Tools collected, timber prepared, framing begins. Update 1 - Hands on hewing

[nebruks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfYx0CuO21k

I have started to hew the logs that I have harvested in last winter for the walls of our home. I need to hew 60 logs. Each log is 21 feet long. I am hewing a pine at the moment. I am using Gransfors Bruks 1900 broad axe for squaring and joggling and for the finishing I am using very special axe for me - the one that I bought a year ago from one old man. The finishing broad axe is approx. 200 years old (that can be determined from the ornaments on it) and have not been used a lot. It weights about 12 kilos.
I have made all posts, sills and knee braces. After hewing I will be continuing working on the frame.
____________________________

The moment of truth has become. The foundation and the ground works are over. Now the framing has started. All the timber is prepared by myself in my forest at the right phase of moon in deep and cold winter.
I have designed my family house and I will build it till the end only by myself. As much as possible I am doing with human energy. So I don't want to consume the other ones. The house will have a traditional timber frame and the walls will be filled with hand hewn logs in one layer and then insulated with pine wood shavings mixed with clay. The roof will be apsen shingled as traditional here in our country.
At the moment I have made all the sills with floor joists and half of the posts.

[Magicman]

Oh the strength of youth.   

I look forward to watching your progress.   

[scsmith42]

Oh the strength of youth.   

I look forward to watching your progress.   

Indeed, this should be a great thread!  Best of success to you on your project, and thanks in advance for sharing it with us. 

[Buck]

Very nice!

[sparky1]

looks like you have quite the project!! looking forward to seein more photos too!

[piller]

It looks like you are off to a great start on your timber framing project!
Can you describe in more detail your foundation and the infill system for your walls?
Thanks, looking forward to more pictures. 

[nebruks]

It looks like you are off to a great start on your timber framing project!
Can you describe in more detail your foundation and the infill system for your walls?
Thanks, looking forward to more pictures.  

Hi.

My foundation (under earth layer) has made out of concrete filled with rocks. The upper part has made out of hand splitted rocks that hold together with clay/concrete mortar. The thickness of the foundation is 60 cm. Under the half of the house is basement.

The wall infill system will be:

1st layer - Hand hewn pine logs with tenons on both sides (160 mm thick) that will join in the mortise inside the posts (the long groove) that you can see in the photos that I have posted below.

2nd layer - 250 mm thick pine wood shaving mix with dry clay.

3rd layer - 25mm thick pine boarding (as the rough siding)

4th layer - 25mm thick vertical pine board siding (as the finishing).

So the whole thickness of the wall will be approx 50 cm.

I am the "victim" of the ecological philosophy - so that's why I was looking for possibilities to insulate the house with natural materials.

The realistic design photo is one prototype of my house. I took a picture of it and then in the Photoshop placed it just in the place were my house will come up. So my house will be very similar to the one you can see in the picture.

[dukndog]

Looks great and can't wait to see more!!

On another note, what software did you use on the design pictures? Is it  Google Sketchup??

DnD

[Magicman]

It appears that the foundation is wider than the actual structure.  Wouldn't this be a problem area with water entrapment?

[piller]

Thanks for the info about the foundation and infill system.  I also like using all natural materials if possible.  So the wall structure is horizontal hand hewn pine logs on the inside (in between the vertical posts), vertical spruce boards with clay/pine shaving infill, horizontal rough pine siding, and vertical pine finish siding on the outside?   Should be very strong, lot's of thermal mass, and good insulation!

Will you be using nails to attach the spruce boards and the layers of pine siding?

[nebruks]

Looks great and can't wait to see more!!

On another note, what software did you use on the design pictures? Is it  Google Sketchup??

DnD

Hey.

Yes I made the simple design sketches in Sketchup. It is easy and very user friendly software.

[nebruks]

It appears that the foundation is wider than the actual structure.  Wouldn't this be a problem area with water entrapment?

The underground foundation is 60 cm wide. The foundation over the earth layer is approx 55 cm. The wall will be 53 and there will come a leveled and board all around the foundation after the finishing siding will be made. No water will be able to damage anything.

[nebruks]

Thanks for the info about the foundation and infill system.  I also like using all natural materials if possible.  So the wall structure is horizontal hand hewn pine logs on the inside (in between the vertical posts), vertical spruce boards with clay/pine shaving infill, horizontal rough pine siding, and vertical pine finish siding on the outside?   Should be very strong, lot's of thermal mass, and good insulation!

Will you be using nails to attach the spruce boards and the layers of pine siding?

Yes you understood the wall structure precisely right. I am not yet decided about the nails of the siding placing. The alternative is pegging them on glue. But the whole house will be built 98% without any metal parts.

[frwinks]

sounds and looks like you're having fun and that's what building a homestead is all about IMO.  Embrace every moment of it 8)

[Tullivor]

incredible work man.

[LOGDOG]

Looking forward to seeing this thread develop. Nebruks ... tell me about how the phase of the moon factors into when you harvest the trees. You're the first I've heard comment on it. 

[bigshow]

Nebruks,

you might consider getting into better physical shape before attempting such a large project .

[clww]

nebruks- I'm going to really enjoy following this thread, so keep it coming!

[tonto]

WOW, I'm tired just reading this thread. I am jealous of people with such talent. Looking forward to following this one. Tonto.

[ljmathias]

And it's not just the talent, which there is clearly there aplenty, but the energy: if I had half the energy and the experience (won't call it wisdom ever) that I do now, what couldn't I get done?  Oh, well, I've learned to plod where I used to storm ahead: plodding is slow and sure, and gives me more time to see my mistakes coming at me!   :D

Lj

[nebruks]

Looking forward to seeing this thread develop. Nebruks ... tell me about how the phase of the moon factors into when you harvest the trees. You're the first I've heard comment on it. 

Hey.

There are over 2000 year old heritage of the rural life in our country. Many years ago people were a part of a nature (so now we are going to be a part of a robots).

The people knew the meaning of every kind of a grass that grows in the meadows. Also they knew everything about the trees, like for an example when is the best time to harvest them for buildings, for less shrinkage, for long lasting, for instruments or furinture...

The best time to harvest trees is deep and cold winter.

In winter trees goes to sleep. Tree is full of resin and all the water circulating process in it has stopped. So you take down the tree while it is beeing asleep in it's best "health".

Here in my country the best time to harvest is in January and February. Our ancestors trough the years of experience knew even the right day and even the hour when is the best time to get down the tree. For all kind of conifers best time of harvesting is first three days when the new moon rises. For all the trees with leaves (such as oak, ash, maple) best time is first three days when the old moon becomes.

Jacob

[nebruks]

Nebruks,

you might consider getting into better physical shape before attempting such a large project .

Sorry, but I did not understand the meaning of your comment...

[nebruks]

And it's not just the talent, which there is clearly there aplenty, but the energy: if I had half the energy and the experience (won't call it wisdom ever) that I do now, what couldn't I get done?  Oh, well, I've learned to plod where I used to storm ahead: plodding is slow and sure, and gives me more time to see my mistakes coming at me!   :D

Lj

"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne."

GEOFFREY CHAUCER, A Parliament of Fowls (1343-1400)

[bic]

great workmanship nebruks
I'm curious as to how you cut your post groves for the log infill to slide in, to neat for chainsaw, router perhaps??

thanks ahead bic

[ljmathias]

So the man is well read as well as well skilled!  Great quote, and as I get older, more and more appropriate.

I think bigshow was just "pulling your leg," as we say over here- making a joke about your physical fitness which clearly is not in need of improving.

Keep up the posting on your progress- we love it.  It's a little time consuming, but I've found it's a lot easier if you do it in small bites every day or two.  If you wait too long, and have too much to cover, it becomes daunting, kind of like building a house: if you look at the entire thing and all the work involved, it's hard to imagine ever getting it done, but if you just focus on one small step at a time, well then it gets done.

Lj

[nebruks]

great workmanship nebruks
I'm curious as to how you cut your post groves for the log infill to slide in, to neat for chainsaw, router perhaps??

thanks ahead bic

Hey

About the making of long grooves in the posts. I made so: at first with circular saw I made a 5 cutlines and then with the 2 inch chisel I took out the wood. The groove is 2 1/2 inch wide.
As I do not have any drilling old school mortisers at the beginning I have tested the possibilities to do this drilling a several holes with my 2 inch hand drill and then chisel cleaned the notch/mortice/groove. But it took quite a lot of time so I decided to use a circular saw just for that part of joint. If I had the drilling morticer - I would do the job with this hand tool.

[Bill Gaiche]

nebruks, Thanks for sharing your talent and photos. This is really interesting and will be fun to follow. I can't even imagine doing what you are doing by yourself. Everyone that does homes like this has to have a lot of pride in there work when completed and then living in that structure. Keep up the good work and good luck, bg

[Thehardway]

Nebruks,

How were the timbers milled after you harvested them and exactly what species are they?  Very nice work and very ambitious project.  Can your  homesite be viewed from Google Earth? I find it gives an interesting perspective on the project to see where and how it is sited and then watch as it is updated.

[LOGDOG]

How is your progress coming along Nebruks?

[nebruks]

How is your progress coming along Nebruks?

I just made an update of the topic. You can see the hewing process at the beginning of the post.

[LOGDOG]

Looks good Nebruks. Man I cringe every time I see you in sandals instead of steel toe boots doing that chopping and carrying heavy beams. Be careful out there. Looking forward to seeing your house go up. 

[nebruks]

Looks good Nebruks. Man I cringe every time I see you in sandals instead of steel toe boots doing that chopping and carrying heavy beams. Be careful out there. Looking forward to seeing your house go up. 

Don't worry man... As you see - my hewing technique is standing at the inside of the log - so it is safer to hew when you stand behind the log.

[nebruks]

Nebruks,

How were the timbers milled after you harvested them and exactly what species are they?  Very nice work and very ambitious project.  Can your  homesite be viewed from Google Earth? I find it gives an interesting perspective on the project to see where and how it is sited and then watch as it is updated.

The timbers were milled on a portable sawmil. Mostly I have harvested 120 year old spruces.. My homesite can be found in Google Earth - but it is very old photo you can see from the air that has been taken about 6 years ago.

[LOGDOG]

Looks good Nebruks. Man I cringe every time I see you in sandals instead of steel toe boots doing that chopping and carrying heavy beams. Be careful out there. Looking forward to seeing your house go up. 

Don't worry man... As you see - my hewing technique is standing at the inside of the log - so it is safer to hew when you stand behind the log.

I noticed that.  Good idea. I was going to ask you how you maintain a consistent bevel on your ax blade with the circular stone? Just eyeball?

[nebruks]

Looks good Nebruks. Man I cringe every time I see you in sandals instead of steel toe boots doing that chopping and carrying heavy beams. Be careful out there. Looking forward to seeing your house go up. 

Don't worry man... As you see - my hewing technique is standing at the inside of the log - so it is safer to hew when you stand behind the log.

I noticed that.  Good idea. I was going to ask you how you maintain a consistent bevel on your ax blade with the circular stone? Just eyeball?

I was grinding the axe blade on a grinding machine at first then I am just getting the razor sharpness with a circullar wet stone. The blade is quite sharp and thats what I need.

[LOGDOG]

Do you have a preferred degree of bevel that you like to maintain? I could tell it was nice and sharp when you were using it to shave towards the line. (Looked like maybe that's what you were doing anyway.)

[Brad_bb]

That video is too professional for a timberframer.  I think we need to give you a new name: "Hollywood Hewer".

"you might consider getting into better physical shape before attempting such a large project"- definitely a sarcastic and comedic remark.

We may need to all contribute some money to buy you a new pair of shorts.  Those ones in the video have so many holes, there isn't much material left.  :D

[LOGDOG]

Yeah but Brad, I have to say ... I smile every time I watch a video by Nebruks. Especially when he's in sandals and shorts and I'm in a stuffy suit and tie. He's livin' my dream.  ;)

[nebruks]

That video is too professional for a timberframer.  I think we need to give you a new name: "Hollywood Hewer".

"you might consider getting into better physical shape before attempting such a large project"- definitely a sarcastic and comedic remark.

We may need to all contribute some money to buy you a new pair of shorts.  Those ones in the video have so many holes, there isn't much material left.  :D

Thanks for your charity aims, but I finally made "new" shorts from some old jeans. As you can see in the video when I sharpen finishing broad axe - I am in "new" shorts.... :D the old ones unfortunately gave up. Today I made first girt with some unusual joints. Will post some pictures lately...