Would you use Ponderosa Pine for a log cabin walls?

Started by dgrover13, February 08, 2016, 03:39:02 PM

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dgrover13

Has anyone here built or would use ponderosa pine for log cabing walls? 

I know I would need more strength for ridge log for roof - but would you use ponderosa pine for the walls?  I live in Northern WI and finding large logs is tough - especially finding enough to build with.  I have found a company in SD that ships Ponderosa Pine logs across the country - for reasonable price.

Any thoughts would be helpful - I have posted on many forums with little response.

OlJarhead

Pine is commonly used for log cabins so I don't see why not??


dgrover13

Yea thats what I was thinking - but everything I find online is white or red pine - not ponderosa. 

I live in midwest where logs are limited.  Also - not doing milled or puny 6 inch logs.  We will be stacking 12inch plus green logs. 

glenn kangiser

I use it or sugar pine or bull pine for everything.  I'm not worried about it.  I have over a foot of dirt on top of nominal 1" boards supported by an 8" diameter log every two feet for 8' spans.

See the engineered tables at the back of Mike Oehler's book, "The $50 and up underground house".  Safety factors are built in so don't worry too much about species.  Most will not have 18" of dirt on top.  Mine is fine and been in it for 14 years.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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glenn kangiser

I assume you have looked into it, but green logs shrink, so a 12" log will only be about a 11" log in 2 years.

Allow for it when building door frames - window frames etc.... but that is a topic for a different forum I think.  Best to you.  :)
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

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Don_P

Looking back in the calcs,

This is a log beam calculator, can't remember if it is from the log standard or Hahney's math but it'll give some sense to sizes needed;
http://www.timbertoolbox.com/Calcs/logbeamcalc.htm

This log wall shrinkage calc is from the log standard;
http://www.timbertoolbox.com/Calcs/logshrinkcalc.htm
Remember there can be more to wall settlement than just shrinkage. I think this calc overestimates log shrinkage... but they rejected my arguments when they adopted it... in fact they rejected most builders comments, but that's another rant  :D.

Pine Cone

Quote from: glenn kangiser on February 08, 2016, 09:08:34 PM
I use it or sugar pine or bull pine for everything.

Bull Pine = Ponderosa Pine = Pinus ponderosa    Sugar Pine is a white pine, Pinus lambertiana

I used Western White Pine,  Pinus monticola, for my log cabin, but Ponderosa will work.  Ponderosa is a yellow pine with more pitch and often larger knots than white pines. 

Dave Sparks

Quote from: glenn kangiser on February 08, 2016, 09:13:34 PM
I assume you have looked into it, but green logs shrink, so a 12" log will only be about a 11" log in 2 years.

Allow for it when building door frames - window frames etc.... but that is a topic for a different forum I think.  Best to you.  :)

It is really shrinking with the Pine Beatles here from the drought. Are you stateside Glen?  Seeing any of this?  Five counties have it and it is moving north to the northern Sierra. I flew last month over it out of Fresno. Really bad?  --Dave
"we go where the power lines don't"

MountainDon

We've have complete forests in Colorado brown from beetle kill.   :(
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


Dave Sparks

Yea, I know it is around but it still is hard to take. Spring is coming and if I can get my wife to finally retire we will head in to New Mexico and set-up an eyeball. It is going to be interesting in fire season with all the dead Ponderosa's. They can't afford to take them down as not many guy's will go up one and limb it when they are this dead. If it is close to a structure better get out the thousand dollar bills. More than double a few.
"we go where the power lines don't"

glenn kangiser

Quote from: Dave Sparks on February 18, 2016, 07:58:52 PM
It is really shrinking with the Pine Beatles here from the drought. Are you stateside Glen?  Seeing any of this?  Five counties have it and it is moving north to the northern Sierra. I flew last month over it out of Fresno. Really bad?  --Dave

Dave, I am back, and the mountains are brown... 80% ?  I have people wanting me to take trees ..standing orders to pick them up but ... what do I do with the lumber?  I need to start another project.  At least my sawmill is back together, but I still have logs that are pretty decent from a year and a half ago. [chainsaw]
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

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Dave Sparks

They are logging East Whitlock just before 140 ! They are going to china on ships. I would like to have that excavator thingy they use.

Glad you are back. Bring any guests to help with the over supply of corona?

They say the beetles are going north out of the 5 bad counties.  When we bought our land we really wanted to have more than the one ponderosa we have here.  Now I am so happy that I do not have to deal with all the dead wood.  Some great deals on real estate if you like brown.  All those transplants from LA with their second homes are crying now. So much for a house in the Pines. Really Sad though!
"we go where the power lines don't"

MountainDon

At least some use is being made of some of the dead trees. In parts of CO the trees are just standing there waiting to start falling in another year or so.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Dave Sparks

Don,  is it me or does Glen's chainsaw look like it is running rough?
"we go where the power lines don't"


glenn kangiser

It definitely needs a tuneup, Dave....

I do still get to put away a few Myanmar beers once in a while.... as long as I don't get to liking it too much... yes, I do have a semi-permanent guest you need to meet.  We are working near Monterrey now and just home weekends but almost done I think. :)

I met the guys hauling the logs out.  They said that a lot of the smaller trees already have rotten tops in them. 

A guy I knew of recently bought the big one with a treetop falling out of a tree on him... maybe from a burn tree but same type of problem.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

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Dave Sparks

I hate it when that happens ! Ow, really sorry to hear that about your friend!  :(

It is a little early for talk of happy hour but it is getting close to 5 o'clock somewhere  ::)
"we go where the power lines don't"

glenn kangiser

Things are a bit hectic now working out of town but maybe a break soon.  Maybe catch that happy hour. :)

The friend was the son of a mining acquaintance near Sonora but still close enough to hate to see it happen.

"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.