something like a mantel in his house. He also mentions that some friends might come to take some of the wood, and the rest could be used for an artsy project or buried.
Why did Matt spread hay on the cleared area?
-Matt spread hay on the cleared area to protect the soil from the rain, help with erosion, and encourage grass growth once the weather improves.
What issue did Matt encounter with the thumb setup on the JCB telehandler?
-The issue with the thumb setup was that the button that operates it felt counterintuitive due to the routing of the hydraulic lines. Matt considered repinning the connector or switching some hoses to correct this.
What is the purpose of the multifloor rose bush mentioned in the script?
-The multifloor rose bush is not specifically planted but is considered invasive on the property. Matt and his team have been working to control its spread over the years.
What is the significance of the hand-hewed barn beams that have been sitting outside since 2012 or 2013?
-The hand-hewed barn beams, despite being exposed to the elements for nearly a decade, still show remarkable resilience and strength, indicating the quality of the original materials and craftsmanship.
What does Matt plan to do with the stones that were the foundation piers of the barn?
-Matt plans to repurpose the stones that were the foundation piers of the barn for some future use, as they are still in good condition despite their age.
Outlines
😀 Introduction to the Barn Restoration Project
Matt, the host of Diesel Creek, welcomes viewers back and introduces a long-neglected project that has caused him frustration. He discusses the wasted time and effort that went into dismantling an old barn by hand, piece by piece, with the intention of reassembling it on his property. However, life intervened, and the project was left unfinished for a decade, resulting in a mess that he now wants to clean up using a Case backhoe and a JCB telehandler truck.
🏗️ The Scene of the Crime and Initial Cleanup
Matt arrives at the site he refers to as the 'scene of the crime,' where the dismantled barn has been left to deteriorate. He explains the process of dismantling the barn and the subsequent regret due to the wasted effort. The cleanup begins with the removal of a temporary fence using a Leatherman tool, and Matt expresses disappointment when the tool's cutter breaks. Despite the setback, the cleanup continues with the use of the JCB telehandler to load debris onto a truck.
🪵 Assessing the Condition of the Old Barn木材
Matt examines the old barn timbers, noting their resilience despite being exposed to the elements since 2012 or 2013. He discusses the quality of the hand-hewn barn beams and his appreciation for the craftsmanship involved in their creation. The video captures the difficulty of breaking up the beams, indicating their durability and the respect Matt has for the old growth wood.
🚜 The Challenge of Moving Heavy Timbers
Matt recalls the effort it took to move the original timbers using his Bobcat 185, highlighting the weight and presumed age of the beams, possibly around 200 years old. He also discusses the functionality of the JCB telehandler's thumb attachment for cleanup tasks and his plans to adjust the hydraulic controls to improve its usability.
🧱 Salvaging and Disposal of the Barn Materials
Matt plans to dispose of the unsalvageable materials in a laydown yard, where he intends to burn other debris. He details the process of loading the materials onto a dump truck, mentioning the challenges of dealing with the deteriorated pallets and the discovery of a tree growing amidst the debris. The cleanup continues despite the emotional weight of discarding what was once a beautiful barn.
🚚 The Utility of the JCB Telehandler
Matt expresses his satisfaction with the JCB telehandler's performance, particularly its air conditioning, which is essential given the lack of sliding windows in the truck. He also discusses the truck's maneuverability and the process of backing it up, which he finds to be a unique experience compared to a regular trailer.
🔍 Searching for Salvageable Pieces
Matt attempts to uncover potentially salvageable pieces from the old barn, hoping to find something suitable for a mantel in his house. He details the condition of the various wood components, noting the presence of ants and the extent of decay. Despite the overall deterioration, he remains hopeful of salvaging some corner braces and other structural elements.
🏡 Reclaiming Materials for Future Use
Matt uncovers an ibeam and stones that were likely the foundation piers of the barn. He considers repurposing the stones and other materials, even though the wood is no longer structurally sound. He also mentions giving some of the materials to friends and using a magnet sweeper to collect nails before the impending rain.
🌱 Restoring the Field After Cleanup
Matt focuses on restoring the field after the cleanup, spreading hay bales to protect the soil and encourage grass growth. He discusses the thickness of the hay mat and his expectations for the field's recovery. Despite the rain starting, he manages to complete the task before moving the equipment out of the field to avoid creating a mud hole.
🌤️ Completing the Project After the Rain
After several days of rain, Matt returns to the field on a dry day to improve the distribution of the straw and prepare the area further. He does not spread seeds, relying on the natural regrowth of grass and the seeds contained within the hay. He also plans to dump the remaining truckload of debris, which he had postponed due to the rain.
🎬 Wrapping Up the Project and Future Plans
Matt concludes the video by summarizing the project's completion and expressing satisfaction with having checked another task off his list. He reassures viewers that there is still ongoing activity related to the auto car project and that he is also working on outdoor tasks and clearing land for his house. He encourages viewers to support the channel, check out the Diesel Creek store for merchandise, and looks forward to catching up with them in the next video.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Diesel Creek
💡Project
💡Case Hoe
💡Hand-Hewn Timber Frame Barn
💡Junk
💡Elements and Bugs
💡JCB Hall Truck
💡Mortise and Tenon Joinery
💡Salvageable
💡Multiflora Rose
💡Hydraulic Lines
Highlights
Matt, the host, has been planning this project for years to clean up a mess he made by wasting time and effort.
The project involves using a Case hoe and a JCB Hall truck to clean up a disorganized area.
Matt shares his love for old barns, especially hand-hewn timber frame barns, which are beautiful and inspiring to him.
He recounts the story of dismantling an old barn by hand, intending to reassemble it on his property, but life intervened.
After 10 years, the dismantled barn has become an eyesore and is mostly unsalvageable due to weathering and infestation.
Matt uses a JCB Hall truck, recently acquired, for the cleanup, noting its excellent air conditioning and performance.
Despite the disappointment, Matt finds some beams that are still robust and considers them potentially useful for future projects.
The cleanup process is meticulous, separating good wood, framing wood, and junk wood.
Matt discovers a tree growing in the mess after 10 years, indicating the extent of the disarray.
He discusses the use of the skid steer's thumb attachment for raking and the need to adjust its hydraulic controls.
Matt plans to repurpose the non-structural wood into something artistic or for friends, and to use it as a base for new grass growth.
A magnet sweeper is used to collect nails from the area to prevent damage to tires and equipment.
Matt spreads hay on the cleared area to help with erosion control and to encourage rapid grass growth.
The project concludes with Matt reflecting on the satisfaction of completing a long-neglected task and looking forward to future projects.
Matt promotes his online store, dieselcreek.com, where viewers can purchase merchandise supporting the channel.
He teases ongoing work on the auto car project and his plans for building a house, indicating upcoming content.
Transcripts
[Music]
hey everybody welcome back to diesel
Creek my name is Matt today we're going
to tackle a project that I have been
meaning to tackle for years now and
this is really a sore subject for me I
guess you could say because I wasted
weeks and tons and tons of effort to
make this mess and I guess it didn't
start out as a mess but it's turned into
one and we need to get it cleaned up cuz
I'm sick of looking at it every day when
I come down my driveway and see it it's
just a a very uh sore reminder of a lot
of time effort and energy wasted now
that's it's nobody's fault but my own
but just one of those life lessons I
guess so to clean up said mess we're
going to be utilizing the case hoe that
you guys saw me put the work brow thumb
on there a couple weeks back so we'll
get this thing fired up and tracked down
to the scene of a
crime this thing is way too nice for
me but I sure do enjoy it
[Music]
all right let's get this show on the
road
[Music]
all right well here we are at what I'm
referring to as the scene of the crime
cuz it really was a crime what I did
here not in the sense of an actual law
but just a real shame is what it
is I'll take you over there and show you
but uh we got to cut this wire first
this is just some temporary fence I'm
hoping I can cut it with my
Leatherman I hope the fence is
off well it must be cuz I haven't gotten
Zapped
yet
huh these have replaceable Cutters in
this Leatherman and I've never broken
them and I've cut some stuff I don't
know why but that one just uh decided it
didn't like
that what the old Leatherman is not
having
this oh we cut that one
easy well that one broke off entirely
now a little piece of metal we can't
lose cows don't seem to digest metal too
well well I'm super bummed out about
this but I got a new camera at the
beginning of this video I think this was
the first video I filmed with this
camera and uh apparently I'm still
working the king side of it as I'm
sitting here trying to edit this
together for you guys I realized that
these couple Clips here in which I
explain the entire purpose of today's
video are missing the audio so you guys
are going to have to uh settle for my
hand waving around there uh while I give
you a little bit of a voice over
basically I have a thing for Barnes I
really love barns I think they're just
uh they're just awesome especially the
really old hand hun barns with uh you
know the big Timbers and everything the
mortise and Tenon joinery and everything
I I think they're they're beautiful in a
lot of ways and I've always dreamed of
having my own big hand Hune timber frame
barn on the property here uh about 10
years ago now I was able to acquire one
of those type of barns not a very big
one but it seemed manageable to me at
the time and pretty much I tore the
entire Barn down by hand uh piece by
piece I took weeks of my time and I mean
from Sun up till Sundown I spent a
couple weeks over there labeling each
piece of wood and bringing it over to
the farm here and was planning on
reassembling it and unfortunately life
got away from me I got a new career in
the middle of that whole thing and all
of a sudden I didn't have any time to be
at home let alone build a barn so here
we are 10 years later and unfortunately
it is junk um I had it covered up for a
while storms came through blew the
covers off I tried to cover it back up
but the damage was done and there's
still a little bit here that I think I
might be able to pick through and save a
few Timbers out of but 90% of this wood
unfortunately has uh succumbed to the
elements and bugs and everything else so
I'm sick of looking at it it's kind of a
painful reminder every time I come down
the driveway I think like I said earlier
in the video it just it just tears me up
seeing that set there cuz it was a
beautiful old barn I mean it it needed
some love it's definitely uh was not in
perfect shape when I got it either but
it was definitely salvageable and it's
my own fault and I'm reminded that that
I'm reminded of that every time I I see
it so today I want to get this eyesore
cleaned up and out of this field so
we're going to be utilizing the case and
the JCB Hall truck and we're going to do
just that we got to get this field
cleaned up and uh that way the cows can
get all the space that is available not
be missing a good chunk of it with junk
so that's the gist of it and uh yeah I
think hopefully we have audio for the
rest of these video
clips all right so the other tool we're
going to be using for the job
today this JCB Hall truck we just picked
up at the auction last week if you guys
haven't seen the video where I picked up
these Hall trucks you want to check that
out it was a good video I'll try to
leave a link down in the description
there but we're going to use this one
today I don't think there's any
difference between them but I actually
drove that that one on the left there
all the way back here from the auction
and it performed flawlessly I haven't
really put this one to any kind of test
yet so might as well go ahead and fire
it up and see if it's going to actually
put in some work for us
h
and I tell you what the air conditioning
works excellent in this
truck the other one works too but not as
well
[Music]
never got to spend a lot of time in
these wiggle trucks so backing them up
can get to be a backing them up can
actually get to be a bit of a tricky
deal if you're used to backing up a
trailer it's kind of the same thing but
all right let's get this junk loaded up
right
on
on
[Music]
all right I pulled the truck up a little
bit there we're done with the first pile
that
pile I had these piles when I put them
here I had kind of separated them
by good wood framing wood junk wood you
know it was an old barn not every single
board was savable to begin with um but a
lot of it was now none of it is in case
you haven't noticed by this point in the
video still kind of salty over this
whole
mess this is one of the reasons we got
to get this thing cleaned up look at
this multifloor rose bush creeping in
here this whole property used to be
covered in multifloor Rose thanks Penn
State we doing our best to battle that
stuff over the years
oh
yeah these were really nice hand hued
barn beams whenever I started
this oh man
tell you what that's impressive this
these beams have been sitting out here
since
2012 2012 or
2013
and I still can't bust them up real easy
going into the bed like that I thought
for sure they would break right
up they're definitely rotted but not as
bad as I was
thinking look at this beam right here
this was the main floor beam that ran
the length of the barn it wasn't a real
big barn I think it was 30 ft long
originally 30 by 20 if memory
serves yeah she's still pretty strong I
think this is Oak and if I remember
right yeah it's only hand hun on the top
they squared it off on the top and the
bottom of it was still round like a log
you
know yeah it's it's junk it's well
rotted split in
half that sucker was Heavy I remember
back when I did this all I had was my
Bobcat 185 and it was all that Bobcat
could do to pick up this Old Log
basically and put it on a
trailer I wouldn't be surprised if you
told me that this log was 200 years old
cuz it was probably 100 years old when
they cut it down at least and that Barn
was probably 100 years old whenever I
took it down myself
so wouldn't surprise me at all if you
said this log was 200 years
old I'm glad I got these Hall trucks
loading this stuff into my red dump
truck would be a little more dangerous
for the dump truck that
is tell you what I like this thumb for
cleaning up stuff you can kind use it
like a
rake my old thumb only had a couple
times on
it you couldn't really do that very well
something I got to change about this
thumb setup it's nothing to do with a
thumb really it's the machine the way
the hydraulic lines were routed the
button that operates the thumb is
backwards from what I consider intuitive
I need to figure out whether I just need
to repin the
connector that runs the
thumb or if I actually switch some hoses
around not sure which is going to be
easier for us
[Music]
I was planning on taking this material
and dumping it back there in our lay
down yard I've been burning some stuff
back there that I would like to bury
eventually so we didn't have nails and
stuff lingering around put holes in
tires but man this stuff is so far gone
I'm not sure if I'm even going to be
able to burn it when I put this stuff
here I had it on really big pallets that
I was able to get from the job I was
working at
and uh that was good it kept everything
up off the ground for a while but these
pallets are so far gone now this stuff's
all basically just laying on the
ground but we actually had a tree
growing up here in this
mess I guess it's been here for 10 years
or better now it's a shame
looks like we're about full with our
first load
[Music]
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I tell you what I really like these
trucks I'm glad I bought these things
these things
zip around really
quick and like air conditioning works
and most I think I talked about earlier
ice clone air condition I am enjoying
this you need it in a truck like this
because there's no really slider windows
or
anything windows don't slide
you're kind of sitting in a greenhouse
here so if it's sunny out at all you're
getting f
[Applause]
[Music]
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[Music]
all right well we're about halfway
through this little cleanup spree here
and we got up here to where there might
actually still be something that's
savable out of here so if I could find a
piece that I could use for a mantle or
something in my house that would at
least make me that happy that I could
use something from this whole wasted
Endeavor so I'm going to try to uncover
this without destroying it see what we
got
here haven't seen any snakes yet so the
day is going pretty good so far
let's peel back the layers here see what
we got still going on under
here oh man a lot of
ants a lot and lot of
ants at least you can kind of still see
the separate pieces of wood here
oh man all the
ants thousands of
them after 10 years these tarps are
actually buried into the ground on the
edges well seeing if I can remember any
of what any of this was this looks like
it was a door there was a a man door on
the side of this
barn and as you can see the an pretty
much taking a hold
here safe to say this is no good
anymore that's a shame that was a cool
looking old door most of the skin of
this Barn was junk whenever I got there
but the frame was good and that was
mainly what I was after these bigger
Timbers actually look like there might
be some salvageable here
so the
ends like the ends of these ones were
sticking out of the tarp they're rotted
but what was under the tarp is pretty
good I'm hopeful we'll be able to
salvage a little bit of this stuff you
can see I had them all stacked up here
really nice these ones that are all cut
on a 45 these were all your corner
braces every place you had a joint you
had Corner braces that stiffened it
up so I think we maybe have some pieces
here that are worth trying to save I'm
going to hold off on those for the
minute we're going to try to finish off
our dump truck load here with this pile
right here and this stuff I think it was
mostly junk when I put it here I don't
know why I even bothered to save it but
10 years later here it is
[Music]
I
I forgot I had an ibeam tucked in there
that have been nice to have around a
couple times I
think these Stones right here were
actually the foundation peers for the
barn they are
uh hand cut on the ends so that they
stood upright they were like buried
about a foot and a half 2 ft and they
sticking up out of the
ground we'll use those for
something it's like we got a nice steel
pipe tucked in here too
for
[Music]
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oh
oh
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all right I think we're done with this
truck for the time being go park it and
grab the tandler
old Johnny gr
[Music]
doll engine oils right on the
money
Beauty this thing was a diamond in the
rough
it needs a few things but very minimal
things and I'm really happy with it
a
this a good shot of one of the main
Timbers here can see all these Pockets
where the uh different beams joined into
this
one different and and often times better
ways of doing things back in the
day I really get into and appreciate all
the the mortise and 10 and joinery and
the timber Framing and all that stuff
that's right up my alley now we're going
to save this pile this is all pretty
good stuff still luckily so I'm happy to
see that there's something in here we
can save and maybe some of this stuff
will wind up in my house when I build it
for
oh
it's
[Music]
all right while this wood is no longer
good for anything structural it could
definitely be cut up and repurposed into
something artsy fartsy for somebody I
don't know that I have much patience for
that maybe I can find a piece big enough
in here for a mantle in my house other
than that I think I have some friends
that are going to come grab it so it's
supposed to rain a whole bunch so I
threw it in here should be high and dry
out of the weather at least until they
can come grab it
come
[Music]
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I got a big magnet sweeper here I'm
going to try dragging this thing around
and trying to pick up some of these
nails cuz I know there's bound to be a
ton of them in
here not one nail I don't know I'm going
to sweep it all anyways and uh try to
get what I can get
things are getting dark out now I would
normally just call it quits for the
night and finish this up in the morning
but it's supposed to start raining here
in a couple hours and make a mess of
everything so I want to get this
completely finished up here while I
still can before it turns to mud I
brought up that hay bale and we're going
to get this uh red up I got the root
rake on the machine right now so we'll
pick up all the little junk and debris
loaded out in the truck and then just
spread out this hay
[Music]
all right rain's starting to set in now
it's dripping so I got to hurry up and
get this done
[Music]
[Applause]
oh
[Music]
[Music]
well I know you guys probably can't see
it but it's raining pretty good here I'm
getting pretty wet so so I got a bunch
of hay spread out on the bare dirt there
and I'm feeling pretty good with it
there's some big clumps I have to shake
out better but we're not going to do
that right now on a downpour so we get
the truck and the skid steer out of the
field here before we make another mud
hole and uh we'll tend back to this on
another dry day
well it is a few wet rainy miserable
days
later it's rained for 3 days
straight finally caught a dry day I can
get out here and actually try to shake
out this straw just a little bit better
make it look nice I didn't spread any
seed because this ground always sprits
up grass very fast on its own not to
mention the hay usually has enough seed
in it that it sprouts up all kind of
grasses and just spread it out
anyway all right we got that all spread
out a lot nicer it was all lumpy and
bumpy before it's still not beautiful
but it's a field it doesn't need to be
pretty it's not somebody's lawn I got a
lot of lot of hay on there it's extra
thick there's
3/4 of a round bail in a 20 by 100 area
so it's definitely pretty thick it's a
like a 4in thick hay mat that I put down
basically but that should help get some
grass growing here awful quick I'm
hoping in a month or two you'll barely
be able to tell this was ever here
anyways as you guys can see the dump
truck's still parked here I didn't want
to go drive off into the mud and the
pouring rain the other night to dump it
out so let's go see if we can find a dry
enough place to dump that now
[Music]
h
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a
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well I guess that about wraps this one
up guys it wasn't a super major project
or anything but it is one of those
projects that is needed done for several
years now and I just never got got
around to it so scratch another one off
an Ever growing list but hey we're
getting somewhere I hear all you guys
asking about the auto car don't worry
there is plenty of action still
happening on the auto car it is just a
big project so it takes some time plus
the weather's getting nicer I have to
get some of this stuff done Outdoors
when I can not to mention starting to
try to clear for my house and some other
stuff so we got a lot of pots on the
stove but we're going to keep on cooking
if you guys like this video do me a big
favor hit that thumbs up button down
below the video it really helps out the
Channel doesn't cost you guys a dime if
you'd like to help support the channel
in a little more direct way head on over
to dieselcreek
docomo over there at the store we got
new t-shirts over there in the store so
you're going to to check those out right
now if you haven't already get yourself
a fresh new t-shirt for spring and
summertime here of course we got our
hats we've got beer koozies we've got
sticker packs all that and more over at
the store that's dieselcreek decom check
it out anyways that's a wrap for me I'm
moving on to another project so I will
catch you on the next one later
[Music]
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