Okanogan 14x24 by a lurker :)

Started by Oljarhead, September 21, 2009, 02:53:09 PM

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OlJarhead

Quote from: JavaMan on May 23, 2011, 05:33:40 PM
I'm at 3900' - 4300' - but it's shaded pretty much all the way in once you get off the county road.  I'm  up north of Buzzard Lake ... between there and Conconully.

There is still snow in the Loup Loup pass web cam shots (although VERY little), but 3 years ago I went up the first of May because the web cam showed no snow, and gave up about 100 yards in from the county road because it was still axle deep.  I went back a month later and got to within 3/4 of a mile, and it was still axle deep at that point.  Last year the snow went out fairly early and I was able to get up there on the first weekend in May.  Still had some snow, but not so much I couldn't get in to the property and put the floor down.

I think I really do need a snow capable machine.  d*

It would be good to have a couple sleds that's for sure!  You need to get Yonderosa to pop by and see if your road is open when he's in town :)  I think he's the closest.

OlJarhead

Ok!  I've worked 32 hours this week already :D  That means I won't work Friday (our holiday is only Monday) and most likely won't work most of Thursday :D

Which means I'll be leaving for the cabin Thursday afternoon and will have Friday-Monday to work on it!  WHooHoo!!!! 

We will mill a tree I fell, maybe fall another and mill it and we'll work on interior and wiring me thinks :)

I'm totally stoked!


JavaMan

Quote from: OlJarhead on May 25, 2011, 08:42:55 AM
Ok!  I've worked 32 hours this week already :D  That means I won't work Friday (our holiday is only Monday) and most likely won't work most of Thursday :D

Which means I'll be leaving for the cabin Thursday afternoon and will have Friday-Monday to work on it!  WHooHoo!!!! 

We will mill a tree I fell, maybe fall another and mill it and we'll work on interior and wiring me thinks :)

I'm totally stoked!

I hope you have lots of fun!  I made the mistake of letting Beautiful know that I wasn't going this weekend and she immediately scheduled something on Sunday, so that put the nail in it for this weekend.  That's ok, though, the pass-cam still shows a bit of snow up there which means there's a bit more up on the way to the ranch.  Planning on next weekend tho and can't wait!

Sounds like you're set for a good productive, fun weekend! ;D

OlJarhead

Had a great long weekend at the cabin :)  Finished another wall, milled some lumber and more.


It's really starting to brighten up and looks amazing :)  A lot of fun too.


Something about all that pine that I just can't get enough of.


I'm thinking a wrought iron wood bin would be nice too.


Took some time to throw together a small shelf for the 'kitchen' too as I was tired of using boxes and bins.

I'm thinking of all sorts of things now :)

OlJarhead

One thing I have to sort now, is whether or not to run a larger cable from the inverter to the AC panel.  I have a 12/3 cable running there now, which will allow up to 20 amps but more then that and it will likely be insufficient.  However, I'm not wiring the cabin to run a whole lot to begin with.

My thoughts?  Run the bigger cable so you can run 50amps some day if you get more panels and batteries and bigger inverter :)  I just need to sort the size and how to tie it into my inverter (probably the same way as right now which I'll have to shoot some pics of).

I need to also pick up some wire nuts as the small stock I have is for two wire connections and I have some 3 and even 4 wire connections I need to make (one box will have to switches - for two lights - and feed power to 3 receptacles).

I plan to finish all the wiring next trip and then get some clean up and organization done (as well as some milling).  Then later in the month or early next month I'll get back to paneling and try to get the lower interior completed.  Perhaps by the end of August I'll have the upper section done also.

And there is so much more to do!


OlJarhead

http://backwoodssolar.com/catalog/fans.htm#Remotely%20operated%20DC%20CEILING%20FAN%2012%20/%2024%20volt
Just ordered one of these :)

Can't wait to get it wired up and installed!  Of course we have to also insulate and panel the ceiling but the wiring for this has to be installed first.

I bought the 12vdc version so that if the inverter goes I can still run the fan :)  Also getting some other 12vdc items for the same reason and will be adding two more batteries in the next couple weeks.  That will take me to 880AH on the battery bank which should give me the power reserves I need to run the Fridge this summer.  I'll run it for two weeks, check the logs and then decide if I can run it all the time on the power I have or if I need 1000AH to do it...which may mean I'll need another panel but I'm uncertain at this point.

OlJarhead

http://www.dealtime.com/Danby-Designer-DAR1102W/info
WHooHoo!  Just bought one of these for $449 (free shipping).  I found that it used about 200 watts less per day then the ones with freezers that I saw.

I'm stoked!  Will have fridge and freezer and fan all working soon!  Time to get those two more batteries!  Also to remove the tree shading the panels at 2pm!

On a side note, I also found that the little camper stove (with small oven) is fine and indeed has a pilot light!  DOH!  So for now I'm nixing a cook stove and installing this one instead.

JavaMan

Quote from: OlJarhead on June 06, 2011, 07:54:15 PM
http://www.dealtime.com/Danby-Designer-DAR1102W/info
WHooHoo!  Just bought one of these for $449 (free shipping).  I found that it used about 200 watts less per day then the ones with freezers that I saw.

I'm stoked!  Will have fridge and freezer and fan all working soon!  Time to get those two more batteries!  Also to remove the tree shading the panels at 2pm!

On a side note, I also found that the little camper stove (with small oven) is fine and indeed has a pilot light!  DOH!  So for now I'm nixing a cook stove and installing this one instead.

Sweet!  I've bookmarked that fan site for later.  I think it will come in quite handy for all the other solar stuff on there - thanks for posting it! [cool]

OlJarhead

Quote from: JavaMan on June 07, 2011, 10:15:24 AM
Sweet!  I've bookmarked that fan site for later.  I think it will come in quite handy for all the other solar stuff on there - thanks for posting it! [cool]

They are pretty good -- fast shipping, decent prices and lots of knowledge.  We bought a timer and relay for our well pump from them previously and will be buying a new well pump from them soon also.


JavaMan

Quote from: OlJarhead on June 07, 2011, 03:45:04 PM
They are pretty good -- fast shipping, decent prices and lots of knowledge.  We bought a timer and relay for our well pump from them previously and will be buying a new well pump from them soon also.

Oh for the day I have to worry about getting water out of a hole in the ground!  Last estimate I got was $14,000 ...  :o  Guess I'm up too high and they figure to go to the core for water.  ???

Looks like you are making good progress and getting some enjoyment out of it, too!

MountainDon

Quote from: OlJarhead on June 02, 2011, 10:47:04 AM
whether or not to run a larger cable from the inverter to the AC panel. 

I'd run as large a wire as needed to carry the maximum rated power output of the inverter. Not the surge as that is only of short lived duration.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

OlJarhead

Quote from: MountainDon on June 07, 2011, 06:58:36 PM
I'd run as large a wire as needed to carry the maximum rated power output of the inverter. Not the surge as that is only of short lived duration.

Max power of this inverter is 2500 watts but I was thinking that some day I might want to increase that and don't want to limit myself with too small a cable...though I guess if I install conduit the whole run end to end then it would be easy enough to pull out and pull in a new one in one go.

OlJarhead

Picked up two more Costco GCA's so we'll have 880AH of capacity now :)

Need to get a Hydrometer/Hygrometer as Don has suggested, for testing cells and I need to check water levels, add distilled water and equalize as needed -- and program the controller to better match the batteries (though it's darn close as is I think).

Then when the Fridge arrives we'll be in heaven :D

OlJarhead

Looks like I will be able, in theory, to go 4 days without any charging at all with both the Fridge and Freezer running, as long as nothing else is running....so far I've not seen more then 1 or 2 days of little to no charging but usually get 3 hours of equalization and 7+ of float with the new controller....which is astounding to me but I guess as long as the sun hits the panels then I'm getting something out of them (can someone look at the off-grid power thread where I've posted some screen shots of the controller to let me know if what I am seeing is correct).

If that is so then I suspect I won't use as much power from the batteries as I think as the sun should run the appliances for nearly have the day during the summer and in reality they would only need to draw off the bank during the night -- when, presumably, they would also draw less power.


Barry Broome

"The press, like fire, is an excellent servant, but a terrible master."

OlJarhead

Thanks Weasel :)

We head out again tomorrow to do some clean up and get some wiring done (and install the new batteries).

I also hope to update the software for the controller and will get some more data from it.

Can't wait to get back!

OlJarhead

Manged to get more wiring done this weekend (we now have 4 working lights and many outlets), the DC fan installed for the composting toilet (and more vent pipes to get it venting higher then we've had it), reprogrammed the charge controller (I'll have to post stuff on that in the off-grid forum) and re-stacked our lumber in a more organized and better protected (from rain) method.

Had a lighting bolt strike within 100 yards of us (that was a little exciting) visited with a neighbor for a bit and generally enjoyed ourselves for the weekend :)

We also rotated the panels closer to true south and tilted them up at 68 degrees (to the vertical plane) in hopes of increasing solar power production -- however I'll have to remove a tree soon!

Speaking of rotating the panels I thought I would say something about that here.  I always (ALWAYS) carry a Lensatic compass with me when I go to the cabin, go hunting fishing etc etc.  I might not have my GPS but I always have my compass.  Anyway, here we were at the cabin and I decided to adjust the panels a bit better since I didn't do a very good job of it previously (hurried install with too much to do and I knew the cabin faced mostly south so the panels faced that way and away we went).

To adjust the panels I first used a level and framers stair compass (not sure it's exact name) which has degrees on it from 0 to 90 (I think it's 0-90 anyway).  I set the compass at 68 degrees and tilted the panels until they were inline with the 68 degree bar and the vertical bar was level.  Then we locked down the angle.

Next I stood in front of the panels (20 feet south of them) and aimed myself to magnetic north.  I wasn't 100% sure of the declination in WA State as I hadn't checked it in a while but figured it was 19 degrees East of True North so had my sun swing the panels until they lined up with my compass at 340 degrees and called it good (was easiest to go with 20 degrees at the time).  Interestingly enough when I got home and double checked the declination it IS 20 degrees East.

One way to remember how to adjust to True from Magnetic North for those who don't know is to use the LARS rule (something I learned in the Marine Corps).  All maps face north is the first rule -- that is, the top of the map is NORTH on all military maps and all UTM Grid maps I've ever used.  Second, all declination diagrams (usually a pointed angle on the map somewhere) show magnetic either LEFT or RIGHT of True.  So using the LARS rule -- LEFT ADD RIGHT SUBTRACT -- you either add or subtract the Declination from Magnetic in order to get True.

Most civilians say (I think anyway) that the Declination is 'to the east/west' or 'east/west of' True North which works too but I'll never forget LARS :)

OlJarhead


Around 2PM until about 3:30pm this tree feels the need to remind me that it needs to be cut down, bucked up and milled into paneling :D

OlJarhead


The beginning stages of having power -- and a mess ;)

I need to trim the grounds I suppose and work on cleaning up the wiring coming into the box so it's at least a little neater but here is the beginnings of the cabin wiring.  I found a 100 amp panel with 8 breaker positions at Home Depot that was pretty inexpensive and grabbed it.  When installing it I found it did not have a ground bus!  So I bought one and mounted it where it is.

I ran 12/3 romex to the panel from the inverter temporarily but plan to run 10/3 as soon as I get some.  I also plan to install it in conduit all the way from panel to inverter so I can pull out the 10 awg wire in the future and pull in heavier wire for 50amp service if I want (incase I go to a bigger inverter).


It's nice to finally get rid of the drop lights and start using overhead lights :D  And while I'm not happy with CFL's as a whole, I do value their low wattage and am used to the light now....though I think the trace amounts of mercury in them will be a problem when several million of them pile up in the landfills....but I digress...my hope is that someday an inexpensive LED will come out to replace them.


My step-son wired out 'his loft' and is very pleased :)  So am I!  It's his first wiring job and after having him get rid of shiners it tested out perfect.  He put the light switch near the edge of the loft so you could flick it on coming up the ladder and we'll put a light base in with a switch in it also -- to make it easy to turn off and on when in the loft.

OlJarhead

Quote from: OlJarhead on June 13, 2011, 12:18:33 AM

Around 2PM until about 3:30pm this tree feels the need to remind me that it needs to be cut down, bucked up and milled into paneling :D

Heading up tomorrow with a snatch block :)  The snatch block will be attached to a logging chain which will be wrapped around a stump (after notching it to keep the chain from slipping off) and then a strong rope will be tied around the tree (doubled first) and run down to the snatch block, through the pulley and then to the winch on the Jeep which will sit 90 degrees from the desired location for dropping the tree shading the panels.

I've used this technique to fall trees close to the cabin.  The idea is simple:  you fall the tree the normal way but keep tension on the desired downward side of the fall so that when you've made the final cut the tree can't help but fall on the notched side.

I'll see if I can't remember to get some pics when I set the rigging.

Once down the tree will be bucked up into logs and rolled directly onto the mill.  We'll mill our 2x10's for the ships ladder and 2x8's for the rungs and then the rest of this tree (and 3 logs we have waiting) will be milled into 5/8th in stock for wall paneling.

We're hoping to have a productive 3 day weekend :)
Cheers
Erik


JavaMan

I've been thinking of felling a tree or two in my yard in this manner.  But Beautiful seem to think that I'll still squash the pump house, the chicken coop, or the house itself!

[rodney dangerfield]I tell ya, I don't get no respect d*[/rodney dangerfield] ... well, I do get a lot of respect, but I also give it - and while *I* think I could do it, it is a bit close and the margin for error is a bit to close.

I can't wait to see the ships ladder and paneling - looks like you're getting mighty close to a weekend where you won't have anything to do except BBQ, relax, and drink a few brews!   :D

OlJarhead


The offending tree came down :)

I forgot to get pictures because once the operation was underway I just got to it -- sorry!  Basically I climbed the ladder (28 footer) about as high as I was comfortable doing with it against the tree and tied a good sturdy rope to the tree (doubled) -- a climbing rope that I use for these kids of things and probably shouldn't -- and then ran the doubled rope out to a stump about 50-60 feet from the tree.  There I notched the stump on the back side with my chainsaw and then wrapped the logging chain around it with a snatch block attached to that.  I ran the doubled rope through the snatch block and then at 90 degrees to the direction of fall to my winch on the jeep.

Using the winch we pulled the rope taught and then I cut the tree down.  It fell exactly where the rope told it too ;)


Once bucked up we rolled the logs over to the mill so we could start Saturday without having to move them first.

Friday finished around dinner time and we had a nice relaxing evening :)

OlJarhead


On Saturday morning we did a rush battery installed because I couldn't wait any longer to get these in, and then went back to the mill.


We managed to mill about 60 boards most of which were 5/8" thick and varying widths.


But we milled 8 2x10's (2 of which will be for the ships ladder) and a few 5/8" boards 10 feet long (works that way sometimes) which will be used for paneling.


We made tons of sawdust :)


and at one point a bolt fell out of the mill and Josh had to put it back...but it didn't take long.

OlJarhead


OlJarhead

Things are getting exciting!  My wife and I picked up all the tile we need for the floor (a linoleum tile - the easy install type with the glue edges) and all the cabinets (decided to just buy them as I don't have much time to build them and we'll like to get them in soon) and the bathroom and kitchen sinks and faucets.

My wife is VERY excited to get up there and start working on the kitchen etc :)

Can't wait for the weekend now!