A proud Timberframer

[sawinmontana]

This is my first try at posting pictures. If it works I have several more.
This is my brother Russ showing the first joint we cut.

[Greg]

Very cool pic! Keep em comin'...

You have every right to be proud ;-)

I am WAY jealous of all your flat rock... I was thinking about a simple, cheap alternative, like pouring six concrete piers, spaced at each corner and mid-span, about 6 inches above grade, to support sills.

I'm curious, what material are your sills?

Greg

[carhartted]

Thankyou sir may I have another.

[IndyIan]

Very nice picture!  I like the stone foundation too 8)
How's the brace work for doing the peg holes?  
I was using a brace this weekend to screw on the guide boards on a log to saw with my alaskan and I don't think I'll bother to take my cordless drill into the woods again.  The brace was just as fast and hardly any work at all.   8)  And replacement batteries aren't $70!  for a brace either...

Did you end up cutting your beams with an alaskan?  

[ohsoloco]

Nice pic....SWEET foundation  ;D  I'd like to get some rock like that for my smokehouse foundation.  

[sawinmontana]

When I get back to the other computer I will post somemore.
The sills were 8x8 Douglas fir. I was driving a selfloading log truck at the time and located the logs, a mixture of Douglas Fir, Engleman Spruce, Alpin Fir, Western Larch, and Lodgepole Pine. He bought the load, I delivered it to my dads house, where the mill is and I milled it for him. Our mill is made is Lincoln, Montana, called montana sawmill. Its a basic manual bandmill. If we had to buy another one I would spend the extra money and buy a name brand one for the support. But thats another story.
The rock came from a highway cut about 45 miles from me. A ways to drive and alot of work. At least its on the high side of the road. At that one spot you can break of pieces and they are perfectly flat.

The brace works pretty good but also alot of work. Since building that shed I have learned that you gotta sharpen dads tools!!! Then they work a whole lot better!!! I've considered buying a chisel mortiser. I would really like to find a hand powered boring machine. Any ideas where to find one?

The next project I'm starting on I need some 42 foot 8x8's, I don't want to make any scarf joints if I can avoid it, for those I'm going to try using an Alaskan sawmill.

Greg I would think that the piers would work fine depending on the building usuage and spans and such. Just make sure you do the math. What size is your building?

Later
Scott

[Mark M]

Hi Scott

That looks pretty DanG good, but where are the sheep? I always heard there were a lot of sheep out in Montana, well at least we hear a lot of sheep jokes over here in ND  :D

Keep the pictures coming.

Mark

[sawinmontana]

You can tell a North Dakotan, but you can't tell him much! :D

[Mark M]

I deserved that :D

[IndyIan]

Hi Scott,
Using hand tools really makes you appreciate a sharp edge eh :D
There are beam borers on e-bay.  I've looked at some but haven't had the guts to buy one yet.  Probably after I do a few mortises with the brace and chisel I'll take the risk ;D

Those 42' 8x8's is what the alaskan was made for.  You could try a long ladder for a guide or maybe a 16' 2x10 would work as well, maybe easier to hold on the log as you can put screws through it so it won't vibrate off the alignment spikes, also you could take any twist or bow out of the board.  
Keep in mind this my theory I've never cut a log longer than my guide board but when I do this is what I'll try first!  Let me know if it works ;D
Keep us posted!
Ian

[ohsoloco]

I also check ebay quite a bit for a good boring machine.  The good ones go for quite a bit, though.  I'll let ya know if I decide to bid on one so we're not bidding against each other  :D

[sawinmontana]

That would be great on the boring machine.
ohsoloco and Indylan if you see any on ebay send me a message here or at scottbaney@yahoo.com I would really like to look at them. I would let you know also if I decide to bid. I've only seen one, I was high bidder but it never reached the minimum. They said they were going to relist it but I never saw it agin.

Scott