Well here goes. I have been lurking here for several months and have tried to contribute. I started a thread in Land Stories to give a photo essay of my property in S. Ohio, with some fall images from right after taking possession in late Sept, '06.
Here are some more late fall '06 and spring '07 pics to further document the property and show some of my purchases in preparation for the cabin build.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0047.jpg)
This is the NE view that I fell in love with and wanted the cabin to be above the pond with this view from the inside and front porch.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0051.jpg)
One of my first purchases was my dad's old 1948 Farmall cub that my sister had bought from him and wanted to keep in the family. It has the cultivators installed that I have used for the driveway work. I also have the original sickle bar mower for it.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0055.jpg)
More purchases: John Deere 750 tractor with post hole digger and Deere lawn tractor from the local John Deere guy.
You might be wondering why I have latched onto a NE view. Well one of my original property search criteria was to have a south facing slope for a good passive solar gain, and even thought about an earth bermed design. Plus Feng Shui suggests that your house be built with it's back to the north.
I had a long list of criteria, some of which I listed in the Land Stories thread, and this property met most of them with the exception of the south facing slope. My land averages about 400' wide and about 1100' deep; is fairly level front to back but all sloping to the north side to side.
The deeper than wide layout, the hardwoods, and the improvements outweighed the direction of the slope. So began the search for the cabin site and design. All of the views are to the N or NE so there you go. Earth berming made no sense, so pier and post seemed to be the answer for the foundation.
As it turns out, having a north facing slope actually became a bonus. The road along the front runs along the edge of a N-S valley that intersects the E-W valley along my N border. I still can get some SW breezes that bend around the valleys and all storms whether from the SW or NW are tempered by this layout. My neighbor to the N even has a couple of wind turbines supplying some of his power.
Orienting the gable end of the cabin to the south will give me plenty of solar gain and adequate insulation and the Franklin fireplace will take care of the rest. So ends part one.
The next installment will outline the foundation progress for the first cabin site (later to be abandoned for a different site).
Nice pictures- I'll be watching this thread. I had a '49 Cub like yours- neat old machines. Our property in SC is almost identical, with the back sloping to the NNE. We have a 'seasonal' panoramic view of the Blue Ridge out the back, and I'm going to situate the house to take advantage of that. I figured in the Deep South there could be some advantages to facing north rather than south. Are you going to build on a slope, or level ground? Our property almost all has a gentle slope, just right for a walk-out basement.
Jay, thanks for the kind words and yes the cub is a neat old machine. My dad and brother and I raised tobacco with that tractor, so there are many memories.
All of my land slopes. The only level spot is where the previous owner cleared and leveled a spot out by the road for the doublewide that he never built (killed in an auto crash).
My cabin spot is about 200 feet back from the new culvert that was intended for the doublewide. The slope there is about 2 in 12, so not too bad.
Sounds like you have a great view and a walkout with a deck above seems like a good idea. Putting a basement 200 feet down a slope in the expansive clay of southern Ohio is not such a good idea.
Welcome Poppy, beautiful view, did you say something about a pond? Can't wait to see you "pin foundation' inventions!!!
Nice land! I lived near Lockburn Air Force Base in Ohio for 5 years - I was just a little kid but we lived out in the country on 5 acres with a big strawberry patch & big garden. My dad built rock walls with all the rocks he dug out of the ground for the gardens... I can remember it always seemed to be green, lots of trees, meadows, we had an orchard & chickens, snow to play in during the winter, great thunderstorms - for a kid, it was wonderful!
QuoteWelcome Poppy, beautiful view, did you say something about a pond? Can't wait to see you "pin foundation' inventions.
Take a look at my thread in Land Stories, there is a pic of the pond.
The pin part of the foundation is complete, photos to follow.
Thanks for the kind words.
Sassy, I get reminded every once in a while that there is an airforce base in Ohio when one of those low flying fighter jets screem over my head and scare the crap out of me.
Yea, there is always something green. I have a cedar grove and a few other trees scattered around. The previous owner had planted a number of pines, and the WPA planted some pines on my land that are now really big. I have some pics to follow on some of the greenery.
I too have fond memories of growing strawberries as well as picking wild black berries. I have a few patches of black berries that yield a few edibles each year.
OK guys and gals, here's another update for winter and spring '07.
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The first snow came before I got the first gate complete. The gates are each 8' spanning the 16' opening; made from 2x6PT. This is for the original driveway to the old house. I made a different design for the second and future driveway to the cabin site.
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The pond with the first winter snow. Sorry about the shutter not being fully open.
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My grandson in the bed of the "new" Ford Ranger that I bought over Christmas near my son's house in the Fox Valley of IL. The largest purchase I ever made off Ebay. Perhaps you can see the kitchen pump that I got from the truck seller.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0181.jpg)
Some spring flowers in front of the old house. My wife liked them so much that I transplanted some to our condo.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0182.jpg)
The hedge bushes in front of the house.
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One of the previous owners had a green thumb.
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Working on removing one of the stumps left from cutting one of the standing dead oaks. This is looking west along the new driveway about 200' back from the new culvert.
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Looking east from the stump back the driveway (originally an old farm road) to the first cabin site. You can just see the pond in the left background.
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One of my farm auction buys. I trailer made with the axle and wheels from a house trailer, which is questionable for road use. I now have 5 trailers all together of various sizes and types.
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Boring the first pier hole with 14" auger at the first cabin site.
This is the first installment of real work on the cabin, but as I have said before, this is the first cabin site and has since been abandoned. I guess I could skip forward to this current year when I started the building at the second site, but I have really good pics, and I hope that someone can gain from my experience.
Great pix, poppy. Thanks for taking the time to post them.
More please? w*
OK, here's another installment.
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Another spring photo that I forgot to include before. This bush really smells nice. Don't ask me what any of them are, because I don't know; I just enjoy them every spring.
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Pouring the first pier using another auction buy (the electric concrete mixer). I bought a new gas powered generator to run it and other tools. There is a re-bar cage in the form that I forgot to take pics of. I used four 1/2" bars with 90 deg. bends at the bottom ends that extend into the enlarged hole below the Sonotube. So the holes are at least 3 1/2' deep with the bottom expanded to 2' in dia. The 12" dia. 4' tubes protrude 1' above ground level. The bottom of the holes have undisturbed hard pan clay.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0227.jpg)
The completed first pier on the high side with 2 J bolts for the framing.
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Hole number 3 with me for scale. 8)
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Looking north towards the pond view and showing the start of the hole for the fireplace foundation. I using galv. strapping for the low side piers to attach posts to.
The plan was to build a stone Rumford style fireplace kind of in the SE corner of the cabin.
That's all for now; I need to upload some more photos.
A new species of gopher!
Quote from: considerations on June 27, 2009, 08:10:36 AM
A new species of gopher!
Groan!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jeez C ,,,,,,,, ::) the guys sort of new , take-er easy on um eh c*
w* to the forum Poppy!
Do you need a link to some big gopher traps? Maybe , Have a Hearts ,
(http://www.havahart.com/resource/images/havahart/products/medium/1081_m.jpg)
Might need a BIGGER trap !!! :-X rofl
Nice place I like the landscape [cool]
[rofl2] You have been well accepted, poppy - they are already picking on you.
Thanks for all the welcome comments. :o
I have been called a lot of things, but never a gopher.
And I don't need no stinkn' have-a-heart traps. In these parts we use firearms, and the bigger the better. ;D Oh wait, you were talking about me. :(
QuoteNice place I like the landscape
Thanks, this is definitely "God's country"; right on the edge of the foot hills of Appalachia; far enough from the city to really be country and close enough to civilization to have resources available.
Besides, you take your life in your own hands if you venture a little east of where I am. ;)
Hi Pappy,
Nice lookin land. I've been driving all across Southern Ohio and back looking for land the last couple years. I'm in the Dayton area. I'm looking foreward to watching your progress. If you need an extra pair of hands, PM me and maybee I can turn it into a dual purpose land search trip.
Thanks, Mike. I could have used you today when I was unloading some freshly sawn black walnut for air drying in my barn. The largest piece is 4"x8"x13' and was really heavy, I must say.
I do most of my work on Mon. and Tues. but am usually there on Sun. You are welcome to visit on one of your property excursions.
Welcome Poppy,
I am so glad someone is building a timber frame cabin on this board. I was inspired with Whitlock in
Arizona who built a 12x16 cabin with redwood.
I have a feeling you are a pro at the timber frame technique but just wanted to let you know about
a site in Paris Tenn. where my husband went to a week long class. He purchased a 12x16 plan which
could be adjusted to 12x20. We are building a 12x20 pole barn cabin in Oakland Maryland and didn't
build the timber frame because of time restrain and labor and we are three hours away. Our site has
no ultilies or water yet so we got the 6x6 post into the ground, put avantec on the exterior and then
the metal roof. We now are adding the floor inside with joist hangers; a little unconventional putting the
floor after the exterior walls but wanted to closed the structure for winter last year.
Anyway, if you want to see some great ideas and plans visit www.grandoakstimberframing.com. I tell
you that the 16x24 with a loft is awesome. I will be waited patiently for your progress with pen and
paper in hand. Also you can view the site for the gallery from past students who have put up their
timber frames.
I have a set of timber frame plans from grandoaks, very well done. I think they are 12'x16' with a loft. Once I finish my other projects (20'x34' universal and my daughters 10'x12' playhouse) I plan to build a small cabin for one of my remote properties using the plans.
Thanks karnf for the kind words.
Thanks for the info and link on Grandoaks, but I had reviewed it previously. I considered taking a formal hands-on timber framing class, but couldn't justify the cost. I strongly considered a 12' wide design, but that was before buying land with all north facing slope. I can explain that in great detail, if you are interested at all. I agree that the 16x24 is a great design, but it's just too big for me; so 12x16 is too small making16x16 just right.
I have been accumulating design and construction info. and books for the last 10 years or so. I am by no means an expert, but I think I have enough variety of good info. and just enough technical and building skill to make this happen. Plus I'm not smart enough to think that I can't do it.
I am trying to build this cabin on the cheap with as much free and reclaimed material as possible. I have been harvesting standing dead trees on my land and may end up cutting a couple of live trees for specific parts of the frame.
If any of you are expecting to learn much for a build of your own in the near future, you may be disappointed with my progress. I bought the property at the end of Sept. '06 and still don't have the foundation complete. Plus the design changes almost on a weekly basis as I come across more building materials or good info.
My approach is somewhat unconventional, as you will see when I get to posting pics. on the new foundation.
In contrast to many of you, this cabin will be primarily for my week end use only, and since I really don't have to worry about building permits, etc. the design and construction is only limited to my imagination.
Having said all of that, the cabin will have a somewhat normal timber frame at its core, but will be unique. And I don't think putting in the floor after drying in is so unconventional, because that's what I am doing. :D
Chuck, I look forward to seeing what you do with the 12x16 timber frame.
I very much wanted a timber frame great room, and put a lot of study into it, including buying a couple books, and getting some pricing. I wanted to use some of our own timber, but it has to be graded, which I still haven't found a source for, and I would also have to provide engineering, which is another expense I didn't want to add on. Even if I hired someone else to build the frame, the same rules apply, and smaller timber framers aren't equipped to provide stamped lumber or engineering. In the long run, I've decided that the added expense and work would put my project out of reach. When I started planning a house, my house in FL was worth twice what it is now, so compromises have to be made. I could always build a TF outbuilding from my own timber, and probably will at some point.
Jay, what a bummer. That's why I like where I'm building, all of the engineering is up to me, no stamping required.
It wouldn't be a true timber frame but you could always build a timber frame inside of conventional framing so that the timber takes no load. There are hybrids out there that use basically conventional framing and then they put in timbers for accent.
I don't like either one of those choices, but one could get the real "look" of a timber frame without all the hassels.
Here's the next installment of pics. Not a whole lot of activity over the winter, except to finish the gates, and do some more work on the driveway. Here are some photos of a not so normal spring of '08.
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This is an unusual snow for anytime in SW Ohio, but expecially so late. My little truck almost got buried in front of the condo. My wife and my sports car get the garage.
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This is the photo that I used for the pic. posting test and now post it here in sequence. The timber came from the first standing dead oak that I harvested below the pond. I got one saw cut accomplished with the chainsaw mill before the saw burnt up. I used my smaller chain saw to make vertical cuts and then followed up with the broad ax and draw knife for this hewed side. Unless I find a better tree later, this 6x8 timber will be the main cross tie on the north gable end.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0396.jpg)
Spring '08 has been the most beautiful on the farm so far. The first time the redbud and dogwood bloomed at the same time.
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This is pretty dark, but you may be able to make out the shape of this oak that I selected for a cruck frame on the south gable end. This is one of the few live trees that is slated to go into the construction. I took some more photos of that tree recently, which I will include later. I'm kind of anal when it comes to chronology.
Poppy,
This is a good read on English cruck frames if you haven't seen it, you'll need to click "i agree" when the first screen pops up and then it will go to the table of contents.
http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/cba/rr42.cfm?CFID=2185347&CFTOKEN=94238388
Ken Hume's website has some good pics of a cruck frame they did as well.
Don, you are the man! :) I thought I had found everything on crucks that was on the net, but not so.
For others, the Ken Hume site is http://www.kfhume.freeserve.co.uk/
Again, thanks Don and even though I said I am anal about the sequence of photos for this build, here is my current vision for the south wall using a cruck timber frame.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/022.jpg)
The round window is on Craig's List, but I haven't bought it yet.
Very cool poppy. I bet it looks awesome when you're done!
Keep the pics coming! :)
So '08 was a very frustrating year when it came to making progress on the cabin. The year started out weird with the late snow fall, then the beautiful spring, then very limited success with the chainsaw mill, then rain, rain, rain, and more rain. I am reposting the Oct. '07 photo where you saw the beginnings of the fireplace foundation hole.
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Originally, I wanted the fireplace on the north wall and started a hole at that location, and if you look closely you can see that shallow hole to the left of the bigger hole and just off the right of the NW pier. Then my lovely wife came to visit so that she could record a mental picture of what my vision was. I explained what would be along the north wall and her first response was that I was blocking too much of the view, and she was right. d*
So I rethought the whole thing and moved the fireplace, rotated it 90o and moved it towards the SE corner keeping it away from both walls. Even though the typical stone fireplace is on an outside wall with the chimmney on the outside of the wall; that doesn't make for an efficient wood burner. Another reason for moving it away from the wall makes the chimmney shorter above the roof and therefore more of it inside for heat retention.
Another change was to still build a stone Rumford but just up to the mantel level and then run naked stove pipe to the ceiling, again to retain more heat as well as cut down on the total weight to save a little on the foundation. So the next photo shows the results and note the date (11 months had elapsed before I was doing serious forming.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0402.jpg)
Working alone and manually digging the hole in between rain storms made the progress very slow. Just when I thought I had it done and even covered up, it would rain and I would have a bathtub. I had to trench down slope to keep the water flowing out of the hole, but then it would still get wet enough to soften a couple of inches of clay and I would have to go deeper to get to undisturbed soil. The hole ended up at least 12" deeper than really needed.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0403.jpg)
Here I am set up and ready to pour.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0407.jpg)
This is the down slope end of the foundation and if you look closely you can see that the hole is deeper on that end. The primary foundation is 8" thick with 1/2" rebar and this deeper end is 16" deep, again to get down to undisturbed soil.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0409.jpg)
The pour complete with rebar anchors for the corners where concrete block would be laid. The next installment will complete my effort on this first location for the cabin.
Here is the teaser: remember the wet spring? Even though the cabin site was on a crown with only the uphill side sloping towards the foot print, a stream of water developed almost dead center right above the foundation. There was no hint of a ground water problem previously. Secondly, remember the Kentucky dude who quickly put up a house on piers during the summer and fall of '08 and didn't brace the piers? Hold that thought until next time. ???
Interesting seeing the shrinkage cracks in the sidewalls of your excavation, poppy. I am in porphyry clay here but it is a hard mineral clay and you have to work at it to get it to take water.
Yes Glenn, our clay takes on water and is expansive. When it got really dry in the summer of '07, the surface cracks in some places opened up to over a half inch wide. That's why it is so critical to get down to undisturbed soil and then find a way to keep it dry.
For a post/pier design here, freeze/thaw is not as much of an issue as wet clay. That's another hint that adds to the reasons for moving the cabin site.
So now to close out 2008 in the continuing saga of Poppy's timber frame cabin.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/077.jpg)
Here I have set up to start the concrete block work on the fireplace foundation. I used my wife's car for some reason that I can't remember.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/076.jpg)
Got the first course laid and this, my friends and fellow builders, is the last photo of '08 and close to the end of construction on this particular site. I did get 2 more courses laid before winter set in, but didn't photo document it because I was waiting for further progress which never happened. My next post will try to explain why and where the second cabin site was selected and this one abandoned. But first here's the start of '09 which in some ways was worse than '08.
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This could be the last photo of the original cabin site. This was after a snow and ice storm that dropped about 12" of the white stuff, which is unusual for this part of the country. You can guage the depth by the concrete piers which protrude 12" above grade.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/095.jpg)
The tree (a hickory, I think) closest to the cabin north side that sustained ice damage. I told my wife that it was a sign from God that this was not the perfect site for the cabin. There was a lot of other ice damage to maples and cedars and pines also. I'll have some of those photos in a later post.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/097.jpg)
More ice damage, this time to my porch. I should have known better than leave it out, but on an earlier visit it was so cold that I didn't want to roll it up. Oh well, lesson learned. So began 2009.
Boy Poppy,
I have hewed a number of logs, but never on horses up in the air. That must have been a chore. I put the logs up on some blocks close to the ground and use the broad axe while standing on top of the log. Your arms must have been tired!
Keep the pictures and story coming I am really enjoying your thread.
I just realized that I double posted one photo, so I have corrected that on the previous post.
Chuck, You are absolutely correct about the proper hewing technique, but I have excuses. Firstly, the only broad ax I have so far is the one I'm using in the photo and it is a broad hatchet really; the handle is not nearly long enough to stand over the log. d*
Secondly, I wasn't intending to do any hewing that early in the frame making. I was just frustrated that my chainsaw blew up and I wanted to see some kind of progress.
And yea, my friend, my arms were tired. :(
OK, on to phase 2 or alternate plan or whatever makes sense to call it. But first, in my Land Stories thread "My land search saga for future cabin" I posted photos from the first fall on the land and mentioned at the start of that thread that this was my second piece of property. The story of the first piece of property is long and boring, but I did learn some things not to do. The following might help a few out there who are still looking for land.
Originally I figured I could buy land fairly close to Cincinnati and it still be my definition of country property. I thought I hit the jackpot with a 6 acre wooded partial on a dead end gravel Township road that had underground utilities. It was beautiful, quiet, and was to be the site of our future retirement home. It met most of my criteria, but failed in some significant ways.
1. It was split off from a larger partial and had no direct access to the road. The seller owned the other half and had the road access, but it required a bridge across the creek which she had built. This created a couple of problems:
a. I needed an easement across her land.
b. We had to set up a bridge maintenance fund together.
c. We had to set up another escrow account to cover the cost of running utilities across the creek on her land.
2. It cost so much ($10,000 an acre) that when added to the other accounts that required funding, I was left in debt, rather than having money to begin any kind of construction.
3. It had a number of restrictions too dumb to list, but prevented us from building a small cabin and some other things.
4. And the coup-de-grace (sp), a property line dispute caused my title insurance co. to pay a neighbor $15,000 plus attorney fees to make the problem go away.
So we decided to sell and find property that had direct access to a public road, had no restrictions, and cost a whole lot less. In the meantime I took a part-time job back in my home county, we decided that a country home for retirement wasn't going to work, and my cash position improved. All of this was over a span of about 6 years.
So the new plan became finding a piece of property back home where I grew up and building a cabin for week end use, mostly for me alone. So my Land Stories thread showed the result of the second search. And the following quote is from the end of that thread:
QuoteWell those are the photos from the first fall. The property is in Adams county, Ohio about 2.5 miles outside a small town; a little less than 10 acres, mostly wooded, deeper than wide, surrounded by larger farms; on a blacktop township road; no zoning; no restrictions.
Public water is 1000 feet away so is not practical; I was able to get the electric service turned back on to the old house after I put in a new circuit breaker box. I ran an extension cord to the trailer and even had a TV signal until they went digital.
I spent the fall and winter scouting for cabin sites and inspecting trees for potential timber. The previous owner had sold off the larger hardwoods and cedar, but left some pretty big oaks and maples. There is also a variety of hickory, some nut bearing. The loggers left some of the felled cedar for some reason and they will make good porch posts.
So far I have only cut dead trees for timber; oak and hickory so far, and have about a half dozen standing dead that will come down this fall and winter. That's all for now
So perhaps in keeping with failing with the first piece of property, I failed with the first cabin site on the new land. This build thread has taken us so far, through a saga of over 2 years of planning and almost completing a cabin foundation. The next installment, including pics., will attempt to explain why the first site and design failed and the new site and design works so much better.
Hand hewn timbers and a cruck frame d*Your even crazyer than I am [crz]
I LIKE IT [cool]
You have your work cut out for you on this one how fun!
W
QuoteHand hewn timbers and a cruck frame d*Your even crazyer than I am
I LIKE IT
You have your work cut out for you on this one how fun!
W
That's the best compliment I've gotten on this board. :D I've always liked being unique and different (I'm a red-headed left-hander) so being called crazy fits just fine.
Speaking of being unique an different, don't listen to those other guys about the metal brackets. I really appreciate your independence and love the quote "when in doubt make is stout with what you know about."
Keep up the fine work.
Quote from: poppy on July 04, 2009, 01:46:14 PM
Speaking of being unique an different, don't listen to those other guys about the metal brackets.
Yo Poppy it was just a comment.
I really appreciate your independence and love the quote
"when in doubt make is stout with what you know about."
Glad you liked it, Whitty's read my tag line , have you ;)
So who ya gonna listen to ??? c*
QuoteGlad you liked it, Whitty's read my tag line , have you
Sorry Peg, I am a member of a number of boards, and I almost never read tag lines. To me, they are like bumper stickers that are trying to tell me something that I don't necessarily want to know. ::) Having said that and now having read your tag line, I like it; but that's not going to motivate me to read anyone's tag line in the future.
QuoteSo who ya gonna listen to
I'll listen to you or anyone else on this board, and will take whatever comments are made in the spirit that they were made. ;D
If the truth be known, I was going to comment on those brackets that W used, because I had the same thought as some of you-all, and it's something that I would not use in my timber frame. Since I was beaten to the punch and then read W's answer, I understood where he was coming from and just wanted to show some support.
I meant no disrespect to anyone and being a kidder, it is sometimes hard to convey what comments really mean. Such is the bain of communication on the WWW. :(
Darn metal brackets >:( i don't know why they have to make so much trouble [slap]
Poppy as for hand hewn I once made a 16"x30"x30' beam for a museum out of a sugar pine, what a job that was.
Took me all of two days. So I know what it is like to do it.
I can't weight to see your progress.
I don't know if this will help you or if you need to peel any logs?
I leaned a easy way to debark a log from a old timer awhile back.
Dig a ditch to put the log in and use the scraper or blade on your tractor to peel it.
Worked good for me on cedar might not work as good on other woods but it is wroth a try ???
QuoteI don't know if this will help you or if you need to peel any logs?
I leaned a easy way to debark a log from a old timer awhile back.
Dig a ditch to put the log in and use the scraper or blade on your tractor to peel it.
Funny that you brought up this because I was peeling a log today. I will keep the old timer's suggestion in mind, but so far since I have been harvesting standing dead, the bark pretty much just falls off with a little help form the az.
I will be cutting a large live oak sometime this summer for my cruck so I might have to try something like that. Oh wait, that tree is anything but straight; not so sure the ditch method will work. ???
Likely I will let the freshly cut tree dry a little before debarking, but it would mill easier green. d* Oh well, I'll figure it out with a little help from my friends here.
Just a quick update and short introduction to the new cabin site and the start of "Poppy's Pin Pier Plan."
First a couple of spring '09 pics to wet the appetite:
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001.jpg)
My newly dead corkscrew willow and another bush that I don't know the species of. The large pines in the background are along the road and were planted as a WPA project, I think. I know they are not native to this part of Adams County.
For you historials out there, the road past my land roughly follows the old Zane's Trace up from Kentucky. 8)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002.jpg)
The same trees viewed from the opposite direction with the outhouse and largest walnut trees in the background. If you look closely you can see one of the neighbor's barns.
What follows is a photo previously posted about an oak stump removal next to the farm road/driveway about 250 ft. from the road and half way to the original cabin site.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/DSCN0204.jpg)
The large maple tree at the left center defines the intersection of two farm roads. Behind the tree down to the left is the barn, and veering to the right is the road back to the first cabin site near the other end of the pond.
I found the "perfect" site just off camera to the left between the stump and the barn. ;) If anyone is interested I can give a detailed list of why the first site was not so perfect and the new site is. d*
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/100.jpg)
The first of many pics at the new site starting at the NE corner as any good Free Mason would. This shows one pin in and the second one in position and the other two at the ready. This is my own design using 1 1/2" sch. 40 galv. pipe. I can give more detail on the background of the design if anyone is interested. :P
That's all for now. Dale
Are you pounding the pins in then pouring a concrete base around them? Are you using a cap on the pipes while pounding? I can't wait to see more pix. You really have a beautiful piece of land there Poppy....
QuoteAre you pounding the pins in then pouring a concrete base around them? Are you using a cap on the pipes while pounding? I can't wait to see more pix. You really have a beautiful piece of land there Poppy....
Thanks for the kind words.
Yes, there will be a concrete base. Originally the plan was to use a 1' section of 12" Sonotube, but it doesn't provide enough clearance around the pipes. So I have constructed forms 1'x1'x1' and after placing some rebar to help tie the pipes together will pour all four caps in one process. (BTW, larger Sonotubes are really expensive)
By cap, if you mean on the bottom end, then no; the end was left open. Interestingly, the soil compresses about 12" inside the pipe.
If by cap you mean on the top for driving, then yes. The photo shows what I used for the first few after the first one; it's a section of 2" pipe with a slice of bar welded on.
The first pipe was driven using a cast iron threaded pipe cap, but that disintegrated during the drive, which I expected. I actually went through about 5 itterations of driving sleeves during the whole process. d*
5 gallon drywall buckets with the bottom's cut out will give you about 18" of heigth and 12" diam.
John, maybe you misunderstood my pier clearance problem. ??? 12" diameter is not big enough so the 1' sq. form gives me about 16" across the corners.
Thanks for the suggestion anyway, maybe someone else can benefit.
Another installment. I am gradually catching up to present day, and then posting will sloooooow down, since this is a one-old-man show. :P
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/101.jpg)
Three pins in and the 4th almost home; photo looking west.
Another observation, partly based on the sapling in the upper left leaning up hill plus the trough and crown shape of the soil; I think this is an example of soil creep. There is little or no history of landslides on natural slopes in this part of the country, so I was surprised to see this, if that is what it is.
Here is another pic. looking east.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/102.jpg)
If it is soil creep, I don't think it is anything to be concerned about. The slope is only about 2 in 12 and there is no soil erosion until you get to about 300-400 ft. down the hill. Plus none of the large trees have the tell-tell sign of leaning down hill from creep and then bending vertically as it grows.
Until next time.
On to the NW pier after some more site clearing.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-1.jpg)
This is an early morning shot so you can see how the sun hits in the a.m. This was also after some pretty good rain which I mention because wet conditions don't stop the pin placement process. You can see the old house and "new" trailer in the background.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-1.jpg)
NW pier pins in. I did have to slop around in the rain & mud a little on this one. And good ole duct tape used to cover the ends.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006.jpg)
A shot looking west at about mid-morning. The stakes along the right loosely define the north side of the cabin. That maple is a little close. :o
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008.jpg)
Just another pic. showing the upper half of the gate across the new driveway and also showing some of my ditch digging efforts from the first spring. Across the road is a neighbor on about an acre that used to be a part of my land, but was split off before I bought it. He is a bigger junk collector than I, so if I don't have it, he usually does. ;D
Maybe you've been over it, what keeps frost from lifting these when you pour over them?
Don, I will try to show it with a photo when I get to that stage, but the trick is to make the bottom of the concrete cap wedge shaped. That uses the same design concept as the diamond pier.
The Pin Foundation outfit has tested their concept and says it works well in frost heave situations, by allowing the expanding soil to slide up the angled bottom of the concrete while the pins hold it down.
The other design requirement is to get the pin depth well below the frost line and that resists uplift. It's the same principle as putting a spread footing at the bottom of the post hole and tying the post to the footing. The combination of the two will prevent upward movement of the system.
Besides which, my pins are about 3 1/2' deep and the average frost line in these parts is only 12". ;) Those piers aren't going anywhere.
Just for fun, I took some more pics. of some of the Jan. '09 ice damage.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-1.jpg)
This is my largest pine (at least 50') in the yard above the old house. The ice snapped off several limbs.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/014.jpg)
A close-up of the same tree.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/016.jpg)
Curiously enough, some of the pines and cedars did not break, but took on a permanent bend. ??? I didn't take any photos, but several cedars in my main grove were literally topped by the ice. Perhaps you can make out my neighbor's butt ugly satelite dish.
Another update. First for those who are dying to see what a black oak looks like before leafing out.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/013.jpg)
This is one of my largest trees in the front yard of the old house.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/017.jpg)
This is looking SW up the hill past the timber working center towards the cabin site. Note the special hoisting frame in the foreground.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/019.jpg)
The black walnut grove before leafing out. Green is coming, I promise.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/020.jpg)
One of the large sugar maples. It is between the barn and the cabin site. Extra points for those who can spot the chain left from an old tire swing.
More updates. Green is coming, really it is.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/022-1.jpg)
A NW view standing by the sugar maple that anchors the farm road intersection. Beginning the pin work on the third pier.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/024.jpg)
Looking west.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/028.jpg)
OK, maybe not the green you were counting on. This is the strip between condos where we live.
That's all for now. I have to upload some more pics.
I have been attending farm auctions for years and have picked up some good deals. There's also a country radio show called "trash and treasure" where folks call in with things to sell. That has been a decent source also, but none can top craigslist. :)
Here is a brief craigslist story.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007.jpg)
Sorry about the photo being dark, but this is the pile of polyisocyanurate (polyiso) insulation that was on craigslist for FREE. :o It was stored outside and was advertised as being more than a trailer truck load and it was.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-2.jpg)
This is last of the 4 loads I was able to get, before others swooped in. I picked it up really early on a foggy Saturday morning on my way out to the country.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-2.jpg)
The polyiso was closer to our condo than the farm, so it took the place of my wife's car for a while. This is 3 loads worth.
I had mentioned in a General thread back in May, that I had picked up some rough sawn cherry (another craigslist find), that I intended to use for flooring. That meant that I no longer needed the Brazilian Walnut flooring that I "stole" at a building supplies auction.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/017-1.jpg)
The flooring was stored in the basement, so the lighting wasn't too good, but the flooring is pretty dark and heavy also.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/021.jpg)
I had about 200 sf that I ended up selling (on craigslist, of course) to a young Marine who was doing some work on his new house.
Gotta like craigslist. :D
OK, I promised some green, but again probably not what you expected.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/013-1.jpg)
This is my great grandmother's rose bush that spreads like crazy. I have a spot picked out on the farm out by the gate to transplant some later.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/011.jpg)
Since the iron pipe didn't work out, I tried PVC pipe to hold the driving cap. I didn't have to worry about it getting stuck on the pin/pipe, but when the top of the pipe bulged out from pounding, the pipe clamp broke and pieces flew about 15.' So I had to cut a new piece of PVC for eash pin.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/012-2.jpg)
Pin #4 on pier #3.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/014-1.jpg)
This was the set up for the 4th pier. It worked pretty well. It's a "rubber" nipple.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/016-1.jpg)
Some of the pins really took a beating, because I had to hammer directly on the pipe once the driving cap was unusable. The pin on the left is set fully and the one on the right shows what the driving cap did to it.
If I do any more of these, I would need a better driving system, at least for 1 1/2" pipe.
The porch piers could be done with 1" pipe which would probably drive OK without a driving cap. Or I may just use 8" Sonotubes.
A little more on craigslist.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-1.jpg)
There was still some lingering moisture on some of the insulation coverings, so I used a little solar energy to help out before storing in the house.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-1.jpg)
This damage was part of the adventure in getting the Franklin fireplace.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-3.jpg)
Another FREE craigslist find less than 2 miles from the condo; aluminum gutter and flashing.
Some promised green plus a bonus photo.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/018-1.jpg)
This is some fruit from a patch of trees known as one of the northern most tropical fruit trees. Extra points for those who can ID it without looking it up.
And a view that we used to have.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/013-2.jpg)
This was taken from a park in northern KY overlooking downtown Cincinnati and Covington. This is the updated view that we had about 10 years ago when we were apartment dwellers and during the time that I first started looking for country property.
Since this is a building forum, you all might be interested in the strange looking building in the upper right. It is called the Assent, I think, and houses some very expensive condos.
Also, so that we all stay grounded, the large flat building in the middle-right is the IRS processing center. >:(
Just a thought.
If you built a combo fence post driver and slide hammer you may get the pins in easier and with less mushroom.
Frank, thanks for the thought. I did consider a fence post type slide hammer, but it seems like a backbreaking operation.
You said I couldn't check so I'm going to say its a paw paw.
VT does have a good dendro website.
Old plants are neat, we have some of granddad's. There's a rose in the yard of one house in the county that, well, you remember "the war of the roses"?, its from that rose, a cutting a family member brought over.
Your avatar got me thinking, I prefer an adze myself, I've got much more control. I really prefer a sawmill :D
Yep, Don, it's paw paw. I mainly took the photo this year because the fruit usually disappears before I can harvest any. The deer get them, I think.
The paw paw patch was a surprise discovery after I noticed the flowers one spring. It's fun to explore my "spread" to discover what I didn't know about originally.
I got a rose cutting from my daughter's house, who got one from my mother's house, who got one from her mother's house.
My avatar was an experiment to see if I could add it. I may change it later after doing some real timber frame work, like with a chisel.
I hear you on the adze. The broad ax seemed to work better with how high the log was on the horses (the height for the chainsaw mill).
I have an adze that seems to work well for debarking. And I can see more Amish sawmill in my future. ;)
Paw Paw Oh yeah. I remember some of my childhood was spent along the Ohio so they were abundant there. On this side of the state however no. Just to the east they are present. I tried for several years to grow them by seed. Someone said to plant the whole fruit. No that didn't work either.
I like the draw knife to debark. A little safer.
John, folks have tried to grow paw paw patches for years with little success. My neighbor says his experience is that they seem to grow better up near a building.
I would think that one would have to transplant whole trees, rather than grow by seed.
My patch is at the edge of the woods in a depression between the house and barn and is expanding and trying to take over one of my blackberry patches. :(
I agree that the draw knife is safer and I have a couple of different sizes, but none are curved that would make debarking easier. I only use the adze on old logs. I haven't tried it on freshly cut trees.
Yeah I tried the tree's first no luck. Then just the seed the year later same story. Then the third year I planted the whole Paw-paw and still nothing. I beginning to think they just don't like the mountains.
Draw knife works good on trees that the sap is up. Not so good but doable on ones in the winter but a little more work.
John, I'll ask my neighbor about the paw paw trees. I had the impression that he started a patch, but maybe not. He's a good 'ole boy and knows stuff. ;)
Are you using caps solely to prevent the tops of the poles from shattering? Because I would think ( d* ) that with it mushrooming out, would give it more gripping area once you pour the concrete forms...
QuoteAre you using caps solely to prevent the tops of the poles from shattering? Because I would think ( ) that with it mushrooming out, would give it more gripping area once you pour the concrete forms...
No, the primary reason for using a driving cap was to make the hammer blows more efficient and distribute the impact across the whole cross-section of the pipe. The 1 1/2" sch. 40 pipe is 1 1/2" ID and the head of the hammer is about that same size, so it would have been virtually impossible to drive the whole length without some type of cap.
I didn't anticipate the severe mushrooming though, because it didn't happen on the first 4 pins; but you are correct in that the split ends will indeed grip the concrete better, although I will be using rebar also.
If I use 1" pipe for the porch piers, there will be no need to use caps, provided my lack of depth perception doesn't steer me wrong. :(
These are some catch-up pics. on some of my building materials finds and one on the pier system also.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/016-2.jpg)
These are the 12"x12"x12" pier cap forms under construction on the back porch shop. One side forms the wedge shape for the bottom of the concrete. This was taken before I decided to put bevel strips in the corners.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/020-1.jpg)
This represents two finds: 1. The trailer from a radio ad on "Trash & Treasure" and 2. 2x lumber from craigslist.
The lumber is actual size 2x4, 2x8, & 2x10. Most of the 8's & 10's are 15.5 ft. long. The 2x4's are of varying lengths.
It is reclaimed lumber from an old house in Cincinnati. Some of the 2x10's were floor joists and some were ceiling/floor joists. The 2x8's were probably attic joists.
This lumber along with some 10" I joists from an auction, will dictate the floor framing design.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/021-1.jpg)
In the process of unloading and stacking the 2x's in the old garage where three other finds are already stored.
The timbers on the right (from Trash & Treasure) are from a 100 yr. old barn. They range in size from 4x4 to about 6x6 and up to 13 ft. long. Some of them are hewed; most are sawn. There was a total of 2 trailer loads with this find, including rafters, T&G siding, and a couple of doors. (See next photo)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/022-2.jpg)
The other side of the garage showing more of the "timber" find and 2 auction finds. There are some 2x12's from one auction and some 2x2x8 & 12 PT deck material, which are actually more visible on the previous pic.
Am attempting to stack material in reverse order from how it's used in construction. :P
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/023-1.jpg)
A close-up of some of the 2x10 reclaimed lumber. I'm not sure what type wood it is (probably pine), but it is heavy and dense stuff. :o I have a photo coming later showing a close-up of the end grain on a freshly cut 2x4.
Until next time.
All that pin pounding looks like a lot of work! Hey at least you don't have to dig any holes though. ;D
How many sledge hammer handles have you gone thru so far? ;)
So...you pour a concrete cap on top of the pins and then use wood piers on top of that?
What is the idea behind the wedge shape on one side? Just trying to picture how this all goes together. ???
Good idea on the chamfer strip in the corner of the forms, adds that nice professional look.
I'm also a big fan of auctions and Craigslist. I've found a ton of great deals at both places, got great deals on a lot of my tools and some of building supplies there!
Beavers, Yea, the pin pounding was indeed mucho work, but I actually enjoyed it. :D And hear it now and believe it tomarrow, no handles were harmed in any way. Not digging holes was the main reason for trying this system, because it doesn't save money.
Yes, the pins will have the concrete cap, and on the uphill side the girder will be placed directly on them. There will be wood piers on the down hill side.
The wedge shape is on only one side because that is the downhill side and I wanted to keep it open for drainage. The wedge shape will continue under the whole pier with the soil sloping in on the other 3 sides. I'm trying to take photos that will show it more clearly. The idea is that there be no horizontal flat surfaces for uplift forces to get a purchase.
I'm not sure how professional the chamfers will look since I used the sawsall to split some square stock. :-[ I'm still looking for a good band saw on craigslist.
I am addicted to craigslist, but auctions are more fun. There's a huge lumber auction in 2 weeks that has over 50,000 bf of rough sawn air dried lumber of various types. :o
And now I'm off to Lowe's to get concrete and load it on top of the latest craigslist lumber.
One thing to really keep an eye out for on recycled wood is powderpost beetles, look for fresh piles of frass in your stacks, nothing is more frustrating than incorporating infested wood into a new structure. And just a FYI for those reading, grapevine wreaths are an excellent way of bringing the little devils in as well ;)
Don, thanks for the tip on the powerpost beetles. I will probably need to treat for them.
Which reminds me that some of the dead trees that I have been harvesting have wood eating varmits of their own; either termites or carpenter ants.
Don, do you or anyone else have recommendations for a general purpose treatment that can be applied to lumber either before construction or after?
Yet another craigslist story.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-2.jpg)
A woman had her black walnut tree cut down and cut into 3 logs. I loaded them single handed with the special lifting frame and a nifty little cable wench which was an auction find. The swing set frame was left by the previous owner of my property.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-3.jpg)
You might be able to see the boat winch on the front of the trailer which helped a lot. A couple of small pieces of pipe were used as rollers.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-2.jpg)
This is how I roll a log that is too big to handle with the peevy.
And one green shot thrown in.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/013-3.jpg)
This is one of the sugar maples that sustained some ice damage. I'm getting first hand knowledge on how brittle maple can be. More on that later.
That's all for now.
After dealing with a flat tire on the trailer, I got the walnut to the Amish sawmill.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-2.jpg)
The Amish mill normally handles cedar here on the Woodmiser band saw mill, but this is the largest walnut log on the mill. They had to do some chain saw trimming to compete a pass.
Even though the two young Amish men said it was OK to include them in the photo, I did not do it out of respect for the elders who generally don't allow photos of their people.
They went through 2 band saw blades on this little project.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-1.jpg)
A trailer load of sawn walnut, some timber size and some quarter sawn 1" stock.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-5.jpg)
Beginnings of a drying stack in the barn.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-1.jpg)
The walnut (about 175 bf) will get a good air dry before it is used somewhere in the interior of the cabin.
The far end of the stack is tucked under the 10" I joists that I "stole" at an auction. I picked up about 180 LF of joists for a grand total of $3.00. :o
The black walnut lumber is great to have, especially if you're going to build any furniture. Sounds like you bought the stack of TJI's for about the price of two linear feet at the lumberyard. Way to go!
For a general purpose treatment I like to use a borate dip. I get a 50 lb sack of Solubor from the farm supply and mix it 1 lb/gallon of water. I made a dip tank out of scrap ply and lumber, subfloor glue, a million nails and some junk paint. It's 16' longx 16"widex~8" deep holds around 30 gallons and 3-4 boards weighted down. The longer you leave em in the better. A few gallons of antifreeze or any glycol will help penetration by slowing drying. This can be brushed or sprayed on too but doesn't get in as deep. It goes in best on very green wood, right off the mill. Its an insecticide/fungicide with very low mamalian toxicity. That is the chemically identical recipe to Timbor if you want to google it's MSDS. With antifreeze google Boracare. This runs a fraction of the cost, everything is the same but the color of the bag.
I'm not sure if it would work unless you can pop off your fenders easily, I run locally without. With large logs I parbuckle them over the side. I pull up alongside the length of the log, set up 2 ramps, hook come alongs and chains from the far side of the trailer, under the log and back to the far side of the trailer. Winch in the comealongs and it rolls the log up the ramps, over the tires and onto the bed. I take several comealongs and clip in a fresh unstrung one when the one I'm using is winched in. I've loaded 32"x14' logs solo this way.
One of my early log skidding experiences, I delimbed a large oak up on the mountainside along the road and hooked my 100' cable to it. I drove down the road watching the log snake down the hill nicely and turn onto the road, roll across the road and on down the other side. This moment in time is what a friend of mine calls an ignosecond, the mass is in motion and your just along for the ride. Some real quick ciphering goes through my noggin, the cable's good for 13,000 lbs, the log weighs 5 or 6 and the truck weighs about 3,,, uh oh. I'm bracing for a backwards ride down the mountain when somehow the cable snaps. I'm thinking life is good, then notice in the rearview that the cable is approaching the back window at about a zillion miles an hour. I decide the seat is looking good and dive down as the cable lobs itself over the roof. Happily he looks out for fools and small children. Anyway over the next 2 days I learned an awful lot about parbuckling a really sweet log up a mountain d*. Its part of our kitchen.
Not sure if you've seen it, this shows one of my lifting contraptions tipping up a timberframe bent;
http://windyhilllogworks.com/shop.htm
Neat P&B Don. I also like the restoration of The Thomas/Padgett Home. Reminds me of a lot. Nice work by the way. Have you ever heard of a guy named Miller near Pigeon Forge? He makes jigs for log joints.
Ed Miller, yes we've chatted online a few times, sharp guy :)
Thanks for the kind words, That restoration brings back memories of bringing back 28' logs on a 14' trailer :D
QuoteThe black walnut lumber is great to have, especially if you're going to build any furniture
I agree, but don't have any current plans for furniture.(have done a little furniture work with walnut in the past)
I may use some of the 1" quartersawn for flooring along with the cherry I already have and may throw in some maple from a tree I just cut.
I will probably set aside some of the quartersawn for some future project, but the tree didn't yield quite as much as I had hoped. :(
As you can see from the photos, the tree was crazy with wane and knots. It was a stand alone tree in a back yard, so had low branches and not much of a straight clear trunk.
At least there will be black walnut in the cabin without having to cut one of my good trees. :D
Wow! Don, you continue to amaze with your knowledge and resources.
Will certainly look into the borate dip tank idea.
On another vein, I had been thinking about making a dip tank to pretreat the rough sawn cedar planned for the siding. Not for varmits, but for stain. I'm not really crazy about the grey hue produced from naturally weathering cedar.
Perhaps I could kill two birds with one stone, as far as the tank is concerned?
Thanks for the pointers on loading logs. The trailer fenders are welded on, so not sure if I can load from the side. But I'm always interested in alternative ways to do things safely by myself.
That is one scary story about the log down the mountain. :o You really dodged a bullet, so to speak.
I have a pretty big maple log that will go to the Amish mill at some point and may have to take some of the oak also, if I can't get the chain saw mill back in operation.
One of the biggest challenges coming up is how to halve the huge oak for the cruck frame. My largest chain saw has not been repaired yet and it will be a stretch to make it work with the Alaskan mill on this tree.
I'll probably try to find a larger Stihl to rent.
And many thanks for the link to the frame raising. I had not yet seen that. The cabin frame raising phase is not planned out yet, but the jib pole idea has been in the mix.
This build is solo up to a point. A frame raising party with family and friends is on the agenda. ;D
I finally put together several photos of potential cruck frame trees. First a little background. Several years ago, before buying the farm, I picked up a book at HALF PRICED BOOKS puplished by Fine Homebuilding in their GREAT HOUSES series titled Timber-Frame Houses.
I can't remember when I first got interested in timber framing, but it was many years ago and this book caught my attention. One of the featured houses was a Cruck House by Jack Sobon. This image and others were in my mind as I first scouted out what was to become the property for my cabin.
Solon made 3 cruck frames for this cabin that were 16' wide at the base and 16' high.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/014-2.jpg)
This was the first unusual tree that caught my attention, but as you can see from the next photo it was not practical for a cruck.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/018-2.jpg)
Just a little skinny at a critical knee joint.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/011-1.jpg)
The second tree to get my attention, but it has twists and turns in too many directions.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-2.jpg)
The third tree I discovered and the one that convinced me that a cruck frame was possible.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/015.jpg)
This one is the final selection and the one that I had previously posted but the photo was a little dark. This large white oak tree has a perfect cruck shape (Ogee to be exact) and is pretty straight in the plane parallel to the cruck shape.
The pic. doesn't do it justice because it's hard to get the full height in one shot where you can see the full Ogee shape
So there you have one of the reasons for buying this wooded property.
So the cruck frame will be at the mid point of the house, or do you have to find another perfect tree for the other end?
Any other timber framing book suggestions? Your build and the pics that Whitlock posted of his awesome cabin have really got me interested in timber framing, might have try a timber frame porch on my house. ;D
OK.. now I have to google cruck framed houses.
NM quote
QuoteOK.. now I have to google cruck framed houses
Unfortunately there is not a great deal of detail out there for the cruck frame. The article by Jack Sobon that I mentioned has about as much detail that you can find on the actual construction methods, as far as a small cabin is concerned.
Let me know if I can help.
Wow Poppy, thats quite an endeavor, the cruck timber frame, I can't wait to see which tree you use.... [cool]
I just bought Rob Roys 'Timberframing for the rest of us', but the Jack Sobon looks pretty interesting, but beyond my skill level...
I love reading your posts, you always come up with cool ideas.....and I envy you for all your great finds...
If you have problems with carpenter ants, I just bought some liquid Terro ant bait at LOWES and with in one day they were gone... I had some fire wood stored by my old porch that I ripped down and am replacing, and noticed they were wondering around looking for a place to hang, well, I hope they brought it back to their nest... I haven't seen any for a few days now... it has borax as the main ingredient. I have some rough lumber covered & stored and put some of the bait around the piles, I'll let ya know how it works...
Beavers, There will be only one cruck frame on the south wall and a more conventional timber frame on the north wall; just 2 main frames.
Here are the books I have in the order of importance to me:
1. Build a Classic Timber-Framed House by Jack A. Sobon
2. Building the Timber Frame House by Tedd Benson
3. A Timber Framer's Workshop by Steve Chappell
And these books gave me general inspiration and ideas:
1. Homing Instinct by John Connell, founder of Yestermorrow design/build school
2. Creative Country Construction by Robert Inwood & Christian Bruyere
3. Living Homes by Thomas J. Elpel
And then there's the article about simplified timber frame design in the Feb/Mar issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS
Hope this helps
secord
Quotebut beyond my skill level
If you are building your own house then you have the skill level. I have never built a timber frame of any size; I am learning as I go.
Of course, I don't have a time deadline so I can take what time it takes. ;)
Thanks for the kind words and yes I have scored on some good finds, but keep in mind that I have been at this for 2 years and 10 months so far.
Plus someone once taught that the harder your work the luckier you get.
QuoteI love reading your posts, you always come up with cool ideas
Again, thanks for the kind words, and I hope some of the things I'm attempting are cool. Some of these ideas have been perculating for many years.
I designed my first house (built by my sister-in-law) over 40 years ago and haven't designed anything that's been built since. d*
And thanks for the tip on the carpenter ants.
Ahhhh... here we go...
http://www.crucks.eclipse.co.uk/crucks1024/index.html
Here's a general interest set of photos:
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-4.jpg)
The gate design by the old house.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-3.jpg)
Gate design for the new driveway to the cabin site.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/014-3.jpg)
The black walnut grove already weighed down with some developing nuts.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/016-4.jpg)
Black berry patch by the barn.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/011-2.jpg)
An apple tree on the neighbor across the road. I think I mentioned before that his 1 acre used to be a part of my land before I bought it.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-2.jpg)
OK, today's test is to name that fruit (also on the neighbor across the road)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/015-1.jpg)
And the second test to name that fruit on one of my trees behind the barn. This was one of those surprise finds just this summer.
Until next time.
More craigslist stuff and some more tree harvesting:
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-4.jpg)
Fairly cheap lumber source found on craigslist. And the swing was free from craigslist. The frame will be useful for some of my log lifting needs.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-3.jpg)
Getting ready to offload the lumber at the job site. The log is a future oak (I think) 8x8 post for the conventional timber frame on the north wall. It was the second standing dead tree that was harvested.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-3.jpg)
The end grain on one of the real 2x4's that was reclaimed.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/021-2.jpg)
The first standing dead sugar maple to be harvested.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/022-3.jpg)
I ended up with about an 18' log that will be going to the Amish saw mill at some point.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/023-2.jpg)
The maple stump. Even though this tree was only dead for a little over a year, it snapped off like a twig with 6" of tree left to cut. The bottom shows where the first wedge cut was made. The top is the final cut and the middle is a 6" wide section that snapped off. I knew maple had some brittle characteristics, but I didn't expect this. :o No beams will be cut from this log. 8)
Looks like a nice place you have there, Poppy. I grew up in Gallia County Ohio and my fam ran an orchard for many years. The 1st pic look like unripe peaches(maybe plum) and the 2nd might be Paw Paw. How close am I?
Chadd
Chadd, thanks.
You are correct on the peaches, but not on the second one. I posted a paw paw pic. a while back.
A couple more general interests pics.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/017-2.jpg)
I was surprised to find this maple leaf that still held its color this late and the camera doesn't do it justice.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/019-2.jpg)
Just some of the wild flowers on the pond bank.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/020-2.jpg)
A sumac grove at the end of the pond. Not sure if it is the poison type.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/013-4.jpg)
And here is a teaser for the upcoming pier detail.
The story is now up to date, but not sure how soon a new update will be coming. Have had some delays because of family issues.
The sumac is not poison sumac, gets called shoemake by some. It can be used for whistles.
The maple is sporting some nice spalt, have them saw it for panelling unless you have some woodturner buddies. The black lines are the spalt rot. It might have died a year ago but the heart was rotting long before that. Those trees can be widowmakers. Are you familiar with using a bore cut to fell?
Quote from: poppy on July 21, 2009, 10:50:34 PM
Plus someone once taught that the harder your work the luckier you get.
Yep...work hard enough and you can do anything!
Thanks for the book suggestions, I'll check them out.
Don, I'm sure you are correct on the sumac. The leaves are just too narrow to be the poison variety. I just seem to recall from childhood that we should stay away from the sumac. There is some poison sumac in parts of Ohio, but probably not as far south as I am.
On the maple; I don't think any mill around here can do a paneling cut; besides I have other uses for it. ;)
I don't have any turning buddies, but I did turn some goblets out of old maple bowling pins in HS shop class. Unfortunately the bowling pins I got after getting my own lathe were laminated and hollow. d*
Yea, I knew the maple was starting to die long before it lost all of it's leaves for good. There was a hollow place in the base as well as a hollow spot about 10' up. Actually I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't more rot. It seems to be concentrated along one side. That will be the first cut that I ask the mill to do, that is to saw off the rot.
No, I am not familiar with a bore cut. I surely need to find out more about that. :-[
Besides paneling or turning stock, do you have any more recommendations on what kind of lumber I should cut it for? I was figuring that I would get some quartersawn 1" stuff, and maybe some 4x4 to be used as interior posts with light loads, but it sounds like I need to cut to maximize the spalt pattern.
Just did a little research on bore cutting for felling trees and some of it makes sense. Will need to do a little more research, since I have 4 or 5 more standing dead to harvest (none of them are maple though).
Also did a little searching on spalting maple and it looks as though cross-cutting and flat grain cutting is the way to go rather than quartersawn.
I am always open for suggestions on what to do with this maple, so long as it relates to some use inside the cabin. ;D
First thing to remember when felling any tree is to look up, and actually anytime we walk in the woods it's a good idea to look up, there can be a timber supported by tired angels flapping up there. My wife has a 14 stitch scar in her scalp to attest to it. Aside from shedding limbs, dead trees are very unpredictable, we just don't know how strong the wood is, so they can let go at almost any point. That is also why it is generally a good idea to pass on any wood with decay for structural parts, the strength is just too unpredictable. There is no good way of determining the strength loss and it can be well over 50% before obvious signs of rot show themselves. I use wood with any spalting, or "incipient decay" (another good one to google), for non structural or heating. Spalt is the polite term for incipient decay, sort of like calling that maple "overmature" :).
A sawmill can make 4/4, or 1" thick, boards out of "character" wood that you can then dry and use for non structural use. I turn some of this into panelling with a planer and then tongue and groove bits on a router table. Spalted wood makes nice trim, cabinets, furniture, etc.
I did a google and there do seem to be a number of videos and hits on bore cutting. I don't know how experienced you are with a saw so don't try anything you are not totally understanding. Nose work with a chainsaw is the main way to cause a kickback. If the upper quadrant of the nose contacts wood it is going to try to throw the nose around. So a bore cut is started on the lower quadrant of the nose until you can slip the nose into the tree. This is the dangerous time of a bore cut. Once the bar is in the tree and boring that risk is over, the saw may try to back out if you start cutting on the top but it can't kickback when inside the tree. Short of that this is the safest way to fell any tree and the method I use almost exclusively. You can do your openface notch and bore the tree and walk away, it won't fall, there's no rush. Tap the remaining backstrap and she comes down. There is none of that frantically hurrying the backcut in hopes that the tree doesn't split and high chair on you. With a dead tree it is a judgement call on how much backstrap to leave and it is a judgement call on when to walk away from a tree. I've got a large maple on the back line that will either rot there or if a dozer is here I'll let him pull it down with a cable, but it simply isn't worth the risk for a pile of lumber. I hope that doesn't sound like a lecture, just be safe out there, we ain't worth a thing hurt :)
Thanks Don again for your thoughtful and detailed response. It didn't sound like a lecture to me and I appreciate the wisdom.
I am no chainsaw expert but know how to follow sound advice and be safe. Fortunately I don't have any more dead maples to tempt me. :D
I misunderstood your comment originally on paneling; I wasn't thinking 4/4, but something much thinner. Some T&G stuff from that maple might just be the ticket for some kitchen cabinets.
Thanks again, and isn't there someone out there who can take a stab at what kind of fruit I posted earilier??
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?
It looked like a quince to me.
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.
persimmon
white ebony :D
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. :)
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
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
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.
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. ;)
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.
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.
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....
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-4.jpg)
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.
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.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-5.jpg)
Well, at least is gave me the opportunity to make sure the site was draining in the right directions.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-5.jpg)
The trip wasn't a total loss, since there were enough black berries for a pie. :)
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.
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!
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. ::)
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.
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.
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.
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. :(
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-5.jpg)
Rebar and Simpson ties ready to be set in the forms. Note the top secret release agent for the forms. 8)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-6.jpg)
Rebar in place for one pier.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-6.jpg)
A competed form, ready for concrete. Once I got two forms ready, my back gave out. d*(
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.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-6.jpg)
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.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-7.jpg)
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
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-4.jpg)
The frame assembled over the stock pile just above the cabin site.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-4.jpg)
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.
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.
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.
Finally, an update with some actual construction work completed. ::) But first a message from Mother Nature.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-7.jpg)
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.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-7.jpg)
Them "rooms" are big in the country. That's my size 10 1/2 there.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-5.jpg)
When you get to my age, sitt'n down on the job is a given. :P Had to reposition some of the ties.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-5.jpg)
Decided that the NE pier needed a "corner stone" marking. Wally World had cheap numbers.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-4.jpg)
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.
Part II
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-3.jpg)
Set up and ready to pour, with the first 5 bags of concrete mix. I left the generator (COSTCO) in the barn and strung a 100' cord to it. The electric mixer was an auction find.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/018-3.jpg)
The old coal bucket (auction find) makes the perfect concrete mix tranfer device. 40# of mix is a lot easier than 80#. :D The expandable walk board is another auction find.
On the first bag, the mixer threw the belt. Oh no, that's one thing I forgot to check. d* It was old and cracked, but I got it back on and was able to complete the pour without making a hardware store run. ;D
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/012-3.jpg)
The "pan" is from a free broken down wheel barrow found on craigslist. Decided to shovel the concrete into the forms from the central location of the mixer.
45 minutes in, the generator shut down. It still had gas so I don't know why is stopped, but I didn't have time to mess with it, so the backup plan of stringing another 150' of cord down to the house was put into play.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/016-5.jpg)
The left over re-bar makes a good ram rod to get the concrete into all the right places.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/019-3.jpg)
It took a little less than 9 bags to complete the 4 piers. I knew I should have left the spare bag in the barn. d*
Under structure for the floor framing coming up next, once my body recovers. :P
Quote from: poppy on August 19, 2009, 12:03:46 PM
45 minutes in, the generator shut down.
Low oil? Mine has a low oil shutoff.
Thanks, Don, it could be low oil. I'll check it next time out.
Poppy, I may be the most appreciative member viewing your work of pouring the piers. Oh how I hate doing those things. I'm set up to pour the last 3 in the morning and afterwards, I think I will do a little Irish jig!
I'm excited for you doing a timber frame building, it'll be great if it keeps up with the quality of your work so far, good luck.
Out of curiosity, where abouts in southern Ohio are you? I'm over in St. Clairsville, about 9 miles west of Wheeling, WV.
-Dave
Dave, My place is in Adams County, just north of West Union.
Ah, well there isn't much over there. West Union used to be home to a hand full of covered bridges but it's been a few for me since I've been around, we used to use 125 to 52 to go to the new ball park. I mostly stick to Pennsylvanian sports now, not as far of a drive to Pittsburgh for me.
If you ever decide to come visit over here bring your tool belt ;) and work truck. I'm sure I'll need WANT something else built by then. :)
-Dave
Jim, thanks for your encouragement. No question that concrete work is hard; but if it were easy, anybody could do it. :D
I still have the porch piers to do, but haven't decided on a final design. Whatever the design, I will try to minimize the amount of concrete needed.
I don't think I have enough Irish blood (used to have some red hair) to do a jig, but there will be some dancing when there is a deck to dance on. [waiting]
Once the timber frame work starts then I will start believing that a cabin is really going up.
Dave, there is still an active covered bridge about 5 miles (as the crow flies) from my farm, just down the road from the largest Amish settlement.
Another one near where I grew up SW of West Union was de-commissioned and the road rerouted around it. It's still standing but is in disrepair. If someone doesn't fix the roof, it's going to rot away. :(
Don't hold your breath waiting for me to help you build something. ;) I barely have enough energy to keep my project going.
The latest craigslist find and a question for the experts here.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-8-1.jpg)
This is one of the 5 Anderson Silver Line 3900 all matching new construction windows that I just got off craigslist. 3 are 35 1/2 x 51 1/2 double hung vinyl inside and out. One is 35 1/2 x 59 1/2 and one is 71 3/4 x 51 1/2 double wide double hung (2 windows attached). Included were 6 full height screens.
The bonus pieces were a Pella arched accent window and 3 sets of vinyl shutters. Everything for $160. :)
Here is the window technical specs.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-6.jpg)
And here is a glazing scheme for the south wall of the cabin;
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/cabinsouthrightside.png)
So the question for the experts on the window labled 60x36 (the 35 1/2 x 59 1/2 window turned on its side) is what modifications should I make on this window? ??? I figure that weep holes will need to added along what is now the bottom side, but is there anything else to worry about? :-\
The windows look great what a nice find.
I would have to say I am very impressed with your foundation a home made version of that pin foundation. And I'm very envious that you only had to mix 9 bags to finish your job very ingenious. Although down the road I cant wait to see you get those trees in place for your cruck frame.
What a hellavu find! All those windows for only $160 [cool]
The only thing that comes to mind other than what you had mentioned is that the window is designed to operate in the verticle fashion. d* I am not sure that it will operate correctly being a slider on the horizontal. Most don't seem to like laying on their side.
John, thanks for the reply. The guy who sold me the windows said that with the window on its side, it will tend to pop open when the locks are unlatched, since they are designed (spring loaded or something) to assist the opening in the vertical direction.
I guess I could just laid it down and give it a try. ::)
Yea, Beavers it seemed to be too good to be true when I first saw the ad which was 2 weeks old by the time I noticed it. But then again, the ad only listed the double wide double hung window by itself for $35. On craigslist around here that kind of window would typically be listed at $75-$100.
I Emailed the guy thinking that if it was as good of a deal as it appeared, it would be gone. His response was that not only was it still available, but he also had several single wides that matched. [shocked]
When I talked to him by phone and verified what he had, I fell all over myself getting down to his house which was about 35 miles away, but it was surely worth it. And I didn't even know about the small window and the shutters until I was already loaded. ;D ;D
Thanks for the kind words Bob. I'm pretty pleased with the way the piers turned out, but the concrete work is not quite done yet. I still have the porch piers to do. d*
The cruck blades will certainly be a challenge, but I am looking forward to it. I really respect the way our ancestors crafted their structures and I want to test my mechanical aptitude in crafting my own. :P By the way, I will definitely be open to suggestions on methods when the time comes. 8)
Gotta say that you scored big time on those windows! Congratulations! I've been chasing around for windows on CL as well, and I've probably spent more in gas & my time for the ones I've picked up for FREE, and on a couple, I get there to find the nail fins cut off & lots of screw holes. Work smarter, not harder, right? I love the beige/tan color; doesn't stand out like the typical white vinyl & will fit in with your architectural style far better. Now you've got me thinking...hmmm, maybe I should hold out for the colored frames. ???
Thanks waggin, I must say that my patience paid off. I was determined to get windows that were darker than white. They were advertized as tan but officially are beige.
I have been going to auctions for almost 3 years and always look for windows. There is one particular surplus building materials auction held in an old tobacco warehouse about 6 or 7 times a year and it always has windows.
One down side to this auction is that there is a buyers premium of 10% on windows, but not on other items like lumber or flooring.
Most of the windows are white, of course, and most often there is only two or three that match. I bid on some nice tan windows that had 10 or 12 matching in various sizes. I stopped at $70 per window; the buyer paid $75 plus 10% and bought most of them. Boy I'm sure glad I missed out on that buy. 8)
I did buy a brown aluminum clad casement window that was new but weathered at an auction a couple of years ago for $7. It has a half moon section on the top and will probably go on the north wall, unless I find something better.
For some reason, I didn't try craigslist until this year; better late than never. ::)
Got the new windows out to the farm to store in the barn, but first I ran a test on the one that I was thinking of turning on its side.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-8.jpg)
After leveling the window, I released the locks and the window flew open and smacked into the stop as shown here. The seller said it would "tend" to pop open, but I didn't expect it to completely open. :o
If I were smart, I would adjust the telephoto setting a little on the camera to get rid of the wide angle distortion. d*
The Silver Line series has what they call a Block & Tackle operating system, whatever that means. At any rate when the window is in the correct orientation, it opens very easily. I'm thinking that this window will be used on another wall. ;)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-8-2.jpg)
Here are the extras. I actually got a total of 8 screens. There was already one installed on the taller one that I tested. So I have 3 extra screens in the tall size, but only 4 of the regular size. The seller thought I could get one of the taller screens cut down for the fifth window.
Not sure what I'm going to do with the white shutters. At least they were free. ;D
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-6-1.jpg)
Here is the double wide window. It was the only one not in the factory wrap. It may have been installed, but it wasn't really used.
All 6 windows and screens and shutters are now safely stored until installation sometime in 2012??? ::)
After getting the new windows safety stored in the barn, it was time to do some stripping; of the concrete forms, that is. ;)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-4.jpg)
Not sure whether I like the funky OSB pattern on the concrete, but it is what it is.
Now for all of you-alls who did not respond to the contest to speculate on what would happen to the numbers on the NE pier; here are the results. So it's too late to claim the great prize that I had in mind. 8)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-7-1.jpg)
The bottom of the "2" tried to come off with the form, but the others all stayed put. I need to clean them up some more, but there won't be any doubt about when this foundation was laid. :D
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-6.jpg)
Seems like there are some things missing that's needed for the next phase. ???
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/011-4.jpg)
This is my version of the water level (before getting some food coloring from Wally World). This shows the highest pier to the lowest pier (SW to NE) which is about a drop of 31 3/4". TexstarJim had the right idea with colored water. I got green.
The site slope is on the short side of 2 in 12 which is about the average across the whole length of the property.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/012-4-1.jpg)
A close up of the NE pier. Yes the water level is visible, but without the color it's a little hard to see.
Poppy, in the interest of science, while you have the water level out please benchmark the pier height to a fixed object somewhere in the landscape so that you can check it again in the spring.
Don, thanks for the reminder. I had thought about doing that before, but forgot about it lately.
As I learned in my surveying days, a spike at the base of a large tree will do the trick or maybe a long rod driven deep.
I wasn't really worried about settling over the winter, but, as you say, in the interest of science.... 8)
I will make it a project to check the elevations of the piers at least once a year, but I won't mind getting a reminder from you all as the years progress.
I decided to move the garage over the build site. Not easy to do by yourself, but got it and the stockpile moved. Now for some actual work.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-6.jpg)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-8.jpg)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-7.jpg)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-7.jpg)
A friend's neighbor had given me some old cedar shelving which made for good girder gussets.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-5.jpg)
I did get a little more done than pictured, but was so excited about finally driving some nails that I forgot about the camera. ;D
Ahhhh poppy, you're coming right along, great! Glad you used the water level, it works! And Don mentioning the placement of a benchmark for observing long-time settling is something I never thought of, thanks for the input Don, great idea. I'll be sure to do that before I get too far along.
Poppy, your numbers turned out really great and like you say, there will be no question of when you started this project. [cool]
I've told you all about the building supplies auction held several times a year in a tobacco warehouse. Went to another one on Sunday because they advertised what looked like the Silver Line windowns that I got off craigslist.
Sure enough, they were the same line, but were replacement rather than new construction; had half screens and single hung rather than double. They were also odd sizes.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-8.jpg)
As you can see, they had a bunch. Actually over 100 windows in 4 or 5 different sizes. I didn't get there in time to see them sell but the clerk told me they went for $90 a window. [shocked] Then they add a 10% buyers premium and then sales tax on top of that. [rofl2]
It's no wonder they only sold about 10 of them. They will still be there for many more auctions in the future.
I still am optimistic that there will be some window deals to be had at this auction in odd ball lots. :P
Got back to building the first girder.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-10.jpg)
Prep for the second side of the girder.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-9.jpg)
This shows the pipe clamps that were scored at an auction; they came with long pipes so I went to the local plumbing store and picked up a couple of 2' pipes to make them easier to handle.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-8.jpg)
Prep for the top flange. Sometimes clamping is more basic. :P
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-9.jpg)
The water level works much better with a little color; plus I wanted to verify the height of the riser required.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-11.jpg)
First termite guard.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-10.jpg)
Riser assembly.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-8.jpg)
Since I don't have a surface planer yet, I used a combination of shim thicknesses to get the necessary differential between piers. This is the upper pier.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-9-1.jpg)
Now this is a girder. :D 8 1/4" x 12 3/4" which is stronger than 5 2x12's.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-6.jpg)
This transition section is not as complicated as it looks. A smaller girder extension will mate up here to support the porch. At this point the girder is just placed; I probably won't secure it until I place the second girder in case some adjustments are required. 8)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-8.jpg)
I'll call it good. ;) Gotta love the water level. ;D
Looks to be a little off. :P
That's quite the beam. Bet it feels good to be building. :)
Scott
QuoteLooks to be a little off.
That's the problem with the camera, it doesn't lie. To my 63 year old glacoma laden eyes, it looked perfect. d*
It does feel good to be building, but my hammer arm is sore.
Poppy, I'm really impressed with your beams. Heck, John Roebling could have used your beams during his build of the Brooklynn Bridge. Well done young man! :)
Jim, funny that you should mention Roebling and the Brooklyn bridge.
For those who don't know, prior to designing the Brooklyn bridge, Roebling designed what is now named the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge spanning the Ohio River between Cincinnati, OH and Covington, KY.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/suspension1.jpg)
And for more info. here is a link. http://www.cincinnati-transit.net/suspension.html
My understanding is that construction was delayed during the Civil War and it is considered the protoype for the longer Brooklyn bridge.
I have always admired the style of the suspension bridge and have tried numerous times to incorportate some elements of it in a house or cabin design, with no success so far. :(
Didn't get any real work done over the Labor Day week end since I had booth duty at a festival.
But just when I was about to order some lumber from the mill on Coon Hollow Rd. some oak and pine showed up on craigslist, cheap.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-10.jpg)
Here is the first load of pin oak, about 225 bf, 4/4 x 11" x 10' mostly. Actual dimensions are 1.125" x 10.75".
Still have another 135 bf of oak and 100 bf of pine to pick up.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-12.jpg)
This was a pretty big tree as you can possibly see by the matching boards.
Oh, and all of it for 2 bits a bf. [shocked]
Excellent buy poppy, proud for you. Funny thing about us folks that like to work with wood, we see the rough lumber as it will look someday, the finished product. Others see discolored and unuseable boards. That must be the lure of doing what we do; turning a board into a beautiful piece to go into our house or to make into furniture. Keep us posted young man. [cool]
Got a little more done on the second girder/beam and wanted to get a feel for some of the future work.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-13.jpg)
This is a depiction of the joist layout at the SW corner. There is a total of 3 10" joists, one 2x8 nailer and one 2x4 nailer spanning the beams, all within 17" along the beam.
I have also tried to show the sub-floor with a wire chase and the flooring butting up to the plank wall supported by the 2x8 nailer. The 2x4 nailer is for the rigid foam board insulation and outside of that will be strapping to hold the foam board and be a nailer for the horizontal cedar siding.
Then on the east side.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-11.jpg)
Here I wanted to get a feel for the joist height. Shown is a 2x8 that was handy, but the actual joists will be 2x10's.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-9.jpg)
And here looking NE.
Still working on the post design, so didn't get much done except for base plates and got some gusset material cut.
Unloaded the remaining pin oak and pine for a total of 460 bf at a cost of $115. ;D The plan for the oak is old school diagonal sub-flooring and haven't decided what to use the pine for, maybe strapping for porch roofing.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-9.jpg)
It rained hard on Sun. and got the wood a little wet before I got it into the barn, but it dried over night.
On to finish the second beam and work on the posts.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-11.jpg)
The proposed post design with 3 nailer/gussets for braces.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-14-1.jpg)
Put the tallest post pre-assembly on the pier to think about how to do final assembly. Went to a local supply store to see what they had for pole barn nails and/or lag screws. Decided to get the lag screws, 1/4 x 5 galv., but they didn't have galv. washers, so went to the hardware/gun store to find washers.
The lag screws cost $2.00 a lb. (16 count per lb.), but the worker gave me 18. Then the washers were 10 cents each, so almost cost as much as the screws. ??? Decided to check the price of the lag screws at the hardware store and they were 65 cents each. :o
So the good ole supply store that has been around since before all the other stores were but dreams in a corn field, saved me over $8 on one small fastner buy. (another example was a $2 cut-off wheel for the angle grinder, that the hardware store and even Wally World wanted $5 or $6 for.)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-12-1.jpg)
Set up the second post to use as a template while assembling the first one.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-10.jpg)
I know, I know, I tend to make it more complicated than it needs to be, but I'm having so much fun. [crz] rofl
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-10-1.jpg)
Got the first post assembled and decided to call it a day. May need to add more screws later.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-8.jpg)
One final note. The local stray bitch dog decided to have her pups under the old house directly behind my trailer. They wined and cried all night. There was an all black one yesterday, but I didn't see it today.
Ah, country living at its best. d*
Back at it this week and working on the assembly of the second post, then....
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-10.jpg)
Hit my thumb with the hammer. That's what I get for using a right handed hammer. >:(
This may be the first blood shed and deposited on the work in the "blood, sweat, and tears" game called building your own cabin. ;)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-9-1.jpg)
Despite the blood letting, got the post assembled.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/011-6.jpg)
Looking at the NE corner after trial setting the beam.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/012-4.jpg)
Looking at the NW post.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/014-4.jpg)
The beam looks good to me.
Time to get some of the joists from storage in the old garage.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/015-2.jpg)
Using the new driveway to transport the reclaimed 2x10 joists (actual height is about 10 1/8")
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/017-3.jpg)
Trial setting two joists on the E and W sides of the main cabin.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/016-6.jpg)
The E joist looks pretty good.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/018-4.jpg)
Looking from the south.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/019-4.jpg)
Looking from the NE. Still don't have the N beam where it needs to be, but that's for another day.
Got the big chain saw back from the second rebuild and decided to do some more timber work.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/020-3.jpg)
This is where I had to stop after the saw burned up the second time. That was back in May.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/021-3-1.jpg)
Got the 3rd and 4th cuts completed and did a little draw knife work on the wane. This is one of the timber posts for the N wall.
In case you all haven't noticed, this build has been designed on the fly, based mainly on what materials have made themselves available.
In addition, while making numerous sketches along the way, there has been no official set of plans or even construction guide notes. I assumed (wrongly) that since the progress was very slow and methodical, that mistakes could be avoided.
After reading on another thread that official plans are a good idea, I suspose I'm in the position now to second the motion. :-[
It may be hard to pick up, but in the last set of pics. one can see that the trial joists are not centered on the north beam.
Before driving the pins for the third pier, I made a design change to the pier layout, but by the time I got to the fourth pier, my mind reverted back to the previous design and pier number 4 is out of position.
It is not a fatal mistake, but it will be necessary to move the beams along their long axis to end up with a square floor frame. d*
If I really wanted to be eccentric, I could keep the beams where they are and make an out-of-square cabin, but I don't think I'm prepared to make those kind of adjustments to the timber frames. ;)
You have been busy. Plans who needs plans heh
Poppy, I believe in letting a house grow and evolve naturally. I see nothing wrong with a tree growing crooked. :)
I know -- I'll catch heck for that one.... yeah --- make them straight. [waiting]
Glenn
QuoteI see nothing wrong with a tree growing crooked
Now you have me thinking more about this. Since there will be a cruck frame (from a crooked tree), maybe the cabin should be crooked also.
Nah, it's going to have to be square. I couldn't face you all with an out-of-square floor.
So I decided what to do about the out-of-square foundation beams. Slide the S beam to the E and the N beam to the W.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-2.jpg)
This attempts to show where the timber frame post will fall relative to the pier on the NW corner. No, that's not the real brace; just a mockup of a 45 deg. brace.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-2.jpg)
And the NE corner. The beams were off by about 7" :-[ but it looks like all will work out.
Then it was time to pick up more 2x10 joists.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-1.jpg)
As it turns out, the joists vary in height from about 9 7/8" to 10 3/4", so I had to go through all of them to select 11 to be used on the main cabin floor. (will be using 6 more for the porches)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-13.jpg)
I also had to verify the lengths, since there are a few short ones. All of the full joists are about 15' 7" long. So how to get a 16' cabin width, you ask? Stay tuned for the next post.
So how to get a 16' wide cabin with short joists? Well use timber sills, of course; after all, this is a timber frame cabin.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-15.jpg)
First is to harvest a standing dead red oak. The 9 1/2' bottom section there in front of the tractor will become braces probably.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-13-1.jpg)
Preparing to drag the 17' log (de-barked with an adze) down to the timber preparation area.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-12.jpg)
The trick is to lift one end enough to minimize soil damage and avoid getting too much dirt on the log.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-10.jpg)
Setting up the new hoisting frame.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-11.jpg)
Even a log from a dead tree is heavy.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-9.jpg)
Making the first cut for the 6x6 sill timber.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/011-7.jpg)
Using this method for the first cut means that a 10" log is about the max size for a 20" bar.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/012-5.jpg)
And a relatively clean cut in the red oak. Ran out of time at this point.
A new week, some more work. Before completing the 6x6 sill timber, I got to thinking about proper sequencing of the timber frame, you know, last raised has to be the first assembled. (the first will be last, for you biblical scholars out there ;))
So decided to cut a couple more trees that potentially can be used for the loft frame which can't be raised untill the end frames are up.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-3-1.jpg)
Here are 3 potential trees, but the one in the middle is the most crooked, so decided to cut the other two in order to verify that they each will yield a 16' 6x8 timber.
Not sure why all of these red oaks are dying, but these 3 are close to the one I cut last week plus there is a 5th one that died this year in the same area.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-14.jpg)
This is the left side tree that sort of "kissed" the bent tree on the left(made that way by a previous logging venture) as it came down. Not to worry; I expected the kissing to occur, and moved accordingly. :P
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-2.jpg)
The 2 red oaks down and bucked. They will each easily provide the 2 16' loft frame timbers. The larger of the 2 also yielded a 17' log that will make a nice one piece 5-sided ridge pole/beam. The other tree provided a 9" dia. 13.5' log for something.
For those who haven't done any logging, if you look closely, you can see the peavey (auction find) used to roll logs.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-3-1.jpg)
One good thing about felling dead trees is that they tend to buck themselves. :)
Part 2 for this week. Went back to finish up the sill timber.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-16-1.jpg)
Setting up for the 2nd to 4th cuts are much easier than the first. This is the 4 cut.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-13.jpg)
The draw knife makes quick work of some wane clean up.
Now, on to the sill timbers for the south side.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-13.jpg)
Here's the set up for short timbers of which there will be 3 for the south side. (has something to do with the bump out feature)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-12.jpg)
Timbers completed so far; 6x6, 8x8, & 6x8. No, the 6x6 is not twisted; just distortion from the wide angle lens again (plus the end cut is not square yet). d*
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-11.jpg)
And then a parting shot of early fall over the pond. Tall trees in the left center background is a small hickory grove.
poppy, what do you call the device that holds the chain saw in place for doing millwork? ???
Jim, the device in the pics. is a Mini-Mill II by Grandberg. It is also called an edger used to square up a log for making slabs with the larger Alaskan mill or for just making timbers.
I also have the Alaskan small log mill that will be used to halve the log for the cruck frame. I have also used this mill for the first cut on a log for a timber.
Very cool! :)
Poppy- Does the chainsaw move easily and smoothly along the track? I'd love to mill some of my own wood but I have mostly black locust on my place and I understand that wood eats up chains pretty quickly!
That sure is a nice view of the pond from your milling site. Are you right next to where the cabin sits?
Jesse, yes the saw moves easily and smoothly, but as an example, these cuts for a 6" sq. timber were at a rate of only about 4-5" a minute, plus I would stop the saw every 6" or so to hit the oil plunger. Also, to make one pass of about 17' took more than one tank of gas.
It will be a really slow process for the cruck blades which are planned to be 12" wide at the base.
Those who use chainsaws to mill lumber use a much larger saw; at least 1.5 to 2 times the power of mine. Most of my lumber needs will be handled by the local Amish mill that has a Woodmiser bandsaw.
If I had any locust, I probably wouldn't attempt anything larger than a 4x4 timber with the rig I'm using.
The milling station is directly behind the barn downhill and within 50' of the cabin site. Here's a couple of previously posted pics. that give some perspective. The gray tarps are over the milling area.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/023.jpg)
This was taken above the cabin site and the next one below.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/017.jpg)
Wow, I didn't realize it was such a slow-go with the chainsaw mill! I guess it's a lot of wood for the blade to remove. Seems like if you wanted planks it would be prohibitive because of the high fuel consumption.
You've got a nice looking place there. Sun light in the winter and shade in the summer. It will be many years before I get any shade at my house!
Sure is a beautiful view from where you are milling the wood! Sounds like a lot of work with the chainsaw mill.
Yea, Jesse, there's a lot of reasons for not using a chainsaw mill to make planks. If you watch any of the video's of these mills making planks, they are always using a much larger saw than I use, plus they are usually sawing soft wood like pine.
If you are way out in the woods and the closest mill is 50 miles away, then maybe it makes sense to consider a chainsaw mill for casual work, like building your own cabin. ;)
I never intended to make anything other than timbers with the mill. And I may even have some of the timbers done at the Amish mill to save time. Even though that mill is within 5 miles of my farm, it's a lot of work to load the trailer since I don't have a loader on my tractor, but when I do go it will be with a full load.
I may also limit the use of the mill by doing more hand hewing; I just have to get better at it.
Thanks for the comment on sun and shade. Even though it's on a north facing slope, I am confident that there will be enough solar gain in the winter.
Thanks, Sassy. I really do enjoy my views.
Yes, there is a lot of work with the mill, but mostly in preparation for the sawing. The sawing is the easy part. Moving the logs is the work part.
I keep looking for a cheap tractor with a loader but the only ones I can afford are too big for such a small farm. There are loaders made for the tractor I have, but they are almost as expensive as the tractor itself. d*
Everybody wants a compact tractor, so the large ones go cheap.
All is good though; it's not like I am in a big hurry.
I don't have a loader on Fergie, my '54 MF35. I welded up a set of forks for low lifting and a heavy boom pole for higher lifting, those, although slower than a bucket, have worked pretty well for my hobby purposes. I don't thing my front spindle could handle the loads I've put on the rear of the machine, they're pretty light.
Alot of bandmills are portable and I would encourage folks to check on some type of milling of their trees as they clear their roads and sites. It always makes me shake my head when I drive up on a jobsite and see nice cherry, walnut or oak logs in a burn heap and the carpenters are bringing in some cheapo trim or cabinets. We tend not to see the gold mine at our doorstep sometimes. I smoked my old farmboss in the first cut when I thought I wanted to chainmill some timber here, finally saved up and got a little circle mill. I still take some logs over to a nearby bandmill as it is more accurate than my setup and wastes less. He can get through locust much easier than me too. I've got a monster locust to drop on one of our previous jobs and they want a desk made from it if it opens up nice. I'll have to freehand chainsaw a couple of slabs for the top, that oughta be a fun day :).
Don, thanks for the idea of using a boom pole, but I have always assumed (perhaps wrongly) that my JD 750 2 wheel drive tractor was not heavy enough for a pole.
The JD is over a half ton lighter than your MF and even though I have 225 lbs. of front weights, I still don't have great confidence that I can lift much.
I have a 5' brush hog that tends to lift the front end if I don't keep the trailing wheel on the ground.
But I do appreciate the idea and if I can pick up a boom pole cheap at an auction, I will give it a try.
You make an excellent point about portable bandsaw mills. We have them around these parts and several are available to do contract sawing on owners land. That is definitely a good option to consider for initial clearing.
Since I have been sizing up trees for potential timbers on my own land, it has also made me more aware of the potential timber and lumber that is just going to waste as people cut down nice hardwood trees to build a garage or get rid of one that is too close to the house or fell a dead tree that they are afraid of.
On my 75 mile trip from the condo to the farm, I pass multiple standing dead hardwoods, storm downed trees, and logs laying on the ground that haven't been cut up yet for firewood. Craigslist is full of ads for free hardwood firewood, a lot of which is from perfectly good logs that I or someone else could use.
About 2 miles from the farm I pass a house close to the road that had a large hardwood between it and the road. One day someone had started cutting the tree from the top down and had some pretty good sized logs laying in the yard. I suspected that it would end up as firewood and that's eventially what happened but in the mean time I had time to request one of those logs, but it seemed that each time I passed by, I was too tired to stop and ask. One particular log would have yielded several really neat curved braces, but I was tired, soo.... :(
Good luck with the locust; I wish I had some.
I see lots of timber going to waste up in SC where our property is. They shove the trees over with an excavator, then reduce it to wood chips. The price of hardwood is so low in many areas that it's not worth their trouble. When I had some trees felled for a driveway, the pine was sold for pulp, but the hardwoods became firewood. The contractor said it wouldn't pay to haul it to a sawmill. When we clear for the house, I plan to have a sawyer come out and mill the oaks up for flooring. I'm going to build a solar kiln, and I already have a table saw, jointer, shaper, and planer to do the rest of the milling.
It might not pay to haul it to the sawmill to sell as sawlogs but if you can find a mill to saw it for your use the equation is a bit different. Price an oak board at Lowes. We grin and count off in $35 increments when the good stuff is coming off the mill, that is not what I could sell the green lumber for but it is how much I'm not having to spend for each nice board.
Jay, It sounds like you have what you need for flooring. Are you going to do tongue and groove?
There surely is a lot of hardwood logging going on around me. Yesterday I noticed that there were some new red flags along the border with the neighbor to the north. Today he was talking to a logger, I think. He has about 40 acres of hardwoods pretty much like my 10 acres.
Don, you make an excellent point. I'm taking logs to the Amish mill that others won't touch and I'm getting nice timbers out of logs that are left in the woods.
My next post will show what a 9" log will produce and later on I will be making 4x4's out of 6" logs.
Boy, we surely have been having nice weather. High 30's to low 40's at night and then 50's and 60's with sunshine during the day.
Time to finish the first short sill.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-3-2.jpg)
This is the bottom section of a forked tree branch that died a couple of years ago. Had to play around a little to minimize wane.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-3.jpg)
Got this 6x6 sill sawed (almost no wane :D) and decided the chain probably needed to be sharpened. So stopped the mill process and went back to do more on the pier/post connections.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-3.jpg)
Got tired of messing around with a 3/8" drill and a short drill bit, so went to my favorite supply store (name over the door is John B. Harsha Co., Hardware, Bolts, Surplus) to buy a long drill bit and stuck it in the auction find 1/2" drill.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-15-1.jpg)
Got all the pier/post connections pretty much complete. I don't think I have to worry about filling all the nail holes since I used a 3/8" carrage bolt through everything.
There was a thread a while back about chain saw chain sharpening. I have tried hand filing and Dremil tools on my chains with little success so since the local Husqvarna dealer only charges $5 per chain, that's where they went.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-14.jpg)
Set up for the second 6x6 sill after installing the sharpened chain. This is the next section up on that forked tree. A side note is that I have 4 sets of saw horses being used around this build and they were all purchased at auctions for cheap. ;D (plus a 5th pair for a dollar from Craig's list still in the garage at home.)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-14.jpg)
Even though this log was much straighter than the other one, it was still prudent to do some adjusting to minimize wane. If you look closely, you may be able to see the moisture that ozzed out around the nail hole on the upper left. I was surprised at how wet this log was since it was cut over 2 years ago after it died. ???
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-12.jpg)
It's a beautiful thing to get ready to make the final cut. :) By the way, the saw rate doubled on this timber; may have had something to do with a sharp chain. :P
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-13-1.jpg)
Got finished with the second sill timber so fast that there was time to go back to the foundation and work on the post/beam connections. Even though I'm not bolting these, I may still not have to fill all the holes since we don't have hurricanes around these parts. ;)
Quote from: poppy on October 20, 2009, 10:22:08 PM
Jay, It sounds like you have what you need for flooring. Are you going to do tongue and groove?
There surely is a lot of hardwood logging going on around me. Yesterday I noticed that there were some new red flags along the border with the neighbor to the north. Today he was talking to a logger, I think. He has about 40 acres of hardwoods pretty much like my 10 acres.
Don, you make an excellent point. I'm taking logs to the Amish mill that others won't touch and I'm getting nice timbers out of logs that are left in the woods.
My next post will show what a 9" log will produce and later on I will be making 4x4's out of 6" logs.
I will probably do T&G, although it's going to be a pretty rustic floor. I'm going to face nail it with wrought-head nails from Tremont. The 200 y/o house I grew up in had floors like that, with boards up to 14" wide. They weren't T&G, so they pounded rope into the inevitable gaps. That floor had character!
Jay, I also will probably face nail the cherry that is set aside for the flooring. Rustic is good. [cool]
Speaking of wood, I made a detour last night on the way home to pick up some sassafras from a guy on craigslist. I think I mentioned earlier that all of the sass on my place are shrubs.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-3.jpg)
Only got about 11 bf and still not sure where it will be used, but it will be in the cabin somewhere. ???
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-4.jpg)
A close up of some spalting and knots. It was nearly dark when I picked this up and so didn't notice the difference with the board on the left. I'm going to have to saw a little to give it the smell test. :P
The guy also claimed to have curly maple but he couldn't find it?
He promised to get some hickory and persimmon in later. The attempt is to encorporate has much indiginous wood as possible in the cabin.
Time to mess with the joists. Their placement is based on the final floor plan design rather that evenly spaced; so needed to do a trial run.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-4.jpg)
Unfortunately, there will be a lot of fitting to do. Not only do the joists vary in height, but also in thickness: 1 5/8" to 2 1/8". Will also need to splice extensions on the bump out joists.
I then came to the realization that the beams were not far enough along to mount the side joists. d*
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-5.jpg)
The cabin width is 16' 7" inside, so all the joists don't fit on a 16' plate. :P
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-6.jpg)
This is the south side showing the corner arrangement that will support the cruck blade; and also the 16" bump out centered on the wall. There are std. 2x8's on each side of the bump out that will support the plank wall section.
Since posting the question in General about preparing the subfloor for a stone section, the location of the fireplace has changed. I will still add a couple more joists that are not placed yet once the final location is chosen.
These are some of the stones to be used under the Franklin fireplace.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-16.jpg)
The original cabin design had a stone Rumford fireplace. Since finding the Franklin fireplace on craigslist for $100, I decided to use it instead but still wanted some stone work inside.
Next time will be my version of drying in. ;)
poppy, I don't know what's on your mind, but I've learned to respect your ideas and apparently, you've got a humdinger of a design going on in your head. When I saw the beams being constructed I asked myself what in the heck is this guy doing. I decided you might be the only one in the world that knew, but I decided also it would be brilliant.
Of all the plans and construction going on in here, yours is the most fascinating, keep it up mate, I'm excited for what you're doing. ;D
Thank you very much Jim for the kind words. You are right about one thing; there is a lot going on in my head.
I have been sketching house and cabin ideas in my mind as well as on paper and now on Sketchup for about 40 years, so sometimes it gets a little cluttered. :D
I appreciate you calling it brilliant, but I just classify it as unique. The build is certainly not perfect, but there is only one person to satisfy and he's flexible. ;D
I didn't get much work done on the cabin lately because there is this holliday where kids (and adults) like to get candy.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/163.jpg)
The 3 on the right are 3 of 4 of my grandchildren who I would rather spend time with than about anything else. :)
I was able to get out to the farm for a little work after the week end.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/171.jpg)
It was time to build a platform for the garage in anticipation of working on the timber frame once the joists are installed and blocked.
After re-arranging some of the joists to take advantage of the different thicknesses, it was time to do some trimming to make them all the same height.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/172.jpg)
Here is one of the nails that I missed before trimming the reclaimed joist. I figured that the lumber was old, but had no idea just how old; even so it was interesting to find square nails.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/173.jpg)
And this is my version of drying in at this stage of the construct. I still have some joists to trim and some more to add to support the stone floor section.
I just realized that the fancy platform for the garage is in the way of installing the sill timbers. d*
I knew some blocking would have to wait until the garage was raised to the floor level, but I forgot about the sills. Oh well, live and learn.
On the way to the farm, I stopped by the Adams County Heritage Center where an old log cabin restoration was dedicated the day before.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-6.jpg)
This is a 15' square cabin that was built in 1804 by an interesting guy that I may write more about later. When he became the post master, this cabin became the first post office in the county in 1805.
Several log buildings have survived over the last century because the owners applied clapboard siding. Such was the case with this particular cabin.
Now that most of the leaves have dropped, the cabin site really pops out with that white garage covering it.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-16.jpg)
This view is from the Northwest and shows the basic profile of the future cabin; except that it will be 12' wider and 12' taller than the garage.
It took most of the morning to sort through the reclaimed joists to find more 2x10's to add support for the stone floor section and 2x8's for sill plates and porch joists.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-17.jpg)
The guy who sold me the reclaimed lumber really misrepresented how good the 2x8's were. He advertised 10; I got 9, 6 of which had major flaws. But I'll be able to get the job done with what I have. :P
Once I transported the extra lumber to the site; I placed the new joists for the stone floor section.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-15.jpg)
I just threw a few pieces of plywood on the layout to get an idea of how the stone section would look.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-15.jpg)
I added 3 extra joists making a total of 6 joists to support about a 5' section of stone.
The carpenter level is centered on the cabin floor E to W, so the stone for the fireplace base is off-set to the west and the near edge of the stone is on the centerline S to N.
Nice looking cabin. Love the stone. A friend of mine has built about 9 log cabins from the original log cabins and he has natural stone chimneys that he has acquired from the original cabins and houses in the area. It was definitely an art to the cutting and laying of original stone. I wish I could visit that era and learn.
I had to cut most of the joists to a consistent length and now it's time to start the notching process for the sill timbers and plates.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/Northbottomtimberplatecross-section.jpg)
This represents what a sill cross section assembly should look like.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-13.jpg)
I thought it might be easier to notch several joists together, so I clamped 4. The sill plate is the 2x8 laying flat to the right.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-13.jpg)
I probably need a little more practice in the notching process. d*
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-10.jpg)
With all the scab plates needed for the "I" beams, it was a good thing that they were almost free. ::)
You're right John, the stone work on that cabin is really nice. I have been impressed with several examples of stone work in the area.
The funny thing is that the stone work on houses and churches (other than the chimney) have a much rougher surface. I will try to get some representative pics. later.
Forgot to mention that the neighbor with the 40 acres of woods is having it logged, as I speculated he would after seeing some new flags along the border with me.
I was rudely awakened the second morning by a chain saw and bull dozer. No pics. yet; I didn't want them to think I had any concerns (even though I'm keeping a close eye on them).
I'm trying to figure a way for this logging operation to be of benefit to me. There may be some slash that would produce some timber braces or something.
I expected them to wait untill the ground was frozen to minimize the damage, but we can never count on many days of frozen ground in these parts.
Walk it with your unfilled timber wish list in hand, cruck blades, etc. I bought 2 nice loads from across the road last winter. I went over at one point to chat and he offered me the load he had on, I couldn't have rolled those monsters with 3 guys.
I figured you might have a good suggestion Don. Unfortunately I won't be back out there until this coming Sun., so they will have 3 or 4 days head start (they cut the first trees Tues. afternoon) and good weather is predicted.
I'm not sure how long it will take to log 40 acres, but if they do the whole tract, it could take until next week -- hopefully.
I should probably give the owner a call before the end of the week. Otherwise, they may cut up all the slash for firewood.
Poppy
Forgive me for going off topic but I couldn't get over your grandson striking that POSE ;D in the picture. I can imagine what he is pretending in his head. I have two sons the were like that (great imaginations). Now they are in there teens and think they are as cool as the other side of the pillow. You know the teen thing. It may be time to get some of our old pictures out to show their girlfriends :o
Thanks for that picture it caught my eye
Mark
Here's my youngest grandson and look at the expression on his face. Reminds of the cartoon strip character "Calvin & Hobbs".
(https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/Stinkfinger/4th010.jpg)
Sorry poppy, didn't want to hijack your thread, but figured you wouldn't mind....... :D
Mark and Jim, I don't mind the kid talk and pics.; not so sure about the mods., but this site seems to be pretty flexible.
I did start the whole thing with that grandkid photo. and yes my grandson has a vivid imagination; could have something to do with lots of books and very little TV.
Glenn is one of the worst offenders for hijacking a thread... heh
BTW, cute grandson... :)
That pic had perfect timing,priceless.
Got to the farm on Sun. and decided to walk back the neighbor's logging road to see what I could see.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-7.jpg)
They pretty much just bull dozed a road with little regard for any usable trees; kind of a rape and pillage system.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-18.jpg)
The loggers are taking all hardwoods, no cedar; and this is representative of what I think they are going to leave behind. May yield a curved timber brace.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-14.jpg)
Beyond where they are currently cutting I ran across this huge tree that split and fell; you may have to look closely to see the right side half that is laying at roughly a right angle to the left side that destroyed another tree on the way down.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-14.jpg)
More rape and pillage.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/014-5-1.jpg)
This is a tree I found interesting; could make for a couple of neat braces.
So I talked to the neighbor on Mon. and he said I could salvage anything I wanted. The loggers didn't show up, so will try to talk to them on Tues.
Well, I talked to the logger yesterday and he said they would be leaving tree tops and smaller limbs, so I will have plenty of potential timber brace material; mostly white oak.
The owner had told me the day before that the logger would not cut anything smaller than 6" and I found out what he meant. The logger told me that they were pretty much "clear cutting", and even he questioned why the owner wanted that, especially when it came to the hard maples.
I almost cried when I heard that. Talk about your rape and pillage. :(
I can't figure out why, in this low market, that my neighbor needs that much money.
This is the guy, I may have mentioned before, who is the wind turbine expert and consultant.
He has very little living expenses since he is totally off the grid; save a land line phone.
1. Cistern and septic.
2. Wood heating.
3. Wind and solar set-up with all electric appliances and no propane.
4. Satellite dishes and antennas for free TV.
I just don't get it, but I'm trying to figure a way to work this to my advantage.
With Don_P's suggestion, I may be able to buy some of timber from the logger, since he essentially owns it and is giving the owner half of his take, if I understood them correctly.
I haven't got it worked out yet, since I would like some 12' red oak planking, and they have mostly white oak that they cut into 8' or 16' logs. [noidea'
Will keep you posted.
With all of the sad stuff on the logging operation, I forgot to mention some of the possitive.
My neighbor has agreed to let me harvest a large standing dead cedar, and I should also be able to snag some other cedars that the loggers pushed over.
I will need to get that done before he contracts the cedar out.
Anyway, back to the cabin.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/017-4.jpg)
I neglected to take a pic. last week on the method for extending the joists for the bumb out, so here it is.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/016-7.jpg)
And I broke out a real chisel that was an auction find. That is a 1" size. I have others that will be used later.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/015-3.jpg)
Some of the blocking with 2x6's. Why 2x6 dimentional with full sized 2x10 joists you ask. ??? It will become clear much later.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-8-1.jpg)
Trial fit for the north side sill plate. Needs some tweeking yet. It will be installed after the timber sill is in place.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-7.jpg)
Looking at the bottom side of the sill plate and the notches for the sill timber.
Hmm... what's he building out there in the woods?
What's he building out there?
Poppy have you ever ran across the old style nail pullers or do you have one? I went to an auction the other day and they had one. I bid on it and the spotter is the only one that saw my bid and it was sold to another person at my minimun bid of $5. Auctioneer was a real jerk and would not re-open the bid. I sent the company a rather spicey E-mail and told them I would not be returning for any future auctions. Did get a reply and re-sent another. It wouldn't have been to bad if it was not something I needed.
No John, I have not seen an old nail puller at any of the actions I've attended and there are usually tools at every one.
Too bad about the lost bid, but if WV is anything like Ohio, whoever the auctioneer sees takes precedence over all other bidders, even if they bid higher. It's the law here and by law the auctioneer can't reopen the bidding.
That's why I usually try to get the auctioneer's eye when bidding on something I really want.
Reminds me of a charity auction I went to. I got his eye and pointed to him and my eyes, watch me. I was bidding on crane time and for a worthy cause and was going to pay full price. The auctioneer looked away and didn't let me bid against myself when I won earlier than I thought I would ::)
Cedar would be a nice score, I don't run into it often. It grows down the mountain and over the nat'l forest but was eradicated from the local area because it carries cedar apple rust. Ever see one of the teleospores? Looks like an orange medusa hanging in the branches.
Mk + Q = M&L, synoptic: one set of eyes
No question the cedar is a good score. It's not really big stuff, but I should have enough for the porch posts.
Way before I found this site, I made a big cedar score at an auction. Over 1000 bf for about 30 cents a bf.
It's all stored in the old house in 3 rooms. No pics; will have to wait until it comes time to fix it up to use for siding. Also have some pretty wide cedar boards from this find that will likely be porch flooring.
With your broad selection and incorporation of all these different boards and lumber, you're going to have quite a unique cabin poppy. I can only imagine what you will do with the interior once you get to that stage. Hopefully you can gather up some pretty wood from your neighbor's logging leftovers and put it to good use. Excellent job poppy! ;D
Thanks again Jim for the kind words. I have always strived to do things that others don't do plus I want it to look good while not costing too much.
An on-going goal is to use as many wood varieties as possible that are indiginous to southern Ohio. It's always a bonus if the wood is found in the county. The only exception so far is some Teak flooring slated for the head.
Unfortunately my neighbors wood variety is not as unique as mine unless I'm missing something. Even though he has 40 acres and I have 10, there seems to be more variety on mine. For example, I seem to have more black walnut, hickory, and red oak.
That won't stop me, however, from walking his land frequently to see what the loggers are leaving behind, or finding dead stuff that they don't want. It's nice that he is cool with me salvaging whatever I can.
I can't wait to get to the inside myself. I already have at least 6 or 7 wood varieties set aside for the inside and keep looking for more.
Open note to Don_P:
I really enjoy your sometimes cryptic and off-beat responses and side comments.
It took me a while to figure out Mk + Q = M & L. The gospel Mark plus the gospel source scholars call Q equals Matthew and Luke.
And the three gospels Matthew, Mark, & Luke, are called the synoptics.
There I go again, hi-jacking my own thread. Can I blame it on you, Don? ;D
Yup, I turned left. I realized I was carrying coal to Newcastle. Comments on another thread tripped my squeeky cog that made some connections start clicking, Thank you :).
Here you go Poppy, it's the mother load!
http://dayton.craigslist.org/mat/1478378505.html
JK, looks like they want the WHOLE thing dissasembled.
Thanks for the craigslist link, Mike. That is indeed the motherlode.
But they are going to have a hard time actually getting any money for it. Very few people, me included, would want to tackle this job, even if they were giving it away.
After being away for about a week, I was eager to see what the loggers had left behind for potential use by me.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-5.jpg)
This is the top of a maple stump. It reminds me of something. ???
It looks like the loggers have been looking for maples.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-19.jpg)
This is what was left from one that they singled out for harvesting away from other cuttings. They cut off 4 pieces looking for good wood I guess. Just wasting good spalted maple if you ask me. Notice the split running up the trunk.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-16-1.jpg)
This is the top end of the left log. The very top just bucked itself. ;)
Hopefully, they will leave this log for me. :P
Here is a small tree destroyed by the loggers that I have been trying to identify. It's not like any tree on my land, but if it is totally unique, then I may try to salvage it.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-8.jpg)
I didn't find any obvious leaves that were different from the oaks and maples in the vicinity. It's definately not persimmon or sassafras and doesn't appear to be any kind of hickory common to this area.
Any idea what it might be??? [waiting]
Got most of the joist notching done except for the stone section, and decided that it was time to stage some more timbers for later sawing.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-16.jpg)
Dragging the largest log past the job site.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-15.jpg)
These two logs will turn into 6"x8"x16' timbers and become the main loft beams.
Back to the cabin and some blocking and other detail.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-15-1.jpg)
Included here are some spacers that I forgot on the other side of the floor frame.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-11.jpg)
Also remembered that there was some 1" insulation board that could be used here. I didn't do it on the other side, and it's probably over kill, but it's fun to use materials that may not have any other use. :D
Dunno on the mystery tree, try looking up Kentucky coffeetree but I don't see any seed pods or compound leaves on the ground, it is dioecious though, girls and boys, so it could be a boy. Another thought is a cherrybark oak but I kinda doubt it. Grab some twigs if you can it might help narrow it down. The VT dendro site is good and pops up on google.
Quote from: poppy on November 25, 2009, 09:40:46 PM
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-8.jpg)
Any idea what it might be??? [waiting]
Maybe Sycamore?
Here's a link and a small bark photo from that site,
http://www.huntington.edu/thornhill/checklist/commontrees.htm
(http://www.huntington.edu/thornhill/images/sycamorebark_small.jpg)
The Sycamore has large simple leaves with 3-7 lobes. Its bark is mottled with white, green, and brown and its fruit becomes fuzzy when pulled apart. The sycamore is commonly found along stream banks and in bottomlands. It is used mostly for wood pulp.
Looks like a "black" or "wild cherry". The sap wood will be light and it will graduate darker toward the heart wood.
Wild (black) cherry has smooth dark reddish-brown bark with raised horizontal lines, often confused with black birch. (Scratch and sniff the inner bark of a twig; birch smells like wintergreen, cherry like bitter almond.) Older cherries have bark broken up into large, uniform flakes.
(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/twig_barkcherry-1.jpg)
Read more:
http://forestry.about.com/od/forestphotogalleries/ig/Dormant-Winter-Tree-Gallery/Black-cherry-bark.htm
http://botany.suite101.com/article.cfm/identifying_trees_by_their_bark#ixzz0Xz2qfeTX
Thanks guys, for the replys.
Don, my Audubon tree guide doesn't show Ky Coffee or cherrybark oak, so I'll look up that web site.
Peg, it's definitely not Sycamore, which is in other parts of southern Ohio but not around me.
John, it would be cool if it is cherry; I would try to use it somewhere in the cabin if so, but cherry is not very common around me.
I thought it might be Slippery Elm, but I will look more for leaves and will also check out the bark and twigs more closely on my next trip out.
The specific area where this tree was felled is in a valley surrounded by white oaks and a few maples; probably about 750' elevation. Not really near a stream, but a natural drainage area that flows after heavy rains.
Happy Thanksgiving. I'm off to the daughter's house to give my 11 & 16 yr. old granddaughters a hard time. I tell them that it's my job. [hungry] heh
My father in law says if it's not a pine he's almost sure it's black cherry.
On this trip out to the farm the loggers were not working, but they brought in their skid loader which they say will be faster than the dozer.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-20.jpg)
They had done some work while I was away, so I took a walk around to see what I might salvage.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-6.jpg)
This is a 6' piece of a large white oak. It looks like there is a 24" x 2" x 5' slab asking to be let out of there. ;)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-18-1.jpg)
On second thought, maybe there is a chair begging to be let out of there. ???
This is the other end of that log showing another log section and the stump in the back ground. These logs are across a pretty big ravine so will be a challenge to drag out of there.
Just a quick update on the mystery tree. Here are a couple more photos.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-8-2.jpg)
This is what was left at the base of the 5" tree. The dark heart wood kind of suggests cherry?
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-9.jpg)
I found these leaves in the area, but there's no way to confirm that they came from this tree.
Peg may have been correct on the wild cherry, because the inner bark is a reddish brown and may very well taste like almond.
Back to the cabin. After unloading some more lumber from my backyard supply guy, I got to work on some more notching.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-16.jpg)
This is the first cut on the joist notch for the stone floor section.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-16.jpg)
And the end result of notching all 6 joists, 3 full length primary and 3 extra secondary ones to support a little less than 5' of stone. Still have some more reinforcing to do on a couple of them and need to finish the blocking.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-17.jpg)
This is an attempt to show how the sun will hit the south side at high noon on a late Nov. day. :D
Progress has been slow on the cabin, too slow; but here is a scene that I pass about 5 miles before getting to the farm.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-8.jpg)
This guy has been working on this driveway since before I bought the farm over 3 years ago. It would be interesting to know how many tons of fill he has used thus far in making the causeway from the road.
He did start some site work at the top of the hill this year, but no signs of construction yet.
In the mean time, the logger next door have been moving slow themselves. No sign of more felling.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-10-1.jpg)
Here is an interesting maple that I will keep an eye on to see if they leave anything for me.
No logging next door, but I decided to fell a tree at the top of my hill near where I got 3 red oaks previously.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-7.jpg)
The tree was pretty crucked, but I was able to get a good 8' log at the bottom and a decent 12' log also.
The tree just felled has me a little confused.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-18.jpg)
Here is the stump and log plus a corkscrew-like branch from near the top.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-17.jpg)
This is the new log on the left next to a red oak log felled a few weeks ago.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-21.jpg)
And here is the top of the newly felled tree on the right with the top of the red oak on the left.
I had assumed that it was a red oak like the other 3 that I harvested in the area previously. But this tree was already a standing dead when I took possession of the property 3 years ago, so couldn't be sure of the type. ???
I was expecting it to be hollow, but is seems to be pretty solid throughout the length of the trunk. I'm pretty sure it's not a white oak or maple or hickory. Black oak maybe? Or just a darkened red oak that has been dead a long time. I'm at a loss. d*
After Considerations showed us their Franklin fireplace and the proposed pot crane, I took a closer look at my Franklin and took some pics.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-19-1.jpg)
It is a Sears model 143 that I picked up for $100 from craigslist back in May.
It has stuff that I had forgotten about.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-10-2.jpg)
The crane for some reason won't swing completely out of the firebox, so I have to fiddle with it a little more, I guess. You may be able to see a little door over a round hole on the bottom left wall; for air supply adjustment I suppose. There's one just like it on the right side wall.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-9.jpg)
Just a shot with the doors open and shows the air supply adjustment at the bottom of the doors.
And now for the $64,000 question.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-8.jpg)
What's the thing on the right of the crane used for? It fits the crane bracket.
This shot also shows the damper and its control system.
Looks a bit like the thingie partway down this link under Betty Lamps. Is there a space for one on the other side as well?
http://chestofbooks.com/home-improvement/furniture/Olden-Time/Fires-And-Lights-Part-2.html (http://chestofbooks.com/home-improvement/furniture/Olden-Time/Fires-And-Lights-Part-2.html)
I don't believe it is all there it is missing the saucer shaped metal tray. We used the one in my Gramps's house for the oil lamp in the summer no smoke and pretty safe. Just like Pine Cone said but with a newer lamp.
Poppy just a shot in the dark but if it fits the bracket then I would say a support for a tray or platform. It might be used in cooking to sit some small based iron ware on. The notches would maybe be used for adjustment. If it is it would be interesting to see what the platform would look like.
BTW I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your Photo and posted it on an Antique Stove Forum and maybe someone there will shed some light on the subject. I will let you know if there are any hits.
Pine Cone
QuoteLooks a bit like the thingie partway down this link under Betty Lamps. Is there a space for one on the other side as well?
That thingie in the Betty lamp photo. is exactly what I have in storage somewhere. It was left in the 1930's house that we sold in 1994 and we took it with us. Someone told us that it was for some kind of adjustable lamp, but we had never confirmed it. So thanks, Pine Cone. I'll have to dig it out now. :P
Yes, on the other side of the firebox there are two bolts where a second bracket could be mounted.
John
QuoteBTW I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your Photo and posted it on an Antique Stove Forum and maybe someone there will shed some light on the subject. I will let you know if there are any hits.
I don't mind at all; in fact I'm grateful for the help. Besides, the photo is in the public domain on Photobucket.
When I first got the Franklin I tried to find a manual on line but was unsuccessful. Perhaps the folks on the stove forum can be of some help there also.
Hey Pops are there any on the back corners maybe used for some type of barbeque grate ???
No Whit, I didn't see anything in the back corners, but I will check again.
You are probably right about the tray, but it is curious that only one bracket and only one saw tooth thing was with it.
Poppy, I don't think it goes with the stove, just something the previous owner tossed in. I am curious to what it is and hopefully we will all find out. Neat looking old stove and you sure can't complain about the price. I have the worst luck trying to find anything on Craig's list, just never seem to find a bargain on something I need. d*
Quote from: TexstarJim on December 15, 2009, 02:12:50 PM
Poppy, I don't think it goes with the stove, just something the previous owner tossed in.
;D ;D We just gave away a small outdoor playset and slide and tossed a sandbox cover in with it. My comment to Karen was, "I'd like to see them trying to fit this to the playset."
Jim, you might be right that the stairstep thing doesn't go with the stove, but why would it fit on the bracket?
Deals on craigslist come and go; it just takes some patience and a little luck.
Don, what you did with the sandbox cover reminds me of things my dad used to do when he was a pup. :D
The stove thing looks like a variable elevation jack to prop a hinged leg in for the pot crane to me also. Maybe the crane was not the original.
Have not had a chance to get out to the farm lately, but did find a recent for sale ad for a Sears Franklin Fireplace that claims to have a cooking grate with it. Could the thing on the left inside the firebox be the adjustable thing that I have?
http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=ref&q=http://for-sale.yakaz.com/franklin-fireplace-stove&usg=AFQjCNEhza7rnVIPmkFh3KUkK1AQ7u5HSw
Well gang, I took the chance that the Franklin fireplace ad was still active (on Scranton craigslist) and Emailed the seller and he sent me this photo of the cooking grate.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/Franklincookinggrate.jpg)
It appears maybe that the grate cantilever's off the saw-tooth bracket and will rotate in and out of the firebox. Is the mystery solved?
I Emailed the seller again today to see if I can get a pic. of the grate installed in the firebox. He said he could send more pics. on Mon.
Well Poppy it looks as if you may have solved part of the mystery anyway. It doesn't appear to fit your particular bracket but many stove manufacturers would modify the original patent designs and call it their own. Maybe there was a different bracket designed for your stove to work in about the same manner.
Poppy, does the stair-step bracket fit into the two holes that the elbow fits into? I mean, is the distance the same on both items? Just curious and was wondering if it did, then perhaps some other item is missing that utilizes the stair-step bracket. Perhaps another little elbow that holds something suspended above the fire.
And Poppy, I'm not the brightest bulb in town so I fail to see any connection to the your stove and the one you borrowed from Craig's list as a comparison to what use the stair-step bracket really is.
I think we still have a bonafied mystery on our hands. ???
And if the grate in the picture from Craig's list actually hangs on the stair-step bracket, then the mystery of who invented the Pineapple Upside Down Cake has been solved too. :P
John
QuoteIt doesn't appear to fit your particular bracket but many stove manufacturers would modify the original patent designs and call it their own.
Jim
Quotedoes the stair-step bracket fit into the two holes that the elbow fits into?
QuoteI fail to see any connection to the your stove and the one you borrowed from Craig's list as a comparison
Actually John, I think the grate mounting ear
will fit my bracket.
And yes Jim, my stair-step bracket does indeed fit the mounting holes that the elbow (crane) fits.
To both John and Jim; The fireplace that I borrowed from craigslist is the 8th one down on that link and was made by Sears which is who made mine. They look like the same product to me, so I'm still thinking that the parts are original and therefore fit both.
If the seller follows through tomarrow with more pics.; we should have confirmation one way or the other.
Jim
QuoteAnd if the grate in the picture from Craig's list actually hangs on the stair-step bracket, then the mystery of who invented the Pineapple Upside Down Cake has been solved too.
Oh, ye of little faith. [slap]
Just to add some fuel to the fire, so to speak....
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/fireplace-bbq-small-300x225.jpg)
This is a portable fireplace grill set-up. Me thinks it is patterned somewhat off the Franklin design. Or am I over-reaching? d*
Yep, I can see the connection and I can see how a cake could take a "Peter Pan" off that baby too.......hahahaha! ;D
All right you guys......people cooked on these grates and other similar ironware for centuries until someone came up with the idea of putting the fire in a box and the pots on top. Sheesh....(good for a giggle though, really. ;D)
I'm pleased you found a grate...great! (ouch). I which I had one, but no, just the bracket. I have to get the pot crane fabricated, and I'm glad you posted a pic of yours. I would have done it differently and now I can see the logistical problems that I would have created.
I also have an adjustable iron pot hook that works on a similar principal as the grate, but it has to have more headroom than I have in the Franklin. I use it outside with a tripod set up over the fire.
considerations
QuoteI'm pleased you found a grate
I only found one in the virtual world and I'm assuming the seller won't separate it from the Franklin.
If you need any details on my crane, I would be happy to get them for you once the weather breaks enough to make a trip out to the farm.
A project down the road will be to find a plain grate and get someone to fabricate a mounting bracket for it. There's a local metal worker/ weld shop that can probably do the job.
QuoteSheesh....(good for a giggle though, really. )
Hey, if we can't laugh, we can't live.
Hey Poppy!
Got the same stove off of craigslist - $50! A young couple inherited an older rowhome. They were gutting the house and simply wanted the stove gone. I did a temp install for hunting season
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_peeG-nXxr20/Szz3Cdn4QxI/AAAAAAAAAno/MgbBhtLwkkA/s400/IMG_0065.JPG) (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dvEXd1EgUsRRMKshIRpktQ?feat=embedwebsite)
It worked great - even with a tarp roof on. However, it was a wood eater - probably because of my temp short stack!
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/_peeG-nXxr20/Szz4YxEuiTI/AAAAAAAAAns/O7z-s7HHnlw/s400/IMG_0066.JPG) (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LwWKT1DDdd0Ry1bcdQgCog?feat=embedwebsite)
Oh shoot George, I thought I had found the best Franklin fireplace deal. :(
Glad it worked well for you. I'm a little surprised that it drafted with such a short stack, but not surprised that it is a wood eater.
With open wall cavities and a poly roof you aren't exactly superinsulated. :D :D :D
I've been having withdrawal not being able to spend any time at the farm and work on something. :(
The combination of health issues, holidays, and cold weather have combined to stop any progress. The only thing accomplished has been to prevent the "garage" from being damaged by wind and snow.
Speaking of which, here's what it looks like today outside the ole condo.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-10.jpg)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-10-3.jpg)
If the weather report is correct, I will need to take another trip out to clear some snow.
I don't know whether it is progress or not, but I have been spending a lot of time with Google SketchUp.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/walnutstairsnorailing.jpg)
This is looking north.
I'm shut down here too poppy. Windchill down close to 0 day after day. No snow, but plenty of bone-numbing cold. Poppy, next time I tell you I'm thinking about building a house, you have my permission to give a swift kick in the pants. :)
Jim
Quoteyou have my permission to give a swift kick in the pants.
That sounds like fun, but I'm not allowed to travel that far, so you would have to come to me. :D
After we got 6" of the "white death", I figured that the canvas garage would need to be relieved of it's load.
So after stopping by Wally World to get some lock unfreezer (gate locks were frozen up last visit) and a pair of gum boots, it was off to the farm.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/011-8.jpg)
The farm had about the same amount of snow as in the city.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-11.jpg)
The snow attempted to slide off, but didn't get very far.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-19.jpg)
I surely hope we don't get a big snow fall or my shelter will be toast. Looks like I got a little fog on the lens.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-22.jpg)
The pond is probably ready for ice skating since it has been below freezing for about 3 weeks.
Didn't have much time, but did trek back the old farm road to the back NE corner to check on the logging operation. The deer have more trails than I thought, all in a SE direction (the photo didn't show up good enough).
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/009-15.jpg)
I was surprised that the loggers weren't working, but they have moved further into the back 40. This view is from my back NE corner.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-19-1.jpg)
Just for fun, I took another shot of the tree for the future cruck blades, which just happens to be at the back corner.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-12.jpg)
Another just for fun shot. This would be the winter view off my left shoulder while sitting on the throne if I decide to put a window there. :P
"This would be the winter view off my left shoulder while sitting on the throne if I decide to put a window there."
Its a great view....I seem to remember Glenn saying he didn't even have walls around his throne for a while....I think it would be more enjoyable in the summer though. ;D
For a combination of reasons, did not get any work done for the last month +. Finally made it out to the farm for a little more effort on the floor framing.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-21.jpg)
Not a very exciting pic., but at least I got the rest of the blocking cut. Still need to install most of them.
Spent all day at an auction on Wheatridge which is one ridge north of my farm. This was from the estate of a doctor who lived in a surburb of Cincinnati and had a country log cabin. Go here if you want to see auction items and several shots of the inside and ourside of the cabin.
http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/auctionview.cgi?lid=786262&kwd=&zip=45693&category=0
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-18.jpg)
The auction was held at an Amish saw mill and several Amish came, but fewer than I expected. There were literally several thousand items and I left after 5 hours of selling with only one auctioneer not taking any breaks. :o
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-11.jpg)
This was my tool haul. As luck would have it, the guy sitting beside me operated a timber framing business and he helped me with some of the items.
He told me that the adze was a ship builders variety. The auctioneer called the long thing a spud bar but when I said it looked like a debarker, my new timber frame buddy agreed with me.
I bid on a nice 3" slick, but dropped out at $75; it went for $85 which is probably a good deal, but I already have a 2" slick sans handle that cost me $7 at a previous auction. ;D
There were tons of deals at this auction; wood stoves, crocks, anvils, oil lamps, many old tools, etc.
Auction Part II
Although I went for the tools, I came home with some other cabin items; couldn't resist. :D
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-22.jpg)
The kettle has "Zanesville" on it and that's where my sister lives, plus Zanes Trace and all that... The iron with the removeable wood handle was just like my grandma used by heating them up on the kitchen wood stove.
My mom used one of those wash boards.
And for the coup de grace.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-24.jpg)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-19.jpg)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-20.jpg)
Kind of looks like the enclosure was made from T&G siding or something??
And for some vista shots on the way to and fro on auction day.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/012-6.jpg)
I have a caption in mind, but I thought I'd give you guys and gals a chance at it. Caption that photo. [waiting]
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-14.jpg)
One of the few, if not the only active covered bridge in Adams county.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-12.jpg)
Everybody slows down going over this one-lane bridge. It's a leap of faith to trust the wooden deck. ;)
Poppy looks like some very nice antiques. What did the cabin bring?
Nice buy.I love those old covered bridges.
Wow! I would of loved to be at that auction...could of spent a years pay on all that cool stuff! ;D
Looks like you scored some nice tools. [cool]
With all these cool auctions you find, maybe you could you start Poppy's auction service, and bid on stuff for those of us that can't make it to the auction. ;D
Quote from: poppy on January 23, 2010, 07:57:54 PM
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-14.jpg)
One of the few, if not the only active covered bridge in Adams county.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-12.jpg)
Everybody slows down going over this one-lane bridge. It's a leap of faith to trust the wooden deck. ;)
Think of the stress-es that bridge is under, all twisted like that :o
It's a wonder the county keeps it open.
Nice score at the auction, lots of old stuff still kicking around back your way.
Quote from: considerations on January 08, 2010, 09:46:00 PM
"This would be the winter view off my left shoulder while sitting on the throne if I decide to put a window there."
Its a great view....I seem to remember Glenn saying he didn't even have walls around his throne for a while....I think it would be more enjoyable in the summer though. ;D
Very true... I remember the moonshine... [waiting]
Quote from: poppy on January 23, 2010, 06:35:02 PM
Spent all day at an auction on Wheatridge which is one ridge north of my farm. This was from the estate of a doctor who lived in a surburb of Cincinnati and had a country log cabin. Go here if you want to see auction items and several shots of the inside and ourside of the cabin.
http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/auctionview.cgi?lid=786262&kwd=&zip=45693&category=0
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-18.jpg)
The auction was held at an Amish saw mill and several Amish came, but fewer than I expected. There were literally several thousand items and I left after 5 hours of selling with only one auctioneer not taking any breaks. :o
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-11.jpg)
This was my tool haul. As luck would have it, the guy sitting beside me operated a timber framing business and he helped me with some of the items.
He told me that the adze was a ship builders variety. The auctioneer called the long thing a spud bar but when I said it looked like a debarker, my new timber frame buddy agreed with me.
I bid on a nice 3" slick, but dropped out at $75; it went for $85 which is probably a good deal, but I already have a 2" slick sans handle that cost me $7 at a previous auction. ;D
There were tons of deals at this auction; wood stoves, crocks, anvils, oil lamps, many old tools, etc.
Poppy, the debarker is often called a peeling spud so may likely be the same thing.
http://www.aloghomestore.com/nl-toolsotrade.html
That's a fine example of a Burr arch covered bridge, nice pics
A couple of other names for some of your tools. I call the adze a "lipped adze" with the upturned edges. If it becomes a full curve like the one on your bark spud I call it a gutter adze.
http://www.gransfors.us/AncientAxeBook.pdf
John
QuoteWhat did the cabin bring?
As far as I know, the cabin has not yet been sold. There is another auction comming up for this estate. It will include the remaining antiques that are still in the city house plus left over's from yesterday's auction.
This doctor had over 40 years worth of collections and several of them were really rare and valuable, plus he had mulitples of some items.
For example, he was big into knapping hammers and had about 25 of them.
ben
QuoteNice buy.I love those old covered bridges.
Thanks, but just to be clear, I didn't buy the bridge. ;)
Beavers
QuoteLooks like you scored some nice tools.
With all these cool auctions you find, maybe you could you start Poppy's auction service, and bid on stuff for those of us that can't make it to the auction.
Thanks, this was one of the best auctions with old tools that I have ever been to. There is an annual old tool auction down the road from where this one was that has many very good old tools, but there are fewer items overall, each tool is sold separately, and the prices tend to be higher.
With yesterday's auction, there were so many items in general and so many examples of some types of items, that deals were had in most catajories.
I would love to bid with other people's money (OPM Limited), but there would have to be some hard and fast rules. In other words, I would need to be free to bid hard and fast with high limits. :)
Peg
QuoteThink of the stress-es that bridge is under, all twisted like that
It's a wonder the county keeps it open.
Nice score at the auction, lots of old stuff still kicking around back your way.
Yea, I know that the bridge appears to be under great stress, but what you can't see is the extra concrete piers that they have placed under the span. There are actually 2 sets of new piers under that thing and I'm guessing there were no piers when it was first built.
I continue to be amazed at what some people collect, never sell, and then the heirs get the spoils and folks like me get some neat old stuff that we can actually use.
If the truth be known, I sometimes wish that my grandparents had kept more of their old stuff, but they sold a lot of it to "pickers" before we knew it was happening. For example, the flat irons that I picked up at the auction where like the ones my maternal grandmother used, but sold to pickers.
Here's another view of the bridge with a house in the foreground that you would probably appreciate Peg.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/015-4.jpg)
Glenn
QuoteI remember the moonshine...
Are you referring to that big round reflector up in the sky, or something in a mason jar. ???
(If it were John or Don_P, it would probably be the latter) ;D
QuotePoppy, the debarker is often called a peeling spud so may likely be the same thing.
Thanks for the link; I was searching on "de-barking" and came up empty.
In my neck of the woods when someone refers to a spud bar they usually mean breaker bar.
Don_P
QuoteThat's a fine example of a Burr arch covered bridge, nice pics
A couple of other names for some of your tools. I call the adze a "lipped adze" with the upturned edges. If it becomes a full curve like the one on your bark spud I call it a gutter adze
Thanks for the link on the N. European axes. This doctor had several really old axes including one that looked like a battle ax but was probably a chopping ax.
He had a small goose-wing hatchet that my new timber framing buddy said could be as old as 300 yrs. It went for something over $100. There was also a larger goose-wing head (no handle) that was more in line with what I see at other auctions.
For some reason there are a number of collectors of broad axes who attend these auctions and they normally out bid me, because I am just looking for tools to use, not hang on a wall. d*
FWIW, I got the handled 12" broad ax for $55 and the head for $17.50.
Oh, and there was even a gutter adze; something that I had never seen before.
I knew you would appreciate the bridge structure. And thanks for the compliment on the pics., so here is another shot, not of the bridge, but an Amish homestead near the bridge.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/014-5.jpg)
What great finds at the auction poppy, congratulations on your treasures! [cool]
Quote from: poppy on January 24, 2010, 06:35:32 PM
If the truth be known, I sometimes wish that my grandparents had kept more of their old stuff, but they sold a lot of it to "pickers" before we knew it was happening. For example, the flat irons that I picked up at the auction where like the ones my maternal grandmother used, but sold to pickers.
Yeah, those damned bluegrass bands just travel the country playin' music and buyin' up everyone's heirlooms. I hate it when that happens.
Here is one not far from the house. It is still operational today
(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/3718817724_7e925f027a_o1.jpg)
The Philippi Covered Bridge, at Philippi, WV, in Barbour County, spans the Tygart River and is a 285-foot-long "long" Burr truss. The Philippi bridge is the oldest and longest covered bridge in West Virginia and is one of two remaining in Barbour County. The Philippi Bridge has been severely damaged at least seven times. After a fire nearly destroyed the bridge in 1989, it was painstakingly rebuilt to approximate its original appearance and was reopened to traffic in 1991. See also: Carrollton Covered Bridge.
The historic covered bridge at Philippi, WV was the site of the first land battle of the Civil War
Thanks for posting, Poppy, very interesting :)
The covered bridge you posted, Red, is really nice, too! I took some pics of one in Santa Cruz 2-3 yrs ago.
Jim, thanks.
Raindog, your sense of humor is extensive. ::)
John, WOW that is one big covered bridge. I've never seen one that long or wide. There are a bunch of them over in Brown County, Indiana, but nothing like that.
Sassy, thanks.
My winter schedule has been kind of nuts, but I did manage a quick trip out to drop off the new/old tools and stuff and do a quick test of the peeling spud.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-15.jpg)
It's going to work great. This is one of those finds that doesn't come along very often around here, since it's not the kind of thing that people collect.
I have been walking and driving past this one white oak tree for over 3 years now and finally realized that there was no pic. I think it is a freak of nature. ???
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-13-1.jpg)
This will be one of the views off the back porch of the cabin.
Here's the other side.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-12-1.jpg)
This 3-branch white oak will will provide a great tripod base for a tree house, if I ever get the cabin done. d*
Kissing sisters is what the old guys call those trees around here. :)
It's been over 3 months since I have been able to get out to the farm to get any real work done. This past week end was warm and dry enough to drive the pickup back to the rear property line to prevent toting the chain saw back there.
I decided it was a good time to cut the white oak for the cruck blades for the south gable end.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-21.jpg)
I took a video of the tree falling but it started out horizontal and fell to vertical. d* Couldn't figure out how to rotate the file.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-15-1.jpg)
The base was from 26 to 28" across; quite a challenge for a 20" bar. ::)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-26.jpg)
The saw represents the center of the wall at floor level and the tape measure represents a vertical line to the gable peak.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-27-1.jpg)
This is from the top looking down.
The trunk at the top of the cruck is about 14" in dia. so the blades will have a larger cross section than I estimated.
I will be able to get a 6" x 8" cross beam out of the trunk above the cruck. And there will still be enough log to make a couple of braces. :D
Nice tree poppy. I've missed you here lately.
About the video... If I understand correctly you need to rotate the video 90 degrees? ??? Go to virtualdub.org (http://virtualdub.org/) and download the free program. Look in "video" and then the "filters" section; there is a rotation tool, 90, 180 or 270 degrees IIRC. Lots of other effects available too like changing contrast, brightness, cropping the frame, etc. There's no installer, you just make a shortcut to the executable and run it.
I'd been wondering what you've been up to, and now I know.
Nice looking tree with an interesting bend. Is this going to be enough for a full gable end or is this just the first half?
So what are the building hopes/plans for this summer? Are you shooting for a frame with a roof by fall?
Thanks Don, I will check into that program when time allows. It's nice to be missed. :)
Pinecone, yes, the cruck blades will frame the full gable. Here is a rough idea of the layout. The dimensions need some tweeking.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/cabinsouthrightside-1.jpg) (https://s650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/?action=view¤t=cabinsouthrightside-1.jpg)
As far as constuction goals, I will be lucky if I get a good start on the timber frame assemblies. They have to be constructed; then we have a raising party; then I work on the roof. So no, I don't expect there to be a roof this fall; maybe in a couple of years. d*
Poppy glad to see you back at it. I made the alterations to the fireplace while you were gone. Here is what I ended up doing.
http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=3613.msg111572#msg111572
Subsequent pages show the finished product.
John, thanks for the update on your fireplace. Glad to see it's working better. [cool]
For a variety of reasons there has been no time to work on the cabin, but I have been visiting the farm to check on things.
Over the last week the loggers next door have now cut their road up near my back property line.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/020-4.jpg)
It's not a very good pic., but if you look closely you can see my cruck tree from the top on the left side and some bull dozer work on the right and foreground.
They have now entered the part of the neighbor's woods where I have identified some standing dead red oaks that I have been hoping they will leave for me to salvage.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/018-5.jpg)
This is one that they have already felled (it may be a maple). You can see that it has been dead for a while, so hopefully it will be mine. :P
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/019-5.jpg)
These are some of the white oaks they cut last week and have yet to buck.
Just a quick update; sorry no pics. The loggers next door are finished, but they only left me 2 of the standing red oaks. There will be plenty of large limbs available for braces or short lumber stock.
Still no work on the cabin. It's a long story. :( Will give a related update in the General section.
Had my camera this trip out so I could show you all some of the distruction from the loggers next door.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-24.jpg)
If you look closely on the left you can see a red flag marking my property line. It's really sad how much damage the loggers did. >:(
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-17.jpg)
On the left of this pic. you can see an 8" maple that was topped and left to die. I should be able to get a good timber out of it. :( :D
You may have heard about the heavy rains (about 5") and flash floods in southern Ohio last Friday. Here are some pics of the bridge just down the hill from my farm.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/023-3.jpg)
The guard rail on the upstream side was pulled out of the ground and lays across the roadway.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/024-1.jpg)
Here's the downstream view. The flood really scoured out the creek bed. I may be able to salvage some shale pieces from the aftermath. [cool]
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/025-1.jpg)
This log was jammed between the guard rail and the bridge deck without the log breaking or the guard rail being bent. ??? The bridge is about 20' off the creek bed, so you get the idea of the volume of flow from the flash flood. My guess is that this bridge had never been flooded before.
A friend of mine is clearing some of his land for an in ground pool and building.Another friend and I have been logging out wood for us to use to build with, and we have been logging some for our friend the property owner.We are very gently on the land compared to most.One log at a time with a skid steer or small excavator.Both are sporting rubber tracks.We also wait for dry ground to work on.I enjoy small time logging. :)
So I continue go to the farm and mow and check on things, but still no new work on the cabin.
Here are some pics. from my last trip out.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-26.jpg)
Some blackberries are coming in.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/002-21.jpg)
The storm on Mon. night brought down a few black walnut limbs.
I continue to check the aftermath of the logging next door.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-18-1.jpg)
This a 24" white oak that they left behind. I'm not sure what the burrs or bumps are, but they must be the reason it wasn't harvested.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-30.jpg)
This is the base of the oak.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-29.jpg)
This is a 6' section of a 24" white oak that they left behind. There's another bottom section of another tree in another location also. Not sure what I would do with them, but they should have some useful purpose.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-25-1.jpg)
This is a large maple that they left; again with the bumps.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-25-1-1.jpg)
The bottom 6 or 8 ft. of the maple.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-22-1.jpg)
And this is a tree that I can't readily identify. I don't have any like it on my land and it is not a maple. It's not very clear, but there is a small limb visible on the upper left.
I would guess beech on that tree. Those lumpy trees don't make very good timber, but wood turners love them to make bowls out of. Really wild grain in there.
Quote from: MushCreek on June 16, 2010, 04:03:13 PM
I would guess beech on that tree.
same here, though tough to tell without a clear shot of the leaves.
i would also say those berries are black raspberries.
Here is a closer view of the leaves on the tree I was questioning.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/008-22.jpg)
They are toothed simple leaves, which would help confirm that it is an American Beech. I should have taken a closeup of the leaves.
Looks like beech. Do the leaves turn brown but hang on all winter? Beech tends to do that.
Definitely beech. You can tell from the bark. They are a third of the trees on my land.
Quotei would also say those berries are black raspberries.
You are probably correct since the red canes would point to black raspberries as well.
I tend to call every berry that is black a blackberry. I did the same thing last year when I picked some Due Berries to make cobbler. d*
We have alot of beech too, I'm removing about 98% of it. It is a nice wood although it has low value and is often hollow. It root suckers and soon excludes the other trees. Ours have beech bark disease which helps lower the quality more. I've been watching my folk's trees down near mushcreek and haven't seen it on them yet. It took me awhile after buying the land but I finally realized the beech were on the pasture side of an old fenceline. It is good grouse habitat. I've sawn a number in the past year, as well as through the years. There is a pretty fair amount of drying loss, look at the shrinkage numbers and you'll see why. It is in the hickory range for strength, self polishes and is a very pretty wood. Many wood planes were made from it as well as loom parts and things like tool handles and mallets. It is also excellent firewood.
I warned my wife out of some black raspberries the other day by a brush pile at the job... sure enough the excavator dipped in and turned up 4 copperheads, one came after the bucket repeatedly. When we looked him over it looks like they are shedding and he was probably blind right now. Wednesday he got into another batch of them. I worked slow today wearing heavy felt lined boots with weedeater and chainsaw in that order. The big score today was 4 gallons of blackheart cherries in about an hour. I could get to places last night's bear couldn't go out to :)
Some cabin progress to report. :D
Those of you following the thread about my 1957 ranch house rehab know that I have had some timbers milled to make supports for the load bearing walls that I have removed.
The last trip to the mill included some logs for the cabin.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-33.jpg)
Again using the method suggested by Don_P I loaded some logs to take to the Amish band saw mill.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/010-22.jpg)
Ready to unload the timbers at my "saw mill" site just below the cabin.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/011-17.jpg)
There was a small section of black walnut log left over from a previous run, so I decided to get some more yield out of it for future use inside the cabin.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/012-13.jpg)
The new timbers added to the bunch and ready to cover. Now I'm trying to figure out how the Amish mill can make the cruck blades for me. ???
Sounds like a job for an Alaskan Sawmill.
QuoteSounds like a job for an Alaskan Sawmill.
That was the original plan John, and I have the Alaskan mill, but my chainsaw is marginal at best when doing 8"x8" timbers, so it would be very very slow to try to cut a 12" slice in the bottom of the log for the cruck.
The plan is to cut enough off the sides of the log to allow it to fit the band saw mill. I think it will work, but another problem is the length. On my last run, the operator struggled with a 17' log and I need a little over 18' for the blades. d*
Time will tell.
Sounds like a good excuse to buy a bigger saw! :)
You could try craigslist or http://www.arboristsite.com/forumdisplay.php?f=62 and see if there are any Alaskan mill owners looking to help pay for there hobby. I would come give you a hand but your a little to far to make it practical.
Thanks for the link there Marty; interesting stuff. [cool]
Yea, hindsight says I should have gotten a bigger saw, but I don't want to spend the money. I can buy a lot of time on the Amish mill. The last run only cost me $60.
I think I will save the saws for wood for the stove, plus I need to buy a power splitter.
I dont see how a band mill could cut your cruck blades, I could be wrong them Amish are pretty crafty :) If he comes up with some thing, get us some pics please!
We had a couple of small white oak arches cut last week on a bandmill, it all depends on the throat width and sweep in the log. The backup plan might be scoring and hewing. A swinger can do any size you can get under it and cheaper to buy than a bandmill ;D
I'm limited to 17" total depth and have to take "rainbows" off, turn them around and put them back on the circle saw carriage. I tried just rolling one over and chocking it smile up for the second cut one time. That did not go well d*
I thought you knew not to take short cuts there Don. ;)
This Wood Miser super hydraulic band mill has about a 30" throat and my cruck log doesn't have a really big sweep, but I will still have to trim the sides a little with the broad ax I think. I need to run some string lines along the length and see if it will work. Will keep you posted.
Poppy you may be able to do it with four different cuts by sawing 1/2 way flipping and get the rest of the same side then repeat for the other side. I am sure you will get it figured out though.
Peel them and use a power planer?Just tossing out so long shot ideas.
Thanks for all of your suggestions for sawing the cruck log, but I may have the solution. I took some measurements on the log and here are the results.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-28.jpg)
If you look closely you should be able to see the red string line that roughly follows the finished shape of the cruck blades. So by trimming the high spots in 3 locations along the length I can get the overall width down to about 24" and that will allow plenty of room on the band saw mill.
The only issue remains the length and I need to visit the mill to confirm the maximum length that will fit. I'm not interested in making a cut and then turning the log end for end.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-40.jpg)
While I was out there taking measurements, I gave a trial run on using the broad ax to trim the high spots.
Then as I reported earilier there was an 8" maple on my neighbor's land that the loggers "topped" and left to die. My neighbor had given me permission to salvage what I could from the logging operation so I cut it and moved it in 2 logs to the staging area.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-34.jpg)
And they came two by two. The right most logs are from the 8" maple which I may use to replace the bad timber from the last run.
The others are red oak logs that I had staged at my chain saw mill. They will probably end up as 3" x 5" timbers for bracing. I have another "Y" log that I may try to turn into table legs. More on that later.
It's later, so here's some more on the "Y" log which is also red oak.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/003-29.jpg)
This was a standing dead tree that I cut down in '08. I plan to get a couple of 4x4's plus....
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/007-36.jpg)
This is called a pant leg or crotch cut I think. I'm thinking of making them a pair of table legs or a funky table top or??? Any suggestions?
And believe it or not, this cut was kind of a trial run for the cruck log cut later. BTW, the mill will take a 20' log, so I am good to go. :)
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/004-42.jpg)
A full load outside the Amish mill.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-41.jpg)
It doesn't look like a full load anymore, but I got a bunch of good boards and timbers for both the cabin and the house rehab. The mill operator worked by himself for 1 1/2 hours and only charged me 75 bucks this time. :D
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/006-35.jpg)
Just down the hill from my mill near the property line I noticed this downed 7" cedar left by the loggers next door. It is on my list to salvage, probably for porch posts. 8)
That's some nice wood you got outta those logs.The first thing I thought, when I saw those crotch cuts, was picnic style dining table.They're popular in my area,in rustic homes and country homes.
Got any new pics?
Weasel, thanks for the interest. I probably won't have any new pics until the ground either gets frozen enough or dry enough to drag the cruck log out of the woods to the trailer loading area. That will prompt another trip to the Amish bandsaw mill.
There probably won't be any real serious work on the cabin until my house rehab project gets far enough along for the kids and grandkids to feel comfortable in it. I'm guessing another 18 months to 2 years.
No direct work on the cabin, but since I was at the back of the property cutting firewood for the chateau, it seemed like a good time to do a little bucking on the cruck log.
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/005-45.jpg)
Any progress on the cabin?
No, no progress on the cabin. I haven't done any actual framing since Dec. 15, 2009. Only some timber sawing has been done as already documented.
I do have a large maple that a storm took down that I need to buck and take to the Amish sawmill.
Poppy I found a cruck tree for you. It is about the 4th picture here http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=3613.msg149316#msg149316
QuotePoppy I found a cruck tree for you.
Thanks John, but I would call it crocked. ??? But [cool]
Just skimmed the whole post. Fantastic all the way around. Hats off to loads of great deals on salvaged items! Thumbs up for the timber milling and building.......... Opening those logs is like looking for gold! Really look forward to your contuned progress on a totally one off project. c*
No progress to report on this build, but after John posted in General about aluminum termite guards and potential corrosion, I reviewed my build to remind myself that I had used 30# felt between the aluminum and pressure treated posts.
I should have some progress to report later when I get back out there to take some more trees to the Amish bandsaw mill. There's the white oak log for the cruck blades, a blown down maple, and a standing dead red oak that needs to come down.
Will keep you posted. In the mean time here's a pic just because I know you all like pics. :D
(https://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu224/poppy3640/001-60.jpg)
Ah, the joys of living in a small town; I can just drive my tractor from property to property.
Poppy good to have you back again even if it is for a visit. ;) Just like most things in life hindsight is 20/20 (at least in my life). I really posted that for new builders as others have or might have neglected to think of this. Hows the rehab coming along?