Okanogan 14x24 by a lurker :)

OlJarhead · January 09, 2016, 09:10:40 PM

Finally got some time to organize the new shop a little and get some work done

Ripping down to 4", 5", 6" and 7" boards for paneling

11 1/2" pine ready to rip

Getting there

Stock

I also cut all the trim pieces into kindling so I'll have plenty for the rest of the winter

Now to get planing and putting the T&G on

OlJarhead · January 13, 2016, 11:17:50 AM

Several bags of pine chips later I have most of the paneling planed and ready for T&G. One thing I've noticed is that when the band on the mill gets dull it cuts in waves leaving a wavy edge or wavy board. Most of this can be rectified by planing and squaring with a table saw but I must admit it's a bit frustrating. Note to self: don't ever let that happen! Change the darn blade on the mill

On a side note though, the finished boards look great because they have some obvious mill marks on them giving them that rustic look

January 13, 2016, 08:53:42 PM

Any wood for sale? I need about 1,000 sq.ft.(+/-) of cedar 3/4"x 8"x10' channel siding or board and batt for my place come summer.

OlJarhead · January 15, 2016, 09:16:04 AM

Sorry

No cedar over here that I know of and I don't have any wood for sale.

I do (sometimes) mill onsite for people though

nailit69 · January 15, 2016, 09:40:08 PM

Plenty of cheap Cedar siding on the West side of the mountains but getting it there (to the cabin) can make any savings on this side cost more than just ordering it from the lumber store over there... had to ask.

My brother has a friend with a mill but again... getting it to the east side and then back can be spendy. I'd also like to bring my dads Kubota tractor over but the cost of fuel and trailer to get there and then getting it back to the westside is almost as much as renting a mini excavator for a week, and I can do more with a mini in a week than I could with the Kubota in a month.

January 18, 2016, 06:34:28 PM

https://youtu.be/0_HMTtfIIBA
Making T&G paneling for the cabin

OlJarhead · January 18, 2016, 06:46:27 PM

https://youtu.be/xPm01fDmEEs

OlJarhead · January 19, 2016, 02:09:36 PM

Seems I forgot the extra shims and cutter for my router bit at the cabin so I can't make the tongues until after I go get the rest of it! DOH!

minnowcat · January 19, 2016, 02:56:15 PM

I've been a silent 'lurker' here for a while !

Very impressed with your effort, keep the good work up sir

January 19, 2016, 03:16:03 PM

Quote from: minnowcat on January 19, 2016, 02:56:15 PM
I've been a silent 'lurker' here for a while !

Very impressed with your effort, keep the good work up sir

LOL I am no longer a lurker but was when I started this thread about 6 years ago

Thanks for the input

It's a labor of love

OlJarhead · January 21, 2016, 01:38:04 PM

More snow at the cabin I hear -- I'll find out soon

nailit69 · January 21, 2016, 08:37:19 PM

I texted my Okanogan neighbors the other day... they said there's about 3' of snow up there at our place. No word on the Hippies but I guess I didn't ask either.

OlJarhead · January 22, 2016, 10:52:49 PM

Lots of snow here but not 3 feet. Maybe 2 feet where it hasn't melted otherwise down around a foot or 15". Very warm today (40) so it was a slushy slidy mess on the way up (with chains on the front) but I made it and plowed my drive after getting settled. Might have to plow the road too if the neighbor doesn't get his cat out! It is a mess but I don't really want to plow with the front end loader all 2.7 miles!

Redoverfarm · January 23, 2016, 08:06:23 AM

Quote from: OlJarhead on January 22, 2016, 10:52:49 PM
Lots of snow here but not 3 feet. Maybe 2 feet where it hasn't melted otherwise down around a foot or 15". Very warm today (40) so it was a slushy slidy mess on the way up (with chains on the front) but I made it and plowed my drive after getting settled. Might have to plow the road too if the neighbor doesn't get his cat out! It is a mess but I don't really want to plow with the front end loader all 2.7 miles!

Eric you need to find a plow blade for the front of your tractor. Would make plowing so much easier. I use to try with the bucket and it is a real pain to keep off loading what is pushed ahead. As for us we are getting dumped on now. Probably 18-24" and still coming down. I hit it last night with 4-wheeler and 8". Probably have to break out the more serious equipment today.

OlJarhead · January 23, 2016, 12:05:39 PM

I've toyed with some options like a front plow blade or a much much heavier rear blade. I don't mind the rear blade but need one that won't break so easily!

And yes plowing with the FEL is a pain but with split breaks it isn't too bad

Redoverfarm · January 23, 2016, 12:58:05 PM

Quote from: OlJarhead on January 23, 2016, 12:05:39 PM
I've toyed with some options like a front plow blade or a much much heavier rear blade. I don't mind the rear blade but need one that won't break so easily!

And yes plowing with the FEL is a pain but with split breaks it isn't too bad

I got a used truck blade and modified my bucket to hook up. Works real nice and in a pinch I can rotate the bucket and still use it with the snow blade attached for moving heavy piles. Sort of the best of both worlds. The only down side is that I need a wider blade as on the angle setting it dumps the snow right in front of the wheel to the short side. Also a wider blade would allow me to get closer to edge of the road. If I get a chance I will take a picture and send it to you on what I have. Maybe get some ideas.

OlJarhead · January 23, 2016, 02:09:17 PM

I've seen some that attach to the bucket an wonder how well they work.

I checked pricing on one skidsteer blade (I have a skid steer type quick attach on the FEL) and they ran about $3000 new for hydraulics and $200 less for manual. That's too steep for me!

minnowcat · January 23, 2016, 03:33:33 PM

Quote from: OlJarhead on January 19, 2016, 03:16:03 PM
LOL I am no longer a lurker but was when I started this thread about 6 years ago

Thanks for the input It's a labor of love

Sounds fantastic! Keep us updated

Redoverfarm · January 23, 2016, 05:57:21 PM

Quote from: OlJarhead on January 23, 2016, 02:09:17 PM
I've seen some that attach to the bucket an wonder how well they work.

I checked pricing on one skidsteer blade (I have a skid steer type quick attach on the FEL) and they ran about $3000 new for hydraulics and $200 less for manual. That's too steep for me!

Find a machine shop/welder and they can fabricate a quick disconnect mount to use on a standard truck blade and I would say you would be good to go for less than half that. The biggest expense would be the blade if you had to buy one new. Check Craigslist/Ebay or local and pick one up for $200-400. Mine is manual which is a little PIA but not for the difference in price. Mine does not have quick disconnect ( wish I had) so without unbolting the bucket this was my solution.

OlJarhead · January 23, 2016, 07:00:35 PM

Hmm not a bad idea. I have a friend who is a metal fab guy who could do that easy. I'll give it some thought and might just do it. Sure would be just a bucket but I also have to think about break aways they put on front plows. They prevent damage and might be worth it.

Here I am plowing my way to the game cam. 14" of snow pack and 3" of fresh today. It melted a LOT yesterday or we'd have two feet easily and if it hadn't melted at other times I'd say we'd have well over three feet! This will be VERY good in the spring when it melts since we need the water.

On a different note I checked the water in the batteries today (all 12) and it was good! Hard to tell if any has been lost at all actually and it's been 5 months or so since I put on those caps! I think they are worth the investment now!

January 24, 2016, 03:17:52 PM

Eric I finally got slowed down enough to post the pictures I promised. Had to plow two people out. First was a mile and second was 1/2 mile one way. Both had uphill grades so I just tram up hill with the blade 1/2 depth and did the majority down hill. Went much better and wasn't as hard on the tractor.

Here is my set up. Pretty much on the cheap side but operational. Just need a wider blade. Only thing I did was weld an 2" angle to the lip of the bucket and the ears for the plow to attach. The a second set of ears mid center on the bucket (bucket turned over to plow) for the lift mechanism.

Here is a picture of a friend/farmer in the upper part of the county. Shows that he fabricated a quick disconnect for his deer. Not sure he used the complete blade or not and not sure he can tilt the blade. Haven't seen him to ask.

OlJarhead · January 24, 2016, 08:07:03 PM

Nice setup. That would work pretty well specially with being able to tilt it left and right. Out here, though, with all the rock I think I'd break it (I've broken FEL mount bolts even) without a beak away setup.

OlJarhead · January 24, 2016, 08:14:58 PM

Got the new ROPS LIGHTS on the tractor and wired into the rear lights. It won't stay that way but for now it gives me light to plow in the dark which is normally when I'm doing it.

These things are amazingly bright!

Dug up some dirt and spread it on the dangerous section of the driveway. Thank god for the tractor! Otherwise I'd not be coming out here in the winter unless I snowshoed in like Don.

Lots of work done today. Shovelled off the deck and cleared the driveway as wel as a lot of the area in front of the cabin. Widened the road a bit and generally just worked all day! It was a good day.

Redoverfarm · January 25, 2016, 09:27:41 AM

I had to put two additional lights on mine as well. Seems the front end loader brace blocked the tractor headlights. I got two 27W LED's and mounted then similar to yours. Sure makes a difference at night. In regards to the blade. Mine is spring loaded so that if I hit something the blade just tilts forward until it passes over and then springs back. With the exception of the driveway most of my plowing toward the cabin is a gravel road and comes with it's fair share of outcropped rocks as well.

OlJarhead · January 26, 2016, 02:35:37 PM

So ready to get back to cabin work! I now have the rest of my router bit so I can finish making my T&G paneling and I hope to get it done my the time we head up the first weekend of Feb. The plan is to run the panel and saw up and maybe begin putting it up. Then I'll have it there and ready to work on subsequent trips until it's done.

I have decided to run the panel up the walls to the peak, then run some under the rafter ties (like a ceiling in the loft) but to leave some of the area open. This will allow access to the new 'attic' space in the loft (I'll add some OSB flooring above the ties so we can put stuff up there). By leaving some of the area open to below we'll have access but it will allow the warm/cool area to mix up there whereas, had I closed it off completely it would get pretty hot in the summer I think. It also means I'll have easier access if some wasps or something decides to move in up there.

Once the weather begins to improve I'll start milling again too. I have a LOT of logs to mill and plan on spending some weeks working up there (for my real job) so I can do some milling in the evenings during the week like I did a couple years ago. I can get a lot of milling done that way even if I only mill one or two logs a day. With luck I can have all the lumber for the new deck section done as well as all the lumber to frame in the roof. I'll just have to get the posts put in and D logs on top of them so I can run rafters from a ledger to the outside post/beam of the deck. I may mill 1" pine and fir for the roof instead of using OSB as it will look much better

Then, if time allows I plan to start milling 4x8's for a log cabin I plan to build (small bedroom cabin) using a dovetail jib to cut the logs. It's going to be a Scandinavian style log cabin -- at least the walls anyway. All roughsawn and chinked.