First thing before starting any long work day, Jeff makes a pot of coffee.

You better make that phone call a quick one, Bob! (Maybe he's just using the calculator.)

After swinging the RPSL northward and getting the string line to intersect with the plumb bob, a knot on the underside of the ridge pole ended up on the rear RPSL. Jeff took the electric chainsaw to it and created a flatter surface to rest on the RPSL.

Jeff and Bob move to the north scaffold tower to rig up a safety cable that will span from one lifting pole to the other.

With no way to use a safety harness yet, Bob spots Jeff from the scaffold deck.

A couple of wraps around the lifting pole and a cable clamp. The ridge pole is strapped to the lifting pole, and still has the block & tackle tight above it.

It was important to set the lifting poles close to the RPSLs for strapping, but not so close that they would be in the way of positioning the ridge pole.

The position of the north lifting pole worked out pretty well. It is east of center enough that we could strap the ridge pole to it without fear of the ridge pole falling off the RPSL. But it also left enough room to center the ridge pole on the RPSL.

Meanwhile, Steve was having fun running an excavator for the first time. He was a natural, and got into a rhythm quickly, clearing some of the path for the 2nd half of our water line.

Steve setting a concrete block up onto the driveway.
(click on the image to play video)

At the south lifting pole, Jeff and Bob have the safety cable secured and tightened with a loop in the cable and a ratchet strap for extra tension.

We threw an extra 2" ratchet strap around each lifting pole down near floor level, just to give us a little extra peace of mind when lifting and adjusting the ridge pole level over and over.

Now the ridge pole is aligned north-south and the outer RPSLs have been shaved down to the correct height.

Steve has just about made it through the part of the unfinished driveway the water line needs to cut across.

With his safety harness clipped to the cable, Jeff climbs up onto the ridge pole to pin the north end.

Driving the first of four pins through the ridge pole and into the RPSLs.
(click the image to play video)