My timber frame build

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 6/6/19:

Installed my gas pump on my "hydrant".  Removed the well pump head - not working, might have gotten bent from the snow.  Also need to fix some of the PVC that the snow sheared off.  Installed my saw head.  The track damage (below) will need to be fixed.  Also, the track settled unevenly so I need to re-level.  Didn't get a picture but the 8' of snow on my flatbed bent the rail that the front wheel/jack was attached to - need to bring it home to straighten and fix the jack.  Previous post showed my log arch that needs repair.  I might just rebuild it into a lighter weight version like other have.

Here is the extent of the snow left on my property:


 
I made some light weight (test) extensions for my mill last year so I can mill a log as long has my full-strength bunks.  Well, I forgot to remove them before the snow.  Time to make some new (longer, stouter) ones:


 
From the last time I reset - perhaps in February or March?


 
Looks like the low was about 12-14°F and a high of 80°F (probably yesterday when Sacramento hit 100°).  This was at about 9 am and it was 58°.

I picked up a zip line off of CraigsList for free the other day.  About 70' of line.  Here is where we first set it up:


 
Way down by the tree in the middle you can barely see the red trolley at the end of the tow strap.  The dark dirt in the shade is where we were bottoming out - a rise in the road.  So we set up in a different place where you start out on top of a boulder.  My son is a couple inches taller than me and probably has a reach of 4 or 5 inches higher than me.  Well, after lots of trials and rejiggering, we got it high enough.  He went down and dragged his feet a bit.  So I tried it.  Only I couldn't drag my feet.  The slack at the bottom slowed me a bit but not enough.  I hit the end of the cable attached to a long tow sling.  I was about 10' from the end tree, barely touching the ground - I should have let go at that point.  I swung out nearly horizontal (which stretched my back - felt great) and when I came back to vertical, the trolley broke apart.  No more zipping :-\

Lots to fix but a fun day not working too hard.

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 7/14/2019:

Spent a couple weeks up on the property - 6/23-30 and 7/5-14.  First week I had a lot of winter cleanup and had to re-level the mill from the snow settling it down a few inches in some places.  I had a huge log on the mill all winter and I milled into a sill for the north-west section of wall.  A number of other cedar logs were milled into a selection of 4x8s, 4x10s (deck "boards"), 6x6 porch posts and 1x random siding. (no pictures)

The second week I had some help the first couple of days and installed the back floor joists (under the bedrooms) and took down some big cedars for the remaining two sills and siding. Spent a bit of time cleaning up the limbs from the trees.  Two truckloads of big branches for my neighbor's firewood pile.


 

 
When milling up the first big cedar, I found a 7/16 head, 6" lag bolt in the third pass on the log.  Using my little metal scanner, I found its buddy.  I dug down (chainsaw) a couple inches and tried to ratchet out the lag but it was already broken.  So had to dig further.


 
The second week, I finished milling up the second sill and installed both.  Then continued installing floor joist under the bathroom with some help.


 

 

[firefighter ontheside]

Wow, that's some progress.  Good to see.  What's your goal for this summer?

[Ljohnsaw]

My goal and reality have taken very different paths...

So, I'm shooting for raising the frame, putting up rafters and the 2x roof deck.  Then I'll tarp it for the winter since that will be starting in 3 or so months... 

I really want to have continuous main beams (56' x 5) and have one good Ponderosa easily available.  Others are white pine that like to move a bit and may have to go with those.  But I also need 56 4x7x28' rafters.  I'm going to farm that out if I can find a sawyer local that has a supply of Ponderosa to save me a ton of time.  I'll check with the local mills but I doubt that they would consider my little run.

Also...  Got my water pump going.  The LCB (Linear Current Booster) lost its Magic Smoke while testing it so I'll have to hunt down a replacement.  Hooking it up direct to the solar panel let me fill my holding tank (330 gal) in a few hours.

Last Monday, when I finished the second to last sill, I was moving my monster log (28"x27') to the mill.  The SkyTrak was groaning and squealing picking it up.  I noticed a slight drip of hydraulic fluid from the boom.  Great, I thought, another seal to replace on a 12 foot ram :-\   When I set the boom down (sloping to the front of the SkyTrak), a quart of so of fluid ran out   I was "lucky", just a blown hose.  However, need a set of crow's foot wrenches to get it out, but the "local" NAPA in the county closes early and opens late (7:30).  So Tuesday morning, headed 30 minutes down to NAPA for tools, 5 minutes in the store, back up the hill, 30 minutes to pull the hose, 60 minutes down to the hydraulic shop, 10 minutes at the shop, back up the hill, 15 minutes to install the hose and back in business by 11:30 am.  But, it could have been a lot worse!

[fishfighter]

Love the progress. ;D And yes, DanG older machines and their hoses are a PITB. I ended up changing every one on my 580C backhoe. :D 

[firefighter ontheside]

That will be some major progress.  I sure hope it comes to fruition.  Those are some long beams.  The purlins in my house are 43' long.  I thought that was long.

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 7/22/2019:

I got my hands on some free retaining wall blocks.  I was looking for more "medium" sized for my backyard project but these turned out to be the BIG ones.  So, decided to add a foundation around my well.


   The lady giving them away said there were about 40 blocks.  I loaded all my truck could hold (weight wise) and installed 35 of them.  I'm going back to get more.  There was something like 80 blocks!  I'm going to add a wishing well-like structure on top of the blocks.  Probably make it out of cedar.

Speaking of cedar, I had a skinny 25' log that I cut into two.  That gave me two 4x10x12'-3" deck boards and four each 1x6, 1x8 and 1x10 wall boards 12'-3" long.  I lost three additional 1x10's that split lengthwise - must of fractured the log when I dropped the tree.

I also moved out the dry cedar so I could sticker the above fresh cut.  The top stack was cut the past month.  Cedar drys FAST out here.

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 7/24/2019:

Finished up the blocks so it looks like this now:


 
And this is sort of what I want to do:


 
There would be a solid wall all the way around to provide the support for the roof - maybe a 4-post design.  This would be buried under 8 to 10' of snow in the winter.

[Ljohnsaw]

I know that I posted this picture before but I don't remember where.  My little log arch I use to move timbers from my SkyTrak to inside my basement to stack.  Before:



I forgot to flip it over before the snow so...


 
I had a pair of the next size up bike frames (Stingray size) and a couple of good tires so I rebuilt it like this.  Hopefully not too tall/unstable:


Should roll bit easier.

[tburch]

That snow weight is incredible.   Great progress!  Keep 'em coming. 

[flyingparks]

Mind blown. Sorry bout your timber caddy.

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 8/12/2019:

No pictures but brought up a big load of cement blocks and set them up for stickering my 28' 5x7 rafters.  Had to set it up outside my basement (west side seen here from 9/17 during a hail storm):


 
But still waiting for confirmation on a delivery date of my logs.  Hoping for Friday so I can have a productive weekend.

Also spent a bit of time chasing a plumbing leak in my bath house.  I think I got it.  I'll pressure test it when I go back up on Wednesday.

[thecfarm]

WOW!! Did that snow slide off a roof? But I did note the 8'-10' feet of snow too. I might get 3-4 feet at the most here.

[Magicman]

Wow Sir, you have been busy while I have not.  I am just catching up on my reading :P  and see where you have made progress as well as taking care of the mishaps.  Hopefully you will be able to get-r-done during these next non-snow months. 

[TimFromNB]

Nice progress! That timber cart is ingenuous! Might build something similar to get my timbers to the build site in the woods.

[ESFted]

Another vote for the great log arch.  I'm going to start checking around for bike frames to build my own.  Was any welding involved, or is it bolted together?

[Ljohnsaw]

No welding.  The black pipe is all threaded together with a union up in the handle.  It is 3/4" pipe.  There is a single bolt through the steering tube into the black pipe.  The lower cross piece is just a piece of 1" or 1¼", I forget which with one bolt through the crank tube (where the pedals used to be).  I made this originally to retrieve some redwood logs from a backyard in town.  Had to fit through a normal side gate (34"?).  If I were to do it all over again, I'd make it at least 40" wide for stability.  Used the "new" version over the weekend and on my uneven driveway, it is a little tipsy with the narrow track.  Might dig through my junk pile and see if I have some longer pipes to make it wider.

[Ljohnsaw]

Update: 9/11/2019

Here are the logs delivered back on 8/16/2019:


 
Most of the logs were 33' but a couple were 36' and 39'.  Really made my SkyTrak groan.

I spent Monday and Tuesday milling more of those logs.  I spent 2 days the prior week doing the same and another day or two the week before.  I have now milled up 18 of the 21 logs with a total of 3,607 bd-ft of usable lumber.  One 33' log only yielded 62 bd-ft - a 9" banana. >:(   I have 19 of the 56 rafters and only need two more 23' 2x10 floor joists.  Made a lot of 4x6 girt and brace stock along with assorted 2x8 & 2x10 roof planks.

Here is the new and improved log caddy with a pair of 14' 2x10's fresh off the mill.  I slide them from the SkyTrak forks (in the background) and make them slightly front heavy on the cart.  Rolls way easier than the old version (even with non-bent wheels ;)).


 
Then it is just a matter of tossing them up on the stack.  I was working alone :-\  At least I don't have to carry them all the way in!

Note the Highly Valuable Denim Wood in the stack.  About 1/4 of the logs were stained.  When I hit a pocket of blue, my mill was blowing so much blue "smoke", I thought I was burning up my blade.  I had to stop and check what was going on!  Mills don't buy such logs (right?), so I think my logger was pretty lucky I came along and gave him top dollar for 'firewood'. ;)  It works for me, though.

[Magicman]

Looking good John.  The commercial sawmills here will not buy them because they have no idea how long they have been dead/dying.  The lumber would not make grade.

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 9/13/2019:

Milled only one log today but took a few pictures of what I've been cutting from the log delivery. 

Edit:  The one log yielded 2-2x10x23', 3-4x7x26', 2-2x4x14', 1-2x10x8', 2-2x6x16', 1-2x6x8', 2-1x6x16' and 3-4x6x7'.  About 385 bd-ft.

A little overexposed but my stack of 22 rafters (4x7x26') and 7 floor joists (2x10x23').


 
Leftovers from the 33' logs I made 4x6 girt/brace stock.

 
Lots of 2x8 and 2x10s for roof boards.


A couple 3x10s for the stairwell framing and some longer 4x6s.

[Darrel]

John and his saw have been busy!  Good deal. 

[Magicman]

You have been quite busy Sir.  8)

[Ljohnsaw]

Update 9/20/2019:

Had a lofty goal to finish up the floor joists.  I had these seven 23' 2x10s (actually need nine).


 
They are just placed but not nailed in (Monday's job).  Also got the two 3x10's placed.  I need to track down a pair of joist hangers for the 3x10 that will hang off of them and will be 4' 3'-7" off the center beam to house the stair case to the basement.


 

[samandothers]

Progress looks good!  When will weather become an issue?

[Ljohnsaw]

Already had two heavy rain storms - ~2" each. (normal year, rain stops mid-May and starts mid-October)  One storm with snow only 1,000' higher in elevation :-\  Roller-coaster weather right now.  Last Monday the rain-soaked shavings were frozen at 7 am.  Will be back up to 95° down here, 85° up there on Sunday.  Next Saturday will be nearly 20°cooler.  Usually get snow/melt/snow up until mid-November.  By Thanksgiving is when there will be a hard shutdown on it all.