Quote from: Don_P on July 07, 2021, 05:31:37 PMMine just don't seem to do as well after cutting rocks or nails 
I like 3/8 full chisel for most things.

May I know which brand you prefer? Thank you.

Cordless drills have really been a game changer for me and tough to nail woods. More and more as lumber prices rise I'm using native stuff that either likes to split or will not accept a nail without bending. I predrill a lot of stuff.

Thanks for the insight Don.

One thing I've noticed with Hemlock is it really takes a nail. Toenailing SYP sometimes seems to do more harm than good.

"Load goes to stiffness". Is the semi rigid plane of metal screwed to purlins stiffer than several short diagonals bolted to the midpoint of a flexible post? My bet is the angle braces do not see load until the roof is gone.  

2 nails per bearing should be adequate, uplift is the greater issue, maintain a good load path of uplift connections. A catwalk in the attic or an attic floor, or a ceiling, or diagonal framing on top of the cjs at each corner would all help brace the end walls to the structure

Quote from: NathanS on June 27, 2022, 08:44:22 AMIt must have been blazing hot. What a wonder...

Hot enough to melt aluminum; a chiminea fireplace and 3 ladders. 35 cents a pound at the scrapper

Yes, as a drain.  

But may not be necessary, it depends on the design of the pump.  If it is a submerged, self priming style ... with no inlet or outlet check valve, it will drain back on it's own.

It is remarkable how close the fire came without burning your cabin. It must have been blazing hot. What a wonder...

Quote from: JRR on June 26, 2022, 12:28:16 PMWhy not drill a small "weep" hole in the pipe just above the pump?

Just as a drain you mean?  I suppose I could... good idea. Figure that would case a loss of pressure?  I just bought a pump, only automatic one I could find that would fit the hole.  It's a 1/2 HP and says it has a head of 25', so my 5' hole should pose no problem.   The kit I bought comes with some 24' of hose, so I could do a first pass with a hole and worse case just replace it should it cause a problem. 

Looking southwards down the slope with the cabin to the left. The location of the burned-down gazebo is on the right side of the image. The needles on the trees that still have needles are mostly brown with less than 40% green on most or all trees. Our forestry officer (state) believes they are done for. Same thing with our loggers' opinion. He has been logging in the area for many years, and his family for a few generations. There is some green grass in the lower meadow that can be seen through the trees.

We have contracted with the logger for the removal of most of the dead trees. The larger ones will be sawn into beams or something marketable at the pueblo sawmill. Smaller trees may be used for making stove pellets at the pueblo pellet mill. Other smaller trees will be laid across the slopes, branches scattered and the machines driven over them to push them into place, sorta. We have some seed that will be broadcast as well.

This next image is looking west, taken the same day as the image above. The large trees in the foreground should all be fine but the little ones at ground level are probably all goners.