24 x 24 Northern Wisconsin Cabin

Started by Toyotaboy, March 16, 2012, 09:21:56 PM

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MountainDon

As for a range, do you have electric power at the cabin? 

The reason I ask is that most ranges that have electric ignitors instead of a pilot light, will require AC electrical power for the oven to work at all. A cheaper range with pilot lights for the stove top burners and the oven does not need any power at all.

There are a few better to upper scale ranges that are aimed at off grid use that do not have the electric issue. However, common store brands with ignitors are usually a problem without electricity. Their ovens use a heater bar powered by AC to ensure and continue oven operation. The heater bar can use more power than many off grid systems can readily supply for every minute the oven is on. I am also not clear on whether this only affects the oven or the stove top burners too. I think it is only an issue with the oven. Most of the literature does not make this clear. I dug through the owners and installers manual on a couple of brands to figure it out. Others have had a surprise when they tried to use their range.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

hhbartlett

Quote from: Toyotaboy on April 06, 2012, 02:11:57 PM
I need recommendations.

I want to do a propane stove and propane refrigerator for the cabin.

The refrigerator I was hoping would fit under a counter.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

If you're on a budget, check craigslist for an old camper trailer. Hopefully one that leaks badly and has a rotted floor that they only want a couple of hundred for. You can glean all kinds of goodies out of them including a 3-way propane/electric fridge, propane stove (that does not need electricity), propane water heater, lots of other stuff. Plus a frame for a utility trailer for later use.

New propane fridges are lotsa $$$'s.


duncanshannon

Quote from: hhbartlett on April 07, 2012, 06:39:25 PM
If you're on a budget, check craigslist for an old camper trailer. Hopefully one that leaks badly and has a rotted floor that they only want a couple of hundred for. You can glean all kinds of goodies out of them including a 3-way propane/electric fridge, propane stove (that does not need electricity), propane water heater, lots of other stuff. Plus a frame for a utility trailer for later use.

Wow... thats lots of stuff!  Esp. when you think of it as a frame for a trailer!  Good idea!
Home: Minneapolis, MN area.  Land: (no cabin yet) Spooner, WI area.  Plan: 20x34 1 1/2 Story. Experience Level: n00b. 
Build Thread: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=10784.0

Toyotaboy

Just scored a propane Colman 4 burner stove and oven!

My cousin had gotten it out of a camper that was being trashed. It's like new! Paid her $30 and 10 hours of labor on any project she wants.

I cant wait to hook it up to a propane tank and check it out.  It's a lovely avocado green! Retro baby! I'll post pics when I get the chance.

Don- The cabin is being wired and I plan to run a generator to start with, charging a battery bank. PV's to come later. So I'm not sure about a fridge yet.

Where I have it planned is not on a outside wall for venting. Hoping to find a used LP trailer fridge possibly. I'm rethinking the kitchen layout for a third time

now! Yikes!   

MountainDon

While if you are meticulous about keeping the burner assembly and chimney clean any propane fridge can be safely used without an external vent/exhaust. In fact I believe most residential propane fridges do not offer external vents. BUT, be certain to use an operating CO alarm with fresh batteries any time the fridge is on. The biggest danger comes after the fridge has sat idle for a period, like over winter. Spiders may make webs in the chimney or burner area. That can cause air flow issues that end up with the unit making CO. RV fridges have all the same basic parts, the same operation as a residential model. RV fridges vent outside.

One reason to think about venting is the burner on most has a capacity of 1500 BTU/hr when operating to make "cold". That gets added to the heat transferred from the inside of the box. That heat stays in the cabin, welcome in winter, not so much in summer. I don't know if you saw our home brewed ventilation / cooling system for the fridge in our cabin. ???  It makes a real difference in warmer weather. In cool weather we make  a switch and the fridge heat stays inside.  Home brewed and non-approved by any building authority.

Start here, scroll down

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


Toyotaboy

Very cool concept Don. Good to know that the LP fridge might not need to be vented but like you said the heat in summer might be killer.

I'm thinking of installing either manual or power vents in the gable ends to cool off the space during summer. I only have windows in the loft but have 3 ft of
space above them with no way for the heated air to escape. Going to have to look online. The vents were a suggestion from my brother.

mgramann

For you and others who are looking for a good off grid range, it's hard to beat antiques.  I picked up a 50' 20 inch Welbilt for $30 off craigslist.  It uses pilot lights, which can be turned off in the oven when not in use, and turned off for the range burners full time so they can be lit with a match.  In other words, there is no standby usage.

Toyotaboy

We made major progress in Feb. and March. I wanted to get this posted so I can get up to date with everything.



Putting down the sub floor before we start building walls.



Amish buddy Owen. He loves to fish.



Working on the first wall.





First wall up and braced. The first time we lifted it, it slid off the end of the building right on top of our pile of lumber. Thankfully no one was hurt.







Second wall up and braced.



Sunset from the my future deck.


Toyotaboy

There is a lapse in images. I ran out of batteries for the camera one day and then forgot it another.
The gable end walls went up without a hitch. The beast was getting the 6x6 x 26 ft posted on up and in on each gable end. The one 6x6 in the middle of the cabin was the real beast. We had to cut the hole in the floor and slide it in over one of the gable walls and stand it up into the hole. All the 6x6's run from the slab to the ridge beam.

The images below are of the rafters going up. The guy with the beard is my 86 year old uncle.











I thought the Amish were nuts. No safety ropes or harnesses. Just crazy!


















Toyotaboy

Windows were installed on another trip. With my schedule I am able to take off a Thursday and Friday or a Monday and Tuesday and work on the cabin.







Started studding out the bedroom and the bathroom.



Loft area.



Looking toward the front door and living room area.


Toyotaboy

I got ten replacement windows from my cousin who does remodeling. Ten really nice vinyl windows. He saved me a bunch of money. So when we installed them I had to add the wide black tape to seal them before the tin siding went on.





After the windows went in we started the siding.













This image shows the access door to the storage crawl space underneath.



This is pretty much where the project stands now. We started wiring the cabin last week but made little progress. We had to work out alot of the details about light switches and outlets per code requirements. Things I had not thought about. I think the next trip we will make some major progress on the wiring.

Toyotaboy

I have made two trips to work on the place since the last posting. Thought I would post the updates.

First trip we installed the interior stairs to the loft and finished the floor for the loft as best as we could. On one side of the loft I will be installing a rustic log. So we left that side of the loft alone.











I'm planning on leaving the joists and loft flooring exposed under the bedroom and the bathroom and hallway.
I might do drywall in the bath just for a bit more privacy. We would have to run conduit for lighting in the bath and bedroom with the exposed joists.


duncanshannon

holy crap you are fast!  congrats.
Home: Minneapolis, MN area.  Land: (no cabin yet) Spooner, WI area.  Plan: 20x34 1 1/2 Story. Experience Level: n00b. 
Build Thread: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=10784.0


Toyotaboy

Pouring all my time into it now. Later in the year I am busy and progress will slow down dramatically. I have a ton of new stuff to post. I hope to get it posted in the next day or so.  :P

Toyotaboy

The last trip we got alot of stuff done. We finished the loft boards and added short walls to the loft. I was not crazy about railings especially when little kids are around (grand kids someday). The short walls will also give some privacy to people in the loft from down below. We also added rustic collar ties to the rafters inside. We needed to get this stuff done so we could get the wiring done.

Loft boards installed.



Rustic collar ties installed. They are peeled pine about 8 ft long. They are positioned 3ft down from the peak. I plan to hang a ceiling fan off the one above the living room area.





The short wall on the loft.




Toyotaboy

Over lunch one day we discussed adding a rustid log to the side of the loft opposite the stairs. I thought it was a really cool idea. So we went for it. It's another pine log hand peeled. It was one heavy sucker. Took three of us to barley move it.

One end at a time.




I was surprised the horses could actually hold it.

Toyotaboy

We had to trim the log to make it fit into the wall and on the 4x6 post next to the stairs.






Toyotaboy

So we hoisted one end up onto the 4x6 post that runs down to the slab. I couldn't figure out how we were going to get the wall end up in place and secured. Go figure, a jack and a 2x4!



I'm in the brown coat (my better side).



Jack and 2x4. Then we just jacked it up into place.



Redoverfarm

Moving heavy timbers in no way is entertainment.  I used locust post for both the inside and outside.  A total of about 10 which were all at least 10" in diameter.  And then there were the stair stringers which were 16" pine logs split.  Used a skateboard to roll them into position.  The biggest obsticle were the standing ones which had to be erected, lowered , plumb cut and then erected again.  But in the end it was well worth it.  I might just add to make sure that you have all the bark completely cleaned off the logs.  If you finish it and it dries out any bark left on it will peel and raise up. 

Not to sound critical but you really need to rid the post of all the brown "paper like bark remains" on the post.


Toyotaboy

Redoverfarm,

Thanks for the info on the bark. I plan to remove just haven't gotten to it yet. How soon should that be done?

Redoverfarm

Quote from: Toyotaboy on May 08, 2012, 09:14:22 PM
Redoverfarm,

Thanks for the info on the bark. I plan to remove just haven't gotten to it yet. How soon should that be done?

Probably the sooner the better if it is still somewhat green or moist. It comes off easily with a draw knife.  If it dries it will sort of seize to the wood and you might have to sand more than you anticipated.

Toyotaboy

The log in place on the end of the loft. Under the loft will be the kitchen area. Just out in front of the loft will be the dining area. I trimmed the loft boards to hang out over the log a bit. That gives us a little shelf.



This shows how we placed the log on the 4x6 beam. You can see the bottom of the loft boards trimmed to make the shelf. I'm not sure how to secure the log to the 4x6 post. Maybe a long lag screw?





This is how we secured the log into the wall. Several 2x6 nailed together underneath the square end of the log. If something does not look right to anyone please let me know.





Toyotaboy

Redoverfarm,

I'll have to add that to my list. The list that keeps getting longer every trip. Your rustic timbers look really cool! I like the cat on the timber!
I'm hoping to add some rustic barn boards from my grandfather's barn as wainscoting. The barn about to fall over so I might have to wait. It was built at the turn of the last century. It's barley standing.

Toyotaboy

Hey all!

I haven't posted in awhile because we haven't been doing too much. Mostly wiring with my brother who is an electrician. We did have our first inspection last week. Inspector wants a bunch of wiring changes and a change in our stairs. We didn't know that code  for smoke detectors also have to have co2 detectors  He wants one installed in the crawl space too.

He wants some sort of foam to seal all of the back of the outlet boxes that are on the exterior walls. I don't know if it has to be fire retardant or not. We are checking on that.

He also stated that the code is that the stairs on the front and back of the cabin as well as the stairs to the loft have to be enclosed on the riser portion. No open stairs. I've never heard of that. Might be code just for that county.

He said we also had to install wall bracing within 12 ft of each corner as well. He did say we could go ahead with the insulation but call him prior to drywall so he can check everything. 

We are also working on installing a rustic railing on the loft stairs to complement the rustic beam on the other side of the loft stairs.

We are trying to figure when our next trip will be.

Toyotaboy  d*