roof stripping question

First post here and I'm hoping someone has some suggestions. I own a 1860's schoolhouse that has 2 layers of asphalt shingles on it. It's a 12/12 pitch and the peak is 35 feet high. It has wide vertical boards under the shingles so I know I'm going to have to sheath it with either OSB or plywood before I put the new shingles on. My problem is that I will be doing the whole job by myself with little or no help. I plan on doing this next year and due to the uncertain weather we enjoy here in Maine, I figure I'll have to do this in stages. Has anyone else tried to strip just sections of a roof, install the shingles and then move onto the next section above? My concern is having those old shingles scrape across the new ones on the way to the ground as I tear them off. Any suggestions as to how to approach this job would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Lanny, I'm not familiar with a twenty-four ft plank but I'm sure they exist. I would not dream of setting up my 26 ft. plank that way, or my 20's either, except for the one that is 12" wide. I've done that many times alone and just as you describe. I've also packed a plank up a third ladder set between the other two, what I usually like to have as a service ladder for the staging anyway, but I make sure the other two are secured first before I push against them sideways with the plank. I've added roof docks to that system now. If the plank you are describing is a tapered one with a plywood skin, or a 12" wide one I could see that, but I'm not man enough to do that alone with a wide aluminum plank 24 feet long. I can get my 26 and my 36" 20 on my racks by myself, but I have to steel myself for it first, believe me. I have had a limited number of frames, just over a dozen, for thirty years, and I do use them fairly often for one thing and another, but rarely for a complete set-up. You have to have way more than that to go very far or very high, and a lot of accessories to boot. Hats off to those who keep and maintain an extensive supply. Carpenters I know love and use pumpjacks. I used to have them, too, but always hated them and one of the happiest days of my career was when I gave them away to someone who truly liked them. I often span sections of scaffold with aluminum pics to get more distance, or run an alum pic from the truck to the frames I have, sometimes at full scissor height, sometimes not. Sometimes you can pull the pins and start tilting to dump to achieve a perfectly level approach even. Figuring out how to do these things is at least half the fun, at least for me it is. Very cool. Body harnesses not included.

And by the way, lanny... "The best tool for comp tear offs that I have ever used is the "Shindig." I have roofed for over 40 years and tried every tool out there."

That is a fact. I've been in love with that tool since the first five minutes I used one.

Thanks guys for all the really great information. I've been sweating doing this roof since it's so high up and with such a steep pitch and since I've always stripped from the top down I envisioned myself in a safety harness tied to the peak somehow which would be a major pain in the butt, not to mention really clumsy. Your ideas have made this seem quite feasible and safe and I really appreciate all the input!!!

start at the top and work down. Measure 4 ft from the top ridge, tear off all the way across, install your metal drip edge, tar paper and snap a line 3 ft from the top, start your shingles there, only nailing the very top of the shingle and then start shingling to the top nailing the rest regular. The next day, do the same and so on till you reach the bottom.

easy for one guy to do it and not have any leaks.