Poppy's 16x16 timber frame cabin

Started by poppy, June 24, 2009, 02:47:19 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

chaddhamilton

Quote from: poppy on July 23, 2009, 09:35:51 PM
Thanks again, and isn't there someone out there who can take a stab at what kind of fruit I posted earilier??

Plum?

shirleypony



poppy

No, neither plum nor quince.

Here is a couple of hints:

The fruit turns orange in the fall.

The wood has been used for golf club heads.

MountainDon

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Don_P



poppy

MountainDon got this one; it is the common persimmon.

There was a large persimmon tree on the farm I grew up on and I was pleasantly surprised to find a tree on my new land.

My next tree confirmation is Sassafras; I haven't that root tea since I was a kid.

Sorry Don_P it is actually black blanc. :)

MountainDon

Quote from: poppy on July 24, 2009, 08:04:42 PM
MountainDon got this one; it is the common persimmon.


It was the golf club head clue   ;D
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Don_P

http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/HardwoodNA/htmlDocs/diospyro.html
They'll sure put a pucker on your face before a good frost but they're good eating after.

This is one from Michelle's Mom's cards.
Persimmon Pudding
Sift together;
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
...
3/4 cup sugar
1.2 cup raisins
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tsp rum
1-1/3 cup persimmon pulp

add the dry to the wet ingredients, mix well and pour into a greased floured bundt pan
Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes.

It's really more of a bread but I was taught never to argue with the in laws  ;D


Ever split open the seeds to find the silverware inside?
Cut the seed open lengthwise, if you find a knife it will be a cold winter, a spoon means a snowy winter, a fork forecasts a mild winter.


This is the main menu for those techlines;
http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/techmenu.html

Redoverfarm

They usually are better (not bitter) after the frost hits.  I remember walking with my son when he was younger and I pointed out the tree which had fuit and was telling him that I used to eat those.  He asked if he could try one and I said yes.  After his first bite I told him that they were not ready yet.  ;) Cruel father huh.


poppy

Don_P
Quotewhite ebony

I thought you were making a joke, but I just realized that the sap wood can be white and the heart wood can be called ebony.  :D

But still, I was asking about the fruit, not the tree. ;)

Don_P

John, you would like my Dad. He taught me wiring much the same way  :o
Poppy, yup, Don got it, I was having fun. Its a member of the ebony family and sometimes gets called white ebony or American ebony although it's not nearly as hard from my little experience with the Madagascar black ebony. It's another one to take to the mill if you ever come across one that has to come down. Well, then again, there's not many trees that I wouldn't turn into lumber if given the chance  :). Sass is another nice wood, it gets sold as chestnut sometimes, very similar grain and weight and rot resistant to boot. I used a chunk for a splashblock under the downspout for years.

poppy

#111
Don, the more I read your posts, the more I would like to spend some time with you as an apprentice, although I would be an old one. ::)

I second your point about making lumber out of any kind of tree.  I'm trying to take advantage of every type I have on my land, plus any that come up that are native to southern Ohio.

Unfortunately the only Sassafras that I have encountered is just a shrub, and the roots are about the only thing to take advantage of.  At some point I plan to ask the current owner of our old farm if I can scout for some Sassafras trees.

There was a recent auction that advertized some Sassafras wood, but I was not able to get to that one.

One advantage of slow progress on the cabin is that more varieties of lumber show up on the market. :)  

I think I mentioned before that there is a hugh lumber auction coming up on Aug. 1 that has 50,000 bf of rough sawn air-dried lumber. They are advertizing mostly 1" and some 2" of ash, linn, cedar, walnut, cherry, white oak, red oak, & poplar.

I am really interested in the poplar for sub-flooring and planking (although I'm starting to second guess that choice). :-\  This auction is about a mile from where I grew up and about 7 miles from my current place.


poppy

Just a brief update on my last short visit to the farm.  I wasn't satisfied with the previous photos of the best cruck tree.  So....


This gives a better idea of how nice this white oak is; it is really pretty straight in the plane of the cruck shape.  Besides the two cruck blades, I should be able to get another timber out of the top end.

Conventional wisdom says that moss grows on the north side, but you're looking at the west side. ???

The twisted oak to the left is an interesting tree.  It is not obvious, but the slender maple between the oaks actually "supports" the top end of the twisted sister. :P  I'm still trying to determine if this tree can be used in the cabin.

poppy

So, I was finally able to set aside a couple of days to work on the foundation, and of course, it rains and it is still raining.


Well, at least is gave me the opportunity to make sure the site was draining in the right directions.



The trip wasn't a total loss, since there were enough black berries for a pie. :)


Mike 870

It has been raining like crazy out here.  First the farmers were really happy, now they're not. 1 inch a week please ::)  I can't wait too see how your place comes out.  I'm thinking of doing a hybrid timber frame.  Stick built walls and then sub out the roof to some formerly Amish gents I know of.  

WoodSprite

Quote from: poppy on July 30, 2009, 08:20:41 PM

So, I was finally able to set aside a couple of days to work on the foundation, and of course, it rains and it is still raining.


Oh, man, does that look familiar.  And now that we've got the rough holes dug - huge holes four feet down, all this hard rain keeps washing the muck back down into the holes Ron has leveled out.  Argh.

On the up side, the materials for our foundation were scheduled to be delivered today.  Umpteen 80-lb bags of cement & mortar mix, etc, with a 90% chance of heavy rain forecast.  They called this morning to say their truck was in the shop and would it be okay if they came Monday instead?  I've never been so happy to be stood up!
The Chronicle of Upper Tupper
This place was made by doing impractical things we could not afford at the wrong time of year.   -Henry Mitchell

poppy

Mike, what kind of hybrid are you considering?  There's a reporter (New York, I think) who is building a cabin back east and claims it has a timber frame, but it's basically a stick built with some timbers inside.  I don't like it.

WoodSprite, now you may understand why I did the pin foundation.  I don't have to worry about water filling holes.

I had to unload the concrete (not cement) bags into the barn to keep them dry.  I don't like moving 80 lb. bags around too much. >:(

If you are really buying cement plus sand and gravel and mixing your own concrete, then I appologize for pointing out one of my pet pieves; calling concrete, cement.  One would not call bread, flour. ::)

Mike 870

As you know I don't have land yet so this is all in my head.  I was thinking 16 by 28 footprint framed with10 foot 2 by 6s on 24 centers.  Loft on one half with let in ledgers,  double sill on top.  I would have the loft beams be larger timbers that sit on the ledgers.  Really the "timber framed part would be the roof rafters to perhaps support SIPs. I would like a 12/12 roof pitch. I will have to talk to the timber framer about it because I don't know if something like this can sit on a stick framed base.

WoodSprite

Quote from: poppy on July 31, 2009, 12:05:25 PM

If you are really buying cement plus sand and gravel and mixing your own concrete, then I appologize for pointing out one of my pet pieves; calling concrete, cement.  One would not call bread, flour. ::)

Argh...concrete, concrete, concrete.  I KNEW that, and I learned it from YOU, Poppy.  Won't happen again - I promise.
The Chronicle of Upper Tupper
This place was made by doing impractical things we could not afford at the wrong time of year.   -Henry Mitchell

poppy

Mike
QuoteReally the "timber framed part would be the roof rafters to perhaps support SIPs. I would like a 12/12 roof pitch. I will have to talk to the timber framer about it because I don't know if something like this can sit on a stick framed base.

Mike, there's no reason a stick frame house won't support a timber frame roof.  The issue is spreading at the side walls.  You might need collar ties on the rafters or something to resist the spreading.

Others on here would know better than I, however.  You could ask the question in the general forum.


poppy

#120
Well, I got back out to the farm after all the rain and prepared the trailer for the short trip to the huge lumber auction (the 50,000 bf one I mentioned earlier).  The auction was a total bust. >:(  The lumber was adequately air dried, but it had no consistent width or thickness and was mostly 8' lenghts.  

Looks like it's back to the saw mill on Coon Hollow Rd.  ::)  I'm not kidding; this old Marine veteran has a mill on his farm, and it's on Coon Hollow Rd.  It's only about 10 miles from my place and he will custom saw whatever I need in oak or poplar. :D

So with no lumber to unload, it was back to the foundation piers.  But in the middle of that project, I pulled something in my back and now I'm on the couch. :(




Rebar and Simpson ties ready to be set in the forms.  Note the top secret release agent for the forms. 8)




Rebar in place for one pier.




A competed form, ready for concrete.  Once I got two forms ready, my back gave out.  d*(

poppy

Well after resting the back, I got back out to the farm, but of course the weather didn't cooperate.  I did get some things done, so here are a few photos.



One of the recent storms took down a 5" limb from the largest black walnut tree.  I cleared the debris and saved a few larger pieces for potential use with the other walnut drying in the barn.


For those who use COSTCO WHOLESALE, a little hint on taking advantage of what's in stock.



I had wanted to get a portable garage in the past but missed the oportunity, so when these showed up recently, I jumped on it.  Only $250, which is about a third to a half of anything else I have seen. :D




The frame assembled over the stock pile just above the cabin site.




The roof canvas on and the side poles in at half height.  The concrete blocks give an idea of the slope of the site.

One nice thing about this garage is that it expands to 20' x 24' so I will probably move it over the cabin proper once the concrete is placed.  It should provide a dry work area for the floor framing and timber frame assembly.



Redoverfarm

Poppy I would get some tie-downs in place on that umbrella. If not you will be like Dorothy and end up somewhere over Kansas.  ;D  Cheap screw-in dog anchors and some dog chain.

If you want to save the remaining walnut if there is enough of the limb sticking out of the trunk I would saw it off to keep disease from entering the ragged end on the tree. 

Around here is those portable metal carports ( from the Carolina's) which can be bought for about $500.  That is with a standard 6' post. Optional length post for a few dollars more.  Really cheap shelter when you compare the cost of wood for the same demensions. 

poppy

John, you're correct about the need for tie-downs.  The kit includes "dog anchors" and line for the purpose.  I just ran out of time and energy.

With our prevailing winds the "umbrella" would end up somewhere over West (by God) Virginia. :)

And thanks for the suggestion on the remaining walnut limb, I'll cut it on my next trip out.

poppy

Finally, an update with some actual construction work completed. ::)  But first a message from Mother Nature.



A wild mushroom patch in the yard that is shaded most of the day.  The most I've seen in 3 years.  That's also where there is a lot of moss.




Them "rooms" are big in the country.  That's my size 10 1/2 there.




When you get to my age, sitt'n down on the job is a given. :P  Had to reposition some of the ties.




Decided that the NE pier needed a "corner stone" marking.  Wally World had cheap numbers.




Numbers mounted on the NE face of the NE pier.  The new contest is to speculate on what happens to the numbers when the form is stripped.  ???

They are mounted using the brads supplied, so will the numbers stay with the pier or go with the form?

Stay tuned, more to follow.