BLOK Ranch cabin

Started by NM_Shooter, June 30, 2008, 11:45:57 AM

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glenn kangiser

So this should make a pix every day and at the first of next season you should be able to get the camera and download all of the pixs for and off season overview?

Next will be an uplink to a satellite?  hmm
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

NM_Shooter

Quote from: glenn kangiser on November 02, 2008, 07:38:00 PM
So this should make a pix every day and at the first of next season you should be able to get the camera and download all of the pixs for and off season overview?

Next will be an uplink to a satellite?  hmm

A picture every day is the theory.  I didn't test it here as i was scrambling to get the thing built up.  I should have let it run overnight at a minimum to make sure the 24 hour clock part of the program was working.  Otherwise I am going to have to wait another year for winter pictures!  I'll probably look at the code again and build up another camera over the winter, and debug any issues then.  I sort of want to start playing with the wireless link that I have too.

I was trying to figure out a way to send a data packet using a ham radio setup.  I don't think I could afford the satellite time.  But it would be great to have pictures more or less "real time".

I've been thinking about other gizmos to build.  I was thinking about a road sensor that detected when a car drove over a road area, and sent a wireless signal to my cabin to let me know when company was coming.  I think I could do this pretty easily with  couple of motorola FRS walkie talkies.  Only problem with that is that the receiver would always have to be on    ???  Yuck.




"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"


glenn kangiser

Interesting thoughts.  I have a quarter mile drive or so and have thought of similar notice devices - out of range of most though.

Do you have line of sight?

A periscope could be cool here for general close up stuff.  We have windows with a view of the front but that's no where near as cool.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

MountainDon

Quote from: NM_Shooter on November 02, 2008, 04:35:02 PM
...then realized I didn't pack three of the CB66 post bases...


Ah crap! I know the feeling. I once drove into Los Alamos for a pound of nails I forgot.   :(
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

NM_Shooter

Oh man. 

With all this fine weather we have been having, I am itching to get to work on my cabin. 

Unfortunately the jet stream is going to swing back through and bring the second half of the season's snow soon. 

Maybe I can start building my outhouse at least  :)
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"


Pritch

Frank, I've been obsessing about your property ever since I read your post in the property section!  I have fantasized about a handcrafted log home for my entire adult life, and hearing about how heavily timbered the ranch is made me think this would be ideal.  (There would also be less materials to haul in!)  I recall you mentioning that porkies would eat pretty much anything up there.  I wonder how much draw a "hot wire" around the cabin's perimeter would draw. . .   :)

Do you plan on taking down your solar panels when you leave for the season or will you leave the system operational?  If the latter, what special considerations will need to be given for the batteries during the winter? 

I love the idea of having a time-lapse camera taking pictures during the winter.  There is a game camera company called Buckeye that wirelessly transmits photos to a receiver a couple of miles away.  There is also at least one that uses a cell phone and emails pictures. . . 

I love the outhouse competition!  This would probably make a good thread in the general section:  "Over-The-Top Outhouse Ideas."  Here's one:

How about a solar hot water collector attached to in-floor heating?  NOBODY up there will have a heated john!!!

-- Pritch
"The problem with quotes from the internet is that they're not always accurate." -- Abraham Lincoln

NM_Shooter

Hey!  I like that idea.  I was going to have some solar panels run some 12V vent fans in the outhouse vent stacks. 

Yes, I have to remove solar panels in the winter when we are not there.  Unfortunately, we have a problem with poaching of our fish and elk.  Luckily, we have had a bit of a resurgence in owner activity, and more of us are up there.  We are spread out on 1600 acres, but it is nice to know that there is at least one other gun toting owner on the property when we are up there.  Winter is esp. bad for trespassers,  as all of the fences are down / buried and the snow mobile folks run pretty much every where.  We have had some minor break-in issues in the past, almost all during winter season. 

Lots and lots of timber.  Unfortunately a lot of it is corkbark, which I have been told is not a good tree for structural use.  Still lots of ponderosa and spruce too. 

My kids want to make a log cabin.  I told them they can build whatever they want using hand tools ;D

Let me know if you are ever in NM in the summer.  I'd be happy to give you a tour.

-f-
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

MountainDon

Quote from: Pritch on February 24, 2009, 04:03:42 PM

Do you plan on taking down your solar panels when you leave for the season or will you leave the system operational?  If the latter, what special considerations will need to be given for the batteries during the winter? 

I have placed my response to that over in the OFF GRID power topic

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=6059.msg84209#msg84209
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Pritch

Quote from: NM_Shooter on February 24, 2009, 04:21:24 PM
Let me know if you are ever in NM in the summer.  I'd be happy to give you a tour.

-f-

Thanks!  Will do!

-- Pritch
"The problem with quotes from the internet is that they're not always accurate." -- Abraham Lincoln


MountainDon

I'd like to echo those sentiments. If any of you are in NM, specifically the Albuquerque area I'd be delighted to show you the Jemez and our cabin/property.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

NM_Shooter

Well, still 55" of snow at the Cumbres pass gauging station.  http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/snotel.pl?sitenum=431&state=co
 
But it is going away right now at about 3" a day, except for the light snowfall we had from the last snow that went through  >:(

Let's see... that should be about 15 days till the gauging station is clear.  Last year, they had so much snow at the pass, they had to build a snowblower to fit on the narrow gauge rail to clear the snow so the train could run on memorial day.

The property is stuck in limbo right now.  The low sunny places are muddy and not enough snow to allow snow mobiles in.  The shady places are too deep with snow to allow trucks. 

Around mid may, it ought to be okay to go in with horses or ATVs.

We lost our grazing tenant and are interviewing folks now to see about getting new ones.  I am surprised at how many people are interested!  But we may need to go without grazers this year as it is getting late and folks are buying their stockers and will have cow/calves set up soon.  Best we may be able to do is to give tours of the property and get someone set up for next year.  Heck, Maybe I'll buy a couple of steers and put them on there for myself.

Anyway, I'm bumping this to the top so I can find it soon to post lots of new progress pix!
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

NM_Shooter

Have my dimensions all set for the beams.  Need to figure out a way to cross brace the two high side piers to keep them from leaning.  My piers are only 30" deep... that was all the energy I had to bust through the rocks.  Luckily my low side piers are only 18" or so above grade. 

I'm thinking of opening up the pier holes on the outside of the piers, dropping the end of a chain with a rebar "X" down in there and pouring it into place.  Then making a metal strap that would allow me to anchor to the main beam on the other pier, attach another chain, and tying the two chains together with a monster turnbuckle.  Doing this both ways to create cross bracing tension. 

Thoughts?
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

MountainDon

Drill a hole through the block to allow a 1/2" bolt or threaded rod to be inserted. Fill pier with concrete.

Use a section of flat iron strap to connect from there to the rim joist. Secure to the wood with a through bolt or drill the iron for a bunch of nailing holes. Cross braced with two pieces of course/

Or the above, but with the rod through the block long enough to use 2X wood. Maybe use a 5/8 rod to feel more secure.

Big load rated turnbuckles are pricey.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

NM_Shooter

Heading to BLOK Ranch early a.m. for my first trip this year.  A few members have already been in and done all the dirty work of clearing the roads. 

I'm trying to think of which really, really, important tool / component I am about to forget.
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"


MountainDon

Good luck Frank.   I always seem to forget something either going up or coming back  d*  Even with numerous endless lists. Just came back and discovered I forgot the empty paint pail... need to get more of same custom mix.  >:(
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

NM_Shooter

Pshew.  Another high speed weekend.

Up 0430 Saturday, on the road by 5.  Stuck in construction traffic on the way up  >:( and didn't make it to the ranch till 10:30.  Did get to see a very large herd of elk on the way in....maybe 150 to 200.  Also saw a fox on the way out that was completely unconcerned about my truck.  We watched it hunt mice just 25 feet away for quite awhile. 

One of the other tenants was up and was heading home on Saturday (the bolt-together-cabin folks).  Got a tour of their improvements, including a very up-town shower:



Didn't start on our beams until probably noon or so.

First one we made exactly 20' long, and will be our baseline for the other beam.  Here is some very welcome help doing her thing.  Note that the middle piers don't have the concrete filled all the way to the top yet.  I was suspicious about my ability to get all four in a nice line and decided to wait until the beams were built before I filled them in.  I am glad I did that.  All joints were placed directly over piers.  If you ever want a lot of nails placed, give a 13 year old a nail gun :



By Saturday night we had both beams knocked together.  6.5 hours of work plus time for a fishing break  ;DThat palm nailer made short work of the 60d spikes.  Also has a ton of 16p ACQ nails in there too. 



I hosted a possible grazing tenant, and while he and his ranch foreman were running around, they saw another herd of elk, and a black bear.  The fishing was great.  My daughter caught 30 or more, including some that she transplanted into the lake from the stream.

Next weekend we are going to try and get the floor done.  That may be too much of a stretch goal. 

Also retrieved my home-made day camera... a bit surprisingly, it worked.  I have a ton of pictures that were taken at noon each day, and it was interesting to see the ebb and flow of the snow.  Although these pictures proved to be very alarming.  There were a lot of pictures with a disturbing amount of snow-mobile traffic running right past where my cabin will be.   I don't know how we can discourage winter trespassing. 





"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

MountainDon

Wow! Those snow machines can get in and out and all over the place a lot quicker than motor vehicles in the summer.

Beams look good, as does the nailer helper.  :D

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

SkagitDrifter

Great to see you back at it Frank.  I was hoping you would post an update.  Your property is beautiful to say the least.
All the best, looking forward to seeing this seasons progress.
Tom
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Abraham Lincoln

NM_Shooter

Quote from: SkagitDrifter on July 13, 2009, 12:29:54 PM
Great to see you back at it Frank.  I was hoping you would post an update.  Your property is beautiful to say the least.
All the best, looking forward to seeing this seasons progress.
Tom

Thanks... I can't believe it is July and I have only been up once so far.  Time to make hay.  Looking forward to getting the floor done and actually having something to stand on.  MtnDon has been emailing me tips.  I'm sure it will take us a bit to get it figured out. 

That pond fishes real well.  I sent my daughter down to catch some fish and she caught a bunch in a hurry, including a 15" brook trout.  You can watch them rising all over the surface in the evening.  A small herd of elk come out before dark in that meadow in the far back.  Kind of spooky to be up there alone though.  I like it when I am by myself, but am skittish when it is just me and one of my kids.  Lions, tigers and bears, you know.  No cell phone from that site.  If you need medical help in less than 4 hours you had better have a SPOT unit and access to a helicopter.  Good and bad to the seclusion I guess.

The first beam took us 3 hours to build.  The second beam we roughed-in  in 45 minutes.  They sure feel stout.
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

NM_Shooter

This look like a floor to you?  Me neither.  I'll know for sure in two days.



Sad thing is that after a year of work, and hopefully this weekend, I will still only have the bottom 12" of my cabin done.
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"


WoodSprite

Quote from: NM_Shooter on July 17, 2009, 07:30:41 PM
Sad thing is that after a year of work, and hopefully this weekend, I will still only have the bottom 12" of my cabin done.

Give yourself a break.  We've been working hard for three years and just got the foundation holes dug on Wednesday.  You're building some incredible memories with those wonderful girls.  It's not a race.
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

I second the motion; give yourself a break.  I am bearing down on 3 years since buying the farm and the foundation is still not done. d*


NM_Shooter

Well, what do you know.  There actually was a floor in that pile of parts.  One thing for sure.... I would have a very short career as a professional estimator.  The stuff I think will take a long time doesn't, and the stuff I think will be a piece of cake takes a long time.

We got up to the ranch around 9:30 Saturday, and I had a pro dirt-work guy with me to give us an estimate on road work.  So that took almost 3 hours to give him a look and to get him down off the mountain.  We didn't start until 12:30 with getting boards set.  Got the joists and rim joists on, with simpson clips when a nasty storm hit.  Electrical, hail, and wind.  We decided to button up and call it an early day.  But got a lot done in 3 hours. This below picture was taken Sunday morning.  Still needed to put the blocking in.  


I thought that the blocking and decking would be done in about two hours, then another hour to tarp the thing off.  

Wrong.

We started at 9 today, and quit at three.  We were beat.

Sarah is the official worksite snackmaster.  Here she is taking a break.



Here is a picture of a trusting and dumb Bohemian getting under a deadfall trap to put some glue down.



Sarah is a Godsend on this site.  She is either working, asking for something to do, or making me something to eat or drink.  Here she is filling in the field for me:



Tarping the deck after it was done was a bit of a chore.  The wind really picked up (note Sarah's hair in the previous picture) and we were battling a 25mph wind trying to get a 20X30 tarp in place and tied down.  I am hoping that this tarp at least stays close to the ranch.  I won't be able to do any additional work for a month.



So that's it.  We're sunburned, tired, and sore.  

Oh yeah...we goofed off for an hour after work today and caught a bunch of fish :-)



"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"

poppy

What a nice team you two make. :)

And a nice project which is looking good.

NM_Shooter

Thanks... having her on site makes for a fun day.  And a lot less swearing  :D

Went to Lowes today at lunch and found a big pile of Advantex flooring  d*

-f-
"Officium Vacuus Auctorita"