You may prefer a ridge beam, but you don't NEED a ridge beam. Greg's plans were much better than Eric's AND if he got crushed by a timber, then I could finish my barn after the funeral! (please excuse my warped sense of humor).

On October 20th, 2003, Greg arrived to stay in our guest room. The next day we got started. I had some vacation time saved and I work a swing shift schedule. My general plan was to take off my day shifts and work my evening shifts. That way I could work on the barn during daylight hours and go to my regular job when it was mostly dark.
Greg verified measurements and the levelness of the foundation using a simple water jug and clear hose. He taught me how to make 3 foot and 4 foot braces, and then set me loose to cut some 144 of them. It was easy, repetitious work that needed to be done. I was happy to complete the simple work while he started to draw on the timbers to lay out the frame.