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

[ultraglide62]

Motorseven: I am back from Kauai leaving 82 degree for 38 and rain in Portland, OR. Not too smart would you say? Believe it or not I am so excited because I am going to fire up my Woodmizer LT40 and get to work using your project as my inspiration. I was going to build a cabin out of 6x6 cants like you but I chickened out. I spent three days reading your blog from start to finish and I do not want to work on my 1000 sq foot cabin for three years! I have decided to go with a post and beam vaulted ceiling and roof after viewing your project with stick framed walls. I have a poured wall foundation and the subfloor is complete. I also have a bunch of very straight fir that I will use for my beams. I have a moisture gauge ordered and I believe if I can get my fir down below 25% I would be safe to proceed? I would like anyones opinions on my questions if you care to comment. I plan on using horizontal 8/4 fir that I will distress and stain to make it look like an old 6x6 log home. I am not sure if I will use uniform width boards or random width. Most likely uniform with a 2 inch piece of furring in between the horizontal siding that will be covered with chinking to make it look real old. I plan on making my own doors out of alder that I have on my property. I will be on the grid so I plan on in floor electric heat in the bathrooms under the tile floors. The rest of the small cabin will be heated with a "Lange" wood stove that was made in Demark over 30 years ago that has been sitting in it's crate all that time looking for a home! I will use a tankless propane hot water heater and I will do my best never to have a piece of sheet rock near the cabin!
More importantly I want you to know that I admire your ability to tackle such a project and stick with it with such good humor so long. I do not plan on posting pictures or writing much of a blog as I have fat fingers and they miss the keys quite often. That is another thing I would like to compliment you on is your fantastic story telling. Please keep it going. It makes for good beach time reading!
Ultraglide62

 

[MotorSeven]

Ultra, oh nonono....we want you to start a build thread so we can sit back and be entertained:laughing:

25% is still quite damp. But if you can get the whole thing up and let it finish drying together, it won't be a huge issue. I put those 31' Poplar logs up green and they have shrunk about 3/4" in overall length..so far. rule of thumb for logs and beams, they will shrink for about 2 years... after that it is negligible. Just plan shrinkage(George Costanza) and work around it for it

If you are putting post and beam on a stick wall you will need collar ties, or tie poles/beams, or ridge support poles so the roof does not push out the walls.

Soooo, start a thread and the advice will commence:laughing::thumbsup:

 

[Obed]

So Obed, how many feet do you need?...I still have 600' left. PM me if you want.

Thanks Rick. I'm a little hesitant to go with the aluminized wire if it rubs off. We will put a horizontal wooden handrail on the top off our wire so people will likely rub their pants on the wire when leaning up against the handrail.

I did find this stuff on line. It is high tensile galvanized steel wire painted black. It might do the trick for us.

Hey, I've got some pressure treated wood filling up half of our garage we don't need. We could let it go cheap if you're interested.

Obed

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Thanks Rick. I'm a little hesitant to go with the aluminized wire if it rubs off. We will put a horizontal wooden handrail on the top off our wire so people will likely rub their pants on the wire when leaning up against the handrail.

I did find this stuff on line. It is high tensile galvanized steel wire painted black. It might do the trick for us.

Hey, I've got some pressure treated wood filling up half of our garage we don't need. We could let it go cheap if you're interested.

Obed

Can't you return those spindles?

 

[Obed]

Tomorrow I will cut the 6x6 PT piers that the 6x6 cedar beam will sit on. Tin arrives tomorrow evening too....

M7,
Are you going to put anything under the piers to keep them off the concrete to prevent rotting? We used the hardware in the pictures to keep our porch posts/piers off of the concrete. If any water puddles or condensates on the concrete, the bottom of the posts will stay dry.

I just took the pictures in the dark so I hope they came out well enough.

Obed

 

[Obed]

Can't you return those spindles?

Nope. We just asked the building supply company and they said no. They claim they are now using a different vendor so they won't take them back. They've been in our garage over a year so I don't really blame the building supply company.

Obed

 

[tnmike]

I don't understand why you guys want to mess around with aluminized, galvanized or painted steel wire. Its all going to rust eventually. Its going to mark up the women's clothing and you will be in in the dog house. :laughing: Think stainless and be done with it.


3/32" 7x7 Stainless Steel Aircraft Cable (500' Spool) | eBay

 

[MotorSeven]

Oh, sure Mike...now you find the SS cheap:laughing: Hey it ain't like there are going to be a lot of fancy clothing worn or big New York City cocktail parties thrown.....more like bib overalls, jeans and lumberjack shirts. So far everyone that has seen it stays back...the wire doing a Jedi mind trick on them..."carefull.....you might fall right through me"

Obed, your wire link didn't work, but I hesitate on paint since that would be another maintenance issue to "list". Pm that materials list, I'll take a look at it. Oh, and I will find something to stick under the posts, but those brackets ain't happening...suckers are about $15ea.

 

[MotorSeven]

Good grief....I spent all afternoon up on the North porch roof putting down the tin...my knees are on fire. Since I didn't want to walk across it to remove the safety rope I took it down as I went, so no harness, no rope for 44'. flashing around the two Oaks was interesting. I trimmed back the roof on the close one which gave me a 5" clearance total...hope it's enough. All I can say is I hope I never have to get back up there again:laughing:

Tomorrow, it's on to the front porch...............!

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Good grief....I spent all afternoon up on the North porch roof putting down the tin...my knees are on fire. Since I didn't want to walk across it to remove the safety rope I took it down as I went, so no harness, no rope for 44'. flashing around the two Oaks was interesting. I trimmed back the roof on the close one which gave me a 5" clearance total...hope it's enough. All I can say is I hope I never have to get back up there again:laughing:

Tomorrow, it's on to the front porch...............!

Time for some good kneepads? I thought every man that is married keeps a good pair handy!