The Log house Project begins........

[MotorSeven]

Thanks Ben, that's surprising about log homes there. I am on a sawmill forum and there are a bunch of guys from Australia on there, so I just assumed logs houses would be popular.

Some day I want to visit your continent, spend 6 weeks to 2 months and do it all on a motor. Hopefully in a year or two we will be ready to make plans. New Zealand, Ireland and Italy are also on the bucket list. Unlike my wife who has been around the world, I have never crossed either pond, so I am looking forward to it.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Great job Rick!
I can see how this revitalizes you. Were the wasps on the inside wanting out? Seems they might have been using your home as their own. Your first squatters.:laughing:

Just looking at the photos gives me a backache. glad you had some good help.

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

Awesome job

 

[MotorSeven]

Yep Kyle, inside wanting out. I had all the doors open before and after the glass went in and I watched them flying the perimeter...then right through the doors. Since I sealed up all the window gaps and closed the doors, no more wasps.
As for the backache we set up 3 scaffold bucks(4' each). Two guys lifted the glass up to two guys, then we moved up to the next buck where the process was repeated. It was awkward but none of us really strained too much. We did have to remove the top right panel twice so I could use a disc grinder on the inside frame to make it larger. Even then it was a tight fit so I am a little worried about it and any settling of the structure that may occur.

Ga, thanks, tomorrow I start on the porch framing!

 

[Obed]

M7, the windows came out looking great! Seeing them with the doors below as a reference makes it stand out how BIG those windows are. You're going to love the view of the west. Great job!

Obed

 

[Obed]

M7,
Your thread has passed 100K views! The way things are going, you might give Eddie Walker a run for his money for the most views on a thread. Your thread is very interesting as is backed up by the number of people viewing it. One thing that makes your thread stand out is all the stuff you are doing yourself.

We hired subs to help us build our house. Unlike your thread, my thread was popular because of all the things I was doing wrong. One guy said my thread was like "watching a wreck getting ready to happen". People don't want the NASCAR drivers to wreck but everybody wants to be able to see the wreck if it does happen.

Your thread is captivating because of all the neat stuff YOU are doing right.

Keep up the good work,
Obed

 

[MotorSeven]

Thanks Obed, yes sometimes it was frustrating to read of you "issues" with "alleged professionals". I felt bad for you because you hired thing out thinking you were doing the right thing because you had limited knowledge in those areas and got burned. Unfortunately, those morons seem way more "busy" then the really good contractors. I am glad you got through it without pulling you hair out, getting a divorce or hitting a contractor with a 2x4:thumbsup:

Here in our area we have a ton of "carpenters" that scare the bejesus out of me....I have seen their work, or their attempt at work. Just last week a home inspection(my wife owns her own Real Estate company here) revealed NO plumbing vent at all, multiple outlets wired wrong and not even working, a A/C system one ton under sized(already on it's second compressor)...all this on a 6 year old house. Every day I see decks with 2x6x16 joists......with only posts at each end. They are easy to spot..."what is that a rope bridge leading to the front door?"...."oh I see, it's just a droopy deck":confused2:

Then again, we have some outstanding contractors that do top shelf work and usually come in under budget. Those are all pretty much booked up for at least a year in advance.

I do manage to make my share of mistakes, and if I never repeat them I learned something. As a "finish carpenter" I am severely limited, and I am getting into the finish work here soon. I am going to try really hard not to be too , er.. ah "rustic", but at least rustic fit's the theme of the house:laughing:

 

[Ranger Rick]

Every day I see decks with 2x6x16 joists......with only posts at each end. They are easy to spot..."what is that a rope bridge leading to the front door?"...."oh I see, it's just a droopy deck":confused2:

Then again, we have some outstanding contractors that do top shelf work and usually come in under budget. Those are all pretty much booked up for at least a year in advance.

Rick You are right about some of the scary work out there. We just got through renovating our bathroom because the floor was really droopy. It turned out that the carpenters used 2x6x16 for the floor and then the plumber cut 2in notches in the top of the joists under the tub so he could run his drain pipe. The carpenters did not even nail the joists to the top plate. We just slid them out after taking up the floor. Scary. Solid now though.
Rick

 

[MotorSeven]

North Porch progress:

Cutting the notches in the 6x6 posts:

Making room around a big Red Oak:

Posts Set:

 

[MotorSeven]

6x6 Beams up:

Starting on the 3x6x10' rafters:

All of the porch structure will be cedar off my place. It's hard to see in the pic's but the beam under the first rafters is a 6x6x18'...it was fun to set.