truss frame construction

[northof54]

search produced no result. I am referring to Fine Homebuilding article by Mark White. 'framing alone' topic brought this method to mind, but since the method isn't mentioned, I started a new thread.

I live on Florida west coast (20 years) but can't afford to stay here. Tennessee prices are attractive- temperate climate, 100 mile (or less) access to major airport (25 business flights per year.) Another cost effective area is Mo. Ozarks but no major airport. Other areas?

I'm 59, single, so I don't require major sq. footage but self employment dictates reasonable office, storage, controlled environment. Oh yeah, shop/ covered area needs to be large (1200-1500)- I play with lathes, mills, welders etc. Also wood shop- general fabrication. Does a barn sound right?

This old Nebraska boy isn't sure about fighting snow & ice if i make it another 15 or 20. I'm sort of thinking an existing house with major improvements- 1 or 2 acres would be fine. Have extensive equipment, reasonable skills & comprehension. Any comments?

thanx, mike

[glenn-k]

I have a friend who is putting an apartment in a steel shop building, and I think Shelley is starting out that way.  

Just put it in an area you will like -- I hate uninvited snow.  If I do want it, I will drive to it.

[Amanda_931]

Southern part of Middle Tennessee is pretty nice.  Runs an hour and a half to two hours from Nashville with its major airport.  But out of reasonable commuting distance, so land prices may be less.  6b/7a winter chill zone.  

If you need something like 3-phase electricity you'd probably want either an existing commercial building or to build your own.  Not somebody's old barn.

S-word's in the forecast for tomorrow night, but neither very much or very long.

We haven't had a really cold winter since the 80's, and that was considered an anomaly--killed a lot of shrubs, though.  Knock on wood.

If Huntsville's airport is OK (well, it's bigger than Florence's) Northern Alabama would probably be OK too.  But Alabama has less in the way of United Country real estate listings that you can look at in the privacy of your own home.  It's one of the common ones in Middle and West Tennessee.  Once you've gotten an idea of where you want to look, you'd obviously talk to other agencies as well.

http://www.unitedcountry.com/

West Tennessee, maybe N-W Alabama, adjacent parts of Mississippi would send you to the Memphis airport.  I lived in Memphis briefly, never learned it well, find the traffic totally horrible, very likely for that reason alone.

[glenn-k]

An option for three phase would be a rotary phase convertor - runs on one -puts out three - I built mine for a 7 horsepower lathe from plans in a booklet published by Lindsay Publications.

http://www.lindsaybks.com/

Another website to get lost in.  Request a catalog to see more publications.