Poppy's 16x16 timber frame cabin

[poppy]

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.


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.

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.

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).

[MushCreek]

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.

[poppy]

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.

[secordpd]

Welcome Poppy, beautiful view, did you say something about a pond?  Can't wait to see you "pin foundation' inventions!!!

[Sassy]

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!

[poppy]

Welcome 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.

[poppy]

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.

[poppy]

OK guys and gals, here's another update for winter and spring '07.


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.

The pond with the first winter snow.  Sorry about the shutter not being fully open.

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.

Some spring flowers in front of the old house.  My wife liked them so much that I transplanted some to our condo.

The hedge bushes in front of the house.

One of the previous owners had a green thumb.

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.

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.

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.

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.

[glenn kangiser]

Great pix, poppy.  Thanks for taking the time to post them.

[considerations]

More please?

[poppy]

OK, here's another installment.

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.

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.

The completed first pier on the high side with 2 J bolts for the framing.

Hole number 3 with me for scale.

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.

[considerations]

A new species of gopher!

[PEG688]

A new species of gopher!

Groan!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jeez C ,,,,,,,,    the guys sort of new , take-er easy on um eh  


  to the forum Poppy!

Do you need a link to some big gopher traps? Maybe ,  Have a Hearts ,

 

Might need a BIGGER trap !!!  

[Whitlock]

Nice place I like the landscape

[glenn kangiser]

  You have been well accepted, poppy - they are already picking on you.

[poppy]

Thanks for all the welcome comments.

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.    Oh wait, you were talking about me.

[poppy]

Nice 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.

[Mike 870]

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.

[poppy]

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.

[karnf]

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.

[rdzone]

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. 

[poppy]

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.

[poppy]

Chuck, I look forward to seeing what you do with the 12x16 timber frame.

[MushCreek]

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.

[poppy]

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.