Only one wide sliding door is shown, though another smaller door can be inserted if desired. The truss construction shown in [Fig. 10] is used above the wide door. Either vertical or horizontal siding may be used, the former being simple and satisfactory construction. The front wall may be omitted in localities where inclement weather is uncommon.
Fig. 4. Exterior of Open Type of Implement Shed
Fig. 5. Perspective of Framing of Open Type of Implement Shed
In view of the fact that the small tractor is becoming an extremely popular source of farm power, special consideration should be given to its shelter. The tractor is an implement that would be extremely likely to be injured as a result of exposure to weather. It is entirely possible that the damage which may be done to this one single machine in one winter’s exposure may be sufficient to pay for the cost of a machine shed which will house all the implements on the farm.
So much for the economic side. The figures that have just been given relate only to a very conservative case. On many farms the saving would be a great deal more. Besides this there are other things of which the value cannot be estimated, such as the benefit of having a machine that will operate when it is called upon to do so; the added value an implement shed gives to the farm; and the additional prestige which will redound to the owner of the farm.
The careful farmer will, of course, find that criticisms of ill-cared-for machinery do not apply to him; he has a machine shed, and knows the value of paint, oil, and grease in extending the life of implements. His equipment always looks new, for as rust breaks through the protecting coat of paint, a new coat is immediately applied; and his plowshares, discs, cultivator shovels, and other bright parts of implements are always given a thorough coating of grease before being put away for the winter. As a result, his implements are ready for business when spring comes and time is valuable.
THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING
In preparing the design for machine sheds one of the first considerations is that of economy. A machine shed is a building which is almost always used for no other purpose than to shelter machinery. It is not like a bin for the storage of grain where strength is an exceedingly important factor nor is it like a barn where so many operations are carried on within; consequently the simplest and cheapest structure that is consistent with reasonable durability is the one that is the most advisable. Wood is a product available in every section and is the cheapest and most suitable material for the construction of an implement shed.