Gazebo Number One

[EddieWalker]

Dennis,

The location is just past where my house is. Or when coming in the future entance road, it will be where the road turns at the end of the front pasture, and just before where the store is going to be. One of the purposes for the gazebo will be for express check ins when the Park opens.

Eddie

 

[bindian]

Eddie,
It is looking awesome so far, even with just 4 logs in place.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Putter]

Eddie, I sure appreciate your posts. Keep it up.

You have inspired me to build a similar gazebo at my place.
I have a lot of Aspen that we fell as we are building.
I will find six or eight straight logs, currently cut to 16', that are a similar diameter. I think I will leave the bark on. My thought for the bases was 8" sono tubes with 1" pipe at the center. Then I would bore a 1 1/8" hole in each post and drop on the pipe.

I will post this here but if you prefer I can start a new thread.

Couple of thoughts and would appreciate feedback from anyone:

-1 1/8" hole slipped over a 1" pipe should be snug enough with the full weight of the log on the concrete?
-Anyone see a drawback to leaving the bark on?
-Six sided vs eight sided?
I want a fire-pit in the center as I saw in another post here, what would you guy think the max height of the posts should be? I also am considering a collector hood over the fire-pit so I could go taller.

Thanks for the inspiration Eddie and keep posting your awesome stuff.

 

[EddieWalker]

Putter,

The log home builders cut a notch in the bottom of the logs with a chainsaw and slide the logs over a piece of steel, then drill a hole through the side of the logs and the steel so they can bolt them down. My concern with just sliding the posts over the pipe is that they will move on you. A strong wind will lift a porch off of a building, and fold an eave off the side of a house. Will you have a big parachute that wont make it though a severe wind?

I thought about using sono tubes, but got the idea to build the wood frames because of my plan to use brick pavers. I thought that it would look nicer to have the straight lines. Having done it this way, I now think that a sono tube would have been better and will use them on my next gazebo.

I'm really liking my C Channel approach. Each one is five feet long with five sacks of concrete in each hole. They are solid and easy to work with. I even like the look of the bolts, but then that's probably just me.

Your fire pit sounds intersting. I want garden furniture in mine and imagine it as an outdoor room to sit around, maybe have a meal with friends and just admire from a distance. I'm really curious how you do the ceiling and deal with the smoke.

I think it would be great fun, and probably educational to see what you do with your gazebo build. Feel free to post it on here with mine if you like.

Eddie

 

[Putter]

My thought on the anchoring was a pin, drilled through the center of the pipe.
The fire pit is on here some where I will find it. I first saw the firepit in the center of a Gazebo in a Provincial park here in Alberta. Will do some more digging. :thumbsup:

 

[Putter]

It's in this thread.
Mickey_Fx has a nice Gazebo also.
Nice job Mickey_Fx.

I just look at the sparks in his picture and think of one of those upscale range hoods. I will maybe go back to that park where I saw the "range hood" over a central fire pit and snap some pictures.

 

[CurlyDave]

I suspect that a hole bored in a log and placed over a vertical pipe is not going to work nearly as well as Eddie's C-channel, or even a conventional post base.

Think about the mechanics of what happens when there is a lateral force on the top of the log. If we assume the pipe is infinitely rigid, the top of the log will exert a side force on the inside of the log, and at the bottom, there will be a corresponding side force, but increased by the increase in leverage. The stresses are complex, but somehow I think that some part of them will eventually show up as a hoop stress on the log.

Hollow logs are notoriously poor at supporting hoop stress.

The other issue is that I doubt that a 1" pipe will be infinitely rigid when forces at the top of the log have at least 8' of leverage and maybe more. I think you need shear panels in a few of the sides.

* * * * *

The other issue is that many types of logs have their bark fall off as they age. I don't know if this happens with aspen, but you should check how they age before building with them.

 

[Western]

Ok I know where it is. That's going to look great on the edge of that field.

You may have to do like me and work nights to beat the heat brother!:laughing:

 

[scoutcub]

Energy? what is that? LOL

I'm so wore out from sanding those logs out in the heat that I can't even sit in front of the TV and do nothing when I'm done. 97 degrees and hour after hour of sanding just plain wears me out!!!!!

Four more logs to go, and I'm looking for excuses to do just about anything else.

Eddie

Eddie -

Did you finish the logs?
And, just curious.....I 've read your lake thread, but don't recall if you have one part of the lake as a "beach"....with sandy shore, and gradual slope, ala "swimming beach". Might come in handy down the road for rv park..? And, to take a quick dip after sanding logs....
Of course, it would mean more maintenance..and liability...etc.
Just curious.


Frank

 

[EddieWalker]

Frank,

I ended up working Sat morning finishing off a job for a client, and was able to get long number 5 in place. Sunday was spent at another clients house and then buying feed for Oscar and all his wild friends. Today I'm hoping to get log number 6 done. It takes a full day to peel the bark, cut it to fit with the chainsaw, sand it smooth and install it.

I made the mistake of not going to Home Depot to get the good Norton sandpaper last week, and bought some really bad stuff called Gator from Lowes. Never again. I'll drive twice as far to get the good stuff because those Gator belts just fall apart in about 15 minutes and the discs go smooth just as fast. The blue Norton sandpaper lasts hours and hours!!!!!!

Due to insurance and the risk of injury from swimming in a pond, nobody will be allowed to swim in Lake Marabou once the Park opens. That will be a zero tollerance rule and anybody caught will be instantly kicked out. Saying that, I did go for a swim on Saturday that was very refreshing. It's the best way to get sawdust off of you!!!!!

Eddie