Dogtrot at Hightop

[Redoverfarm]

Well I think I finally made it. At least one anyway. 

This is the area that I am building my Dogtrot log cabin on the WV & VA state line. The photograph is to the east(Virginia) and you are looking at my closest neighbor. Probably 2 air miles and 3-4 road miles. Actually my house is closer than my neighbor(a neighbor I can get along with) for now. I had hoped to include a couple of photographs daily to catch up on the current status of my project.  It will not take that long ( to catch you up)as I am doing 75-90% of the work myself.

[MountainDon]

Yeah John!!

[glenn kangiser]

Glad you were able to git er done. 

That's plenty close for neighbors, but I always like to make an extra effort to get on good terms with them.

[Redoverfarm]

Now if I can just figure out a way to post more than one picture without installing additional software.  I could only copy one photo at a time and paste.  Without the software that was mentioned I have to copy it from Photobucket then go to the forum and paste then narrate what it is.because I loose my page when switching back and worth. Got to be an easier way. Any ideas?

[Redoverfarm]

This is the entrance to the property off of a Forrest Service road.  The Virginia line is along the right side of the driveway. It is a little steep (18% grade)  but is not that bad.  The culvert head was done in that manner to blend in with the rest of the culverts along the 6 mile stretch of the road which were done by the CCC  many years ago.  To make it match the opposite end was done in the same manner although it serves no real purpose as for diversion as the upstream end was done.  The entrance is 24' wide to enable a double gate and allow for larger vehicles to enter.

[Sassy]

I like the rockwork in the culvert - beautiful country - looks like you're way out there! 

[glenn kangiser]

There are a few ways I can think of to do it.

The easiest way is a tabbed browser such as Firefox -I usually have around 35 windows (websites) open at once- I think IE may have tabs now and Opera will do it.  Open Photobucket in one tab and Countryplans in another.  Copy the bottom IMG link from under your photo to your Countryplans reply -paste it in then narrate that one-



Message still open switch to Photobucket copy the second link - switch to Countryplans tab -- paste



You could enter many pictures in one message in that way.

or you can copy the links to a simple text file on your computer then paste them into Countryplans,

or if you don't have tabs you can open two Internet Explorers, one with Countryplans and one with Photobucket and paste back and forth without losing your page on either.

[MountainDon]

If you use Internet Explorer and don't want to mess around with changing to Firefox, do like Glenn said and open two separate IE windows. You can then easily Alt+Tab between the two.

[Redoverfarm]

As you can see the ground isn't much better digging than on the east coast as it is on the west coast.  I started in May/06 with the road and site clearing.  Probably got about 8-10 cords of firewood out of the trees that I had to remove.  Still left the ones on the exterior which had a prominent lean away from the house site.  Got to digging the footings in June and then the block later that month.  Like I said before I couldn't get a wooden stake int he ground so I had to set up cut up bed rail & rebar for batter boards. The rail also had to be used to secure the forms for the step footings((3).  Will try to post some more tomorrow eve as my mother has surgery in AM in Roanoke VA(2hr drive @0600.

[Redoverfarm]

If I hang around long enough I might learn something.  I left myself open for that one didn't I

[glenn kangiser]

PEG started out like you-- now he's a pro.

Soon it will be no problem.  You are doing good.

[glenn kangiser]

The ground here is as hard also-- I use the jack hammer to drive the stakes direct - if I don't want them to come out.

Hope all goes well with the surgery.

[Redoverfarm]

This is actually the beginning of the project.  The two shells used to construct the dogtrot.  With a interesting story behind.  Originally I had put a deposit on two shells from one individual at the same location.  The were comprable in depth so they would easily fit the same foundation.  Prior to getting them moved the owner called and stated that someone during his absence had stolen the small cabin.    Well back to square one.  So I had to round me up another small cabin to put with the big one.  I did manage to find one but the problem was it was only 16' deep and the larger cabin was 18' deep.  Chainsaw time.  I ended up cutting the larger cabin from 18' to 16' to match.  Doesn't sound too bad huh.  In doing so I had to cut two walls of logs with the A or V notch that matched.  Real chore.  But it had to be done. 

Another obsticle is the cabins sill logs ran the wrong way for my foundation (16') rather than front and back.  So I had to drop the sill log which lowered the cabin heigth by one log.  Then to give me a good starting sill log on a foundation deck I ended up using a Alaskan Saw Mill to cut the bottom of the sill logs to lay on the foundation.  Other wise if I left the sill logs in their original location you would have had to jump over them walking from one room to another.

If you will notice that lowered the heigth of the windows down.  Oh Well you can't have your cake and eat it too.  You might also notice that the living room cabin was a two story originally.  The shells had sit outside and the very top logs were not in that good of shape.  In addition I needed some extra logs.  Se the Kitchen cabin was shorter than the living room cabin. I used the extra living room cabin logs to add to the heigth of the kitchen.

Now can you see why this has taken me sooooo long.

[MountainDon]

....someone during his absence had stolen the small cabin.   

At least the guilty party didn't burn them both down. I've seen vandals do that out here in the west, NM, UT, CO.

[Redoverfarm]

No they were pretty slick. They could not reach the top logs to disassemble so they took a chain saw and cut on both ends above a doorway entrance and the other a fireplace location(In it's past life). That allowed the cabin to fall. Then they loaded them and I suspect they had them milled out as they were all wormy chestnut.  I let got ahold of the boys in the tall hats to watch over the big cabin until I got it moved the next day.  The only problem was that I wasn't ready for them and had to haul them to the farm and off load. Then when I was ready had to load them back up and haul them to the mountain.

[desdawg]

Just curious, if the state line runs through your property do you have a lot of confusion with the tax collectors? If you had put half the dogtrot on each side of the line would they fight over the bathrooom? 

[glenn kangiser]

I like the cabin -- looks

[Sassy]

A nice thing about having the windows lower is when you are sitting, you can see out!  It's great to see how you have saved the cabins & are using them for your own!     Probably lots of history there 

[Redoverfarm]

desdawg

The virginia line is along one side of the property(property line).  It is the National Forrest so I will never have to worry about anyone ever building there. Got the view and don't have to pay for it.  As far as the bathroom goes. Sometimes I go in WV and sometimes in VA.  Depends on where the sun is at the time. I built the cabin within 30 feet of that line for the view looking east.  But the line is really irregular in that it is regulated by the watershed on the ridge top. Which everway the water would runoff that dictates which state you are in.  Really confusing for the hunters in that area.

[Redoverfarm]

Well time is moving along. It is August/06 and the foundation is done and the floor decking is down.  One thing nice to work with is Advantex subfloor. When you have a prolonged project such as mine you appreciate the subfloor to withstand the elements without warping and seperating.  It is sometime before I can get a roof in place so this is the way to go.

You will notice that I do have part of the deck covered in plastic.  That is just to keep water from getting into my flu.  I have to pour a concrete cap at the floor level to continue on up through the first floor and up to the roof. 

Well I did manage to pour a cap on the flu. I didn't look forward to hand mixing the concrete needed by hand. The flu is 30" X 72" and incorporates three individual flu liners. Gas Hot water in the basement, fireplace in the living room and wood cook stove in the kitchen.  Another example of scrounging around. I found  the state was pouring concrete within a couple miles of the house on a new bridge.  I asked the guy if they ever had an extra concrete.  He said they usually don't have very much but I was welcome if they had any extra.  They usually just send it back by the truck and it is dumped at the concrete plant.  They gave me the time they anticipated their next and final pour and I was there.  They did have some which he said was a little over 2-3 wheel borrow loads. GREAT.  I was only going to pour 6-8" cap.  As it turned out I poured a 10" cap to the floor level and it cost me $20.  That was just a tip for the driver as it was out of his way and he was nice enough to come up there and do it.  As it turned out I wish I would have had some other places to put it as he had that much more.

[Redoverfarm]

Well it is now the last of August and I am finally getting the logs set.  Everything goes pretty good if you stick with the catalog numbers as far as the sequence.  Did sort of get things messed up when I had to pick up the larger cabin and drop off and pick up again.  Now my bottom logs were on the bottom of the pile instead of the the top. Well I just laid them all out and went to it in order.  Set all but 5 logs with my tractor and a "pig pole". A little longer and heavier than the standard one though.  It was home made of 4" pipe with a 3" pipe inside to slide out. Had 12' of reach. and could get to all four sides.  But then I ran out of reach on the basement end with two logs and the back with three logs.  Had to call a friend.  He had a "High Lift" 4-wheel drive with an extend- a- boom.  Set those from the front with no problem. Had 25' of reach and 35' of heigth.  Nothing is free though.  Had to haul it about 25 miles one way and with the return trip it cost $250.  But I had it almost three weeks. 

[glenn kangiser]

and nice pix posting.

[Redoverfarm]

Glenn if you haven't got a pig pole it would be well worth your time to make one.  This one that I used was a 8' piece of 4" and then a 4' piece of 3" inside the end that could be out or slid inside the other and then a bolt that locked it into what ever length you need.  Used a end bolt to secure the chain hook.  They welded a plate and a couple of gussets for strength on the end that allowed for a fork lift fork to slid inside the end.  Easy on and easy off.  Real handy for log work or anyting high.  It would work good on your bobcat.

[glenn kangiser]

It would be pretty handy, but I have a couple other toys.

I have 2 Lull 8000# 35' reach lifts  -- A 41 foot knuckle boom on a Kenworth -- I don't use it often, and I have a 31' 10000 lb knuckle boom on a Hino truck.  The pig pole would be great for the Bobcat though as you say -- sometimes the big stuff won't fit in the tight spots.  I want to make a set of forks for it someday too.

[Redoverfarm]

Sassy

I have a little history already.  The small cabin is civil war era and it had 10,000 carpet tacks probably older than me that I removed from the inside.  A strange thing.  The gentleman that drilled my water well was the grandson of one of the owners that purchased it around 1890 and it was already erected when it bought it.

The large one I think must have been a barn in one of it's former lives and later tirned into a house ( Just cut window openings and fireplace opening) as it had rings nailed to the inside that they used to tie horse, mules or animals up to on the walls.  I will get more info later on this one.