My 15.75 x 30 Jemez Cabin

[glenn kangiser]

Can't use it for building hmm

[MountainDon]

It fell across the minor forest service road on the way up to the property. Sooooo, legally I could cut it up enough to allow clear passage over the road. On the other hand I could have easily loaded it into the trailer behind the Jeep, but we've got enough trees of our own we don't know what to do with. 

I actually got a little carried away with trying out the new/used saw. I felled three other standing dead trees along the FS road that looked like they were a danger to the public. 

It's kind of cool going down a snow covered road, knowing nobody else has passed by. And then hours later going back and only seeing your own tracks.

[glenn kangiser]

They very well could be-- we had one fall last week at the end of the road -- standing dead - roots rotted off and that was all for it.

[desdawg]

Sounds like a good place for a bandsaw mill Don. You could make your own rustic siding.

[MountainDon]

That is a good thought desdawg.

Not inexpensive though.. 

[MountainDon]

I shot some video through the windshield on the road back out from the locked gate to the Forest Service main road. I've cut it into 6 pieces... we'll see how this works for viewing ease. I forget the settings I used on the old one.    Uploading takes a while so I'll try a couple of parts first.

It was snowing lightly all morning, with winds blowing too. Forecast for 6 to 16" inches. We'll see they were wrong last time.

Part one... from just outside the gate.



Part two...

[glenn kangiser]

Looks cold, Don, although we had a few snowflakes today.

[MountainDon]

The temperature was just around freezing, a couple degrees below freezing. Cold enough.

I was pulling the trailer with a ton or so of firewood for trading with a friend.

[MountainDon]

Part 3, through the electric cattle gate (position, gate not there in winter)



Part 4, up and out of the little valley and onto the secondary forest service road. (where we started was a third-rate forest road)

[MountainDon]

Part 5, thru the mud puddle and big downed tree



Part 6, ending at the junction to the main forest road

[glenn kangiser]

Cool, Don.  Do they still warn you in the manual that your Jeep is really a truck and doesn't handle the same as a car or did they drop that with the old full frame? hmm

[desdawg]

That is a good thought desdawg.

Not inexpensive though.. 

It might not hurt you as bad as you thought if you don't think cadillac. I didn't go through Northern, went directly to Norwood. Sometimes Northern offers better pricing though. I decided I didn't want to try to find something used and abused, I wanted something new. And my trees are on the smallish side. These mills are just like you, made in Canada. 
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200320459_200320459

[MountainDon]

Glenn, I think there were warnings. I already knew it's not a sports car  and so if I read it it went through my head like $hit thru a goose.   

Desdawg; I ordered the free info kit from Norwood.    I remembered somebody talking about getting a Norwood some time back.  I'll have a look anyhow.  But it doesn't stop there... I'd need something to lift/move the logs.... maybe my neighbors skid steer. He had a "claw" for it.

[glenn kangiser]

I'd need something to lift/move the logs.... maybe my neighbors skid steer.

That's a good idea, Don...but I have seen Mexican loggers in Mexico, roll them up ramps onto a flatbed or trailer by hand.  A winch looped around them would roll them right up there -- still not as easy as another toy though.

[benevolance]

we rolled logs up the ramps of the car hauler for years when we were borrowing them off the crown land

[MountainDon]

Well, it appears that everything will be on hold till spring. Talked with my neighbor up there and he couldn't make it through the snow in the woods (road). He got about 3/4 the way up and there were drifts over axle height.    So unless Santa brings a snowmobile no more escapades for a while. Or we might get together and make a team attempt. 

[MountainDon]

Here's a question for ya'll...

All along we've been planning on using a 20" wide gas range in the cabin-to-be, rather than a wider 30" standard size range. Reasons being: the kitchen corner is small, a 20" would give us up to 10" more counter space, it's a three season cabin for the most part, we're not at all likely to be cooking large roasts, dozens of cookies or loaves of bread. The small oven in the RV has been adequate for our needs; the 20" oven is bigger than the RV oven.

The present dilemma: we've been prepared to spend up to $400 for a gas range, new. For that price we can have our pick of 20, 24 or 30" wide ranges. I have come across a deal on a lightly used 30" range that could be ours for $90 (maybe less?).

Choices:
1. Go for the bargain 30" range and give up the 10" of counter space? 
2. Stick with the current plan, the 20" range, keeping the 6 feet of counter space (includes sink)? 
3. Go for the bargain 30" range and make the cabin a foot longer to regain counter space?   
4. Keep looking, hoping to find a used 20" range?   

[MountainDon]

To further cloud or complicate the issue the range position and size will be fixed by the installation of the cabinets and cupboards.

[ScottA]

I'd say buy a 20" rather than making the cabin longer. If you could fit the 30" one in without making the cabin bigger I'd go that route. You may not need as much counter space as you think. I bought a new 30" gas range at home depot for $300 this past summer.

[glenn kangiser]

Go for the cheap one and stack stuff on it.  That's what I'd do.  Also -- you may find  a 20" range pretty tight if you get to doing the Galloping Gourmet routine.

[wingam00]

I am always looking for deals and I have not seen any deals on a used 20" range. So it maybe hard to find, not impossible but just hard. Good luck in finding one.

[MountainDon]

We're going to go with the 20" wide. I have a Lowe's 10% off coupon that's good thru 02/28. I have to check a couple other places first.

[MountainDon]

We got lucky today. 

We found three windows we can use; vinyl sliders by Better Bilt, low-e glass, U-factor 0.34, driftwood (light tan/beige) color. One each, 72x48, 60x48, 36x48. Like new still with all the labels, etc in place, $200.   $560 @ Lowe's.

400+ sq ft of floor tile that K likes. $100 with 4 sacks of grout. Tile made in China. 

A nice SS sink, faucet, some exterior light fixtures at garage sale prices.

So we ordered the 20" range with the discount coupon.

[glenn kangiser]

Good shopping, Don.

[MountainDon]

and a snowmobile... spending money faster than GWB can print it.