Dogtrot at Hightop

Redoverfarm · December 14, 2009, 09:53:55 AM

Normally I try not to work on the weekend but the stairs were calling.

I finished cutting out the treads on Saturday. Really was time consuming working with such larger material. I was cutting it close on the planks for the steps. Maybe including the saw kerf I had probably 1/4" of waste. I was able to get 4 treads out of each plank. Originally I had figured on 36" steps but upon closer examination of the stairway and the verticle support post for the landing this was not possible and I had to reduce it to 34" which I don't think is a real problem not having the additional 2" width. So basicly I ended up with one extra plank 3X10X12'. I am sure that before this project is over I can use it somewhere. Here is a picture of the finished steps(excluding assembly and finish). Now to find a another man and a boy to help me hoist the stringers up into place so that I can scribe the outside of the stringers to the loft verticle support post and let them into the stringers. I have cursed the wall tie beams ever since I started on the stairs but I guess they are a blessing now. I can use a come-a-long to lift the stringers into place. The biggest obsticle will be carring them into the cabin. Well I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

Whitlock · December 15, 2009, 01:08:26 AM

Nice stairs John I'm going to build some soon hope you won't mind if I deside to use your idea $:-\$

December 15, 2009, 01:16:52 AM

Told you he'd like it...

Redoverfarm · December 15, 2009, 02:13:03 PM

Whitlock I am honered that you would consider using my design but this is probably one that the decendents of Abe probably used and I doubt that I can take credit for. You have surpassed my abilities long ago with your cabin. There are a few little tricks to make them work out and if I get a chance I will PM you about those.

Thought I would post early today as it is my Anniversary and I am sure that my DW does not want to share me with CP this evening. She already says that I live there so I will show her that I actually don't but I do take frequent and extended vacations there.

I sort of thought it would be fun to shoot a little video of the step project. This particular stage is in the finishing area. I do know that you should not leave a sharp corner on the face of steps because in time they will cut over the edge and be rough. So I used the belt sander to champher all the exposing edges. I also used the belt sander to create or replicate tread wear on the face edge. So hopefully when they are finished they will appear as if they are a lot older than they actually are.

Redoverfarm · December 15, 2009, 05:54:07 PM

Wow two post in one day. Hey I have to catch up with Scott someway.

. I had to wait until I found a man & a boy to help me with the stair stringers. I found both (my son). Just had to wait until he got off the bus. We managed to load them into the truck and took them to the cabin and rolled them inside. Now if I can just figure out how to elivate one end to meet the loft landing I will have it made. I have an idea. We will see if it works. Don't laugh when you see my "weapon of choice" moving the stringer around. I priced trucks to make a rolling platform yesterday at Lowes. WOW $$ almost $5 each. Hey it's winter and she will not need it until spring anyway.

While I waited for Steven I managed to complete the sanding on the stair treads. I can start staining and finishing them. BTW I lucked out being able to post. The DW called and said she had a board meeting so she will not be home for another couple hours. "No I haven't been at Country Plans all night" If you don't believe me just ask Glenn.

December 15, 2009, 09:23:52 PM

Good idea on the skate board. I have also used the wedge the board under the tool box a time or two.

Love your work,W

glenn kangiser · December 15, 2009, 10:50:03 PM

Right, John... I can vouch for you... just ask me...

John, we use pieces of pipe for rollers for moving around heavy beams in rooms. Three work well. Move them to the front as they roll out the back. Maybe duct tape around them if there is danger of floor damage.

glenn kangiser · December 15, 2009, 10:53:40 PM

BTW, great video John. Thanks for posting it.

Redoverfarm · December 15, 2009, 11:12:08 PM

Whitlock I sent you a novel in a PM.

December 16, 2009, 12:04:03 PM

Quote from: Redoverfarm on December 15, 2009, 11:12:08 PM
Whitlock I sent you a novel in a PM.

WOW what a novel it is

Thanks It was very easy to understand.
I will print it so when I get to that part I will have it.

Thanks again,W

Don_P · December 16, 2009, 06:26:51 PM

It wouldn't have done much here but this is another way to move timbers, walking the dog.

Redoverfarm · December 16, 2009, 06:45:52 PM

Good idea Don but I was moving them from a roofed area to another roofed area. If it were outside I would have used my tractor but I couldn't get it in the front door.

. Really wasn't as tough as I had thought it would be. That's one good think about a high tailgate on the truck. The biggest problem was getting them into the front door on an angle with the fireplace. Ended up just picking one end up and man handling them as Steven keep one end on the skateboard. Now the fun starts getting them up and scribing them to the loft support post then down to finsih and assemble and back up again.

Actually you can see the bottoms of the post I was referring to in the picture. One is flsuh cut while the other is naturally round. The protrude about 4 feet above the landing. Trying to figure out if once I get them assembled whether they will slide down to fit or whether they will rotate 90 degrees in between.

Here is the flush cut one at the top of the landing

Here is a picture showing both post at the top of the landing. There is no way to assemble them where they go because of the post. Maybe I will have to cut them a little sloppy and then shim and dress one side later to tighten them back up.

Reminds me of the guy that built the boat in the basement.

glenn kangiser · December 16, 2009, 08:44:32 PM

Stuff like that is always fun to figure out. In some areas I use cardboard templates to scribe then transfer that to the board. It will not work in all locations though.

Redoverfarm · December 17, 2009, 09:32:20 PM

I can't believe that it took all day to cut in one stringer. But of course I was working by myself so that just doubles the time. I used a come-a-long to hoist the stringer into position. Again a slow process with just 2 inches at a time. I raised and lowered the stringer 5 times for various cuts I had to made for the bottom beam, birdsmouth, one window trim and one post.

Along with the circular saw. hand planner and belt sander I also used one of Glenn's favorite tools.

Here is the stringer in place. I still have some fine tune work but for the most part it is finished. I checked the tread mortises and they are dead level.

And this is how I left it this evening. Hopefully I can get back to it on Monday. I think I will find a chain hoist for the other stringer. It shouldn't be too bad as I onely have the birdsmouth and one post.

BTW I left two of the propane heaters on low from Yesterday. This mornings temperature was 16F outside and it was 55F inside the cabin. I can only deduct that if that was assisted with a little wood fired heat that I might not have to turn them onto High unless it is extremely cold for a long period of time.

December 17, 2009, 10:05:40 PM

I could not see trying to get along without it, John.

poppy · December 17, 2009, 10:54:04 PM

Nice work John. Necessity is the mother of all inventions, they say.

Here's the neat little cable hoist that I found at an auction. Works easier than a come-a-long.

I'm still trying to find an affordable 3-pulley block and tackle system for when I raise the timber frame. May have to be satisfied with the 2-pulley rig I already have.

Redoverfarm · December 20, 2009, 03:56:01 PM

It looks like Dogtrot construction will have to be on hold for a while. After about 1-1/2" hours attempting to plow the road open I only managed to go 1/4 mile. With the 24-28" of snow it is just too much snow and to hard on the tractor. It is not worth the chance of tearing up something or somebody. I am due a new set of front tires as well so the tractor does not bite well in the snow. The only way I was able to get as far as I did was plow in stages. By the time I made several passes it was packed and difficult to get traction. Oh Well I can at least finish the treads at home and catch up on the "honey doo" list before X-mas. The only thing I can hope for is a week of warm weather. RIGHT. But it will come maybe in March or April.

speedfunk · December 20, 2009, 06:19:10 PM

Those will be some really cool stairs! nice

glenn kangiser · December 20, 2009, 10:39:08 PM

When do you think your road will be passable, John?

Redoverfarm · December 20, 2009, 10:53:34 PM

As Peg would say it just "Depends". If we would get a warm spell sometime to melt it down without freezing I may be able to get it pushed a little. If not I lost 2 months the year before last because of the road. I plowed it last year a couple times and only lost 3 days all winter. I have been thinking that it may be a real PIA but I can drive the tractor up without plowing. I think so I may just do that if the weather is permitting. The biggest problem is ice. if it turns to ice then I am doomed til spring. I could really use some of your west coast sunshine and temps for about a week and a half.

December 20, 2009, 11:07:26 PM

We have had it decent for a bit but maybe an inch of rain coming tomorrow night so that should convert into another foot of snow or maybe more added if it gets to you by the end of the week.

Redoverfarm · December 23, 2009, 07:57:32 PM

With the forecast of more snow, freezing rain and sleet I decided to try to get to the cabin. I needed to rough in the other stair stringer so that I could get a measurement on the treads and finish them at home when this bad weather hits. It takes a little longer but I was sure that the tractor would make it to the top. It did after a long drive from the house this morning at 18F. When I got to the cabin it was 31F inside and the ouside was about 29F. The I realized that when I was working the other day running the chainsaw that I had opened two living room windows to allow the fumes and smoke to leave and forgot to close them.

I closed the windows and fired up two of the heaters on low. When I left it was 45F.

This is what I found once I got up to the cabin. The porch is 2' off the ground and I would estimate the pile of snow off the roof to be around 4- 4 & 1/2 ft. What really amazed me was that in the front when it slid off it shot out in the front some 15 feet from the porch. The pictures really don't show it completely but you can see it tapering off to the left side. While I was working some more slid off the back and I thought that I had built the cabin beside some Railroad tracks. What a racket when it slid.

This is hanging about 3' from the roof on the back side.

Here is a picture of the other stringer in place.

I managed to locate a chain hoist from a friend. That really helped raising and lowering the stringer so much better than the cable come-a-long.

On the way off I decided that I would try plowing the snow. Actually I got one lane pretty good which is enough for the truck. I had to drive a mile from the bottom back up and push down grade to get the other side. Even if it would sleet and freeze I should be OK with chains on all four wheels of the truck.

I think I will take a break for Christmas and spend quality time with the family.

Whitlock · December 23, 2009, 08:39:16 PM

Is something wrong with your pictures or was it a white out

I hate it when it snows I always lose all the stuff I didn't put away

Redoverfarm · December 23, 2009, 09:46:17 PM

Quote from: Whitlock on December 23, 2009, 08:39:16 PM
Is something wrong with your pictures or was it a white out

I went back an looked and they showed up for me.

I hate it when it snows I always lose all the stuff I didn't put away

Yes I know what you mean. My son used the snow shovel in the last snow and swore he put it against the house. Guess what it was not there when we got the big snow. Had to resort to an old metal one that has seen it's better days. I guess when and if it melts we will find it.

Redoverfarm · December 29, 2009, 10:21:36 PM

Before It turned to the Artic Tundra it was warm enough for me to finally get the road plowed to Hightop. With the exception of a few cloudy turns which didn't receive an ample amount of sunlight the road is in fairly good condition and two lanes wide. So I chained up the rear wheels of the truck and off I go. I worked yesterday and today. Mostly with aligning and fine trimming the stair stringers. I did manage to get them both stained today. I was a little disappointed in stain on the logs round edges. There is approximately 1-1/2" of the sap wood on the edges so that is carried through the complete face of the round side. Not the grain effect I was looking to get.

My draftsman was off a little on the measurements of the stair treads.

So I had to adjust the width of the stairs. The landing between the two verticle post was 44". I didn't take into account that the stringers were 8" thick. So the math tells me that 34" ain't gona get it. So back to the band saw this evening. I reduced the steps to 30" which will allow some lead way in the installation of the stairs and only require a 1-1/2" shim between the stringer and the verticle post. That 1-1/2" shim is the thickness of the tenons on the steps. I hate re-doing something that is already done but it was neccessary to make them go together. Prime example of something that isn't in a book or manuel. Trial and error.

I left one heater on tonight at the cabin so it will not be down right cold in the AM when I go up and put a coat of poly on the stringer. Then back to house to stain the stairs. Right now it is 11F and falling.

Sorry no pictures. But they will come.