Okanogan 14x24 by a lurker :)

[OlJarhead]

Thanks Gary

My wrists are sore from all the sanding etc and my hams are sore form the gardening I did while it tried to rain!  But all in all it's a good feeling to be this close to putting them up!

[OlJarhead]

Something else I decided on with these stairs (and other projects like them) is to NOT clean up the lumber too much.  The idea was to not sand all the saw marks etc out so they remain somewhat 'rustic' or at least obviously made from the lumber we milled ourselves.  Both my wife and I like the look but I also like the idea of having the story to tell some day

[AdironDoc]

Something else I decided on with these stairs (and other projects like them) is to NOT clean up the lumber too much.  The idea was to not sand all the saw marks etc out so they remain somewhat 'rustic' or at least obviously made from the lumber we milled ourselves.  Both my wife and I like the look but I also like the idea of having the story to tell some day

I like the look you're describing. When I was looking to make some rough cut boards, etc. someone said use an old beat up sawblade on the table saw. I had no old blades, so I went to Lowes. "I'd like your worst blade..one that will rip the h*** out of all my pine", I offered. Three associates just stood there rubbing their chins with eyebrows raised. 

I've refurbed some old tables and used an orbital sander with max grit. After the stain went down, plenty of dark lines. I like it.

[OlJarhead]

I remember those posts by you -- very cool.

I'm so stoked right now I can hardly concentrate on work at all!  I just want to head home and stain more lumber!!!!  Then I can get it poly coated on Wednesday/Thursday and ready to haul up to the cabin

Going to take lots of trim material too but need to remember I have other priorities!  So hard to though!

So, in order of importance:

1.  Install solar panel, controller and switch for well.  Measure distance from well to cistern for float valve wiring.
2.  Measure distance from cistern to cabin and orchard and measure any other piping needs for water to orchard/cabin project.
3.  Build barbed wire fence around orchard.
4.  Sand drywall mud and apply second layer in bathroom -- after dry sand again and prime -- paint if time allows.
5.  Install loft stairs
6.  Install window trim

Luckily my wife is coming this next trip and plans to do the bathroom work so that's not really for me   I hope she gets it done too because that means we will bring the tub and shower attachments on the next trip up and I can begin getting it installed!

Considering the water work happening June 8th weekend I'm starting to really get excited!  After all, I could have running water into the cabin by the end of June and hot water around that time too!!!!! Imagine that!  I cannot begin to tell you how cool that sounds   A shower?  You bet!

Nothing like getting clean after working all day getting dirty....relaxing at the cabin might just take on a whole new dimension soon

[OlJarhead]

I should also add that my neighbor has been getting water out of the cistern with ease lately.  It seems that using the RV pump for a good 100 gallons or so did the trick and now it's flowing freely and with enough pressure to use a 150 foot garden hose to water each tree with 5 gallons of water (takes 3 1/2 minutes to get 5 gallons).

While that's encouraging, I'm still going to replace the 1" line from the tank to the cabin with a 2" line and install a second Frost Free.

I'm REALLY excited about that!

Also, the trees are very happy and all have budded out and grown leaves/branches etc.  I plan to get lots of pics this weekend.

[JavaMan]

That's awesome, OJH!  Gotta love it when the trees are happy enough to stay alive 

[OlJarhead]

That's awesome, OJH!  Gotta love it when the trees are happy enough to stay alive 

Big thanks to my neighbor for watering them for the last THREE WEEKS!  He's been going daily and giving them 3-5 gallons per day (3 when the water system was not working well and 5 now that it is).

I'm SO happy with that!!!  All five are doing well and protected from the deer.  I figure if I can get the fence completed (to keep the cows out) and get the irrigation fixed then it will be back to milling and construction work   Might even have the privy done this summer (which would be nice in the winter months when the composting toilet is just a holding tank).

[OlJarhead]

I read somewhere that the way to protect and secure knots in wood was to use epoxy resin so I am trying some 1 minute epoxy here.

It's been close to 24hrs and still not 100% cured but very close now and didn't run or give me any problems.

With luck this will provide a simple and aesthetic means of keeping the knots from falling out, cracking or lifting in the wood I'm using for our cabin.


So far I like the look and can see how this might really present some attractive ways to keep the knots in place

[AdironDoc]

Can't concentrate, huh? lol. You've got the fever! There are weekends..then there are the 5 days you can use in planning them 

Glad you got some water running. I got clear water running into my springbox finally, and, like you, was able to use a 12V RV pump. That little shurflo I got off amazon not only lifted water through 1/2 inch PEX up a 50 foot incline, but managed to pump it 600ft to the cabin where it filled a 50 gallon rain barrel. Amazing what a small RV pump is capable of. Like you, I've got a solar panel that will connect to a set of batteries. Does the float switch you're using need anything more than thin wire? I've heard that they make relays that work on milliamps.

Well, it's Tuesday tomorrow. Only 4 more days until the weekend. Better stain those boards quickly!

[OlJarhead]

Can't concentrate, huh? lol. You've got the fever! There are weekends..then there are the 5 days you can use in planning them 

Glad you got some water running. I got clear water running into my springbox finally, and, like you, was able to use a 12V RV pump. That little shurflo I got off amazon not only lifted water through 1/2 inch PEX up a 50 foot incline, but managed to pump it 600ft to the cabin where it filled a 50 gallon rain barrel. Amazing what a small RV pump is capable of. Like you, I've got a solar panel that will connect to a set of batteries. Does the float switch you're using need anything more than thin wire? I've heard that they make relays that work on milliamps.

Well, it's Tuesday tomorrow. Only 4 more days until the weekend. Better stain those boards quickly!

No batteries!  I discovered they are a liability (as in they stop being useful too easily) so I ditched them in favor of a battery-LESS arrangement.

I have a 190watt 24v panel feeding a controller which operates the well pump as long as the panel has enough power.  The Cistern float valve will be wired to the controller to switch it on and off.

[OlJarhead]

And yes!  I have Cabin Fever!

Here is proof!


More stain -- 2nd coat -- went on tonight.


Quick Comparison


Hmmm.....this might be a problem....how to remove?


Some stained and unstained lumber in my 'shed'....oh the fun I'll have!

[OlJarhead]

I guess the oil in the wood stain softened the sap and caused it to run -- I read that all I need to do is wipe it off...I'll give it a try tomorrow.

[Redoverfarm]

I guess the oil in the wood stain softened the sap and caused it to run -- I read that all I need to do is wipe it off...I'll give it a try tomorrow.

OJ you will probably need some mineral spirits to remove the sap.  Chances are that you will have to restain those areas.  Not sure whether it will remove some of the stain and leave lighter spots.  You will have to let us know.

[OlJarhead]

OJ you will probably need some mineral spirits to remove the sap.  Chances are that you will have to restain those areas.  Not sure whether it will remove some of the stain and leave lighter spots.  You will have to let us know.

Thanks I'll have to try that.

[rick91351]

I guess the oil in the wood stain softened the sap and caused it to run -- I read that all I need to do is wipe it off...I'll give it a try tomorrow.

Pitch pocket.....goes with the territory.  They start to run most times when they get warmed up good. 

You can after it drains fill with epoxy as well, sand off any residue and pitch.  Then there is the option of side two.

[AdironDoc]

Pitch pocket.....goes with the territory.  They start to run most times when they get warmed up good. 

You can after it drains fill with epoxy as well, sand off any residue and pitch.  Then there is the option of side two.

Noticed the same on my half log porch steps. Sun must have warmed 'em up nice. Now it's been tracking around on people's shoes.

[AdironDoc]

No batteries!  I discovered they are a liability (as in they stop being useful too easily) so I ditched them in favor of a battery-LESS arrangement.

I have a 190watt 24v panel feeding a controller which operates the well pump as long as the panel has enough power.  The Cistern float valve will be wired to the controller to switch it on and off.

Been wondering about doing the same. I have a small 50W 12V I was gonna use. I also have a third main panel not yet in use. 200W, 27V, I could get a controller for. You'll need to let me know how it turns out. Since you're running straight off the panel, why not just let the pump overfill the cistern and eliminate the switch?

In my case, my spring box overflow pipe is clogged making the water more stagnant than I'd like. Instead of running a fresh pipe and digging a lengthy ditch for it,  I figure if it's pumped out daily, that would make up for it. The daily excess will just spill out, maybe even water some vegetables.

[rick91351]

Noticed the same on my half log porch steps. Sun must have warmed 'em up nice. Now it's been tracking around on people's shoes.

  Ya!  That what I'm talking about.......    I am making a quilting frame for Ellen.  For the trestle that connects the two sides I had saved this 1X8 pine board for that.  One little pin knot in it and straight as a sting.  Then last night I was sanding it getting ready to attach it and  Where the heck did that come from?  I will have to find another board today because I do not wish to suffer the wrath of Ellen if one of her quilts brushed up on some oozing pitch.   GRRR!!!     

[rick91351]

No batteries!  I discovered they are a liability (as in they stop being useful too easily) so I ditched them in favor of a battery-LESS arrangement.

I have a 190watt 24v panel feeding a controller which operates the well pump as long as the panel has enough power.  The Cistern float valve will be wired to the controller to switch it on and off.

How much water are you pumping?  I would real be interested in doing such with our low producing well.  We are looking at about a gallon per minute with a restrictor on it.  The well will do like three gpm is all.

If you needed to you could cycle water to a drip line and landscape plants and berry bushes, and of course your orchard.  From what I have been told by the pump guys it is way harder on them cycling on and off than just running.

[AdironDoc]

If you needed to you could cycle water to a drip line and landscape plants and berry bushes, and of course your orchard.  From what I have been told by the pump guys it is way harder on them cycling on and off than just running.

That's very interesting info, Rick. My lil' SHURflo 3.0 Revolution is rated for "intermittent use". I suppose the panels will run her from something like 11am to 3pm when the shadows block the panels again. That's intermittent I suppose. Of course at $89, it's not a big deal if it burns prematurely. OJH and I have similar setups and could be we have similar demands too. What's your pump rated for, OJH? Mine's 3gpm, which during the day would likely give me 10 times more than I could use. Also, what's your well's refresh rate? I tried to clean out my springbox, but despite pumping with a 110V high flow pump, she wouldn't drain to less than a foot. Amazing refresh, but not sure of the purity considering it's refreshing so quickly and sitting next to a bog and all.

The water looked so clear sitting in the barrel. If you could only have seen how it looked going in at the other end! Pass me the chlorine please 

[OlJarhead]

Been wondering about doing the same. I have a small 50W 12V I was gonna use. I also have a third main panel not yet in use. 200W, 27V, I could get a controller for. You'll need to let me know how it turns out. Since you're running straight off the panel, why not just let the pump overfill the cistern and eliminate the switch?

In my case, my spring box overflow pipe is clogged making the water more stagnant than I'd like. Instead of running a fresh pipe and digging a lengthy ditch for it,  I figure if it's pumped out daily, that would make up for it. The daily excess will just spill out, maybe even water some vegetables.

Got this controller from Backwoods Solar and while it will run from a 75watt panel it's best to run 150 watts or more.

As for overflow, my cistern is buried completely so setting an overflow could be an issue but also, I'd not want the pump to run daily as it can easily pump 80+ gallons an hour.....3-4 hours of pumping daily with a full cistern might give me a lake!!!  lol

The Surflo 9300 series pump (also got from Backwoods) pumps 83 gallons per hour on 24vdc and up 100' or something like that....it's a good pump and with a well that can lose 2.5 gallons per minute without drawing down you can pump a LOT of water!

[OlJarhead]

How much water are you pumping?  I would real be interested in doing such with our low producing well.  We are looking at about a gallon per minute with a restrictor on it.  The well will do like three gpm is all.

If you needed to you could cycle water to a drip line and landscape plants and berry bushes, and of course your orchard.  From what I have been told by the pump guys it is way harder on them cycling on and off than just running.

I'm pumping a LOT of water -- with the cistern down to about 50-100 gallons of water it didn't take long at all (maybe two hours) to fill it back up -- heck I accidentally let the pump run too long once and had the thing overflowing like crazy!

[AdironDoc]

I'm pumping a LOT of water -- with the cistern down to about 50-100 gallons of water it didn't take long at all (maybe two hours) to fill it back up -- heck I accidentally let the pump run too long once and had the thing overflowing like crazy!

Ah.. buried cistern. Makes sense you wouldn't run at that rate all day and flood the area. My 3GPM SHurflo was actually delivering 2GPM so I'm in the same boat. Over a 4 hour period of sun, it could conceivably pump almost 500 gallons! I wouldn't use that in a month of weekends. I suppose a float switch is the only way. I bought a bilge pump switch which turns on when the level rises. I thought I'd put it near the top of the tank, upside down, so its on until the water level lifts it and turns it off. Not sure it will work as planned. What kind of float switch setup are you rigging?

[OlJarhead]

http://backwoodssolar.com/catalog/pumps.htm#PUMP%20ACCESSORIES
using the float switch and linear current booster on this page.

[AdironDoc]

http://backwoodssolar.com/catalog/pumps.htm#PUMP%20ACCESSORIES
using the float switch and linear current booster on this page.

Nice link, thanks!